Do Your Walls Need A Facelift?

Have you looked at your walls and felt completely unimpressed?

Do they lack personality? Need an update or just show a lot of wear and tear? The wall space is the largest surface in a room and most noticeable, so changing things up a bit is a home improvement project that can really make an impact.

Paint

Painting is always a top choice for a home improvement project because it makes a big difference for little money and effort. It's within the capabilities of most homeowners and can be completed fairly quickly. There are a few different ways to approach this project.

• Paint everything. If your home has an open floor plan or you plan on selling your home soon, you'll need to apply new paint throughout your home. For open floor plans, everything is in view. Painting the same color throughout the area gives it a cohesive look and feel. When selling your home, new paint will cover dirt, scuff marks, and minor wall imperfections. It brightens the rooms, makes the most of natural light, and makes your home look move-in ready. You'll want to stick with a color that has wide appeal, like a light neutral, to avoid making a negative impression on potential buyers.
  
  
• Paint an accent wall. Pick the wall you want to draw attention to and paint it. If you like bold colors, this is one way to do it without being overpowering. You can opt for one plain paint color or use a pattern texture or specialty paint for additional visual interest.
  
  
• Paint a pattern. This can be a little more challenging. You could do an accent wall or the entire room. There are stripes, harlequin pattern, polka dots, checkerboard, wall graphics, or even a mural. There's a huge variety of stencils available too.
  
  
• Decorative paint techniques and specialty paints. These can provide a unique finish, texture, or visual interest. Some examples of decorative paint techniques are sponge painting, rag rolling, color washing, and linen weaving. Specialty paints can add texture like brushed suede or sandstone or a unique finish such as pearl, metallic, or patina.
  

Other Ways to Change the Look of Your Walls

If you want a small home improvement project, are short on time, or just don't want to tackle painting just yet, there are other options to change up your walls.

• Create an accent wall with something other than paint. You can use wallpaper, wall decals in a pattern, fabric, or even decor to draw attention to the area.
  
  
• Add texture. Depending on the texture, you may want to go with an accent wall instead of an entire room. We mentioned textured specialty paint and decorative techniques earlier. If you're not going to paint, other options include wallpaper, fabric, or natural textures like brick, wood, or stone. This could include exposing brick that has been covered or adding stone tiles. Texture can be added fairly easily with unconventional materials. For example, instead of adding real bricks to an entire wall, try a distressed wood look with vinyl flooring on the wall.
  
  
• Add lighting. Light directed toward a textured wall can create complex shadows that look dramatic and add visual interest. You could also use this technique to highlight the artwork. If you have recessed lighting use a trim piece to direct the light. Plug-in spotlights can also work.

Changing the look of your walls can make a big impact in your home. Whether you're going for clean and chic or bold and artistic, there are lots of options to get a stylish look in little time.

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