How To Style A Concrete Interior

Concrete Interior

When you think concrete interior, it hardly conjures up ideas of a stylish décor – but concrete interiors are what exposed brick was for in the 90s. Used in the right way, concrete can add a simple level of industrial chic to your home for a super stylish look.

Concrete is a great way to turn a space into a minimalist and rustic haven. Plus, it’s much more versatile than you’d think.

It’s also quite eco-friendly – unlike its cousin cement which it’s frequently confused with, concrete is made using recycled materials. It’s also good for air purity, as it doesn’t need to be fireproofed or glued together, so concrete doesn’t emit fumes such as formaldehyde or other emissions from other household materials.

If you’re still not convinced, we’ve put together a few of our favourite concrete interior ideas. To inspire you to turn your home into a concrete utopia.

modern home with a concrete wall

Concrete Floors

If you’re still struggling to imagine anything other than a cold and unfinished look with a concrete interior, we’re here to try and show you differently. There’s so much choice with concrete that you really wouldn’t think of. Plus, different styles are easy to implement and don’t break the bank!

The unique thing with concrete which makes it so useful is that it’s hugely malleable before it sets This means the use of stamps and moulds turns this material into a hugely versatile element of interior design.

On top of that, it’s very cheap at £4 to £12 per square foot. Plus, it’s so easy to care for, with only an occasional mopping needed as upkeep!

Starting first of all with the basics, a simple matte concrete floor really can work beautifully in certain spaces. It can be lifted so easily with some simple rustic rugs, or some minimalist furniture. With it being fairly neutral and unobtrusive, it can act as a strong base to your décor to be built upon.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

Printed & Moulded

If you’re looking for a more imaginative use of concrete interiors, the use of prints and moulds on concrete really does open up options that you wouldn’t ever have thought were possible with concrete.

With concrete flooring, you can use moulds to create amazingly realistic effects on your concrete interior, such as this wooden floor effect using grained prints.  You can even dye it to make it look more realistic, and it serves to be much more durable (and cheaper) than wooden flooring!

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

In a similar vein, you can even use concrete in a faux tiled look. If you use moulds or score the wet concrete, you can create effects such as mosaics or tiled floors. By using a high gloss effect this can create an impressive finish. For a larger space concrete can be much more cost effective than tiles and you can hardly tell the difference.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

You can even get really creative and use stencils or paint on poured cement. This creates a really ornate and dramatic look that’s unique to your interior.

We love the creativity of the black and white flooring. It might take a bit of artistic talent, but the mosaic pattern was used using stencils. So it’s achievable without having and amateur artist amongst you!

Polished Floors

If you want a slightly more classic look with your concrete interior, you can create a luxury look with a high polish finish paired with a marbled or veined concrete. It’s a little bit more expensive, but also so much more impressive! Who knew concrete could mean such extravagance!

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

Concrete Walls

If we’ve convinced you with the versatility of concrete flooring, we’ve put together a few more ideas about concrete interiors. To take your concrete obsession a step further.

We love the look of this concrete used on walls, and it can be used as a fabulous foundation for an interior. Giving you a blank canvas to build fabulous spaces on.

It looks especially effective in industrial type spaces such as converted lofts or warehouses. Add in touches such as metal lights to finish off your stylish concrete interior.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

Concrete walls can be used to give a great amount of depth and texture into your home. Using various styles of concrete such as a worn style like this one makes a beautiful shabby chic Mediterranean feel. It creates a surprisingly warm and homely feel which you’d never imagine from a concrete interior!

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

Textured Walls

You can use a textured concrete style like below to create a charming and unique style to your décor. Showing how concrete really is wonderfully versatile!

Team with muted colours, and brutalist style, sharp-edged furniture to create a fabulously striking look.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring
modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

If you’re not sure of the more daring use of concrete interiors? Use a subtle matte concrete on the wall.This can be a good base for introducing a feature and adding a pop of colour or character, to contrast against the industrial concrete.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

We love the use of the concrete combined with the wooden flooring here. It gives a fresh and simple décor to offset the pop art style features.

If you’re looking for a way to incorporate concrete to your home without committing fully, you can consider using concrete as a feature on a wall or as a structure.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring
modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

It’s subtly stylish, and not too over the top. For a muted way to incorporate the concrete trend into your home.

Concrete Bedrooms

Another space to use concrete interiors is in bathrooms. From creating hauntingly beautiful spaces using concrete, or even using concrete for baths or sinks can create a simple but dramatic piece in your bathroom that’s stylish and unique!

This use of raw concrete in the bathroom, used in a wet room style, creates a raw and unfinished rustic look. A look that is so very simple and stripped back – but beautifully done.

modern home with a concrete walls and flooring

Concrete can look fabulous used as a piece in a bathroom. If you don’t know whether you want a full concrete interior in your toilet. The brutalist designs of these sinks and baths create a statement piece in your bathroom without overwhelming anything with the concrete feel.

stylish bathroom with a concrete feature sink

concrete coffee table in a grey and contemporary living room

Concrete really is wonderfully versatile, in terms of creating a look or very literally to mould it to whatever you desire! If you haven’t changed your minds about concrete yet, then we don’t know what will. From urban chic, to brutalist accents in your home. We know what the new material on our home interior wish list is.

concrete breezeblock bed side table in a white bedroom

multifunctional concrete planters and book shelve holders

concrete candle holders

plain bathroom with a concrete bath tub

Teaming concrete walls and floors in a bathroom with a warm toned wood such as oak or pine creates an almost Nordic feel. Characterising on the freshness of the materials. This space uses light beautifully to capture the beauty of the concrete interior they’re using.

stylish bathroom with a wooden floor and concrete walls

 

plain white wall with a concrete lamp hanging from the ceiling

Concrete Fixtures and Details

If it’s the case that you love the idea of a concrete interior, but aren’t looking to completely restyle a space at the minute. There are other, subtle ways to incorporate this concrete trend in your décor.

Concrete light fixtures are an easy way to hint at the concrete trend in your home. Adding accents of concrete adds a modern and unique twist on everyday items to breathe new life into a room.

We love the brutalist design of this GANT concrete light, with the exposed wire creating an industrial feel against the contrasting gold that reflects the light from inside.

Details such as candle holders, bookends or plant holders are reasonably easy to make yourself – with tips here – if you have the right moulds! If not, there are plenty available to find online to introduce this fabulous trend easily into any space.

Or if you’d like to make more of a statement than accessories, introducing concrete through the use of shelves or breezeblock type units as a side or coffee table is an interesting feature to add to your home.

Updated November 2021