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Mixing hard and soft textures prevents
a room from either having a tiny echo
or sounding too “dead”. Very shiny and
glossy textures throw light back into a
room, while matt ones absorb light.
In theory, the way to move forward
when planning your textural concept is
to have an understanding of the layering
of texture philosophy. A good example
to use can be when you are planning a
bathroom. Think about the following:
You can start with a glossy or shiny tile
for the floors and half of the walls. To
the top of the tiles on the wall, you can
add a wooden strip or a dado rail. Still
higher up, you can paint the remainder
of the walls in a sheen and for the
ceiling, choose a matt PVA paint. This
then means that it makes sense that
when you choose a shiny texture or
fabric for your curtains and plan to put a
couch in front of the window, you should
not choose a shiny fabric for your couch
as well as you will find that the textures
will start fighting for recognition. Rather
choose a matt texture for your couch
but know that you can reintroduce
a shiny texture or fabric for your
scatter cushions. The aim is to achieve
contrasts rather than clashes. It is
also highly advisable not to pick the
more extreme and unusual textures
for example marble and coir, until you
feel confident to use them together.
It is also inadvisable to use too many
whimsical textures in one space unless
you are aiming for a very eccentric look.
Do not be too timid, though, as rooms
composed of similar textures have no
life and will be just as unpleasant to live
in as those that are overstimulating.
All of the best till the next edition when
I will bring you more information around
this interesting subject of décor and
design.
desIgn Namibia October - December 2013