"There's more to a calming interior than color" – the textures to buy into for a relaxing home
It’s time you give your home the calming treatment by bringing in textures. Interior designer Bobby Berk tells me he loves using them in his design
If you’re only thinking colors when you’re trying to make your interior feel more calming and peaceful, well, my friends, you’re missing a trick. A big one. While colors are a great place to start, they’re just that - a place to start, not stop. ‘I find that colors from nature, yellows, blues, greens, they really give us a sense of calm and relaxation whereas sometimes super bright colors like reds give us a sense of anxiety. So if you’re looking for something that would give you more zen, yellow is brightening so it can help you focus,’ tells me Queer Eye’s interior design extraordinaire, Bobby Berk.
But continue on your journey towards a peaceful-looking home and dive into tactility. Color trends cover that which you see, but textures cover what you feel when you touch the items in your home. Have you proactively thought about how you feel when your feet touch the floor, or your hand goes over the surface of a throw cushion while you’re sitting on the sofa? You might not have thought about it, but they do have an impact on you.
Texture is one of those things we might notice when it’s bothering us (something’s too rough, or too cool), but what if we used it mindfully to make us feel better? ‘I like a lot of texture in my fabrics. I find myself sitting and playing with it as I watch TV. Fabrics with textures in them are nice for people who like the space to feel more relaxed and calm,’ tells me Bobby.
Texture design is a great way to engage with your interior too and be more mindful of it as you experience the different fabrics and materials in your home.
Here are some great textured items to buy for that relaxing sense of tactility at home
Livingetc knows design.
Price: $1,898
This is the perfect accent chair. Gorgeous to look at and super comfy to curl up in with a book. You'll love the feel of the smooth velvet too.
Price: $58 – $98
These pillows will not only feel great but also look incredibly chic (especially the round ones!). Get a few and give them a squeeze while chilling on the sofa watching TV.
Price: $2,275
This pine dining table has the texture of the actual wood, and also the added 'pleated' base. The natural imperfections and irregularities in the wood make it extra unique.
Price: $899
This modern dining chair has a slim design and will look great in a modern, minimalist setting. The leather gives that extra tactility and it will only get better with time.
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Raluca formerly worked at Livingetc.com and is now a contributor with a passion for all things interior and living beautifully. Coming from a background writing and styling shoots for fashion magazines such as Marie Claire Raluca’s love for design started at a very young age when her family’s favourite weekend activity was moving the furniture around the house ‘for fun’. Always happiest in creative environments in her spare time she loves designing mindful spaces and doing colour consultations. She finds the best inspiration in art, nature, and the way we live, and thinks that a home should serve our mental and emotional wellbeing as well as our lifestyle.
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