Industrial-style kitchens are all the rage as homeowners find ways to make their interiors stand out. Modern kitchen design can be quite boring and repetitive – there are only so many times you can see a white kitchen without getting sick of it. You want to do something different and make your kitchen look fabulous while being somewhat unique.
The industrial style is perfect for this. There’s enough room within this sphere to put your stamp on things while playing to the style’s core features. Plus, the final look is stunning! Your kitchen still has a modern edge but it feels more robust and raw. Industrial kitchens are also made to be spacious, giving you plenty of room to move around in.
In this post, we’ve got our sights firmly set on an industrial kitchen style. You’ll see some of the must-have features you should incorporate when redesigning your kitchen in this manner.
Black Metal Fittings
Metal is a must in an industrial-style kitchen, but coating it in black paint gives it a raw edge. Some people opt for copper or gold, but black feels more traditional. You can use it in so many ways around the kitchen too.
For example, you can have a black metal storage trolley to keep all of your spices in. Or, you attach a pipe to the wall as a black handrail, which can be used to put kitchen towels on, etc. There are plenty of other examples to think of and black also works well with any other colour. It won’t clash with your flooring or any of the accents you add in.
Also, it pairs beautifully with cast iron cookware. Keep your cookware exposed by hanging it on the walls and the cast iron blackness bounces perfectly off the black metal fittings to give a truly authentic industrial style.
Exposed Brickwork
Ask any interior design specialist about industrial-style kitchens and they’ll beg you to incorporate exposed brickwork. Stripping back the paint and exposing bricks gives the kitchen a rugged look. It feels instantly more industrial – but there’s a practical element to this idea as well.
Industrial kitchens are made to be practical and brickwork is ideal in this setting. The coolness of the bricks improves temperature regulation in all seasons. When it’s cold, the bricks help to retain heat and warm the kitchen up. If it gets too hot and steamy, your brickwork is there to cool things down.
As if that’s not cool enough, bricks are natural dehumidifiers. The porous nature of brickwork absorbs moisture and decreases humidity levels in your kitchen. Therefore, you’re less likely to deal with mould spores or condensation on the windows.
Concrete Flooring
Nothing says “industrial” like concrete flooring. It’s an idea taken straight out of industrial warehouses, yet it looks so beautiful in a kitchen. On its own, you may hate it – but when combined with the other industrial kitchen elements, you’ll see why it works so well.
It’s available in many styles and finishes so you can cater this to your unique tastes. Again, it’s a wonderful choice from a practical standpoint. Yes it’s stylish, but concrete floor is easy for you to clean. If things spill, they can be wiped away with ease.
Your only concern is the temperature. Concrete or stone flooring is known to be cold, so you should address this. Keep your feet warm by installing underfloor heating before putting the flooring in. It’s the best solution as you can walk around in bare feet or with socks on and not feel cold. You also don’t have exposed radiators taking up space in your kitchen.
A Large Kitchen Island
Search for industrial kitchen design inspiration and every single picture will feature a kitchen island. It adds more workspace to your kitchen while providing a place for people to sit or stand. Kitchen islands also pave the way for an open-plan kitchen area, which drastically improves the spaciousness.
You go from a cramped little kitchen into a wide-open space leading out into your living area. There’s more room to move around as you work in the kitchen while feeling more connected to the rest of the home. Of course, no kitchen island is complete without some industrial bar stools.
Again, this is a chance to incorporate some of the black metal we spoke about earlier. Get stools with black metal legs that look like they were taken out of the latest hip club in an old bunker.
Smart Storage Solutions
Continuing the idea of making your kitchen as open as possible, industrial-style kitchens use loads of smart storage solutions. The idea is to keep things off your work surfaces without using storage ideas that take up too much floor space.
It sounds like an impossible task, yet industrial kitchens make it look easy. The trick is using exposed shelving and storage solutions hanging from the ceiling. Things are kept on these shelves and exposed to all, adding to the industrial feel. We spoke about hanging your cast iron cookware up – but you could do the same with spoons, ladles and other cooking tools.
You’re leaving the work surface bare, but you aren’t adding in loads of storage containers or additional items of furniture.
Integrated Appliances
Industrial kitchens are supposed to look purposeful and sleek. Nothing should appear out of place – and this includes your appliances.
It’s easy to ruin your industrial-style kitchen with an ugly microwave or a fridge that sticks out like a sore thumb. Dishwashers and washing machines can also cause problems, which is why you need to integrate all appliances.
Have built-in washing machines, dishwashers and fridges that are hidden behind cabinet doors. Get an oven with a microwave so it fits flush under the cooker or between cabinets and seamlessly blends in. If there’s one appliance you can get away with being exposed, it’s a coffee machine. You can add to the industrial decor with a gorgeous metal coffee machine in the corner of your worktop.
Hanging Lighting
Your kitchen can have various lighting options, such as built-in LED lights under the cabinets to create a lovely glow in the evenings. Nevertheless, there’s one thing you cannot ignore when it comes to lighting choices: hanging lights.
Every industrial-style kitchen will have lights hanging from the ceiling. You can choose how you wish to do this, but they should hang down over your kitchen island. It gives industrial vibes like nothing else and will be sorely missed if you neglect it.
One of the simplest ideas is to hang lightbulbs from your ceiling as low as possible without causing a risk. The exposed bulbs look incredibly industrial and give your entire kitchen a new edge.
Simple Colours
Lastly, your industrial kitchen is not complete without simple colours. Don’t go crazy and add splashes of colour everywhere; all you need are the classic whites, blacks and greys.
You’ve got black metal in places, the concrete floor will probably be greyish, so consider having white cabinets. Yes, it seems similar to other modern kitchen designs that we claimed were boring in the intro. But when everything comes together, it helps to create a truly industrial look that stands out.
Are you due a kitchen renovation? Maybe it’s time to rip everything up and create something new and inventive. Industrial-style kitchens work in any home and are made to please. They effortlessly combine stunning aesthetics with flawless practicality. Remember, if you are going down this route, your industrial kitchen must have the eight things in this post!
