Mix smooth, rough and soft

Textures fall into three main families, each producing a different tactile and visual sensation.

Smooth. Glass, polished marble, metal, smooth leather, glazed ceramic. Visually refreshes, reflects light, gives a sense of cleanliness and modernity.

Soft. Velvet, boucle, wool, mohair, silk, sheepskin. Envelops, absorbs light, gives warmth and comfort.

Rough. Coarse linen, jute, sisal, raw wood, exposed stone, patinated plaster, basketwork. Anchors, gives character, evokes the authentic and natural.

A room containing only one family (all smooth, all soft, or all rough) appears unbalanced. All smooth: cold and clinical. All soft: stifling and infantile. All rough: rustic and uncomfortable.

Identify your room's dominant family. List main furniture and textiles, classify each in one of three families. You will likely see a dominant, which is normal. The rule is not equality (33/33/33), but the presence of all three families, even unequally.

Add what is missing.

If dominated by smooth (contemporary furniture, marble tops, black metal, glass): cold effect. Add soft (velvet cushion, boucle throw, wool rug) and some rough (wicker basket, coarse linen, raw wood).

If dominated by soft (plush sofas, velvet curtains, thick rugs): stifling effect. Add smooth (marble tray, mirror, metal) and rough (raw wood object, basket).

If dominated by rough (coarse linen, jute, raw wood, stone): rustic effect. Add soft (velvet cushion, throw) and smooth (glazed ceramic, polished metal).

Signature combinations.

"Sophisticated minimalist": polished concrete (rough) + linen sofa (rough) + marble top (smooth) + velvet cushion (soft).

"Scandinavian warm": oak parquet (light rough) + boucle sofa (soft) + smoked glass table (smooth) + jute rug (rough) + mohair throw (soft).

"Raw Mediterranean": patinated plaster (rough) + coarse linen bench (rough) + velvet cushions (soft) + travertine table (smooth).

Axel Vervoordt is probably the most rigorous on combining the three families, with a strong preference for rough dominant. His neutral palettes always include patinated plaster, coarse linen, jute, balanced by patinated metal (smooth) and wool or velvet (soft).

Pierre Yovanovitch works signature combinations: coarse linen (rough) + ribbed velvet (soft) + veined marble (smooth), in neutral palettes. It has become a recognisable trademark.