Take Your Walls From Builder-Boring To Gorgeous Art With This Painting Hack

When planning a DIY paint job for your interior walls, there are lots of trendy paint patterns that can make your walls less boring. But if you aren't inspired by geometric color blocking or cute floral motifs, you might be interested in experimenting with texture. One classic method for adding a little texture to your painted walls is simple and effective, and it can give your space a beautiful antique look. As demonstrated by TikTok creator @bailey.at.home, this painting technique, sometimes called "Roman clay walls," requires two materials: paint and drywall compound. 

Start with a paint that has a matte finish (a satin finish won't work to get the desired earthy clay effect), and then stir in some drywall compound. While @bailey.at.home recommends a 2:1 ratio for the paint and drywall mixture, it's a good idea to gradually add the drywall to the paint in small portions until you get a batter-like consistency. You can also add a little more or less drywall depending on how you want your walls to look — as a general rule, the more drywall you use, the more dramatic the texture will be. Once you have the mixture the way you like it, you can begin applying it to your walls in crisscrossing strokes. You could theoretically use a paintbrush for this, but a large spackle knife is probably the easiest way to manipulate the paint/drywall mixture and get that dynamic, layered appearance that evokes a clay wall. 

Although this DIY paint idea is relatively simple, requiring two basic materials and standard painting tools, it's a significant risk from an aesthetic perspective. Having a textured, Roman clay-inspired wall might sound fun and original in theory, but it doesn't always look the way you want. Textured walls can feel muddy or unfinished, especially after the paint dries and the color has shifted slightly. This wall painting method also requires some artistic talent: you need an eye for what brush strokes and textures will look best in the space and the ability to execute that vision using a spackle knife and paintbrush. And, even if you pull off the exact result you want, including both color and texture, there's no guarantee you'll like it in the future. Textured paint and drywall trends cycle in and out of fashion relatively quickly, so your Roman clay walls might feel dated in just a few years — think of all the folks who are now looking into how to easily remove popcorn ceilings. 

All that said, if you really want the pretty Roman clay wall aesthetic, be sure to plan in advance: test color swatches and drywall consistencies before painting the entire wall, and practice your spackling techniques. It's your home, and if you're willing to take the design risk, you might end up with results you love.