How To Get the Beauty of a Textured Accent Wall

A textured accent wall is a great way to update any room in your home. These focal walls add drama, intensity and depth to your space. So, go beyond the usual coat of paint and get a look that’s all your own.

Venetian Plaster

There are lots of ways to create a textured accent wall, including faux finishing or using a specialty paint, like suede, sandstone or metallic. But one of our favorites, which has been around for centuries, is Venetian wall plaster.

This wall and ceiling finish, a blend of plaster with marble dust, is applied in thin, multiple layers to create a deep, burnished color with an appealingly rough texture. Perk up a kitchen or bathroom with this low-maintenance finish. It’s nontoxic, zero-VOC and breathable, so it’s naturally mildew resistant.

Faux Finishing

Faux finishing is a decorative painting technique that recreates the look or feel of other surfaces, like wallpaper, marble, wood or fabric. You can use a variety of faux finishing methods to create the look of a textured accent wall.

For example, a rag or sponge roller will give you the look of plaster or marble. Or by applying a glaze in a circular motion, you can create an effect called color washing, which gives walls an Old-World look. You can also paint on any geometric shape, like stripes or a checkerboard, using two different paint colors or one color and a glaze. Faux finishing gives kids’ bedrooms a textural pop and it can be elegant in a master bedroom, especially when used as a focal wall behind the bed.

Metallic Paint

Make your walls shimmer with metallic paint or glaze. You can now get water-based metallic paints, which you apply the same way you do any other paint. Try one whole wall in a glowing gold or try rose-gold stripes in a powder room.

And speaking of metallic finishes, you can also get metallic plaster, which blends glass and mica with the plaster for a deep color that really shines.

Sandstone Paint

This highly textured acrylic paint has a find sand finish gives walls a distinctive feel. The paint has a raised finish that’s slightly gritty to the touch. It’s one of the fastest and easiest textured accent-wall finishes to apply – just roll it on like any other paint. Try it in a man cave or a coastal-style guest room.

Brushed Suede Paint

Give your walls the look and feel of suede with brushed suede paint. Like sandstone and metallic paint, brushed suede paint, this textured finish rolls on like any other paint. However, the finish is delicate and easy to scratch, and it can be hard to blend repairs into the surrounding paint, so it’s best to use it in low-traffic areas. Try it in a guest bedroom.

Textured Wallpaper

Paintable wallpaper with a raised design, like grasscloth and embossed papers, are popular because they’re versatile and easy to use. With a nearly unlimited variety of textures and patterns, you can tailor a textured accent wall using one of these to your preferences. Grasscloth and home offices go together like PB&J. Try an embossed wallpaper in a guest bathroom or on the ceiling to create the look of vintage ceiling tiles.

Learn more about our interior painting and wallpaper installation services and how we can help you create your own textured accent wall.