You know the feeling of walking into a room and immediately feeling drawn to a certain area – whether it’s a cosy seating nook or an interesting collection on the mantel? If you can’t quite put your finger on what it is about the space or group of objects that seems alluring, there’s a good chance that it’s texture.
Amber Interiors
More subtle than colour, form or pattern, texture is perceived both by sight and touch. Plus, pieces with texture often inspire one to imagine what something feels like without touching it. For example, a chunky, woven throw draped over a sofa has a distinctive texture, and one can perceive the softness and warmth just by looking at the throw.
Let’s take a look at 10 ways to use texture and how this understated quality can bring more warmth, depth and interest to the home.
Lisa Burdus Interior Design
1. Bring on the layers
Add interest to bedrooms with quilted bedspreads, pillows and knit throws. The more variety of textures, the better. The layered-texture effect not only makes it easy to pull up blankets for extra warmth, but it also makes the bed feel all the more cosy and inviting. For even more softness, add textured curtains and a plush bedside rug or carpeting.
Westcott Construction Ltd
2. Leave a wall exposed
If you’re lucky enough to have inherited brick as a building material, by all means leave it exposed. Even in unexpected places – like a bathroom or a hallway – the texture of the brick will lend depth and interest to the room, instantly giving it a sense of character. Industrial building materials like concrete or exposed metal pipes can also add texture to a space.
10 gorgeous exposed brick bathrooms
SALA Architects
Don’t have layers of textural building materials hidden behind your plasterboard? Another option is to apply it on top. Turn a blank wall into a textured statement by attaching reclaimed wood boards, brick veneer or a faux concrete finish to get a similar effect. Here, a wall of knotty wood gives a feeling of warmth and cosiness to a snug room.
Thomas Towne Reavey, Inc.
3. Double up on rugs
Don’t hesitate to layer rugs to bump up the texture in a space. For a winning combination, pair a neutral-coloured rug that has lots of texture with a patterned one.
For example, the designer of this room used a natural-fibre rug to add more warmth to the white-and-grey seating area, then put a smaller patterned rug on top for a hit of colour. Alternatively, lay a high-texture accent rug (like a fuzzy sheepskin or a cowhide) on top of a patterned area rug.
User
4. Display textural objects as art
Elevate everyday objects made of interesting textural materials – such as old farm tools, interesting seedpods, woven baskets or antique metal buckets – by presenting them in unexpected ways. Display larger items, like this pair of woven metal Portuguese eel traps, against blank backdrops to show off their textural quality through contrast.
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Jute Interior Design
For smaller items, such as glass bottles or baskets, group them as collections for bigger impact. In this home, five baskets hung together as wall art pick up the woven textures of the pendant light and stools. The resulting neutral palette with lots of texture makes the room feel warm, informal and inviting.
Alexander Pollock Interiors
5. Try textured wallpaper
Adding textured wallpaper can be a great way to make a space luxurious without looking too over the top. When choosing textured wallpaper, keep in mind the effect you’d like to create in the room. Satin finishes have a smooth texture that reflects some light, giving a baroque-like feeling of opulence. Matt-textured and embossed wallpapers can help create a rich library-like feel.
Nanette Wong
6. Go plush with velvet
Really make a textural statement with a sofa or a cushy seat upholstered in sumptuous, butter-soft velvet. Balance the indulgent look and feel of velvet by keeping other furnishings and elements in the room more sparse, hard-edged and contemporary.
Steele Street Studios
7. Look for texture in nature
Using natural elements as accent pieces in the home sets a laid-back mood and can help modern spaces feel more lived-in. Here, a metal log rack is designed to show off the delicate peeling bark and rough texture of the logs as a wall-mounted sculpture.
Other ways to use natural elements to bump up texture: display pretty branches in a vase or line up smooth stones along the mantel.
Decorating for free with natural found objects
Callwey
8. Throw down a sheepskin
Yes, they’ve been trendy in recent years, but adding a sheepskin, or a synthetic alternative, is still one of the easiest ways to instantly bump up the cosiness of a room. With their pillow-soft texture and over-the-top fluffiness, sheepskins are particularly effective in making hardwood floors and stiff furniture look warm and inviting.
Studio Schicketanz
9. Add a textured splashback
Modern kitchens are often filled with smooth surfaces – a texture that can feel a bit cold and sterile. Break up an expanse of smooth textures while still keeping a contemporary look with 3D tiles used as a splashback.
For a more traditional, farmhouse feel in your kitchen, look for other ways to add texture to the space, such as laying down a sisal rug, displaying glass jars filled with pasta on the benchtop or using a woven basket as a fruit bowl.
An Aesthetic Pursuit
10. Don’t forget about macrame
Knotted wall hangings may seem like a 1970s throwback, but macrame can bring texture to a bare wall and more warmth to a contemporary room. Modern macrame designs often mix the traditional natural fibres and driftwood with materials like metallic yarns or those made of recycled plastic. Mount a macrame hanging behind the sofa or above the bed to boost textural interest.
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