Budget Decorating
(featured column)
Cheap
and Easy Wall Decorating
by
Kathy Wilson
Decorating our
walls seems to be a huge dilemma to most home decorators, but it need not be.
Here are some quick and easy ways to dress up your walls, on a budget! More...
The most common
mistake most people make in decorating their walls is to sprinkle things around
just to fill empty space. Instead, draw an imaginary rectangle on the main focal
wall in the room you wish to dress up. Now fill that rectangle with a grouping
of related art, such as portraits, plates, or clocks. This makes a much better
impact on the room than the “sprinkle” effect.
Try to hang larger scale items to make your rooms seem bigger. This doesn’t
mean you have to run out and spend hundreds or thousands on a large painting!
Hang a rug or a pretty quilt. Create a dramatic wall hanging with a large piece
of plywood, some paint, and one inspirational word in large letters. "Faith,"
"Believe" or "Dream" are great ones. Paint a simple border
and background in neutral colors. Then sketch on your word in blocks with
pencil, and fill in with paint.
Try setting off a special portrait or a wall collection by painting a background
frame. Make the frame at least 4-6 inches larger than the art, tape off with
painters tape, and fill in with a darker version of your wall color.
If you have dozens of different frames and pictures, tie them all together by
painting the frames all the same color. Black gives an elegant touch to any
style décor. White is very fresh, and a bright color can be fund in a
contemporary design.
Consider using stencils to add detail and design to your walls. It’s easy,
relatively fast, and inexpensive. Pick up a simple design to wrap around windows
and doors, or to add detail to your painted frames around your wall art
groupings.
Finally, look at unconventional items as wall art. A weathered piece of
driftwood accents over a doorway, or an old wooded box can hang as a curio
cabinet. Simple wooded blocks can be attached to the wall as candleholders or
display shelves. Your children’s christening dress can be hung as memory art,
or you can frame a piece of the maternity dress you loved while you were
pregnant with your youngest. Use your imagination!
Decorating walls doesn’t have to be daunting, just use these easy ideas to get
you started!
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Copyright
© 2007 by Kathleen Wilson. All rights reserved.
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