How To Get The Industrial Mid-Century Modern Look
Are you struggling to bring your ultimate home design idea to fruition, despite having it clear in your mind?
The best way to figure out what you want to do when it comes to designing your home is to look at pictures of other spaces to see if it fits your fantasy. This is especially true if you are considering a mid-century modern industrial design, as the industrial style can be very bold and overwhelming when paired with a mid-century modern style.
The key is to find the perfect balance between the industrial and mid-century modern styles.
When people imagine an industrial space, they will probably think of harsh metals, unfinished and untreated wood, and red brick walls. Contrastingly, when people think of midcentury modern design, they probably think of plastics, geometric shapes, and shiny porcelain.
So, how is it viable to combine these two styles to create a beautiful, warm, gorgeous interior space?
Take a look at our tips below to achieve your dream mid-century modern industrial home by seamlessly combining industrial and midcentury design.
About Industrial Design
Industrial design has the appearance of a warehouse. It uses vintage pieces with clean lines, no clutter, neutral colors, and minimalism to create a timeless look. The key to industrial design is to create a practical, functional space using vintage finds and simple architecture.
About Mid-Century Modern Design
Midcentury modern design uses minimalistic elements to create a comfortable and cozy space. This style is clean-lined and characterized by geometric patterns and neutral colors like white, beige, tan, and grey.
Good design will make use of warm woods, metals, and plastic, as well as mid-century furniture pieces that are practical, sleek, and comfortable.
How To Achieve Mid-Century Modern Industrial Design In Your Home
Minimalism
Both industrial design and mid-century modern design make use of minimalism to create the desired aesthetic.
Minimalism is about leaving spaces uncluttered by selecting decor items and furnishing that are practical and functional.
The mid-century modern industrial look is all about creating a space with a stripped-back appearance – there are no unnecessary elements in the room.
The first step to creating this look is to declutter a space – remove anything that is not essential. Leave the walls and floors exposed, and allow the furniture to become the focal point in the room.
Monochrome and neutral colors
Mid-century modern industrial design is all about neutral, monochrome colors. White, beige, black, grey, and tan tends to dominate. These colors can be incorporated into furniture, walls, curtains, cabinets, and artwork.
Earthy tones from wood and bricks are also very popular in this design. Wood flooring with exposed brick walls is a great place to start, as the cool brick and warm wood perfectly complement each other.
Use other colors sparingly
Despite neutral colors being key in the mid-century modern industrial look, it does not mean you must avoid brighter colors completely.
You can make use of metallic colors, like bronze, pewter, and gold, as well as soft colors like teal and blush pink, to liven up your space.
Finding a color scheme that works for you will also depend on the type of flooring you have, the color of your walls, the natural light in your home, as well as your personal preference.
Plants are a great addition to the midcentury modern industrial look, as the splashes of green and beautiful flowers will add natural colors to your home.
Be practical
Midcentury pieces are all about function and practicality. The same goes for industrial furniture.
When you are deciding on how to furnish and decorate your home, you need to keep practicality in mind.
Furniture must be uncomplicated, using clean lines, simplistic design, and simple forms. This does not mean the furniture must be uncomfortable – midcentury furniture is all about comfort and being cozy.
Leave things unfinished
The modern industrial design makes use of exposed bricks and pipework that attract many to the design style.
When combining the industrial style with the midcentury modern style, you can intentionally leave certain elements unfinished, like not plastering over bricks, leaving wood untreated, or exposing your ducts and pipes.
The colors of the raw elements can form part of the entire design aesthetic. These elements can then be complemented by wood and metal furniture to complete your midcentury modern industrial look.
Factory furnishings
What is called “factory furniture” is very popular in industrial interior design. This type of furnishing looks like it would typically be used in a factory or warehouse. The materials used are durable and practical.
These furnishings combine well with the mid-century modern style, as it has clean lines and is minimalistic.
Clean lines
Both industrial and midcentury furniture make use of clean lines. These lines are unbroken and can be geometric or singular. The lines extend to decor and artwork, and graphic design can be used to create geometric patterns and textures in prints and fabrics.
Embrace negative space
Midcentury modern industrial designers love negative space. Negative space – i.e., space without any clutter – becomes part of the design of the room.
Use natural materials
A mid-century modern industrial space will combine natural materials like metal and wood.
Wood
Wood can be incorporated into your home as flooring, ceilings, exposed beams, wood panels, doors, window frames, and furniture items.
Any type of wood would do – whether light wood flooring or a dark wooden beam over the mantelpiece.
These wooden elements can then be combined with futuristic metal designs to complete the look.
Metal
Metal fixtures and furnishings are key to getting the industrial look. Exposed pipe- and ductwork is one way to incorporate metals into your space, but you can take it even further and use metal in your furniture – like a steel table or brass drink cart. Metal stools by a wooden bar or a copper sculpture will go a long way in giving you the design aesthetic you crave.
You can use a metal spray to update your existing pieces with a metal finish if you do not have any metal pieces.
Create a focal point
Midcentury design often revolves around a focal point or statement piece in the home. Whether this is a piece of mid-century modern art or an item of furniture like a coffee table or dining room table is entirely up to your personal preference.
A statement piece aims not to clutter the room but rather to complement the architecture and existing features in the room, drawing your eye and guiding it across the space.
Practical but comfortable
Mid-century modern industrial design is all about functionality, but that does not mean you have to sacrifice comfort.
The furniture items should have elegant lines while still being incredibly cozy and comfortable to use. The materials used must be durable enough to last for many years while still giving you a sense of comfort and style.
Play with light
Lighting fixtures are key to achieving your desired look. Artificial lighting is the next best thing if a room does not have a lot of natural light.
Lights can be used to create shadows and textures, highlighting focal points while casting darkness in other areas.
Don’t be afraid to play with light. Combine modern chandeliers with industrial furniture, use lights to introduce metallic colors, or play around with softer lighting by using wall sconces that shine upwards or highlight the unevenness of exposed bricks.
Incorporate different lights into the same space – a table lamp and standing lamp used within one room will make the room look more spacious by adding layers and depth.
Make it personal
When people think of modern industrial homes, they may think of a cold space without any character or personality.
To avoid this, you can bring in warmth by adding personal touches and a bit of life.
Life does not have to be actual living things (although plants go a long way in making a space feel homier), but rather showing that a person lives in the space. Signs of wear on carpets, personal mementos, photographs, and sketches go a long way in making a space feel more like home.
You do not have to go over the top. Start small, like adding your favorite books to a bookshelf, a photograph here and there, or display small souvenirs from your travels.
If you want to transform your home into a modern industrial midcentury home, then any of the tips above would be a good starting point.
The very first thing you need to do is get rid of any unnecessary items and slowly start transforming your home through vintage pieces, earthy tones, natural materials, and clean lines. There are plenty of ideas online which you can get inspiration from.
The mid-century modern industrial look is affordable to achieve, easy to maintain, and will impress all the guests in your lovely home.
