When new types of furniture styles roll along, they very rarely have the staying power to become a household name. Some, however, persevere to define an era like mid-century modern furniture as well as Victorian styled items and even Tudor pieces. Those aren’t fashioned after Holbein's style anymore, they’re the Tudor era. They aren’t inspired by Valley of the Dolls, it’s just the furniture people had back in the 60s. Industrial furniture is easily that and so much more for the 21st century.
Defining Industrial Furniture
Like an art style, it’s hard to define it. Furniture in many cultures is art and that’s not different in the case of industrial furniture or other pieces that serve to encompass the styling of a time. For example, a fresco painting is not defined by much more than the medium it was created in, yet you could bring the thought of a fresco to mind at the name. In the same respect, while it’s hard to out-right define “industrial furniture” as a term, it’s much easier to readily define the materials that make up the style before determining anything else. Mainly, it consists of a utilitarian influence that is carried throughout the design of each piece. Generally, the pieces from similar lines consist of reclaimed wood, chic furniture crafted from interesting materials like metal and clothed lightly with leather. In general, however, each item that falls within the industrial furniture category can generally be defined by its modernist movement influences.
Making Beauty of Flaws
Industrial furniture produces a harsher look, but it highlights the beauty in what many think of as unsightly and seek to cover. With exposed bricks, concrete, beams and even pipes and vents industrial style and furniture alike seek to romanticize the unattractive bits of a structural accent. It accomplishes this by using monochromatic colors that put the main point of focus on the thing that, in other cases, would be considered unsightly. You'll see most industrial furniture cuts out excess like plushiness and soft materials and looks prominently toward the simplistic beauty of form. It emphasizes minimalistic principles, You’ll find all clean lines and utilitarian shapes complemented with rusted metal finishes, reclaimed, refinished wood and more that makes the pieces look rustic without aging them uncharacteristically.
Pulling It Off
Figuring out how to access a more industrialized and attractive, yet minimalistic aspect of your home begins with the pieces you already have. If they seem too plush, or rather, over-finished get rid of it. Industrial furniture almost exclusively looks good with other clean-lined pieces. Mid-century modern, for example, pairs well with industrial chic. You can pair a set of steel blue mid-century modern chairs and a couch with a coffee table that’s rocking a knotty wood top and rusted metal legs. It would work even better against a rough-hewn brick backdrop, but the idea stands that industrial can suit many different aesthetics because it is so low maintenance, you just won’t be able to successfully pair a red, curling profiled chairs from the Edwardian era unless you’re a professional designer.
Shop All Styles of Furniture
Don’t limit yourself to one style, mix and match to bring an entirely personal character to your home. Search our online database of beautiful and affordable furniture that fall into different style categories and that can be paired comprehensively. Questions about how you can pair furniture and put a room together, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help however we can.