The significance of texture in interior design, featuring Studio Pip.

Have you ever entered a room and felt immediately at ease?  Did you admire the furniture in the room, or was it a general feeling that somehow they got it right? Did you wonder how?

These kinds of rooms have a combination of things working in their favour. Some factors might be done well individually, but unless all factors are combined, the room will feel lacking. Some factors, as we will see, are also more important than others in their implementation.

The space planning or placement of furniture is important, as it the quality of the furnishings. The way human ‘traffic’ moves through a room will help determine how the furniture is placed, and movement can also be manipulated by these placements.

Interior design will reference things such as the focal point of the room.
Scale and balance will also play an important part, particularly to provide an appealing visual layering. Lighting is crucial, yet its subtleties are rarely mastered.  Lighting can work alongside colour selections, the size of the room, furniture choices and also amend for the availability of natural light.

Colour, too, is a factor not well appreciated and we often fail to use it to our best advantage. Most home choose a dual contrasting colour palette, without much thought to the variations within each, using a highlight colour to make things ‘pop’.

Colour variations can create dramatic changes in a room, particularly if you’re willing to explore its many facets.A room or home may have an appropriate colour – something not always tangible to define but, once discovered, can transform the room and even your mood.

However, even if all of these elements are met with textbook expertise, the room can still feel flat or soulless.

One thing can bring all of these elements together in a way that adds interest and dimension –  Texture.  Texture allows the subtle layers of colour to be heightened (even amongst a palette of similar colours).

Texture allows you to explore colour in all its forms and its use can help ground a space, even amongst a palette of similar colours.

Similarly, the use of lighting is even cleverer when complemented with texture Lighting can be used to highlight focal points, with the help of texture, enabling certain ‘hero’ items to command your attention.

It’s not just our eyes that are impressed with a well decorated space. Our eyes can see the variation within the way a material responds, but it’s our sense of touch that adds layers to the experience.

INSTYLE illustrates this subtle textural variation by dressing the Studio Pip Markus Bed in their Verona Bronze leather.  This features on the Instyle Website and shows how the combination of leather and timber can highlight handcrafted design, creating a luxurious experience you can enjoy every day. These elements are part of an intimate space and your enjoyment is increased if the furniture is complemented by fabrics and leather that are a pleasure to touch.

Texture adds layers within our visual field and comfort between our fingers and toes.Scale and balance can create visual weight with the help of texture. Texture improves the character of a room when used correctly, and texture can also be

The ambiance you may have observed in beautiful room may have also been from what you couldn’t hear.  Lately, we’ve come to enjoy rooms that offer a retreat like atmosphere, to help us relax or concentrate. Sound quality and noise minimisation in interior spaces is part of many design spectrums, and texture can help improve this element.

INSTYLE is a leading supplier of textiles, vinyls, contemporary leathers, wallcoverings, ‘Ecoustic’ and ‘Wovin’ modular systems, that are represented throughout Australia and internationally.

Their products include those that improve the sound distribution in a room. Wall panels might seem decorative, but Instyle’s ‘Ecoustic’ product helps absorbs sound as well as create an ambience.  Their extensive range also includes fabrics such as the Cocoon upholstery textile. This beautiful wool-rich textile with a soft boules texture is suitable for upholstery, screens and wall panels.

Recently, Instyle chose the Stella Chair by Studio Pip to feature on the INSTYLE website in this fabric.   Upholstered in the Cocoon textile ‘Charcoal’, the Stella chair’s form can be clearly admired using this fabric. Its carefully shaped design holds up well in this heavy duty upholstery.

Both of these products illustrate how both colour and texture can be explored; bringing quality furnishings up to enviable levels of form and design.

The use of texture through fabric selection is paramount to how the furniture feels and appears.  Even more so if your room is using a colour palette where the shades are very similar.  Texture can be used to help create subtle variations of interest.

A good illustration of this is the Stella Chair by Studio Pip and the way the design team at Mokum decided to incorporate one of their new fabric creations.

Mokum Fabrics designs modern, quality fabrics suitable for casual lifestyles and delivers both on style and substance. The featured fabric is Souk ‘Opal’ and is a combination of viscose and linen. Stain repellent, it’s suitable for heavy duty upholstery, so choosing a pale colour can be made with confidence.

Additionally, if you have children, or furry friends, or both, Mokum has an extensive range of durable, yet delicate looking fabrics to suit all applications. With very few homes now having both a formal and everyday lounge room, fabrics have also made some changes to keep up with daily requirements, yet still satisfy our visceral demands.

By considering how you live and who will use the room, you can be guided as to what type of material to choose for your furnishings.

Studio Pip’s Stella Chair is a compact design piece that sits well in any commercial or residential space. It has soft round edges and a small footprint and is available in a range of timbers and stains to suit specific client needs.  Mokum’s choice of fabric with a colour stain to match has created a combination that personalises the space and creates a unique piece of Australian design.

Both of these features of Studio Pip by INTYLE and Mokum are a testament to good design. Two very different design houses have illustrated how different choices of fabric with different textures can greatly alter the appearance of furniture within a room.

The colour, texture and the reason for selection all comes into play when deciding what fabric to place on a chair or sofa.

These choices, along with all the interior design elements, can create a room in which you feel at ease. Studio Pip helps with its creation of beautiful pieces, creating meaningful and outstanding furniture made to last.  When they come together, they will bring a sense of harmony and help transform any space.