Texture is an important and often overlooked element of interior design. Using different textures in a space can add visual interest, dimension, and depth. Thoughtfully layering and combining various textures allows you to make any room feel special.
Textured Floors Feel Foot-Friendly
Hard flooring materials like tile, stone and hardwood supply visual interest underfoot. But excessive surface hardness over expansive areas strains joints during lengthy periods standing. Cushioned textured rugs bring comfort while adding eye-catching depth. Plush wool area rugs offer heavenly soft piles begging to be touched. For playfulness, combine large skin rugs of different shapes, pile heights and patterns. Hard floors surrounded by soft rug islands deliver appealing visual texture contrast.
Fabrics Furnish Tactile Touches
The fabrics surrounding us hugely impact space ambiance and user experience through color, pattern and texture. Upholstery selection bears much influence, as sofas and chairs constitute interior cornerstones. Linen’s casual wrinkles, cotton’s downy softness and velvet’s plush density each impart distinct essences. Choose leather furnishings with naturally variegated hides to enjoy irregular texture markings that catch the light uniquely. Have fun mixing different textiles across seating groups for eclectic rooms packed with variety.
Layer many fabrics throughout a space for tactile richness. Double hung or swagged drapery panels frame views, while elegant folds add movement. Textured bamboo shades filter incoming light in organic style. Plush rugs caress feet when shoes come off to relax. Consider wool knit throws for curling up on couches or beds, while faux fur options promise playful fun. Surround yourself in textiles you enjoy touching so as to craft interiors that feel exceptionally cozy.
Select Surface Materials Mindfully
The materials applied to horizontal surfaces like floors, furnishings and countertops claim much visual real estate, so warrant thoughtful consideration. Hard floors in stone, concrete, tile and wood make high-impact style statements with inherent texture. Similarly, stone and quartz countertops from a company like Bedrock Quartz deliver depth from rugged particulate compositions. Choose natural variability over uniformly smooth materials whenever possible. Concrete furniture and regionally sourced wood furnishings also bring engaging irregularity.
Where new furniture purchases strain budgets, introduced textiles provide affordable and customizable options. Area rugs covering worn floors transform spaces instantly. Slipcovers temporarily alter sofa appearances without permanent commitment. Consider swapping dated window dressings for textural drapery panels or textile shades. Such relatively easy material layering allows modifying room feelings until major fixed elements get updated.
Careful Lighting Enlivens Texture
Strategic lighting selection helps emphasize surface textures for increased depth and dimension. Fixtures producing strong directional light better articulate subtle textural details compared to diffuse ambient illumination. Spotlights aimed at textured artworks make brush strokes shimmer. Sconces next to patterned drapery intensify fabric folds and color contrasts. Chandeliers above dining tables spotlight wood grain variability in antique furnishings. Also consider how lighting textures spaces itself through articulated fixtures. Thoughtfully integrate elegant lighting that interacts with surrounding surface textures for richest interiors.
Outdoor Texture Tactics
While mostly solid and sleek materials get specified outdoors, introducing textural contrast livens sterile exterior spaces. Section off areas of wood decking or composite alternatives nearby poured concrete patio slabs. Repeat the decking texture underfoot via woven outdoor rugs. Use rough-hewn stone retaining walls and naturally rugged boulders to heighten textural plantings. Consider covering plain walls in stone or brick veneer for added surface appeal.
Conclusion
Texture constitutes a highly influential, if often overlooked, interior design element crucial for creating multi-sensory, visually rich spaces. By artfully combining various natural and manufactured materials throughout interiors and outdoor living areas, designers intricate depth, dimension, shadow interplay and irresistible tactility. Surround yourself purposefully with textured surfaces you delight in both seeing and touching to fully enjoy daily environments.
