Wall murals are pieces of artwork either painted onto a wall, or applied in another way, such as via a sticker or even a wall mural wallpaper. Murals can be a really cool way to make a statement with your home decor while bringing a touch of your personality to a space.
Statement wallpaper essentially serves the same purpose, so which one is the right choice for your home: wall mural or statement wallpaper? Here are the factors you need to consider when making your choice:
3 Questions To Ask Yourself When Creating A Feature Wall
Keep these questions in mind when you’re trying to decide whether a wall mural is the right choice for you:
1. Which Room Are You Decorating?
A wall mural won’t necessarily work in every room in your house. Wall mural wallpaper can look especially effective behind a headboard in a master bedroom, and it’s a really fun option for decorating a child’s bedroom.
If you are considering a statement wall in a children’s bedroom, it’s worth thinking about how quickly their interests are likely to change. If you’re worried they might outgrow a statement design in a year or two, it’s probably better to go for a wall mural on just one wall rather than statement wallpaper throughout the whole room.
Apply the same theory to any room in your house, not just for children’s bedroom wall murals; if you have any reservations or are worried you might change your mind quickly, a wall mural is easier to put up in the first place, and easier to switch up if needed.
2. How Big Is The Space You’re Decorating?
Think about how big the space you’re decorating is too. Using a statement wallpaper in a smaller room carries the risk of making the space feel even smaller, and potentially a little crowded. If you’re worried this may be the case, stick to a feature wall decorated in statement wallpaper, or go for a wall mural instead.
3. What’s Your Statement Wallpaper Budget?
Give some thought to how much you’re planning to spend before you settle on a decision too, as it will typically be a little more affordable to pay for one wall mural than several rolls of wallpaper.
7 Statement Wall Styles And How To Create Them
If you’ve got a particular feature wall design in mind, you can most likely create it with either a wall mural or a statement wallpaper. Here are some examples to suit 7 different interior styles:
1. Monochrome Feature Wall
A black and white wall can create a real statement in a room, and monochrome can be as minimalist or as bold as you like. Achieve this look with:
- Wall mural wallpaper: Rainbow Circle Pattern 3D Effect Black & White Wallpaper (price depends on wall size), which has an eye-popping spiralling monochrome circle pattern
- Statement wallpaper: Arthouse Toucan Bird Jungle Leaf Black & White Wallpaper (£15 per roll), which brings a touch of monochromatic nature to your home
2. Brick Effect Statement Wall
Brick-effect walls are a cool way to bring an urban feel to a room, and wall murals provide a way to do this without making a space feel too industrial. Bring this look to your home with:
- Wall mural: Red Brick Wall Photo Giant Poster, (£17), measuring 3.15m x 2.32m
- Statement wallpaper: our brick-effect wallpapers start at £13 per roll, and there’s even a self-adhesive option available at £20 a roll, for easier application
3. Graphic Feature Wall
Graphic wallpaper can make a bold statement in a home, but there are so many designs out there, it can be difficult to find the right one for you. We recommend:
- Wall mural wallpaper: Rainbow Abstract Retro Square Pattern 3D Effect Wallpaper (£17 per roll), which features bold pink and green shapes on a dark background
- Statement wallpaper: Fresco Retro Geo Navy & Yellow Wallpaper (£13 per roll), which is a slightly more modern, muted take on a geometric wallpaper design
4. Parisian-Inspired Feature Wall
Make a statement in a kitchen or dining room with a Parisian-inspired feature wall, which will bring a gorgeously chic feel to a room. Bring a little bit of Paris to your home with:
- Wall mural: 1 Wall Paris Eiffel Tower Wallpaper (£17), which measures 1.58m x 2.32m and is a fabulous way to be able to look at this iconic landmark every day, wherever you are in the world
- Statement wallpaper: Galerie City Life Paris Grey, Black & Silver Wallpaper (£9 per roll), featuring snapshots of not just the Eiffel Tower, but also Parisian streets and even the Louvre
5. Faux Leather Feature Wall
A faux leather feature wall can look incredibly effective behind a headboard in a master bedroom or to create a luxurious feel in a library-style room or reading nook. Bring faux leather to a statement wall with:
- Wall mural: Rainbow Leather Triangle Pattern Faux Effect Brown Wallpaper (£17), which gives the illusion of a cushioned leather effect
- Statement wallpaper: Arthouse Desire Faux Cushioned Leather Wallpaper, available in silver, blue, black, or pink, priced from £11-12 per roll
6. Children’s Bedroom Statement Wall
A children’s bedroom wall mural can be a great way for them to showcase their personality. We have some brilliant comic book-inspired designs for children’s bedrooms, including:
- Wall mural wallpaper: 1 Wall Easy Hang Superman DC Comic Panel Mural Wallpaper (£17), measuring 1.58m x 2.32m
- Statement wallpaper: Go all out with a comic book-inspired wallpaper, such as the DC Comics Collection Justice League Superheroes Wallpaper (£14 per roll) or the Marvel Spiderman & Iron Man Comic Strip Wallpaper (also priced at £14 per roll)
7. New York City Feature Wall
Bring a slice of the Big Apple to your main living area with a New York-inspired feature wall. Choose from:
- Wall mural: 1 Wall New York Taxi Giant Wallpaper Mural (priced from £17) – use our wallpaper calculator to work out exactly how much you need depending on the size of your wall
- Statement wallpaper: Galerie Yolo New York Graffiti Pattern Wallpaper (£18 per roll), which features a bold, colourful New York apartment building design, complete with fire escapes and graffiti
How To Paint Your Own Wall Mural
If you’ve decided to go with a wall mural but aren’t sure which design to choose, one option is to paint your own. Here’s how to paint your own wall mural:
- Planning is key – sketch out your design first. Create a grid on your paper and draw the design onto it. Practicing drawing it a few times can help you to get confident drawing the design, and the grid can later be applied to the wall to help you to scale up the design
- Think carefully about your colour scheme and how it will fit with the rest of the room – you might prefer to go for muted pastel colours rather than bold primary colours for something slightly more subtle
- Paint a base layer before you go in with the wall mural design, or at least make sure the wall is thoroughly clean to avoid any dirt or grease spoiling your design
- Draw out your grid, then sketch out the design using pencil. This is easier to paint over if you make a mistake – just remember to make sure any extra paint is thoroughly dry before you restart the mural
- Use acrylic paints to paint your design. Go for a matte finish if possible so that light doesn’t reflect off the mural too much
- Make sure you’re using good quality brushes that won’t shed onto the wall, spoiling the effect
- Take care not to smudge the wall mural design as you go, and allow it to dry thoroughly before moving furniture back into place
How To Decorate Around A Wall Mural
As wall murals and statement wallpapers can be so bold and eye-catching, it can be difficult to decorate around them. If you’re creating a children’s bedroom wall mural, bear in mind that their interests can change quickly, so you might not want to go overboard with a superhero theme, and just keep it to the feature wall instead.
On the other hand, you might want to lean into the theme completely, accessorising comic book-inspired wallpaper with a prominent shelf of comics or graphic novels, and plenty of primary colour soft furnishings. Another example would be teaming the Rainbow London City Red Bus Giant Wall Poster (£17) with Union Jack cushions, and red, white, and blue accessories.
If you choose the Eiffel Tower wall mural or the 1 Wall Planet Earth Space Globe Wallpaper Mural (£17), let them make a statement – don’t block them by placing a table or chair in front of them.
If you’re painting around a wall mural in the future, bear in mind that you may end up with a slightly different colour around the mural as a result of new coats of paint. This might not bother you, but if it does, consider creating a border around the wall mural or think about whether it’s time for a new design.
If you have any questions at all about any of our wall murals, please contact us here.