Wall Murals are great for sprucing up the decor of your home without a lot of expense and without a lot of work. Essentially, they are large portraits or images that are applied to walls to accent the décor of a room. They can be landscapes, such as country settings in the summer or cozy cottages in a snow storm. They can be animals, from fish to bears to birds to butterflies. They can be cars, trucks or ships. They can be beachscapes or tropical locales. There is an endless supply of wall murals available today and they are one of the professional decorator’s secret weapons because they provide such a statement for such little effort.
When choosing a wall mural, it’s important to consider your own passions, likes and dislikes. After all, your home is representative of you and your family. If your favorite summer trip is to the lake to fish then you know a fishing mural will suit your home just fine. If downhill skiing is how you spend your vacations, then maybe an alpine mountain scene will be the thing. Whatever you love is what you should choose to represent with your wall mural. When it comes down to it, much of what we do as decorators only allows you to express yourself in colors, patterns and textures. The wall mural allows you to get much more specific. It allows you to express your passions in detailed portraits. Today’s digital imaging and high-tech materials make for some beautiful and striking imagery. Once you start shopping, you’ll be hooked.
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But where should the wall mural be hung? This is the second big question you will have to answer. The good news is there really is no wrong room. They can work in large spacious living rooms, of course, but the right mural can also be effective in a small guest room – even in a bathroom.
Walk through your home and look for the wall that seems inviting. Take your time. You will find it. Sooner or later you will come across the perfect spot and you will know where the mural will be hung. It could be an accent wall in the dining room or that wall in the master bedroom you never knew what to do with. You will see a place for your mural and everything will click.
You’ve selected your mural and you’ve found its new home. Now it is simply a matter of hanging the paper onto your wall. This is much simpler than it was in days past, so it is definitely something you can do yourself. Of course, if you prefer, there are plenty of professional paper hangers and designers who would be happy to assist. The wall mural applies easily and stays on for years and years, all the while retaining its brilliant resolution and color. It is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful tools in the decorator’s toolbox.
How to add style and a bit of home to your dorm room
For college students, it’s the most exciting time of year. Classes are set to begin. That means a new schedule, new faces, new professors, and, on a slightly less positive note, a return to that dull, square living space - the dorm room.
But dorm life doesn’t have to be bland. Just because the walls are concrete block and the room is small, it doesn’t mean you can’t add some style to the cramped space. This can be done with a two-pronged approach: 1.) The Walls 2.) Accents.
The Walls.
The quickest way to spruce up your drab digs is to add color to the walls. Painting is hard work, expensive, messy and, in many college dorms, against the rules. But staring at dull concrete for the next semester will not do. The remedy? Self-adhesive wallpaper. This miracle product allows you to paper the walls with any style you like. It goes on easy. Simply peel off the adhesive layer and apply. And most importantly, it comes off just as easily. Simply peel back a corner and pull. The paper peels off, leaving no sticky residue or glue to clean up. Not only is this perfect for when the term ends and you have to move out, but it also comes in handy when you feel like a change of pace. Midterms got you down? Spruce up your room with a new style of self-adhesive wallpaper and voila! Your mood brightens!
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Now that the walls are exactly how you want them, it’s time to address the rest of the space. Nothing says boring and cold like a bare concrete floor. Find a nice, high pile rug to throw down. It looks nice, plus it adds warmth and helps with keeping the noise down so you can concentrate on your studies.
Next, the counter space. You will have a limited amount of space, and most of what you have will be taken up by books and your computer. But there will be a little open space here or there, and that is where you will want to add a nice accent gift that reminds you this space is yours. This can range from a clock to a funky table lamp to a small sculpture or piece of art. Whatever it is, make sure it’s what makes that cramped dorm room feel like home, because home is exactly what it’s going to be until you ace that last final!
Decorating with Wall Murals is perfect for someone looking to change their decor with dramatic effect without spending a lot of money. Wall murals are great for this situation because they can change the look of an entire room with very little work and expense. There are thousands to choose from, but there are three basic types that we will examine for the purpose of this article.
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Seasonal
This is a great way for the amateur decorator to introduce some style into their home. If you aren’t familiar with the intricacies of interior design and are concerned you may make a mistake, introducing a seasonal wall mural is a fool-proof technique. By selecting this type of mural, which could depict any of the four seasons, you are essentially transforming an entire room into that season. It you want the spare look, a winter scene with bare trees might do the trick. If you want to exhibit fruitfulness and sunshine, a spring-time scene will be for you. Either way, you cannot go wrong with this method as each of the four seasons evokes emotion and therefore works as a theme.
Dramatic
This is one for the bold. If you really want to make an impression with your decor, choosing a dramatic wall mural is the way to go. These murals aren’t defined by the subject matter, but rather by their ability to stop traffic. It can be a high-resolution photograph taken from the Empire State Building looking down at the street below. It can be the view from the cockpit of a jetliner. It can be a closeup of a growling Siberian Tiger. It can be anything, so long as it makes people stop and stare.
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Informative
This is for the intellectuals. An informative wall mural is one that teaches, one that provides information, albeit in a fun and decorative way. A popular mural in this category is the world atlas. Nothing sparks conversation like a large, high-resolution view of the world. It can bring back memories of travels or inspire ambition to travel anew. Maps are great, but they are not the only type in this category. Think bigger. How about a view of the Milky Way Galaxy from the Hubble Telescope? Big enough? Or you can focus on smaller things, such as the elements of life. A periodic table is another popular one in this category. Whatever it is, so long as it inspires thought it fits into the informative category of wall mural decor.
Whatever your choice, rest assured that transforming your space is easy with the application of a wall mural. So what are you waiting for? Start shopping!
Primitive Wallpapercontinues to be one of the most popular styles of wallpaper in America, Canada, Europe and Australia. There are many patterns and styles that make up the broad category, but all of them adhere to certain requirements. Those requirements, which we will discuss below, all evoke feelings of a rural, bucolic setting and a simple, slower-paced lifestyle. In our modern world, it is no wonder such sentiment is popular.
What qualifies as primitive can be boiled down to four basic factors. These factors include the type of colors used in the pattern and the subject matter of these patterns. We can determine if a wallpaper is primitive if it contains any of the following:
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1.) Soft Palette Colors - Traditional patterns such as damasks, plaids and stripes qualify as primitive if the colors fall in the soft palette colors, such as beige, burgundy, sage or olive hues.
2.) Natural Materials - Paper features look or texture of brick, wood, marble or stone.
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3.) Country Setting - Paper features country or small-town themes, reminiscent of quieter, simpler times, such as farms, fields or cottages.
4.) Still Life - As in art, the subject matter of traditional still life paintings evoke a cozy, homey, nostalgic feeling and therefore qualify as primitive. This can include farm animals such as chickens and livestock, as well as fruits and vegetables.
All of these categories bring that feel of simple, country life. This is most popular in larger homes that are actually located in the country. But more and more we are seeing customers who live in crowded suburban or urban environments decorating with primitive wallpaper.
Some words that are often associated with the category include rustic, country, heritage and keepsake. When you see these words in the description of the wallpaper pattern you are considering you can be certain that pattern will fall into the primitive family of styles.
It is important to keep in mind that one does not need to dedicate an entire wall to a muralof a horse farm to get the feel of primitive style. In fact, wallpaper borders in this category are even more popular than traditional wallpaper and murals. Wallpaper borders are perfect for smaller rooms, like the bathroom, or large rooms where walls pace is at a premium, such as the kitchen where cabinets occupy a lot of wall area.
Whether you choose to decorate with a bold mural, a subtle floral pattern or one of the many primitive wallpaper borders you will be rewarded for your effort. Visitors will be treated to that down-home country feel that we all love, and you will be surrounded by it every day.
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If you’re like me, you don’t like to look at bare walls. But it’s not enough to hang a painting or a photograph. And if you hang too many things, the wall looks cluttered. So how can you add style and design to your walls without cluttering the look?
Well, you could spend thousands on a professional paint job. But not only is that extremely expensive, it also takes the fun out of the project. If all you do is write a check, you’ll never feel like the finished product is something you had a hand in, and you’ll never appreciate it as much as if you did the work yourself. So what’s the solution? Adhesive contact paper.
The beauty of adhesive contact paper is the variety of looks you can choose. You can turn your walls into wood grain or leather, or give them a fabric look. You can purchase exotic designs, simple patterns or bright colors. Or you can simply use stencils to cut designs or images from the contact paper, creating shapes for your wall. Want something even easier? Just use a strip along the chair line of the room. Choose a good color to accent the existing walls and presto, you have a new dimension to the room, something elegant and sophisticated, for a couple dollars and a few minutes work.
Adhesive contact paper is available in thousands of patterns, colors, textures and styles. You can create the look of a log cabin, or the metallic luster of a laboratory. You can fill your walls with floral print, or the texture and hue of animal skin. The only limit to the options is your imagination, so what are you waiting for?
To apply, simple measure the room and mark with a pencil the appropriate length of adhesive contact paper. Clean the walls where it will be applied. Trim the adhesive contact paper to the appropriate measurements. Then, carefully peel back the adhesive layer on the backside of the contact paper. Place the exposed adhesive side carefully against the wall where it is to be applied, making sure it is lined up straight with any edges. Then press the contact paper firmly against the surface, carefully smoothing out any air bubbles with your hand before the paper fastens itself to the wall. Work slowly to ensure a good fit. Then stand back and appreciate your work!
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Adhesive contact paper can transform a plain room into an elegant dining room or a cozy man cave in very little time, with some brief effort and minimal cost. It is a great DIY project for anyone looking to add style or personality to a room. And most important of all, every time you walk into that beautiful room you will appreciate not only the stylish walls but also the fact that you created that look yourself!
There are several ways you can decorate a child's room without spending a great deal of effort or money. You want your child to enjoy their room, and to make it their own with clever style and design ideas. Below are three ways you can spruce up the room with just a few minutes' work and a few dollars' investment.
1.) Wallpaper Borders
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Wallpaper borders are a fun and easy way to freshen up any room. Borders come in a variety of styles and themes, so finding the perfect one is a snap. For a young boy, a sports themed border might do the trick. Or one featuring race cars. Or fishing boats. The options are limited only by your child's imagination. Maybe your young daughter loves horses. Or ballet. Or maybe she is enamored with the solar system. Any of these can be displayed with wallpaper borders, letting your child be surrounded by what they love every time they enter their room. Pick what they like and they will fall in love with their room all over again. The borders can be run on the ceiling line or on the chair rail. Both choices look great, but the chair rail is a nice touch for the younger children because it is within reach and they can get up close with the design and let their imaginations go to work.
2.) Chalkboard Contact Paper
Chalkboard Contact Paper is a great addition to any child's room. The paper acts just like a chalkboard. It is easy to apply. Simply peel off the adhesive layer and press to the surface of any wall or flat surface. Walls are great places for a large square of chalkboard so that the child can draw to their heart's content without fear of damaging the walls or paint. But walls are just the beginning. Closet doors can become message boards. The face of dresser drawers can become hand drawn labels, so that the child can decide what goes where, and keep track of things just by glancing at the dresser. Chalkboard Contact Paper can also be applied to small lamp shades, allowing the child to sign their name or decorate the lamp with their own imaginative designs.
3.) Handmade Growth Chart
This is a fun way to track your child's growth. It's fun for the parent to see the child growing up, but it's also fun for the child, who gets to make the Handmade Growth Chart with their own hands. The idea is simple. Dedicate a wall to the project. Remove wall hangings or other decorations so that the wall is bare. Allow the child to dip their hands in some nontoxic, water-based paint, selecting a color that shows up against the color of the wall. Have the child stand facing the wall and reach up as far as their arms can extend. Then have them press their hands against the wall to make imprints. Repeat this every few months or once a year, starting at one corner and moving across the wall. What you will have in a few years is a progression of their growth, showing not only the extended reach but also the increased size of their hands. Mix up the colors as you go to brighten the design. It will be a memento to keep long after they outgrow the room and move off to college, and it's fun for the whole family to participate. More than one child makes the design that much more appealing, so get everyone in on the act!
The one piece of equipment most of us carry around everywhere we go is the laptop. For most of us, this means the computer occasionally gets dropped, scratched or smudged. After a year or two, the computer may still run fine but its outside shell looks pretty beat up. If you want to give that computer a brand new look for just a few dollars, it’s time to pick up some contact paper.
Contact paper is one of those products that has a thousand uses. Traditionally used for lining cabinets, drawers and shelves, contact paper has now found a niche among the high-tech gadgets we carry with us wherever we go. It’s the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to transform the look of a used computer.
Tools You’ll Need
Much of the work can be done with your hands, but you will also need to have a hobby knife at your disposal. A squeegee can be used to press out the bubbles in the paper, but for the small surface of a laptop, your hands will work just fine.
First Things First
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Now that you’ve decided to give your laptop a new look, it’s time to pick a style. There are thousands of colors and designs to choose from. A popular one is the woodgrain, which gives your computer a distinct look. But there are others, from bright bold colors to silver granite, onyx stone or black marble textures. All will give your computer that distinct look you want.
To apply the contact paper simply cut off a piece large enough to cover the computer. Peel off the back layer and press the adhesive side firmly to the laptop. If you want the computer’s logo to show through, simply trace the edges of the logo with your fingernail and follow the line with your hobby knife. On the inside, where the paper covers the keyboard, trackpad and ports, don’t worry about wrinkles or bubbles. Simply trace the edges of those areas with your fingernail, then follow the line with your hobby knife to remove and voila! You have a brand new computer!
The contact paper won’t damage the computer and it is easy to remove, leaving the old exterior exactly as it was. This way you can change the style as often as you like, all for a few minutes’ time and a few dollars’ investment. There’s no better way to spruce up your favorite digital tool!
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Contact Paper Does Even More
Now you have an idea how versatile contact paper can be. But there are still other uses you have probably never realized. Below is a list of just a few. Have your own ideas? Please share in the comment box!
Even More Uses:
1.) Line a bookshelf
2.) Cut out shapes and make labels for storage containers
3.) Cover the workspace on an old desk
4.) Decorate the doors of a cabinet
5.) Use chalkboard contact paper to make your very own chalkboard
When we set out to redecorate our home, we are working on the thing in which we invest most of our time and money, and from which we derive most of our physical comfort. It can be exciting to imagine a new look for your home. It can also be overwhelming. We wonder if we are making the right decisions, using the right product, and increasing, or decreasing, our home’s value. For the most part, we can use our discretion, our style and our taste to make these decisions. After all, we are the ones living in the home every day, and we are the ones who will draw the most enjoyment from the redecoration. But there are a few products that are staples for any home decorating project. This article will examine the most common product, the one that is most reliable, most durable and most versatile when it comes to filling a need for the home decorator – black contact paper.
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Black contact paper is most often used in the kitchen, but it can be used in any room of the house. Common uses in the kitchen include lining shelves and cabinets. But it can also be used on dividers, or on table tops. Black contact paper can be used to line utensil holders, to cover recipe books – even to resurface appliances or cabinets. While all provide protection against moisture, dings, scratches and scrapes, some types of black contact paper are of a chalkboard variety, which allows you to draw on them with chalk. This is handy when covering something like a refrigerator because the surface can quickly become a blank slate on which you can scribble a shopping list or a friendly reminder to a family member. This type can also be used to label jars and other containers because the paper becomes a label on which you can write, rewrite and write again the contents of the container as they change over time.
Black contact paper has other uses throughout the home. For instance, it can be used as a wall covering should you have the need for dark walls. It can also be used to cover windows when one needs the light blocked out, as in a dark room or other work room that requires little or no light. A common use today is in the media room or home theater. The paper is more cost effective and easier to apply than black paint, and it lasts longer, too.
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Old pieces of furniture can be transformed with black contact paper. If the surface of an object is marked with paint, scrapes or worn from overuse, the paper provides a new look and a clean surface. This is great for desks, cabinets, dressers and table tops. This allows you to not only redecorate the walls and cabinets, but also the furniture as well, adding a whole new dimension to your project, all at a very low cost. And best of all, black contact paper is easy to apply so there is no need to hire an expensive contractor to do the work!