Wall Treatments and Finishes: Guide to Textures, Paneling & Coverings
Walls take up much of the visual space in a room and need your attention for a well-rounded room design. Paint is the easy answer, but there are many other options, like texture, paneling, wallpaper, shiplap, wainscoting, brick, plaster, and trim. Any one of these additions changes a room in ways that give it character and style. This guide covers the options for wall treatments and finishes so you can choose the best one for your space. You’ll find material types, install methods, and the small decisions that determine whether it all looks high-end or not.
Wall treatment essentials
These four guides cover the biggest decisions readers face regarding wall treatments.
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- Wall texture types. The textures that are still in style and the ones that aren’t
- Types of wood wall paneling. Every wood paneling style, sorted
- Accent wall ideas. Accent wall approaches across rooms and styles
- Baseboard styles. Baseboard profiles and what each one says
Wood paneling and slat walls
When you add wood to the walls, it instantly warms the room. There are many different patterns, with a variety of looks to choose.
- Painting wood paneling ideas. Painting over dated paneling instead of ripping it out
- Slat wall panel. The vertical-slat look that’s everywhere right now
- Types of kitchen wall panels. Paneling options that hold up in the kitchen
Wallpaper
When wallpaper’s done well, it makes a room. Here are some important wallpaper tips to use.
- Types of wallpaper. Vinyl, paper, grasscloth, and removable, compared
- Grasscloth wallpaper accent wall. The textured wallpaper that anchors a whole room
Shiplap
Shiplap had its moment and is still going. Its direction and gap size can change the whole look.
- Pros and cons of shiplap. The honest take on shiplap’s staying power
- Horizontal shiplap. The classic farmhouse direction
- Vertical shiplap. Vertical boards for height and a modern feel
- Vertical vs horizontal shiplap. Picking the orientation by room and ceiling height
- Installing shiplap vertically. How to actually install vertical shiplap
- Nickel gap shiplap. The reveal size that gives shiplap its shadow line
- Shiplap dimensions. Board sizes and coverage math
- Shiplap ceiling. Taking shiplap up onto the ceiling
- Alternatives to shiplap. If you want the look without the trend
Wainscoting
This lower-wall paneling adds depth and protection at the same time. Check out pictures of how it looks with different rooms and styles.
- Wainscoting ideas. Wainscoting styles and where each one fits
- Board and batten wainscoting. The vertical-strip wainscoting style
- Dining room wainscoting. Dining room wainscoting that holds up
Beadboard
Beadboard offers tight vertical grooves that evoke a casual cottage style by default, but can read modern with the right paint.
- Beadboard walls. Beadboard for full or partial walls
- Beadboard ceiling ideas. Beadboard moved up onto the ceiling
Plaster and specialty finishes
The high-end finish category has a plaster look with a depth that painted drywall can’t fake.
- Tadelakt plaster. The Moroccan lime plaster is used in showers and on walls
Drywall
This is the default wall material used in most homes. It’s worth knowing the types and what to do when you want something else.
- Types of drywall. Standard, moisture-resistant, fire-rated, and more
- Sheetrock vs drywall. Same product, one’s a brand
- Drywall alternatives. When you don’t want plain painted drywall
Stone and brick walls
Stone and brick have heavier visual weight than anything else on this list. It’s often used sparingly in modern homes since it can dominate the design.
- Types of stone walls. Stone wall styles for interior and exterior
Trim and molding
These are the smaller wall details that add definition and character. They cover elements like chair rails, baseboards, board-and-batten, and crown molding.
- Chair rail ideas. Chair rail styles and where they belong
- Chair rail height. Standard mounting height and the variations
- Chair rail paint ideas. Paint approaches above and below the rail
- Crown molding sizes. Molding sizing by room and ceiling height
- Alternatives to crown molding. Simpler ceiling-to-wall transitions
- Baseboard sizes. Standard baseboard heights and where each one fits
- Painting baseboards same color as walls. The seamless wall-trim look
- Board and batten dimensions. Sizing battens and the gaps between them
Accent walls
This is when one wall stands out as a focal point in the space. See how material, color, and pattern, when picked deliberately, can change the appearance.
- Accent wall colors. Picking a color that punches without fighting
- Wood accent wall ideas. Wood as the accent wall material
- Black accent wall. Going dark on one wall
- Green accent wall. Green as an accent wall color
- Geometric accent wall ideas. Painted geometric patterns instead of one solid color
- Bedroom accent wall paint ideas. Accent wall paint for the bedroom
- Master bedroom accent wall, before and after. Real master bedroom accent wall transformation
- Kitchen accent wall ideas. Accent walls that work in the kitchen
- Home office accent wall ideas. Accent walls for the work-from-home wall
- Fireplace accent wall ideas. Treating the fireplace wall as the accent
More wall treatment and finish guides get added here as the cluster grows. Start with the texture or material, then layer the trim to get a look you’ll love.
To showcase highly specific designs, some images on this website use advanced AI-generation software to illustrate ideas and room inspiration. See our editorial policy to learn more.
