15 Wall Texture Ideas to Instantly Revive Your Interiors
Add a new dimension to any room regardless of your square-footage.
The right wall texture can instantly cozy-up your space, elevate your interior aesthetic, and provide a fun decor refresh for your home without taking up any more square-footage! You can easily mimic the look of textured walls with the right patterned wallpaper, tile design, or paneling. In this guide, we’ve shared a variety of alternative wall texture ideas so you can achieve striking results without any faux painting experience.
1. Use Embossed Wallpaper
Wall texture ideas like this one take the concept of texture literally. Three-dimensional embossed wallpaper and wall paneling incorporates raised designs and patterns that pop-out from the wall to instantly elevate any room. Opt for an abstract, embossed design like the one pictured above, or create order with raised striped paneling. Embossed wallpaper and wall paneling makes textured walls easy and DIY-friendly, regardless of your experience.
Some embossed designs even mimic textured painting techniques including slap brush, sand swirl, or distressed designs. This gives you the chance to achieve textured painting techniques without any work on your part. You can also save money when you apply embossed wallpaper instead of paying for a professional painter.
Tip!
New to the wallpaper game? Get the basics down with Wallpapering 101: How to Install Wallpaper, or follow our How to Measure for Wallpaper guide to ensure you choose the right amount for your space.
2. Introduce Nautical Shiplap
Enhance nautical, beachy notes in any room while adding textured design with shiplap-style wall paneling or wallpaper. Instantly lengthen small rooms by layering shiplap panels horizontally or lengthen low-set ceilings with vertical paneling. Break up the look of wood panels by pairing them with solid white walls. You can easily substitute shiplap panels for shiplap wallpaper for a seamless installation and the illusion of texture without all the work. Add visual depth with distressed wood wallpaper or white-washed shiplap.
Tip!
Not sure where to start? Get started with our What Is Shiplap? guide, or think outside the box with these Creative Shiplap Alternatives.
3. Ground Rooms With Stone-Like Texture
Embrace wall texture design ideas that encourage a blending of styles for a statement-making display – like stone-textured wallpaper! Faux stone wallpaper creates a fun layered look that you can use to define accent walls or contrast ultra-modern interiors. The best part? There's no need to build your own stone wall! Just apply the wallpaper to the wall of your choosing using the correct application method, and you have the look of stone without the effort.
Fabric wallpaper is a great way to soften large rooms or make bedrooms more cozy, while also adding a subtle woven texture to your home. That's why it's a must on our list of wall texture ideas. Grasscloth fabric is a popular choice for fabric wallpaper because of its pared back appearance and distinct weave pattern. This creates a textured look that can easily work in any room or design style.
We love DIY wall texture ideas that give you the chance to try out Venetian plaster walls – without having to undergo a big home improvement project. Introduce your own version of Venetian plaster the easy way with distressed wallpaper with hints of metallic sheen. This combo mimics the combination of heated lime and marble components that gives traditional Venetian plaster its distinctive glow. The distressed wallpaper appearance mimics the pattern of a hawk tool and finish trowel that painters use to apply Venetian plaster to walls.
Choose striped wallpaper with different stripe sizes to create the illusion of texture from afar. Opt for striped wallpaper with a herringbone pattern for the optical illusion of three-dimensional stripes without actual texture. Does your wall have imperfections you want to cover up? Try embossed stripe wallpaper that comes with actual grooves or raised stripe patterns.
An abstract wall texture design can instantly bring a textured look to the room while sparking interest. The feathery abstract wallpaper above takes on a more defined sand swirl pattern while remaining smooth to the touch. The contrast between the silvery background and bold golden swirls becomes three-dimensional with the addition of the faded background shade. This mimics the look of a comb or rag-wiping technique that painters use to bring two-dimensional walls to life.
Honeycomb tiles create fun texture patterns for walls through geometric shapes. Use a thick grout lining for field tiles that require individual application. This allows you to really showcase the fun hexagonal shape of each honeycomb tile. Use black grout against white tiles to add more depth to the look.
Want the look of interior wall textures with more flexibility? Consider wall accents you can hang-up or take down as you please. This is a great way to add textured dimension to hallways, entryways, and accent walls – or any space where you want to try out the textured look with a bit more flexibility. Fill in the bare wallspace with damask wall accent panels. Paint over each panel to match the existing wall color for a built-in look. Switch things up while making your walls three-dimensional by hanging an assortment of sunburst wall sculptures or ceramic flowers.
When you think of wainscoting, you likely think of functional wall components that prevent scuff marks and wall damage from furniture – but they also add a three-dimensional component to bare walls, which is why we had to include it on our list of wall texture ideas. You can create this look using border wallpaper or by using a wainscoting wall panel set. You can paint these the same color as the existing wall color or paint them a different color to add more depth to your walls. Create an even more elaborate look by removing the glass/backing of wall picture frames and painting them the same color as the wall before hanging them up.
Tip!
Discover the range of design possibilities you can achieve in our Types of Wall Panels guide.
11. Brighten the Room With Glossy Tiling
Consider tiles with a glossy finish when determining how to add texture to walls without over-saturating rooms with elaborate patterns. Glossy tiles add a sheen to dark corners and pop out against matte surfaces. They bring a clean, refreshing look to kitchens, bathrooms, and rooms with few or no windows. Add to the smooth, textured look with glossy tiles that have slight color variations.
Tip!
Reference How to Install Unique Backsplash in Your Home for step-by-step instructions to transform bare wall space.
12. Opt for Exposed Brick
Introduce an exposed brick texture with faux brick wallpaper or wall-paneling. Exposed brick wallpaper is a great way to add the illusion of texture to walls in a city apartment with an industrial vibe or as a kitchen wall backsplash. Opt for white-washed faux brick wallpaper or wall paneling to get the brick texture look while keeping things neutral.
Introduce faux marble wallpaper to your home to complement modern interiors and add a bit of glam texture to bare walls. Opt for traditional marble wallpaper like the example above or opt for more statement-making marble wallpaper with a fusion of colors and shimmering outlines. Use marble wallpaper as an accent wall in your dining room, living room, or bedroom for an instant texture upgrade.
Bring nature indoors with whimsical scenes of flowers and plant life. The floral wallpaper above creates a three-dimensional illusion through its layers of flowers and the overall busy-look of the display. Opt for embossed floral wallpaper with raised botanical designs that pop out against the wall for the ultimate textured floral design.
Use types of wall textures like animal patterns to infuse your walls with unique shapes and forms. Cultivate visual depth with an intricate zebra wallpaper design or opt for a faux snakeskin wallpaper to add leathery texture to the room. Create a subtle but striking look with leopard print wallpaper in a fun color.
Tip!
Get more wall inspiration with these 5 Accent Wall Ideas.
Achieve your textured wall ideas, here:
