Painted walls provide the opportunity for a variety of decorating techniques. Adding some style to a wall that is just sitting there featuring an old paint job or a new coat of paint doesn't require a lot of money, nor do you have to worry about transforming the entire wall. A striking and dramatic visual flourish can easily be accomplished with just one small addition.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper will go easily over a smoothly painted wall. Think in terms of matching the wallpaper to the paint color and getting a little creative. Rather than wallpapering large sections of the wall, just add borders around the top or bottom. Achieve maximum effect with minimum labor by picking just one wall in a room to decorate with wallpaper that becomes a focal point. Possibilities include wallpaper with a pattern, raised texture or made of foil or flocked paper.
Adding a Glaze
Glaze can give a plainly painted wall a new look, subtly changing the tint of the paint. A darker glaze applied over a lighter paint gives the wall a translucent quality. A coat of polyurethane applied over the glaze is an effective way to give the wall an antique sensibility.
Bedspread Entryway Hanging
A doorway or entrance cut into the painted wall provides the opportunity for a small-scale decorative choice that pays off in large style dividends. Find a cotton bedspread featuring a vivid pattern and cut a hole into that mimics the dimensions of the entryway. Place the material around the hole to provide a more artistic thrust to the throughway. This is an especially effective method for decorating an arched entryway.
Rustic Fence Headboard
The rustic approach to decorating can be adhered to with an imaginative touch that works perfectly with a smoothly painted wall. Place a section of wooden fencing up against the wall and push your bed snugly against it to create a pastoral scene right inside your bedroom.
Mural
A large, bare painted wall that's too expansive to adequately decorate is an ideal choice for a mural. Murals can be painted directly onto the base coat of the wall. For those without artistic ability or the finances to hire a professional artist, ready-made murals are available on paper that easily adheres to a smoothly finished wall. You even have the option of taking a photo you created yourself and having it professionally enlarged to create a one-of-a-kind mural.
