If you have a large wall that needs some punch, consider adding a mural to the interior design of your home. A mural can bring a room to life with color, add a unique theme or tell a visual narrative with beautiful imagery.
Mural Basics
A mural is basically some artwork which is applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other sizable stable surface. The term “mural” hit the mainstream with the 20th century “muralista” art movement in Mexico. The technique of using murals goes all the way back to prehistoric cave paintings such as those in the south of France. The ancient Egyptians painted murals on tomb walls, and the ancient Greeks made regular use of frescos and other murals. Today’s murals can be made of tile, stone, stained glass or paint and can be used throughout the home.
Using Murals
Modern murals can be abstract or realistic and are found in public places, inside homes and in outdoor rooms. Great spots for a mural include foyers, hallways, children’s rooms, game rooms, basements and bedrooms. Including a mural in your interior design is one way of making a permanent statement in the home. Murals can be used to fill large, otherwise blank or unused walls, to frame and highlight areas such as doorways and to create focal points within a room, such as a backsplash or fireplace wall.
Murals are frequently one-of-a-kind, dramatic and eye catching, which makes them a unique alternative to standard wall paper or wall art. They become part of the room itself, rather than something hung on it, which can showcase the room’s architectural features as well as the homeowner’s personality.
There are numerous types of murals, as well as places to put them.
Wallpaper Murals
The new wallpaper murals open the world of murals to more consumers than ever before. Wallpaper murals can mimic a true painted mural or feature photographic quality images. The themes are endless and include nature scenes of all types as well as images of famous locales. Pre-made wallpaper murals are typically comprised of several panels which are pre-pasted and come with easy installation instructions. Paper or vinyl wallpaper murals come in various dimensions including wall-size, door size and accent size.
Tile Murals
Tile murals have been around since ancient times and are still in use today. They can be made up of mosaics, such as those designed by companies like New Ravenna and Mosaique Surface, or hand painted tiles connected together to form a scene. Tile murals are popular on kitchen backsplashes, bathroom floors, shower walls and even as frames around doorways or mirrors.
Vinyl Wall Decals
Vinyl wall decals or stickers are an inexpensive and fast way to put up a small scale or large scale mural in any area of the home. The designs are usually made up of multiple stickers that are pieced together to form the final wall art. You can have them custom made or find premade versions at craft stores. They are easily removed, so there is less of a commitment than a painted or tiled mural.
Children’s Murals
Murals for children’s rooms are increasingly popular. Hand-painted murals can be created with fun kid themes like castles, sports and other fantastical motifs. There are also ready-to-hang murals with a range of themes for children. These paper murals are a fast and inexpensive way to play up a theme or make the room more colorful and interesting. Stenciling is yet another way to add a design motif to kids rooms. Stencil kits can help create murals, borders and word art.
Kitchen Murals
Kitchens and dining areas are ideal spaces within the home for adding murals. If you plan on tiling your kitchen backsplash, consider using a mural behind the cooktop as a focal point in the room. More modern uses include creating tile wallpaper murals and abstract designs on one wall of the kitchen to add color and life to the room.
Where to Buy Mural Kits and Resources
Mural kits, vinyl murals and mosaic murals are all available to help you create the look you’re after.
- Murals Your Way – Create a custom vinyl mural using one of their 5,000 gallery images or upload your own image.
- Décor Place – Offers affordable full-color DIY wall murals and faux wall painting kits.
- Words Anywhere – Features self-adhesive decorative lettering to accent your mural or create a simple word mural.
Create Some Unique Home Art
Murals are one way to make your home’s interior stand out and shine through. Use them in any room or area of the home to create unique focal points that truly define the place you live.
