July, 1923 
61 
WALL TEXTURES INSIDE THE HOUSE 
New Materials and Methods Have Broadened the Possibilities and 
Added New-Old Effects 
MATLACK PRICE 
T he idea of textured plaster wall fin¬ 
ishes for interiors has lately become a 
very popular one. Its popularity, in fact, 
has grown so rapidly that it is in danger 
of somewhat out-running moderation and 
good judgment in its use. A great many 
people do not care what sort of wall they 
have so long as it is rough plaster. And a 
seriously mistaken assumption is seen in 
the growing belief that textured plaster 
walls are the modernly universal substitute 
for papered walls—a belief not very much 
better reasoned than one which said that 
chairs are a good substitute for tables. 
Textured plaster walls are excellent for 
certain kinds of interiors, and so is wall 
j)aper, and as a matter of fact it is seldom 
that the use of one or the other lies entirely 
in the realm of choice or preference. There 
would seem to be some need of pausing a 
moment in the midst of an unreserved ac¬ 
ceptance and utilization of textured walls 
to review a few of the means and materials 
now available to secure these effects, and to 
establish some reasoned premises as to 
where and how they should be used. 
The indiscriminate and unreasoned use 
of any superficial thing, whether it be a 
style, a material or a technique, always runs 
the danger of being overdone, and thus liv¬ 
ing the short life of a fad, when it should 
properly become assimilated as a permanent 
addition to our architectural and decorative 
The forsaking of wall paper and the first 
jiopularity of the plaster wall came some 
years ago with the development of a num- 
ber of very effective and attractive plaster 
tints, calsomines and plaster paints. Some 
of these were mixed with sand-finished 
plaster and some were made to apply exter¬ 
nally, after the plaster had hardened. They 
were featured as sanitary (which they are) 
and as obviating the necessity of waiting 
the appointed year in a new house before 
the walls could be safely papered. Not only 
are these good arguments, but many of the 
effects were excellent. With average labor 
and the mason’s trowel, however, there was 
(Continued on page 100) 
vocabulary. There are, in textured inter¬ 
ior finishes, exactly the same dangers of ex¬ 
aggeration and affectation that were sug¬ 
gested last month in connection with 
textures in exterior building materials. 
A new material forthetex- 
tured wall is a composite 
substance remarkably 
suited to many schemes 
of interior architecture 
A detail of the material 
illustrated above. To its 
interesting texture is add¬ 
ed the advantage of a va¬ 
riety of color treatments 
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A hallway in which the architectural character 
both expresses and is expressed by the materials 
used, the plaster applied with a medium smooth 
trowelled finish. Howard Shaw is the architect 
One of the new plaster 
wall finishes which com¬ 
bine texture and color to 
any degree demanded by 
architecture or decoration 
A detail of a new plaster 
wall finish which has 
been developed to pro¬ 
duce varied combina¬ 
tions of texture and color 
