What we can expect from industrial-style interiors in modern homes

If you compare the interior design trends for 2026, you’ll find two different narratives. Home furnishing shops report that the industrial interior style remains popular, though it’s softer and warmer than it was a few years ago. Other trend watchers write that bare metal pipes and cold concrete have had their day. If you look more closely, you’ll see that they’re talking about different things. One group is discussing the style as a whole, whilst the other is referring to the cold décor that has long been associated with it.

From raw to warm

The industrial interior as we knew it around 2015 revolved around a factory-like feel: concrete floors, black steel, grey walls and very little fabric. In the trend forecasts for 2026, steel and concrete remain, but they are joined by wood, wool, bouclé and linen. The colour palette shifts from cool grey to earthy tones such as terracotta, olive green and cognac. Furniture is becoming more rounded. Lighting is becoming warmer, and a lamp with a colour temperature of 2700 kelvin or lower instantly makes a stark space feel friendlier than harsh white light.

What is disappearing, above all, is the decor: shiny steel used purely for its appearance, imitation concrete and rooms where nothing is soft. Steel that serves a purpose remains. A table base, a banister or an open cupboard with wooden shelves serves a purpose, and this sort of honest construction fits in well with the demand for genuine materials. A modern industrial interior reveals how things are put together and softens the rest with textiles and wood.

Industrial living is becoming more common

Whilst interior designers are softening the factory look, more and more people are living in buildings that were once offices, shops or workshops. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS) , around 7,900 homes were created in 2024 through the conversion of existing buildings, 10 per cent fewer than in 2023. However, the number of homes created in former offices did increase: 2,800, an 11 per cent rise. That year, Eindhoven ranked second in the Netherlands with 405 converted homes, behind Rotterdam. For the first half of 2025, the CBS estimates around 2,900 new conversion homes.

For buyers in the region, this means they are more likely to come across properties with high ceilings, large windows and exposed concrete floors or columns. Such a space naturally has an industrial interior as its basis, but also calls for furniture that can cope with the scale. A standard 1.80-metre cupboard looks lost beneath a ceiling of over three metres. Bespoke furniture is therefore the obvious choice.

Scaffolding tubing in modern interiors, according to BouwBuis

BouwBuis has been supplying bespoke scaffolding tubes, tube couplings and scaffolding timber since 2016. The company began as a subsidiary of Van Meel Metaaltechniek BV in Ospel, which at the time supplied machine parts to industry. So the industrial background is literally part of its DNA. We asked the specialist how scaffolding tubing fits into an industrial interior that is becoming warmer.

Trend watchers say bare metal tubes are passé. What’s your take on that?

“For us, a piece of furniture is almost always about the combination of steel and wood. The steel provides the structure, the wood adds the warmth. A frame made of black tubing with a wooden top doesn’t feel cold at all in a living room.”

What finish do people choose for indoors?

“For interiors, we usually recommend black scaffolding tubing. It gives a sleek, industrial look and fits well with a modern interior. Galvanised tubing is more practical outdoors or in damp areas. We also have vintage brown and aluminium, for those looking for a different shade or a lighter material.”

What’s an underrated use for scaffolding tubing in the home?

"When people think of scaffolding tubing, they often picture a table or a coat rack. A curtain rail or banister made from tubing is less conspicuous, but finishes off a room just as well. Details like that allow the style to shine through without the room being cluttered with metal."

You’ve just bought a house and want to build custom-made furniture. What should you bear in mind?

"Measure everything carefully in advance and factor in the couplings, as these affect the overall size of your frame. Choose the diameter based on what the piece of furniture needs to support. For a small rack or a decorative piece of furniture, a thinner tube will suffice; for a table or a cupboard that needs to bear a lot of weight, opt for a sturdier diameter. We cut everything to size free of charge, down to the millimetre and up to six metres in length. This is particularly helpful for alcoves, angled corners and high-ceilinged rooms.”

How durable is scaffolding tube furniture, even if you move house again later?

"You connect the tubes with couplers, so there’s no welding required. This means a frame can often be taken apart or extended. All you need for assembly is an Allen key, and customers tell us it takes them half an hour on average. Since July 2026, our order processing has been handled by our importer, who also takes care of cutting and dispatch. This helps us keep costs and emissions down.”

Which tube fits where?

If you want to get stuck in yourself, you can largely narrow down your choice to finish and diameter.

● Black scaffolding tubing suits a sleek, modern industrial interior in a living room, bedroom or workspace.

● Choose galvanised tubing for outdoor use, the bathroom or a utility room, as it is more resistant to moisture.

● Vintage brown complements the warmer earth tones that are currently in vogue.

● The thinner diameters are suitable for curtain rods, clothes racks and wall-mounted shelves. For tables, desks and cupboards, choose a thicker tube.

As a guide: at Bouwbuis.nl, 21.3 mm steel scaffolding tubing costs €5.65 per metre at the time of writing, and the thicker 42.4 mm version costs €14.60 per metre, including VAT and cutting. If you’d rather not design it yourself, you can choose from ready-made scaffolding tube furniture available as flat-pack kits.

Industrial interiors and selling or buying your home

If you’re selling your house, industrial touches help to give a property character in the photos. A steel banister or a sturdy dining table will catch the eye of anyone scrolling through the listings. Do keep the basics understated, though. A fully realised, starkly industrial interior appeals to a smaller group of buyers than a neutral space with a few bold elements. If you’re unsure what’s best to keep, discuss it during the free valuation.

If you’ve just bought your home, think in advance about what you’ll need to take with you when you next move house. You can take a freestanding frame apart in an afternoon. A banister or wall rack that’s fixed to the wall is usually left behind, along with the holes it leaves.

When doesn’t the industrial style work?

In a small room, a lot of black steel can feel overwhelming. In such cases, opt for an open structure with thin tubes, so you can still see through it. A second pitfall is noise. Concrete, steel and glass reflect sound, causing an industrial interior to echo easily. A large rug, long curtains and acoustic wall panels often make all the difference.

The third risk is too much of the same. An industrial interior works best when steel is used sparingly and the rest of the room is left with space for wood, fabric and plants.

What the coming years will bring

Industrial interiors are becoming more personalised. The style is shifting towards materials you can see and feel, with steel as the supporting structure and wood and textiles providing a warm layer. As more and more homes are being created in former offices and commercial premises, the industrial foundation is often already in place before you’ve even put a single piece of furniture in the room. The question then shifts from ‘how do I achieve that look?’ to ‘how do I make this space warm and liveable?’