Let’s face it, empty and plain colored walls can be boring. There are excellent ways to give your room some style, and wall murals are the best and easiest!
Whether is it a child’s room that should be fun and playful, or a formal living room, wall mural will transform it.
But what is wall mural exactly? Well, it can be described as a graphic that is applied to your wall. It is printed on a high-quality paper to give you the perfect image. Hundreds, if not thousands of designs exist, from plain to textured, and from colored to black and white.
Their popularity is increasing, and they are taking over the market from standard wallpapers that often seem outdated and out of style.
Murals are customizable and you can choose any design, including photographs you took with your camera!
So, if you are done with looking at an empty wall in your home, read on to see how you can transform it!
Table of Contents
What is Wall Mural? [Definition]
Murals have been around for thousands of years, and you can see them in many historical buildings. Today, this traditional form of murals is mostly gone, but modern options are taking over. They are not reserved only for churches and castles as they were before. Now anyone can have them at home!
By definition, it is a graphical art applied onto the wall. To create these artworks, artists can use colors to create graffiti, which is a modern version, or create mosaics which was popular in the past.
Of course, these techniques are too complicated for realization in small living spaces, and that is why home decor murals are printed on photo paper!
People frequently mistake them for wallpapers; however, wallpapers are applied to all walls, and they are not so versatile and customizable. Wallpapers usually come in selected designs and prints only.
What is Wall Mural Made Of? [Materials]
Now you know what is wall mural, but what about its properties?
Firstly, I have to tell you that modern murals are easy to remove. You probably remember your grandma’s wallpaper and the tedious process of getting rid of them. Murals are nothing like that.
They are usually printed on high quality photo paper. This makes images on them so vibrant and alive, especially if you are using your own photographs.
Materials used in manufacturing are either already mentioned photo paper or canvas, window film, or polyester.
Where You Can Use Wall Murals? [Are they Good for Kids Room?]
Murals can be used in any indoor space where you need a bit of art to lighten the place up. Kids rooms are suitable for kids wall murals for various reasons.
First of all, murals can be fun. You can get prints for children that include cartoon characters, superheroes, animals, airplanes, stars and planets…. Options are unlimited and any child will love them! Murals will brighten up the space and boost your child’s imagination and creativity.
Secondly, murals are easy to clean! Unlike wallpapers, you can just wipe them off! Any kind of dirt, even liquids, can be removed. Of course, check the material properties before buying it.
And last but not the least, applying mural with your kid can be a great activity!
What is the Difference Between a Wall Mural and Wall Stickers, Decals or Wallpapers?
To see the difference, I will explain the properties of wallpapers, stickers, and decals.
Wallpapers can be made from materials similar to murals, but also from grass cloth, cellulose, lining paper, and similar. Some of those are hard to remove and clean.
In addition to that, wallpapers are printed on a specific material width so creating large images is not possible. Instead of decorating one wall, wallpapers usually cover the whole room. Unlike wallpapers, murals are printed on demand, and size is customizable.
Wall stickers are basically what the name suggests. Those are graphic printed on a vinyl that has an adhesive background to be fitted on the wall. Decals are similar to stickers, but their application is a bit different. They are transferred from a masking sheet onto the flat surface such as walls.
Stickers and decals are cheaper and very easy to use, however they can’t really replace full sized murals when it comes to final result and appearance.
To learn more about decals check this article with title “What is Wall Decal“.
How Long Do Wall Murals Last?
How long will mural last depends on a few factors. Firstly, the quality of the mural itself. Secondly, the quality of the wall (surface, moisture…) and your application process. And thirdly, usage and maintenance.
If you have pets that can scrape it, or you apply it onto damp walls in the basement game room, it will last shorter than murals in formal dining rooms for example.
With good wall preparation, mural will last for many years. Some manufacturers even say that their products will last decades. But don’t worry, if you easily get bored, you will be able to remove it and put another one!
Here are Some Wall Mural Ideas …
There are thousands of ideas online, and you can always find something that will fit into your existing home décor.
Among popular mural motives is always nature. From artistic representation to real photographs, you can get it all.
People also like to use motives suitable for children, and those are often cartoon characters such as this one.
If you prefer artistic murals, and more formal design, think about murals that represent famous art pieces.
Of course, it is not possible to show something that fits everyone needs and desires, so here are some general recommendations on how to incorporate murals into your home:
• Rooms decorated in plain colors such as grey, white, or black can look excellent with vibrant color murals.
• Choose light colors for dark rooms that lack natural light. Dark murals will create the opposite, even darker effect.
• If you want to make the room bigger or smaller, use murals with 3D appearance.
• Apply murals to smaller walls/areas if you want to use them as simple decoration, or on large walls if you want them to bee the centerpiece of the room
• Use motives that fit into existing home décor in terms of color and texture
• Add lights above the mural to create exceptional impression at night
Here are some examples stated above:
Mural with motives that perfectly fit materials used in room design.
The 3D illusion mural.
City lights mural as a contrast to otherwise dark room.
More ideas about kids wall murals you can see here …
Conclusion
Describing what is wall mural is easy but choosing the perfect one among all options can be challenging! To pick a perfect one, follow some guidelines and ideas stated in the previous chapters.
Modern materials and application process ensure excellent look, easy removal, and simple maintenance of the mural.
Before installation, prepare your walls as described by the mural manufacturer, and be prepared to be amazed by the artistic look of your room!
