This work investigates the relationship between the material properties of wardrobe furniture and visual and tactile emotional responses, with a focus on age-related differences in emotional experiences. This research measured material surface properties (roughness, gloss, and Lab color) and utilized the PAD (pleasure, arousal, dominance) emotion model to assess emotional responses among elderly and younger participants. (1) In the context of tactile emotional experiences, a systematic correlation was observed between surface roughness and the reported levels of pleasure, arousal, and dominance in both elderly and younger participants. Moreover, pleasure demonstrated a systematic correlation with gloss. Rough surfaces were perceived as unpleasant. The elderly participants showed greater emotional dominance when exposed to rough surfaces. (2) In terms of visual–tactile emotional experiences, a responsive relationship was found between pleasure, dominance, and the a* parameter (representing the red and green color channels) in both age groups. However, no systematic correlations were observed between luminance (L*), glossiness, and PAD emotional experiences in either group. A responsive correlation was found between pleasure, dominance, and the b* parameter (representing the yellow and blue color channels) in elderly individuals. Notably, a significant correlation was observed between arousal and roughness in younger individuals. These findings suggest a partial difference in emotional responses across the PAD dimensions between elderly and younger participants.

In age-friendly furniture design, the visual characteristics of material surfaces play a crucial role in shaping the usage experience and preferences of elderly users. In response to the application requirements of decorative materials for furniture surfaces, this study focuses on polypropylene (PP) films, with the objective of investigating the visual perceptual preferences of elderly users concerning the surface color and glossiness attributes of these films. An eye-tracking experiment was initially conducted to identify color preferences among elderly participants, utilizing indicators including first fixation duration, total fixation duration, and total fixation count. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was administered to assess user satisfaction with PP films featuring different glossiness levels—high-glossiness, semi-glossiness, and matte—and explored whether glossiness significantly influences color preference. The experimental results revealed the following: (1) red hues exhibited stronger initial visual attraction, while colors with low saturation and medium-to-high lightness sustained longer visual engagement; (2) the matte finishes received significantly higher satisfaction ratings than both semi-glossiness and high-glossiness finishes, with this preference remaining consistent across different color conditions; (3) glossiness does not exert a significant influence on color preference. The findings of this study provide consumer-oriented insights for the design of PP films that better accommodate the preferences of elderly users, while also offering guidance for the application and optimization of green and safe furniture materials.