Colourwise

Does texture change how a colour looks?

A rough or heavily textured surface scatters light in many directions and creates its own small-scale shadows, which typically makes a colour look slightly darker and less uniform than the same colour on a smooth surface, where light reflects more evenly.

roughsmoothtexturedpolished

What it affects

  • Perceived depth
  • Glare
  • Contrast
  • Reflection

Practical advice

The same paint colour on a heavily textured render or a rough plaster wall can look noticeably different from the smooth sample chip it was chosen from — factor this in for masonry and textured-wall projects specifically.

Always confirm with a physical sample in the actual finish before committing to a large surface — see methodology.

Sources

  • Colourwise editorial synthesis — Colourwise