I went schizophrenic! I put drywall up on one side, then went with the "hardi-plank" type panels on the other. My rational - I spent a lot time taping and sanding the mud, then multiple coats of primer BEFORE putting the final coat on. When I got done, it looked ok - a few splotches, but hey it was a garage shop, right? Right up until the time I moved a ladder, it slipped and put a real nice pyramid shaped dent in the wall!!! That reminded me that I would probably not feel real good about the first time I had a piece of wood really hit the wall hard!
I then decided to go something heavier, and tried the paneling. It was already primed, so all I had to do was nail it up. Of course, it is very heavy, but I haven't dented it yet, and it looks fine. Plus - all of my "fitting" was restricted to electrical outlets. Everything else was a standard panel until the end. It does take a nail pretty good, but if I were going to be nailing a lot of heavy weight bearing items it might not be the best solution. I went with a beveled hanger system, and was able to attach to studs easily. If I were doing a shop in the house, or really wanted it to be a showplace, I would find another option, though.
But no matter what you select, - as stated earlier - paint it white! Really nice being able to see what I am cutting. "Lefty" is not a nickname I want to be called!
:saw: