Techniques for How to Texture a Wall

Wash the walls thoroughly with trisodium phosphate and a sponge. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Rinse well and allow the walls to dry completely.

Pour primer into a paint tray. Use an oil-based primer for kitchens and bathrooms, which get a lot of moisture, over wood and on walls with stains that might bleed through water-based primer. Water-based primer is fine for other rooms and unstained walls.

Apply the primer to the walls with the paint roller. Allow it to dry and cure for 24 hours, or as directed by the manufacturer.

Apply a 1/8-inch coating of joint compound to the walls with a trowel. Use a notched trowel for instant texture or a household texturizing tool, such as a comb, whisk broom, fabric or other textured material.

Work in small sections so you can add texture to the joint compound before it dries. Whisk the broom back and forth in quick motions or in a crosshatch pattern to create a fabric-like texture. Run a comb along the wet sections to create ridges. Create wider ridges by cutting "teeth" into a squeegee and running that through the wet joint compound. Sheets of plastic wrap smoothed on and then pulled off leave interesting but subtle creases. Texture opposite walls to avoid damaging wet surfaces when you work in and near corners. Allow the joint compound to dry thoroughly.

Paint the textured surfaces with the color of your choice. Use a brush instead of a roller to work the paint into the crevices created by the texturing.