Texture: No Room is Complete Without it!
What makes a home feel warm and welcoming? An obvious answer to any designer is texture. In fact, without texture, a home can feel cold and sterile. It’s the visual and tactile element that gives any home a finished, beautifully styled look.
Any room starts with great furniture choices - the blank canvas for layering and adding textural elements to complete the look. Too many pieces that aren’t connected through design or style can be quiet confusing to the eye and will always look messy so be sure to choose a ‘theme’.
Texture in design is one of the most important elements to give your home a cohesive look. Layering with textural items will create a balanced and cosy home, but the amount of texture used will vary depending on personal taste.
Our team at insideout is very much aware of the ways to help create a home with feeling, call in and ask our advice.
Easy ways to add texture:
Timber – Furniture or Accessories
The main items of furniture need to be considered. If you have a home with shiny surfaces and a very sterile look, adding timber will make an instant difference.
A fabric sofa will also add to the depth and feel of the room. If using leather choose a natural tan, a white shiny leather sofa will only add to a cold, sterile environment.
Timber accessories are great in a pure white and shiny kitchen. An organically shaped timber bowl in the kitchen will add another dimension and balance out the sterile feel.
Rugs
My favourite topic, many options are available, and the right choice will make all the difference. A high or low pile, hand knotted, loop weave or flatweave, patterned or a single textured colour. From a very textured boho Nordic look to an art silk elegant rug to create a feeling of opulence.
Rugs can still be neutral in colour, adding patterns and different textures will give the space greater depth and interest, while not disturbing the eye with excessive colour.
Marble/Concrete: If you have a very organic rustic home you can add a shiny surface such as marble or concrete. This will balance out too many timber surfaces.
Cushions: Most of you know what the right cushions will do to your interior. If you don’t have the correct fit, we can make them for you (all with feather inserts of course to satisfy the tactile element of texture). Cushions need to be mixed up with different fabric textures and also the correct scale of patterns. Cushions bring out the colour in a painting or add to a neutral palette by using different textiles and pattern. (especially if beige is your favourite colour this is recommended).
Art: This is very personal, and you need to love what you choose. Art can make or break a room. You don’t want to look like a gallery so mix up pieces with textural elements, linen and beading with some beautiful prints. Art should be chosen to fit in with all the other elements in the room such as rugs and cushions; I always make recommendations with all these elements in mind. Also, art needs to relate to your home and the style you want to create.
Lighting: Lighting needs to be used in layers too. A very bright room with all downlights can feel cold and sterile, and light used on surfaces such as rugs and shiny objects will create movement.
Plants: A bit of greenery done in moderation adds that little extra something. Look at a pure white room, then add a few ferns for an instant change of feeling.
Accessories: Use in moderation. Only a few key pieces to create interest and add to space. E.g., adding timber to highly shiny interiors or a marble bowl or decorative pieces on a rustic timber table. Add a few interesting books also to layer more texture and add to the charm.
Texture is the one element, without which no room is complete. But like everything, moderation is the key.
