Designing The Perfect Industrial-Style Kitchen

Industrial kitchens are one of those fantastically unique things – you definitely know if you’ve seen one. They combine a supreme functionality with a wonderfully distinctive, factory-floor sort of vibe. If that sounds like exactly the sort of thing you want for your own kitchen, well, here are just a few ways on how to do it!

What Makes An Industrial Style Kitchen

There are a couple of conflicting opinions on what makes a truly industrial-style space, but at Kitchen Design Centre we love the factory slash warehouse look the best. Essentially, one of the defining characteristics of industrial kitchens is to do with the literal bare bones of the room. We’re talking about things like exposed brickwork, rangehood ducting, piping and venting – everything that you’d normally go to some lengths to cover up in other styles of kitchen design become things to embrace when it comes to the industrial style. After all, factory owners weren’t that fussed about concealing these elements, and it’s these authentic factories that many industrial kitchens are aiming to emulate. If you’ve got high ceilings and exposed beams, too, all the better. Industrial kitchens are powerful, raw. They’re workhorses, and they’re not shy about it. But if you’re slightly aghast at leaving piping and suchlike exposed, don’t worry! Just because it’s on show doesn’t mean it won’t need attention – quite the opposite, in fact. You’ll want to look at specifying and installing better fittings (like chromed piping, for example), and polishing up these elements a bit.

The Materials To Make It

At a designer kitchen company like ours, we know that industrial kitchens are more often than not defined by their materials, which – in keeping with their surroundings – are raw, powerful, and infused with history. Wide timber flooring is an excellent example of this, as it gives a tailored look together with an old, rustic feeling. Then there’s steel and concrete; they’re rough in their looks, but are solid and and functional. Stainless steel is a particularly popular choice, from both a practical and a styling point of view – it’s hygienic, non-porous, and durable. Similarly, concrete floors will be more resistant to most stains than, say, laminates, appropriately embodying the robust, hardwearing ethic of the hypothetical factories. When it comes to colour, the scheme of an industrial kitchen is typically fairly masculine. The steel, concrete and timber speak volumes alone, so it’s best to avoid other heavy streaks of colour into the room, in case you run the risk of distracting from them and undermining the overall effect.

Populating Your Kitchen

When it comes to populating your industrial kitchen, you’ll want furniture that adds to its authenticity and character. Reclaimed furniture or antiques are perfect for this, especially if they’re made of timber. Antiques or similarly historical decorations are similarly ideal for decoration, while antique timber cabinetry can beautifully offset stainless steel worktops or concrete floors.

Whatever your choices, we’re here to help. If you live in Manchester, industrial kitchen design will already be familiar to you, as there are no shortage of establishments in the city centre in this particular theme! The staff in our designer kitchen showroom in Manchester are definitely the people to talk to if you decide this style is right for you, so feel free to pop in, or give us a call on 0161 681 5061. We look forward to seeing you!

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