Make Your Wall More Lively with Paints and More

Photographs, paintings, mirrors and memorabilia can be found hanging on the walls of most homes. Walls can be stark and simplistic or busy focal points, but either way they play a vital role in a home’s interior dÃ?©cor. There may be countless decorating norms about how to hang articles on the wall, but walls themselves can be embellished with finishes that will make ‘them’ the attraction rather than what hangs on them.

Paint and paper are the widely used wall finishes. Other finishes include tiles, fabrics, cork and wood paneling. There are many finishes for walls, ceiling and woodwork. Each type needs its own preparation of surface and application. If it’s paint you settle on, then you are spoilt for choice. Interior wall paints vary from high gloss to a flat or dull finish. In general, the glossier the paint the more washable it will be.

One must keep in mind that colours create moods. When deciding on a paint colour, think about what you want to accomplish with the room. You could even paint a room to complement its furnishings.
If the room is dark, or if it’s on a shady side of the house, use yellow, orange and red to provide it a warm feel. You can also create a focal point in a room with colour. Jazz up a room by painting one of the walls in an accent colour, and the remaining three with the same colour,

One shade of colour can bring about a unifying looks for a house that is built of various materials. For instance, if a house has utilized a lot of wood and stone, the look can be complete if just a single paint colour is used throughout the house. Try painting window frames and borders with a glossier shade of the same colour.

Techniques of painting are also varied. Texturing walls does not require high-tech equipment. A variety of patterns can be created manually by dragging simple tools such as a brush, comb or even a wet sponge through sand-textured surfaces. A layered finish is easy to achieve ready has a base colour. Rag rolling too is gaining popularity. For special effects try rag rolling with different kinds of textured fabrics.

Warily-coverings are another alternative for decorating and enhancing walls. Wall-covering patterns can be created from paper, stone, ceramic, metal, wood, mirror, metals or marble. Wall-cover-ing can be used to create a sophisticated or simple look.

The popular finishes for interior walls also include the brick and rough stone look that can be achieved with wall cladding giving the desired stone or brick effect. Other wall finishes used today to treat entire walls are marble, wood beams and concrete.

Colourful tiles too are lending many walls character. They come in a rainbow of solid or marbleized colours and are often coordinated with decorative tiles of wide and narrow borders. These decorative tiles may be simply designed or elaborately patterned with metallic highlights and granulated relief’s.
Wallpapers can be classified into three types. They are non-washable or water sensitive, the water-resistant type and the truly washable ones. Many changes have been made in paper, finishes and printing techniques and the addition of plastic resins produces strong quality paper. Some are even bacteria and mildew resistant.

Vinyl wall coverings are a more recent development. These are durable and easy to care but more expensive than paper. Vinyl is also available in hard surface tiles and rigid panels. Always be sure to get samples large enough to give you an idea how it will look on the walls. Obviously when it comes to wall finishes; you are limited only by your imagination.

Try this
�Water-soluble paints, also called latex, acrylic or polyvinyl paints, are easy; fast-drying and have little odour and
� Oil-based paints are durable and
� Wallpaper offers a wide variety of and textures.
� There are fabrics made especially which come with a paper backing.
� Brocade and damask provide richness and elegance.