When it comes to updating your home or giving your living space a major facelift, the walls are among the first things that require careful consideration. As a fellow DIYer, I know how daunting it can be to decide on wall textures because there are a lot of choices. And it’s not like all of them suit modern spaces!
Modern drywall texture types lend visual interest to interior spaces. There’s a range of texture options to fit any design aesthetic.
While ultra smooth surfaces are a feature of modern living, knockdown and stucco-like surfaces are also back in style. Utilizing the wide variety of options provides dynamics and depth to interior spaces.
However, this is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. What works for the house down the street might not work for you. And we all have our own preferences.
In this post, I’ll show you different modern drywall texture types so you can design your favorite space.
Advantages of Textured Walls
Sleek surfaces are a thing of modern interior design. But, texturing your walls adds more dimension and a unique look to any space. If you’re still on the fence about this design approach, here are some advantages to consider:
Hides imperfections. Introducing texture to your walls is a great way to conceal any imperfections and flaws that are otherwise challenging to patch up. Texturizing the walls is also a cost-effective way to protect your walls, saving you the hassle and time of repainting them. Plus, it helps minimize noise between rooms.
Adds visual appeal. It is also another way to add personality and interest to the space.
To bring out the best in your drywall texture, make sure to pick the right finishes and the paint that suits your living space. Try to explore different finishes and work with shades that showcase your personal style. And you can go outside the ordinary finishes and coatings to achieve an aesthetic that you can call your own.
Serves as a focal point. In many modern homes, textured wall accents are common. They provide a striking update. Textures add drama and depth to any room, making the living space more intriguing.
But There Are Caveats…
Textured walls may be interesting, but it doesn’t work for everyone. The rough elements and such aesthetics in general aren’t exactly appealing to all individuals. It looks outdated (though the rustic concrete suits modern homes well!). Plus, it can get expensive to change it if you want to switch to a smoother surface wall.
The repair process is also another challenge. It’s virtually impossible to do some fixes on the surfaces without disrupting the patterns of the textured wall. You can try to replicate it, but it would be difficult. So, you’re either left with a flawed wall or take down the wall altogether and build a new one, which again, is expensive.
Different Modern Drywall Texture Types
Despite sleek surfaces being more coveted, textured walls are a great way to add a sense of style to your space. With many options available, you can choose the right texture to achieve your desired look.
Knockdown
A distinguishing feature of a knockdown texture is its splattered look. This drywall texture has grown in popularity in recent years. It’s one of the most commonly used textures to conceal flaws. In many modern homes, it adds aesthetic appeal.
It is quite simple to apply. With the right tools and techniques, anyone can do it.
By putting joint compound to the surface and using a knife or trowel to knock down or flatten the peaks of the wet mixture. The flattening of the bumps smoothes out any noticeable high spots. A knockdown drywall texture gives off a patchy and slightly uneven surface.
Orange Peel
Looking a bit similar to the knockdown texture, orange peel drywalls look like—you guessed it—an orange skin. This type of texture also has splatters. It’s easy to apply and economical to achieve. Using a spray gun or a special texturing brush, the finished surface is bumpy and irregular.
The orange peel drywall texture is not the best option for wall texture if you are going for a statement or contrast texture. However, it can help to conceal any imperfections on the surface. In modern homes, the orange peel texture adds a subtle touch of depth to a space.
Sand Swirl
This drywall texture looks like literal artwork applied on the surface. A sand swirl drywall texture is common in the walls and ceilings of many modern homes. With a thin coat of mud and a special tool, you can create a swirling pattern that suits many gathering spaces.
The texture kind of mimics sand dunes. It also looks as if the ocean has popped up right on your walls. Applying a sand swirl texture is a wonderful way to add visual interest to any space and you can paint it to suit your decor.
Skip Trowel
Unlike the splatters on knockdown and orange peel, skip trowel surfaces require applying a thin layer of drywall compound and spreading it evenly over the surface. Using a trowel or putty knife, you can achieve a smooth, slightly textured look.
Due to the decorative effect of skip trowel walls, you can see such surfaces in both residential and commercial spaces. They look quite high-end and suit many modern spaces, too.
How it got its name is pretty explanatory, though. The trowel is lightly skipped over the surface of the drywall compound, exposing some spots of the wall and producing a unique, speckled texture.
And while it may look less complicated than some other types on the list, it’s one of the hardest to master. But once you achieve that desirable stucco-like finish, it’s very rewarding. It can hide any imperfection on the walls and gives any room a touch of drama.
Slap Brush or Crow’s Feet
If you’re looking to make your walls more decorative and intriguing, a slab brush (also known as crow’s feet) could be a great texture option. This type of surface conceals imperfections while lending a rustic look to any space.
With this texture, you need a special brush or tool called a “slap brush” or “crow’s feet” to draw a pattern of lines on the surfaces with a thin layer of joint compound. When you drag the mixture on the surface, the brush’s rigid, stubble bristles help form the texture.
It’s also one of the most fun to apply, and you can experiment with patterns with the slab brush. If done correctly, it should look like traces of rigid sunbursts.
Slap Brush Knockdown
One of the most decorative textures you can go for is the slap brush knockdown. And it’s a nice choice if you want something smoother and less textured. Unlike the crow’s feet texture, this one has less uneven than visible lines.
Applying this texture on the surface of your walls requires the same tools as the slap brush technique and a finishing knife.
You apply a layer of joint compound on the surface of the drywall and then create a pattern while it’s wet using the slap brush. Next, smoothen out the peaks, creating a smoother, more intricate texture. It’s perfect if you wish to incorporate the slap brush technique without the harsh texture.
Hawk and Trowel
One of the roughs and rustics, hawk and trowel texture isn’t the most common but it draws the eyes. The stucco-like texture looks like patterns of waves, with an organic design that goes well in spaces that want to be inspired by nature.
Its texture, however, is one of the hardest to create. The application takes trial and error, and since it dries quickly, you need to move fast. And you need to apply the plaster by hand, which adds to the time required.
To achieve a stucco-like texture, you need to use a broad curved knife and distribute super thin layers of the drywall compound. Using a hawk and trowel, you need to apply a thin layer of the material and spread it evenly throughout the drywall surface.
While difficult to achieve, the end result is worth all the hard work. You’ll love the textured surface that is unique and decorative.
Venetian Plaster Finish
Venetian plaster finishes are a favorite among homeowners. And perhaps I’m biased (and I’m here to claim it), but we think that the elegance of this surface is indisputable. It’s not going away. It’s here to stay.
This traditional method of finishing has its roots in Italy. A timeless aesthetic, it’s a popular finish in both contemporary and modern homes, in museums, as well as in professional settings. It boasts a stunning, modern aesthetic that features splashes of color, kind of resembling marble.
The texture requires a bit more work to incorporate into your décor, so make sure you have the tools you need for the application. Venetian plaster is often put in numerous thin layers. Those layers go through smoothening and polishing to achieve a sleek surface.
If you do it right, you’ll have a sparkling and high-end-looking space. The beautiful textural and color combinations add to the overall elegance of the wall.
Spanish Lace
Decorative and elegant, the Spanish lace texture is great for both walls and ceilings. It’s inspired by the delicate, complex patterns seen in Spanish lace and uses the knockdown application technique. This texture creates a dynamic wall that lets any cracks and other flaws blend into the surface.
Much like other types of textures, Spanish lace requires practice to master. Using a comb or a trowel, you need to apply a thin layer of drywall compound on the surface and create the pattern using one of those tools. If done correctly, you’ll get an intricate and tasteful texture that adds elegance to any space.
Spanish lace is often used in combination with knockdown or popcorn, lending your room a dynamic and intriguing feel. This will look awesome in a space that requires some decorative touches. So, if your room is lacking in textures and patterns a wall covered in Spanish lace will make up for it.
Spray Sand
Spray sand textures look like the finer version of popcorn texture drywall since it “pops” on the wall, too. It looks like a layer of sand glued to the wall, but it also resembles orange peel textures without the cracks and gaps between the bumps. It’s a unique, stunning design that is sure to impress without being intrusive.
The application involves a special spray gun and if you do it right, you’ll get a wall with a unified look. It offers a rough but fine texture that can lend an aesthetic appeal to any room while also concealing bumps in the drywall.
Comb
Comb texture drywall looks a bit similar to swirl sand, but with more solid patterns. If you want your walls to look like a work of art, the combed patterns will be perfect. It creates a wonderful texture in any space and works great for accent walls, giving your room a retro feel.
During the application, you only need a few steps. Using a toothed trowel, slowly bring the pattern across the wall, creating valleys and ridges that form the textured look.
Achieving the comb texture on drywall, however, may need a higher level of expertise and experience to get a consistent and even pattern. But once you master it, the end result will provide a decorative touch to any walls and ceilings.
Popcorn
Rough and outdated, popcorn textures first became popular in the 60s and became a common aesthetic, especially since it is effective at hiding imperfections and doesn’t require painting or touch-ups.
It’s also regarded as the “acoustic texture.” Popcorn drywalls can dampen noises, making them perfect for bedrooms and spaces with sound components and speakers. If you’re renovating a home, it’s common to need to replace popcorn walls with a more modern looking drywall texture.
Creating this texture takes a bit more work, though. After mixing the sand and water, you must allow it to sit overnight before applying it to your walls. By applying a thin layer of joint compound on the surface using a sprayer or other tools, you can create a stippled, coarse texture that resembles popcorn.
Smooth Drywall
A timeless wall accent, smooth finish walls are a perfect choice for modern homes, but achieving a smooth texture can take varying degrees of difficulty. If you’re using a roller to paint the prepped drywall, it will have a slight texture. It’s faint, but will show up when the paint dries.
If you want a perfectly smooth wall, a thin layer of drywall mud needs to be applied across the whole wall, and this is called floating. Next, it requires sanding until the surface becomes smooth and even. Then, paint is sprayed onto the drywall surface.
If you paint with a roller, it will not be entirely smooth, but to many, it is smooth enough. Plain white drywall textures are easy to apply, economical, and go well with virtually any home decor. It’s also suitable for painting since it creates a nice surface for the color to cling to due to the very subtle nooks.
Concrete Textured
This type of drywall isn’t actually made of concrete, although it has a similar texture. Concrete-textured drywall is commonplace in spaces that are unfinished. It may look rugged but it complements such rooms more than a plain wall could.
The texture isn’t anything revolutionary so it may not be as striking as the other texture types. You can achieve the result by putting textured material on the drywall and creating the required texture with various techniques and tools.
It’s not hard to get this stucco texture. The result is a rough, granular surface that looks like concrete but is lighter and simpler to operate with. It’s a good option if you want a few rough accents in your space while concealing imperfections on the drywall.
Rosebud
This drywall texture is meant to resemble a rosebud. It’s a wonderful option to give elegance and class to a space.
The process of achieving the design pattern is quite comparable to the slap brush technique. It looks like the slap brush (crow’s feet) Spanish lace but uses specialized tools.
It involves either a small round stippling brush with dense bristles or a rosebud-shaped sponge to create the texture. If done right, you’ll get a surface with a slightly raised, uneven texture that is almost like rosebud patterns. The round imprints look crisp and distinct, like neat lines of rose blooms in full bloom.
FAQs
What is the most modern drywall texture?
Some of the most common types of textures used in homes are knockdown, orange peel, and smooth textures, but smooth finish is the most modern drywall texture.
Smooth textures reflect more light. They are the most coveted textures in modern homes because they are functional, simple, and not the focal point.
Do modern walls have texture?
Modern walls are generally smooth, flat, and bare. They are often focused on paints to achieve a certain aesthetic. However, adding a unique wall texture to a space and even to a separate accent wall can lend a sense of style to your home, which is something that paints can’t offer.
Final Thoughts
Due to their potential to provide depth and add visual appeal to a space, modern drywall textures are a popular option for many homeowners and interior designers. Smooth finish is the most modern choice, but strong textures can be great for an accent wall.
If you’re going to start the project yourself, I hope the list helps you choose the right texture for your space. But if not, I suggest that you hire a professional to get your desired result.
So, which drywall texture is your favorite? I would love to know!
