The Importance of Texture in Outdoor Design

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In our current culture of creating outdoor spaces that mimic indoor rooms, it’s helpful to apply interior design concepts to outdoor design, and texture plays an important role. Texture adds contrast and balance to a design by visually creating a perceived sense of touch. Interior designers often add textural elements to a design to add visual weight or “pop” to a room. Sometimes when you’re trying to convert an outdoor space into an “outdoor room”, you may have the furniture and accessories, but it just feels incomplete. Chances are, you’re missing textural elements needed to make the room pop.

Texture can be added to an outdoor design in a number of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. An obvious place to begin is with hardscapes, which can literally serve at the foundation of your design. The video above illustrates how pavers with natural textures can be used to create dynamic visual interest. Belgard offers a number of paver styles that emulate the look of natural stone to provide an organic textural element. Some examples include the cut slate look of Mega-Lafitt®, the natural flagstone appearance of Mega-Arbel®, and the hand-cobbled look of Bergerac®. Each of these paver styles provide the textural look and feel of natural stone without the price tag.

Retaining wall block can also be used to add both dimension and texture to outdoor design. Functionally, retaining walls can be used to convert a sloped yard into usable terraced outdoor living spaces. In terms of design, retaining wall block can be used to build garden walls, planter boxes, built-in seating, fire features, and more — all of which add both texture and dimension to a room. In terms of textural style, the retaining wall finish can have a tumbled stone appearance like Weston Stone®, a chiseled finish like Tandem® Wall, or a rough-hewn finish like Diamond® 9D.

Another design tactic is to use smooth hardscapes (like many styles of Mirage® Porcelain Pavers) to provide a sleek contemporary backdrop, then add in pops of texture to balance the design. Examples could include incorporating natural stones, wicker, heavy linen fabrics, or textured decorative accessories like pottery or lanterns. Another way to balance texture is with landscaping choices like layered gardens, fringy plants, or textured planters.

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outdoor design trends paver styles texture trends textured pavers

Christi Simoneaux

Christi is a professional writer who has been writing about outdoor living and design for magazines, websites and blogs since 2009. A lifelong resident of south Louisiana, she is immersed in a culture that is a gumbo of music, food and outdoor activities. With her husband Pierre, she especially enjoys spending time with their two sons in their Belgard backyard. The Simoneauxs regularly entertain guests in their outdoor kitchen where the specialties are craft cocktails, grilled meats, garlicky dressings, and Cajun and Creole creations. Thanks to the local climate, there's always something interesting in their herb garden to enhance the recipes.