Texture is a word you hear a lot in interior design. This is particularly true right now, as textured or patterned finishes are really popular, but how do you work with it in your own home?
What is a textured wall?
“Texture has different meanings. The first is when you add actual textures through fabric or even textured wallpaper such as a design like Resene Wallpaper Collection 417005,” says Resene Colour Expert Amy Watkins.
“The second meaning is all about visual texture and includes how you design the layout of the space. It might mean using products such as those in the Resene FX product range to create different layered two-tone effects, or even rust looks and the chalky finish of a blackboard” Amy says.
An otherwise neutral bedroom is given a bold finish with the textured pattern of Resene Wallpaper Collection SUM 301. Pair this design with crisp white walls in Resene Rice Cake to balance the soft grey layers in the wallpaper and add a contrast line around the room in Resene Nero or Resene Black for some added visual punch.
What are the effects of textured walls?
Textured walls can give a room extra dimension and breaks the space up for the eye. This can be used if you want to showcase a particular piece of decor, architectural feature or even the view. In most rooms our eye seeks out something to catch hold of that helps us pull the room into balance and focus. In a monochrome space it can be as simple as decorative moulding, or a glossier Resene Enamacryl paint finish even if it’s in the same colour as the rest of the room. It just gives your eye something to focus on.
Resene FX Paint Effects Medium is a simple and effective way to recreate an earthy, sponge-look finish on walls for a look that feels relaxed yet visually interesting. These walls are painted in Resene Salted Caramel with Resene Athena mixed into Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Project by Melle Van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.
How can I make a textured wall?
Textures can be fun to play with in interior design and if your room feels out of balance it could often be because it needs a little bit of extra texture.
The simplest spaces are often the best if you want to start experimenting with how adding different wall texture can change the look and feel of your room.
Amy suggests trying a plain stretch of wall to turn it into a feature piece in your room or working in a less-used room like a guest bedroom or spare bathroom. She also recommends starting with Resene products like Resene FX Paint Effects Medium or Resene Wallpaper as they are some of the simplest ways to add texture.
Resene FX Paint Effects Medium is a tintable acrylic product that can be applied over a basecoat to give you a ‘broken’ or weathered-looking finish. It can help you replicate a number of different visual textured looks such as sponging, rag-rolling or a weathered brushstroke look.
In most instances to get the look you want; you’ll need a base colour and at least one other shade mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to break up the colour slightly and give it that purposely sheer or broken look.
Always experiment painting with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium on a piece of wood or a sample area of wall before you commit to the finished technique, Amy says. “Try different colour combinations and adjust how much paint you mix with the medium, making notes as you go so you can replicate the look.”
Talk to the experts at your local Resene ColorShop about the look you want to achieve for advice on ratios, application techniques and colours to try with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium
A different kind of on-trend weathered, aged finish can also be achieved with Resene FX Faux Rust Effect, which, as the name suggests, gives your surface a rusted-looking finish. It can be used on both interior or exterior surfaces, working particularly well on smaller surface areas like planters or feature areas for a fun finish that’s sure to be a conversation starter.
To add more literal texture and a rougher finish to your surface, try Resene Sandtex which resembles rendered surfaces, perfect if you want a lime-washed or plaster effect.
A textured effect on the walls of this dining area makes the simple space much more interesting than simply a large area of one shade. The walls are painted in a base colour of Resene Dusted Blue then finished in Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Half Emerge and Resene New Denim Blue. Paint effect by Hannah Tapner, project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.
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Adding texture to your finished look doesn’t have to be a case of covering a whole wall. Simply adding a Resene Sandtex finish to pots and planters, a couple of sections of textured wallpaper inside picture frames, or a sponge-look finish on a storage cabinet, can be enough to break up large blocks of colour and add visual balance.
For more ideas of paint effects you can try in your own home, visit the Resene Paint Effects page online, www.resene.com/painteffects, and view the architectural samples of different texture and finish options at your local Resene ColorShop.
