The Importance of Texture and Materiality in Interior Design

Quite often I find that interior spaces can feel a little flat, like something is missing. Many interiors need an injection of life and personality and the solution may be something as simple as a change of colour, a reconfigured layout or improved lighting. However, all too often I think the main problem lies in the lack of differentiated texture.

Texture is often defined as ‘the sensations caused by the external surface of objects received through the sense of touch’, in other words the feel and appearance of a surface. It is a factor often overlooked in Interior Design as it arguably plays a supporting role to the functionality of a space. However, when materiality and texture are carefully considered and executed they can completely elevate the design of a room and alter how it is experienced.

Texture works in a fairly similar way to colour theory in terms of its psychological implications.

In colour theory colours evoke feelings, for instance warm colours appear to the eye to come closer, which is why they're often used to make large rooms seem more cosy and inviting. In contrast cool colours appear to make a room feel larger and are often perceived as calming. With texture, rough and tactile surfaces are more likely to make a space feel intimate and comforting whilst smooth and cold textures bring a much more polished look to a room.

Materiality and texture also add ‘visual weight’, a term photographers use when discussing composition. When used correctly texture can make certain areas of a room stand out. If everything is too similar our eyes have difficulty focusing, but including bold textures can accentuate focal points and add balance, making the room appear more dynamic.

One good example of how materiality and texture can alter how a room is experienced is flooring, as it is the one feature that the human body is in contact with for long periods of time. Some floor surfaces are warm, some are cold, some absorb sound, some transmit sound, some are soft to the touch and some are hard. These qualities all impact the way that a person experiences a space and responds to their surroundings. For instance, soft flooring that absorbs sound and is warm to the touch is more likely to have a more calming effect than hard flooring surfaces. Hard flooring, in contrast, can make a room feel more refined and professional.

A study published in the 2010 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research by marketing professor Joan Meyers-Levy even suggests that the way people judge products in a retail environment may be influenced by the ground beneath them. The experiment explored the psychological impacts that hard vinyl tile and carpet had when people were shopping and Meyers Levy concluded that "when a person stands on carpeted flooring, it feels comforting…but the irony is that when people stand on carpet, they will judge products that are close to them as less comforting.”

For the study, the participants stood on either hard tile or soft pile carpet and viewed products that were either close to them or moderately far away. At a moderate distance away, people's judgments of what they were looking at were unconsciously guided by their bodily sensations and reactions to the texture they were standing on. If they were standing on soft flooring and viewed the product from a moderate distance, they judged that item's appearance to be comforting. However, if they were examining products whilst standing on the same soft carpet but observing the products from close up they judged them as being less comforting than if the products were moderately far away. "When we look at objects that are close by, the bodily sensations elicited by the flooring are more likely to be used as a comparison standard, not an interpretive frame," states Meyers-Levy.

These findings have important implications for interior design on a broad scale, as they demonstrate that textural elements of interior décor such as flooring are more than matters of function or style. They have the potential to alter the psychological experience that someone has in an interior space, even directly influencing behavioural outcomes like how a consumer perceives products in a retail setting.

Hard flooring can be used to add ‘visual weight’ to a room, breaking up interior spaces and creating contrasts in materiality in rooms which already have a lot of soft textures in them. When using hard flooring such as stone, wood or tiling some basic considerations should be taken into account such as warmth and acoustic conditions. There are many options of hard flooring materials and varying degrees of material quality and these will impact what measures are required. For example, underfloor heating and acoustic panelling can soften the harshness of hard flooring and give it a warmer and cosier feel. If needed, other sympathetic textures can be used to heighten the sense of warmth, relaxation and well-being.

Texture and materiality have a huge role to play in the design of a space. Every surface has a texture, whether it be flat, rough, smooth or bumpy. However, finding the right balance and combination of these surfaces is what really ties the design of a room together. Before even thinking about the furnishings and accessories, take a look at the room itself, textured wall and floor finishes can completely transform a space.