Page 12 - Decor and Lifestyle Issue 2 2025

Neuroscientists studying haptic perception Designing for Touch in Everyday Life
confirm what intuition has whispered all Designing for touch doesn’t require rebuilding a home. It’s about changing
along: tactile input reduces anxiety and the way we choose materials.
increases a sense of grounding. Rough,
matte, or soft textures calm the nervous A few guiding principles:
system; glossy, slick, or reflective ones
heighten alertness. • Soften the temperature: Replace cold metal handles with timber or
leather.
That’s why a wool throw feels like rest, and • Break the glare: Use matte finishes on walls and cabinetry; add linen,
a glass table feels like attention. wool, or sisal to absorb light and sound.
• Layer textures: Combine rough with smooth, dense with open weave.
Craft as Communication Contrast is what gives life.
There’s a conversation happening in every • Favour the handmade: Choose ceramics, woven baskets, or carved
handmade object. You just have to listen furniture where irregularity feels intentional.
through your hands.
Every surface communicates — and the best homes tell stories that can be
A turned wooden bowl carries the rhythm felt with your fingertips.
of the maker’s gesture. A ceramic cup
holds the faint trace of a thumb. These The Psychology of Groundedness
subtleties matter more than perfection. Why does a textured space feel more alive?
They remind us that design is human — Because touch brings us back into the moment. In an overstimulated
that someone touched this before you world, the tactile slows perception and reintroduces reality.
did. In Africa, where craft and making are
woven into cultural identity, tactility isn’t a People working from home often describe “tactile fatigue” — the sterility of
revival — it’s continuity. glass desks, metal chairs, plastic keyboards. Adding one rough or warm
material can shift the entire emotional tone of a space.
Designers like Andile Dyalvane, Hugh
Fraser, and Mash.T Design Studio are The best designers today understand that texture is not detail — it’s
proving that texture can be a form of structure. It creates comfort, depth, and memory. It reminds us we’re part
storytelling. Their work blends refined of something physical.
structure with organic imperfection
— design that speaks quietly but with And in that physicality, we find calm. When your hand meets the grain of
presence. wood or the softness of fabric, you stop scrolling, stop thinking — you just
feel.
When the hand becomes visible again,
luxury becomes personal. That’s where design begins again: at the point of touch.

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