Interiors: Design, Process, and Practice, 2nd Edition Page 230 (242 of 718)

230 Interiors Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Refrain from using certain textures that are within reach of a small child. For example, because grass cloth is fragile and easily damaged, specifying it for a wall covering for a family with children is something a designer avoids. Visual Texture Visual texture is a perception—it is an illusion of physi- cal texture. When the eye sees visual texture, the brain interprets it as three dimensional. In interiors, visual textures add excitement, interest, and can camouflage dirt, Figure 8-19. A person can see visual textures on printed fabric, wall coverings, glass panels, cabinet doors, and ceramic tiles. A combination of both tactile and visual textures in an interior is aesthetically pleasing. Time can affect the look and feel of an object’s texture. Repetitive human touch can enhance a texture, such as the way in which aging wood develops a patina— a surface appearance that grows beautiful with age. Many recycled materials show evidence of time and the wear-and-tear that indicates a previous application and place. People often celebrate and enjoy this type of texture in a new location. The feel of a texture is important to the human body and human psyche. Sense of touch and the visual-textile Photograph: David O. Marlow/Interiors by Associates III Interior Design Figure 8-18 Identify the different tactile textures used in this space. What feeling does each texture communicate? Kutlayev Dmitry/Shutterstock.com Figure 8-19 Visual textures help create illusions in a space. What illusions do the visual textures in this bathroom create?

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230 Interiors Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Refrain from using certain textures that are within reach of a small child. For example, because grass cloth is fragile and easily damaged, specifying it for a wall covering for a family with children is something a designer avoids. Visual Texture Visual texture is a perception—it is an illusion of physi- cal texture. When the eye sees visual texture, the brain interprets it as three dimensional. In interiors, visual textures add excitement, interest, and can camouflage dirt, Figure 8-19. A person can see visual textures on printed fabric, wall coverings, glass panels, cabinet doors, and ceramic tiles. A combination of both tactile and visual textures in an interior is aesthetically pleasing. Time can affect the look and feel of an object’s texture. Repetitive human touch can enhance a texture, such as the way in which aging wood develops a patina— a surface appearance that grows beautiful with age. Many recycled materials show evidence of time and the wear-and-tear that indicates a previous application and place. People often celebrate and enjoy this type of texture in a new location. The feel of a texture is important to the human body and human psyche. Sense of touch and the visual-textile Photograph: David O. Marlow/Interiors by Associates III Interior Design Figure 8-18 Identify the different tactile textures used in this space. What feeling does each texture communicate? Kutlayev Dmitry/Shutterstock.com Figure 8-19 Visual textures help create illusions in a space. What illusions do the visual textures in this bathroom create?

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Chapter 8 Elements and Principles of Interior Design 229 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. ■ bring character and visual interest to the space. ■ become a maintenance factor. It is more difficult to clean a tactile texture than a visual texture. Similarly, visual textures may show fingerprints. ■ impact light reflection and absorption and therefore modify color. For example, if light is trapped in a texture, the color of the material appears darker than if you see it on a smooth, reflective texture. ■ absorb sound. Soft or rough textures absorb sound and hard, smooth textures reflect it. Sound bouncing around a room is irritating, such as in a kitchen when several people are talking. ■ provide comfort or irritation to the human body depending on the selection of materials and construction (such as wool fabric). Smooth textures, such as satin, shiny metal, and polished glass, give the perception of formality and sleekness in style. They can also communicate a cold and imper- sonal mood. In contrast, rough, coarse textures suggest informality and casual comfort. Course textures also communicate warmth and replicate features of nature. In interiors, you can see tactile texture on upholstery and in window treatments, in such flooring as acousti- cal tile, bricks, woods, metals, and stones, Figure 8-18. Tips for using texture in interiors include ■ using tactile textures of different types in the same space to please the eye. For example, glass in contrast to a rough, deep-pile rug is a strong design statement. ■ realizing distance changes the perception of texture. Close up, the surface quality may be rough, but far away it may appear smooth. ■ adding more textures to spaces that reflect a neutral color palette, such as white, tan, or gray. With such colors, texture is necessary to generate the interest and variety that people prefer. ■ understanding that high-gloss paint on walls makes them easier to clean but also highlights imperfections in the walls. ■ noting that rough textures collect dirt and grime easily. Using Perception to Shape Space To make small, physical spaces look larger, consider use of To make large, physical spaces feel cozier, consider use of ■ mirrors ■ continuity of color ■ windows as connections to the outdoors ■ fewer structural barriers ■ higher quality electric light or daylight ■ half-walls ■ wider door openings to visually open a space ■ low and minimal furniture ■ built-in storage ■ vertical lines ■ medium- to larger-scaled patterns ■ dark or vivid colors to perceptually make walls advance ■ heavier- or larger-scaled furniture ■ placement of area rugs to break up expanses of space ■ multiple furniture groupings ■ lowered light fixtures ■ darker color paint on ceilings ■ wainscoting—an interior wall treatment that covers the lower part of the wall to about four feet above the floor ■ chair rails—strips of wood on interior walls that are placed about four feet above the floor Figure 8-16 Interior designers use many different items to shape your perception of a space. krsmanovic/Shutterstock.com Figure 8-17 Texture evokes many different human responses. JoeyPhoto/Shutterstock.com Reinhold Leitner/Shutterstock.com

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Chapter 8 Elements and Principles of Interior Design 231 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. experience are essential characteristics in interior design, reflecting the variety inherent in the natural world. If you are like other interior designers, the most difficult sign you will encounter is one that reads “do not touch.” Designers appreciate the tactile feel of objects, materials, and fabrics, and so do their clients! Pattern Patterns are evident in nature, people’s lives, and in built environments. In nature, patterns can camouflage or communicate danger. For example, the cuttlefish is a sea creature that can change its patterns—depend- ing on its surroundings—to protect itself from preda- tors. People are all familiar with patterns in their daily lives. They perceive patterns in their class schedules, life decisions, and organizational tools. Within the built environment, patterns can decorate surfaces, express a style, and create visual interest. In interiors, pattern is the repetition of a specific motif (artis- tic design) in an orderly manner. Often used with texture, pattern relates to applied decoration and communicates culture and place. Patterns can be large or small scale. There are two different ways to utilize pattern. Surface or applied patterns include the conscious repetition of a shape or motif, such as on fabrics or wall panels. Struc- tural patterns involve the placement of a form in a repetitive design, such as with stone floor pavers. There are three different types of pattern motifs used in interior design: geometric, naturalistic, and abstract (see Figure 8-20). In interiors, you can see patterns in fabric and uphol- stery used for furnishings and wall panels. Patterns are also visible as recessed or relief designs—designs that are carved into or bump out—in architectural elements or furniture motifs. Additionally, patterns are evident in carpet and ceramic tile designs, and with the use of pleasing repetition with the geometric arrangement of doors and drawers. C A S E S T U D Y Textures in Zach and Bacon Elementary Schools, Fort Collins, Colorado When selecting interior materials for an elementary school fi lled with active, inquisitive children, an interior designer must think of durability, maintenance, and fl ammability. Textures impact maintenance. Rough textures are more diffi cult to clean however, smooth textures can become easily scratched. The interior designer at RB + B Architects came up with a great solution for school walls: brushed steel within children’s reach and paint above. The steel is easily cleaned, can be given an interesting texture, and is very durable. To create visual interest, the steel was corrugated and installed in Zach Elementary School. A designer, however, cannot always predict how human behavior will interact with texture choices. At Zach Elementary, children quickly discovered that it was noisy and fun to run their pencils down the half walls of corrugated steel as they went to class or the lunchroom. In the next school RB + B designed, Bacon Elementary, the same material was used but with a smooth texture. Investigate and Reflect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For one or two days, take a number of digital pictures of the textures you see in the various environments that surround you. What textures do you see and feel? How do these environmental textures appear to infl uence the behavior of yourself and others? Create an illustrated report of your fi ndings and refl ections. Bacon Elementary School Zach Elementary School Photos provided by Poudre School District/ Design by RB+B Architects RB+B Architects

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Page 2Unit 1 Introduction to Interior Design click to expand contents

Page 172Unit 2 Design Fundamentals click to expand contents

Page 422Unit 3 Putting Knowledge into Practice click to expand contents

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