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    Home » Easy DIY » DIY Home Decor Ideas

    October 31, 2014 | By Jami

    Industrial Cottage Style

    Industrial cottage style combines the metals, vintage signs and other things of industrial style with the softness and texture of cottage style.

    Living Room Shelves - Industrial Accents - vintage toolbox, fan, and books

    For about the past six months, I've been moving my decorating into a more industrial style, but a hybrid industrial style with lots of cottage elements.

    On our living room mantel shelves seen above, I've added a vintage metal fan and toolbox as well as a set of Restoration Hardware-like old books with original paper labels - all thrift store finds.

    I'm calling this look Industrial Cottage Style.

    Granted, there's a fine line between this style and the Rustic Modern Farmhouse style I've also seen, but I want to emphasize the sink-in softness which to me is a hallmark of cottage style (i.e., no wood benches for dining - they may look good, but no one except kids is comfortable on them for long...).

    I'm also editing out most of the florals and looking to make cleaner spaces (much easier now that we got rid of so much at our big sale this last summer).

    To help you see what exactly I'm talking about, I made a graphic that shows how easy it is to combine the two styles, Industrial and Cottage, into one.

    Industrial Cottage Style

    Industrial Cottage Style Graphic from An Oregon Cottage

    Here are some inspiration photos from Pinterest board that show this softer side of industrial:

    Pinterest Industrial Cottage Rooms via An Oregon Cottage

    Pin sources, clockwise from top left: living room, kitchen nook, kitchen, bedroom

    Notice in the photos above that there are still cozy sitting areas (except the kitchen), color, and classic furnishings as well as industrial elements like metal, barn lights, signs, and worn woods.

    Pinterest Industrial Cottage Vignettes via An Oregon Cottage

    Pin sources, clockwise from top: window vignette, trunk coffee table, entry table

    This set of inspiration pictures shows how adding baskets, throws and pillows softens the industrial look - and that flowers are welcome still.

    I have a little collection of cream and green enamelware, so I was drawn to the use of that on the crate-coffee table as well as how that table works combined with the vintage channel-back chair.

    With this style direction in mind, I've started looking for rusty metal items on my thrift store trips in addition to the other things I'm always on the lookout for.

    A month or so ago, I came upon this rusty gem:

    Industrial Cottage Style Vintage Metal Toolbox

    This tool box was a little more encrusted than this, but it was only $6.99 and has this cool overlapping closing top. I thought I had struck the jackpot - I loved it.

    Even with all the smells left from some tool-type grease stains. Brian helped me wash it out and we let it sit out in the sun to let some solar magic do its work - and it did, there's no smell left at all.

    Living Room Bookshelf with Rusty Toolbox

    I added it to a bookshelf in our living room and ended up redoing the whole bookshelf around it, eliminating a lot of things and adding some baskets for warmth and texture. It's one of my favorite things lately.

    Decor changes are slow for me, because I like to look for interesting vintage items and do things myself,  but my head is spinning with all the things I'd like to do!

    Are you making decorating upgrades or changes?

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

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    1. Kathy Thomas says

      March 05, 2015 at 5:41 am

      Good morning Jami, I would like to know the name of the website you gave to someone while back, seems that it has slipped my mind. Think my brain is frozen like our ground has been forever! The website was antique something. I'm looking for some metal letters to spell mudroom in my home. Thanks for all your help
      Kathy

      Reply
      • Jami says

        March 05, 2015 at 1:22 pm

        I think it must be AntiqueFarmhouse.com Kathy - it's the only one I can think of. Though they are more of a flash-sale type site and don't always carry things in stock. Sounds like a great idea you have, though - have you tried Hobby Lobby? They have a lot of letters.

        Reply

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