Decorating
Decorating: 11 Ways to Dress Up Your Walls
Don’t let art be an afterthought. Choose memorable, personal pieces and make your walls the star of the show
Naked walls are no fun. They can make an otherwise finely decorated room seem cold and incomplete. Whether you’re working with vintage posters, salvaged frames or more elaborate pieces, a dressed up wall will give your room the perfect finish. Check out these ideas to get you started.
Cover the walls in posters
If you have a collection of vintage posters from student days, or have unearthed some classics in junk shops, make a feature of them to add youthful energy to a home office. Unless you’re planning on covering every inch of your wall in posters, make sure you leave borders between the prints to give each its own space – keeping the borders a similar width makes for an ordered display. Choose fuss-free furniture so it doesn’t fight with the busy prints.
If you have a collection of vintage posters from student days, or have unearthed some classics in junk shops, make a feature of them to add youthful energy to a home office. Unless you’re planning on covering every inch of your wall in posters, make sure you leave borders between the prints to give each its own space – keeping the borders a similar width makes for an ordered display. Choose fuss-free furniture so it doesn’t fight with the busy prints.
Gaze upon the world with an oversized map
Create a feature wall with some world map wallpaper. Although this is a kid’s room, you could easily give this a more grown-up look by finding a map in sepia tones, or keeping the rest of your room and furniture monochrome.
Browse 10 fantastic feature walls
Create a feature wall with some world map wallpaper. Although this is a kid’s room, you could easily give this a more grown-up look by finding a map in sepia tones, or keeping the rest of your room and furniture monochrome.
Browse 10 fantastic feature walls
Recycle magazines and newspapers
Instead of throwing away old newspapers and magazines, why not line the walls of your hallway or cloakroom with them? This montage uses black and white pages from magazines, but coloured images would work just as well. However, once you choose either colour or monochrome, stick to it – consistency is key, otherwise the look risks becoming too cluttered.
Instead of throwing away old newspapers and magazines, why not line the walls of your hallway or cloakroom with them? This montage uses black and white pages from magazines, but coloured images would work just as well. However, once you choose either colour or monochrome, stick to it – consistency is key, otherwise the look risks becoming too cluttered.
Decorate with your favourite comic panels
Delight your inner child with an oversized comic book mural. Keep the look to two to three story panels, and go for clear lines and simple but compelling fonts. Check out the range at Surface View, which includes The Beano and The Dandy. Avoid prints in the rest of the room so your comic doesn’t suddenly find itself clashing with leopard print, say…
Delight your inner child with an oversized comic book mural. Keep the look to two to three story panels, and go for clear lines and simple but compelling fonts. Check out the range at Surface View, which includes The Beano and The Dandy. Avoid prints in the rest of the room so your comic doesn’t suddenly find itself clashing with leopard print, say…
Be whimsical with mirrors
OK, so technically this isn’t an inside wall – or a wall at all, it’s a hedge – but but the look is striking. A mix of mirrors and empty vintage frames create a fairy-tale atmosphere and give this outdoor room a sense of grandeur. It’s a look that could be recreated indoors, on the wall running up the stairs, for instance.
Explore 10 ways to work magic with mirrors
OK, so technically this isn’t an inside wall – or a wall at all, it’s a hedge – but but the look is striking. A mix of mirrors and empty vintage frames create a fairy-tale atmosphere and give this outdoor room a sense of grandeur. It’s a look that could be recreated indoors, on the wall running up the stairs, for instance.
Explore 10 ways to work magic with mirrors
Put on a light show
Integrate light and design by having an attention-grabbing light source highlight a bespoke, delicately drawn design on a feature wall. The slightly abstract, flowing white lines seem to emanate from the round, flower-like lamp, lending the wall a dreamy look.
Integrate light and design by having an attention-grabbing light source highlight a bespoke, delicately drawn design on a feature wall. The slightly abstract, flowing white lines seem to emanate from the round, flower-like lamp, lending the wall a dreamy look.
Get graphic
For the ultimate eye-catcher, use a strong graphic print on an otherwise bare wall. In this bedroom, the zigzag headboard plays off the print’s colours nicely, but this would also work in a plain, minimal room. The coloured flex frames the whole area beautifully.
For the ultimate eye-catcher, use a strong graphic print on an otherwise bare wall. In this bedroom, the zigzag headboard plays off the print’s colours nicely, but this would also work in a plain, minimal room. The coloured flex frames the whole area beautifully.
Light up with neon
To give your walls a pop art feel, consider a neon sign spelling out a fun word or slogan. Any room will instantly be transformed into a party-ready pad.
To give your walls a pop art feel, consider a neon sign spelling out a fun word or slogan. Any room will instantly be transformed into a party-ready pad.
Get creative with washi tape
Washi tape comes in a variety of colours and designs, and can be used to frame pictures, hang photos and posters, or create entire works of wall art. To create a panel like this, trace out the design with a pencil and ruler to make sure everything is nice and straight, and then tape away!
TELL US…
How have you decorated your walls? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Washi tape comes in a variety of colours and designs, and can be used to frame pictures, hang photos and posters, or create entire works of wall art. To create a panel like this, trace out the design with a pencil and ruler to make sure everything is nice and straight, and then tape away!
TELL US…
How have you decorated your walls? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Curate prints, paintings, typography and photographs that conform to a tight colour palette for a sophisticated display. Here, artworks in black and white – with touches of gold to echo the wood and add warmth – make an appealing arrangement above this sideboard.