Creative Design Ideas for Exposed Pipes

Got some exposed pipes and don’t know what to do with them?

Exposed pipes can be an eyesore — especially when you have visitors over. However, instead of trying to cover up exposed pipes, you can work with them to make them a unique piece of your decor.

So with this in mind, we’ve outlined a variety of trends that we’ve spotted all over the world, so you can design a room to work with or around your exposed pipes.

Give it a splash of color (Spotted in: the United States)

Depending on the theme of your space, consider giving the pipes some color to complement the room. This is becoming a popular trend here in the US. For instance, check out this industrially designed workspace by Nott Design. Aside from emphasizing the industrial interior, the red-colored pipes also act like the office space’s arteries. Of course, painting your exposed pipes requires some color-coordination on your part to make them stand out in a way that’s pleasant to the eyes. Consider going for retro colors or rustic palettes. If your room has dark colored walls, consider copper, silver, or even gold.

This artfully designed basement makes the exposed pipes a unique accent for the room, adding other touches of orange to complement it.

Even the TED offices in New York City have embraced their pipes and use them to create a colorful design that compliments each room the pipes run through.

Make in functional (Spotted in: the United Kingdom)

Make your pipes functional! Attach small hooks to your pipes so you can hang all sorts of things to save on space. For instance, take a look at the above bathroom from UK interior design firm, McLaren.Excell. The hanging mirror and installed lights attached to pipes running behind them serves as a simple yet stunning design for industrialism. Therefore, consider hanging a mirror in the bathroom, or installing lights where possible. However, before making any modifications to your existing pipes, UK plumbing experts HomeServe recommend consulting with a professional first. This is because slight changes in water pressure can affect your home’s plumbing. This might even lead to serious problems down the road, which can be costly to repair if left unchecked. Other bathroom ideas include using the pipes as a towel or toilet paper rack.

Homm Dsgn suggests making use of exposed pipes in the kitchen. They pointed to a kitchen that had a copper-painted pipe with small hooks to hang various kitchen items. With other various copper-colored items, this really makes the pipes stand out, and doesn’t put you at risk of messing your plumbing up.

Moreover, Pecans Home Decor suggests including plants, which can be integrated into pipe shelving to create a homely design. Copper-colored pipes paired with white wooden boards work together especially well.

Hang some lights (Spotted in: Sweden)

Pendant and hanging lights are always a great, classy addition to the atmosphere of a room. If the pipes are on the ceiling, try hanging some lights similar to the example above. Pair them with warm-colored bulbs and you’ve got a stylish kitchen that’s sure to impress your visitors. Make sure to also paint the pipes black — if the wires are also black — to hide the wire wrappings. If the exposed pipes are in your bedroom, however, you can wrap fairy lights around them instead for a decorative night light.

This example from Swedish designer Skona Hem showcases a variety of bulbs to spice up the designs. Try mixing large bulbs with smaller bulbs for a warm lighting effect.

Exposed pipes can be more than just for plumbing — they can be chic and functional in more ways than one, and create a wonderful contrast for your interiors. We hope you have fun with our various tips from around the world to make your exposed pipes a decorative wonder. For more inspiration on everything to do with home designs, check out Futurist Architecture to keep up with the latest trends.