The prior owner did a nifty texture thing on the dining area wall out of (I presume) drywall compound. Thankfully, it's about 12 swirls and three braids, approximately 1/4" off wall, and not the whole wall. But here's the problem. I don't want the texture. I want my own thing on the wall and the swirls and braids just don't fit with my plan.

Sanding is a sloooow process, as is scraping to get the texture off. Does anyone have tips on the fastest/best way to do this? (I'm starting to think it'd be easier to cut down the wall and put up new drywall!)