Industrial Style Homes. When Austerity Smartly Turns to Luxury

by Laura Mitran · April 1, 2017

From 2000 on, industrial home design has spread throughout America and way out to Eastern Europe, but its beginnings are in 40s Manhattan, an industrial area of the city at that time. When all the plants and factories had to move their headquarters to the outskirts, because of the high rents, the buildings were occupied by people with low material possibilities, especially artists, that turned them into studios where they both worked and lived. Meanwhile, Manhattan became one of the most expensive and cosmopolitan neighbourhoods in the world and those modest buildings became billion dollar apartments and penthouses, prosperous offices and fancy restaurants. Their cold and austere design became very popular and was embraced by nonconformists, landlords and a lot of bars and restaurants. We will show you industrial style homes from three continents.

Raw brick or concrete walls, thick metal or wood beams, unfinished wooden furniture, huge or tiny metallic lighting devices, they all fit into the industrial style. Out of the ordinary design accessories complete the abandoned factory atmosphere, unsuitable for a living at a first glimpse. Who would’ve thought that a pile of old metal pieces, sewing machines and industrial chairs, among others, could be decorative objects for interior stylish designing? But when they are combined with carefully chosen furniture items and colours, their true beauty stands out as “the salt and pepper” of the home design.

Industrial style homes. Villa from Argentina

The industrial style popularity reached southern America as well and is amazingly portrayed by this villa on the Atlantic beach in Argentina, designed by BAKArchitects. The massive concrete building, having special metallic inserts and large windowpanes on all sides, provides a magnificent view of the beach and ocean, as well as the intimate space the owners wanted. Even if at first look it doesn’t appear to be so, it is an open-to-the-outside building, with its wooden deck on the main floor and upper floor terraces.

The main floor space is divided into an open living, with kitchen and a spacious dining place and two small bedrooms for children.

The upper floor consists of a the master bedroom, from where through sliding glass doors you can access an unfenced terrace that seems suspended above the wild beach.

Industrial style homes. Guest house in San Francisco

The second example of an industrial house is this brick guest house designed by Azedevo Design in San Francisco inside a former technical and laundry room. It can be a perfectly functional studio-like house.

The interior design, remarkably blending iron, glass and wood, makes it particularly comfortable on a surface of just 93 sq ft. It features a small kitchen and the living, furnished with a sofa and a small table, from where, by the staircase one can access the attic that has a dressing, a bathroom and a bedroom, after crossing a glass deck.