Whether you are after kitchen wall decor ideas, bedroom wall decor ideas or bathroom wall decor ideas here’s our take on the best routes for a well-judged wall throughout your home. Best of all, almost all of them are savvy affordable design ideas that are sure to inspire you for years to come. From repurposing a cherished printed silk scarf to an easy to move metal wall divider, consider these design cues must-try’s for the year ahead.
Rich Tapestries
Brilliantly embroidered and printed tapestries are a great way of adding color and beautiful patterns to your walls. You can go for traditional and comforting for a warm and inviting approach to cozy living room wall decor ideas.
But if you want something completely unique to you and an affordable alternative to a decadent vintage tapestry, our interior designers suggest framing one of your favorite silk scarves. Scarves often feature bold and expressive color and pattern, and they can easily be sourced for under $10 at any vintage shop or antique market.
Personalized Wallpaper
Personalized wallpaper the ultimate in custom decorating cues, and its certain to make your home standout while increasing its value. Thanks to innovative new printing technologies, you can have pretty much any design you want turned into wallpaper, whether that’s a pattern you particularly like, a piece of art or even a photograph, used to make a repeating pattern.
Unique and custom wallpaper would be perfect for entrance wall decor ideas, as everyone who enters your home will see your well-considered statement-making print instantly.
Hanging Plates
Displaying plates on the wall may seem like an idea from another era, and to be honest, it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seriously giving a go. Call it a stylish homage to the retro vibes we are seeing trend at the moment; interesting patterned plates displayed on a bright and bold background is definitely a savvy solution to decorating any wall – making a smart case for retro wall decor ideas.
Plus, you can easily collect a delightful range of plates affordably online and at local estate sales and the ilk. Just be sure to display them in an effective way to really make a stunning statement.
Room Dividers
While you aren’t going to hang these on the wall, room dividers used as artistic pieces make for beautiful bedroom wall decor ideas, and for dividing common areas alike.
Colorful, intricate or dramatic, room dividers make for a stunning addition to any space. From sophisticated high-shine Art Deco room dividers to antique Asian-inspired silk screens, there are plenty of stylized options to be found with ease.
Stylish Sconces
Our interior designers recently noted some seriously stylish updates when it comes to wall sconces that are worth considering. Another retro throwback, wall lights are a clever and chic way of bringing in additional light into any room while making a grand impact.
They look great either placed on the side of a mirror or hung near a piece of art, making for effective and practical living room wall decor ideas. From the less imposing to the large-scaled, a modern wall sconce is sure to up the elegance factor in any room. Our favorites are the new Mid-Century Modern-inspired black spider arm swing lamps, like the one you can quickly move and arrange, above.
Gold-Framed Art
There is just something about a gold-framed which makes any piece of art look like an instant masterpiece. Amp up your art pieces with decorative framing and display them around the room, in clusters or sporadically throughout your space.
This idea is perfect for pretty much any room of the house, but we love it especially for elegant bedroom wall decor ideas. You can also use heavily decorative gold picture frames to be juxtaposed with modern prints and minimal furnishings.
Multiple Mirrors
Displaying multiple mirrors in different and contrasting designs is an easy way of adding a high-shine decorative element to any wall while making the room appear larger and brighter – and best of all, more luxurious in one go.
They can be of a similar style, size, and shape, or they can be completely different for a more vibrant and less expected feel. This looks especially good in the bathroom (practical too) and makes for a more visually interesting change from predictable bathroom wall decor ideas.
A Bold Picture Ledge
A conversation-starting way to display your art and cherished family pictures is on a picture ledge – it’s something a bit different from the traditional way of hanging your art on the wall and it makes a memorable impact in a room.
You can go for a single ledge upon which you can prop your favorite pieces of art or multiple ledges for more depth and display space. This is a great kitchen wall decor idea, as it keeps your art safe and secure from potential spills and stains. And it also is a great way to bring a room together that’s not quite completely furnished or is lacking in character-defining design.
Art Everywhere
If you are an art lover, then don’t hesitate to cover every inch of your space with beautiful wall art. Choose small pieces, large pieces, bold frames, and simple frames. Contrast, collaborate, and test the boundaries of displaying paintings and the like – and don’t be afraid to mix mediums.
This is a great idea for rich and expressive entryway wall decor ideas. And it’ll add a sense of much-needed personality in even the simplest of minimal rooms.
Fireplace
If you are lucky enough a fireplace in your home, then be bold and make an impact with a statement fireplace. Fireplaces are perfect for creating a focal point and there are an endless amount of cues to consider. Wherever your fireplace is in your home, dare to dream and choose this as your unique answer to wall decor ideas.
From mirrored to tiled to wallpapered, there are plenty of routes to take, just be sure that you’re truly pleased by your selection as this can be one costly investment to have to keep upgrading to your liking.
Wall Sculpture
Wall sculptures are different from predictable paintings and prints and add definitive texture as well as color and form. Make sure they are safe from being knocked off the wall (as wall sculptures tend to be delicate). T
hat said, this might not be the best of entrance wall decor ideas because they are high traffic areas – but a sculpture would set off a dining room or living room nicely.
Wall Plants
Displaying plants on the walls is the perfect way to add greenery and add a stylish decor element. Create a wall of succulents for a low maintenance green option or hang baskets from hooks on the wall or ceiling to enable you to choose a wider variety of plant life.
Greenery never goes out of style and is inexpensive to boot, keeping your wall decor ideas modern, always.
Hanging Frames
Another clever way of displaying your art is to hang them from chains, cords or rope. This is something that you won’t see in anyone else’s home and is a decor idea taken from the way that large paintings are hung to support their weight.
Hanging your art at different levels makes for eye-catching wall decor ideas.
Mirrors for Windows
Why not go all out and choose mirrors which trick you into thinking they are windows? Big, arched mirrors are a brilliant way of tricking your eye into thinking you are looking out of a window – they resemble traditional windows and we love the difference in space they make to your living room wall decor ideas.
A Fully Stylized Bookshelf
A bookshelf extending across one wall is a quirky and traditional way of displaying items like books and treasures from your travels, as well as providing you with additional storage space.
Books make for an eye-catching display of color and design and if you are into your reading, this has got to be one of the most go-to top wall decor ideas for your home.
Split Photos
Splitting a photo into two, three or four is an interesting way of adding intriguing dimension and interest to your wall decor ideas. Frame each section of the photo in the same frame and hang them evenly across the wall; this is another retro-inspired idea – as it seems the design world just can’t seem to get enough of them.
We like splitting photos for kitchen wall decor ideas, as it’s a safer option than paintings or sculptural art when it comes to spills and stains. But even better, we love how the corner of the living room picture above looks as if its features a morphed illustration – a collage cue you should definitely consider using to your advantage.
Shelving
It might seem like a simple idea, but you can use shelving to create a decorative and fully stylized area on your wall. Choose some pretty, ornate shelving to make a feature out of the shelves themselves or choose simple shelving to make your collectibles and treasures stand out.
This is also a great way to create storage while keeping it stylish. The key here is to carefully edit a range of diverse accessories in different scales to keep the look rich and well-judged.
Linear Framed Art
Art doesn’t always have to be displayed in a predictably straightforward fashion, with the right prints and the right frames, art looks great when it has a repetitive, symmetrical feel to its installation. Choose a range of prints featuring similar designs and display a a distinct grouping all evening hung for the eye to keep moving.
Great for entryway wall decor ideas and bathroom wall decor ideas alike, this concept lends itself to brilliantly smaller spaces and larger ones alike. And for something even more unexpected, our interior designers loved the fact that the living room featured above, used heirloom clothing as room-defining features that will be memorable for years to come.
Retro-Inspired Wallpaper
Retro-inspired wallpaper is the ideal wall covering for making a grand and traditional statement in your home. It’s evocative of eras past, it’s bold and it makes a lasting impact, with vibrant patterns and shapes adorning your wall.
A retro-inspired wall-covering with a nod to the old-school glamor of the past will also make for rich and ultra-indulgent bedroom wall decor ideas.
Add A Ladder
A resting ladder is a unique and fun way of livening up a dull corner with some seriously practical wall decor. Whether you are going for a modern, sleek light wood ladder or something a little more rustic that you picked up in an antique store on your travels, they make an interesting storage solution and are a little different than traditional wall decor ideas.
Using ladder shelving of any size in your home is sure to lend a modern and fun note that’s whimsical and stylish to boot. And for added visual interest, you could also consider bringing in pairs of ladder shelving units for needed symmetry and extra character.
A Metal Living Room Wall Divider
Whether you have a large open floorplan or a studio that needs dividing, an open latticed metal room divider will cleverly separate areas while not making the space feel closed off or darkened. Even better if you can easily move them around when not needed.
A Book And Album Art Display
Books and album covers often feature extraordinary and rich covers that are worth showcasing. But how do you display several at once without coming off as heavy hand or too visually loud?
Add a rich note to common rooms by bringing in shallow shelf ledges to display a carefully edited selection of highlights from your book and music selection that you can easily change out for an instant room refresh from season to season.