New ways to add texture to walls

At one time, the only interest given to walls was paint and wallpaper. Once that was done, a picture might have been hung on the wall. That’s about as interesting as walls got. Today walls are getting a new level of attention with a variety of textures and options like we’ve never seen before. Walls don’t just have to be flat and uninteresting. With all the textural options available, homeowners can select from an unlimited array of textures and design choices to create walls with a dynamic appeal.

Lap it up

It’s easy to add interest to your walls, and texture is one of an interior designer’s favorite ways to add decorative appeal in a room. One of the more popular home decor shows, “Fixer Upper,” frequently used shiplap as a way to warm up a home and create some texture. The shiplap was often made from plywood strips or crafted from reclaimed wood. But there’s still much more that you can do besides shiplap for wall decor.

Tile me about it

All too often kitchen tile stops at a backsplash. Take your kitchen up a style notch or two by carrying tiles all the way up to the ceiling. It’s especially effective around areas like the sink or cooktop area to create a focal point. Plus, with the ease of care tile offers, cleaning around these two areas is a snap.

Try a patterned tile for more interest or a solid-colored tile for a smooth and seamless look. Give your kitchen new height by turning subway tiles on the vertical to make the room feel taller.

Texture by the foot

Besides wood options of shiplap, tongue-in-groove and beadboard paneling, you can also use textured wall panels. One type of panel looks like wood and comes in a variety of colors and styles, but the best part is that it’s a peel and stick product (www.wallplanks.com).

If you’re not going for a wood look and you don’t want the work of tile, a new wall panel is on the market. These panels are similar to wood paneling in that they come in large sheets or oversized tiles, but unlike flat wood or tile, these panels offer homeowners deep, three-dimensional texture (www.art3d.com). The panels come in various sizes from 1-by-1-foot squares to panels 3 feet wide and 8 feet high. And they’re paintable!

Almost any kind of texture you want can be found in wall panels. From leather, stone, plaster or metal, wall panels can be found in almost every possible shape and texture (www.talissadecor.com).

These dimensional wall panels come in a variety of shapes such as wave, basket weave, brick or stone (www.allmodern.com). Years ago, embossed wallpaper with small raised designs was about the most you could find on the market that offered any real wall dimension. Anaglypta was another wall covering that offered some texture, but it didn’t offer much more than a slightly raised design.

Today’s new wall panels offer homeowners an astounding array of designs and textures that will fit into any decor, giving your walls punch and style.

(For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.)

(c) 2018 KATHRYN WEBER. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.