All senses are important. So when you design your home, make sure that you engage all the five senses—sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch.
Read this post for tips on how to create a home that appeals to the five senses.
However, this blog post focuses on the sense of touch. How do you use textures in a space to create the home of your dreams?
Texture
Texture is one of the seven elements of interior design, which is described in two ways—physical and visual.
Physical texture involves tactility, meaning that when you touch an object, you get the feel of it, whether it’s rough or smooth, cold or warm, soft or hard, and so on. It is about the variations and feel of a surface. On the other hand, visual texture is the illusion of the texture of a surface. For example, your laminate floor may look like wood (which is warm), but in reality it is made of a synthetic material like melamine resin, which is cool.
In 2023, forecasters stated that “hypertexturality,” the raw composition of natural materials, was going to trend. The growing consciousness for authenticity and health made people choose organic materials with exaggerated textures, like marble veining or pronounced wood grain.
People also became discerning about fabrics and other soft materials used in furniture and home accessories, and preferred organic cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk, and bamboo that underwent minimal chemical treatments.
The Impact of Texture in Homes
Textures can make a home feel more interesting. Rough textures add warmth, while smooth and sleek textures create a cool vibe.
As an example, the Rococo design style, with silk, marble, gilt metal frames, crystals, and mirrors (mostly smooth surfaces), expresses wealth and sophistication.
On the other hand, there is nothing more natural than a Japanese style home with its use of organic materials like wood, linen, and stone. The spartan elegance expresses wealth and sophistication too, only in a very different way. Muji’s first art director, graphic designer Ikko Tanaka, expressed Muji’s way of thinking, as embodied in homes designed and prefabricated by Muji,
To be confident in a simplicity that feels in no way inferior to splendor. The simplicity that comes from stripping away frills can surpass splendor.
What interior design style appeals to you? Start there and start filling in the kind of textures the style suggests. You can also make contrasting textures work for you to create balance. If you want to explore, you can always check out the different design styles in this blog category.
The Sense of Touch
Touch is crucial to how we experience the world, including our interactions with others. It is fundamental to our survival and well-being.
A home that feels comfortable, cozy, warm, and pleasurable can be perceived through the sense of touch. Imagine this: The warm, welcoming wood of your front door. The cool, hard, smooth tiles when you walk barefoot around the house. The sensuality of silk as you hug a pillow to your chest. The heat and roughness of a wool throw. The soft and breathable lightness of cotton curtains. The cool smoothness of bamboo sheets. The comfort and neutrality of a sturdy ceramic mug holding your favorite potion. The delicate and durable feel of the stem of a crystal wine glass.
The moment you awake to the minute you fall into slumber, tactility follows you every step of the way.
May you always feel blessed with every sensory feedback you get.
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