Wall Treatments & Decorative Elements
Wallcovering
Straight Match A straight match design runs in a straight horizontal line across the wall. (Note how the flowers line up in a direct horizontal plane across the width of the paper as well as at the seams.)
Drop Match A drop match design does not run in a straight line across the wall. Instead, it appears to run diagonally. (Note how the flowers meet horizontally at the seams, but not across the width of the paper. The pattern drops - and then repeats.)
Random Match No specific area of the wallcovering edge must be matched with the next edge - for instance, vertical stripes.
Ground The background area of a wallcovering (in the examples above, there are yellow and red flowers on a white ground).
Paint
Flat Paint A flat finish is a non-reflective, porous surface with a powdery feel. Pros: Hides surface imperfections, lends a formal feel to a room, allows a softer lighting scheme, and is the least expensive. Cons: Difficult to impossible to clean.
Eggshell and Satin Enamel Eggshell (also known as flat enamel) and satin finishes are far from glossy. There is just the barest hint of luster to them (eggshell like the shell of an egg, and satin with a bit more luster) and little reflectivity. Pros: More maintenance friendly than flat, thus a good choice for kids rooms and high traffic areas, and a low luster that can be very flattering to ceiling lights. Cons: Slightly higher cost and not as scrubbable as semi-gloss or gloss.
Semi-gloss Enamel Semi-Gloss provides a harder, glossier finish than eggshell or satin, and is therefore more stain and wear resistant. It is the traditional choice for kitchens and bathrooms, as well as for woodwork and cabinets, areas that receive lots of hard use and receive frequent scrubbing. Pros: Excellent washability, and due to its reflectivity, makes woodwork, trim, and moldings stand out. Cons: Due to its reflectivity, it can be an unflattering wall finish (revealing surface imperfections and reflecting too much light)
High Gloss Enamel A very hard and shiny finish. This finish has the highest stain and wear resistance and is a good choice for cabinets, woodwork, and railings. Pros: Superior wearability and washability. Cons: Difficult to work with properly, as it reveals all imperfections in both the surface being painted as well as the painter's mistakes. In some applications in some areas (such as handrails that are subject to being wet), the surface may be too slick.
Faux Painting
A technique of painting with both regular wall paint and various glazes, and employing tools unique to faux painting to create an effect such as Venetian plaster, color mottling, stria, etc.
Examples of faux painting techniques

General Patterning & Decorative Elements
Dragging or Stria A type of striped paint or wallcovering pattern usually consisting of very fine, irregularly spaced parallel lines that are often monochromatic in color.
Greek Key A pattern also known as meander, and that dates back to ancient Greece.
Trompe-l'œil (French for "trick the eye") An effect created through the use of heavy perspective, either painted or on a wallcovering (mural), in which a to-scale, ultra-realistic image is applied, the result being a feeling of three dimensions. (The doorway in the illustration at right is merely a painting on a wall, not a doorway onto a porch. Note how the artist used shadows in such a way that they seem to come right into the room, but in fact stop at the floor.)
Corbel A corbel is an architectural bracket or block projecting from a wall and supporting (or appearing to support) a ceiling, beam, drapery rod, or shelf.
Volute A volute is a spiral scroll-like ornament.
Palmette or Anthemion The palmette, also called anthemion, is a stylized decorative element based on the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree.
Acanthus A decorative element based on a stylization of a Mediterranean plant, the leaves of which are thick, fleshy, and scalloped.
Rosette A round, stylized flower design.
Rinceau A decorative border or strip, featuring stylized vines with leaves and often with fruit or flowers.
Lotiform Having the shape of a lotus bud or flower.
Reeding A small convex molding, usually one of several set close together to decorate a surface.
Fluting Shallow, hollowed out (concave) grooves that can either run from the top to the bottom, or side by side.
Dentil A series of small square projecting blocks.
Egg and Dart Alternates vertical egg shapes with spiky, dart-like forms.
Guilloche (Pronounced "GE-osh") Consists of circles and interlaced curving bands.