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Texture adds character even to a monochrome palette – try the trend out with these six tips

Even an understated rug needn't be dull. Layering is also a fun trick to try: choose two different carpets and place them partially on top of each other.

Trendy textures are an easy way to add interest to your interior. Crazy patterns or wild colors are not to everyone's liking, but by combining different materials and structures, you can add a bit of oomph even to a more classic interior. Design Stories picked six must-touch design items – take a look and try the trend out.

1. Work your way up

Carpets cover up quite a few square meters of floor space, and often define the ambiance of the entire room. Anna Pirkola has drawn inspiration for her Laine rug from the ever-moving sea and its calming effect. The monochrome color palette and soft details create a harmonious mood – yet the asymmetrical shape and the knotted pattern still turn heads.

• Sera Helsinki's Laine rug >
• All rugs & carpets >

Menu's Brasilia collection is designed by Anderssen & Voll. In addition to the voluptuous armchairs, the series also features matching ottomans.

2. The softer, the better

Fuzzy and fluffy upholsteries both look and feel compellingly warm, bringing a hefty dose of coziness and comfort to the interior. The abundantly detailed, voluminous design of Menu's Brasilia armchair is complemented by an irresistibly tactile upholstery: would you go for soft sheepskin, elegant bouclé, or aniline leather?

• Menu's Brasilia armchair >
• All armchairs & lounge chairs >

A closeup image of Warm Nordic's Surfboard coffee table.

Warm Nordic's Surfboard coffee table gets its name from the quirky shape of the tabletop, resembling, well, a surfboard.

3. Refreshing rattan

The spectacular return of rattan to the center of Scandinavian décor hasn't gone unnoticed. The simple weave has a manifold effect: rattan details conjure a down-to-earth feel into the space and shake one-dimensional surfaces to life. Warm Nordic's charming Surfboard coffee table, featuring a rattan shelf, was designed by Arne Hovmand-Olsen in 1959.

• Warm Nordic's Surfboard coffee table >
• All coffee tables >

The different textures add character to a monochrome fabric.

4. Three-dimensional patterns don't need color to look stunning

Interface's plush and versatile Toast sofa must have been created for napping. The magic of the modular Toast series, designed by Aino Michelsen, lies in the ample seats: there is always room on the Toast sofa for all your friends or family – and of course pets as well. The minimalist design of the sofa is animated by a textured upholstery fabric, the simple pattern of which looks especially attractive when applied to the large surfaces of the seat cushions.

• Interface's Toast sofa >
• All sofas >

Sibast's Magnolia vase features a rough outer surface but is glazed on the inside.

5. Ceramic eye-catchers

Perfectly imperfect pottery has irresistible appeal: beautiful vases, tableware, and decorative objects make everyday tasks and routines a treat. Sibast's charmingly unfinished Magnolia vase was designed by Danish sculptor and ceramicist Naja Utzon Popov. The sculptural vase, drawing inspiration from delicate magnolia flowers, looks equally beautiful filled with branches and flower arrangements or completely empty.

• Sibast's Magnolia vase >
• All vases > 

Over the years, the unique look of travertine becomes more and more fascinating as the patina increases.

6. Spice things up with natural materials

Natural materials are rightly at the heart of the texture trend: be it linen, marble, leather, or stone, the irregularities of natural materials add just the right amount of grit to the interior. Ferm LIVING's Travertine side tables play with contrasts: a tabletop made of travertine and a steel base dressed in a mild cashmere tone create a titillating combination of softness, angularity, naturalness, and linearity.

• Ferm LIVING's Travertine side table >
• All side & end tables >

See also:

• Liven up the interior with fascinating details – 7 eye-catchers with character >
• All products at Finnish Design Shop >

Text: Mira Ahola Images: Manufacturers

Published on 7 Mar, 2022

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Design Stories is the online magazine of Finnish Design Shop, created to inspire and delight design lovers everywhere. We hope you enjoy exploring with us! Have a story tip or thoughts on our content? We’d love to hear from you.