I Use Sensorial Design To Create Rooms That Make You Feel Something – A Little Thought Goes a Long Way

Interior designer Poonam Khanna, founder of Unionworks, is one of Homes & Gardens' new Editors-At-Large for By Design, sharing her thoughts on decor through her lens of soft light, vintage pieces, and a sepia-tinged palette. See the rest of her articles here.

Have you ever paused to think about how we process and respond to touch? It’s something we do hundreds of times a day without a second thought. Yet every surface we encounter is so much more than texture, shape, or temperature. Each touch sends sensory information to the brain, sparking chemical responses throughout the body. In its own remarkable way, the brain is constantly mapping the tactile world and translating it into physical sensations, feelings, and emotions. Much like scent, touch has the extraordinary ability to transport us instantly to another time – a kind of sensory time travel.

For designers, selecting materials is never purely practical. Yes, durability and performance matter, but so does the emotional register of a surface: how it feels in the hand, how it invites interaction, how it shapes a room’s atmosphere. Every choice is guided by a fundamental design pairing – how will it work, and how will it feel? Navigating that balance opens up a world of possibilities, each with its own subtleties. And of course, personal preference plays a huge role; no two clients experience materials in quite the same way, and those preferences evolve continuously.

So how do designers and architects dive into this expansive world of materials and emerge with selections that both function beautifully and feel intuitively right? While there’s no single formula, I can share the materials we’re gravitating toward at the moment – as well as those faithful favorites we return to again and again. And, truthfully, there are countless textures and finishes still left to discover. That’s the joy of it: the tactile world is vast, and we’re always learning.

Last year, I traveled to Portugal for the first time and fell utterly in love with cork. On the drive to Almendres Cromlech, a mysterious site of megaliths, we passed mile upon mile of cork farms, watching as the bark was carefully stripped from the trees without causing them harm. On our return, we stopped at a tiny museum shop, its walls clad in thick cork tiles. From a distance, they resembled weathered stone; up close, the material’s soft, tactile quality was immediately apparent and wonderfully fitting. Cork is a virtuous material: sustainable, renewable, and endlessly versatile. In our own designs, we now embrace it wherever possible – on kitchen countertops, pin-up boards, as flooring or wall tiles, and in furnishings and accessories. We’re even experimenting with custom cork pieces in the studio – it has evolved far beyond being just a coaster.

In the realm of ageless materials, plaster ranks high on our list for equally compelling reasons. Like cork, it is a naturally virtuous finish, free from harmful chemicals. Plaster acts as a natural dehumidifier, is anti-static, so dust resists clinging to it, and its alkalinity helps inhibit bacteria, fungi, and mould. It’s also fire-resistant. Beyond its practical qualities, plaster offers an extraordinary range of textures and finishes. Perhaps what I love most is the smell of freshly applied plaster – a warm, earthy scent that feels grounding and comforting, subtly connecting you to the very material itself.

Readily available and beloved for their ease and durability, lime wash paints – made from plaster ingredients at a lower cost – remain a firm favourite in our studio. We adore Portola for their curated lime wash palette and coordinating traditional paints; pairing painted door and window trims with walls in the same hue is endlessly handy. American Clay is another go-to, particularly for their Lomalina plaster finish, which offers a delicate interplay of luster and texture. We are equally enamoured with Ressource Paints’ Collection Chauz Ferrée Or, a highly polished specialty plaster that brings an unmistakable luxe vibe to any space.

A recent discovery has captured our imagination: a specialty plaster finish called Toile de Lacque. This highly polished, crackled plaster is applied to canvas panels and installed like wallpaper. The reflective polish and subtle crackle bounce light across the surface, giving walls an ethereal glow. I can’t wait to see how it transforms our client’s home – stay tuned!

For those who prefer paint over plaster, Little Greene Paint & Wallpaper offers sumptuous, enduring color palettes. In our studio, Slaked Lime 105 and French Grey 161 are perennial favorites. Layered with a wall of Massingberd Blossom wallpaper from their historical collection, these hues create a serene, inviting space – perfect for morning tea or coffee.

Recently, I had the extraordinary privilege of visiting Pierre Bonnefille’s studio in Paris. His work is deeply textural, drawing you in to explore its intricate surfaces. His creations capture nature’s rhythms – water flowing over stones, sunlight glancing off a shell – with pigment, minerals, metals, and waxes conjured into living, breathing textures. Seeing his work is one thing; touching it is another. The moment your hand meets the surface, you are transported, if only briefly, to another place and time – a magical encounter with material and craft that stays with you long after.