As beautiful as the shade of paint you are eying for the walls is, adding a little texture will really grab attention. You can texturize your walls the traditional manner, mixing joint chemical and spraying or rolling it on the wall. Follow using a sponge or a different instrument, dabbing, slapping or raking the wall. This is commonly done on ceilings, in particular. Then there’s the illusion of texture: a background shade of paint covers the wall, and one or more complementary colours are dabbed with a sponge or tissue paper. If you want real texture without as much fuss, though, a textured paint would be the best choice.
Take down wall hangings and curtains. Clear furniture in the area close to the walls to supply ample work space.
Spread a length of plastic sheeting or similar protective dropcloth throughout the floor beside each wall you’re painting. Throw additional dropcloths over nearby furniture.
Turn off the power supply to the room in your breaker box. Remove the face plates from light switches and electric sockets in the room. Plug in an extension cord in a nearby room and run in the room you’re painting for additional lighting.
Tape over light switch and electrical outlet receptacles with painter’s or masking tape. Edge around door and window frames using additional tape. Cover wall trim you want to leave unpainted.
Scuff up formerly painted walls using 120-grit sandpaper attached to a palm sander or a sanding pole. Follow using a tack cloth or damp rag to remove sanding residue. Otherwise, blend a gallon of very warm water using 1/4 into 1/2 cup trisodium phosphate. Either way — TSP or lightly sanding — roughs up the surface to help primer and paint stick better.
Apply one coat of a quality primer. Shellac-based primer works well at blocking previous and stains wall colours. Brush on the primer around the borders, a method known as “cutting in.” Follow by rolling the middle of the wall, which makes a big “M” or “W” and filling in about the letter. Work fast to guarantee the paint borders stay wet and blendable. Don’t procrastinate on paint or primer — reload the roller when it makes a sticky, smacking sound that indicates the roller is reduced on paint.
Pour paint into a large bucket. Insert the texture merchandise, a little at a time, starting with approximately half of the amount indicated by the manufacturer. Mix thoroughly during preparation and continue stirring often while painting to prevent the texture from settling, leading to a splotchy, inconsistent surface.
Test the effect on a bit of primed drywall, board or similar item. Adjust the feel if desired, adding additional paint or texture. Keep tabs on the numbers used so that you can duplicate the recipe using each consecutive gallon of paint.
Cut the wall borders and about receptacles as you did with the primer. Switch into your roller to cover the rest of the wall, again earning a letter and filling in around and above it. Alternatively, use a broad paint brush or special texture roller to change the result. Both will prove harder, more glowing, than a normal roller, using all the paint brush most textured.
Paint over the textured paint after it is dried or as directed by the texture maker. Experiment with your alternatives, perhaps slightly watering down the very best coat, using a color one shade lighter than the textured paint, and sponging or dabbing the paint throughout the wall. Alternately, use more than one shade.