Key ingredients for creating an industrial style bathroom
A well-established look in coffee shops, restaurants, and gastro pubs up and down the country, love of the ‘industrial’ is as popular as ever. Easy to put together and sturdy in design, it can easily take the knocks of family living as well as look good - from matt black taps to warm metallics and striking lights, the style is accessible and appeals to many.
The industrial look became popular when former industrial buildings were converted to more domestic settings. This prompted many homeowners to make a feature of some of the original features such as bare brick walls, lighting, and heating.
The kitchen was the first room to receive industrial-style makeovers and now this increasingly popular look has made its way into family bathrooms, ensuites, and cloakrooms.
The bathroom lends itself well to some of the key features of the industrial look. Walls, floors, and surfaces are key to unlocking this style. Former industrial classic materials such as wood, copper, marble, porcelain, and concrete are firm favourites and perfect for bathrooms as they can be used for either the walls or as a flooring option.
The advances in manufacturing concrete over the years has made the material more water-resistant, and there are now far more design options for the likes of concrete basins and baths. Raw and rough has become much more accessible than ever before, even rivalling white gloss sanitaryware that has dominated bathrooms in recent years
Basic white, bevelled-edge, brick metro tiles, which were originally used for practical purposes in hospitals, prisons, and train stations, also work very well for any surface. The classic white tile mixed with charcoal grey or black grouting provides a strong contrast while more modern metallic finishes metro tiles create the urban-street style.
Exposing brickwork can be difficult and costly however, there are some quality cost-effective alternatives available such as brick effect wallpaper which will still achieve the desired effect, and many are washable making them ideal for a bathroom.
Brass, copper, brushed stainless steel and chrome are all great for adding a touch of industrial chic to a bathroom – whether exposed plumbing pipes, flush plates, handles, or ironmongery. Metal baths, whilst heavy and requiring reinforced flooring, have also become popular. Look out for any reclaimed materials that can be used such as wood or stone which can be used as countertops for basins or shelving.
Consider adding heavy-duty lighting such as those used to illuminate factories or classic bulkhead lights to really create a wow factor – these are designed to be tough enough to withstand water and are ceiling mounted, so space saving too
To prevent the décor from being too harsh, soften the overall appearance by choosing sanitaryware with curves instead of corners and incorporate an upholstered chair or cushions to introduce tactile textures to off-set robust urban materials.
Sourcing accessories that fit in with the scheme is key - interesting and original items can often be found in markets or vintage stores. Alternatively purchase light pulls, toothbrush holders, picture frames, hooks etc in metallic finishes such as copper from home décor and home improvement stores.
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