Gaining popularity for non-industrial uses because of the design elements it offers, industrial furniture is moving out of industrial environments and into dining rooms and dens. Making especially big moves in vintage circles, A-frames and wood-backed metal chairs are turning up as dining room tables and antique bar stools. Scissor lift coffee tables are starting conversations in chic living rooms and basic metal industrial chairs are brightening sidewalk cafes, thanks to nothing more than a fresh coat of paint.
Once left to rust or rot and be melted or broken down into raw materials, old industrial furniture is finding new life in contemporary interior design. Repurposed as unique, distinctive household furnishings and art pieces, industrial tables, chairs, shelving, and random components are proving more useful than ever. Little features like caster wheels make bookcases popular, with industrial shelves hung between jointed pipes. The potential uses for this furniture that once was confined to labs and warehouses are countless.
Consumers Seek Durability and Convenience in Industrial Furniture
Necessarily durable for its industrial uses, this newly chic furniture appeals to consumers in part because of the strong materials used to construct it. It is hard to beat steel if you want table legs that can withstand the impact of toy cars, cat claws, skateboards, and the like. Increasingly opting for new rather than used industrial strength home furnishings, consumers are also looking for convenience.
While the vintage decor set may be willing to either accept the sometimes-shabby condition of this furniture or restore it themselves, the majority prefer to buy it new. This much easier and more convenient way to acquire their home furnishings is to look at new products, even if their plan is to assemble pipes into a coffee table base. They are also attracted by the most basic details that provide convenience, whether wheels for heavy furniture or the adjustable height of a dining room table.
Urban Dwellers Make Urban Decor Appealing With Industrial Designs
With so many consumers living in high-rises of concrete and steel, it is no surprise that many of them consciously attempt to see the beauty in their urban environment. That explains why cityscapes are popular for wall art and grunge is welcome on custom rugs and bathroom towels. Urban energy is sought after, witness hip-hop and rap, and that same desire to make something special of urban stimulation leads consumers to want industrial furniture.
It is also hard to argue that there are home furnishings more unique than a scissor lift table or a sculpture made from industrial components. Also sparked by congested urban environments, the need to stand out is satisfied with an industrial work of art or a much talked-about piece of furniture. Not only signaling unique individuals, industrial furniture also fits with the increasing environmental awareness of consumers. This contributes to both the repurposing of vintage industrial items and the desire for long-lasting industrial materials in new furnishings.
Taken together, there are compelling reasons for the seemingly inexplicable surge of interest in industrial furniture. The addition of homeowners looking for unique furniture to industrial users is significantly widening the customer base for retailers of these products. No longer just a staple of industrial working environments, this furniture is bringing a long-lasting twist to home decor.
