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What really makes a house a home? An abode is made up of a number of factors: ranging from furniture and personal items, to colour and textiles. But if you really want to create a cosy, warm and inviting living space, especially in a home with a muted colour scheme - it all boils down to texture!
Natural materials, metals, and textiles all help to create visual interest as well as feel great to touch. They can also do wonders for sound. But more than that, items that bear the nicks and scratches from a past life also hold sentimental value that gives a home its soul.
In other words, layer your home with furniture, soft furnishings, accessories and wall coverings that ooze texture, and you'll immediately add depth to a space while creating a wonderful, warm, calm and personal home.
I'm sure your home is wonderfully cosy already - but just in case it could use a little help, I hope these ideas will come in handy, most of them can be incorporated on a shoe-string budget too!
1. Walls and ceilings
Unless you live in a greenhouse (hey, don't knock, it, remember my
greenhouse make-over?), walls and ceilings will make up the largest surface area in your home. Paint them with an even layer of paint and you'll need to work way harder with the rest of the room to make your space feel cosy. Which is why designers love to add a textured finish to the walls that plays with the light and adds immediate interest.
In an old house, you're likely blessed with a variety of good, solid building materials - sometimes lurking behind a plastered wall or 'dummy' ceiling. Raising the ceiling and leaving the beams exposed (or semi-exposed as per the whitewashed version in the Scanian farmhouse which features on the front cover of
Relaxed Rustic) will add an immense beauty to the room. You can also see the wonderful patina from the wood panelled walls coming through too. With bones like this, you're off to an incredibly cosy start - just add books, a roaring fire and candlelight and you've set the scene for a perfect evening!
Textured walls
In modern houses like mine, you have to work that much harder to break up the clean lines. Adding subtle texture to the wall by using chalk paint (I like
Kalklitir) will help to harness the natural light and highlight the nuances in the paint work. Apply with a thick brush or spatula and add as little or as much texture as you dare! It'll make a huge difference to the room - and looks especially beautiful under candlelight. Wallpaper, wood panelling and other coverings also help to create a cosy feel.
2. Natural materials
Beautiful, raw materials add a subtle richness and depth to a room, plus they feel wonderful to touch and can smell nice too! The key is to add a variety of different textures such as wood, leather, glass, stone, and wool (or on-trend tweed, teddy and bouclé) - the imperfection of the natural fibres will give your home instant soul.
Wood
What would a home be without wood? It's sturdy, malleable, long-lasting and can be used for a variety of items from the structure of the house itself to tables and chairs as well as chopping boards and butter knives. The beauty of using natural wood in the home, is that it's an easy way to draw nature indoors and enjoy all the healing benefits that come with it. I particularly love the patina in wood, and how it ages gracefully over time. Plus, when finished in a nice way, it can feel wonderful to touch and even smell divine!
Kitchens in particular, tend to be fairly clinical spaces - especially if you've opted for white. Leaving out a few chopping boards propped against the wall or wood spoons in a container next to the stove are a fast way to add a warm and inviting feel to the heart of the home (as seen in our summer cottage kitchen).
Stone
Stone has always been around in the home in the form of worktops, and tiling. But lately, there's also been a rise in appreciation for handmade pottery (read my article about the
rise of handcrafted items in the home in IMM Cologne magazine for more!).
Due to it's hardy surface, stone is particularly popular in the kitchen (marble has been in for a while now, but also Italian Terrazzo with its playful flecks). but I also love to use stone around the house in the form of tables, lamps as well as grouping artisanal stoneware on shelves to make a pretty display.
Glass
Another favourite, glass is a great way to help reflect the light in a room and add interest. Coloured glassware (as seen in my bedroom below), is hugely popular right now, but even clear glass vases and candleholders can really add texture to a room, while helping to maintain a clean, minimalist look.
Rattan
What better way to add a tropical vibe to the home than rattan! Holiday-feel aside, the woven surface does wonders with the light - allowing it to slip through and cast shadows on the wall.
Metal
It feels like every year a different metal is thrown into the limelight and has it's time to shine! Brass, chrome, bronze, copper - metals help to reflect the light and add another layer to your home. Plus, if the item is high quality, it'll age beautifully too!
3. Mix it up
Invest in a coffee table and side tables that match and the room is at risk of appearing lifeless. One of the beauties of opting for a muted, earthy palette is that you can throw in a whole load of different materials, and they'll all come together nicely while also giving your home a soul. Take your time to find the right pieces. In my mind, a home is never really 'finished' but an organic, fluid process made up of a load of eclectic pieces from different styles and eras.
Vintage
I for one, am a huge fan of vintage! Not only is it a great sustainable option, but the items feel more meaningful and always tell a story. Plus, quite often, there'll be no one with the same piece! It can be time-consuming to scour flea markets and second-hand shops, but your patience will pay off. And if you bring something home that doesn't work - put it back out there. After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure!
4. Textiles
I see textiles as the final, yet essential layer of the home - the icing on the cake if you like! Curtains, cushions, sheepskins and blankets in a variety of soft, natural materials such as wool, linen and sheepskin are what makes a home feel cosy and comfortable. They can also help to dampen echo from within, and keep the hustle and bustle sounds of the city out - making your home a peaceful oasis!
Curtains
Curtains serve a practical purpose depending on where in your home they are and how well insulated your property is. I personally love to use sheer / linen curtains since they still allow a soft pool of natural light through - and I love the rough surface and slight creases that are emphasised by the light - it helps to bring the room to life!
Pillows / cushions
I love a cushion - they're perfect for bringing in subtle accents and a variety of materials - plus you can place them anywhere, even on a wide windowsill and create a wonderful place to relax!
Sheepskin
Hugely popular in Scandinavia, sheepskin adds an abundance of texture to a space - plus it's incredibly hardwearing and has wonderful insulating qualities. Add it to hard seating, drape it over your sofa or even line your baby's pushchair with it - there is no end to its uses and it really comes into its own in wintertime!
5. The floor
And last, but by no means least - the floor! Growing up in London, I was used to padding around on a wall-to-wall carpet, which I have to say felt lush underfoot. Wall-to-wall carpets are an absolute no-no in Scandinavia (they're considered unhygienic) - but there are plenty of other ways to add texture to the floor.
Think wood flooring, stone tiles or brickwork rich with patina (preferably heated from beneath!), layered with cosy rugs (shagpile are particularly popular right now as are vintage styles) for a total treat for your feet!
What a difference a little texture can be make a to space.
I've only included 5 ways here, but there are thousands more. Feel free to add your own tips and suggestions in the comments below.
Niki
*This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with imm cologne - one of the most international furniture and interior fairs in the world. I can't wait to return again in January 2022. How I've missed fairs! All words and pictures are my own. 
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