COLUMN: Textured-wall treatment ideas vary

DEAR GAIL: We moved to Southern Nevada from New Jersey, and have always had wallpaper in our homes. Our new home, however, has texture on the walls. What options do we have other

than painting them? -- Mary Claire L.

DEAR MARY CLAIRE: I know exactly what you mean. I am originally from the East Coast, and was accustomed to flat, smooth walls when I moved to Las Vegas 22 years ago.

Actually, we treat textured walls no differently than smooth walls, and there is no reason you cannot wallpaper over the texture. The only difference is that you will be able to see the texture through the paper. With a low texture, it will hardly be noticeable, especially if the paper has a design.

With the popularity of faux papers, the texture behind can enhance the effect. I do suggest, though, that when using pre-pasted paper that you paste it anyway.

If the idea of seeing the texture through the wallpaper does not appeal to you, consider installing wallpaper wall liners. These provide a smooth surface, although the cost will double, as you will be paying for both the liner and its installation.

Another decorating idea is to upholster the walls with fabric. This works well in a home where there are no small children or pets.

One treatment that is popular on the East Coast, but generally not seen in Las Vegas, is wood paneling. However, in the right room and style, you can add bead board or wainscoting.

Another option is to apply wall treatments using paint. For example, you could apply a faux finish to give the look of wallpaper.

You can also change a room dramatically by using painter's tape, paint and a little patience. A simple treatment is to create a striped wallpaper effect. Paint the wall the base color, then tape off the stripes and paint every other one in the same color, but in a semigloss finish. This creates a tone-on-tone wallpaper effect for a fraction of the cost. For something a little different, place the tape on a diagonal for a harlequin diamond design, paint large horizontal stripes, or tape off large squares for an interesting block design.

In addition to the base-paint effect, you could add stenciling to look like wall borders, reflecting the color scheme and theme.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 8170 S. Eastern Ave, Box 4-275, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.

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