12 Ideas for Industrial-Style Holiday Decorating
Ground the season in repurposed & cozy materials.
Industrial interiors feature rugged architectural elements (think exposed brick, antique iron, worn wood floors, or weathered steel) that come together to create a timeless, repurposed vibe that gives a nod to your home's past. The holidays are similarly steeped in tradition and nostalgia, mostly through the holiday traditions and symbols we cherish each year. That's why industrial-style holiday decorating works so well! Both industrial and holiday decorating evokes a sense of nostalgia for the past that creates a warm simplicity in your space. Read further to get all the inspiration you need to combine industrial edge with cozy holiday decor this season.
New to the world of industrial interiors? Review our guide on industrial design to learn all about this interior design style.
1. Play With Materials
As mentioned, the industrial aesthetic relies heavily on repurposed materials (exposed brick, antique iron, worn wood, or weathered steel). Industrial-style holiday decorating takes materials that industrial design loves and incorporates them into holiday themes. Outfit a Christmas tree with a hammered metal tree collar in a black finish that resembles iron. Feature wood or metal ornaments on the tree for another nod to industrial materials. String up a wood rope garland for a repurposed look.
Give your industrial holiday decor a good foundation with the right pared-down color scheme. Industrial interiors thrive on medium-toned blues, warm grays, and gray-greens because these colors feel timeless. You can incorporate these colors on the walls with wallpaper or wall art, through furniture upholstery, on rugs, or with decorative pillows or throw blankets. Or you can draw these colors out into the open by featuring ornaments, seasonal greenery, and industrial Christmas decor of the same hues.
Incorporate a range of textures into your industrial-style holiday decorating scheme to evoke interest and warmth. Complement warm leather upholstery or sleek wood chairs with holiday decor featuring raw metals like iron, cold-rolled steel, rough concrete, or woody textures. The dining room above uses black iron candle holders, a mini tree paired with ribbed stoneware, and an elaborate evergreen garland to infuse texture into the space. For a twist, you can also decorate distressed industrial furniture pieces with sleek ceramic decorative trees!
When decorating for the holidays with an industrial aesthetic, balance is key. Keep rugged textures and materials balanced by incorporating a few sleek elements. This could be as bold as a clean-lined sofa or a polished metal table lamp to counterbalance exposed brick, or it could look like velvet Christmas bows, warm burlap or linen Christmas stockings, or smooth Christmas ball ornaments to balance a weathered metal fireplace.
Industrial-style holiday decorating also draws on vintage or reclaimed art pieces to add a sense of nostalgia to any room. In industrial settings, art is mostly dimensional (think large wood and metal wall sculptures, reclaimed paintings, or repurposed painted wood pieces). Use artwork you already have at your disposal or seek out industrial holiday wall art to instantly add a weathered edge to your space.
Craft an industrial Christmas tree display that's as cozy as it is industrial with this decorating idea. Feature a metal tree topper to add a bit of industrial charm to your Christmas tree. Feel free to break out your handmade (or handmade-like) ornaments and tree garlands for a repurposed vibe that aligns with industrial design. Extra points if you incorporate copper, bronze, or silver ornaments into your tree to resemble industrial metals.
While not a true minimalist style, industrial design does keep decorative elements to a minimum, and the same applies for holiday decor in an industrial space. Industrial Christmas decorations are chosen for impact and based on how they work with industrial architecture. The above industrial kitchen uses citrus garlands, a bold red flower arrangement, and a bare evergreen garland to nod to the holiday season without the decor taking over the space. This way the exposed brickwork and worn wood floors are still on display as a key feature of the room.
Patterns are few and far between in Christmas industrial style and are typically found on textiles. For your industrial holiday style, stick to traditional patterns like plaid or subtle striping. These patterns support a relaxed feel while also being well-loved holiday patterns (think Christmas plaid, gingham, or candy cane stripes). Bring in a plaid footstool, striped sheets, plaid decorative pillows or blankets, and even area rugs in plaid or striped patterns. Even better if you get them in Christmas red or green!
You won't find bright color schemes in industrial interiors – even during the holidays. It's all about sticking to neutrals and classic colors. When crafting an industrial holiday aesthetic, traditional red and green are the go-to for pops of color. Choose sophisticated rich red hues like burgundy, cherry, or ruby, and dark or muted greens like emerald, fern, and sage. Red poinsettias, winterberries, evergreen garlands or wreaths, and red or green decorative accents create a timeless holiday feel that fits right in with repurposed furniture, exposed architecture, and antiqued materials.
Along with traditional Christmas colors, industrial interiors also love to incorporate holiday favorites in purposeful ways. These favorites include nostalgic icons like Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, snowflakes, divinity icons, angels, mistletoe, holly, and much more. You can easily level-up your industrial aesthetic for the holidays with paper snowflakes and a winter wreath that features mistletoe or winterberries. Or go for a vintage vibe with a thrifted Santa Claus or reindeer figurine.
Tip!
Check out our DIY Paper Snowflake Ornament tutorial for a fun handmade craft to try at home.
11. Incorporate Natural Elements With a Wild Edge
Industrial design is all about letting exposed, rugged, and worn materials shine, so the same approach should go for your winter greenery and floral arrangements. There should be something rustic and wild about them. Overgrown, unfussy greenery and woodland elements bring warmth and coziness to industrial spaces while staying right on theme with the setting. Feature an evergreen wreath with organically-positioned branches that splay out in an uncontrolled design. Get your dining table ready for holiday celebrations with a dramatic floral display featuring sprigs of evergreen, winterberries, and other winter foliage that you could have foraged on a wilderness walk.
Christmas industrial-style decor draws inspiration from quaint rustic spaces through DIY and handicraft elements. Whether it's actually handmade, or just looks handmade, DIY industrial decor is sure to help you achieve the nostalgic and comforting holiday aesthetic you crave. You can add decor with a repurposed feeling anywhere in your home, from dried citrus garlands to carved wood decorative trees.
You Might Also Like:
