Pep up flat or imperfect walls with flat paints or add texture.
Improve the look of a room by choosing correct paints or textures for flat or imperfect walls. Choosing the correct type of paint is a lot easier than choosing the color. Deciding on what texture to use can run the gamut from applying premixed paints with added textures to sliding thin plaster sets on the walls or even using tissue paper as a background cover to give the wall an aged look.
Flat or Matte
In an article for Elle Decor, Vic Barnhill with Mythic Paint recommends using flat or matte paints for imperfect walls. These paints do not reflect light and hide imperfections better than semi-gloss, high-gloss or eggshell. The website Home Decorating Made Easy advises to stay away from satin-like finishes. A satin look is reflective, and it reflects imperfections. Drywall surfaces or areas not sanded very well are prime candidates for flat paints. This type of paint also hides scratches that appear after painting.
Textured Paint
Textured paints come either premixed with texture already in the paint can or as additives to blend with the paint. Either way, textured paints provide a thickness that helps hide wall imperfections. Textured paints also hide minor defects and uneven surfaces. Smooth textured paint gives a stucco appearance, while sand texture gives a slightly rough look since sand is added to the paint.
Fake Paint Finishes
Another way to hide imperfections or add texture to walls is by applying a faux finish. The Murals and Faux website recommends using tissue paper for the finish. Apply wallpaper paste, and put tissue paper on the paste while it is still wet. Working in 1-square yard sections, cover the entire wall. Let it dry 24 hours, and base coat the wall. Afterwards, add glazing to bring out the texture of the paper underneath the base coat. The flat wall is now a textured wall, and any imperfections are under at least one layer of paste, paper, base coat and glaze.
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