Texturing walls adds pizzazz!
If you don't like a smooth, bland wall, try your hand at texturing, which adds dimension to the walls, hides imperfections and can add real pizazz to a room. The options for wall textures are many. In fact, the only limit is the decorator's willingness to twist, pull and scrape one bit of wall at a time.
Aged Leather
If you'd like a softer look, create an aged leather texture on your walls. The technique isn't very difficult but does require care and patience. Place masking tape along the edges of the ceiling, trim and baseboards. The masking tape will protect these edges and create a nice clean line when you paint. Next, apply a base coat to the wall and let it dry completely. Once the base coat is dry, the fun begins.
Measure the distance between floor and ceiling and cut a strip of plastic from a roll of plastic drop cloth to match that length. The roll of plastic should be about 2 feet wide, narrow enough for you to grasp both sides of it with relative ease.
It's time to apply the top coat to the wall, but be sure to apply the top coat in sections only as wide as the plastic sheet--this prevents the paint from drying before you can texture the wall. Press the plastic strip against the wall and crinkle and twist the plastic. Once you've achieved the look you like, throw out the plastic sheet, move over to the next section of wall and begin again.
Swirl Texture
A swirl texture on your walls creates a beautiful surface for those who like more consistency in color and design. In order to achieve a swirl texture, however, use either thinned drywall mud or textured paint. With a paint roller apply a generous coat of drywall mud or paint to a portion of the wall where you want texture. Place a trowel against the wall, twist your wrist and then lift. Repeat this motion until the entire portion of wall is finished, and then apply drywall mud or paint to the next portion.
Venetian Walls
A much more difficult though potentially more satisfying option for those who are ambitious is Venetian wall texturing. This type of texturing is less systematic and therefore less predictable, but it does offer a much greater level of creative expression. Apply drywall mud to the wall where you want to add texture. Then, with a putty knife, shape each bit of mud to suit your tastes. The mud can be tinted a different color than the wall itself, or you can paint the wall and texture all at once and all the same color.
