Mature lady painting an abstract mural in hallway of house
Home - Garden
Unique Wall Murals Are Taking Over Wallpaper
By BRENDA LETELLIER
The earliest wall murals date back to 30,000 B.C. in France’s Chauvet Cave, and they have become quite popular in homes in recent years. Unlike wallpaper, murals give you the freedom and creativity to make your home your own, and they work best in foyers, hallways, bedrooms/children’s rooms, and game rooms.
There’s no wrong way to customize your wall mural, either using acrylic paints or opting for a photography mural with a high quality photo on aluminum, canvas, photo boards, or vinyl stickers. If you want your mural to be in the kitchen or bathroom, do as the Romans did, and use tile designs or mosaics to create a beautiful scene in your space.
Floral and garden scenes work best for hallways, dining areas, bedrooms, or bathrooms, while kids’ rooms can be turned into a fanciful playground with colorful graffiti motifs. If you have drywall, glass, laminate, plastic, tile, or wood surfaces, a clean, smooth area is all you need, and if you have plaster you should scrape and sand your wall and install a paper wall liner.
Whether you want to create your own artwork or hire a professional artist, a wall mural can range from $2,000 to $26,000 depending on how big your project is. If you’re painting, you’ll need tools like mural paint, primer, brushes, sponges, and painter’s tape, and if you’re using peel-and-stick pieces, measure your space and smooth out any bubbles by hand or with a tool.