How to Use Textured Wall Paint

If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind faux finish for your interior walls, textured paint can take a surface from flat to inspiring.  

When our interior design is beginning to feel lackluster, we often look to paint for its variety of sheens and colours to provide a blank canvas personality and life, but we often overlook texture. Yet for those who lived through the '80s popcorn or swirl ceilings and the fan comb walls, the idea of introducing texture back into our homes may be a design element you might forgo. And while those are somewhat accepted types of textured paint we may want to leave in the past, it could be argued that they give the medium merely a bad reputation and in fact, we’re missing out on the true potential these tactile surfaces can offer.

Painting a surface with a faux finish can add depth and dimension to your interior design, and even the most color-averse can reap the benefits. Dressing your walls up in natural materials like marble and wood with complementary textured effect paint will enrich a room that's falling flat.

Achieving the look of plaster, limewash, and even concrete in your home is a lot easier than you might expect. Unlike traditional plaster, which requires an expert hand for on-site mixing and application, Tikkurila's Tunto collection comes pre-tinted and pre-mixed, ready for application. With a little DIY, you can create impressive, three-dimensional surfaces by combining a coarse Tunto surface with a smooth paint finish. We used Tunto Fine Textured Finish, our most delicate structural coating in the Tunto series, for this project. Its unique finish can be manipulated to create your desired effect by combining different application methods and colours.  

Keeping the dining room fresh and light, we chose the creamy grey-beige tones of V484 Driftwood and our warm off-white paint G497 Steam to contrast with the rustic panelled walls and the elegant, dark wood furniture. These complementary tones give the space character and warmth and create a room with layers of depth and dimension. Here, with the large Georgian-style windows, light and shadows enhance the wall's colour and texture, creating a surface that feels integrated with the room, instead of just blending in as a backdrop. 

Prepare

Step One: Prepare

Begin by wiping the surface of the wall clean. If the surface requires a deeper clean, use Tikkurila Maalipesu cleaning agent to remove unwanted dirt and leave it to dry. Lay down dust sheets to protect the floor space and cover mouldings and sockets with masking tape. Use sandpaper for sanding glossy painted surfaces until they are matt and remove any sanding dust.  

If the surface has already been painted and is a darker colour than your final finish, apply one coat of Optiva Matt 5 to your final colour. For previously unpainted surfaces, apply a coat of Optiva Primer and apply 1-2 coats of Optiva Matt 5, tinted with your final colour. 

Paint

Step Three: Stir your Paint

Stir the Tunto Fine Textured Finish, pre-mixed with G497 Steam, well before use. This is an essential step.

Step Four: Paint with a Trowel

Coarsely apply Tunto Fine Textured Finish using a steel plastering trowel to create a light textured finish on the lower part of the wall. Spread the coating in a thick layer on interior walls approximately 1m2 at a time and make the final patterning on the surface immediately. Avoid applying too thick of a layer as it may cause the dry surface to crack. 

Step Five: Paint with a Brush

For the upper wall, begin to apply two coats of Optiva Matt 5, tinted with V484 Driftwood, using a paint roller with an extension pole. Optiva Matt 5 can be recoated within a minimum of 4 hours of painting or may take longer depending on a low temperature or in conditions of increased humidity. The striking surface on the upper part of the wall was achieved by applying Tunto Fine (pre-tinted with V484 Driftwood) with vertical brush strokes to create a textured finish. 

Clean your tools with water and soap, or use Tikkurila Pensselipesu tool cleaner for more in-depth results. Make sure to follow the instructions on the label.