Ideas: Murals

Imagine the impact of someone walking into your home and seeing a fabulous mural painted on the walls and ceiling of your hallway!  Murals can add impact and individuality in a home, and can be used in many different ways to create interest and talking points throughout the whole house.  Look at the different areas in your home, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, corridors and conservatories particularly where there is a plain wall or area and this could be perfect for a mural.

Often murals are chosen for children’s bedrooms – perhaps they have a particular character or subject that can be brought to life on their bedroom walls.  Murals can be used to stimulate their imagination, turning an ordinary bedroom into a room that they will want to spend time playing and learning in.  This is equally true for nurseries and pre-schools, they can benefit from themed murals throughout their premises, again stimulating the children’s imagination and interest in the characters and topics.

Looking through my gallery of work you will see ‘Clouds’ painted in ceilings on corridors and a cherry blossom tree in a bathroom – showing that murals can be for adults as well as children.

As an example below, is a themed bedroom for a very lucky little boy who was very much into cowboys.  Moving into a new home, his hallway, bedroom and playroom were redecorated to incorporate a western street scene, desert scene and saloon bar theme in each of these rooms, with bucking horses and surrounding scenery blending in to existing features such as the fireplace and doorways.  Attention to details such as ensuring the window blinds match into the scene when pulled down, add the finishing touches to this bedroom and playroom.

Ideas: Trompe L'oeil

Trompe L’oeil  is a traditional painting technique that tricks the eye into thinking there is a scene or objective, such as an open window with a garden behind – and illusion of reality.  They make you stop and look twice!

You would use a Trompe L’oeil in a hallway, to add length and perspective; a dark area of the house would benefit as it can lighten the area and interest can be added to plain wall cupboards, the area behind the cooker hob and alcoves giving originality and individuality to your home.

The examples below show some of the more unusual ways Trompe L’oeil can be used.

Ideas: Special Paint Effects

There are many special paint effects that can compliment and enhance your home and furnishings.  In general you would use a special paint effect perhaps as a feature wall in a bedroom or living area, such as gold, mother of pearl or silver colourwash.  Woodgraining remains a popular effect and is particularly effective for matching cupbards, wardrobes, beams, tables, doors and frames together for a total effect across the home.

More unusual effects include stoneblocking – this is where an interior or exterior wall is made to look like stone again perhaps to break up a plain solid wall or to match another feature in the room.  Antiquing and Distressing works equally well in kitchens to revamp the kitchen units and the bedroom, on wardrobes and dressing tables.

The gallery shows many examples of different special paint effects – one or two of the more unusual effects are shown below.

Ideas: Painting Furniture

Many items of furniture lend themselves well to being painted.  Whether you have an old item that you would like restored or a plain wooden bedstead that needs a facelift. Bedroom and study furniture can be transformed, perhaps matching in to surrounding décor or standing out as piece on its own.

Instead of investing in a new kitchen, many can be given a new lease of life by being painted as indeed can bedroom furniture such as dressing tables and wardrobes.

Below are some interesting examples to give you some fresh ideas.