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Warehaus: Industrial style home

Tribeca style: Homes turned inside out

Tribeca style? Modern Industrial style? Warehouse chic? Greenwich loft? If any of these resonate with you, chances are you appreciate spaces inspired by converted warehouses and former factory buildings.

It’s a look that begs you to leave pipes and beams exposed, and materials raw. It makes the repurposed and the recycled shine, and it embraces the gritty, the quirky and the pre-loved.

So where did it all start? When did it become stylish to make it look as if you’ve turned the fabric of your home inside out?

Head to New York for Tribeca style

The term Tribeca style references the New York ‘hood that reinvented itself to become one of Manhattan’s most sought-after addresses. Back in the mid 1800s, Tribeca had been a thriving commercial district, but by the 1960s many of the businesses had shifted out, and the vast number of stores and loft buildings lay abandoned.

But the neighbourhood was about to experience a transformation.

Cash-strapped artists started arriving in Tribeca, seeing potential in the former storage units with their sprawling open spaces. This growing community of painters lived and worked in the abandoned lofts and warehouses, and before long their live-work arrangements became formalised. By the 1970s, Tribeca was following the lead of nearby Soho, undertaking large-scale building conversions and creating the New York district we know today.

You said ‘gritty’. How does that work?

It may be ever-so hip and cool, but there’s an undeniable rawness about the Tribeca style that gives the look a strong sense of honesty. So when we think of gritty warehouse chic here at Oswald, we think of strong vertical lines, impressive volumes and big free-flowing living areas. It conjures up images of pared-back design and exposed structural elements such as aged brick, steel, timber, wire mesh, concrete and metal. Yes, we may be designing a new home rather than transforming a tumbledown old factory site, but the concepts translate beautifully into what we refer to as our Industrial style.

In an Oswald Industrial-style home, you’ll find the big open spaces and sense of volume associated with converted warehouses and commercial buildings. These spaces are a perfect match for our love of indoor/outdoor living and entertaining, while mezzanine floors and open-tread staircases bring an extra industrial edge to the look.

When it comes to the finishing touches, the Tribeca style encourages interiors that are individual and quirky, with a liberal dose of Manhattan chic. Think vintage revival, original art, room dividers, white walls and accents in timber, black and metallic grey.

See more Industrial designs.

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