Decorating
Mural Wallpapers Are Finally Back in Focus
Transform your living spaces with new mural wallpapers, for a bigger impact than you might imagine
Gone are the days when wall murals were associated with 1970s renditions of beaches, forests or wooded glens. Today’s murals are as diverse as they are sophisticated and innovative; and any photographic images of faraway places have been given a new contemporary twist. Here we show a number of examples that show how murals can enhance, embolden or enliven a space, from bedrooms and bathrooms to living rooms and even terraces.
Pretty petals
Interior designer Katie Ridder’s hand is seen in this dining room, where she features a custom Fromental painted silk wall-covering with a Moorish motif area rug and ikat upholstered dining chair.
More Katie Ridder rooms
Interior designer Katie Ridder’s hand is seen in this dining room, where she features a custom Fromental painted silk wall-covering with a Moorish motif area rug and ikat upholstered dining chair.
More Katie Ridder rooms
Palatial bed chamber
If you are a Francophile, rejoice! This superb wall mural of the Louvre can be ordered through Raji RM and could have you starting each morning with a salute to that great nation.
Tour a former rectory, near the gardens of Versailles
If you are a Francophile, rejoice! This superb wall mural of the Louvre can be ordered through Raji RM and could have you starting each morning with a salute to that great nation.
Tour a former rectory, near the gardens of Versailles
Serene scene
Bathrooms may seem like the most unexpected room in which to paste up a mural, but if you have a plain wall that lacks pizzazz, use it as a canvas. This mural is a waterproof panel created by the artist Alex Turco. There is a textured surface which gives the impression of it looking wet.
Bathrooms may seem like the most unexpected room in which to paste up a mural, but if you have a plain wall that lacks pizzazz, use it as a canvas. This mural is a waterproof panel created by the artist Alex Turco. There is a textured surface which gives the impression of it looking wet.
Kitchen caper
You can bring an element of the outside in – even when you live in a high-rise apartment – by pasting up a mural that replicates the sights of the streets below. Forget a splashback of tiles in the kitchen, and try a graphic mural like this photographic one instead. To protect it from oil and grease stains, use either a vinyl wallpaper or safeguard your mural with a clear glass or perspex overlay.
You can bring an element of the outside in – even when you live in a high-rise apartment – by pasting up a mural that replicates the sights of the streets below. Forget a splashback of tiles in the kitchen, and try a graphic mural like this photographic one instead. To protect it from oil and grease stains, use either a vinyl wallpaper or safeguard your mural with a clear glass or perspex overlay.
Classical elegance
Murals don’t have to be reserved for large living or bedroom feature walls. You can make a statement from the very moment people walk into your home. In this Park Avenue apartment, designers at Studio 511 have chosen beautiful hand-painted ‘Gracie’ wallpaper in a vivid emerald green; its idyllic scene wraps the entryway and transports you into an ethereal world of luxury and elegance.
Murals don’t have to be reserved for large living or bedroom feature walls. You can make a statement from the very moment people walk into your home. In this Park Avenue apartment, designers at Studio 511 have chosen beautiful hand-painted ‘Gracie’ wallpaper in a vivid emerald green; its idyllic scene wraps the entryway and transports you into an ethereal world of luxury and elegance.
Far horizons
This photographic mural is a clever way to bring the world to you. A large feature wall in a living area, as seen here, can create the perfect focal point in a room, and the colours and accents in this space collaborate to accentuate the calm seaside look. Bringing in lights that echo the theme and design of the mural add to the maritime flair.
This photographic mural is a clever way to bring the world to you. A large feature wall in a living area, as seen here, can create the perfect focal point in a room, and the colours and accents in this space collaborate to accentuate the calm seaside look. Bringing in lights that echo the theme and design of the mural add to the maritime flair.
Educational value
Not only inspiring but educational, this boy’s bedroom features a large map of the world, encouraging endless possibilities for his imagination to run wild. Primary colours, a clean design concept and fun accents are brought together to play a supporting role to the massive mural behind the bed.
Decorating with maps at home
Not only inspiring but educational, this boy’s bedroom features a large map of the world, encouraging endless possibilities for his imagination to run wild. Primary colours, a clean design concept and fun accents are brought together to play a supporting role to the massive mural behind the bed.
Decorating with maps at home
Musical notes
In this multi-functional room, which serves as an office, library, music studio and even a put-put golf course, a wall mural has been hung to not only indicate the general purpose of the room but also to bring an element of fun to the decor. Imagine if instead that wall had been painted in the eggplant colour used behind the joinery; the room would be more enclosed and have a totally different feel. Sometimes it pays to be brave and sing from your own song sheet.
In this multi-functional room, which serves as an office, library, music studio and even a put-put golf course, a wall mural has been hung to not only indicate the general purpose of the room but also to bring an element of fun to the decor. Imagine if instead that wall had been painted in the eggplant colour used behind the joinery; the room would be more enclosed and have a totally different feel. Sometimes it pays to be brave and sing from your own song sheet.
Playful addition
Whimsical and vibrant, this mural wallpaper called ‘Underwater’ is colourful and full of energy, making it perfect for a child’s bedroom. Go big and bold and add a delightful mural like this in any space where hobbies and happy thoughts will be the order of the day.
See more whimsical bedroom wallpaper
Whimsical and vibrant, this mural wallpaper called ‘Underwater’ is colourful and full of energy, making it perfect for a child’s bedroom. Go big and bold and add a delightful mural like this in any space where hobbies and happy thoughts will be the order of the day.
See more whimsical bedroom wallpaper
Old-world charm
At first glance this room’s mural looks like it might be in the sitting room of a 19th-century manor house – until you look down and realise it’s in a modern day bathroom. The painting-like wallpaper is framed in an arch to give it presence and formality, while the library setting and furnishings are brilliantly intertwined into the old-world theme. When soaking in this luxurious tub, it must be very easy to let your mind be transported back to bygone days.
At first glance this room’s mural looks like it might be in the sitting room of a 19th-century manor house – until you look down and realise it’s in a modern day bathroom. The painting-like wallpaper is framed in an arch to give it presence and formality, while the library setting and furnishings are brilliantly intertwined into the old-world theme. When soaking in this luxurious tub, it must be very easy to let your mind be transported back to bygone days.
Family values
If you’re having trouble deciding on the right wallpaper design from the myriad possibilities that exist, consider having a favourite photo turned into a mural. It’s a uniquely personal way to be reminded of your family every day. Go for an action shot rather than something too staged. You can also have it printed in either a reduced colour palette or sepia tones to pair with more monochromatic furnishings.
If you’re having trouble deciding on the right wallpaper design from the myriad possibilities that exist, consider having a favourite photo turned into a mural. It’s a uniquely personal way to be reminded of your family every day. Go for an action shot rather than something too staged. You can also have it printed in either a reduced colour palette or sepia tones to pair with more monochromatic furnishings.
Vocational inspiration
Take cues from your line of work and choose a wallpaper mural that reminds you of your passion. Hunt & Belle Interiors have done just that in this bedroom for an aspiring young fashion designer, that could just as easily be a fashion studio.
Take cues from your line of work and choose a wallpaper mural that reminds you of your passion. Hunt & Belle Interiors have done just that in this bedroom for an aspiring young fashion designer, that could just as easily be a fashion studio.
Bedroom bliss
This bedroom wallpaper feature isn’t exactly a mural as such, i.e. it’s not a scene, but by framing a section of wallpaper that displays elements of nature, the idea of a botanical mural can be somewhat replicated. In this master bedroom, I’ve provided a mural-style feature for a client that liked the idea of a romantic focus in the room but didn’t want a pictorial representation.
I framed cherry blossom wallpaper in a large panel behind the bedhead, drawing inspiration from the Victorian architraves of the historic 1870s terrace. The soft hues of the mural and the silver and taupe silk and abaca fabrics make it a plush, serene space in which the owners can deeply relax.
Cool DIY wallpapers
This bedroom wallpaper feature isn’t exactly a mural as such, i.e. it’s not a scene, but by framing a section of wallpaper that displays elements of nature, the idea of a botanical mural can be somewhat replicated. In this master bedroom, I’ve provided a mural-style feature for a client that liked the idea of a romantic focus in the room but didn’t want a pictorial representation.
I framed cherry blossom wallpaper in a large panel behind the bedhead, drawing inspiration from the Victorian architraves of the historic 1870s terrace. The soft hues of the mural and the silver and taupe silk and abaca fabrics make it a plush, serene space in which the owners can deeply relax.
Cool DIY wallpapers
TELL US
Do you love murals? Have you painted one or incorporated a wallpaper mural in your home? Upload photos and show us how you did it in the Comments section.
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Do you love murals? Have you painted one or incorporated a wallpaper mural in your home? Upload photos and show us how you did it in the Comments section.
MORE
Browse more on-trend stories
Mural wall coverings convert your space into a living work of art and channel your creative flair in unexpected ways. Here, this botanical mural called ‘Bellewood’, from the Greenhouse Wallpaper Collection of Rebel Walls, was inspired by an old style of printing. This inviting forest design is based on several old toile hand-drawn illustrations from romantic scenes of yore.