7 Decor Pieces That Give Texture And Charm

This last week, I shared a blog post that talked about where to source antiques and global goods. Over the last year, we’ve been slowly adding vintage and antique pieces to the home. I wanted to share a curated guide of pieces that have brought the space to life. Through different textures and accents, it can be easy (and affordable) to give new life to a room through thoughtful decor. We are always after decor that ties into our personal experiences of travel.

A lot of the fun in the process is sourcing these pieces. It feels like a treasure hunt in some sense. Using the internet and this guide, you can easily shop through different sites to find the perfect piece. I love adding in a few of these in each room which has helped create our own unique story for our home. Focusing on texture, these pieces each add their own unique element.

When I’m designing our space I am always thinking through what story does this piece tell? Is it the story that I want to share with others and be around? It’s an easy filter for determining if it’s just a trend I’m jumping on or truly something that will bring joy.

So here’s a list of items, that are not only beautiful but also functional.

7 Decor Pieces That Give Texture And Charm

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1. The Wooden Stool + Bench

The first few things we bought for the home were a couple of wooden stools and benches. Using Etsy as a source, I focused on elmwood as the main kind of wood. They’re placed around the house, some as bedside tables and benches in the entry and dining room. The texture of the worn-in wood feels beautifully imperfect and adds a lot to the space. I also love that these pieces are more than just decorative, they’re also functional. The stools are incredibly useful across the house (I have one in the kitchen and the bathroom!). The stools always take us back to historic homes in France and Italy, where you often see them in kitchens and bathrooms.

My favorite shop on Etsy has been HomeDecor360 (we’ve purchased 4 items from him now!) and though each piece is one of a kind, scroll through to see the few that are left:

I love these new wooden stools as well:

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2. The Antique Brass Candle Holder & Tapered Candle

I picked up a few antique brass candleholders when we first moved here and I wish I grabbed a few more. The tarnished metal has the right amount of patina over time and brings an “old world” feeling to a room. My favorite part of the candleholder is certainly lighting a tapered candle. We’ve been lighting candles each night when we eat. The “hygge” feeling that comes from the natural light warms the space (read more on hygge in this coffee table book). I think this is a great staple item to have in the home. Lighting candles bring warmth to a space and why not set them in something that has wonderful texture and charm?

A few antique brass candle holders:

My favorite tapered candles:

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3. The Ceramic Vase

Old pottery or even new textured ceramics can change the feeling in a room. We tend to pick these up on our travels, one of our favorite souvenirs to bring home. It is those hand-formed, organic vases made with rich tones that are lovely just by themselves. Of course, it is great to use as a vase for flowers but they can stand alone on a shelf or table too. There are a few favorites online as well.

Some of my favorites here:

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4. Natural Linens — Throws, Duvets, and Pillows.

For a more natural look throughout the house, linen does really well for cozying up a room. The loose and natural material gives an organic, effortless feel. We switched over to all linen for our bedding and throws around the home. I love that it has the lines and crinkled feeling to it. It reminds me of our trips to Europe where are a lot of places use linen as their material of choice. I remember thinking the first time I saw a linen set how strange it was that the linens were wrinkled. I realized later this is a whole look and came to love the relaxed style! With spring here, linen does really well for keeping the bed cool at night as well so it is a versatile material for most of the year. I also love to pull out this linen table cloth during summer.

My favorite linen sets for the bed:

Linen throws:

Linen pillows:

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5. The Woven Basket

Who here has a basket obsession? It’s my guilty purchase and have officially become a basket collector. I just love the woven texture and the multitude of uses for them. You often see these baskets coming out of Indonesia, Colombia, and Africa — each country has its own style and design. We have a few spread out throughout the house. Some hold blankets and books, and others are purely decorative. The wonderful part of a woven basket is that there are SO many different styles to choose from — I love to mix and match.

Here’s a curated selection of some favorites:

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6. The Vintage Rug (Turkish or Moroccan)

We waited a long time to add rugs to our home. Finally after my cousin, interior designer and owner of Love House NY, insisted we needed some, I caved in. He was so right — it warmed up the home immediately, added a new texture and color to each room. Not to mention, it protects the floors!

We decided to source rugs from Turkey as we wanted vintage pieces that were already worn in. Staying with that patina look, we got a few runners and areas rugs for incredibly cheap (almost all were under $200).

Here are some favorite rug sources:

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7. The Cane Accent

Cane is a classic material that has been around for years. Yes, it may be the peak of it currently, but it has been used since the era of Jeanneret Chairs from the Fifties. The material is airy, incredibly comfortable to sit on and adds a dynamic texture. We tried to not go too overboard with caning material in the home (though I could do it everywhere) and kept to some accents and the dining chair set.

Cane pieces are fun decor for the home, here are a few ways to add it to your space:

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