Industrial Age Tech Inspires Designers and Gains New Life

Steampunk and industrial are popular styles, but they don't fit everyone's lifestyle. Some find steampunk's flair too overstated, and perhaps a little too busy. Industrial style is a little more rough around the edges than steampunk, and can seem a bit heavy, or cold, for some.

If you like the feel of steampunk, or industrial, but you don't want too much of either in your decor, you can add touches of these edgy looks without giving up your current style.

Designers today are creating true objets d'art for the home utilizing items such as gauges and dials, pulleys, old lighting fixtures, and a host of other pieces from old machinery and factories. Some of these designer creations are not just decorative, but are functional pieces that can be appreciated for their design aesthetic as well as their practicality.

From ELLE Decor

In the room above, the contemporary style gets a touch of industrial with addition of a metal stool used as a side table next to the sofa.

Fabrics such as burlap or plain muslin can give furniture and other accessories a raw feel, that adds a pop to a more polished style.

From House Beautiful - UK

A traditional style sofa gets an industrial touch with raw fabric throw pillows featuring designs from the 19th and early 20th.

Blending Styles - Stir, Don't Shake

Adding touches of Industrial Chic can be quite simple, and needn't look forced. First, take some time to look around your room and get a sense of your own style.

Your Style

Industrial Style

Contemporary

Smooth lines. Sleek. Chrome or brass. Mid century styles.

Traditional

Copper with dark patina. 19th and early 20th century style items. Raw fabrics. Nautical.

Country

Rusty metals. Worn wood. Handmade items. Raw fabrics. Farm industry items.

Global

Woods with rich patina. Simple tools. Handmade items. Parts from manual or nature powered tools (wind/water mills, stone grinders, etc.)

Here are some items we found from our fellow Etsy shop owners.

High polished chrome or brass items can blend into many contemporary, modern or art deco looks.

• 
  INDUSTRIAL Vintage Bar Cart, Mid Century Retro Bar Cart, Chocolate Metal & Champagne Chrome, VGC Condition - Scottsdale Marketplace #773
  ScottsdaleMktplace
  295.00 USD
• 
  Vintage Brass Watering Can, Art Deco Style, Aged Patina, Heavy Weight Brass, Petite, ca. 1960s
  ZoeDesignsVintage
  75.00 USD
• 
  Brass Machine Age Candelabra *FREE SHIPPING*
  LoveLiveVintage
  35.00 USD

• 
  Contemporary Modern Industrial Metal Coffee Table
  IroncladDezin
  345.00 USD
• 
  TWIN BIRD INDUSTRIAL Glass and Metal Coffee or Tea Set from Japan
  OlivesandOil
  89.99 USD
• 
  1950s Vintage Mid Century Modern Chrome Aluminum Swag Lamp Round 16 inch 10 tall Light Aircraft Industrial Manufactured
  EVOLVE2LOVE
  495.00 USD

Fabrics like burlap can be used for pillows, curtains, and seating. Old canvas bins are great for storage or decoration.

• 
  Burlap Throw Pillow - Decorative Pillow, Accent Pillow, Rustic Throw Pillow, Burlap Pillow, Rustic Pillow
  BurlapUSA
  15.00 USD
• 
  Burlap Drapes Jute Burlap Curtains 4 Panels 40 x 104"
  EarthyVintageBoutiqu
  126.00 USD
• 
  Custom Pair of Vintage Coffee Sack Arm Chairs
  BlueChairUpholstery
  1200.00 USD

• 
  Vintage Industrial Canvas Bins, 3 Available - Shoe, Toy, or Firewood Storage
  YodersWoodedLot
  115.00 USD
• 
  French Grain Sack Design - Oatmeal linen fabric - zipper enclosure 3 sizes
  HauteShoppe
  37.99 USD

Common items, such as plumbing pipes, can be used to create storage or media units, or curtain rods, turning them into unique, uncommon, conversation pieces.

• 
  Large Industrial-Inspired Galvanized Pipe Curtain Rod
  1331Design
  95.00 USD
• 
  Stained Birch Plywood and Steel Pipe Wall Mounted and Floor Standing Industrial Chic Shelving/Bookcase with Cupboard
  inspiritdeco
  2380.00 GBP
• 
  Handmade Industrial Pulley Bookends (Item# BE9)
  AffaDotDesigns
  80.00 USD

• 
  Industrial shelving unit w/skirt
  SmallWoodPipe
  495.00 USD

More unusual items, like old machine or auto parts, can be repurposed into extraordinary pieces.

• 
  Tractor brake drum end table
  IndustrialEnvy
  898.99 USD
• 
  Tractor Seat Bar Stool Set
  ScrapIronDesigns
  550.00 USD
• 
  Industrial Pendant Light Hanging Vintage Metal Steampunk Pulley Gear with Edison Bulb
  EvasFeathers
  69.95 USD

• 
  Bespoke Reclaimed Scaffolding Boards and Dark Steel Pipe Angled Shelving/Bookcase/Display Unit with adjustable angled shelves and hooks
  inspiritdeco
  1225.00 GBP

Design Inspiration - Gatsby Style

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is considered one of the great American novels.

This summer, a new film version is being released, and Art Deco and styles from the Roaring Twenties is experiencing a resurgence.

Design Inspiration… Quotes from The Great Gatsby

ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy

"I noticed that she wore her evening-dress, all her dresses, like sports clothes..." "I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and every one knew her name."~ Nick Carraway on Jordan Baker ~

"On a chance we tried an important-looking door, and walked into a high Gothic library, paneled with carved English oak, and probably transported complete from some ruin overseas. A stout, middle-aged man, with enormous owl-eyed spectacles, was sitting somewhat drunk on the edge of a great table, staring with unsteady concentration at the shelves of books."

ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy

ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy

"Suddenly one of the gypsies, in trembling opal, seizes a cocktail out of the air, dumps it down for courage and, moving her hands like Frisco CLOSE Joe Frisco was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer. more... , dances out alone on the canvas platform. A momentary hush; the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her, and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray's understudy from the 'Follies.' The party has begun."

"Finally we came to Gatsby's own apartment, a bedroom and a bath, and an Adam study CLOSE The Adam style is a neoclassical style of interior design and architecture popular among the upper and middle-class in the late 18th-century. The Adam style was revived by the expanding middle classes from the 1880s to 1920s. After World War I, the Adam revival was replaced by the Art Deco movement. more... , where we sat down and drank a glass of some Chartreuse he took from a cupboard in the wall. His bedroom was the simplest room of all - except where the dresser was garnished with a toilet set of pure dull gold. Daisy took the brush with delight, and smoothed her hair, whereupon Gatsby sat down and shaded his eyes and began to laugh."

VintageAndOddities on Etsy

Get inspired...

Oneida Coffee Set, 18/8 Stainless Steel Coffee Pot, Creamer and Sugar, made by Oneida, ca. 1970s from ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy	Weeping Gold Bowl, Kingwood Ceramics Art Pottery, 1940s, Weeping-Bright Gold from ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy ZoeDesignsVintage on Etsy	SALE Vintage 20s 30s Silver Chrome and Maple ART DECO Cocktail Carafe Pitcher from northstarvintage on Etsy northstarvintage on Etsy
Vintage Westclox Art Deco Mantel Clock - Model 61-H from villa15vintage on Etsy villa15vintage on Etsy	Daisy Buchanan. vintage 60s does 20s white shift dress with intricate rhinestone lace detail. wedding or reception dress. size small/medium from GinnyandHarriot on Etsy GinnyandHarriot on Etsy	Vintage Silver Hip Flask Figural Fish Towle from AustinModern on Etsy AustinModern on Etsy
Antique Snifter Glasses - Sterling Silver Over Glass from SITFineJewelry on Etsy SITFineJewelry on Etsy	Vintage Art Deco Silver Metal Bead Black Purse 20s from GrandVintageFinery on Etsy GrandVintageFinery on Etsy	Vintage 20s 30s Yellow Ruffle Dress -Great Gatsby Glamorous Hollywood Buttercup Flamenco Sexy Ballroom Dance Formal Long Bias Lemon Gown XS from aquamarinedream on Etsy aquamarinedream on Etsy

Design Trends for 2013 (Part 3)

Deck the Walls: Emphasis On Art

"Everyone will be focusing on art - it's so much more approachable these days, with art fairs popping up everywhere." ~ Sara Story

Art brings a vibrancy and life to a space to like nothing else can. Art touches our minds and souls and speaks to us; sometimes loudly and sometimes soft.

Art gives a space a mood and feeling that can be felt the moment one encounters it.

Bold colors and graphics are in for 2013, and you can use art to bring these elements into your world.

Live In (Not Just With) Art…

Showcase a single, large, artwork to make it stand out and be a focal point.

A large, colorful, Nancy Graves painting, hung as the centerpiece, adds a vibrancy to an otherwise neutral space in the late designer Alberto Pinto’s apartment.


A sculptural staircase framed in polished chrome catches the eye in late AD100 interior designer Alberto Pinto’s lively Rio de Janeiro apartment , which was renovated by architect Thiago Bernardes . Pinto designed the sofa, the painting is by Nancy Graves, and the armless chairs are by William Haines . ( Architectural Digest - September 2011)

Remember to keep scale in mind when hanging pictures on the wall. A small picture on a large wall doesn’t give it more attention, it makes it fade into the background. You can hang multiple smaller pictures together to create the feel of a larger piece.

A grouping of geometric prints, in Todd Alexander Romano’s apartment, creates the look of a single, large piece, and draws attention to them as a whole, but individually as well, due to the varying colors. A single, bold yellow print, is perfectly balanced on a smaller sized adjoining wall.


Inside a glass tower overlooking the Manhattan skyline, Todd Alexander Romano created a high-impact design for his 600-square-foot studio. Inspired by the bold color choices of legendary decorator Billy Baldwin, the designer lacquered the walls and upholstered the custom-made sofa in midnight-blue. Prints by Robert Goodnough and Josef Albers add a vibrant contrast. (Architectural Digest - February 2011)

Get Inspired...

Contemporary Fine art Modern Abstract OOAK Texture Acrylic Painting 11.7x8.3 Ice Mountain from EdenSome on Etsy EdenSome on Etsy	Theories of Flight - Albatross - 8 x 10 Oregon Coast Bridge - Encaustic and Photographic Etching - Limited Edition Print by My Antarctica from MyAntarctica on Etsy MyAntarctica on Etsy	RAINBOW WAVE Abstract Modern Contemporary Print Art by K Graham 8x10 Surreal Warped Wavy Rainbow Blue Sky from KGrahamStudios on Etsy KGrahamStudios on Etsy
Waterlily Goddess photomontage fine art print pink mauve purple from VoogsArt on Etsy VoogsArt on Etsy	Abstract Fine Art Photography Industrial Rust Orange Grey Still Life Color- Dragon's Eye from sherilwright on Etsy sherilwright on Etsy	Photo Print - Abstract Color, Vibrant Color, Large Format, Macro Photography, Contemporary Photography, Modern Art Photogarphy from CapeCodPhoto on Etsy CapeCodPhoto on Etsy
MidCentury Painting by Martin Rosenthal CityScape of the FUTURE PEOPLE/ 1971/Visionary Oil on Canvas from CulturalAffaires on Etsy CulturalAffaires on Etsy	Anthony John Gray Original Oil on Canvas from mrsbud on Etsy mrsbud on Etsy	Manuel Zardain Oil Painting "Tianguis de Mariscos" from SwampPink on Etsy SwampPink on Etsy

Design Trends for 2013 (Part 2)

Color Inspiration: Green

Pantone® has named Emerald as the Color of the Year for 2013 in their Fashion Color Report for Spring 2013. That doesn't mean you can only use that one color. There are hundreds of shades of green, so finding one that suits your lifestyle and decor shouldn't be a challenge.

Think outside the typical green box and experiment with variations of shades of greens like bright spring greens or olive tones, and blue-greens or teal.

ELLE DECOR® asked five designers what they loved about green.
Here are a few of their answers. For all five designer’s answers, see the article, “Color Code: Green”.

		Bunny Williams “Mossy greens and unusual browns make sophisticated backdrops for art and antiques,” says New York designer Bunny Williams. “These walls, in my New York apartment, are painted Cleveland Green by Benjamin Moore and finished with a soft glaze.”

Miles Redd “My favorite way to use green is with plant material—a maidenhair fern, an exotic leaf in a glass bottle, or a single paperwhite,” says New York designer Miles Redd. “Green is a subtle reminder of nature, and it makes you feel healthy, fresh, and alive.” “The old-gold walls make for cozy candlelit dinners, but the refreshing emerald-greens from the plants and curtains make this room equally enjoyable at breakfast.”

Steven Gambrel “The color green is a statement, and I don’t care much for the very palest shades of green, as they seem weak,” says New York designer Steven Gambrel. “A strong bottle-green or absinthe-green is far more memorable and actually really easy to live with.” “Hits of dark brown and black help cool the color of green down and ground it in its environment,” says Gambrel. “Amber and gold finishes also react really well to a bottle-green background. A lacquered version is the most effective, as there seems to be a transparency to green that is not the case for other colors.”

It's Not Just the Paint... It's You...

Color doesn't exist on walls alone. You can add greens into you're world through furniture, art and decor, clothing, jewelry and other accessories.

Art and decor pieces add a splash of color and can easily be changed to the season or your mood. We are always switching out different pieces in our house to re-energize the space. Sometimes just moving them from one room to another, or storing them away to use again later.

Clothing and accessories let you take the color with you wherever you go and make you feel good, standout, and get noticed.

Get Inspired...

• 
  Green Bolero jacket - Gathered mutton-leg sleeves - aqua green velvet milleraies wedding accessory from Malam on Etsy
  Malam on Etsy
• 
  Delightful tassle earrings made with green and pistachio czech glasses and a handmade tassle from BBTAR on Etsy
  BBTAR on Etsy
• 
  Emerald Green Trees, Surreal, Abstract, Nature Photograph, Landscape, Black Trees, Green, Snow - 8x10 inch Print -The Emerald Forest
  ara133photography on Etsy

• 
  1950s Flavio Poli for Seguso Teardrop Sommerso Vase from MascaraJones on Etsy
  MascaraJones on Etsy
• 
  Butterfly Photography, emerald green, white, The Year of the Butterfly 1, nature fine art photography print 8x8 from MoonlightPhotography on Etsy
  MoonlightPhotography on Etsy
• 
  Green Campaign Desk from SuttonChao on etsy.com
  SuttonChao on Etsy

• 
  1940s Emerald Green Drop Waist Velvet Dress Vintage - Size 4 from KimVintage on Etsy
  KimVintage on Etsy
• 
  6" Handmade Bowl-- Olive Green- Hand crafted pottery-- for soup / cereal / salad
  CrutchfieldPottery on Etsy
• 
  Emerald Green Prism in Bronze Filigree Pendant Necklace Jewelry Crystal Jewellery from TrashAndTrinkets on Etsy
  TrashAndTrinkets on Etsy

Shine On: Lacquer and Gloss

“Gloss! High gloss! Shine! Polish! Lacquer!” ~ Jeffrey Bilhuber

Look for ways to bring high sheen surfaces into your home. Maybe a polished marble table, a high-gloss lamp, or enamel or lacquer accessories.

But if you want to make a bold statement, here are two great examples.

Designer Jeffrey Bilhuber lacquered the ceiling of his guest room in Benjamin Moore’s Jupiter Glow.


In a windowless entry hall, designer Christina Murphy chose HO1950 by Fine Paints of Europe to lacquer the walls a rich green, and reflect light from adjoining rooms.


Get Inspired...

• 
  Sleek Black Lacquer Table with Chrome Legs from AtHomeModern on Etsy
  AtHomeModern on Etsy
• 
  Pair of faux bamboo white leather armchairs from AndFoundFurnishings on Etsy
  AndFoundFurnishings on Etsy
• 
  Black and red lacquered bowl, vintage Japanese urushi lacquerware, round bowl from StyledInJapan on Etsy
  StyledInJapan on Etsy

• 
  Art Deco Bowl WMF Ikora Germany 30s-60s Classic Silver-Plated Brass from WeLikeVintage on Etsy
  WeLikeVintage on Etsy
• 
  Dansk Festivaal Tray Green Lacquer Jens Quistgaard Danish Modern 1960s Serving Cutting Board Mid Century Entertaining from BarkingSandsVintage on Etsy
  BarkingSandsVintage on Etsy
• 
  Modernist Enamel Art Plate from payMeNpeonies on Etsy
  payMeNpeonies on Etsy

• 
  Mid-Century Modern Pottery Lamp in a Gloss Black Glaze . 60s Mod by Royal Haeger from RetroSymphony on Etsy
  RetroSymphony on Etsy
• 
  Industrial metal shade pendant chandelier from OldeBrickLighting on Etsy
  OldeBrickLighting on Etsy
• 
  Abstract Painting Blue Turquoiuse Textured Painting 40” x 30” from ArtByCornelia on Etsy
  ArtByCornelia on Etsy