How to Decorate Bare Walls
I often get asked how to decorate blank walls — what to do with that barren expanse behind the couch, above the bed, in an office… pretty much all over the house! There are so many great ways to decorate walls from coatings, to shelving, to hangings, and more. These 13 ideas are sure to help you fill in all the blanks!
Paint
This partially-painted / two-toned approach was beautifully done by The Identite Collective. Much more interesting than plain white walls! (NOTE: I might have chosen a larger piece of artwork for over the bed — see the size guidelines in the Artwork section below!)
Didn’t see that one comin’ did ya 😉? But hey, adding colour with paint is the quickest and easiest way to spruce up a blank white wall. Of course you can paint the whole room, orrr you could stop the colour partway up for a two-toned effect. LESS work for MORE impact!? Sold!
If you’re feelin’ super creative, consider adding a decorative edge like a scallop.
Wallpaper
This peel and stick floral wallpaper by Timberlea Minimal does all the heavy lifting in this space.
Peel and stick wallpaper has CHANGED THE GAME. So for anyone who clammed up at the mere thought, don’t worry! It’s no-water, no-fuss, no-cursing, no-residue, and it’ll instantly dress up any wall in your home. If you’re not up for a whole room, try using it on an accent wall, or within the frames of some panel moulding.
Wood Wall Treatments
Shiplap wainscoting adds character and interest to this laundry room by Wild Decoelis.
Wood wall treatments will instantly elevate any room in your house. They add texture, dimension, and interest to otherwise bare walls, and can be a great opportunity to experiment with colour! Beadboard, board & batten, shiplap, panel moulding, and wainscoting can all be installed quite easily and will give you major bang for your buck.
RELATED: 5 Types of Beautiful Wood Wall Treatments
Artwork
A lovely digital art print by Art Studio NT fills the empty wall in this dining area.
Art is a classic and versatile way to fill an empty wall, but there are several things to keep in mind when choosing your pieces. This section deserves a blog post of its own, but here are the basics:
COLOURS — Since artwork can serve as an inspiration piece and/or tie your space together, make sure you like the colours enough to use them throughout the rest of your home, OR be sure the colours work with your existing home palette, depending on where you’re at in the decorating process.
SIZE & PROPORTION — Make sure your artwork is big enough! When you’re trying to fill a larger area (e.g. over a couch or over a bed), the artwork should span 2/3 - 3/4 the width of the object below. You can group multiple pieces together to achieve this, or use one large piece. If cost is holding you back, try printing off some digital artwork instead!
RELATED: All About Artwork (Size, Spacing, Height, Framing, Colours, and More!)
RELATED: Where to Buy Affordable Artwork
Wall Mirror
This lovely gilted mirror bounces light around in this living room by Kate Marker Interiors.
Mirrors are a great swap for art when you want to diversify your decor. Larger-scale mirrors look great mounted on the wall or leaned on top of a mantle or piece of furniture. Since the actual mirror isn’t much to look at, decorative mirrors should have beautiful frames. Mirrors can be expensive, but you might get lucky at your local thrift store!
Gallery Wall
Check out this vintage gallery wall by 7ArtPrints.
Kicking the “artwork” option up a notch, gallery walls are a fun and creative way to fill tons of wall space. It’s best to lay out all your pieces on the floor (or in PowerPoint using rectangles) before f***ing up your walls committing on the walls! Start with your central focal point (the biggest piece) and fan out from there. The gaps between pieces should be pretty even, about 2”- 3” apart. And feel free to incorporate other items like mirrors, plants, clocks, and sconces! You can use thrifted frames to keep costs down, but try stick to three colours/materials to maintain a cohesive look.
Alternatively, you can opt for a monochromatic grid for a more modern, streamlined look.
Picture Ledge
All styled up, these solid maple picture ledges add so much character to this seating area.
Picture ledges achieve a similar effect to a gallery wall, but with fewer holes and less effort. (Again, sold!) Simply lean and layer pieces of art in various sizes, adding in plants and other objects as you like. Picture ledges also look great behind couches and beds.
Floor Mirror
This arched floor mirror by Mistana effortlessly fills the space and adds some height.
Floor mirrors add variety to your decor and help bounce light around a room. They tend to be expensive, but can often be found in thrift stores and second-hand marketplaces. Arrange a vignette by layering in a large plant, piece of furniture, cozy rug, floor lamp, etc. Larger pieces like this also add an element of height to the space — an important yet often forgotten detail!
Furniture
A beautifully styled console fills the wall space in this entryway by Studio McGee.
A piece of furniture like a dresser, sideboard, or console table has the power to fill up an empty wall! Just add art or a mirror above it (leaned or mounted), then layer in other items like lamps, vases, bowls, candlesticks.
Alternatively you can use a tall piece of furniture like a shelving unit or cabinet.
Belongings
Hanging hats add functional styling to this entryway by Mindy Gayer, photographed by Lindsay Stetson Thompson.
If you have decorative items like hats, baskets, plates, tapestries, needlework, a record collection, etc., try hanging these things on your wall! Sift through your belongings — maybe during your next home purge — and keep an eye out for interesting items to display. Level it up by choosing beautiful hooks so they too can be part of the installation!
Beautiful Wall Hooks
Cooking Equipment
I filled the empty wall space over our kitchen extension with some difficult-to-store cooking items that now serve as functional styling.
If you have beautiful… or at least, aesthetically acceptable… cookware and some empty wall space around your kitchen, display a few items on a kitchen rail! Copper and wood accessories are particularly lovely, but as long as your items somewhat match and are in decent shape, you can create a functional art installation 😝. Hang a combo of pots, pans, cutting boards, and utensils for a mix of shapes and materials. Heck, try throwing in a plant for some extra life and colour! Just make sure your rack/rail is screwed into studs (or otherwise securely anchored) cause this beauty can get heavyyy.
Beautiful Cookware Sets
Plant Wall
Check out this lovely plant wall by For the Home.
Getting plants up on the wall is definitely underrated! This little trick adds tons of colour, texture, and dimension to an empty vertical space. You can grab some wall-mount planter rings to use with your existing pots, or buy some flat-backed wall planters (see below). Or you could keep it simple(r) and do a plant shelf.
Pro tip: group together plants with similar lighting/watering needs to make caring for them easier!
Wall-Mounted Planters
Wall Sconces
Brass wall sconces fill the wall space above the sink in this kitchen by Thompson Construction.
Wall sconces are another great way to introduce function and decor at the same time. They look great repeated down a hallway, worked into a gallery wall, flanking a mirror / piece of art, or filling that awkward space above the kitchen sink window!
For some budget sconce options that don’t require hardwiring, check out this roundup of 15 Beautiful Plug-In Sconces for Under $100.
Fairy or String Lights
These copper wire fairy lights double as extra lighting and an art piece.
If you’re looking for a SUPER affordable way to fill up wall space and cast some extra light, try stringing up some fairy lights in a cool pattern, or keep it simple with some curtain lights.
Dried Floral Hanging
How beautiful is this dried floral hanging? (Source unknown.)
I’d never seen dried floral hangings until sourcing images for this post, but what a gorgeous idea! This looks super labour intensive which is a liiittle off brand for DBC, but if you have a love of botanicals and some legendary patience, what an amazing way to spruce up a blank wall!
So there you have it folks. Next time you’re starin’ down a blank wall in your home, take one of these great ideas and turn that canvass into something beautiful!