There is usually an emotional connection associated with the concept of ‘home.’ Whether it is the small-town feeling found in a Hallmark movie or memories of birthdays and special events surrounded by the coziness of being with friends and family, there is a psychological aspect to where we live. The beauty of this sacred inner response is balanced by the beauty of an outer response as well. Homes are made of many tactile elements contributing to the physical connections we experience. Consider the following:
Fabrics- Linen will have a light, knubby texture compared to the plushness and warmth of a velvet
Hardware- Solid brass hardware will have weight that can be felt and the brain computes with high-quality (as it often is). The texture of hardware (smoothly polished versus knurled, hammered or antiqued with pits) also reinforces the style of the home tangibly. How hinges operate and glides slide all support the overall feeling of daily operations.
Flooring- Tile (cold, hard) will have a very different touch than wood (warmer, softer), and both will feel differently than carpet (warm, soft). Each material produces a unique reaction just as with honed or leathered countertops versus polished.
Tactile elements can not only be physical but also visual. Most people will not touch wallpaper, but they can feel the roughness of a grasscloth or smoothness of a vinyl, through their eyes. The same applies to plain glass versus etched versus seeded, our mind fills-in the texture of the surface.
Please consider the tangible qualities- visual and physical, of the home you want to create as selections are made.