Does something feel off about your home’s interior design? If you aren’t sure whether that missing element is a look or a feeling, it could be you’re noticing a lack of texture in your home’s design.
In interior design, texture is all about visual appearance and physical feel. Like interior lighting, texture affects how we perceive spaces. Change your perspective and bring your home back into decorative alignment by infusing texture into your home. Here’s how.
Use Textured Lampshades
Lampshades do more than direct light up or down; they can also elevate your home’s interior design. Elevate lighting fixtures with textured linen lampshades or empire lamp shades on lamps, chandeliers, and wall sconces. Shades are a great way to add subtle design nuances that anchor a room without calling too much attention to themselves.
Try mixing and matching lampshade textures until you find a combination that resonates with you. Then, if the space starts to feel a bit lackluster, switch the lampshades around and see if that reinvigorates the room and its texture tone.
Overlap Different Textures
Layered textures are one of the most effective ways to add depth to your interior design. Rather than rely solely on furniture finishes and fabrics for textures, you can blend textures with home accents. Accessories and small furnishings can enhance a room’s design more than you realize.
For instance, you can adorn a bookshelf with matte ornaments. If you have a glass or wooden table, you can even take some books off the shelf and pile them on a side table to mix up the texture. Give your walls different dimensions with your favorite artwork. You can also position artwork with different textures side by side. For example, place wooden sculptures next to oil paintings.
Use Contrasting Fabrics
Do you unconsciously fill rooms with your favorite color? Or maybe most of the rooms in your home are decorated in the same shade. Contrasting fabrics break up the monotony and give the eye something to linger on.
Using contrasting fabrics is another instance where you can use functional furnishings to get more out of your interior design. For example, use curtains and blinds of different textures to infuse contrasting materials into a room.
Decorative furnishings also have a part to play in adding dimension to your home. For instance, you can trade out couch cushions or throw pillows when the seasons change. Silk and cotton cushions are great for warm summer months, and faux fur and velvet make great textural choices for winter.
Arrange Plants Around the Room
Plants and flowers have different petals, leaf shapes, colors, and heights, creating unique interior design opportunities. As an added benefit, having plants scattered around your home can boost your mood and freshen the air.
When choosing plants to infuse texture throughout your home, use existing textures as a guide. For instance, pair a room with lacquered furniture with a plant with glossy leaves. You can also use the vases you arrange plants in to create texture.
Use Textured Home Accessories
If you don’t have a lot of accessories around your home, now’s a great time to get in on the fun. Besides vases, you can also use sculptures, ornaments, and mirrors to take your interior design to a different dimension.
One fun textural trick you can use is to arrange accessories with alternating textures next to each other. The arrangement makes a powerful statement without announcing itself. Textures in interior design work best when they look effortless and purposeful.
Textures are a fun way to draw attention to different design elements in your home. Best of all, there are so many options to choose from that you’ll find something you like easily. Use these tips to bring textural balance, elegance, and life to your home’s design.
