The Texture of Design: A Sensory Journey Through Materiality
Step into a space that speaks not just through colour or form, but through feel. Texture is the quiet storyteller of interior design; an element that invites touch, evokes emotion, and adds depth to every surface. It’s the grain of timber beneath your fingertips, the cool smoothness of stone, the soft embrace of upholstery, the gleam of metal, and the lightness of glass. Together, these materials shape how we experience a room, not just visually, but physically and emotionally.
At Cult Design, texture is more than a detail, it’s a design language. Across our curated collection of furniture and lighting, texture brings character to clean lines, warmth to minimalism, and contrast to cohesion. Whether it’s the raw honesty of oak, the plush comfort of boucle, or the crisp clarity of glass, each material tells a story of craftsmanship, mood, and style.
In this month’s blog, we explore the tactile richness of five key textures - timber, upholstery, glass, metal, and stone - and how they can be layered and paired to create spaces that feel as good as they look. From individual material highlights to mood-based styling inspiration, discover how texture transforms interiors into sensory experiences.
Material Highlights: The Building Blocks of Tactile Design
Texture doesn’t exist in isolation. In contemporary furniture design, materials are rarely used alone. Instead, they’re layered, contrasted, and combined to create pieces that are as visually compelling as they are sensorially rich. At Cult Design, our collection celebrates this interplay, showcasing how timber, upholstery, glass, metal, and stone can be used in harmony to elevate both form and function.
In the sections below, we explore each of these foundational textures, not just in their purest forms, but also in the way they interact with one another. From solid timber tables to hybrid designs that blend wood with papercord, leather, or metal, these materials are the unsung heroes of great design.
Timber: The Soul of the Space
Few materials ground a space like timber. With its natural warmth, organic grain, and timeless appeal, timber brings a sense of calm and connection to nature. Whether left raw and rustic or refined to a silky smoothness, it’s a material that invites touch and tells a story of craftsmanship, of sustainability, of enduring beauty.
Some pieces celebrate timber in its purest form. The Molloy Table by NAU, designed by Adam Goodrum, is a sculptural celebration of timber. Inspired by the meeting of two rivers in Western Australia, its fluid joinery and rounded detailing reflect a poetic approach to craftsmanship. Made from solid oak or walnut, the table’s seamless construction and natural finish highlight the beauty of Australian hardwoods.
The Islets Coffee Table by Fredericia, designed by Maria Bruun, is a study in sculptural minimalism. Crafted from solid oak, its clean lines and understated construction allow the material to speak for itself. The table’s quiet strength and refined proportions make it a timeless anchor in any space.
The Rey Chair by HAY, originally designed by Bruno Rey in 1971 and reissued in collaboration with Dietiker, combines solid beech wood with cast aluminium brackets in a screwless construction. Its rounded edges and stackable design offer both durability and softness, making it a versatile classic for modern living.
Molloy Table | NAU
Islet Coffee Table | Fredericia
Rey Chair | HAY
Timber also thrives in dialogue with other materials. The Bernard Lounge Chair by HAY is a tactile symphony of timber and textile. Its solid oak or walnut frame anchors the piece with natural warmth, while the canvas sling seat introduces a rugged softness. The contrast between the smooth wood grain and the coarse weave of the fabric invites touch and quiet contemplation, like sitting in a sun-dappled forest clearing.
The MR01 Outdoor Lounge Chair by Gubi, designed by Mathias Rasmussen, pairs a low-slung timber frame with a nautically inspired rope seat. Designed for meditation and relaxation, it’s a sculptural piece that blends natural textures with outdoor durability.
The X Lounge Chair HM10 by &Tradition, designed by Hvidt & Mølgaard, features a laminated oak frame with walnut inserts and a natural rattan seat. Inspired by vintage tennis rackets, its sloping silhouette and refined detailing showcase the duo’s mastery of material and form.
Bernard Lounge Chair Canvas | HAY
MR01 Outdoor Lounge Chair | Gubi
X Lounge Chair HM10 | &Tradition
Metal: The Modern Edge
Metal brings a sense of precision and clarity to interiors. Cool to the touch and often industrial in feel, it adds structure, contrast, and a contemporary edge to any space. Whether powder-coated, polished, or brushed, metal surfaces reflect light in unique ways, creating visual rhythm and architectural sharpness.
Some designs embrace metal in its purest, most sculptural form. The Wire Stool VP11 by &Tradition, designed by Verner Panton, is a minimalist sculpture in steel. Its geometric wireframe offers both strength and visual lightness, making it ideal for contemporary spaces that value form and function.
A celebration of industrial elegance, the String Pocket Metal Shelf brings a crisp, utilitarian edge to any space. Its powder-coated steel structure feels cool to the touch, yet its slim profile and modular charm make it surprisingly warm in personality. Whether styled with ceramics or books, it adds a rhythmic texture to walls—like punctuation in a visual sentence.
The Palissade Collection by HAY, designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, uses tubular powder-coated steel to create outdoor furniture that’s both robust and elegant. The collection’s symmetrical lines and open structure allow light and air to pass through, blending seamlessly into natural surroundings.
The Wire Stool VP11 | &Tradition
Pocket Metal Shelf | String
Palissade Collection | HAY
In mixed-material designs, metal becomes a quiet hero. The Sia Chair by NAU, designed by Tom Fereday, features a slender steel frame supporting sculptural timber elements. Its stackable design and adjustable backrest reflect a thoughtful balance of engineering and comfort.
Crafted from recycled ocean plastic and paired with powder-coated steel, the Ocean Collection by Mater feel both raw and refined. The slatted surface has a matte, almost grainy texture, while the metal frame adds a crisp linearity. Together, they create a rhythm of repetition and contrast: soft curves meet hard edges, matte meets gloss, reclaimed meets engineered. It’s a tactile experience that speaks to sustainability without sacrificing style, where every texture tells a story of transformation.
The EJ5 Corona Easy Chair by Fredericia is sculptural and bold, with brushed stainless steel legs that cradle its elliptical cushions like a futuristic spine. The interplay of metal and upholstery creates a dynamic tension: hard meets soft, structure meets comfort. It’s a chair that feels like armor and embrace all at once, perfect for interiors that lean into contrast and confidence.
In these pieces, metal isn’t just a support: it’s a statement. It defines form, adds contrast, and brings a sense of clarity to layered interiors. Whether used alone or in combination, it’s a texture that speaks to strength, sophistication, and design confidence.
Sia Chair | NAU
Ocean Collection | Mater
EJ5 Corona Easy Chair | Fredericia
Stone: Grounded Elegance
Stone is the quiet anchor in a room, a material that speaks of permanence, strength, and natural beauty. Its cool surface and organic variation bring a sense of calm and sophistication to interiors, whether used in bold slabs or subtle accents. Stone adds weight and presence, grounding lighter materials and offering a tactile contrast to wood, metal, and fabric.
Some designs let stone take centre stage. The Epic Outdoor Dining Table by Gubi, designed by GamFratesi, is a monumental piece crafted from Botanic Green quartzite. Inspired by classical architecture, its elliptical shape and hexagonal base evoke ancient Greek and Roman forms. Each table is unique, with swirling veins and crystal clusters that tell the story of the stone’s geological formation.
The Nola Lamp by NAU, designed by Tom Fereday, is available in a honed solid stone version that emits a warm, ambient glow. Its sculptural form, comprising a cylindrical base and domed top, offers a calming presence and celebrates the tactile beauty of natural materials.
The Tableau Coffee Table by Fredericia, designed by Space Copenhagen, is made from Dark Atlantico limestone. Its soft-cornered square top and intersecting stone base create a sculptural silhouette, while subtle fossil markings and tonal variations make each piece one-of-a-kind.
Epic Outdoor Table | Gubi
Nola Lamp | NAU
Tableau Coffee Table | Fredericia
Stone often plays a supporting role in mixed-material designs, adding weight, texture, and timeless elegance to more sculptural forms.
There’s a quiet tension in the Rebar Side Table by HAY, where the cold rigidity of steel meets the organic elegance of marble. The ribbed base feels industrial, almost infrastructural, while the stone top softens the mood with its natural veining and smooth finish. Together, they create a tactile dialogue: one material grounding the other, one elevating. It’s a piece that doesn’t just sit in a room, it anchors it, while still allowing lightness to flow.
The Gravity Lamp Series by Gubi plays with weight and light in a way that feels almost theatrical. Its heavy marble base is unapologetically solid, a visual and physical counterpoint to the airy linen shade above. The textures don’t compete, they complement. The stone holds the space, while the fabric diffuses it. It’s a lamp that invites you to notice the balance between permanence and softness, between groundedness and glow.
The Lato LN8 Side Table by &Tradition, designed by Luca Nichetto, resembles a sculptural object more than a traditional table. Its slim, powder-coated steel top balances atop an oval-shaped marble base - available in Emparador, Crema Diva, or Verde Alpi - creating a graphic and poetic form that’s both playful and refined.
Rebar Side Table | HAY
Gravity Lamp Series | Gubi
Lato Side Table | &Tradition
Glass: Lightness and Clarity
Glass is the quiet disruptor in interior design; a material that brings transparency, reflection, and a sense of weightlessness. It plays with light, opens up space, and adds a refined edge to heavier textures. While often seen as delicate, glass is also versatile and expressive, especially in lighting and surface design.
In lighting, glass takes centre stage. The Buoy Glass Pendant by HAY floats like a luminous bubble, casting soft shadows and refracting light in gentle arcs. Its mouth-blown glass form feels delicate yet deliberate, adding a sense of movement and airiness to any room. Whether hung solo or in a cluster, it brings a poetic texture to ceilings, like droplets suspended in time.
The Nola Lamp by NAU, crafted from hand-cast crystal glass, offers a serene presence with its seamless cylindrical base and domed top. Designed by Tom Fereday, it emits a warm, diffused light that transforms any space into a calming retreat.
The Apollo Portable Lamp by HAY, designed by Studio 0405, is handmade from a single piece of opal glass. Its concealed LED and rechargeable battery create a warm glow, making it perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.
Buoy Glass Pendant | HAY
Nola Lamp Glass | NAU
Apollo Portable | HAY
Glass also excels in mixed-material designs, where it adds contrast and clarity to more grounded textures. The Kofi Table Series by HAY pairs precision-cut glass tops with solid wood frames, creating a visual lightness that belies its sturdy build. The glass surface reflects light and shadow, while the timber base adds grounding warmth. It’s a study in transparency and tactility, perfect for showcasing the interplay between clarity and grain.
The Sett Side Table LN12 by &Tradition is a study in contrast and clarity. Designed by Luca Nichetto, it pairs a solid aluminium base with a floating smoking glass top, creating a layered interplay of translucency and reflection. The sculptural form feels both grounded and ethereal, inviting touch and contemplation. It’s a celebration of glass as both a functional and expressive material.
And the Pedrera Coffee Table by Gubi, designed in 1955 by Barba Corsini, combines a slender, V-shaped steel base with an organically rounded glass top. Inspired by the vaulted ceilings of La Pedrera in Barcelona, it’s a modernist classic that feels airy and architectural from every angle.
Whether used to soften a space or sharpen it, glass is a texture that invites light and movement. It’s the material that opens up a room, visually and emotionally, while adding a layer of elegance that’s hard to ignore.
Kofi Table Series | HAY
Sett Side Table LN12 | &Tradition
Pedrera Coffee Table | Gubi
Upholstery: Comfort in Every Curve
Upholstery is the texture of comfort, the material we sink into, wrap ourselves in, and associate with rest and relaxation. It softens a space, adds colour and warmth, and invites a tactile connection that’s both emotional and physical. Whether plush and sculptural or tailored and refined, upholstered pieces bring a sense of intimacy to interiors.
Some designs let upholstery take the lead. The Loafer Chair by &Tradition, designed by Space Copenhagen, was originally created for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. Its fully upholstered form, with soft curves and a compact silhouette, offers a sense of cozy seclusion even in open spaces; perfect for lounges, dining rooms, or meeting areas.
Soft yet structured, the Billo Armchair by NAU wraps comfort in contemporary curves. Designed by Adam Goodrum, its plush upholstery hugs the body, while the sculptural form adds a playful sophistication to any space. Billo’s tactile fabric and inviting silhouette make it a standout in the realm of upholstered seating, where texture meets emotion.
And the Jota Sofa and Armchair by Fredericia, designed by Jasper Morrison, blend Danish design heritage with modern sophistication. Handcrafted in Denmark, the collection features clean lines, solid oak legs, and sublime comfort. The seat and back cushions have removable covers, and the upholstery is detailed with piping and French seams, reflecting Morrison’s refined approach to everyday elegance.
Loafer SC24 Dining Chair | &Tradition
Billo Armchair | NAU
Jota Sofa | Fredericia
Other pieces use upholstery in dialogue with other materials. The F300 Lounge Chair by Gubi, designed by Pierre Paulin, features a futuristic shell made from recycled HiREK® polymer, paired with a plush upholstered seat. Its sculptural silhouette and low-slung comfort make it a standout in any space.
The Pa Lounge Chair by NAU, designed by Timothy Robertson, combines a timber backrest with a stainless steel frame and soft fabric seat. Inspired by the designer’s father, it’s a tribute to craftsmanship and storytelling through materiality.
Crafted with a solid oak frame and thick saddle leather, the Spanish Easy Chair by Fredericia is a masterclass in tactile luxury. The leather softens over time, developing a patina that tells stories of use and comfort. Its exposed buckles and straps add a handcrafted texture, making it feel both grounded and worldly, like a well-traveled companion in a quiet reading nook.
Upholstery is where design meets emotion. It’s the texture that invites you to stay a little longer, to relax, to feel at home. Whether paired with timber, metal, or used on its own, it’s a material that speaks to softness, style, and the human need for comfort.
F300 Lounge Chair | Gubi
Pa Chair | NAU
The Spanish Easy Chair | Fredericia
Texture as Design Language
Texture is more than a surface: it’s a feeling. It’s the warmth of timber under your hand, the cool solidity of stone beneath a cup, the softness of upholstery that invites you to stay a little longer. When thoughtfully combined, textures shape the emotional tone of a space, guiding how we interact with it and how it makes us feel.
Designing with texture is about creating harmony through contrast. Here are a few ways to use texture as a design language:
Cozy & Inviting
Combine warm timber with soft upholstery to create spaces that feel relaxed and welcoming. These textures evoke comfort and familiarity, perfect for living rooms, reading nooks, or intimate dining areas.
Minimal & Sleek
Pair glass and metal for a clean, contemporary aesthetic. These materials reflect light and add clarity, making them ideal for workspaces, modern kitchens, or minimalist interiors.
Earthy & Grounded
Blend stone with timber to bring nature indoors. This combination adds depth and authenticity, creating a calming atmosphere that’s well-suited to entryways, bathrooms, or meditative spaces.
Playful & Eclectic
Mix unexpected textures, like metal with upholstery or stone with glass, to add personality and contrast. These pairings bring energy and individuality to a room, perfect for creative studios or statement corners.
Conclusion: A Sensory Approach to Design
Texture allows you to layer meaning into your space, to tell a story through materials, and to connect with your environment on a sensory level.
At Cult Design, we celebrate texture as a language of design, one that speaks to craftsmanship, emotion, and individuality. We invite you to explore the tactile richness of our collection and discover how texture can transform your space into something truly personal.
