How to Add Texture to Any Space

You already know I am a bonafide card carrying pillow hoarder… and proud of it! My little brother often says how there is no where to sit on my couch with “all those pillows” which my mom heartily agrees with! Silly people don’t they know that pillows add texture?

The best kind of texture (in my opinion!) too! Warm blankets, soft rugs, flowy drapes…. there is a reason these things are on the top of my “must have” list! They all add the kind of texture that says “Come on in, sit down a while, snuggle up buttercup!”

What is texture?

When I think of texture it’s always in the form of something soft but the very nature of texture itself is the difference between surfaces! Soft versus hard, sparkling smooth crystal versus a vase of soft flowers, a wall of flowing drapes versus the hard planes of a 7-foot high bookcase. I might love pillows but a room full of pillows probably wouldn’t be the best living room… although think of the naps!

In order to have a successful space you need a mixture of texture! A room without texture lacks warmth, dimension and so much interest!

Soft Texture

For dramatic soft texture try panels of floor to ceiling drapes. They will add softness to the hard lines of any window. For a bit of added pizazz try an entire wall of fabric! Whether it’s stretched across the wall like wallpaper or hung like curtains it’s sure to add a touch of softness to your space.

Even if you don’t have space for an area rug try a throw rug! A bit of softness underfoot goes a long way into adding dimension… already have carpet? An area rug over carpet will add texture and help tie a room together! My mama always wonders what I’m going to do with all our rugs when we no longer have a tiled house… I’m going to put them straight over that carpet! See if I don’t ;).

Hard Texture

Once you’ve added your soft textures: curtains, rugs, pillows, blankets, bedding, couches, cushy chairs, you have to make sure the room is equally balanced with hard textures. This might come in the form of your furniture. A dark wood farmhouse table perhaps or a tall bookcase. Smooth lamps and painted furniture add a bit of a feminine touch while wooden furniture will add warmth to a space.

For a rustic look exposed brick is priceless… it adds old world charm and character! Some of the best hard texture is architectural… exposed beams, molding, board and batten, chair rails, fire places, built in cabinets… the list goes on and on! If you don’t have these elements in your home you may be able to mimic them! Have you seen Perfectly Imperfects wooden plank wall? It’s not even nailed to the wall… just held in place by that beautiful old daybed!

Define your style… then chose textures that work!

While it can be hard to define your “style” that can definitely help when picking what textures you want to have in your space. Someone with a shabby chic style would pick different textures then someone with a modern style! The important part to remember? Your style can be completely up to you!

I like to pretend that my “style” is french-rustic-glam-shabby-chic-withjustalittletouchof-shabby-chic. That allows me the room to change a bit from room to room within my house. My living room is a bit more rustic while our bedroom has a bit more of a luxurious feel. This means that while I like to add rustic touches to my living room (such as antique wooden boxes with real rough wood). Our bedroom on the other hand has darker colors: grey’s instead of whites and metallic’s instead of wood.

There’s no right or wrong way to use texture, so go forward and mix and match to your heart’s content! You won’t stop me from buying more pillows… what’s your go-to texture?

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