Gallery walls, wall hangings, feature walls… there are so many ways to express your personal style with wall décor in your home, but with so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to start.
If your walls are looking a little bit lacklustre but you’re struggling to commit to a certain style, don’t fret – wall décor can be as bold or understated as you like, plus, with the correct installation, it’s totally temporary.
So, whether you’re looking to freshen up your kitchen wall décor, find inspiring bedroom wall art or seek out some eye-catching wall art for white walls, we’ve broken down our favourite wall décor ideas to help take your rooms from drab to fab.
Read on to discover our favourite decorations, plus tips on how to bring your space to life! And when you're ready to start browsing, check out our round-up of the best online stores to buy affordable art prints.
Kitchen wall décor ideas
The kitchen truly is the heart of the home. The place where we cook, eat, and congregate with friends and family, in most homes it’s a hive of activity - so it’s only right that the kitchen wall décor you choose is as lively in tone.
Wall décor inspired by food and drink is always a nice addition to a kitchen, but, this doesn’t mean you have to opt for gaudy, old fashioned restaurant-style prints and canvases. Instead, look out for some themed, abstract pieces that’ll brighten up your space without looking too kitsch. Think bold, graphic prints, illustrations and artwork.
If posters aren't for you, why not follow one of our Real Homes stars, Kate Spiers, and make a feature of your favourite ceramics, mugs and glassware by installing an open shelf?
Take inspo from how Wilko have styled up their Fond Memories collection and stick to a palette of three to four colours, for a pulled-together effect.
Add trailing plants, small prints in frames and a vintage radio to totally reinvent how your kitchen feels. The best thing is, you can swap out the trinkets you display on a regular basis, so you never get tired.
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Wall decor ideas for your living room
Because it’s a high traffic area, when it comes to your living room, it can be really tempting to play it safe with wall decor. Living rooms, however, also tend to be the one room with ample wall space above sofas, side tables and fireplaces, giving you lots of areas to work with to create a really personal, unique display – be bold and create a stunning gallery wall!
Got a limited budget to spend on wall art? Don't panic as we have 14 ways of sourcing free pictures - or almost free!
When choosing your art, don’t just look at the big large space above your sofa… consider how you use the smaller spaces around windows and doors, above light switches and around bookshelves.
Many worry that overfilling the empty spaces on your walls might leave your home looking small and cluttered, but in reality, some thoughtful additions to these spaces will help you create depth. They’ll leave your home looking beautifully dressed and unique – because let’s face it, nobody wants their home to look like generic furniture store!
If you're renting, or don't fancy popping hooks into your walls, prop your artwork up on sideboards, on on top of chests of drawers. We love how Furniture Village has styled this neutral print with a marble-effect sideboard.
A varied look always works well in a living room, so try mixing and matching different sized framed prints with some other features. We love the look of hanging ceramic tiles, decorative plaques and garlands.
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Bedroom wall decor ideas
When it comes to your bedroom, it’s important to remember that while you want to add interest to your walls, it’s also key that the space feels relaxing and tranquil. Therefore, soft macramé wall hangings, subtle prints and tapestries are the perfect way to decorate your space without making it feel too busy and stimulating. You can even add faux flower garlands, faux vines or ornate banners to give it a dreamy feel.
Steal this idea from The Range to create a soft and romantic effect. Hang a collection of summer wreaths above your bed and add a string of fairy lights to add a little twinkle.
If you’re looking to create a gallery wall in your bedroom, you can soften the overall look by mixing framed prints with woven wall baskets, paper fans and rattan mirrors.
Or, if boho style isn’t for you, swap bold black frames for wooden or metallic frames, or try styling your posters in glass frames with ribbons for a romantic feel. Magnetic poster hangers are also great if you want to bring a cool, contemporary feel to the room.
Try out a traditional look, like John Lewis & Partners have, by hanging pretty plates on your walls. Combine patterned styles with plain coloured designs to bring the effect up-to-date.
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White wall decor ideas
Knowing how to dress white walls can make or break an interior. The right wall décor in a white scheme can take your room from harsh and clinical to light and airy, and it’s easy to achieve this look if you know how.
Often, choosing the correct wall art for a white base can be the most difficult, because white walls are a complete blank canvas and don’t dictate what colours you should or shouldn’t have. As a result, the best option is to use the existing furniture and accessories in your room as a starting point, and go from there.
Dunelm have embraced a nautical style with this look and have complemented a white shiplap style wall with a hanging canvas showing elegant sea birds.
If you’re a fan of the minimalist look or you have chic, unfussy furniture in your home, for example, you can’t go far wrong with a few, simple abstract prints. These can be as colourful or as muted as you like – you can even combine one bolder print with a few understated ones to keep a good balance.
If you love maximalist décor, then your best bet is to pair your white walls with colour and more colour. Take inspiration from Maisie Rees’ rental home and mismatch lots of punchy, graphic prints with neon highlights and strong colours.
If you can’t commit to a certain colour scheme, don’t fret - monochrome art can still make a huge impact in a room, without overwhelming it with colour. Neutral toned wall décor also works well at adding interest and depth to a room without taking the focus away from key pieces of furniture – to achieve a scandi-style look, layer your white walls with prints in soft beige, blush pink and brown tones.
When working with neutrals, always make sure you add plenty of texture, like these ridged canvases from Cox & Cox.
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Bathroom wall decor ideas
Because the bathroom is first and foremost a practical space, it can be easy to forget about adding those finishing touches. Some cleverly placed wall art or decorative features, however, can have a huge impact on the overall vibe of the space, and help to keep it looking on-trend and interesting.
Painting your walls a deep, dramatic colour will highlight the items you hang on them. These Riad Terracotta walls make the artwork in Annie Sloan's bathroom pop.
Although themed prints look especially effective, there are plenty of other ways to add a decorative touch to your bathroom without going down the traditional route. Printed or shaped mirrors will add a bold and quirky edge to the room, whilst wall plaques – think coral or decorative gold fish – will add a sense of wow factor.
Remember, if you have a completely tiled bathroom that you’d rather not drill through, you can use command hooks or strips to attach frames to the wall. You can also style frames on open shelving or ladder towel storage for an effective but temporary display. If you don’t have the option of adding prints or plaques to your room, you can still add a fun element into your space by swapping out existing fittings for decorative hooks or intricate shelf brackets.
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Rattan wall decor ideas
Rattan furniture is all the rage right now, but if you’re looking embrace the the earth-toned trend in your home without swapping out your existing furniture, rattan wall décor is the way to go.
Whether you opt for woven or grass pieces, rattan wall decor is ideal if you want to add a bohemian feel to a space whilst introducing texture and warmth. Add it to a gallery wall for extra impact, or style the pieces on their own above a sofa for an effective yet relaxed-looking display.
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