Our Five Design Love Languages | No. 03 Feel The Texture

An ode to texture—

—and the sensation of touch, a fundamental element of interior design. Because it’s much more than what your eyes can see. Employing texture in a space yields a multitude of positive results, from adding visual weight to creating a sense of movement and warmth. Texture can draw one’s eye into a room and then around it, at times giving the illusion that its larger or taller than it is.

In fabrics, a chunky boucle or a flax open-weave linen, can do wonders for introducing texture into a space, but don’t let your efforts end there. On a countertop, employ the soft edges and smooth ripples of a matte soapstone, and on the walls, the gentle flow of a plaster finish or a chalky limewash.

“When I’m designing a space, I love to think about how someone will feel when they’re inside the room. For me it’s beyond an emotional feeling, which is important, but I love to think about how the space will be when you physically run your hands across the items that are within it. A curly piled sherpa chair, a rough-hewn wood table, a bamboo bowl with its intricate woven patterns, these are all tangible elements within a space that add a bit of lived-in luxury and a level of visual appeal you can’t get with anything else.”

- Shea McGee