Interior decorating is important. Besides being a way for many people to express themselves, decorating also sets the mood in a room. One seriously underestimated method of creating an experience in a room is through texture. Colors and ornamentation only go so far; if everything in the house is a drab, smooth texture, a room can feel plastic. Adding texture creates a natural and comfortable feel you’ll love.

Add Gradient with Texture

The quickest way to add texture is to touch up the paint on your walls. A full new color is always an option, but you can also layer other tones over the bottom coatcoat. This is one of the easier and more unique ways to add texture to your home. Gather a few different shades of the room’s existing color—you only need a quart or so of paint in each shade. Next, choose materials to apply the new tones. Sea sponges are traditional, but anything can work: veil netting, rumpled cloth, or even plastic wrap are a few other fun ideas. Then, simply dab the new tones onto the wall, moving from light to dark tones.

Texture with Stucco

Not too long ago, stucco was all the rage. This putty is applied directly to a wall and then worked to create a very literal texture. A few different textures, all of which are quite visually appealing, can be achieved this way. The degree of roughness you desire is a matter of taste, as some people prefer a soft, wave-like pattern and others prefer a more extreme and varied surface.

Tile a Wall

Another of the different ways to add texture to your home is to add tiling. There are so many interesting places to apply tiles: to showers and tubs, to floors, and to walls. Tiles are typically smooth, but some come in a variety of shapes, the combination of which creates an interesting pattern that diverges from the regular smooth, blank walls. If solid colors aren’t quite what you’re looking for, consider exploring the variations found in glass tiles. These tiles not only have unique textures significantly different from ceramic tiles but also vary greatly in color. The translucent depths and iridescence can really wake up a space.

Create a Mosaic

Lastly, a fun way to spice up the home is to create a mosaic. Like our previous suggestion, this technique also uses tiles. The goal is to create a confined design that either has all matching tiles or that’s varied with random tile placement. With mosaics, the idea is to create patterns or, if you’re so inclined, images within the placement. There are lots of fun tiles that are decorated already to create images once arranged, and you can mimic almost any pattern with tiles as well. Adding a splash of form as well as texture can really make an impressive statement piece.