One of the subtle elements of good interior design is texture. It’s so subtle that homeowners decorating the space almost always overlook it, but at the same time, it makes a lingering impact on the aesthetics of a room when it’s done right.
What’s Texture, Anyway?
Everything in your home has texture. The sofa feels soft. The marble floors feel hard and rigid. Texture refers to how a design element feels like, based on its external visual surface. When interior designers advise adding texture to a room, they mean introducing pieces with aesthetically pleasing surfaces that bring about a sense of tactile quality. For what purpose? Well, for one, to change the mood in a particular space in the room. Rough textures, like those in brick walls or ethnic rugs, give off a warm, snug feel. On the other hand, smooth textures found in velvet couches or stone countertops, Layton-based interior designers explain, lean more into the polished feel, which makes for a more formal atmosphere.
Another function of texture in interior design is to offer a sense of contrast. It’s hard for the eyes to appreciate the beauty of a room when the elements are too similar. Imagine a living room that has an all-white color palette. Without the variety of surface qualities in the elements, the entire space can easily look flat. But imagine having distressed wood floors, marble-furnished walls, and faux fur rugs, despite having each of these in white, the space won’t look monotonous at all.
So, How Do You Add Texture?
There are lots of ways to incorporate texture into your design. For one, you can do it with architectural details. Filling your walls with crown molding or chair rails can give a pop to these bare structures. Patterned rugs and floor runners can also add texture. They also bring great depth for the room, defining a specific space further. Of course, you can also use furnishings. Velvet reading chairs and wooden coffee tables give off a distinct atmosphere that they’re good candidates for a focal point, too. Just make sure that the sightlines towards it are unobstructed. Sometimes, all a room needs for texture is the little add-ons, like a wool blanket draped over the couch, accent pillows with graphic patterns on the bed, or simply, a large cactus plant in the foyer.
As much as different surface qualities are important to make a room pop, restraint is also important. Don’t go to town on mixing and matching so many textures. Pick out three to tie an entire room together, and then two when highlighting a certain part of the room.
Perfecting Your Design through Texture
Texture plays a big role in enhancing the visual appeal of your home. Again, it can change the atmosphere in the room, and at the same time, avoid a space that looks flat and monotonous. Don’t fall into the mistake of leaving it out in your planning. Nail your next makeover project by incorporating texture in your design.
