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Noupe

Textured Web: Showcase of Textured & Patterned Website Designs

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 11:43 PM PST

When it comes to design resources, textures and patterns are among some of the most popular tools on offer. And while we may never be able to get a single, definitive answer from the community as to why this is, one can surmise that their popularity is probably due to their extreme usefulness. Their ability to add such richness and depth to otherwise flat website designs with ease, may also factor into that equation.

In fact, one need only look around the web to find some stunning examples of these elements being deployed with fantastic results. Or one can look at the showcase we have assembled for you below. We have already done some of the leg work for you. The sites we gathered have all used textures or patterns in their website designs, and in such stylish fashion that we felt our spotlight should shine their way.

Textured Web

Rockatee is a dark design with a geometric patterned header and footer and two different textures. Both brilliantly installed in the background, one of the main content area, and a subtler one above the header.

Create Digital Media has a beautiful open, expansive website, and the minimal design is complemented by the light textured background.

Celebration Invitations has a large header that uses a light texture to really make the space pop and not feel at all underused. The patterned background adds an extra touch of style to the site.

Stedesign is a vintage styled site in which the design uses a number of textures to really pull the look off with flawless execution.

Stephanie Walter has a lovely design with a texture running all the way down and through the site. Subtle and stylish.

HD Live is another site with an extra subtle background texture that adds a richness to the open design.

The Threepenny Editor has a unique and stylistically retro look and feel, with the patterned background tying the design together in a light, graceful manner.

Alex Catalan has a site design that uses a slight patterned background to give the minimal, oversized style a depth that works wonderfully. The soft texture in the footer and the header also complement the website’s design.

Steely M Music Production uses a lined pattern to pull the somewhat unconventional layout together.

PunchTab has used a delicately textured background to set off the over-sized buttons and content areas. Very nicely paired with the rest of the design.

the Buffalo Lounge has a dark themed site with a wood grain patterned background that gives the entire design the perfect edge.

Adrian Tingstad Husby – Portfolio design is another expansive site layout that adds a touch of attitude and grunge to the otherwise clean style with a patterned background.

Decadent Cakes uses both a colorful pattern and an extremely subtle textured background to give the site a combination of class and vintage style.

Qasim Aziz Portfolio is a simple design with a lightly grained texture in the background for that added punch to the site’s look.

VUURR uses a pair of simple patterns in their website to pull off a design that is big and bold and anything but simple.

Rob Davis uses a delicate texture in both the header and footer, along with a slight patterned background to make this minimal design stand out from the pack.

Holistic Designs has a touch of grunge in their site via a textured background that really catches the eye, but does not steal away focus as the content scrolls across it. Perfectly balanced.

Launch Factory uses a combination of textures, in the background, throughout the content headers and titles, and more for a pitch perfect design full of grunge.

Agenciart has another big and bold design that is brilliantly complemented by the subtle texture in the background.

rtraction is the website for a creative design agency and their use of a light texture in the background works to set off the over-sized content and images. Though the areas where the texture is omitted ends up feeling somewhat less visually comfortable, though the colors could have something to do with that. However, it does seem the texture would soften their slightly harsh feel.

Chriswi is an example that stands out from the last, as it uses the texture down throughout the site (except for the footer) and the colors that might otherwise feel somewhat harsh on the eyes have a softness it seems the texture adds to them.

Valpo Creative uses a delicate texture in the background which does work nicely, though the site would seem better suited to have the content displayed against this lightly textured background rather than the box it sits in.

Danger Brain uses both a pattern for the background and a light texture in the header. The pattern seems like it could be visually overwhelming, but with the content box relegating it to a smaller perimeter it makes it very complementary to the tone of the site.

Open Hand Type has a couple of less than subtle textures employed in the somewhat compact design making their bold look stand out perfectly. Giving the site a certain character.

Oven Bits has a huge header whose open space is lightly textured giving it a softness and retro style. The footer has a matching texture that balances the site wonderfully.

That finishes off this showcase, but feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comment section below. Also drop us a link on a site that you feel we overlooked, and should have included in this collection if you are so inclined.

(rb)

Colors of Spring: Color Palettes from Spring Flowers and Foliage

Posted: 21 Feb 2012 01:00 AM PST

As the icy grip of winter closes in tighter many begin to dream of spring. That time of renewed growth and warmer days that tends to draw us back outside and into nature’s waiting open arms. With the seeming promise from the old groundhog that we will more than likely be seeing a few more weeks of winter, we thought our readers could use a little piece of spring a bit early.

So we have prepared an inspiring showcase of not only photographs which highlight the colors of spring, but we’ve also created color palettes from the pics of spring flowers and foliage. So take a look below, and fill up on the palettes and creative energy that Spring has to offer. We hope you enjoy these colors of renewal.