Textures are everywhere we look. Why not utilize them in a website as well?
Either minimally used or fully apparent, textures are exercised in a lot of well-designed websites today. They can be used in so many different ways and varieties that the sky is the limit.
Some designers use textures to spruce up what would be a normal, boring background, into an irregular interesting canvas. Other times textures can be utilized to emphasize certain call-to-action items such as buttons, typographic links, and banners. Adding dimension to a design is never a bad thing and if done properly, can aid the overall appeal of the website.
I am always on the hunt for new textures whether it be some cracked brick, crimped paper or a colourful watercolour painting-- so easy that even with a quick snapshot on any smartphone, these textures can be swiftly transformed in Photoshop to awe-inspiring texture for the web.
Sources
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/07/textures-in-modern-web-design/