The Journal · Walls
Everything that goes on a wall besides flat paint: paneling and wainscoting, plaster and limewash, textures and how to remove them, panels you can fit yourself. Each guide gives costs, specifications and a step-by-step method.
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Interior wall treatments fall into five families: paint, plaster, paneling, wallpaper and hard cladding such as tile and stone. Installed costs run from $1 per sq ft for paint to $25+ for plaster and stone; this guide compares 14 finishes by cost, difficulty and room.
Read storyWall paneling comes in eight main types, from board-and-batten and wainscoting to slats, fluted and raised panels, at $4–30 per sq ft installed. This guide compares every type by cost, height and room, covers cheap wall paneling, and explains how to update old wood paneling.
Read storyVenetian plaster is a lime-and-marble-dust wall finish applied in 2–4 thin trowel coats and burnished to a polished or matte sheen. Professional installation runs $8–25 per sq ft; acrylic venetian stucco paint costs $3–7 per sq ft DIY.
Read storyThere are 12 common wall texture types, from sprayed orange peel and knockdown to hand-troweled skip trowel, slap brush, lime wash and plaster. Sprayed drywall textures cost $1–3 per sq ft; hand finishes run $3–15. Modern rooms favor smooth, lime wash and fine trowel textures.
Read storySmooth textured walls with a skim coat: 2–3 thin layers of joint compound troweled over the texture, sanded and primed, at $1–5 per sq ft professionally or about $0.30 per sq ft in DIY materials. Scraping suits unpainted popcorn; new drywall suits heavy relief.
Read storyPlaster walls are either traditional three-coat plaster over lath (pre-1950s homes) or modern decorative plaster finishes troweled over drywall. The four plaster types are lime, gypsum, clay and acrylic; decorative finishes cost $3–25 per sq ft installed and last 30–100 years.
Read storyA wood accent wall covers one wall in slats, planks, shiplap or panels to add warmth and texture. Materials cost $4–30 per sq ft; a typical 12 × 9 ft wall runs $500–3,500 installed. Vertical slats and flat hardwood planks are the modern choices.
Read storyTo texture walls with joint compound, thin all-purpose drywall mud to a pancake-batter consistency, roll or trowel it on, and shape it with a brush, sponge or knife before it sets. DIY cost is $0.20–0.60 per sq ft; sand, stomp and skip trowel are easiest.
Read storyOrange peel wall texture is a fine, dimpled finish sprayed with thinned joint compound at 25–40 psi. It costs $0.50–$2.50 per sq ft to apply, comes in light, medium and thick grades, and paints best with a 1/2 in nap roller in matte.
Read storyWainscoting is paneling or moulding on the lower third of a wall, typically 32–36 in (81–91 cm) high, capped with a rail. The six main styles cost $8–40 per sq ft installed, and modern versions use flat, wide-spaced boards in one color.
Read storyPlaster wall texture is any finish whose relief comes from how plaster or compound is troweled, from a 1/32 in skip trowel to a 1/4 in rough lime render. The eight common finishes cost $3–18 per sq ft and most work over plasterboard.
Read storyThe cheapest wall panels are hardboard and OSB at $0.60–$1.20 per sq ft, then plywood, MDF beadboard and PVC at $1.50–$4. Plywood is the best alternative to sheetrock in garages; for kitchens, PVC and laminate panels cost $3–6 per sq ft.
Read storyPeel and stick wood paneling comes in four types: real reclaimed planks at $6–12 per sq ft, veneer at $4–8, vinyl planks at $2–4 and foam 3D panels at $1.50–3. The adhesive bonds to smooth, primed walls and holds 5–10 years.
Read storyModern wall panels are slatted, fluted, flat-reveal or 3D panels in MDF, veneer, PVC or stone-look sheet, installed on one wall in one color. The eight contemporary types cost $4–40 per sq ft installed; slat and fluted panels lead in 2027.
Read storyAcoustic wall panels absorb echo inside a room; they do not stop sound passing through walls. What NRC means, how many panels a room needs, where to hang them, fabric versus felt versus wood-slat, and no-drill fitting.
Read storyA slat wall panel is a run of narrow wood slats on a felt or MDF backing that gives a wood panel wall depth, shadow and warmth for 12–30 USD per sq ft. Acoustic versus decorative, where to use them, wood tones, costs and DIY install.
Read storyThe 57–60 in center rule, the two-thirds rule above sofas and beds, 2–3 in spacing, grid, salon and linear gallery-wall layouts, frames and mats, hardware by weight, picture lighting and rental-friendly hanging.
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