When Vidhya Prakash, a working professional, decided to renovate her home, she decided to go in for something exclusive. “I am using techniques such as colour highlighting, creating designs using stencils, and textures as well.
They add colour and vibrancy to the home and give it a unique look,” she says. Vidhya has hired a private company who sent in a colour consultant. He suggested colours for her home based on the lighting. “I used similar techniques in my office and realised that local dealers were over-priced. Private dealers are more efficient; they ensure the cleanliness of the area and the final output is good,” she adds.
Vidhya is among many who are going in for wall texturing techniques using paints and even wallpapers. M Karthikeyan, MD of a firm specialising in wall texturing, says that textured paints were popular even ten years ago and the trend continues to this day. He states, “Texturing is used to highlight a particular area or a wall.
Even earlier, painters used to create the textures and effects. Nowadays, with a number of international players having entered the market, a number of textured options are available in paints themselves.” Karthikeyan explains that textures are of two types – smooth and relief (depth). “The most popular textures are the ones with a marble finish and the glossy ones. They cost Rs 30-40 per sq ft,” he says.
Texture technique
Mohammed Adil, proprietor of a firm, who has been in the industry for over 20 years, says that there has been a growing demand for textured paints. “Earlier, only sprat textures were popular and were priced at Rs 10-12 per sqft. Now, the prices have increased and so has the variety in designs and textures,” says Adil.
He explains, “These days, texturing using homemade tools, dual textures that play with colours, metallic textures and embossed textures that use combs, tissue paper and sponges are common. To create exterior textures, scratch techniques are popular.”
Speaking of popular textures used, interior designer Tasneem Ilyas says, “In textured paints, spiral designs, dotted textures and scratching techniques are in vogue. Textured walls enhance the interiors of a home and when used in the dining and living rooms, they add vibrancy and energy to the space.”
Adil adds that textured wall paints cover hairline cracks on the walls and add to the aesthetic appeal of a home. “You can also change the colour after a few years and change the look completely. They have numerous benefits and are popular among designers, architects and builders,” he states.
Textured wallpaper
While textured paints have been in the market for a while, the latest entrants are textured wallpapers, which are gradually replacing textured paints due to the numerous benefits they bring in. It is difficult to patch up a textured wall, but it is easy to replace wallpapers. Also, creating a textured wall is time consuming, whereas textured wallpapers can be put up in a day.
“Earlier, wallpapers were only paper-based and were not water-resistant. Nowadays, they come in a number of textures, designs and are washable as they are syntheticbased. Their price generally ranges from Rs 60-80 per sqft and can go up to Rs 3,000 per sqft as well,” says Karthikeyan. Textured wallpapers come in a variety of patterns and designs. They help to create a particular mood in a space.
“Textured paints offer many variations and colours,” says architect Sujatha Shankar. Elaborating on the flip-side to wallpapers, she says, “One problem that can arise is that they may peel off over a period of time and are difficult to patch up later. By and large, creating textures using paints are popular as people are more aware of the designs available.”
Here are some points to bear in mind while opting for textured wallpaper:
- Check the base level of the wall.
- Surface preparation is important.
- Pasting of the wallpaper should be done professionally to avoid peeling in the
long run
- The lower edges of wallpapers that are close to the floor tend to get dirty due
to mopping and sweeping.
- A low-level dado with wallpaper above it will prevent it from fading out soon
Source: Times Property, The times of India, Bangalore
The images used in the article have been sourced from gettyimages.