The walls in your home aren’t just there to contain the rooms they create. According to Forbes, they’re a chance to reflect who you are. Rather than wait to deal with wall decor after furniture is arranged and the paint dries, why not start your decor adventures with what you’re going to hang up?
Why Wall Decor Matters for Interior Design
Wall decor can accomplish several things for interior design. To start with, it gives you a color palette right off the bat. That can be one of the more challenging decisions in decorating a room, but your choices in paintings, photos, posters, and other wall hangings can be the touchstone for choosing the colors of a room.
You can also use wall decor as a focal point because a fundamental idea behind interior design is that any room needs a single design element that will immediately draw the attention of the human eye. Wall art can do this easily since it’s likely to be hanging either at or close to the level of human eyes when people walk into a room.
Not every piece of wall art is made equally, and you can take advantage of this. Mixing art from various mediums can bring a sense of texture to your room. Consider mixing prints and paintings with shadow boxes or sculptures to instill some depth in the room that you are decorating.
Perhaps most importantly, wall art makes your room seem finished. A space with mostly white walls just seems incomplete, and wall decor can be an extra touch that takes a room from functional to visually pleasing. Whether you start or finish a room with wall decor, make sure what you hang complements the rest of the room.
Truly Express Yourself
If you want your walls to reflect who you are, then consider getting custom wall decor. While you can always go out and buy wall art or commission artists to create pieces for you, there is also the option of uploading an image or photo of your own to create customized pieces of wall art for your home. You can also do them for your business, dorm room, or other interior spaces you need to decorate.
Wall decals are possible, but there are several kinds of materials you can have printed on. Your specific choice might be based on the look and feel you’re going for, but you should also consider what kind of wall material you are mounting on. One big consideration is the kind of image file type you use, as the detail and resolution will matter greatly. Something that looks great on your phone or computer screen might not hold up when expanded to fill part of a wall. However, high-resolution files can wind up turning into detailed pieces of wall content that you love looking at regularly.
Wall Decor Tips
Having trouble arranging your wall decor? Consider these tips:
- Always Start With the Fireplace: If your room has a fireplace, that’s always going to be the focal point. Your art grouping needs to be relatively equal in size to the fireplace opening.
- Take the Wall Size Into Account: Smaller pieces work better on narrow walls, whereas big walls are better homes for larger canvas pieces or prints.
- Arrange Pictures Before Touching Tools: Lay out things on the floor or a table so you can rearrange them into your desired arrangement before you pick up the hammer and nails.
- Keep Artwork Eye-Level: If you hang a single piece of artwork, keep the center of it level with human eyes as they walk into a room. If you have a group of images, think of them as a single unit.
- Align With Furniture: Any wall decor you hang over a furniture piece shouldn’t be wider than the furniture itself. Half to three-quarters is best.
Wall decor often winds up being the last thing many people think about when decorating a space, but it actually shouldn’t be. It might just be the most crucial element for interior design. When used right, wall hangings can be a great framework that helps you plan the rest of the room.
