Wall Texture Types

There are so many types of textures for walls and depending on where in the world you live, you might be used to seeing different types of wall textures commonly used in homes. For example, textured walls are more common than smooth walls where I live on the US West Coast. A lot of homes here have a knockdown or orange peel texture on the walls. One major benefit of textured walls in general is their ability to help hide architectural errors or imperfections like an uneven wall or ceiling – no wonder they’re popular!

If you’re considering adding wall texture to your walls or just want to get an overview of some wall texture types, this post is for you! Below is are 8 popular types of wall texture with pictures along with the techniques behind them. While some of the types of wall texture are difficult to do yourself, others are definitely achievable with a little bit of patience and some practice!

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Smooth Wall Texture

Technically not a texture but still worth adding to this overview: smooth walls! This has been a popular choice especially in modern homes. As the name suggests, smooth walls don’t have any texture that is added on top of the drywall. This creates a beautiful smooth finish once painted.

Fun fact: All of our homes on the West Coast have had textured walls except the bathrooms at the Hills House. They all had wallpaper and once we removed the wallpaper, we ended up with perfectly smooth walls in all three bathrooms!

Orange Peel Wall Texture

An orange peel wall texture looks exactly as it sounds: it very much resembles the peel of an actual orange. This is one of the most common texture types for walls on the US West Coast.

To achieve an orange peel texture, walls are typically primed and drywall compound is sprayed on the wall with a hopper gun. Smaller and larger splatters of compound that don’t fully cover the the primed drywall underneath create an orange peel texture. After drying, the textured walls are primed again and painted.

I’ve actually added orange peel texture myself in both the California Cottage guest bathroom and the California Cottage primary bathroom using an Orange Peel texture spray. Adding wall texture was not my favorite DIY project to be honest. It definitely took some practice to get a good enough result but it was doable! However, I only recommend using the texture spray over a hopper gun on smaller areas. I went through several cans for both bathrooms and the cost can add up quickly!

Knockdown Wall Texture

A knockdown wall texture looks similar to stucco. This is another popular wall texture on the West Coast.

To achieve a knockdown texture, walls are typically prepared the same way as with the orange peel texture except there is one step added. After applying an orange peel texture to the walls with a hopper gun, the peaks and bumps that form in the drywall compound are flattened using a knockdown knife. Once all the peaks in the orange peel texture are flattened, the walls are left to dry. After drying, the textured walls are primed again and painted.

Popcorn Wall Texture

A popcorn wall texture resembles the look of popcorn or cottage cheese. Popcorn ceilings were a classic look in the 1970s and extremely popular around that time especially on ceilings.

To achieve a popcorn texture, a dry mix of drywall mud and polystyrene is mixed with water and applied with a hopper gun.

Santa Fe Wall Texture

A Santa Fe wall texture appears smooth from a distance. However, holidays are left behind to give it a small amount of texture.

To achieve a Santa Fe texture, more watery than usual drywall compound is applied to the wall and smoothed out with holidays left behind that are not smooth. After drying, the textured walls are primed and painted.

Comb Wall Texture

A comb wall texture is just very much what it sounds like. A comb tool is used to create lines, waves, and swirls of various widths and shapes.

To achieve a comb texture, drywall compound is applied to the wall using a roller. Then, the teeth of the trowel are used to gently apply lines in the wet compound. After drying, the textured walls are primed and painted.

Sand Swirl Wall Texture

A sand swirl texture looks like soft lines in sand.

To achieve a sand swirl texture, a compound known as perlite (primer with sand mixed into it) and a paint brush are used. The brush is dipped into perlite before creating a swirl pattern with it on the wall. After drying, the textured walls are primed and painted.

Slap Brush Wall Texture

The slap brush texture is a random pattern of elevated lines created by a texture brush.

To achieve a slap brush texture, a stiff bristled brush is used to apply drywall compound to the wall in a random pattern. After drying, the textured walls are primed and painted.

I hope this overview of 8 types of textures for walls was helpful. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions!

Tina