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Design Dilemma: Bringing A Little Texture Home

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Who says texture is just for big nubby sweaters? Actually, beyond thick socks and wool cardigans, texture can be an incredibly sensuous design element in your home. True, it’s subtle (perhaps that’s why it’s often overlooked by interior decorators who seem more concerned with color and shapes) but texture can pull your room into a whole new direction that will make it feel richer without having to strain.

So what do you need to know about texture?

Texture dictates weight. Rough, coarse textures tend to make an object feel heavier, while smoother textures will make it feel lighter. So as odd as it may seem, a polished marble floor (quite heavy in reality) may feel lighter than a rough wooden one. Any object that reflects light — polished stone, chrome or glass—  is going to feel lighter than objects that don’t — unpolished stone, iron or brick. The key is balance. Too much rough wood, stone and brick and a home can feel heavy and laden-down. Too much chrome, glass and stainless steel, and a home can feel cold and one-dimensional. A mix of the two and you’ve made an interesting, and surprising statement. Below, a thick wooden barn door adds textural interest when paired with white walls, white-washed floors and a smooth stone vase. Behind the door, the bathroom floor is rough granite, which balances out ceramic white tiles.

Texture is a great way to keep monochromatic environments from getting boring. All white interiors can feel pretty stagnant without texture to create interest.  (Think how boring shabby chic would be without the distressed wood.) However, an all-white color scheme with a little wood, shag carpets, moldings, and a few natural textured surfaces suddenly has pizazz. Witness the excitement, below, created simply by placing a rough organically-shaped wooden dining table alongside smooth fiberglass dining chairs. A ceramic sculpture adds more contrast against white-washed floors and walls.

Art can be an easy way to add texture. If you’re looking for ways to add a little texture to a space that is already largely in place, one easy way to do so is through art. You can find texture in sculpture, paintings and various wall hangings. Below, an eye-catching wall sculpture above the fireplace provides instant texture to a monochromatic space. Other textural elements include the wooden beams, the organic wooden dining table, sisal carpeting, leather chairs, and blocky, sculptural wooden stools which contrast against white-washed floors, a white ceramic lamp, and fiberglass chairs.

Photos: By Emily Gilbert, home of sculptor Fitzhugh Karol and Lyndsay Caleo, jewelry designer of  The Brooklyn Home Company.