Being an ardently tactile person, a lot of my design (fashion and interior) decisions are made after I’ve had the chance to touch something. Texture is one of my favourite elements in design because of the multisensory experience it provides. As it can be seen as a subgroup of the pattern category — it is basically a 3D, mono-coloured version of a pattern — this lesson is more of a short addendum to our last lesson on pattern.
You might have a favourite texture—the soft shag of carpet, the glaze of ceramic wall tiles, the sheen of silk wall coverings, the coarseness of brick walls, and so on—or you might love them all. Some textures are great at communicating luxury while others convey simplicity. The following images are just some of my current favourite ways to create dimensionality within designs.
In order for a baby’s vision to develop, touch is essential. Babies use touch to combine tactile with visual information to understand the world in three dimensions. Without this touch, the images in our eyes would be meaningless patterns.
As with everything, texture doesn’t exist within a void. To use texture in the most space-enhancing way it is important to get to know the room in which you intend to use it.
Understand how daylight works in the room, as our eyes need light to identify texture. Texture also impacts how light is spread in a room and should perhaps be used sparingly in an already dark room unless of course, you are trying to enhance the moodiness of the room.
Remember that different textures, especially texture used for flooring, will affect the sound of a room.
If listening to music in your lounge is paramount to your well-being you might want to forgo a thick, shaggy rug.
If you use your lounge for regular HIIT workouts, then a carpet might come in handy and might keep you from falling out of favour with your downstairs neighbours.
The first key to combining textures is to go by family resemblance. For example: linen curtains, hemp or jute rug, unglazed ceramics, wool pillows, oiled wooden floorboards, etc. are all part of the “nature” family.
Another major key to combining textures is to balance them. For example: Shiny vs. matt, hard vs. soft, etc.
Need some help incorporating texture into your home? Get in touch or check out my Design Services!
