The visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of a material.

Further Reading

Fashionary, Textilepedia (Fashionary International Limited, 2020).

Kelly Wearstler, Evocative Style (Rizzoli, 2019).

There are two basic types of texture in interior design visual and tactile. Examples of materials with visual texture are wood and stone, typically smooth to touch, and defined by their natural grain and veining. Tactile textures have a three-dimensional quality that can be felt with one’s hand and include textiles or carpets, which may be hand- or machine-crafted, and can vary from smooth to rough or uneven, but add to the overall character of a space.

To work with texture, interior designers must consider the effects of shadow and reflection caused by the surface configuration of materials, including textiles, stone, wood, glass, metals, and painted walls. Many materials respond differently in varying lighting, natural or artificial; therefore, integration of these textures requires a careful combination of lighting design with material selection.

Textures are most effectively utilized when they are strategically positioned adjacent to a contrasting texture, such as a rough texture next to a smooth texture, a matte surface next to a reflective surface, or an opaque material near a translucent material. The interaction of color, material, and texture, and how they are affected by lighting all contribute to the character of the interior environment.