How to decorate a wall: the best decor options for different rooms

From paintings to mirrors and more, we tell you how to properly decorate the walls in each room.

Even the highest quality finishing materials and perfectly matched colors will not make a room truly cozy without small final touches. It is the decorations that give the design a complete look, create the right mood and make the interior individual. In this article, we will tell you which wall decor is suitable for each room and how not to get lost in the variety of accessories.

What is important to know

Wall decor is not just a couple of the first posters that come across, but a full-fledged design tool that affects the perception of space no less than the color of the walls and the texture of the furniture.

Accessories perform several important functions:

Form a palette. It is believed that the color scheme of the room is determined by the shade of the walls or large furniture, but this is far from always the case. Decorations are a great way to add bright accents or to support one of the main colors. And in a monochrome interior, this may be the only colorful spot that completely changes the feel of the basic palette: for example, a large picture in a minimalist dining room or a mirror in a bright frame in the bedroom.
They create a mood. The principle is the same as with the color scheme: a couple of wall decorations can both support the overall atmosphere and completely change it. Imagine a living room in bright colors. Hang posters on a botanical theme, mini-panels of macrame, or wooden decor on the wall above the sofa – you get a cozy interior in eco-style. But if you replace all this with a large abstract painting in deep dark shades, the image of the room will change dramatically.
Change proportions. Decorative elements are a great tool for visually changing the proportions of a room. Low ceiling? Use elongated decorations that will make the walls visually higher. A large space that seems empty? Hang large paintings or panels in addition to overall furniture – so the scale will appear smaller. Mirrors and other reflective surfaces will help visually make a small room bigger.
Mask imperfections. In the end, accessories can easily hide the unevenness of the wall, the faded area of the wallpaper, scratches, and chips. Of course, this is not a panacea, but an excellent solution pending repairs.

Types of wall decorations

Before decorating a wall in a room, you need to know what accessories there are in general.

Ideas for different rooms

Consider how you can decorate walls in different rooms, with beautiful photo examples.

Kitchen

Directly in the kitchen, wall decorations are used infrequently. Firstly, the cooking zone is constantly hot and humid, which can cause products to deteriorate. Secondly, most of the vertical surface is occupied by a kitchen set. However you need to fill the space if:

The wall in the dining area is empty – one medium or large picture in a laconic frame, a couple of posters, and a curly lamp above the table will suit the role of decorations. It can also be a narrow shelf with pots or ceramics.
No hanging cabinets. Usually, it is replaced with open shelves, but if there is already enough storage space, the area above the work surface may be empty. Decorate it with dishes, beautiful boards, and a picture. The main thing is that the wall decor for the kitchen should be made of materials that are resistant to moisture and high temperatures.
The set is linear – for example if the kitchen is narrow or walk-through and there is nothing opposite the line of cabinets. A group of posters, a small panel, or a composition of decorative plates will help to revive the surface.

Living room

The living room is the most suitable room for experiments. This is not a kitchen with high humidity and not a bedroom or nursery, where the interior should be as discreet as possible.

In the same space, you can make a home art gallery, hang a provocative art object over a sofa or armchair, or decorate an unusual accent wall. When choosing accessories, be guided by the size of the room, the atmosphere you want to create, and, of course, the overall style.

For example, wall decor in a living room in a modern or minimalist style should be few and thoughtful: instead of a dozen small posters, one painting by a contemporary artist, a textured panel, or a mirror in a laconic frame, which stands out not for its shape, but for its noble appearance. For Scandinavian, boho, and eco-style, use all kinds of details made from natural materials: wood, clay, fabric, macrame, jute, and matting. Also suitable are thematic posters, wickerwork, and fragments of wallpaper with a natural print.

In the classical, neoclassical, baroque, and art deco, wall decoration is plentiful and large-scale: these are paintings in massive gilded frames, figured mirrors, and glass sconces. But be careful: if the finish itself is active (for example, wallpaper with a large pattern), there should not be too much decoration. It is better to use them in plain areas.

Bedroom

In the bedroom, we not only spend 7-8 hours a day but also recharge our mood for the whole day and tune in to rest after work, study, and other things.

It is important that the walls, especially those that are visible from the bed, are not too colorful. At the same time, you should not leave them empty either – the interior should be cozy and pleasing to the eye. What will fit:

Beautiful or unusually shaped watches (most importantly, choose models that will not tick loudly).
Mirrors in an interesting or, conversely, laconic frame – depending on the style.
Several paintings, posters, or sketches in frames. Choose calming or abstract subjects so that drawings or photos do not attract too much attention and do not lead to disturbing thoughts.
Dreamcatchers, macrame pendants, wicker jewelry – perfect for Scandinavian, boho, eco-style, and eclecticism.
Custom stickers and vinyl decals are a good option if you’re looking to decorate your wall directly onto your wallpaper.

Kids room

In a kid’s room, the decoration itself most often performs a decorative function: photo wallpapers, canvases with a bright print, or artistic painting.

However, if you have chosen a neutral design for the children’s area, add at least a few decorative elements. These can be the same posters with your favorite characters or small paintings on a fabulous natural theme, bright panels, vinyl stickers, unusual wall sconces, garlands, or neon letters.

Most importantly, every little thing should be safe for children, especially if it is a 2-5-year-old baby’s room. And it’s not just about eco-friendly materials. For example, if you’re hanging LED-lit letters above your bed, make sure they’re high enough so your child can’t drop them on themselves or reach for the wiring. Everything must be securely fastened.

Cabinet

The interior of the home office should be discreet, tune in to work, and help to concentrate. So – no colorful and distracting elements.

From wall decorations, paintings, and posters in soothing colors, panels, and open shelves with beautiful storage of books are suitable. All details should fit into the overall style and emphasize the working mood. Therefore, choose products in noble neutral shades (brown, white, gray, dark blue, green, beige), preferably from natural materials. With their help, you can place visual accents: for example, highlight the workplace with a large picture above the table, a recreation area with posters, interesting sconces, or bookshelves.

Wall decor in the hallway

Design in the hallway in the first place should be practical. However, even in a tiny entrance area, there is a place for decorative elements – all the more so they not only decorate the room but also correct its real proportions.

How to decorate:

The main accessory in the hallway is a mirror. Here we change clothes, evaluate our appearance, and do our hair and makeup, so a good reflective surface is indispensable. In addition, the mirror multiplies the light and visually enlarges the space – with the right location and work with light, twice or even more. Choose the size and shape depending on the overall style and your needs.
Narrow, upward-facing wall sconces with directional light will slightly increase the height of the room, making a small entrance area seem higher and therefore more spacious.
A couple of posters will complete the interior, and if you have a narrow corridor, they will fill the voids of a long wall.

Bathroom

The bathroom is a utility room, most often very small, so people rarely think about accessories here.

In addition, this is a wet zone with constant temperature changes, which means that you need to choose from materials that are not afraid of moisture and steam.

Suitable:

Mirror – you can focus on it with the help of an interesting frame and lighting.
Beautiful sconces – most often they are hung just around the mirror.
A small picture or poster – in a frame that will not dry out from hot, humid air.
Mosaic – can be a continuation of the decoration.

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