Decorating Walls

ASPACE gives us their top tips for decorating walls.

You’ve chosen the room, the child’s ready and waiting, a brand new room of furniture and bedding has been ordered, now there’s just one thing left to decide…how to decorate the walls!

Nowadays there are so many options available for whatever look and feel you want to achieve – from painting, to wallpapering, panelling to ‘stickering’… The possibilities are almost endless, and this amount of choice in itself, can be overwhelming. Below are some of our favourite techniques when considering our own set designs at ASPACE.

Wallpaper

There’s no doubt about it, wallpaper is great for tying a visual scheme together, and whilst this may present a challenge for children’s room decoration, there is so much more to the lovely stuff than simply covering all four walls!

Some of our favourite wallpaper ideas:

1. Apply it to just half the wall…

2. Make paper shapes…

3. Or simply frame it!

Panelling

With so many different types of panelling available that can literally transform a room and provide character to an otherwise ‘boxy’ space, it’s hard to know which to choose.

Our top tips for panelling:

• Take note of the age and architecture of the property. It’s best only to add picture rails and dado rails in period homes.

Stickers

If you have children, it may feel as though things are in a constant state of flux (including the decorating!)  … From robots last month, to rabbits the next, one thing’s certain: you never can be sure of what their next favourite thing will be! Stickers are the perfect solution for a flexible room scheme and being mess-free, it’s the perfect opportunity to get the kids involved.

Our top tips for stickers:

• Position all of your furniture first, and then use the stickers to fill the parts of the wall that are showing.
• Use masking tape to plan where the sticker should go: Stick a bit to the wall, stand back and see if it’s at the correct height. This will help prevent removing the sticker from the backing too soon, and consequent damage to it.
• Once you have the right placement, it’s best to use a squeegee to press down onto the wall surface, and gradually remove the backing paper from behind. More intricate stickers can be quite flexible, and may stretch if pulled to hard. Slow and steady wins the race!
• Remember – if it’s not right, most stickers can be reapplied elsewhere (and replaced with something else next month.

Paint

From elaborate murals to simple stenciling, paint is probably the most versatile method for decorating a space.

Our top tips for using paint:

• Keep it simple by choosing one or, at the most, a two colour paint combination, and test the colour on the wall. Give it 24 hours before you make your decision, as you’ll need to see the colour under different lights, be that daylight or artificial.
• Painting all four walls will create an enclosed space – perfect for giving the feeling of a cosy space, but not so great for giving the illusion of more space.
• Try painting the ceiling only to bring a high ceiling down – a great feature for creating a ‘den’.
• Paint the wood work a different colour to the walls for a trend-led look.
• Stencils: Keep it simple! If you (or your child) fancy being the next Picasso, draw a shape onto some thick card and cut the middle out. Dab paint through it onto the wall.
• Rollered stripes give strong impact and a designer feel to a space. Remember that verticals will add height to a room, whereas horizontal stripes will draw attention to the width of the space.

Canvasses

Easy to put up and remove, canvasses are perfect for a quick refresh.

Our top tips:

• If hanging more than one, stagger them on different levels to fill the space (this way you won’t need to worry about getting them in a straight line!)
• Wall imagery with lights included are perfect for creating a twinkly look; plus ticking the ‘lighting’ and ‘décor’ requirements with one item can only be a good thing!
• For a bright burst of colour on the wall as well as the addition of storage, try our Mondrian shelving range.

Happy decorating!