Drywall Styles

Styles of drywall have changed a lot over the years. Using drywall techniques to add new architectural or design touches, or simply retexturing ceilings and walls, can dramatically change the overall appearance of a home with a relatively small investment.

• "Bull-nosed" or Rounded Corners
A common upgrade in new homes, replacing square cornered walls and windows with rounded ones will instantly update any home. Finishing circular windows and curved archways this way is an especially attractive touch.

• Room Separation
Drywall can also be used to separate the combination living/dining rooms creatively. Building an arch with or without columns can divide a room without sacrificing space. Adding a false "header" to create an arch or overhead plant shelf divides the room. This technique works very well on vaulted ceilings without making the room look "cut up."

• Ceilings
In the dining room, you can create a lovely effect with sculptured ceilings. Replacing sprayed acoustic ceilings with textured drywall enables homeowners to clean, paint and apply crown molding or other special trim to their ceilings.

• Drywall Textures

Walls and ceilings can be finished in many different ways. Retexturing or smoothing walls can freshen and modernize older homes or even return the original character to period homes that may have been carelessly remodeled.

Changing up the old-fashioned styles of texture (such as skip & trowel or brushed) can significantly freshen and update a 30-year-old home.

On the other hand, covering those styles of texture with a new layer of hand-troweled joint compound to resemble plaster could restore the charm to a 1900 Victorian.

Custom textures and treatments, such as combining textured walls with totally smooth ceilings, can give a home a unique look.