In interior design, this also translates into the way we feel in certain spaces. Just as colour can impact our emotions, texture personalises our homes and similarly affects our mood.
How We Experience Texture
When we smell something good or hear specific sounds, certain emotions are evoked. It's the same when we see or touch a specific texture. They say that some people have emotions at their fingertips, and that's for a good reason.
When your finger rubs against a surface, tiny pressure sensors embedded within your fingers, called Pacinian Corpuscles, perceive the texture.
That's why a smooth, uniform surface can give us a sense of calm, while a rough, irregular, geometrical structure can evoke a dynamic rhythm.
Different textures evoke different feelings. Think of velvet, silk, steel, wood and leather. What comes to your mind when you think about these textures? Did you just imagine the way you feel when you touch each of them?
The textures play a fundamental role in interior design. That's why it is important to make an informed decision when choosing certain materials for your sleeping sanctuary. A velvet-upholstered bed will evoke a different emotion than a metal bed, for example.
Generally, soft and smooth textures evoke a pleasant emotional response, while their wild or hard counterparts cause a negative response. We even use these metaphors in our everyday lives for further proof, as we tend to describe difficult situations as rough and positive events as smooth.
Types of Textures
To understand how the textures in your home can influence your mood, we need to clarify the different types of textures.
We usually distinguish between two types of textures: visual and tactile.
Visual Texture (Optical)
As the name suggests, the visual texture is the one we experience with our eyes. Photography, drawings and paintings use visual texture. In this form, this is created by the repetition of shape and line. Another example of visual texture is terrazzo or an image in a mirror.
Tactile Texture (Physical)
This is what we can pick out even with our eyes closed. Imagine the feeling you get when you run your hand over a woolly sheepskin or walk barefoot across a soft long-pile carpet.
The Swedish-based neurodesigner, Isabelle Sjovall, who studies the relationship between neuroscience and interior design, explains there is a physiological explanation as to why we like tactile materials. Think of snuggling under a soft blanket or sleeping between quality sheets on a plush upholstered bed. This stimulates the hormone oxytocin, which makes us feel calm and peaceful. The idea of Hygge revolves around cosiness and contentment and being surrounds by tactile materials is part of this.
How And Why To Incorporate Texture In Your Home
Working with texture contrasts is an important technique for creating a sense of depth in a room.
If you experience your bedroom as flat and heavy, it's a good idea to analyse how many different tactile surfaces work together to create the overall experience. Perhaps you need to introduce more variation.
The best ways to add texture in your bedroom is by adding some of the following elements:
- A rug with a distinctive structure
- An upholstered bed
- Linen curtains with natural creases
- A natural material centrepiece such as a wooden bed frame
- A soft, fluffy blanket or throw
- Woven fabric with a natural structure
- A piece of furniture of untreated wood in which the grain is visible
Many modern homes lack personality, and you can experience a flat and harsh feeling because of the explosion of MDF furniture. If you feel that your bedroom is lifeless, the lack of texture might be one reason.
To avoid this, always try to mix several materials. Combine natural textures such as wood and rattan with metal accents or materials that are soft, shiny, ruffled, woven, pleated or rustic.
Textures and Emotions
Sometimes the things we see with our eyes or feel with our hands can remind us of things we feel in our hearts. So can a soft and fluffy blanket make you experience joy as it reminds you of the puppy you love? It certainly can!
You need to think very carefully of the textures you choose for your bedroom, as silk and smooth beddings can evoke feelings of calm and relaxation, while rough blankets can sometimes make us feel irritated.
Wooden bed frames can infuse a rustic touch that can be translated as cosy and remind us of our grandparent's warm homes.
Incorporating furniture with signs of age can signal a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, so it can make you feel more at peace in your sleeping nest.
Shiny surfaces often feel more modern, but a bedroom with too many can be interpreted as harder and colder, inducing an unease feeling that we might not know where it is coming from.
A velvet bed can make you feel safe and cosy, a throw blanket can keep you warm, while a firmer bed can make you be more alert, and it will increase your focus if you want to study or read in bed. The way you style your bed, Egyptian cotton, and satin sheets promote a sense of calm and well-being. So try to keep this in mind next time when you shop for a new bed or linen. If you want to look forward to snuggling up in bed at the end of a hard day.
Final Thoughts
Textures are not just a way to add dimension and interest to your home. They can go as far as evoking feelings of happiness and anger, of hot and cold. So next time you have a bad day, grab on to the textures that add comfort and ignite a spark of happiness! If you enjoyed this post, check out my other home posts here.
Daniela Ganea is a passionate Interior Designer and Content Writer for the Home Furnishing Industry. With a PR background, she combines her higher education with her passion for interiors by helping people with Interior Design and Styling tips for a happier home.
*Collaborative post
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