The "Ex-Factor": Former Factories Transformed into Living Spaces
Image: Homedit
It’s well known that there isn’t much I don’t like when it comes to industrial materials and the spaces inspired by the industrial-modern style. So it should come as no surprise that I have a special place in my interior designer heart for factories that have been converted into living spaces. What may surprise you, though, is that not all former manufacturing hubs translate equally into homes. There are actually quite a wide variety of results when it comes to habitats created from ex-factories. Let’s take a look at a few.
Clean and Contemporary
The serene and contemporary look of the above space really only gives away its former life as a pencil factory via the large industrial windows—which are absolutely awesome and fit fantastically with the more modern design of the space. In fact, it appears only an industrial touch or two (the rolling flat file used as a sideboard, specifically) have been brought into the space to amp up the ex-factor.
Ahhh… Industrial
Here’s a space that shows off raw concrete walls and structural steel components, and seems to fully embrace its industrial past. This is the kind of conversion that speaks volumes to me and lets everyone who visits know there is a history here.
Image: TheCoolist
Luxury
It’s easy to see the structural concrete elements that make up this former factory in Spain, but the beautiful interior décor that elevates the space into something luxurious firmly takes center stage here. Soft and white furnishings, curtains that reach the ceiling (and obscure much of the original rough texture), and a delicate stairway all work together to give the space an undeniable elegance.
Image: Inhabitat
Rustic-Modern
These wooden beams and exposed ceiling area establish a rustic and authentic—and, for me at least, a somewhat awe-inspiring—aura for this modern loft area. There was a time when buildings like these former factories would be demolished to create space for something new. I’m so glad these and many more like them have been saved and turned into terrific homes.
Could you see yourself living in a former factory?
