Do you dream of an industrial loft-style interior? For a living room with a revisited factory look, we have selected all the essentials of the factory style. Vintage, industrial, contemporary, metal and raw wood or patinated leather: with a tailor-made decoration from floor to ceiling, the living room is transformed into a designer living space… but cozy!
1. An industrial metal pendant light
A flagship piece of factory style, the metal pendant light sets the tone for the living room. Rather black or metal color, possibly vintage or rusty effect, it adds an industrial touch to the decor of the room. The secret? A visible light bulb, perfect above a dining or living room table. And in the absence of suspension, bare bulbs at the end of their black cable, alone or in accumulation!
2. A wooden coffee table with wheels
As for the coffee table, the factory spirit is all about solid wood, raw and enriched with metallic finishes. The extra thing? The castors, in the factory trolley castor version under a high-end table for purists, low-cost casters under stacked pallets for small budgets. In all cases, the industrial recycling spirit must reign. Perfect for a New York loft atmosphere!
3. A patinated leather sofa
The king of the industrial living room is him, a patinated leather sofa as if it came out of the management office after years of use. The champion? The Chesterfield sofa whose padding perfectly retains the patina, emblematic of the factory style. Otherwise, any vintage leather sofa has its effect, as long as it is fawn, brown or black.
4. A factory wall clock
Is the room missing a little something to perfect an industrial decor? We hang a metal clock, one that the workers watched out of the corner of their eyes to watch for the time when they left the factory. Some are still in flea markets, although more and more popular … but many brands offer revisited versions to suit each show!
5. A factory style metal shelf
Perfect for storing books, knick-knacks and other decorations, the metal shelves evoke factory and industry. The piece to refine the factory style, therefore. Especially since the thin uprights and the lack of background make it light and easy to integrate furniture, in black for a real loft atmosphere. Plan B? We replace the shelves with factory lockers!
6. An animal skin rug
Strange but true, the most essential rug for a loft-style living room is none other than animal skin … Since it evokes recycling and travel, contrasts with concrete or metal and goes wonderfully with wood! Goat skin, cow skin or zebra skin, anything is possible, as long as the skin is vintage.
7. A designer floor lamp
As always with the factory spirit, recycling is in the news. For the cozy atmosphere of the reading corner as for the industrial look of the living room, we can find studio lamps, factory projectors or industrial-style design lighting: metallic, dark in color, imposing and/or articulated. As beautiful as they are practical, they are perfect next to the leather sofa!
8. A metal chair
The metal chair is a staple of the industrial loft style and the factory spirit. Depending on the configuration of the living room, it can slip into the office area, in front of the dining room table or complement the patinated leather sofas… A versatile chair with a design straight out of the factory!
9. Install a red brick wall in your living room
Typical of New York factories and lofts, red brick walls are one of the classic wall coverings in industrial decor. In a small living room, we will favor a single red brick wall, leaving the other walls in a neutral color.
If you don’t have the possibility of having a real brick wall, there are very good wallpapers that will allow you to cover one of your walls in the living room.
10. Opt for a brown leather sofa
Whether it is mottled or bought in a decoration store, the brown leather sofa is the industrial style sofa par excellence. For a vintage decoration, we opt for a padded leather model, Chesterfield style. For a more modern decoration, a soft leather sofa in hazelnut or cognac hues.
11. Have exposed beams
This type of industrial living room requires a high ceiling, but also to live in a loft or country house type accommodation. The beams should be gray or black metal, with exposed bolts, to look authentic.
12. Partition the living room with a glass roof
In black metal, the canopy allows a large room to be partitioned while allowing light to pass through. It is a very practical solution for partitioning a loft or for fitting out a small industrial kitchen. In a studio or a small apartment, you can create an intimate bedroom area while not losing the brightness of the room.
13. Paint your walls black
If you’re not afraid to get bored and love dark rooms, paint the walls in your industrial living room black. Favor this atmosphere in a room facing south, so as not to live in the dark all day.
14. Hang a glass mirror on the wall
If you don’t have the possibility of installing a real glass roof in your living room, cheat! Glass-style mirrors are a classic in industrial decoration. In raw black metal, they are generally quite imposing models.
15. Combine industrial decor and vintage furniture
The advantage of industrial furniture is that it goes perfectly with retro furniture. Ideal if you have some antique furniture in your living room, whether it is heirloom or antique.
16. Have industrial furniture in a Scandinavian living room
The Scandinavian style is a good basis for obtaining a warm and cozy industrial living room. Reserve the industrial style for certain pieces of furniture such as the coffee table, the TV cabinet or even the dining table. Opt for basic and Scandinavian furniture for the rest of the layout (sofa, chairs, bookcase, etc.).
17. Mix raw materials and pastel colors
The industrial style can be cold and very masculine at times. To break this rough side of formwork, play with pastel colors, to repaint the walls of your living room or for part of your furniture. This combination is ideal for a small living room, which needs to be bright and look bigger than it looks.
18. Make a mixture of raw materials
Take inspiration from country houses and shabby chic style for an industrial chic living room. Raw wood goes perfectly with vintage leather. The stone walls must be left as they are, to accentuate the raw side of the living room.
19. Paint the walls with Classic Blue
Classic Blue is a bright, chic and calming blue at the same time. It is a more user-friendly color than black, which highlights an industrial living room. To make the whole look less dark, do not hesitate to install a few plants and light textiles in your living room.
20. Have some romantic decoration elements
A little sweetness in a world of crude! The industrial chic living room can mix wood and raw metal furniture with some more delicate decoration elements, such as pretty curtains on the windows, bouquets of dried flowers or even candles arranged on a gilded brass tray in the middle of the coffee table.
21. Play the raw material card
Take inspiration from factory interiors to design your industrial living room. This type of atmosphere is particularly suitable for a large house or a loft, because it requires a lot of space to be displayed.
22. Install factory furniture in your living room
Ladder bookcases, workbenches, industrial desks, chests of drawers with multiple drawers… All these pieces of furniture are inspired by the furniture that we found in factories at the beginning of the 20th century.
23.Use khaki color
Less sharp than green, khaki is a color that is perfectly suited to the retro industrial style. It can be used on furniture (such as a khaki/olive green sofa) as well as on decorative items such as demijohns, lighting or even metal storage boxes.
24. Play the 1950s design card
The 1950s are one of the sources of inspiration for industrial furniture. The famous Jieldé lamp, for example, was created around this time. For a retro industrial living room, take inspiration from 50’s style living rooms. Often round, the period furniture brings softness to the whole.
25. Paint the walls in duck blue
Duck blue is not always an easy color to apply, but in an industrial living room, it has the gift of creating a chic and retro atmosphere at the same time. A bit like Mad Men. If you like characterful interiors, paint the entire living room walls this shade. If you prefer to play the card of parsimony, then paint one or two sections of wall, so as to highlight a decorative element such as a bookcase, a glass roof or a beautiful industrial piece of furniture.
26. Create an industrial style office area
Your industrial office doesn’t have to be big. Opt for a simple model, mixing wood and metal. Add some elements like a vintage industrial lamp or an old armchair to give a retro style to the whole.
27. Transform an old trunk into a coffee table
Here is a trick that allows you to have a coffee table and storage thanks to a single piece of furniture! The vintage trunk is perfect for setting up a small retro industrial living room. In a larger living room, we do not hesitate to opt for a very large trunk type trunk, so that it does not appear tiny in the middle of the room.
28. Set up a dining area with industrial copper chairs
Nowadays, it is rare that the dining room is separated from the living room. To keep the retro industrial style in your living room, choose copper seats like the famous Tolix chairs. Installed around a table in metal or raw wood, they bring color and sparkle to the whole. Do not hesitate to recall copper-colored metal with other decorative elements such as lighting, for example.
29. Combine industry with vegetation
The Urban Jungle trend has been in full swing for years. Small or large, green plants have the knack of bringing warmth to our interiors. To give a warmer side to an industrial living room, do not hesitate to have it on your shelves .
In a dark living room, plants add color without distorting the industrial side of the whole.
30. Have the natural fiber
Armchairs, stools or even natural fiber baskets are very trendy in recent years. Often associated with boho or Scandinavian decoration, they nevertheless find their place in a modern industrial living room. The natural fiber, often light in color, brings softness to the whole.
31. Put some color in your industrial living room
Who said that the industrial show has to be dark or sad? Bright colors find their place in this style of decoration, as long as it respects the codes. So choose colorful decorative items in metal or enamel, such as old posters or retro signs. Avoid colored leather, which is too cheap. Choose one or more armchairs or sofas in velvet or colored fabrics, more modern and trendy.
32. Use terracotta paint to replace brick walls
Retro-inspired, the brick wall can be easily replaced with a terracotta paint. It is also a quick alternative to installing a brick wall or wallpaper. Terracotta goes perfectly with metals and rough woods. This color has been very trendy for a few seasons. Bright and warm, it will brighten up a modern industrial living room.
33. Install neon lights on the wall
Let yourself be inspired by the illuminated signs and succumb to neon to decorate the walls of your industrial living room. Choose a design model, which takes a mantra for example. The neon must remain in industrial colors, such as yellow or red, to remind the neon lights of factories or stores.
34. Get inspired by bohemian interiors
Boho and industrial decor are not incompatible, far from it! If industrial style living rooms can sometimes seem a little cold or too masculine, just add a few boho decorative items to make the whole more warm. Hang some macrame on the walls, choose a black & white Berber rug, install a woven cotton plaid on the sofa.
35. Hang tinsel garlands from the ceiling
Fairy lights are very trendy in recent years. They allow you to obtain a subdued light, very pleasant to allow yourself real cocooning moments at home. Usually reserved for outdoor use, guinguettes garlands bring fantasy to an industrial-style living room. Choose a classic garland, with white or yellow bulbs.
