The living room wall is looked at longer than any other surface in the home, so colour alone is not enough to decide. How the texture breaks the light, how often the surface has to be wiped and how it relates to the furniture matter just as much.
Choosing texture by light
In wide rooms with plenty of daylight, marble and travertine effects gain depth: as the light turns through the day, so does the surface. In north-facing rooms with less light, pearlescent and silk-look finishes add movement without closing the room in.
One wall or the whole room
Effect finishes are usually kept to a single feature wall: behind the television unit, opposite the seating group, or in a connecting hallway. A matt, washable interior paint on the remaining walls pushes the textured wall forward.
Care and washability
In open-plan homes the living room takes the most cooking smell and dust. A topcoat with good washability alongside the decorative texture is the practical half of the decision.
