Kitchen faux painting?

Im redoing my kitchen and the walls are really bad, meaning lots of damage done over the years plus we removed the wallpaper. We did sand but it still looks crappy for a smooth finish of paint. So....I thought I would try to faux paint so that it looks like it might have a textured look. Or does anybody have any ideas for another look? I want to make sure it will be able to be cleaned easy also we all know kitchen walls can get dirty with cooking and grease. Thanks for any help. One more thing, Im going for french country look. So mostly natural colors are going to be used. Kitchen faux painting?
If the walls are not smooth they could be very difficult to clean regardless of the paint job. There are a couple of options.





#1) Install new drywall. It's not very difficult and will give you a nice smooth surface to work with. You can search the web for sheetrock or drywall installation, there are tons of sites with great directions and pictures that make it very easy to follow and understand.





#2) Float the wall. Get a 5 gallon pail (that should be enough depending on the wall size) of joint compound and basically trowel it all over the wall. Sort of like plastering. It may end up being easier to do this rather than try and patch up every hole, crack, dent, etc... (that would option #2 1/2 ;-) Then you can sand it and have a nice smooth surface to work with.





#3) Paneling. It comes in all types of styles and colors/stains or can be painted. Perhaps a wainscoting (paneling), chair rail and flat upper wall(1/4'; sanded plywood) painted or stained to your liking.





Any of the above methods will still allow you to do any type of painting you like, smooth or textured. I would also suggest a semi-gloss paint for ease of cleaning.