Combine a design whiteboard with an acoustic panel and let either material age unevenly, and the two finishes that once matched can visibly drift apart within a couple of years. The two need different cleaning routines and wear differently, so keeping them looking considered together takes a maintenance plan built at the same time as the specification, not worked out afterwards. Do that and the combined wall keeps reading as one decision for as long as the rest of the fit-out does. Building this plan before installation, rather than reacting once a mismatch has already become visible, is consistently the easier and cheaper path.
