Tastefully Tactile: How Textures Make Your House Feel Like Home

Visually, there may be a stark contrast between a professionally decorated home and one that is casually put together. But in tangible terms, their difference can usually be spelt out by a few subtle design moves. More often than not, these moves revolve around the use of textures. Textures enliven surfaces, objects and spaces by imparting to them a tactile richness, helping them cater not just to our sense of sight, but also to our sense of touch. To put it simply, textures infuse your home with warmth, promoting it to something more than just a container for your worldly possessions.

There is a simple reason why textures end up getting ignored in a lot of home decoration projects. Tasks such as finding the right paint colours and achieving the perfect furniture layouts usually get first dibs on your attention, moving other decisions to the backburner. By the time you’re done with your overarching design moves, your house has everything it needs to appear functionally sorted, well lit, and colour coordinated. However, it’s missing that vital sense of ‘home’ and that elusive aura of sophistication that is immediately visible in professionally decorated spaces. Today’s post brings you some quick tips on filling those gaps with the help of textures.

Lay them out.

One of the simplest and most popular ways of infusing texture into a room is through the use of rugs. As versatile and moveable elements of décor, rugs make no demands on your overall design scheme; you can introduce them to a room even as an afterthought. Having said that, there are countless successful examples of texturally rich home interiors wherein rugs have been central to the design concept. From soft sheepskin rugs that anchor luxe living spaces, to delicately woven specimens that impart just a touch of cosiness to a breezy bedchamber, rugs work their magic in a variety of ways.

 

Weave them in.

Woven textures can always be relied upon to enrich the tactile quality of a room without taking away from its functional feel. Weaves are generally easy on the eyes and serve as effective ways to layer and balance existing textures within a space. Poised between the bareness of wood and the softness of fur, they can help create harmonic tactile compositions. You can introduce weaves to a room in a myriad of ways, be it in the form of vibrant cushions, throws and drapes, or the very upholstery of your sofas and armchairs.

Flaunt them on your walls.

Though generally implemented via fabrics and furnishings, textures are hardly limited to furs and weaves. Contemporary interior design has extended a warm welcome to textured metal, wood and stone. Whether used independently or in conjunction with soft furnishings, these hard textures have a penchant for adding depth and interest to your living space. They lend themselves particularly well to spaces inspired by Modernist or minimalist ideas, accentuating austere or geometrically simple surroundings with just a hint of pizzazz. Turn your walls a little more tactile by choosing textured paint, panelling or wallpaper, or by hanging up some textured metal artwork.

Find them in unexpected places!

Dead or awkward corners are the bane of every home’s existence, especially if the home in question is too small for elaborate design moves in every nook and cranny. Textural compositions can be particularly useful in such cases, adding life and character to odd corners without making too many spatial demands. A slight deviation in tiling, a well-placed stone accent or metal artwork, or even a houseplant or two, can infuse these spaces with just the energy you need.

Set your imagination free to play with textures, and bring them home with aplomb. For more ideas on crafting homes that are a joy to live in, keep following our blog posts!