JUST A FEELING

Should we concern ourselves with texture when decorating a room? Interior designers certainly think so. Jacqueline Wake Young sets out to find exactly what it’s all about

Apparently we nondesigners are not thinking enough about texture. We are nailing colour schemes and getting to grips with clutter, but we are neglecting to consider how our furnishings feel to the touch. Sure, we may own a fleecy throw to snuggle up in on the sofa – or even better, under the stars and around the firepit – but did we choose it for its texture or for the pretty pattern we thought would go with the cushions?

Of course, everything has a texture – even a plain, painted wall feels like something when you touch it – but when designers talk about texture, they are usually referring to surfaces that have a certain tactile quality that simply cry out to have a hand brush across them.

Woven and knitted textiles have this quality and so, because they have homemade, homely associations, they are an obvious choice for décor schemes that lean towards a rustic, country cottage sort of vibe.

But here’s where things can get interesting. Add those same woven and knitted textiles to an industrial scheme and you’ve created something unexpected, even daring.

Any surface that is in relief adds depth and dimension so a bobbly metal vase might be more engaging than a smooth glass one.

Such surfaces handle light differently. They create shadows and don’t reflect light in the way flat, polished surfaces do.

Soft textures have acoustic merits, too. They absorb sound rather than letting it bounce off them.

So loud, chaotic mealtimes could become more serene events with just the addition of fabric seating and a tablecloth.

Copper tuffet for two in fuchsia, £399, Baa Stool. STAR by Julien Macdonald two-way sequin cushion, £15, Freemans.

Textiles from a selection in the Sunkissed Tropics range from Joe Browns.

Shaw rattan easy to fit ceiling shade, £55, Habitat.

Antique resin feather picture frame in gold, £17, Daisy Park.

Catherine Lansfield chevron knit throw, £24.99, Very.

Beautiful Boudoir round cushion, £35, Joe Browns.

Cushion, £19.50, Marks and Spencer.

Sheepskin rug in lilac, £80, Baa Stool.