You’ve finished moving in and all your furniture has found its place in your new home.
Now, you need to decide how you want to decorate your walls in a way that will fill the missing areas without causing too much distraction.
Rather, you are looking for wall decor that will blend with the rest of your furniture and room dimensions, pulling your space together and giving it that personal touch.
There is so much wall decor to chose from, and it comes in all forms.
You can choose from paintings to posters; framed, unframed, 3D objects or tapestries, wood or metal, shelves or clocks - the list is endless.
Wall decor is fundamental to the interior design, and it's a large part of what makes your place unique and stands out from others.
You can plan out your space by spending some time combing the Internet for ideas.
Collect inspirational images, links for specific products, tutorials for DIY decor, and compile them into a mood board.
Then you can compare them side-by-side and pick out the pieces and ideas that stand out.
This is a good way to "try out" different decor ideas without committing to buying new pieces of wall art or installing them in your homes.
If you are looking for ideas to adorn your new home, read on. We have tons of ideas for the best way to decorate the walls in your house or apartment.
Wall Decor Placement
When you're considering decorating with wall decor, you need to take a look at the wall you’re going to fill.
Do you like the cozy, cluttered look, or a cleaner, minimalist look?
How much wall space do you want to have around your art?
And do you want to paint the wall a particular color first?
You also need to consider the placement of furniture nearby, to ensure that your art wall is centered in a way that complements the rest of the living room.
This is important whether you are doing a gallery wall, or hanging a single piece.
Next, you need to decide how high your wall art will hang. It might be tempting to consider this a non-issue that is easy to decide on.
This thinking couldn't be more wrong, however.
The height of the wall art in the living room determines its focal point - and a lot of people get this wrong, hanging the art too high.
The best place to put the focal point of your wall decor or hanging is at eye level, so that it's easily accessible to the human eye.
If you don't already have a lot of art and you don't want to spend money, you have some options.
First, you can check out yard sales or thrift stores.
You can also make your own art.
It's easy to make a DIY tapestry for your living room or master bedroom by painting or stamping an old sheet or inexpensive drop cloth from the hardware store.
This is probably the cheapest way to cover large areas of space on your walls, as well.
You can also hang collections of objects you already have, such as hats, scarves, baskets or plates, to create unique and interesting wall art.
Collections like these are well-suited to a dining room or master bedroom, where they can serve double-duty as storage and home decor.
There are multiple ways you can attach tapestries and art to the wall.
If it does not weigh too much, you consider using adhesive removable mounting pads and avoid making another set of holes in the wall that you will eventually have to fill back in - especially if you are renting the place.
You might consider painting an accent wall in a bright color, or in a pattern such as stripes.
Another unique idea for art on walls that has gained traction in recent years is making a chalkboard wall.
You can buy chalkboard paint or chalkboard contact paper that can be applied just like wallpaper.
Add a fun chalk holder and chalks in different colors, and you, your family and friends who visit can create new wall art all the time. Just wipe clean when you're done and start over.
Less is More
Depending on the size and the atmosphere of your space, sometimes the best thing to have is nothing on the walls.
It might seem unusual to start this list with "nothing”, but it is something that you ought to consider - especially in a time where people do not want to buy in regret, waste money and eventually dispose of products that were bough in haste.
With so many charming options for wall decor available, you may be influenced to choose what you think would be the best for your place and end up being wrong.
Your wall may not need anything at all and is fine as is because the selection of furniture and space of the room is enough.
Flat Paintings and Photos
Paintings with good frames can add a lot to the room without having to paint a wall or have obstructing items take up space.
A popular style of painting that adds color to a wall and is safe in terms of style is a simple colorful background.
Streaks of pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows create a sunset or ocean-atmosphere.
Greens and brown add a more earthy feel.
This style of painting allows you to add bursts of color to your room without painting the wall.
Our phones and computers are filled with images and photos that we have collected over the years.
Displaying the best ones on the walls of your apartment allows you to share your memories and taste.
Make sure to get them printed in the highest quality.
Canvas or framed both work and the way you hang them all can also create a design on the wall.
Have them lined up evenly one by one; or create diagonal, squared or circular shapes for a more interesting effect.
Non-Art Wall Decor Ideas
An art wall isn't the only way to decorate your space.
Wall decor ideas can be functional too.
Mirrors are a great way to create more depth in a room while at the same time providing a reflection for those last-minute check-ups before you leave your home.
An oversized mirror in a dark room, positioned to reflect natural light from the window, can brighten up a dreary space as well.
Similar to chalkboard paint and contact paper, an old-school blackboard is a very functional addition to any space in your home.
You can use it to write grocery and to-do lists, important dates, or just provide another way to make art for walls. Kids love blackboards especially.
Hang it in on the wall in the kitchen or anywhere else it might be useful and fitting.
Shelves bring some depth to the living room walls.
They can take the place of a gallery wall or wall hanging and are useful for displaying items.
In addition to books, vases and decorative items, you can gather items from nature like seashells, acorns and pinecones and create seasonal vignettes.
Displaying decorative items on a living room shelf allows you to play with different decor ideas without committing to anything in particular, since you can always just take the items off the shelves.
Using floating shelves allows you to get creative about the shelf configuration while also saving floor space.
Try out some different arrangements on how to set up the shelves one above or beside the other to get a more abstract final outcome.
If you are handy or crafty, it's not difficult to find DIY wall shelf tutorials online.
Tapestry Instead of a Gallery Wall
Decorate a wall with tapestries hung from a decorative wall.
This will add a touch of class to an apartment.
Tapestries are sometimes considered to be either old and stuffy, or hippie and boho, and so, if that is not the style you are drawn to for home décor ideas, you may not consider it.
But tapestries come in all forms these days. There is a wide variety in the Leafy Souls shop; check out the site map to see our options for this versatile wall art.
Tapestries need not be brightly colored or boho.
They can be very minimalist - if you are after a particular shape or color, you can paint your own on a canvas or drop cloth.
The sort of wall hanging is a great solution to filling out an empty living room wall without taking up floor space.
Decal Art Wall Decor Ideas
Decals are all the rage in wall decor ideas these days.
They're a renter-friendly solution since you can just peel them off when it's time to move.
Vinyl decals are available in a huge variety of themes and styles - whether you're looking to decorate your living room, dining room or a wall in any other room in your home, there is a style out there for you.
Green vine decals are perfect for a bedroom, or to frame photos in an existing gallery wall.
Giant birch trees lend a touch of whimsy to a hallway.
Gold dots can be sprinkled in any configuration you like - try the bathroom for a bit of novelty.
If you're living away from home, a decal of your home city might help ease homesickness.
There are also enormous murals available that can cover an entire wall.
Wall decals can intimidate people who do not know how to apply them.
Luckily, we're here to teach you:
How to Apply the Decals Without Stress?
Supplies needed: Your decal; a clean sponge or cloth; a pencil, ruler and level (these are optional); and rubber squeegee or credit card.
Step 1
Clean the wall with the sponge or cloth and allow it to dry.
Step 2
Determine the location of your decal. If necessary, use your pencil, ruler and/or level to mark the placement of the decal.
Step 3
Remove the paper backing of your decal. Do this slowly and carefully so that the decal does not stick to itself. If the decal is very large, you may want to just remove part of the backing first.
Step 4
Using your squeegee or credit card, apply the decal from one end, smoothing it as you carefully apply the rest of it. Smooth it out until all air bubbles are gone and it is secured to the wall.
Step 5
If there is a second backing, remove that carefully. You will start from one corner and peel slowly at a 45 degree angle. Not all decals come with two backings, however.
And you're done! The decal should stay up until you are ready to take it down.
Now that you've applied a decal to one wall, I'm willing to bet you will want to put up decals on all the walls!
So whether you are a decal fan, or prefer the traditional gallery wall, hopefully we've given you enough wall decor ideas to decorate your home.
Remember, not all walls have to be adorned; well-placed blank walls provide a nice balance to a high-density gallery wall.
The well-dressed home will have a mix of both for maximum decorative impact.