Walk through any Old Town Fort Collins neighborhood, and you’ll notice something: the homes that stand out aren’t necessarily the biggest or the newest. They’re the ones where someone paid attention to the walls. In a region defined by historic brick bungalows, mid-century ranch homes, and a growing wave of new construction near CSU and the Poudre River corridor, wall finishes have quietly become one of the most talked-about home improvement categories in Northern Colorado.
It makes sense. Paint is everywhere. Every builder-grade home in Fort Collins, Windsor, and Timnath has the same flat white or greige walls, and homeowners are looking for a way to differentiate a space without a full renovation. That’s where wallpaper and decorative wall finishes come in — and where local demand has shifted noticeably over the past couple of years.
Why walls are the new focus room
Kitchen and bathroom remodels used to dominate the home improvement conversation. Now, designers and installers across the Front Range report a different trend: homeowners are investing in accent walls, entryways, and powder rooms as standalone projects — smaller in scope, faster to complete, and dramatically higher in visual impact per dollar spent than a full remodel.
According to Kris A., a decorative wall finish specialist and member of both the Wallcovering Installers Association (WIA) and the Interior Design Society (IDS), this shift is partly generational and partly practical. Homeowners want character in their spaces, but many are also renovating older Fort Collins homes where the original plaster walls have texture and imperfections that modern flat paint doesn’t flatter. A well-chosen wallpaper or a hand-applied plaster finish can work with those imperfections instead of fighting them.
That’s a meaningful distinction for a market like Northern Colorado, where housing stock ranges from century-old craftsman homes near Old Town to brand-new builds in the growing communities north and east of the city. The right wall treatment depends heavily on what kind of wall you’re actually working with.
Wallpaper: not what it used to be
If your last mental image of wallpaper involves your grandmother’s kitchen, it’s worth an update. Modern wallcoverings include grasscloth and natural fiber textures, peel-and-stick options for renters or first-time buyers, large-scale murals for accent walls, and designer vinyl patterns built to handle Colorado’s dry climate and dramatic seasonal humidity swings — a real consideration here, since improperly installed wallpaper can bubble or lift as the air dries out each winter.
That climate factor is actually one of the more overlooked details in Northern Colorado wall projects. Proper wall prep, adhesive selection, and seam technique matter more here than in wetter climates, which is part of why professional wallpaper installation Fort Collins has grown into its own specialty rather than a general handyman task. Homeowners who’ve tried DIY peel-and-stick projects in older homes with uneven plaster often find themselves calling in a professional after the fact to fix bubbling, misaligned patterns, or seams that show under direct light.
Plaster and texture finishes: the quieter trend
Alongside wallpaper, there’s a parallel trend gaining ground in Northern Colorado: decorative plaster finishes. Venetian plaster, limewash, and microcement have moved from high-end commercial spaces into residential homes, particularly in fireplace surrounds, primary bedrooms, and powder rooms. These finishes are applied by hand in thin layers, building up depth and a subtle variation in tone that flat paint simply can’t replicate.
Limewash in particular has found a following in older Fort Collins homes, where its slightly imperfect, breathable finish complements original brick and plaster rather than covering it up with something too polished. Homeowners working with historic properties along the Poudre River or in the Old Town Historic District often prefer it specifically because it doesn’t read as “new” — it settles into a century-old wall the way paint never quite does.
For homeowners exploring this category for the first time, it’s worth working with decorative wall finishing specialists who understand the difference between plaster techniques, since each — Venetian, limewash, microcement — requires different surface prep, tools, and curing time. A rushed or DIY application tends to show every mistake, while a properly applied finish can last decades with minimal maintenance.
What to consider before you start
A few practical notes for anyone in Northern Colorado thinking about a wall refresh this year:
Get a real assessment of your wall condition first. Older homes especially may need surface repair before any wallpaper or plaster can be applied — skipping this step is the single most common cause of a finish failing early.
Think about the room’s function before choosing a material. High-moisture spaces like bathrooms call for different materials than a dining room accent wall.
Budget for professional installation on statement pieces. A patterned wallpaper or a hand-troweled plaster finish is far less forgiving of installation errors than a flat coat of paint — mistakes are visible and expensive to fix.
Consider the long game. Both wallpaper and plaster finishes, done well, tend to outlast typical paint jobs by years, which changes the cost-per-year math even if the upfront investment is higher.
The bigger picture
None of this is about chasing a trend for its own sake. It reflects something broader happening in home design across Northern Colorado: a move away from generic, builder-grade interiors and toward spaces that actually reflect the character of the home and the people living in it. Whether that means a bold grasscloth accent wall in a Fort Collins dining room or a soft limewash fireplace surround in an Old Town craftsman, the walls are no longer an afterthought — they’re increasingly where homeowners are choosing to make their statement.