Sunday, July 21, 2013

Touchy Feely Design

[caption id="attachment_1259" align="aligncenter" width="560"]Kitchen shows off wide spectrum of textures- sleek stainless steel, raw natural wood cabinets and stone and brick walls. Photo courtesy of Interiornity.com Kitchen with entire spectrum of textures, sleek stainless steel, raw natural wood and stone and brick walls. Photo courtesy of Interiornity.com[/caption]

Texture & Pattern Touch the Surface of The Latest Design Trend


Slick and sleek definitely dominate the current look of home interiors but lately, decor is getting all touchy-feely with texture. There is a whole genre of emerging products that add visual and tactile dimension to any space. I recently talked with Ann Sacks Tile and Stone designers debuting a line of textured ceramic tiles as well as the Danish creators of 3-D walls made of bamboo pulp.

AnnSacks_Tidewater_install_2

Behind all of these eye-catching, touch-tempting designs lies a common inspiration: to create a space that projects a sensory experience. You too can texturize your interiors with a few simple tweaks.

AnnSacks_RobertKuoChinois_Hua_install2

 

Try adding an accent wall of textured tile. This particular wall was created in a bathroom from Ann Sacks ASC Modern tile with strong lines and ridges fusing texture with a sleek and shiny finish that compliments the brushed gold faucet (another popular trend I'm seeing now in bathroom fixtures).

ASCModern_CrissCross_Install

One of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to update a kitchen is a designer backsplash. Consider resurfacing your kitchen backsplash with textured tiles such as this industrial chic kitchen with a hand-silvered ceramic tile backsplash.

AnnSacks_VersaillesMesh_install

Caesarstone recently launched an embossed line of quartz surfaces called the Motivo Collection.  These textured quartz surfaces come in  patterns such as Lace and Crocodile and are great for wall cladding, kitchen backsplashes, even custom-made furniture. From the creations that I've seen from Caesarstone, Motivo provides ingenious design possibilities such as this contemporary media room with walls made of Motivo in Black Crocodile.

3100 Crocodile Walll Panel Living Room

 

Motivo by Caesarstone in White Lace wears well in the bathroom because quartz is durable in moist environments. You can see how the embossed quartz is used as both wall cladding and as vanities to create a seamless trompe l'oeil.

2141 Lace bathroom close-up

If you can't or don't want to rip up walls for a complete redo. Consider adding textural accents such as these wire baskets hung from the wall.  Multidimensional design elements can create visual and tactile interest. Get creative with layering materials and things you like.

[caption id="attachment_1261" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Wire baskets add texture to the walls. Photo Courtesy of HelloHome.com Wire baskets add texture to the walls. Photo Courtesy of HelloHome.com[/caption]

Raw and repurposed materials such as these tabletops made of tree trunk slices are great ways to infuse texture. Star of Bravo's "Flipping Out," Jeff Lewis said one of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating their living space is to buy everything from one place where the room ends up looking like something out of a catalog. Repurposed and raw materials in furniture, fixtures and art can mix it up and add a collected feel to a space.

[caption id="attachment_1260" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Nature in design, raw materials add texture and dimension to a room, photo courtesy of HelloHome.com Nature in design, raw materials add texture and dimension to a room, photo courtesy of HelloHome.com[/caption]

These Eco-Dimensions Bamboo Wall Panels evoke an attention-grabbing 3-D effect . They may be over the top for most tastes but certainly make a statement for an ultra chic living space. The panels are made of bamboo pulp, come in a variety of patterns and can be painted any color to match your decor.  They are available from Architectural Systems, Inc. 


Screen Shot 2013-02-25 at 10.53.55 AM

Texture adds visual interest and serves as style cue for any living space. Whether the look is transitional, contemporary, modern, industrial, eclectic or some variation in between, texture can guide the tone and look of a space.

 

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