20 Giu Industrial furniture: from the 1950s to the present day
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Industrial furniture, where to begin?
Are you looking for inspiration to furnish your home? You are curious about industrial furniture, but you don’t know where to start? You are in the right place, then!
Industrial-style furniture has become increasingly popular in recent years and is especially used to furnish very large spaces such as lofts and open spaces.
But where does industrial furniture come from? What materials to use? What are the ideal furnishings and the must-haves for an industrial design which doesn’t feel trite, cold, or unwelcoming? Read on to find out more about this style of furniture and its history, starting from the 1950s up to the present day.
Industrial design furniture, where was it born?
Industrial-style furniture was born in New York in the 1950s, when disused spaces such as warehouses, factories and large offices were recovered and repurposed as living spaces.
The recovery of these spaces was encouraged and made famous by the artist of the “Pop Art” artistic movement Andy Warhol, who chose one of these disused buildings to give life to his famous Factory, a meeting place for artists of the 1950s. Nowadays, the spread of this style on a global scale is owed to American TV series, which have been great sources of inspiration for modern interior design.
The industrial style – named as such to emphasize the environment in which it shines– is made up of very linear, simple, and rough design elements, which are often also made up of vintage pieces and recycled materials.
It is a style that is perfectly suited to either a home or a business place, such as a café or a restaurant. For instance, in a house, lofts and large open-spaces lend themselves very well to this style of furniture: in fact, they are often equipped with a mezzanine, ideal for the insertion of stairs in iron or mixed materials – such as iron and wood – which will perfectly outline the foundations for industrial design.
Typical colors and elements of the industrial style
Rough brick walls, whose aesthetic reminds of abandoned factories, are undoubtedly key/typical elements of industrial design, being often already part of the living spaces. Unlike with more modern and linear designs, when adopting industrial furniture elements that are usually hidden by walls and pillars, such as water pipes, can be made visible.
The choice of flooring is also quite important in order to create the right continuity in the environment: the most used and recommended materials are resin and concrete or, to add some variety, even a hard wood floor can avoid making the environment cold and unwelcoming. To avoid creating such an environment, the use of metals is often moderated by adding wood and warm lights.
As for the color palette, we tend to prefer dark colors such as black, gray, anthracite, dark blue and dark brown, occasionally lightened by touches of copper or teal green.
Although industrial furniture is meant to work in an open space, therefore excluding the use of walls or doors to create separate spaces, there are alternative solutions for people who prefer otherwise. Even those who do not enjoy (totally) open spaces can adopt an industrial design by using sliding doors with external tracks made by mixed materials such as wood and aluminum or glass and metal, as in the case of pocket doors. Wood, aluminum, glass, and other metals are all materials typically featured in industrial style windows.
Industrial furniture, what are the must-have furniture pieces?
Some of the ideal must-haves for this style can be:
- metal chairs to be added to the kitchen peninsula or to the dining room table
- leather armchairs or sofas, often with a vintage seventies look
- reclaimed wood table, often with iron feet
- suspended lights with exposed wires
- cast iron stove for the living area
- vintage pieces of furniture, even better if they are not in perfect condition and with some imperfections
Industrial style is perfect for DIY lovers because it offers the possibility to create design objects without worrying about imperfections, such as this industrial-style mirror.
Are you ready to furnish your spaces in an industrial style? If you are still curious, you could read about it on “La casa moderna” which offers a complete guide to this type of furniture.
It is always important to rely on experts, for this reason at Eurocassonetto we are always ready to provide you with our advice and our help, to guide you professionally in your choice.