Choosing wall finishes

Wall Finishes

Surface or finishing materials applied to bearing walls or partitions usually become important ingredients of any completed interior. Because many of these finishes can be renewed and changed with ease and at modest cost, they are particularly adaptable to frequent redecoration schemes.

PAINT

This is probably the most widely used of wall (and ceiling) finishes. An infinite range of color possibilities and some variety in available texture along with low cost and easy renewal make paint endlessly adaptable. Top-quality paints justify their extra cost because of their ease of application and durability. Better paints offer a wide choice of ready-mixed or custom-mixed colors. Special colors can be mixed on the job by skilled painters.

WALLPAPER

This surface material offers a vast variety of textures, patterns and imagery, making it a popular alternative to paint. Wallpaper was widely used during historic periods, and reproductions of many excellent historic designs continue to be available. Color and pattern coordination with printed textiles is offered by some manufacturers  Intelligent use of wallpaper can avoid some of the mistakes of unsuitable use and inferior patterns that have sometimes given this material a bad reputation with modern interiors.

WOOD

Paneling, whether in designs using elaborate moldings and joinery or in simple flush designs, is a valued wall surface treatment. It usually suggests opulence and luxury. Traditional paneling is assembled from rails and panels of solid wood. Plywood is often used for modern paneling, but simulating traditional designs by applying moldings to plywood leads to unfortunate visual results. Natural finishes or stains that show the grain of the wood are most often used for paneling but paint finishes are also appropriate and have been widely used in traditional interior design,

TILE

A vast variety of tiles, from tiny mosaics to large square and rectangles, in many colors, textures, patterns and materials can be used as wall surface treatments. Tile is particularly suited to wet, humid locations with water splash and steam, typically kitchens, bathrooms, areas around pools and similar spaces. Decorated and painted tiles can approach an art form. Spanish and Dutch painted tiles suggest specific periods and countries; at their best, they are objects of collectors' interest.

MIRROR

This special form of glass has particular interest as a wall material because of its ability to create the illusion of increased space. Floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall mirror doubles space visually  Parallel mirrors placed opposite generate ab illusion of endlessly continuing space. Tinted, antique and small squared mirrors generate other visual effects. As mirror has been overused and misused  its selection should be considered carefully.

PLASTIC

Vinyl and other plastic sheet materials are in wide use as wall coverings, both for their ability to resist damage and for the variety of color and textural patterns they offer. Many plastic wall coverings simulate other other materials such as grass cloth, canvas, suede, even metals. Once damaged, plastic materials are more difficult to repair than painted surfaces.

FABRIC

A traditional material for wall covering, fabric offers a fine variety of colors and textures. Silks, satins and brocades were often used in luxurious interiors of traditional design. Simple canvas can be used as a base for paint, providing a reinforced wall surface and a subtle texture. Genuine grass cloths and varieties of burlap, although now widely imitated in plastic, remain fine wall covering possibilities.

STONE

Although usually thought of as structural material, stone in thin sheets is a possible wall covering. Marbles in varied colors and veining patterns are particularly appealing. Travertine, either filled or with an open, porous texture, is often used as a wall surface in monumental spaces.