Vintage industrial – Put the Fun Back into Modern Living

The modernist minimalist movement of the 20^th century led us all to believe that the past was dead. The future they assured us was straight lines, order and an almost slavish adherence to ‘less was more’ or some such drivel. Thank goodness for the pioneers of industrial vintage, the demise of British industry and the rise of the creed of recycling.

Put the fun back into home living

Industrial vintage home accessories and furniture pieces are typically a throwback to an industrial era which has, for the most part, disappeared. Industrial vintage furnishing style often includes an element of reproduction, although in the main somewhere in the region of sixty percent of all furniture and fittings in this style are genuine recycled, reclaimed vintage items.

Industrial vintage or ‘shabby chic’ as it is often referred to is a fun way of reconnecting with our collective past. It places the fun of living back into modern lifestyles. Regardless of the type of home you live in, shabby chic is adaptable to any interior environment. Industrial wire bookcases or shelf units (imaged) are practical, yet each piece is typically unique. Town house, suburban home or rural retreat, all are a suitable canvas on which to paint your new lifestyle choices in furniture, accessories and fixtures.

Unique pieces

Many pieces of furniture and fittings which adhere to the industrial vintage mantra are unique one off pieces. Of course there is a large industry producing reproduction items, but in the main most pieces still emanate from reclaimed, recycled pieces. Many of the independent furniture stores and artisanal workshops will make pieces to order, made from a mix and match of component pieces. One interesting piece seen in a store recently was a low coffee table, made from reclaimed scaffold boards and pieces of scaffolding tube.

You may be thinking how on earth something like this would look anywhere near a suitable accessory in the home. You would be wrong to dismiss something like this without first seeing it. Shabby chic, industrial vintage or call it what you will, one way or another it is never boring.

Mix and match for effect

Typically you'll see book cases and shelving units made from reclaimed timber, wire mesh, steel and aluminium. It is this mix and match laid back design work which often creates the most appealing, distinctive pieces. And talking of mix and match, the modern interior design mantra of matching colour schemes and furniture seems to be fading fast.

Furniture should in the main be for relaxing on. It should also be practical and made for the job. Form and function should go hand in hand. On top of that, because style is personal, individual and far from the ordinary, mix and match vintage industrial is a neat vehicle for self expression.

If you're fed up with your interiors and want a change, take a trip back to the future today and try out some vintage industrial. You may just find, when you put the fun back into it, your life will never be the same again.