Tips For Designing The Perfect Wall Mural To Match 2024 Home Design Trends
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Looking to spruce up your space and give it a very timely feel? Wall murals are the perfect way to get in on a trend without a total overhaul of the rest of your home. What's more, you don't even need to commit to a traditional, painted wall — there are a ton of ways to go about it.
Whether you're thinking of dipping your toe into maximalist decor, are more into the quiet luxury scene, or feel as though bookshelf wealth is the only trend that really "gets" you, incorporating a mural into your space is a great way to put your personal style on display. However, don't be discouraged if painting your own mural isn't your thing. While murals are typically thought of as painted walls, there are a ton of wallpaper options. And, for renters, you can also get peel-and-stick murals. TLDR: Anyone can bring wall murals into their home.
Now that we've got the logistics out of the way, the most important thing you'll need when bringing a mural into your space is an understanding of the specific trend you're looking to tap into. Of course, at the end of the day, if you're feeling drawn to a specific mural, that's the direction you should go in. Plus, many murals could fall into more than one trend. That said, knowing the basics of each style can help point you in the right direction.
Create interest with maximalist murals
If you're thinking of a maximalist mural, the first step is defining what works with your existing space. Granted, "work with" doesn't necessarily mean matching. As Sofology's Gisela Lancaster told House Beautiful, one of the key elements of 2024 maximalism is artful clashing.
If there are patterns in the room you're planning on adding a mural to, one way of doing this is by finding a mural with a different pattern, but in the same color scheme. As Lancaster told the outlet, "These elements can all work together as long as your color palette remains concise, with key shades tying together." Paint the walls in your pattern of choice, or grab a fun, peel-and-stick plaid mural (starting at around $15 on Amazon).
Of course, plaid patterns aren't the only way to get in on the maximalist trend. If you're into biophilic interior decor, you could just as easily head for a bold jungle print. Photowall offers a huge variety of customizable sizes, starting at around $4 per square foot, and Amazon has similar peel-and-stick alternatives for around $20. Again, be sure to opt for a mural with similar colors to the rest of your space.
Go the biophilic route with natural accents
If you're a fan of natural scenes but bright, bold jungle scenes are a little too maximalist for you, another option is to bring biophilic design into your home with a toile mural. These are just as easy to find and still make a statement, but offer a more toned-down alternative.
Photowall sells jungle scene murals in a variety of muted hues, from black and white, to sepia, to blues and greens. Prices start at $4 per square foot, so the total cost will depend on the size you need. However, if you do find that's out of your price range, similar peel-and-stick versions can also be found on Amazon for around $15. Otherwise, take a leaf out of YouTuber Rachel Maksy's book and paint your own nature scene.
Whether you choose a mural from Photowall, Amazon, or decide to paint your own from scratch, be sure to keep the rest of the decor in your space natural. Wood accents look incredible next to a toile scene, as will things like seagrass rugs and linen and cotton throws. Top it all off with some of your house plants, and you've got yourself a peaceful sanctuary.
Use your favorite art as a starting point
There's no denying that junglescapes and even geometric murals are art in themselves. However, if your style leans more into the bookshelf wealth interior design trend, you can take things even further. Using the trend's focus on art displayed in unexpected ways, you can turn your favorite pieces into wall murals in your home.
If you're super artistic, now's the perfect time to try recreate classics yourself, a la YouTuber Chloe Rose, who painted Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" as a mural on one of her studio walls. If not (zero judgment!), Murals Your Way has a fine art category and offers famous artworks from Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" series, to Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," and even "Starry Night." Prices are subject to quote. Unfortunately, fine art peel-and-stick options are a little tougher to come by, but if you're renting and love the idea of using famous artworks as murals, one option worth looking into is tapestries. Amazon stocks 39 by 29 inch "Starry Night" tapestries for around $9.
Not a fan of using real artworks as murals, but big on bookshelf wealth nonetheless? Another fun way to use murals for this trend is by using peel-and-stick bookshelf wallpaper. Amazon offers these for just under $27. Hang or lean framed artwork on or against the wallpaper, and you're set.
Use vintage landscapes as inspiration
If vintage decor is your ultimate go-to, you can also use a mural to take your room of choice back in time. Similar to the fine art idea, using vintage landscapes, a la Rachel Maksy, is a great way to bring a whole lot of interest into a room. If you're happy to paint, do a little research on landscapes from oil paintings that really speak to you, and take it from there.
Once again, though, painting a mural yourself isn't a necessity. ColoRay offers a variety of peel-and-stick vintage landscapes starting at around $92, and Photowall carries several starting at $4 per square foot. To bring everything together, Maksy recommends using vintage furniture (and again, a central color scheme never hurts). Just like that, you've been transported to another era.
While wall murals do have the potential to make a room feel tied to a specific style, that isn't always true. In the case of toile, for instance, it has a vintage feel as is, and you could easily bring in art to make it feel a little more bookshelf wealth. It'll also have a maximalist edge (especially compared to regular, solid-color walls). All this to say, while murals can help you bring trends into your home, they can also be adapted over time as those trends change. At the end of the day, the key to using murals is to pick something you really love.