By: Chef Mark Kalix
Texture is a word often used in relation to food. Many people are turned off by certain textures and avoid such foods at all costs. Everything from calamari to peanut butter has detractors.
One of the new trends in design is texture. More than just clever wallpaper or dramatic lighting, texture is a detail that designers are adding to homes to set them apart from the rest. As the Chef who works exclusively in the homes of Appliance Factory FineLines customers, I get to see the best of the best. All of these homes are wonderful, but when a homeowner goes the extra mile it shows. My informal polling says that the last two percent of any home improvement project seems to be the most expensive and time-consuming to get the details just right. This is where texture comes into play. Living edges, distressed corners, floating shelves and heirlooming are a few tools from The Designer's Cookbook that can spice things up in any room of the house.
Chefs play with texture to elevate food. Have you ever noticed that all fine dining restaurants include a "crunch" in almost every dish? Crème brûlée has a toasted crust of caramelized sugar over soft custard, for example.
What tools can a designer use to add "crunch", let's find out. In the spring edition of this magazine, we asked five designers how to add texture without a significant renovation. My favorite response—"paint the backsplash! Matte paint on top of the natural stone gives just the right pop of subtle texture.”
Let's celebrate texture by exploring a dish I created just for this issue! The crunch of the slaw with both fruit and vegetables, crispy salmon skin, soft grits and my favorite garnish of toasted breadcrumbs all come together to create a composed entree that is a delicious feast for the eyes and full of texture.