Style Spotlight: Furniture Texture Guide

Introduce unique furniture texture to your space to invite touch and add character, depth, and interest.

Amanda Scott

Loft living room with gold velvet couch, rustic wood console table.

There is no question about it: furniture texture is trending. This is for good reason; texture adds interest, pattern, and movement in a room’s design. And with so many ways to add it, you can get pretty creative with materials...so how do you find the right balance between harmony and noise?

The answer is this: start with the right furniture. Good furniture can act as a canvas for texture accents or as the primary textured piece itself. Let’s look at different types of unique furniture and ways to add texture to your living spaces.

Materials

Furniture and decor in various colors and textures.

A variety of textures is key to adding interest.

Consider rough-hewn wood pieces with added cushions for softness. Wood works well to warm up a room and bring a natural feel to it. Wood details for furniture add interest with color as well as texture.

Unique furniture combinations like buttery leather or suede paired with steel or glass accents can provide a striking effect. For example, a leather sofa with a glass end table.

Upholstery comes in a huge variety of textures, some more elaborate than others. Twill, tweed, and linen offer versatility in decor but not much in the way of texture, although they are your best best for geometric pattern furniture. Velvet, tufted, corduroy, and chenille are luxurious, and while a bit harder to care for, are often bold in color and certainly have much to offer in unique furniture options. Microfiber has become a popular furniture texture in recent years, has character as well, and has a lower price point than its suede and leather counterparts. Its longevity may not be the same, however.

Animal hides (and faux animal hides) have long been a favorite furniture texture in certain decor types but have recently appeared in unexpected design styles. Cowhides used as wall and floor decor have become quite common in modern, transitional, and farmhouse in addition to their traditional southwest and rustic styles.

Sheepskin and faux furs are some unique furniture styles that have surged in popularity recently. They add softness and delicacy to a furniture scheme and look fabulous when juxtaposed with more sleek types of furniture materials like gold, leather, and wood.

The nature of materials like rattan and wicker offer a unique furniture look and feel, making them perfect additions when looking to add texture. They’re especially well-suited to chairs and ottomans.

Here are some great ways to add texture with specific furniture arrangements.

Home Bar

Wood bar and leather upholstered stool with wood legs, area rug.

Add metal or leather elements to accent larger wooden pieces.

In the bar area, a large wooden statement piece is often used for your bar, accompanied by wooden barstools. Consider stools with leather or upholstered seats to add texture to this look. Add depth with a mirror and character to the flooring with an area rug.

Dining

Add softness to your dining space with a shag rug or upholstered chairs.

Dining tables are such large types of furniture that they offer a great opportunity to set the tone for a space. Many dining tables can be found in traditional wood or a steel and glass combination. To accompany these and add texture, choose chairs with upholstery in fun pops of color or even leather chairs. You might consider choosing a nontraditional dining table that mixes materials like wood and glass or the trending concrete and wood, as in this unique piece of furniture.

Chairs

Accent chairs are a favorite way to find color and texture for your space.

As always, chairs are a perfect opportunity to add flair or character to a space. If you’ve chosen a neutral sofa, a fun chair can bring interest to your space. To add texture, choose geometric pattern furniture or a chair in velvet or tufted material that just begs to be touched.

Ottomans & Accent Stools

Ottomans and Poufs in various style and colors.

For just a pop of color and texture, try an ottoman or accent stool.

Ottomans and accent stools, floor pillows and poufs are simple types of furniture and an easy way to visually break up a space, and they are available in so many unique furniture textures. Consider one in faux fur, leather, velvet, or rattan.

End Tables & Coffee Tables

Stone and glass end tables and matching coffee table by Zuo Modern.

Metal and glass are textures, too! Combine with a rug for a softer look.

End tables come in various materials — from metals to wood. Choose one that combines more than one material such as glass and wood (or this one, which uses cowhide) to add character to a living space. Coffee tables come in similar options but are also available in softer materials such as velvet, or are used as ottomans as well. These offer another opportunity to choose unique furniture or a larger piece to add depth to a space.

Benches

Mid-century Modern bench with gray upholstery. Wood amber finish bench

Benches are useful as well as attractive, and an easy way to add a textural element.

The versatility of benches cannot be overstated. They can be used in entryways, at dining tables, in kitchens, in bedrooms, and even bathrooms. They come in many types of materials as well. Wooden benches are the most traditional and often used in dining and kitchen areas. Their woodgrain furniture texture can add visual interest. Benches with cushions in softer materials are often used in bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms. These can add color and softer texture with their velvet, chenille, or tufted feel.

Rugs

Area rug in ivory and charcoal colors. Abstract rug with brown tones.

Choose a plush rug to add a luxurious look.

Rugs have long been a way to warm up a space that feels cold or stark, but they are also great for adding color and softness. Sheepskin throws and rugs with a high-pile are especially good for this purpose.

Decor

Soft pink throw blanket on a gray couch. White pillows on tan couch

Nothing invites touch like a soft blanket or throw pillow.

Blankets & throw pillows are just about the easiest way to change things up in your living space if you don’t have furniture texture. You can brighten things up with a new color, celebrate a coming season, or try out a new decor style just by replacing your pillows (or pillow covers) and adding a new throw blanket. At the same time, adding a blanket with a thick weave or pillows made of faux fur, chenille, or satin-feel can add visual as well as textual interest.

Context Matters

Leather couch, white shag rug, rustic wood coffee table with metal lets.

Unless you're going for the "cold and sterile look," you're going to want to warm things up with a bit of texture.

Done right, texture adds character, interest, and depth to a room. In fact, rooms have a tendency to feel cold without it. The things that add texture to a room are the things that invite us to touch: unique furniture like luxe velvet upholstery, sleek metal finishes, rough woodgrains, and thick, soft blankets and rugs. There are so many ways to use texture to make your home more inviting and unique. Choose those which will add contrast and dimension, while still expressing your personality.