Due to its practical nature, concrete has been used extensively in outdoor open spaces for patios, driveways, sidewalks, etc. More recently, concrete has made a return as an essential component of “industrial interior design.” With the advent of new designs and casting methods, its sturdy and utilitarian aspects are being integrated with elegance and style to create a sleek and stylish look in modern construction.
Concrete is versatile and can be cast into various customizable designs and can take on any shape and form to create alternatives for costly installations. Applications are many and vary, and it should be a choice material while executing construction or renovation projects for home, office, or business spaces, due to its novelty and uniqueness. The versatility of concrete makes it easy to integrate with almost any design style, be it industrial, farmhouse, bohemian, or minimalist. Here are five ways to create a sleek and stylish look to transform spaces, taking care to use adequate interior protection systems during construction or renovation.
1) Add Subtlety to the Floors & Walls
Due to its sturdy and longer lasting nature, concrete works well when used in flooring or wall panels. Its cool neutral gray hues enhance the industrial look, while it adds a sleek minimalist touch to modern offices and homes. Blended subtly with design aesthetics, it adds a unique architectural touch to the rooms. The concrete design element gives the room a more balanced feel and allows a seamless transition with materials such as wood, metal, and others and can be integrated into homes and offices in many different ways. Spaces accentuated by concrete, exude contemporary aesthetics capturing an industrial vibe and imparting an urban feel. Mingling various textures and materials such as leather, wood, and dark colors with its grainy neutral hues, smoothens the rigid and bare ambiance that concrete naturally tends to create.
Floors: It is extremely durable, has a long shelf life, and is a solid addition best suited to a busy lifestyle. It is an ideal flooring material because it singly runs throughout all rooms to create a sense of harmony. Concrete tiles and floors are not only resistant to liquid spills and hard to damage, they are easy to install and very durable. It can be combined with other flooring materials to provide intriguing effects, such as tiles to create a rug-like feature. However, due to its firmness, it may have a hard impact on toddlers, seniors, or anybody else who falls. Hence, area rugs can be placed on concrete by interior designers to improve comfort.
Walls: Concrete walls can enhance a room’s bold, contemporary appearance. It can also be used as an accent wall or cover an entire space’s wall. Since it feels colder and has a more industrial appearance it should ideally be balanced with warm, inviting features and design to add life to a space.
2) Transform Kitchens & Bathrooms
Kitchens: Heat and scratch resistant characteristics make concrete an ideal choice for kitchen islands, in-built sinks, and countertops, discourages the growth of mold, and keeps out moisture. It can be made scratch and stain proof as well, with quality seals. Hence, it can substitute granite or wood to help save on potential maintenance costs. The flexibility of its surface design enables the imitation of the type of look and feel your client prefers, thus making it a cheaper option in comparison to luxury countertops made of granite and marble. These intrinsic characteristics have led it to make a place for itself in kitchens.
Bathrooms: Concrete has defining qualities setting it apart from traditional materials. Its water and stain resistant quality makes it suitable for use in wet spaces such as washrooms and swimming pools. It is also used to create bathroom dividers and backsplashes. Concrete wall treatment is another stylish method of waterproofing a wall and imparting a spa-like feeling of tranquility. It can be applied aesthetically and strategically in certain places, such as a shower, or uniformly throughout.
3) Accentuate Artefacts With Artsy Installations
Since concrete enhances the minimalist tone, it has led to its sudden resurgence as stone veneers are on their way out. Concrete provides a cohesive wholesomeness, unmatched by other surfaces when used for fireplaces or as art installations. It can be used to provide textured designs on walls and elevate art pieces to another level. There are a variety of styles and finishes available from smooth to grainy, matte to polish.
- It adds texture and visuals to the room and redirects focus towards itself while its uses have seen its applicability in decoration choices and back-splashes on walls, even as household items and art installations.
- While concrete appears sleek and stylish in contemporary homes and offices, it may also be used with cabinetry with a more classic or transitional aesthetic.
- Due to its rugged texture, cool grey concrete blends well with warm mid-tone-stained wood, like oak or walnut and elegant polished brass cabinet hardware.
- Stunning waterfall edges on countertops can be created with concrete to give a dramatic, architectural feel.
- Concrete can be manipulated and transformed into various decorative items thus making it ideal for modern living.
Though a neutral medium, it can be used to enhance spaces with dramatic visual effects. Being cost effective it can feasibly be experimented with in home interiors.
4) Light up Spaces in Style
The development of concrete suspension light fixtures has added another dimension to mood lighting. The heavy tone of the concrete mold is set off by the striking contrast of the simple design. The fusion of these two stark concepts brings an element of surprise to suspension lighting.
5) Enrich Décor with Imitation Luxury Materials & Furniture
Owing to its adaptable and versatile nature, the use of concrete in indoor spaces has led to the development of new mixes that come in a variety of finishes. When stained with colors, white concrete can add softness, while a variety of concrete blends can simulate the texture of polished limestone and marble, making them ideal for rich, luxurious yet affordable interiors. It can be also cost effective in terms of manufacturing and thanks to added blends and seals, it can simulate the same look and feel as that of more expensive materials. With interior decor, sophistication can be added to homes and offices with bigger concrete components, like furniture and features that can give a space a sleek, industrial feel without dominating, such as coffee tables, end tables, concrete lighting fixtures, planters, lamp stands, bookends, and more.
So, the next time you execute construction or renovation projects for homes, offices, businesses or industrial facilities bear in mind that concrete can add a lot of quality and character to modern construction. You can create immensely sleek and stylish spaces and add a lot of dramatic effects to your decor with it.
