10 Ways To Add Texture To Your Walls

Color adds depth and visual interest to the walls of a room, but texture offers a different, more “nuanced” look. Use both together for the richest, most interesting look for your living space. Texture comes in a variety of forms. Following are just a few examples of how it can be used.

1. Paint one wall – or all of them if you so choose – with pre-prepared textured paint. Different types and materials give different effects, and most can be tinted any color you want. Textured paint enables you to create 
the effect of plaster or stucco and it’s thick enough to hide minor flaws. 

2. Use a textured wallpaper. Some, such as grasscloth and other fiber-based papers, are meant to stand on their own. Other textured papers are meant to be painted.

3. Apply a faux finish, such as marbling, rag rolling, or sponging. Marbling, one of the most challenging of the faux finishes, is great for a large room or a place where marble would be naturally found – for instance, a fireplace surround or floor. Rag rolling is used to create subtle or dramatic effects. It allows you to create a material-like finish that changes the appearance of a room. Experiment with light and dark colors to get the effect you desire. Sponging reflects your style and is one of the easiest faux finishing techniques to use. In no time, you will have a wall, door, or room that will be sure to impress your guests. You do not have to limit yourself to just two colors … experiment and get creative, and make it as conservative or as funky as you want it to be.

4. Use stucco to make one wall a focal point of the room, leaving the others smooth for contrast.

5. Regular drywall compound creates a variety of textures when it is applied with different types of notched trowels, sponges, paint rollers, and brushes. You may need to make the compound thinner than normal for use with some tools.

6. Install bead-board paneling or wainscoting to give a warm, traditional look. Adding these provides Old World Charm and the warmth of wood to any room, and are inexpensive and elegant ways to upgrade your decor. It’s a project you can complete in a weekend and enjoy for years.

7. Fabrics have been hung on walls for warmth and texture for hundreds of years. Use tapestries or decorative quilts to cover walls. If you don’t have a quilt that’s worth showing off, choose a beautiful set of curtains with complementary hardware and hang them over a blank wall.

8. Paint a mural or trompe l’oeil on a wall. Trompe l’oeil is French for “fool the eye,” and is a painting, usually on a wall, ceiling, or floor, that appears to be real. However, a trompe l’oeil mural is difficult to do, especially if you aren’t an experienced artist, but will add drama and interest to any room.

9. For the look of a rustic lodge or an urban loft apartment, use brick or stone veneer to cover one wall. This method is particularly effective for basements and other areas with cinder block walls. If real stone or brick aren’t appropriate for the room, consider trying a faux brick finish. This provides the look of a beautiful brick wall without the roughness of brick. Brick faux finishing is easy to apply and is available in many different colors.

10. Use ceramic tile for walls in a kitchen or bathroom. The tiles, which are a great choice when you want a durable, attractive, and easy-to-maintain surface, are available in a wide variety of colors and textures.

This “How-To” is provided as a service from Lowe’s, the Original Home Improvement Warehouse. The information is intended to simplify jobs around the house. Lowe’s assumes no liability for omissions, errors, or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures.

Reprinted with permission from Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.

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