If Your Walls Feel Too Boring, Don’t Just Repaint—Add Some Texture
Grasscloth in the powder room or limewash in the kitchen can add depth and warmth to your space.
Grasscloth in the powder room or limewash in the kitchen can add depth and warmth to your space.
During a recent decor brainstorming session with a friend, she lamented the state of her walls: "They’re just so stark and…white." As I listened to her plans to brighten up the space with a few fresh coats of vibrant paint, my mind immediately went to the running list of ideas I have mentally filed away for my future dreamy (and impeccably designed) home—and none of them included paint. While we analyzed color swatches, I wondered how a gallery wall would look against a grass cloth backdrop or whether my artwork would somehow stand out better mounted above wainscoting rather than on a wall just coated in a sheeny lavender shade.
Grasscloth wallpaper in the kitchen adds texture, especially placed alongside the tiled backsplash.
Photo by Lucy Wang
Whether inspired by someone else’s design plans or just a quick assessment of your own space, that moment when you realize your walls might be doing the bare minimum isn’t one you’ll likely forget. If this interior design reckoning sounds familiar (and sobering, gah!), it might be worth considering a textured wall. But what are the benefits and the risks? And when do you know it’s time to kick the paint can to the curb? For solutions to these questions and more, we spoke with Mississippi-based interior designer Melanie Bryant of Melanie Bryant Interiors and Curtis Elmy of Atmosphere Interior Design for their expert advice.
What textured gives that paint doesn’t
For obvious reasons, going with a fresh paint color is the easier option of the two: it’s simple to apply, clean up, repair, and is more rental-friendly. Textured walls require more work to execute but as Bryant points out, they enhance the depth, visual interest and warmth of a space.
When a room is draped in tan, taupe, and stone, adding a little texture to the walls, as seen in the den in this Lloyd Wright House in Los Angeles, packs a punch without feeling overwhelming.
Courtesy of Crosby Doe Associates
"Texture adds layers and warmth that can make a room feel finished and inviting, even in a neutral color palette—I love tonal texture/trim," she says. "It’s especially effective in new construction, where large expanses of drywall can feel flat or sterile. I find myself adding texture with moldings a lot in bedrooms these days to break up the space. I just finished designing a tiny powder bath with 12-foot ceilings and added wainscoting (vertical T&G) to the 48-inch mark to break up what felt like a never-ending wall."
According to Elmy, the differences between paint and textured walls come down to durability and maintenance. Options for textured walls can include everything from wallpaper, shiplap, wainscotting and grasscloth to cork and limewash.
Deep navy lime-wash walls together with Victorian tiles add alluring charm to this en suite bath.
Courtesy of The Modern House
See the full story on Dwell.com: If Your Walls Feel Too Boring, Don’t Just Repaint—Add Some Texture
