Wall Decor Ideas: DIY Style Guide to Enhance Your Home

Wall decor is often an aspect of our interior design and renovation projects that is almost an afterthought when everything is complete.

Not to say a blank wall isn't perfectly fine and is sometimes a preference depending on the home and interior design plan. But sometimes wall decor needs a little lift.

Give your walls a new lease of life with a unique wall hanging, fresh paint, striking art, a photo gallery wall and so much more.

How do you make plain walls interesting?

Refreshing home interiors and giving a room a makeover doesn't have to be a complicated and expensive project. With a plethora of options available, we've put together our favourite DIY wall decor ideas to spruce your whole house.

When creating simple and eye-catching displays, sometimes less is more - it's not necessary to fill an entire wall with art or colour.

It's not all about the walls either. A stunning, scenic, and large framed photo of your favourite holiday backdrop might be all you need.

Pop a Wilson and Dorset Sheepskin area rug on the floor, and a Shaggy bag for further comfort, and you'll have a beautifully serene vacation area within your living room.

Painted accent wall ideas

Gladstone cushion

Painting is an easy DIY project and probably the simplest way to renovate and refresh interior spaces. You really just need a little know-how, painter's tape, drop sheets, and a brush or two.

However, there's painting, and then there's painting! Consider your interior design theme as a whole.

• How will the walls look with your sheepskin rugs and Shaggy Bags?

• What about your floors - are they carpet or timber?

• And, the style of your furniture? Will your industrial dining table get lost or be a feature?

• Do you plan to hang pictures and art?

• Where does the light fall within the room - this may determine whether you go for a light or dark palette.

An accent wall doesn't have to simply be painted a different colour from the others.

There are many options for making one wall a feature through paint, and things have come a long way since the days of one bright colour making a wall a feature. We've listed three super simple paint ideas that are easy to execute.

1. Horizontally divided wall colour

This might seem a little 'yesterday', but it's an effective way to bring dimension and depth to a room.

This approach is also a nice way to showcase a large piece of art that might display well on white, yet you had navy blue in your head for a dining room space. There's no reason you can't have both.

Paint the lower half of your colour choice - usually the darker shade, then go for a lighter, hue for the upper half of the wall.

Visually appealing, this wall paint plan goes well with carpet or hardwood floors and is fun for bedrooms.

It's an excellent way to bring colour to a space without overpowering the room or defaulting to a classic accent wall in one contrasting colour.

2. Geometric freehand

Create your own design. Use things like popsicle sticks and jute rope to dip in paint and introduce a uniform but unique pattern to the wall.

Tie the colours in with your flooring and other decor ideas, and be sure to plan ahead with DIY wall art like this. We recommend testing your design out on some large pieces of paper or cardboard first to get your design really dialed in.

3. Painted abstract artwork

Draft a template with painter's tape or shaped cardboard to turn an empty space into a statement piece of wall art.

To add texture and further interest, hang an empty frame around your art. Find some reclaimed wood or metal edging, cut it to your desired size and fix it to the wall for a perfect finish.

Draw or paint a series of squares and frame them yourself. Or, practice your design to then paint directly on the wall. Give these creations a three-dimensional effect with the technique of fixing the framing to the wall.

What about wallpaper?

With so many options through paint and other mediums, it's pretty easy to forget about wallpaper and how it can completely transform your space.

Wallpaper has made leaps and bounds in application and prints. Self-adhesive options are great for children's rooms where updating might be required a little more often.

Decals are another form of self-adhesive wall decor. The nice thing about these is that they're very easy to remove and can come in all shapes, designs, and sizes.

Fabric is yet another form of wallpaper and is a wonderful way to bring texture, dimension, and colour to a space. A fabric wall hanging can soften a room, take on a colour scheme, and offers a different perspective on wall art.

Create a photo gallery wall:

Welcome guests into your home with snippets of your life on the walls. Photos are a fun way to utilise the endless snapshots we take of family, friends, and favourite holiday spots.

• There are some great apps available that take your photos straight from your phone, to tile-sized photos in a frame.

• Fill a whole wall with different sizes and styles of frames or go for order and symmetry with sleek, matching framing for a clean and modern look.

• Mix and match mediums with photos of family outings and vacations alongside children's artwork in between. Or, take photos of children's art to then print and frame - this is a nice way to showcase particularly outstanding pieces!

Photos and memories are lovely to display and offer a warm, welcoming, and family-friendly vibe. It's a fun project for families to take on together. A gallery wall might simply consist of a small block of four images or a whole wall.

Wall hanging options for small spaces:

In an apartment or small space, blank walls are prime real estate for all things storage related. Consider turning your practical everyday items, or seldom used pieces that still need a place to live, into wall art.

• Hang a bike in a hallway - bikes are often tough to store in small homes and what better way than to make a wall hanging out of it when not in use?

• Floating shelves are functional wall decor. Not only do they look nice, but they're also useful as well. Mix practical items with photo frames and use unique baskets and containers that offer visual appeal.

• Your guitar or saxophone can turn into wall art when not in use. Design your own wall-hanging apparatus or turn a thrift store find into a practical accessory with mounts for instrument hanging.

• Surfer? Your surfboard can make a great piece of wall decor - just be sure it's clean and free of sand before hanging it on the wall.

• Hang your wool blankets and throws - a rustic wood ladder leaning against a wall or fitted to the wall with space to toss blankets is a good use of space and keeps these off the floor when not in use.

When it comes down to it, surround yourself with the things you like. If this means lots of wall decoration then by all means - fill up your wall space!

If it means rearranging artwork often and filling in nail holes every now and then, that's fine too. Do what feels right and don't take it too seriously.