Vintage Industrial Kitchen Inspiration for Urban Living

Combining utilitarian features found in disused industrial spaces with contemporary home comforts, the vintage industrial style is ideal for those who are looking to give their kitchen a characterful, tactile and almost sculptural edge, in a way that is still ideally suited to modern life.

What is Vintage Industrial Design?

During the mid-20th century, when manufacturing and industry had started to decline, many abandoned warehouses and factories were transformed into living spaces. Many creatives moved into these spaces, which tended to be spacious and affordable, a practice popularised by notable artists, including Andy Warhol.

With many transformations happening on a budget, existing features such as brick walls, expanses of concrete and metal fixtures and fittings became defining characteristics of vintage industrial design, which is a style that soon captured the attention and imaginations of interior designers.

As vintage industrial design became more popular and mainstream, it started to be featured in design magazines and has since become a highly valued interior design style. One of the most attractive aspects of this design style is its versatility, which means it can be incorporated into a variety of different properties, from farmhouses to city centre apartments.

The great news is that there is no one "right way" to approach this design style, so let's explore some of the defining features of the vintage industrial look and how they can be incorporated into your ultra-chic kitchen makeover.

Sleek Cabinetry

Your kitchen cabinets will take up a significant amount of visual real estate in your kitchen, so it's important to carefully consider all your options when choosing replacement kitchen cabinet doors. As the vintage industrial style features many different elements and textures, choosing sleek cabinets can offer a touch of visual respite while still making a chic and sophisticated style statement.

Our Ora slab doors are an ideal option if you're looking for cabinets with a contemporary feel that can be paired with a range of different textures and finishes. Our Valore slab door is another excellent option to consider, particularly as it's available in a selection of finishes that have interesting patterns or textures, such as galvano bronze, vanguard walnut, and light natural casella oak.

Pro Tip: If your personal style leans a touch more rustic, you may want to choose panelled replacement kitchen cabinet doors, such as our Bella Richmond doors. Shaker style panelled detailing draws inspiration from traditional design while still feeling modern enough to fit seamlessly into contemporary kitchen spaces.

Open Shelving

Open shelving can be an excellent addition to any kitchen space and provides opportunities to display everything from vintage kitchenalia to cookbooks, glassware and more. In a vintage industrial kitchen, choosing wooden shelves and mounting them to the wall with metal brackets will help to achieve the right look and feel.

Many lofts and apartments had an open-plan layout, and swapping out some of your wall-mounted cupboards with open shelving can give your space a bit of visual breathing room, which can be particularly helpful if you're working with a smaller space.

Exposed Brick Walls

Rugged yet warm and overflowing with personality, exposed brick walls can bring depth, texture and interest to your kitchen. A true defining feature of vintage industrial design, exposed brick walls will instantly offer a stamp of authenticity to your design and can offer solid foundations that you can build on with carefully selected furniture and accessories.

Exposed brick walls can also help you to let go of the pursuit of perfectionism, as a lot of the charm that vintage industrial kitchens have comes from looking a little unfinished and lived-in.

Metallic Accents

The juxtaposition between wood and metallic elements is a defining feature of the vintage industrial style. A variety of metallic finishes can make the right impression in your kitchen space, from shiny copper to pewter and brushed brass.

While your choice of cabinet door and drawer handles may seem like a minor detail, it's often these small decisions that can end up making a big impact on how your space looks and feels. Choosing a bar handle in a shiny stainless steel or chrome finish can amplify a sense of modernity within your space, whereas a classic shell shaped cup handle in a brushed copper or pewter finish can reinforce the traditional heart of vintage industrial design.

Pro Tip: Exposed pipework can also look fantastic in a vintage industrial style kitchen, particularly copper piping, which will capture the light and glow beautifully in your space. While this has the potential to bump up your overall spend, it's often worth investing in stand-out features of a room.

Butcher Block Countertops

Practical and classic, butcher block countertops have a beautiful wood finish which can add some much-needed warmth to a vintage industrial kitchen. This style of countertop is supremely functional and can sit seamlessly in a space with sleek cabinets and metallic accents.

Choose a rich tone if you're looking to add more depth to your space, or a lighter wood tone if you want to play with light and dark to create a sense of balance and harmony. The more texture your counters have, the more charm and authenticity they'll bring to your space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do slab style kitchen cabinet doors suit a vintage industrial design?

Slab style doors are sleek and chic, making them highly adaptable to myriad design styles. They can work particularly well in vintage industrial kitchens, particularly in spaces that have a lot of accessories, as they offer a place for the eye to rest as you're taking in the whole design.

How easy are replacement kitchen cabinet doors to install?

High quality replacement kitchen doors that have been cut to the right measurements are extremely easy to install, and all you'll need is a screwdriver! When the time comes to install your new doors, you can follow our simple four-step guide here.