Walls can make a design statement of their own. Depending on the finish given, they can look rustic, sophisticated, classic or arty. Therefore it is important to choose your wall finish after careful thought to the oversall mood of the decor.
Today, designers and house-owners are going beyond just paint for walls. They are choosing from wallpaper, fabric, wood paneling, plaster of paris murals and frescos, textured paint or plastering, to cladding with different types of tiles. Of all the options available, one of the most economical and popular is cladding.

Wall cladding is the covering of a wall surface with tiles. While in the kitchen and bathrooms cladding is done primarily for functional purposes, in other rooms of the house, tiles are used for a purely decorative effect. There are various kinds of materials that can be used to clad the walls of your interiors. For example, granite, marble, glazed clay, granite stone, sandstone, kota tiles, mirror tiles, pebbles, tile chips and broken glass. There are also synthetic materials such as acrylic-based aluminum composite panels that come in 2.5X8 ft size.

Choice of Cladding

Granite and marble tiles are the classic choice for wall cladding. With their beautiful colours, designs and polish, they lend an air of opulence to the house. They are ideally used in entrances, lobbies, living rooms and dining rooms. Granite, being weather-resistant, is also a good material to choose for an exterior wall such as a verandah or sit out. If protected from rough handling, these natural stones are easy to maintain and last decades.

For the rustic, ethnic or arty look, suitable stones are sandstone, kota and granite stone. These come polished and rough. Your choice depends entirely on the look you wish to create. Polished stone is not mirror-polished, but just smooth. This is easy to maintain as compared to the unpolished variety. Rough stone is suitable for large expanses of space such as the exterior of houses, huge hallways and lobbies. The look is very unsymmetrical and unfinished, so you should be really sure you like it before making your choice. Of these natural stones, sandstone (also known as Jaipur or Dholpur stone) comes in a few basic colours such as beige, pink, greenish, brown. You can choose one or a combination of two, which could be laid in aesthetic patterns.

Brick or glazed clay tiles are a popular cladding option, but being red, they absorb light, and should not be used in small rooms or over too many walls. This look goes with ethnic artifacts and furniture and hangings.

Mirror tiles have become the designer's solution to small or darkish flats. Used on a wall facing big windows, they are breathtakingly effective in bringing light and a spacious feeling into the room. But they are expensive to buy and very difficult to maintain. Acrylic based aluminium panels come in beautiful marbled designs and colours. They can be used as wall cladding in high traffic areas of large residences, commercial complexes and offices, or in bathrooms for easy care.

Other types of cladding are innovative and economical. Broken ceramic tiles bought directly from the manufacturer, if well matched and laid, can create beautiful patterns and designs. Pebbles, broken glass, rice husk, are materials that can be embedded in the plastering for a different and cost-effective cladding. They should be finished with a protective coat of cashew oil.

Which walls to clad

In the living room, the wall cladding makes an impression if it faces the entrance door. Alternately, clad the wall most visible while the visitors are seated. Use lighting suited to the type of cladding. Soft, muted lighting goes well with polished surfaces, while uplighting brings out the drama of a rough-hewn surface. Hang artifacts that do not clash with the wall in material and mood, avoiding for instance plastic or glass items on brick tiles and raw-finished handicrafts over shining granite.

In the dining room, clad the wall that does not have a sideboard unit or bar, as it could otherwise become too busy a decor.

In the bedroom, use cladding minimally as it can be overpowering on a large scale. Also, materials such as marble and granite create a cold sensation and take away from the cosiness required.