What is Avant-Garde Interior Design?
Avant-garde interior design is all about spaces and the design of items that are considered work of art besides being functional. Highly unconventional styles that challenge traditional norms. Unusual shapes, innovative and unconventional materials underlining uniqueness, artistic expression, as well as a thought-provoking – sometimes futuristic – aesthetic.
The key concepts of Avant-Garde Interior Design
Brutalism, Minimalis, Wabi-Sabi, Industrial and Deconstructivism design concepts are incorporating those Avant-Garde Interior Design approaches.
Brutalism Interior Style – utilitarian aesthetic
Brutalist interior design is characterized by massive, block-like forms, exposed raw concrete, and an emphasis on materials and structure over decoration with a focus on functionality and a utilitarian aesthetic that often includes unfinished surfaces and angular, geometric shapes. The movement’s name stems from “béton brut,” meaning “raw concrete” in French. A great example of a brutalist space is the SSENSE Montreal store:
Minimalism Interior Design – less is more
Minimalism in interior design is defined by clean lines, neutral tones, and open space. The unnecessary is removed to reveal balance and intention and every element serves a function: light, form, and proportion replace ornamentation. The palette is subdued, often monochrome, allowing texture and shadow to create depth. Quality outweighs quantity, and every choice is guided by purpose. The result is calm, uncluttered, and timeless: a study in how less can truly mean more. A great example of a minimalistic Avant-Garde Fashion Space is the hide[m] fashion store in Munich:
![Munich Avant Garde Fashion Store hide[m]](https://rawlooks.com/app/uploads/2020/05/hidem-high-fashion-store-munich-2-1200x761.jpg)
Industrial Interior Design – factory & warehouse inspired
Industrial interior design finds beauty in utility and structure. Inspired by old factories and converted lofts, it celebrates raw materials like exposed brick, concrete, and steel, as well as the honesty of their construction. Open layouts reveal architectural bones, for example visible ductwork to unfinished beams, creating a sense of openness and authenticity. The color palette is neutral, often monochrome, softened by natural textures and warm lighting. Furniture is functional, streamlined, and built to last which results in a style that balances grit with comfort, turning the industrial past into a modern expression of character and craft. An example for such Industrial Avant-Garde Space is the Werkstatt:München Atelier, Workshop & Store: and the Leon Emanuel Blanck Showroom in Berlin.
Wabi-Sabi Interior Style – Imperfection & Simplicity
Wabi-Sabi in interior design embraces imperfection as beauty and time as an artist that applies patina, cracks, and wear as signatures of life. Rooted in Japanese philosophy, it values simplicity, authenticity, and the quiet dignity of natural aging. Organic materials like wood, clay, and stone define the palette. Each of those materials carries subtle irregularities that reveal process and history. Spaces are calm, open, and tactile. The result is an atmosphere that feels grounded, lived-in, and profoundly human.
Deconstructivism Interior Style – blurring the lines between function and art
Deconstructivism in interior design thrives on tension and disruption, dismantling convention, replacing symmetry and order with fractured geometry and unpredictable form. Spaces unfold through sharp angles, layered materials, and deliberate imbalance: Concrete meeting glass, metal colliding with velvet, as an example. Surfaces remain raw, exposing their construction, while lighting heightens the drama with shifting shadows and sculptural depth. Function becomes secondary to experience, inviting movement, emotion, and curiosity. The result is a visual collision of chaos and control, architecture as expression instead of restraint.
A perfect example of a private Avant-Garde Style Space – Rick Owens house in Italy
Rick Owens home in Concordia, Italy follows the Avant-Garde Design concepts of pure Minimalism, Brutalism and Simplicity. A space that is tidy and equipped with a few wonderful art objects. Even his wardrobe is extremely minimalistic. Take a tour and get inspired through the following video where VOGUE visits Rick Owens in Italy.
Avant-Garde interior design brands known for cutting-edge decor and furniture
- Werkstatt:München crafts beautiful decor pieces from 925 sterling silver. The range includes bowls, trays, vases, chopsticks sets, serviette rings and goblets
- Mad et Len produces vases, candles, plates and bowls, as well as lava stone jars (pot pourris) – all crafted from hand-forged massive iron
- Parts of Four – besides their avant-garde brutalist jewelry – crafts similiarly brutal objects, like animal skullheads or unique boxes
- Rick Owens has a line of highly unconventional objects and a line of furniture
- Söderberg from Berlin designs unique minimalistic-brutalist furniture
- m.a+ produces extraordinary pillow cases
- Label Under Construction crafts highend silk/cashmere blankets, made in Italy
- Oberflacht produces beeswax candles handcrafted into unexpected objects
The Boutique you must know, specializing in avant-garde interior & furniture: The Treasury Vienna
The Treasury in Vienna is a highend Avant-Garde Fashion and Interior space, specializing in creating authentic and unpolished interiors, blending natural materials with unexpected contrasts – “RAW Beauty”. The Treasury provides tailor-made interior concepts for those who seek something real, on store visit or inquiry online. The avant-garde interior designers they work with include: Baxter Italia, Davide Groppi, É De Padova, Audo, Henge, De le Cuona, By Nature and Knopp, ADL Design, Roda, Élitis, Time & Style, St Leo, Van Rossum, Rina Manardi, Van Ghent, Libeco, Capellen Dimyr, Oberflacht, Fogia, Nanimarquina, Henzel Studio, Arte.
Stay inspired: Avant Garde Interior & Avant-Garde Spaces Mood Boards
Staying inspired about Avant-Garde Fashion & Interior via our Pinterest channel, where we are continuously collecting visuals in the following two Pinterest boards:
