Guest Blogger: Distinguishing Between Modern to Industrial Interior Design

Guest Blog #114, Entry #578, July 5, 2011

You are searching for a new look for your home’s common areas. You don’t want a crowded look, but you still want your living room, for example, to be comfortable in appearance and functionality. You are drawn back time and again to three design types that seem to match what you want, but you aren’t sure of the differences: How do the Modern, Contemporary and Industrial interior designs differ? Are they different names for the same thing?

What’s the difference between Contemporary, Modern & Industrial Design?

Many laypeople use “modern interior design” interchangeably with “contemporary interior design,” but there are distinct differences. Using its base definition, Contemporary interior designs mean any interior design that is currently in fashion—what is ‘now’ in interior design. Contemporary designs a decade from now will probably be different from those of today, which are different from those a decade ago. Because the Modern look is so popular, “contemporary” is coincidentally often “modern.”

Contemporary Interior Design

In application, however, a Contemporary design incorporates the same clean, uncluttered lines that make Modern designs so popular, but it supplements elements or ideas that make it a unique look. Contemporary adds a suggestion of bold and a subtle hint of flair that changes the Contemporary look from “stark but functional” toward “shyly sophisticated.”

Modern Interior Design

In contrast, the Modern look has nothing shy about it. It is bold. It is brash, and it apologizes for none of it. As the launching pad, if you will, for both the Contemporary look and the Industrial look, it uses the same space-efficient and  clean lines. Black, white and chrome are the foundation triumvirate in colors. It accents often with “bright,” using reds, blues and yellows. Mirrored surfaces and glass ornaments are often predominant. It screams, “I am here. Like me or love me, deal with me on my terms.”

Modern interior design

Industrial Interior Design

The Industrial look works very well in loft atmospheres. Few walls, big windows and wide open spaces define wonderful interior spaces for the Industrial look because that’s precisely from where it sprang—converted factories and warehouses. Wrought iron, clean but slightly rusty pipes left in their natural state, chrome and bare floors are common threads in this look. The stark, commercial look might be soften a bit by throw rugs, area rugs and runners, but rarely will you find actual carpeting in the Industrial look. You can use large rugs to define a functional area, such as a large Persian-type rug in the living room area on which your furniture rests. You don’t need the metal-and-leather look here. Just don’t use floral or pastel schemes. “Stuffed” is great. “Stuffy” is not.

Industrial interiors

All three interior designs love larger spaces. When you don’t have it already, you might be able to pretend or lend a suggestion that you do. One method of opening a space without tearing out a wall or two centers on your windows. Nothing gives the appearance of space to a room than the size—or perceived size—of your windows.

Look at the dimensions and placement of the windows. How much unused space do you have to each side and above them? Use that blank wall space to hint at larger windows: Who said your drapes and upper valance has to be only two or three inches beyond your window opening?

Extend your curtain rod four to six inches on either side. Raise your upper rod to six to eight inches above the window if you have the room. Set the middle or inside edge of your drapes or curtains at the outside edge of your window. Use a brightly colored valance at the top and let the lower edge rest just below or even with the top of your window opening. Stand back. Doesn’t it look like you have a larger window now?

This post was written by Sara Woods from Coupon Croc, best place to find savings on all your household purchases with a Debenhams discount code.

Do you love industrial design? Take a look at urban loft living on Stagetecture.