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Retro is all the rage now, whether it’s kitschy and colorful or reclaimed and weather-worn. One of the retro looks we’re seeing both in new construction and in-home remodeling projects is vintage industrial style. This type of building and decor hearkens back to a time when the industrial age was something new and huge machines and big, working gears were things of wonder. Vintage industrial style is a combination of raw utility and warmth, as it embraces heavy metal fixtures and exposed concrete and brick, but also utilizes weathered wood and reclaimed pieces that truly bring on the nostalgia.
If you’re building a new home or planning updates to your current home, here are a few ideas to help you add a bit of vintage industrial style to the project.
Start from the Ground Up
Vintage industrial style is the opposite of new and shiny, and since the floors of your home take a beating, this is the perfect place to begin adding a bit of utilitarian flair. If you’re building a new home or adding an addition, consider stained concrete floors. Any cracks, variations in color, or imperfections will lend themselves to the overall feel.
If you’re remodeling your home or if stained concrete isn’t your thing, consider reclaimed wood floors. Older wooden floors — with knot holes, gaps, rub marks, and all the signs of time and use — will really warm up a vintage industrial remodeling project.
Freestanding is Your Friend
If you think back to the days of the Industrial Revolution, kitchens weren’t all sleek with the elements tied in together. Sinks, stoves, workspaces — everything was freestanding. As such, if you can similarly segment things in your kitchen remodel, you’ll achieve an attractive vintage industrial style that will have visitors complimenting and asking questions about the pieces you chose. Opt for a heavy, farmhouse-style sink with built-in workspaces on either side. Look for a freestanding stove — bonus points if you can find an older one that’s in working order — and install a metal vent hood over it.
When it comes to cabinets, if you build them in, think rustic and worn. A freestanding kitchen island with a hearty, wooden work surface supported by industrial steel legs will provide the finishing touches for a breathtaking vintage industrial kitchen.
Vintage Industrial Style
For other rooms in the house, envision turning the space into something that resembles an early 20th-century warehouse. Accent interior walls with weathered brick facades to bring an industrial feel into a living room or bedroom. If you need to separate rooms, consider doing so with a metal-paned glass wall instead of a solid wall in order to bring that “factory feel” into your living space and make it more of an open floor plan. Find refurbished antique furniture for use throughout the home — wheeled metal carts and shelving units, metal-framed beds, and steampunk-style light switches will add to the effect.
Speaking of lighting, this is one area where you can bring vintage industrial style to all areas of your home. Exposed Edison bulbs are one of the mainstays of this kind of decor. Use them in any fixture that will accommodate them or put them in a basic light socket fixture with a long wire and create your own fixtures. Free-standing floor lamps and old desk lamps are a great way to add accent lighting in areas that tend to be too dark.
If you’re not sure if something is possible or need ideas, talk to your contractor. Whether you’re building a new home or planning to completely transform your older house, it’s not hard to integrate classic vintage industrial style to make your home truly one of a kind.
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