Trending towards texture

As one of the fundamental elements of design, texture plays an important role in everything we create – no matter what your medium. A chef, for example, needs to pay attention to the textures that will be coming in contact with the palate. Were a diner to take a forkful that included a little bit of everything on their plate, a good chef would want them to have a mix of different textures on it – soft, hard, crunchy, chewy, crisp, silky – because that’s what makes the dish interesting to experience. But they also wouldn’t want to have so many different textures at play that it becomes convoluted, confusing or distracting.

Designers of physical spaces, whether architectural, interior, landscape or experiential, have a range of options available to create textural interest, too – though the ways in which we choose to do so are very much tied to trends. Textured finishes, both inside and out, are currently experiencing a significant uptick in popularity, and it’s a trend that’s not going away anytime soon. This includes both surfaces that feel just as they appear, which is called real or actual texture, as well as those made to look like they feel different than they really do, which is known as visual or implied texture.

We look at the most popular options available for turning up the texture on your project, broken down by purpose and application, to help spur some ideas for getting the effects your clients are asking for.

True grit

Some of the most sought after textured finishes today are those that resemble a Mediterranean villa, adobe mudbrick or sandstone. While clients might be keen on the natural look of these earthy hot weather homes, chances are they’re not after their damp and draughty realities. Luckily, there are a range of superb options available, including ones that are highly weather resistant with excellent adhesion and stretch characteristics – and they look great while doing it.

If you’re keen to recreate the look of natural sandstone, inside or out, Resene Sandtex works a treat. Inherently durable, it has a fine texture (150 microns) and, like the coarser range of Resene Resitex textured finishes, can also be used to disguise minor surface imperfections. Resene Sandtex can be applied by roller, spray or brush, but for a tactile brushed Mediterranean look, go for a ‘crows foot’ application – which requires a wide brush, where the product gets applied in a criss-cross pattern.

For outdoor applications, Resene X-400 semi-gloss waterborne weathertight membrane is specially designed for thick application over concrete surfaces, and it comes with the added benefit of filling small voids and cracks without sagging. Resene X-400 may be applied with a texturing roller to achieve a high textured finish or with a standard roller for a less textured finish.

Resene X-200 weathertight membrane is another option. Though it has a much lower texture finish when used alone, it can be used with Resene Resitex or Resene Sandtex and over exterior textured finishes.

Indoors, popular Rockcote choices include natural clay, lime and polished finish options for creating anything from authentic old world looks to contemporary appeal while moderating temperature swings so that wall surfaces remain cool in summer and warm in winter. And, of course, Resene Construction Systems’ offerings can be topcoated in your choice of Resene colours.

There can also be practical and safety reasons behind wanting a certain level of texture on a surface, such as reducing the risk of slippage. Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path is a textured waterborne finish designed to provide a comfortable walking surface for interior and exterior situations where a non-skid finish is desired. Available in a low sheen finish, Resene Non Skid Deck & Path may be tinted to complement existing dècor, both inside and out. The finish has a comfortable grit texture to give feet and shoes something to grip onto, reducing the risk of accident no matter what the weather. Or you can add Resene SRG Grit into Resene Walk-on paving paint or Resene Aquapoxy (interior only), or Resene Industrial SRG Grit into Resene Uracryl, to achieve a non-slip finish inside or out.

Under the illusion

Not since the 1980s and 90s have paint effects like limewashing and rag-rolling had such a heyday. It’s something every Instagrammer with a penchant for an earthy, natural vibe is after – and if you haven’t been asked to specify a limewashed wall in the past twelve months, you can be almost certain that you’ll be asked to do so in the months to come.

When specifying a limewashed, rag-rolled or similar paint effect, keep in mind that there are a number of choices you’ll need to make. Firstly, Resene FX Paint Effects Medium itself is translucent and unpigmented, so you’ll need to select a base colour and one or more accent colours that will be mixed into it. While it isn’t strictly necessary to choose more than one accent colour, you can achieve a finished look that has more depth to it by specifying multiple hues.

Secondly, you’ll need to decide whether you want lighter colours applied over a darker basecoat or darker colours over a lighter basecoat. The difference is less subtle than you might imagine and depends a lot on a third consideration, which is the level of contrast between the colours you choose.

If your paint effect will primarily be viewed in direct, bright sunlight or in a low-light setting, such as a bar or restaurant, you may wish to increase the level of contrast to make your visual texture more apparent so that it doesn’t get washed out or fade into the background.

Texture by the roll

Whether you’re after just a little texture or a lot, there are a wide range of options available in the Resene Wallpaper Collection that can bring tactility to the interior surfaces of your project. Technology has evolved a lot since wallpaper was invented, when applying it was akin to erecting a load-bearing wall – if you wanted to remove it later on down the road, there was little hope of doing so. Thankfully, today’s designs have become a great option when you want to bring physical texture to a surface in an easily removable way. From Resene Anaglypta wallpaper and grass cloth to more subtly textured Resene wallpaper designs, plenty of options are paintable, too – so you’ll never be out of luck if you’re trying to match or coordinate with your project’s colour scheme. You can find a taste of current designs online but it’s best to visit your local Resene ColorShop to view the whole range in their wallpaper library and see the intricacies of the texture, design and colourways that you can’t fully appreciate online.

And remember, wallpaper isn’t just for walls. Don’t overlook it as an option for ceilings, inset door panels, backing noticeboards or on room dividers.

Top tip:  A textured wallpaper, like a design from the Resene Anaglypta Wallpaper Collection, can be an excellent option for masking wall imperfections that – no matter what you do – never seem to disappear completely. It’s also a handy choice when you need a specific colour of wallpaper and can’t find one in that hue – just finish with your chosen Resene colour.

Wash up

Whitewashing and greywashing, though technically similar, achieve two completely different vibes when applied to timber. Whitewashing is most often associated with airy, minimalist or Scandinavian-inspired spaces while greywashing fits better within a rustic, beachy or nautical context. Both can be great options for achieving visual texture in a space, since the nature of a wash is that the colour will be more opaque in some areas than others. Plus, these finishes still allow the natural beauty of the woodgrain to show through for additional visual texture.

To get a whitewashed look, go for Resene Colorwood Whitewash on interior timber and Resene Woodsman Whitewash for outdoor uses. If greywashing is a better fit for the space, use Resene Colorwood Light Greywash for a lighter coloured finish and Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash for a darker one indoors. Outside, choose Resene Woodsman Light Greywash or Resene Woodsman Mid Greywash.

Resene FX Faux Rust Effect is one of the newest visual texture finishes Resene has on offer. Instead of waiting ages for nature to take its course, you can achieve a desirable patinaed look in mere hours – and not just on metal, either. This waterborne coating system can be used to impart a ruststyle effect to a variety of exterior and interior surfaces, including blockwork, fibre cement, primed timber and solid plaster. It’s best used in non-contact areas to avoid rubbing or marking, so try it on exterior architectural and landscaping features or non-contact interior feature areas like rafters.

If you’re after a bit of sparkle, there are virtually endless ways Resene FX Metallics can be used to add a glimmer to your project. Like a chameleon, this effect changes colour depending on its surroundings – especially when it’s used somewhere it can catch the sunlight. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor uses, even a little of this type of visual texture can go a long way. Look to colours like Resene Gold Dust, Resene Proton or Resene Rose Gold for the most trend-forward options.

Take a shine to it

If the rest of the finishes in your space are flat or matte, even something as simple as bringing in a high-gloss element can be enough of a contrast in visual texture to create interest in your design. Use Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel or Resene Super Gloss to add high sheen contrast indoors or out.

Top tip:  Look to the colour name that’s in brackets next to your chosen colour on the Resene Metallic and special effects chart to find the right basecoat colour to specify underneath it.

› For more ideas for creating visual texture, visit www.resene.com/painteffects.

BlackWhite magazine

This is a magazine created for the industry, by the industry and with the industry – and a publication like this is only possible because of New Zealand and Australia's remarkably talented and loyal Resene specifiers and users.

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