Modern Nostalgia
How to Mix Materials in the Home

Every well-styled room starts with one defining material. Think warm walnut, cool travertine, rich velvet or textured boucle. Let that lead, then layer in contrasting finishes to create depth.

• Wood flooring - Wood doesn't need more wood. Break up the warmth with marble, chrome or boucle. If you do bring in timber, vary the tone for a more collected feel.
• Marble or travertine - Stone loves contrast. Pair it with velvet, woven textures or warm timber to soften the edges and keep the room feeling balanced.
• Velvet or boucle - Rich textures shine alongside harder materials. Think sculptural marble, smoked glass or brushed metal. It's the contrast that makes everything feel considered.
• Or start with colour - Your anchor can be a palette, too. Earthy browns carried through velvet, timber, stone and metal create cohesion without everything looking the same.

Mix the materials. Repeat the mood. That's where the magic happens.

Cushions, throws, and curtains are all easy wins when it comes to material mixing. Think different weights, weaves, and textures. This is the most immediate opportunity to add depth. Don’t forget to match the colours/temperatures and you’re good.

• A boucle or textured sofa - choose smooth velvet cushions (featured) and a linen throw - three different textures, all warm, all cohesive.
  
• A fabric or velvet upholstered chair - a chunky knit cushion and a silky tassel detail - natural fibres in different weights.
  
• A leather sofa - is calling out for a wool rug and fine linen curtains - heavy, medium, and light fabrics creating genuine depth.

If you're going heavy on material mixing - stone, velvet, wood, metal all in one space - you need to pull back on the patterns.

The exception to the rule is textural pattern - the natural veining of marble, the woven structure of boucle, the grain of walnut. These count as material interest, not pattern in the traditional sense.

One of the most enduring and satisfying material pairings in furniture. The warmth and grain of walnut-toned wood - in a table base, a chair frame, a sideboard - sits beautifully against the softness and texture of velvet upholstery. The wood adds structure and definition; the fabric adds warmth and comfort. Try a walnut dining table surrounded by velvet chairs, or a walnut-framed armchair for the living room.

Check out our Guide to Velvet.

Velvet or boucle against the cool, textured surface of marble or travertine is one of those pairings that shouldn't work as well as it does. The fabric brings warmth, depth, and a sense of intimacy; stone brings permanence, coolness, and a kind of geological authority.

A boucle dining chair at a travertine table. A velvet sofa alongside a marble coffee table. It’s the contrast in temperature and texture.

Check out our Guide to Travertine.

Raw and refined. The organic, handmade quality of rattan or cane against the cool precision of polished marble creates an effortlessly considered look, from Mediterranean and organic modern through to contemporary and even maximalist interiors. A rattan pendant light over a marble dining table. Cane-backed chairs at a travertine table. Simple.

Check out our Guide to Marble.