Uneven walls

[michelehu]

So we're redecorating/renovating a 1960s house having just moved from a fresh new build. We love it and the character it has, but I have a mind block when it comes to the walls - I hate how uneven and marked they are! I'm so used to new plaster that I feel like painting these walls (even after filling and sanding) looks scruffy. Can I have some assurance that it's normal to have smalls dents and marks in older houses? Everything you see on instagram, even in period homes of hundreds of years, shows perfect smooth walls as they've been able to have walls redone/skimmed which isn't an option for us.

But it's normal to have imperfect walls right?

It is normal to have imperfect walls

The instagramers may have had their walls skimmed or used lining paper to even them out though.

The imperfections may also just not show up on photos

Or you could just embrace a wall with character….

It’s perfectly normal to have imperfections everywhere in an older home - it gives a house character. Instagram homes are not real life.

It just doesn't show in photos.