Jazz up Your Home With Texture

Imagine a house with the interior all done in white - ceiling, walls, floor - and all the furniture covered with white sheets. If you’re to live in it you’d probably not last longer than two months - you’d go bonkers for lack of sensation. Without sensual stimuli, man couldn’t be sure whether he’s for real or not. That makes sensation so pleasing to man.

One way to fill our homes with pleasing sensation is through texture, of which there are two kinds: tactile (touch) and visual (sight). The zebra stripes on a throw pillow is an example of visual texture, the shiny bald human head of a metal contemporary wall décor is an example of both visual and tactile texture. Used correctly, texture can be a powerful tool in the hands of a successful do-it-yourself decorator. Here’s how:

Step 1 First decide on precisely what is it you want. Is it languid quiet? Warm, homey ambiance? Adrenaline rush?

Step 2 Start with the ceiling. Dark color makes the ceiling look lower, which might be a good idea if your ceiling is way up, leaving a cold, unfriendly feeling. Lowering the ceiling a bit by painting it dark will make the room cozier and friendlier. Similarly, if your ceiling is too low and constricting, paint it shades lighter. This will make the ceiling recede a bit. If you have a really small room, make it bigger by painting the ceiling the same color as the wall.

Step 3 Tackle the wall. You can have a painted wall with only a framed painting as your accent. Lacquer the frame or use a matte stainless steel one for a modern look. Paint the frame white and distress it for a Shabby Chic look. Remember, you can add or tone down texture, so if every thing's not right yet, tone it up a bit by using, for instance, bricks.

Step 4 Next, the floor. You can use tiles, stone, brick, marble, wood, wood laminates - each providing different degrees of both visual and tactile texture. In tiles alone, you have an incredible array of choices: ceramic, granite, vinyl, wood, laminate, glass, even metal, yes metal, which can go well with your metal contemporary wall decor. If you want to increase the texture a bit, use rugs, of which there’s a lot to choose from: shag, wool, cotton, sisal, jute, seagrass or bamboo--each with its own connotations. If you’re green, for instance, seagrass would be perfect for you.

Step 5 Then the fabric on the furniture. Leather has warm and comfortable connotations. Wicker has a light and exotic character and is perfect for dining chairs if you have a dining table, for instance, of massive stone in perfectly smooth finish-- perfect contrast.

Step 6 The windows too. Sheer? Bold floral chintz? Blinds?

Step 7 Accents and accessories. This part’s completely you, so let it all hang out. It’s said that one Greek shipping tycoon had the skin of a whale’s scrotum as upholstery for the bar stools on board his magnificent yacht! Excellent texture. Excellent conversation piece too.

This article was written by the authors at Walldecorandhomeaccents.com - an online wall art store featuring modern design wall clocks.