Why texture matters more than color.

Have you ever walked into a room and felt at ease without knowing why? It’s not always the colors on the wall: it’s the way the space feels against your skin, your senses, your body. Texture has a quiet power that color alone can’t achieve.

The project that proved it to me

Last year, I worked with a client in the Hamptons who wanted a serene living room but kept sending me endless paint swatches. Blues, greens, creams: the focus was all on color. Instead of chasing the “perfect shade”, I shifted the conversation to how the room should feel. I brought in a velvet sofa that invited touch, a plush rug under bare feet and a hammered brass side table that caught the light in unexpected ways. By the end, she realized the color palette almost didn’t matter: the textures did all the work.

Why texture is the real luxury

Luxury isn’t loud. It’s subtle. The difference between a glossy lacquered cabinet and a hand-rubbed wood finish is the difference between something you look at and something you live with. Texture creates depth, movement and comfort. It makes a room feel intentional instead of staged. And in a world of filters and flat screens, it’s texture that reconnects us with reality.

The way I design

When I create a home, I don’t start with a paint chart. I start with touch. What do you feel when you run your hand across the dining table? When your cheek leans against a cushion? When you step barefoot into your bedroom? Those answers shape the palette, the furniture and even the art. Color comes later: as a complement, not the foundation.

Do you want your home to feel as good as it looks? Let’s create a space that doesn’t just photograph beautifully but surrounds you with comfort every day.

Written by Carole Vaudable, interior designer.

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