If you’re wigging out about what accessories which would truly complete your home’s high-tech look, just bear in mind that this style’s emphasis is on the sleek, modern look of synthetic metals and glass. Pass on the natural, rough-hewn and traditional materials in favor of high shine, artificial materials that scream “industrial”.

What is high-tech décor supposed to look like?

Here are some features and details present in a home’s design that render it unmistakably “high tech”:

 

  • Materials used forgo organic in favor of manmade, synthetic materials such as machined metals and glass. Metals used for spiral staircases and kitchen appliances are often embossed, brushed, plain or painted.
  • Industrial elements are present in exposed pipes, ducts and beams
  • The entire look has a ‘cool’ feel to it. Plush carpeting or rugged floor coverings are eliminated; metal, glass and plastic are abundant and flooring materials have an obviously industrial origin. Materials which would look like they’ve come right off a factory floor include concrete, monochromatic ceramic tile, flat commercial grade carpeting (can you say, office?) and vinyl flooring (especially those with the raised rubber dots).
  • Geometric shapes take centerstage in furnishings which feature in particular right angles, circles or the curves of perfect spheres.
  • In terms of upholstery, materials are synthetic and machine-quilted in solid colors. Examples include plain canvas, a hard-finish leather, vinyl and even nylon. Recent twists to high-tech furnishings include inflatable furniture and exposed steel frames.
  • For windows, look for industrial type window treatments including unadorned shades and blinds, or curtains made of a nylon or polyester material with steel cables instead of curtain rods

 

How to accessorize my high tech home?

Leave behind earth tones and wood grains, because high-tech décor veers towards minimalism, keep knobs and handles virtually absent or painfully pragmatic. The soft, warm glow from a tabletop lamp is abandoned in favor of the stark glare of a halogen bulb.

Your accessories should echo machine-made origins and reek of stylish functionality, so the tricky bit is fusing the best of smart accessorizing and preserving the minimalistic feel of a high-tech home.

 

  • If you want to add some wall ornaments, paintings should be kept simple and abstract and, if possible, frameless. Monochromatic photographs or black and white photographs work well too, and they should ideally be industrial or architectural in subject. One interesting way to display the picture or photograph would be to clip a piece of ground-edge glass over the print and mat, without a frame
  • Pillows and bedcovers should be kept starkly simple, with geometric shapes and solid colors. The best fabrics are canvas and linen.
  • The trinkets and curios should be kept to a bare minimum: instead of a vase full of fresh flowers, a single tulip in a tall, skinny, stainless steel vase is a pretty enough touch. A lone cactus in a glossy ceramic pot will blend in beautifully.
  • Lamps should be chosen to reflect function, not form nor artistry. Good choices are aimable halogen lamps or pharmacy-style lamps; if you have ample floor space try a tripod style floor light that photographers use. Light fixtures should also have industrial impressions. Bathrooms can be lit by theatrical lights – bare bulbs framing a mirror, and round, plain metal housings work well in the kitchen.
  • Again, the key words for rugs are simple, simple and simple. Flat woven in solid colors or with geometric designs work the high tech look best.
  • In the kitchen, hide the wicker, dried flowers and painted crockery but bring out the wire and mesh baskets for holding kitchen utensils. Also don’t be afraid to overdo it on the shiny kitchen metal pots, pans, plates and appliances.
  • Other appliances such as towel racks, kitchen and bathroom fixtures should be industrial in origin, such as those intended for commercial use or hotel use.