Decorative Textures - A Treat for the Senses

The beauty of our recent Decorative Home & Salvage Show at Yorkshire’s Ripley Castle was awe-inspiring. The stock was rich in tone and texture and the displays were a sight to behold. ASF’s regular guest blogger Jane Day, along with many other visiting stylists and writers, wrote about the day with warmth and in great detail. Talking with them as we walked around the show we felt inspired to look closely at the character of different materials, and appreciate the texture and detail of all things old and beautiful.

Stone comes in many textures; we saw a glorious selection of rough carved stone, smooth slabs and tiles and some enchanting painted statues, all of which carry their own unique character. We discovered that it’s near impossible to walk past a stone statue without reaching out to touch it to feel first hand how it feels texturally.

Glass is hard to miss when the sun is shining; the rays bounce off glass surfaces and catch the eye, whilst mirrors catch and reflect light and throw out reflections which help you see things from a new angle. Chandeliers sparkle in the sunlight and rows of old bottles and jars get you planning what fresh flowers you’ll cut and bring into your home this summer.

Metals, whether rusty or gleaming, have a wonderfully utilitarian feel. Weathered with time or cleverly renovated it’s hard not to be a fan of the range of metal objects available. Baskets, fire-plates, buckets, doorknobs and airline salvage items are in abundance and beg to be given a second look.

Wood is found shaped into so many of the objects we see at our shows and is one of the most loved materials - be it sanded, polished, waxed, oiled, aged, or with crumbling paint hanging on for dear life, its charm is undeniable. Oriental chests of drawers, old shutters, truggs, ladders, doors - you name it, you'll find it. Outdoor items will be taken home and used inside  and visa-versa - this is the magic of salvage.

Textiles are abundant, most notably sacking, heavy linen and cottons. These natural textiles are so versatile and are a home-makers dream - old table cloths become curtains, discoloured napkins get dyed to give them a new lease of life and sacking and heavy linen is bought up by the basketful to turn into cushion covers, bathmats and storage bags.

Leather furniture, bags and old equestrian items all turn up at our salvage shows. Again, the richness of texture, the variety of colour and the personality of each piece is unique. As well as furniture you'll find scraps and odd bits and pieces for mends and patches.

The Cheshire Show takes place this weekend - June 10^th – 12^th and then again on August 5^th – 7^th. In the south is Loseley Park, Surrey - July 15^th – 17^th and finishing the summer off is our Ripley Castle show just outside Harrogate - September 9^th – 11^th.

We hope to see you at one of our shows in the near future. In the meanwhile, follow us on Twitter & Instagram @asfairs and Facebook.