Texture Ideas for Living Rooms and Other Pockets at Home

One of the biggest issues facing homes these days is a lack of texture. That’s because texture ideas for living rooms, bedrooms and other areas aren’t being explored enough. It’s a real shame considering texture is the element that makes a space feel inviting and complete.

So many clients say to me during consults, “my room doesn’t feel finished”, and a lack of texture is usually to blame. So in today’s post I want to give you some food for thought in the area of texture. These texture cheats are easy to implement and many of them don’t cost a fortune. So let’s explore further…

PS: The dreamy image above is via Kmart and it is all sorts of amazing, don’t you think?

Texture Ideas for Living Rooms

The image above and below, both from Globewest, are favourites of mine because they illustrate how texture can make a space feel resolved.

In examining and analysing these photos you’ll notice that both spaces have a lot of texture at play, but they’re not at all cluttered. Both also feature a simple and subdued colour palette, so you know it’s not colour or even pattern doing the work to make these rooms feel inviting. It’s all about the combination of textures.

Varying textures is what you need to consider for your space. The living room above has at least 12 different materials in the space, which brings me to my quick-fire tips on injecting texture into your living room.

Quick Tips for Ramping up Texture:

• Look for rugs with tassels and variation in the pile length
• Coffee and side tables in weathered woods will bring interest to the room
• Ottomans are a great way to bring in another material like leather or velvet
• Large floor cushions with stitch detail can look great in a stack by a coffee table
• Look to artworks with texture and 3D elements to bring dimension to the walls
• Armchairs in rattan or wicker, or even slip cover sofas bring tactility to a room
• Make a large pendant a feature, but look to clay, timber or cardboard varieties over glass or metal
• Matte ceramics on coffee tables, plus books, also add visual interest to a room

Tip: Texture isn’t just about the soft materials. The hard ones are just as important. Floor boards, cornices, door handles, grain in wood furniture and more all play a part too.

Texture Ideas for Bedrooms

The bedroom is always going to be a sanctuary for me. And what makes it feel soothing and soft are the textures you use in the space. People often bang on about the colour in a bedroom being make or break. I’m not saying that’s not true, but don’t overlook texture here.

The images above and below (and the hero image of the post) come via Southbound and they demonstrate how material choice makes a huge difference in a room. What stands out for me is the notion of embracing the imperfect, especially in soft furnishings.

People get caught up in beds being perfectly made, creases being ironed out, everything being tucked in. But so many gorgeous, cosy moments are created in a bedroom when you embrace the crinkles and creases in certain materials. And look to new bed styling ideas like these ones.

Embracing Texture in the Boudoir:

• Look to linen that embraces creasing and celebrates the imperfect
• Cushions and throws with tassels and pom poms on them are your friend here
• Look to woven materials and cable knits as well; the more detail the better
• Jute rugs are hard-wearing in a bedroom and help make the space feel relaxed
• Belly baskets are a winning addition too. Great for storage and super-portable
• Don’t forget flowers. They have so many natural textures built into them already
• Look to lamps with linen shades to add some softness to bedside tables
• An armchair in this space in a material like velvet is a nice idea; soft and sumptuous!

Tip: The more variety of textures you have in a space, the more inviting it will become. Try and avoid buying furniture in sets, and instead look to side tables in different materials to your bed.

Don’t Forget Kitchen & Dining

The kitchen is often a tough pocket to cosy up because all the materials are hard. You have your splashback tiles, countertop and cupboards as the main areas to bring in texture. So often, though, you’re encouraged to remain pretty restrained here.

With that in mind, you need to look to smaller elements to bring in some warmth. And decor can do the work for you quite nicely. It’s all about display moments in the kitchen and dining room, so don’t be afraid to experiment with vignettes.

Easy ways to Warm up these Spaces:

• Wooden fruit bowls (as seen above) work great to introduce textural contrast
• Fruit is a natural (and edible) go-to. Varieties with bumpy surfaces, like lemons, are great
• Tea towels are a must. Stack a pile somewhere purely for show and have others you use tucked away
• Bring out your wooden boards and display them leaning against a wall
• Pop down a round tray beside your sink that holds a soap dispenser, flowers and a candle.
• In the dining room, pop a textural pendant over the table and embrace table cloths again!
• Look to stools with slip covers at your kitchen bench, or an upholstered version that’s hard-wearing
• Wooden salt and pepper grinders left out on a bench are a nice idea too

How do you Do it?

What texture ideas for living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens would you like to share?

I’d certainly love to know what easy cheats worked for you. Drop me a comment below and let me know how you bring texture to your rooms to make them feel cosy!