Paint Techniques to Hide Wall Imperfections

Basic Textured Paint

• Cover up your wall and its flaws with textured paint. Basic textured paint is available in white, which you then paint over in your chosen colors. The paint contains interwoven fibers for durability and textural interest. Apply this paint with a looped roller to a wall that has been primed. Allow the paint to dry for 5 minutes, and use a variety of tools and brushes to create textures in the paint. Choose an organic pattern of texture, with random lines, swirls and loops, or a more organized geometric design of squares and circles.

Specific Textured Finishes

• If you prefer a more planned look, try specialty paints designed to simulate particular textures. Venetian plaster is similar to basic textured paint but comes in a variety of colors. It produces a three-dimensional effect using light and dark tones of the same color. Paint that mimics suede is available in 48 colors. The white beads in the paint give it a textural matte finish that looks like suede leather. River rock paint, in 40 colors, contains both black and white beads that reflect the light to give the look of old rocks in a river bed.

Faux Finishes

• If you don't want to add actual texture to your wall, add visual texture by creating faux finishes with regular paints and glazes. Applying two or more colors or shades of paint with a sponge results in a mottled finish that hides the wall's imperfections. Contrasting colors hide the imperfections better than light colors. Try pressing materials into the wet glaze and then peeling them off. Use crumpled plastic bags, burlap or a patterned fabric to leave complex and varied textures. Color washing produces rich layers of color that hide all flaws. Apply a base color, and then layer on several coats of glaze in different colors to produce a rich and multi-dimensional finish.

Mimic Nature

• Faux finishes that mimic natural materials work well if your wall's imperfections are small and not very noticeable. These techniques require some skill and practice to be effective. You can create the look of fabrics such as denim, linen, grasscloth and canvas by using specially-formulated paints along with special tools. Apply your base color and let it dry before applying a tinted layer of glaze through which you drag the appropriate brush or roller for your chosen fabric. Alternatively, use different colors of paint to mimic natural stone, such as sandstone, granite or marble. These faux finishes are more art than decorating as they require you to paint in the lines of the marble or stipple the spots in granite.