Following on from our recent blog post on colours and their impact on spaces within the home – this week we thought ‘textures’ deserved some Shelfstore blog attention. Working with pine on a daily basis has resulted in us being passionate about texture. The smooth, soft texture of pine is something that immediately draws you to a piece of furniture and you get an impulse to touch it.
It got us thinking about the role of texture in the home – how effective a texture can be in transforming the interior of a space.
Texture has the ability to add a subtle but very powerful dimension to a room. It’s one of the secret weapons that interior designers use to make a real impression.
For example – a polished marble floor will have a much lighter impression on a hallway than an aged oak panelled floor; this is not because of their difference in weight or colour but because of their difference in texture. Rougher textures tend to make a room feel heavier, more oppressive. Whereas smooth textures tend to make spaces feel airy and lighter.
Every surface has a texture whether it’s smooth and flat like pine or rough and bumpy like gravel. An individual’s perception of texture is often influenced by the textures of surrounding surfaces, the distance we are viewing it from, as well as the lighting we’re viewing it in.
Quite often when we think about modern interiors – we tend to associate them with high gloss, smooth steel and minimally textured surfaces. This is because these types of surfaces communicate a sleek, clean and minimalistic design style that is so often communicated throughout modern interiors.
Texture tips
Vary texture in a room to create diversity
If you want a piece of furniture to get noticed – try dressing it up with a contrasting texture. Contrast creates visual interest so attempt to match rough and smooth, silky and hard. Jazz up a pine rocking chair with a sheep skin throw or add some material photo frames to a shelving unit.
Use texture to create warmth
If you can’t or don’t want to deviate from white walls but need to create a warm feel to a room – textures are a great way to reduce that clinical feel that white walls can often create. Use material hangings on the walls, rugs on the floors, cushions on the chairs – you get the idea….
Be cautious with lighting
So you’ve taken some of our colour and texture advice on board from the last few blogs and you’ve created the perfect environment in your home. Just don’t spoil all your hard work by installing the wrong type of lighting. Avoid harsh lighting in a warm space and don’t use yellowish lighting in a room. The lighting you choose needs to compliment the different textures you’ve used.
If it rains this weekend…you should have plenty of redecorating advice to be getting on with!
By Tony Fitz-Costa. Check me out on Google+
Shelfstore is a system of creating furniture, shelving and storage solutions around your ideas – in any size, to fit any your space.
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what do you think?