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Decorating walls: Ideas and inspiration for impressive interiors

By Natasha Heard   |  

When we think of redesigning our interiors and giving the walls a makeover, often our minds flicker to tones of paint or a wallpaper pattern we like, but the true designers among us will be thinking much further outside of the box.

There are many elements to consider for such a large part of the room that aren’t just about taste, colour and pattern, and these include positioning of the room in the house, window size, existing furniture and artworks, and a possible requirement for zones within the space (dining, lounging, socialising). You also need to consider what materials you like in your home, what textures you enjoy and the overall feeling you wish to create within your personal spaces.

Creating an abode that looks as though a top designer has given it their magic touch takes a lot of careful consideration and an innovative streak. If you’re looking for ideas and inspiration for your interior walls for your next big redesign, then read on for some of our favourite picks.

Wall murals

wall mural
Image credit: scaliger/Bigstock.com

Make a style statement in your home with a wall mural. They provide ideal opportunity to make your mark and have the unique ability to transport you to other places, whether that’s straight into nature with a beach scene or forest, or to a mystical landscape or urban setup. This is a fantastic way to let your personality shine through in your décor, whether you opt for realistic style murals or something more abstract. Head to photowall.co.uk/wall-murals/colours to discover a great selection of wall murals to choose from to suit your individual style.

Gallery wall

gallery wall

Gallery walls have been a popular option for a few years now and though the idea has developed, the popularity of this look is still strong. Whether you want to fill your selection of frames with family portraits or more abstract artworks, you can really play with the style here. The colour of the wall behind can be anything you like, and you can keep it simple and sleek or you could opt for colourful frames and black and white portraits, play around with the frame style and layout of your gallery. The choices are yours.

Wallpaper

home wallpaper

Not to be underestimated, wallpaper can entirely lift the look of a room, whether you choose to paper a feature wall or all available walls. From simple colours to eye-popping patterns to a range of textures that up the elegance factor, your abode will thank you for the extra lift in style. Popular right now are floral patterns, tropical themes, geometric and 3D effect patterns, but it’s all about what suits your own personal style. 

Bespoke cladding

bedroom cladding

Adding cladding to your walls seriously ups the style factor – just take a look at the finest five-star hotels and celebrity abodes whose rooms have been expertly styled by the best in the business and you’ll understand what we mean. To incorporate the look you could opt for wood cladding and cover a whole wall or try smaller sections that are covered with a softer fabric and work them into your bedroom to act as a headboard, for example. It’s best to come up with a mood board and select a few fabrics, colours and materials that you like the look and feel of to get an idea of what works best as a whole, and if you are hiring an interior designer, then let the expert guide you.  

Paint

Whatever look you choose for your walls, there will always be the need for paint, whether for skirting and doorframes or the whole hog. Deep greens and blues remain popular tones, while calming, warming neutral shades are looking to take over from the ever-popular grey, but it seems grey tones will be in fashion for quite some time yet. Painting your walls doesn’t mean you have to compromise on creativity either, you can use complementary colour combinations and paint different shapes and styles to produce an eye-catching result, or make some skirting stand out with something other than white.