Color wash is that "textured" appearance that you often see - it looks like stucco or weathered paint. If done right, it looks fabulous. One point of warning, though: don't go into this thinking that you will color wash your entire house. Not only would this be visually overpowering, it would take an inordinate amount of time. Color wash is best confined to a kid's room, den, office, or sewing room.