by Sara Costi
Industrial interior design style has become very popular over the past few years, especially among the younger generations. This type of home first appeared in the USA around the 1970s, as a response to the urgent need for low-cost housing: industrial buildings, warehouses and abandoned factories were reconverted for residential use. While on the one hand it is difficult to faithfully imitate the American allure, on the other, this trend has ushered in a new fashion: industrial chic style, characterised by a mix of typical US style and a contemporary look. So how can we recreate this look, with the help of porcelain stoneware floors?
Typical elements of industrial style include cement-effect floors in subtle shades, or antiqued wood-effect strip tiles, preferably with minimal joints to ensure greater continuity. Exposed bricks, beams, ducts and pipes, large windows, rough perimeter walls with light plaster, high ceilings and mezzanines are other distinctive features. Furnishings usually include recovered objects that emphasise painting and welding imperfections.
For fans of settings with a metropolitan flavour, we recommend maintaining the same look throughout – from the living area to the bedroom, as well as the kitchen and bathroom area – without combining industrial style with other types of furnishings.
Characteristic of this stile is the open space loft apartment, the hallmark features of which are the large open spaces, high ceilings, large windows and a number of industrial elements maintained, such as the raw concrete finishes and exposed bricks.
In the following three ideas inspired by the loft concept, the first features a floor laid with the wood-effect porcelain stoneware strip tiles from the Antique Wood collection in Black, characterised by the variegated texture of veins marked by the passage of time; laid on the floor and walls of the second are porcelain stoneware tiles from the Pietre Etrusche collection in Sovana, inspired by the beautifully warm tones of the earth, while the third features cement-effect flooring from the Beton collection in Mud. All three give settings the charm and character typical of metropolitan, urban chic style.
