Importance of Texture
Whether you’ve just bought your own place, renovating your current home, or are moving into a rental, decorating your living space is crucial. That’s why new homeowners are looking into different colors, shades, patterns, shapes, and materials, but there’s another element of interior design you mustn’t forget – texture. But, why is it so important in interior design and what can you do about texture when decorating your home?
What is texture?
Even though this sounds like the simplest thing in the world of interior design, you’d be surprised to hear how many people actually have no idea what texture really is. Well, the easiest way to understand it is to look around you – every piece of furniture, every wall in your home, every kitchen appliance, and every decorating item has a texture of its own. Those are different textures, of course, but are all still just texture in the most basic sense of the word.
Some of the most popular textures people all around the globe prefer include fur, marble, and stone, and a number of different natural textures. These include glass, steel, and wood, as well as outdoor elements incorporated into the interior space – flowers, grass, and those wonderful plants you can decorate with. All these things can show you not just the versatility of textures in your home, but also how to manipulate them, play with them, and introduce them into your living space.
Visual vs Tactile
This is another way to differentiate different textures that are available to you and, as a matter of fact, it’s a very important distinction to make when decorating your home. Again, things are pretty easy to understand, which means that visual textures are those you can see yourself and distinguish from other textures around it. Each of them has their own color, pattern, and shade, and the way you combine them will actually determine the visual appeal of your space and the way you’ll perceive it.
As for the tactile textures, those are, to put it in layman’s terms, things you can touch and feel with your own hand. It’s all those fuzzy pillows on your sofa, your lovely outdoor rugs that will make you feel proud when you’re throwing an outdoor party, as well as your smooth kitchen counter-top that will take your cooking area to a whole new level.
Spice up your Home now
Now that you’ve understood what texture is and what sorts of textures there are, it’s time to start incorporating them in your home. Every inch of your living space can be boosted with some new textures, and it’s up to you to decide which way you’ll go.
Most people opt for simple solutions and focus on just one section of their home. This is usually their living room because this is where they spend most of their free time, entertaining their guests, hanging out with their loved ones, or taking an afternoon nap. Adding texture to the living room is actually easier than you could’ve imagined – just install some new wallpaper, add a new floor rug, and bring in a few new pieces of furniture that are made from natural materials such as wood, glass, or steel. You can do all of these things on your own without spending too much money, but the end result will be amazing!
Don’t be afraid to Experiment
If you’re not one of those people who like to play it safe and focus all their effort on just one room, you can explore other parts of your home and introduce new textures there as well. From your kitchen to your bedroom, every space you tackle will become more special once you spice it up with textures, so don’t be afraid to go all-in and experiment with different solutions!
For instance, kitchens welcome new textures very easily. One of the ways to remodel your kitchen is experimenting with mixed textures and surfaces – your back-splash, your counter-tops, your cabinets, and your kitchen island are all waiting for new textures, so be sure to introduce them ASAP!
As you can see, changing the visual appeal of your home using texture is easier than it sounds. It’s all about making the right choices and combining different textures into a coherent design that will work for every member of your family in the years to come!
