by Kelly R. Smith
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This article was updated on 09/27/20.
Face it; contractor-built walls are just plain boring. There’s a reason for that. Actually, there are a couple of reasons. First, it is frugal to blast cheap texture through a spray gun texture hopper for a conventional orange peel texture. Secondly, that blah flat white paint? It is uninspiring but also frugal and allows for new homeowners to upgrade easily to a more attractive color and sheen.
Let’s take a look at some of the options we have for refreshing those tired, boring walls.
- Upgrade Your Texture
Contractor-applied texture is great for hiding drywall joints that were not properly finished but it is just a bit boring. Upgrading your wall texture is easy. I like to use a specialty roller like the one pictured below with watered down drywall compound (mud).
Use a drill and a ribbon mixer to thin the mud. It should easily drip off the mixer when the proper consistency is reached.
You can also used a regular paint roller with the nap of your choice for a less pronounced effect.
2 Paint Your Walls to Make Your Room Appear Larger
Not all homes are as large as we want them to be. Older homes can be notoriously small, especially stairways and halls; not a good thing for the claustrophobic among us. But rest assured that there are ways to open up that space.
Lighter color paint, especially in brighter sheens like eggshell and gloss create the illusion of more space. Wallpaper with vertical patterns give the illusion of more height.
3 Paint Over Old Paneling
Dark paneling may have been quite the thing in the 50s and 60s but today it looks old and dated. Removing it can be messy especially if adhesive was used. Luckily, it is easy enough to paint over wood paneling.
If it has vertical grooves, you will need to skim those with drywall compound and lightly sand the surface before texturing and painting.
4 Install Crown Molding
Installing crown molding will give even the drabbest rooms a touch of class. You’re not limited to wood either. Today you can find it in polyurethane and PVC which makes it easy to work with.
5 Install New Door and Window Trim
Contractor-grade door and window trim is just boring. In just a few hours you can remove it and replace it with trim that will give your walls a shot of style and class.
Kits are available at stores like Home Depot. All you will need is:
- Tape measure
- Miter saw or radial arm saw
- Stool or ladder
- Finish nail gun or hammer and nails
- Nailset
- Spackling
- Paint and brush
- Painter’s tape
I hope the above tips on refreshing your walls on a budget proved inspirational and informative. Got any tips of your own? Share them with our readers in the comment box below.
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About the Author:
Kelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.
