The 3 Most “Worth It” Materials Designers Are Using Everywhere Right Now

The materials you select for your home not only impact a room’s aesthetic but also how you feel in it. Equally important is durability and practicality. If a material isn’t able to stand up to regular use or needs a lot maintenance, it’s usually not suitable for most homes.

Nobody understands this better than the pros because they’re the ones tasked with designing homes that have to deliver on both style and function. That’s why we tapped three interior designers to find out what materials they’re each loving right now and why.

Though each designer picked a different material, all the materials deliver on aesthetics, durability and budget.

Boucle

Boucle has been popular for the last few years and isn’t going anywhere at least according to Courtney Crook, co-founder of Arden Design House.

“It just works everywhere,” says Crook says. “It adds warmth and softness to any space and blends with so many styles, like modern organic, mid-century, Parisian-inspired, and even modern farmhouse.”

Boucle is a material that also offers a high-end, elevated look without the luxury price tag which is why it’s loved by clients and designers like us says Crook.

The looped texture makes this material so cozy, and according to Crook you can even get pet-friendly versions making bouclé very durable, meaning it can work in any home including busy family homes.  

Boucle is very versatile as it can be used across the home.

“We use it for everything from accent chairs and headboards to full sofas and throw pillows because it consistently checks every box in both function and aesthetics,” Crook says.

Want more design inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest decor ideas, designer tips, and more!

Marble Effect Porcelain

According to designer Shaqueria Dial, CEO of S.D. Designs, marble effect porcelain is the one material she can’t stop reaching for right now.

In recent years porcelain marble “has stepped up so much — some of these slabs are doing a better marble impression than actual marble.”

Marble effect porcelain delivers all the luxury of real marble without the high cost and without the tedious upkeep that marble requires.

“I love the look of real stone (the veining, the movement, the whole quiet-luxury energy), but I also love when clients don’t have to panic every time someone sets down a coffee cup,” Dial says.

And that’s why marble effect porcelain has become her go-to in high-traffic zones where life is happening.

From statement kitchen islands clad in marble effect porcelain to entryway floors where guests can keep their shoes on without the guilt, this material delivers practicality and style in several spaces within a home.

Linen

Linen is the hero of interior materials for Christy Day, owner of Christy Day Designs as “linen supports the idea of liveable luxury and works across a wide range of aesthetics,” Day says.

According to Day, Linen has a quiet quality which instantly warms and softens a space while creating a sense of ease and can make a room feel lived in and relaxed while still giving it a polished look.

Compared to other high-end materials, linen “can be economical while elevating a space, looking effortless, and it layers with other materials (like silk, cotton, suede, leather or velvets) with ease,” Day says..

Perhaps best of all is how versatile linen is.

“I use linen throughout spaces in different forms,” says Day.

From larger applications like linen wrapped furniture and window treatments to using linen for layering in the form of tablecloths, throws and accent pillows, it’s uses within a home are so varied.