Textures are a powerful technique for creating exciting and unique design projects. The texture is the surface quality or feel of an object and can be found anywhere you look. These three places are full of texture inspiration and are nothing short of extraordinary.
PINK SALT LAKES
The first is the Pink Salt Lakes in Camargue, France. Nestled deep in the rural area of France lies this fantastic tourist attraction. The salt lakes, aka Salin d’Aigues-Mortes, is the largest salt marsh in the Mediterranean. The lakes are one of the biggest salt producers in Europe, and the high salt content makes the lake water turn pink. The sandy textured salt molecules are pink because of the beta carotene inside the algae. Dunaliella Salina is the algae that make the water pink as it grows, just like how it makes flamingos pink.
When sunlight reflects the lake during the day, the lake creates various pink shades along the waters. The lake also creates natural ripples throughout the water, creating beautiful wavy textures.
DESIGN MUSEUM GHENT
Additionally, the Design Museum in Ghent is showcasing an exhibit called Kleureyck. The exhibition displays eight color groups as part of the experience to commemorate Jan Van Eyck and his artwork. Curator Siegrid Demyttenaere and eleven interior designers create an installation for the Ghent altarpiece, and it shows the different layers of design practices.
As part of the sensory experience, the different rooms display processes such as an eating room, fabric room, and more. The plants in the eating room symbolize the ones used in the Ghent Altarpiece. Since Van Eyck uses the color blue in his artwork, one-room displays blue glass as part of the installation. Another room called the optic room allows the viewer to see color from his perspective. For the fabric room, Siegrid explores contemporary design practices found in the use of colors. Van Eyck uses sisal fiber in his paintings, so the designers display a fringed pink sisal installation. Talking about unique texture inspiration!
BUREL WOOL FACTORY
Isabel Costa’s Burel Wool Factory is a company that makes burel, a Portuguese fabric dating back to the 19th century. Originally from Burel Mountain sheep’s wool, burel is naturally handcrafted to make various fabrics. The factory is in the Manteigas village in Portugal and even saved Portugal’s economy from failing in 2000. Burel wool is tightly woven to create all kinds of items, such as clothing, furniture, and plaids.
The textures are soft and fluffy, which makes warm clothing for the winter. The wool creates blankets, cushions, scarves, and even burel interior decor. Custom wall designs incorporate burel to keep the interior warm and cozy. Cushion patterns use plank designs and crosshatches and create beautiful furniture for the home. The bold orange and pink burel wall design use triangle geometric patterns. The grey fabric couches use circular patterns to look like burel sheep. If you’re looking for inspiration in textures, this is the place you will find it.
