How to Create a Modern Industrial Style Look for Your Home

You’ll often see an abundance of gray in an industrial bedroom style. The color can come from exposed pipes, unfinished concrete accents or the color choice of your linens. A gray color palette is actually quite versatile, because it works with the whole spectrum, making it a broad foundation to build upon. The shades you choose depend on the size and light in your particular space.

If your industrial bedroom is dripping with sunlight from large factory windows or has a tendency to feel cavernous from sky-high ceilings, you can opt for darker shades that center the eye on your bed. Think: layering your crisp, white bedsheets with the Essential Quilt in a rich Coal shade. 

If you’re working with a small industrial bedroom, brighter whites and grays will make the space feel larger. Though red, exposed brick may suit a sprawling space, you can also paint it white to give a small space an open and more airy feel.

Gray is a great place to start, but it’s not the only color in your palette. Some of the best industrial bedroom inspiration comes from shades that warm up iron accents and hard concrete. Use contrast to unify your look, and then let opposites attract.

Earth tones (like muted terra cottas, chocolates or mosses) provide a calming contradiction to concrete, exposed brick and metal accents. A splash of bright color (like a bold yellow throw) can liven up a dreary space. Don’t be afraid to go bold.

Texture is vital for pleasing industrial bedroom design. But many industrial spaces are filled with hard textures that don’t lend themselves to a cozy feel. You can offset rough surfaces by layering fabrics of varying, softer textures. For example, try pairing Channel Duvet or Diamond Stitched Duvet Cover Set from Parachute with a Cloud Cotton Quilt and Percale Fitted Sheet.

Airy, organza curtains add a softer element to industrial windows. Alternatively, you can opt for a blend of soft and structured fabrics to play on both aesthetics (think: putting a sheepskin throw over a leather office chair).

Industrial spaces often give off an unfinished or weathered vibe. Exposed brick and visible pipes contribute to that bare-bones feel. But you don’t need those raw, rough trappings to make a space feel industrial. You can curate your own unfinished accents in coarse lumber and exposed wood grain.

Industrial bedroom furniture shines in its natural textures, whether it’s in an oak side table or a distressed armoire. Try using wood as the centerpiece of your cozy industrial bedroom by including a wooden bed frame. Opt for something simple and sleek, like a handcrafted Ojai Bed from Parachute, which lets the raw, natural beauty of white oak take center stage. If you’re handy, you can even DIY a platform-style bedframe inspired by shipping palettes. But be forewarned that actual shipping pallets can be contaminated with toxic chemicals.

One way to make your space feel instantly more industrial is to replace your light fixtures with Edison bulbs. Unlike your average incandescent or fluorescent bulb, this vintage-style lighting is intended to be seen. It conjures up the old-world feeling of the first light bulbs Thomas Edison created more than a century ago.

While you can put an Edison bulb in an existing lamp for an instant style upgrade, they really shine when hung from a visible cable. Mind where you string it up. You can use the cable to frame a window, or tuck it into the corner of a room.

Industrial style is both structured and manufactured. Nothing about this look feels organic, which is why houseplants can create an excellent contrast. Work with the beauty of a wildflower growing in a sidewalk crack to add a hopeful feeling to stark surroundings.

You can add houseplants anywhere, from a trailing vine strung near a window to a simple snake plant in a corner. Industrial spaces like factory-converted lofts tend to unfold in random corners. A plant creates a warming accent for those awkward angles.

On its own, industrial design can sometimes feel cold and uninviting. A welcoming industrial bedroom design is often best when blended with other styles. If your bedroom already has industrial accents (think: factory windows, concrete walls, exposed pipes and air conditioning ducts), mix up your decor with other elements.

For example, you can soften concrete walls with sunny, southwestern decor accents. Or opt for some decorative woven baskets or stitched wall art. You may even want to try mid-century modern furniture to give your industrial space a trendy feel.