CoolWebs wrote:
The house was built in 81 and has tested negative for both lead and
asbestos.

Are you saying I should try to match texture rather than sand
everything? Sanding everything doesn't work?

sanding is incredibly messy, time consuming, and risks damaging the surface
of the wall so that you have to skim coat it anyway.

it's be faster and easier to pay someone to skim coat the entire wall,
putting on the texture that you want. it'll be cheaper for you to do this,
but you'll want to do some practicing on some scrap wallboard to start with.
there is a learning curve to getting it the way you want.