The Camberwell Project: Industrial Luxe Vibes for a Busy Family

How do you deliver a modern industrial living room that doesn’t feel too gritty? I did it in my recently-revealed Camberwell project. And the vibe spilled over into the entire home.

Often the best part of my job as an interior designer is merging two different design styles. That’s what my most-recent project for a busy family in Melbourne’s East was all about.

Hubby wanted one look, wife wanted another. And it was my job to come up with a scheme we could roll out across the home that merged both styles (and kept both parties happy).

He was after a sleek industrial vibe. She was after a luxe home that felt clean and contemporary. So we kinda did both, but with a TLC Interiors twist.

The end result is something everyone is happy with. It is definitely modern, definitely a bit luxe, and then in moments we have the industrial aesthetic creep in, but not in an obvious way.

Let me show you through a few of the rooms and I’ll explain how it all came together. And if you want my help to make your own space amazing, click here and let’s chat!

Let’s Start with the Formal Living

I’ll take you through to the modern industrial living room in a moment, but let’s start with the formal living space. It’s where you land when you enter the home, and the mum and dad of two told me it was a kid-free zone they wanted to feel sophisticated.

It’s definitely the most luxurious room in the house, without a doubt. No TV in this space meant we could create a conversation pit for when friends came around. The couple were eager to have a room that felt special, away from the main living zone at the back of the house. So I set out to give this room a little grandeur, but in an approachable way.

They had already purchased the grey sofa from King Living when I was brought in to work on the project, so we built the room around that. The colour palette was black, grey and blue – punctuated by white moments and a little greenery. You know when I say greenery what I mean: fake plants all the way. They’ve become a staple in my designs and I love them.

Two velvet blue armchairs from Calibre Furniture we brought in to sit across from the sofa, grounded by a textured rug from The Rug Collection and joined by a stunning marble coffee table from Globewest.

Above the coffee table, pendant lights from Beacon were hung. They’re a great affordable option and they tap into the luxe vibes we were going for here.

Entry and Console Tables are Minimal, but Interesting

The entry table sits across from the formal living room in a hallway that leads out to the back of the home. I got this beauty from Globewest and I am so so obsessed with it. The detail on the front is interesting but not dominant, and I just love the large round mirror we hung above it.

Of course, the fake greenery makes its presence known again, because I just can’t help myself.

Moments away from the entry table sits another console just under the client’s staircase (pictured above). Notice that the entry table and the console speak to one another stylistically, but they’re not the same. They’re not even from the same collection. But they do both tap into an industrial vibe.

One of the pieces above in the entry is timber, the other metal. I mention this because so often people buy an entire set of furniture for a home that all matches. I much prefer to mix my pieces though. It makes for a far more character-filled space.

The art above the console table is a beauty from United Interiors. You’ll also notice concrete ornaments on the console. They’re actually bookends from West Elm that I’ve laid on their side.

The plant is plastic, as you’d have guessed by now.

A Modern Industrial Living Room with Concrete Effect Paint

Now we’re onto my fave room in the house; the modern industrial living room. This was an interesting one because I had to convince the clients to let me run with the concrete effect paint.

The entire room had white walls and I was so eager to give the space one wow moment. Something that gave it some presence, something that was a talking point.

All too often people try and make rooms feel incredible and we leave the walls white, which feels like only half the job done. I was determined to experiment here and push the boundaries a little. And after some negotiating back and forth my divine clients finally said yes.

The concrete effect paint takes a bit of work to execute properly. Painting is an art form, so I called on my go-to guy to get it right.

If you need an awesome painter in Melbourne, give Richmond Painting and Decorating a call. Jason did a stunning job on this wall, which took multiple coats and some troweling prowess to get right.

Once the concrete effect paint was up, it was about bringing in furniture that was a balance of luxe (like the marble coffee table) with moodier moments (like the TV unit). The dark tones against the white walls just pop wonderfully, and the accessories in jewel tones really top it all off.

Keeping the Industrial Vibes going in the Dining Room

I was so happy that the clients were open to colour in artworks. In a home that features a fairly neutral base it was important to inject some bright tones somewhere.

The art above in the dining room, for example, was perfect. It’s from United Interiors as well and I really do love it.

The table is industrial in look and feel, but like with the other elements, it’s not too rustic. The timber is sleek, the metal legs are quite clean, and the black leather chairs complement it really well.

We carried the lighting that was in the formal living room into the dining space for consistency. Lighting is a really nice way to link the rooms in your home and ensure there’s design cohesion taking place.

And how beautiful are those sheer curtains? Love the way they soften the space, but they’re not white. A gorgeous pale grey instead, which just further enhances the concrete effect feature wall nearby.

Below in the master bedroom we went for a big ol artwork to draw your eye the moment you walk in the door. The chairs and side table are from West Elm (so gorgeous right?!).

Need some TLC Interiors Magic at your Place?

One of the things I always go on about is my skimp-meets-splurge design philosophy. I’ve written about it in this post. You honestly don’t have to spend a fortune to pull off a gorgeous look at home.

It’s really about knowing what areas to throw some money at, and where you can pull back.

The benefit of working with me is that I’ll tell you, openly and honestly, what you’ll spend and where we can save. So if you’re thinking about putting some money toward a home makeover, let me know if you want to line up a consult by filling out this form.

I hope you enjoyed not only the modern industrial living room here, but all the other pockets of the home I created for my clients.

Happy decorating at your place!