Interior Design Today - Episode 011

Interior Design Today

Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.

In our 11th episode, Mary talks about the texture and feeling of the items in your home. What is the texture of the wood, the feel of the carpet, the temperature of your counter top? All of these little tactile issues are part of the pleasures we enjoy in our interior spaces. As we move from different parts of the country, we often want different materials. A great example of this is the stone and tile floors that are very comfortable in Florida or the warmer climates. As we move north, we're not quite as please by those because in the winter time, they are really, really frigid. Today, the wonderful part is, we can often take a stone floor and simply add some heat to it so that when we walk across our bathroom floor, it is really enjoyable to be in our bare feet. All of these tiny considerations are part of how we enjoy, and the comfort of, our interior spaces.

It's so interesting to see how much the tactile aspects of a fabric add to the enjoyment of sitting on a piece of furniture. Do you like leather? If you like leather, it isn't just the older, stiff leathers, that we used to have, but there are now leathers as soft as marshmallows. Look at your space. What are the different tactile experiences that you have? What is warm? What is cold? What is very textured? In visiting Market last week, I noticed a chair that had a very textured fabric on it. It almost looked like a miniature porcupine. Now, understand it did not have points. It was more interesting when you touched it, fascinating even. I'm not sure what you'd look like after sitting on this chair for a while, however...

Again, texture is very, very critical. Whether it is the sheets on our bed or the towel in our bathroom, it is very important. Even something in our sink, in the kitchen. What type of texture do we want? Do we want a sink that is slate, with a rough texture? In a powder room it may be fine, but I'm not sure I want it in my kitchen, where I want to be sure I can have a sanitary base for all of the items I am preparing. Does the surface absorb bacteria? If it's a kitchen, we are noting now that many of the stone textures do absorb bacteria and are not quite as sanitary as we expected. Fortunately, we have new tops such as corian and glass which are totally sanitary and are easy to clean. Look at your surfaces? Do you want something soft and indulging, or do you want something that is clean and easy to keep purified at all times?

Look at your surfaces with a critical eye. Are they meeting your needs? If not, we have many choices today, and we have great opportunities of bringing them to you at very moderate cost and moderate effort. Tactile issues, the touch of something, is very much a part of design, and a part of the pleasures that you gain from your interior space. Review them and make sure they are what you want, where you have them placed.

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