I've been mesmerised by the industrial interior design since the very first time I saw it (probably on Pinterest - the haven of everything industrial design related). When I buy my own place (I'm renting at the moment), I'm definitely turning everything as industrial as possible - all the wires, pipes, concrete and what not. All of it and more. There's only one, actually two things that really suck about loving the industrial home decor. Firstly - it's bloody expensive and secondly - you rarely find any really good pieces on the high street. Bummer! There's only one solution - and that's being clever, crafty and a little thrifty!
Unordinary displays of ordinary things
There's so many ways to decorate on budget - especially when it comes to displays, wall galleries and collections. At the moment I'm working on my vinyl wall gallery. One of the walls in the living room will be literally covered in vinyls. Because I'm working on budget I will be using picture ledges from IKEA instead of frames (frames can be silly expensive, especially when you're looking for square ones!). Or display your CDs, your book collections, hang your vintage cameras on the walls, or go even further - fill some Kilner jars with old nuts and bolts and voila - what an industrial bliss!
Crafty monkey
Be crafty whenever possible. Use wire baskets instead of shelves (you can find some nice ones in Wilkos and TKMaxx). Buy a simple cord light, some rope and an Edison light bulb (they are super cheap on E-bay) and make yourself an industrial rope light, and it's so easy! You can also print out pictures you like - maybe vintage travel/school/garden posters, anything that screams retro and industrial, and hang them on the walls - using either narrow planks of wood or just metal bulldog clips.
Bricks, planks & sheep
One of the most effective ways to industrialise your home is re-creating industrial flooring and walls. That means concrete (with those little bubble imperfections), bricks (ideally slightly battered), rustic wood (the almost-rotten look is da bamb). Now - the real deal is way too expensive for me to even think about - I say go to places such as Carpetright and get yourself a roll of the coolest vinyl flooring you find (maybe this white wood one? or this dark oak? or grey for a slightly neater more sophisticated look?) and you're sorted for a fraction of the price. For the walls you can get a brick or concrete wallpaper from say Wilkos and to warm up the cold industriality you can add a fur rug rather than a larger rug as they can be quite costly too.
Patience & creative sourcing
Now the most important point is that you have to be patient. When you're on budget you can't just go out and buy everything at once. Little by little is your new mantra. Do your research, find the pieces you really love and spend money on those. Don't just go for the very first specimen of a lamp you see. Go on E-bay, Aliexpress, Depop, TMaxx. Compare prices, quality and variations. Even Primark has now come out with some lovely industrial-inspired bits and bobs - for instance the marquee LED lights in a shape of an arrow and a star!
Do you like the industrial home decor?
Read more home decor tips here.