The Easiest Way to Get the Vintage Industrial Look

Have you been as intrigued with Vintage Industrial style as I have lately? Bookshelves made of copper piping and live-edge wood. Dressers converted from old chippy lockers. Tables from aluminum pipes and reclaimed barnwood. It’s a DIY-er’s field day. What can I make with old broken down stuff? Anything I want!

But then reality sets in. How do I use this in my house?

Most of us don’t get to live in restored factories or old warehouses with exposed brick walls and 20 foot ceilings, criss-crossed by aluminum ductwork and iron pipes. Except my brother. He lives in a downtown loft converted from an old high school, complete with the original class chalkboard on one wall and 10-foot windows covering another wall. Sigh. The rest of us are just trying to make our own tract homes a little bit cooler and edgier.

If you’re wondering how to bring the vintage industrial style into your own home, without going overboard and looking like the set of a steampunk movie, I’ve got a secret for you. You can do it with just one easy accessory: Lights.

Lighting is a great way to add a touch of a certain style to your home, without having to remake a whole room. It’s like the perfect accessory that can take that little black dress from “work appropriate” to “night on the town.” By just switching out a lamp, you can change the whole feel of a room, usually for less than $100.

Sure you could go dumpster diving or digging through old salvage yards to make your own truly vintage industrial light, or you could just order one from ParrotUncle.com. They have an impressive selection of stylish lights, at very reasonable prices. Here are a few of my favorites from their vintage lighting collection.

These are all pendant lights, which take a little more installation than plugging in a new lamp, but they really make a statement in a kitchen or dining room, don’t you think?

Parrot Uncle also has a great selection of Edison bulbs, which are the filament bulbs that really make a light look authentic and industrial. (It kind of cracks me up that we’ve made so much progress in light and electricity since Edison’s time, and here we are spending 4 times as much money for one of those old-fashioned bulbs than we would for a modern efficient bulb, but so it goes with fashion.) If you buy a vintage electric light, you’ll probably need an Edison bulb to go with it, just to complete the look. Here’s an example of a gorgeous light fixture that really needs Edison bulbs, rather than regular bulbs.

See the difference?

And if you’re not into Vintage Industrial, they have several other lighting styles as well, including their fabulous selection of pendant lamps and chandeliers, as well as ceiling fans.

My own home has touches of vintage industrial (including a vintage-looking pendant light), but I try not to go crazy with any one style. I like a little bit of everything, which is why I’m a fan of adding style through lighting and accessories.

What do you think about Vintage Industrial style? Are you planning on incorporating it into your home? Tell me how!