What is Wall Decor: The Definitive Guide to Types, Materials, and Styles

Walls comprise the primary surface area in any room, yet they are often the very last thing people think to consider when making decisions about decor. We obsess over the sofa, the rug, the coffee table — but those wide swaths of drywall? But they typically receive a coat of paint and perhaps a single framed print.

But your walls are really where the most opportunity lies. They inspire a mood, lend depth, and can turn an empty box into a home. Wall decor isn’t just about filling space on your wall; it’s about adding dimension and personality to your home.

Whether you’re a minimalist in search of a single statement piece or a maximalist wanting to create a gallery wall, this guide to types and materials can help you make smart design choices. Here are some really great ideas that will inspire you to decorate your walls with premium and affordable wall decor items.

What Actually Qualifies as Wall Decor?

When considering wall decor, our thoughts immediately turn to framed art. And, of course, as large a category as art is overall, wall decor broadly refers to anything you hang, mount, or apply to a wall in an effort to make it look better.

It does a lot more than simply "look nice":

Acoustics: Soft materials, typically tapestries and canvas, cut down on sound in boomy rooms.

Illusion of Space: Acknowledgement: Mirrors and strategically placed art help small rooms feel bigger.

Focus: A powerful piece of decoration grounds the furniture around it.

Top-wall Decor Styles.

Wall decor can provide any room, including one that is pretty plain and boring, with immense personality.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The right decision for you will depend on the function of your room, the lighting, and your style.

Wall Art & Prints

This is the classic choice. From oil-painted canvas to fashionable digital printing, painting is the direct way to reveal your taste.

• Canvas Prints: Provide a texture and painterly appearance without the competition for glare that comes with glass.
• Framed Photo: Great for realism, personal touch. Shots taken in black and white seem timeless and classy.
• Posters: A dorm-room connective, yes, but framed vintage posters or exhibition prints can feel pretty chintzy if resisted in the right way.

Mirrors

Mirrors are the secret weapon of interior designers. They get light moving around the room, so that it hits darker corners and makes small rooms feel twice the size.

• Statement Mirrors: A big, glossy frame that doubles as a work of art.
• Gallery Mirrors: Clustering several smaller, unmatched mirrors for an eclectic feel.

Textile & Macrame

For warmth and softness, it cannot be beat, fibre art. This is especially important if you have a room with lots of hard surfaces, such as a dining room or kitchen.

• Tapestries: Woven textiles in larger pieces that can cover a lot of wall space inexpensively.
• Macrame: Knotted rope patterns that bring bohemian texture and detail.
• Juju Hats: With their feathers, these headdresses bring amazing texture and a circular, organic shape to interrupt planes of straight lines.

Shelving & Functional Decor

Occasionally, the storage itself is the decoration. You can show off a rotating cast of objects, books, and plants with floating shelves.

• Floating Shelves: Clean lines that give the impression of floating objects.
• Box Shelves: A framed shelving system that gives you some geometric variety.

Wall Sculptures

Scenes and portraits appear to spread out in three dimensions, with the wall sculptures “popping” off the surface, casting shadow and suggesting depth that flat art struggles to produce. These could be abstract metal shapes, ceramic flowers, or wooden carvings.

Essential Wall Decor Materials

Your room’s atmosphere is strongly influenced by the materials you use in its wall decor. Mixing and matching materials keeps a room from falling flat.

Wood

Wood adds warmth and an organic texture. It’s eclectic, and suits rustic farmhouses as well as mid-century modern homes and clean-lined Scandinavian minimalist rest stops.

• Styling Tip: Warm up a room with cool tones, such as grey or blue, by adding reclaimed wood panels or carved wooden masks.

Metal

Metal brings smoothness, industrial edge, or glamour, based on the finish.

• Iron & Steel: Ideal industrial and modern farmhouse style. It’s become slightly outdated for some people, while a modern iron console or desk is considered chic by others.
• Brass & Gold: It brings warmth and luxury, great for glam or classic spaces.
• Copper: Provides a new, rosy warmth that complements the kitchen.

Canvas & Fabric

Soft materials are sound-absorbing and create a cozy room.

• Canvas: The standard in painting, providing the most popular surface.
• Woven Wool/Cotton: Found in tapestries for sensational tactile texture.

Glass & Acrylic

These materials are contemporary, clean, and airy. They’re great for small spaces because they don’t visually “pull the wall down.”

• Acrylic frames: They can give art the illusion of floating and work especially when it comes to displaying contemporary prints.

DRESS YOUR WALLS LIKE A PRO

Purchasing the decor is the simple part; hanging it, however, is where most people get hung up. Here are three foolproof strategies.

The Gallery Wall

This requires assembling several slices of wood. It’s idiosyncratic and personal, but it takes planning.

• The Grid: Opt for the same frames and matting to create a clean, symmetrical effect. This style complements a set of botanical prints or black and white photos.
• The Clustered Cluster: Mix frame styles and sizes. Work from the centre out with the biggest piece in the middle (a hair off-centre is OK). Maintain the separation between frames relatively uniform (2-3 inches).

The Large Statement Piece

Sometimes less is more. It is better to have one oversize piece of art or a huge mirror over the sofa than to have a dozen small pieces.

• Placement: Center it above a substantial piece of furniture, such as the sofa or bed. The piece in general is probably two-thirds the width of the furniture below it.

The Rule of Three

It would look better to have an odd number than an even number.

• Triptychs: One picture, in three panels.
• Groupings: Hang three like-sized items in a horizontal or vertical line. This gives the appearance of visual equilibrium, but not perfectly symmetric.

Creating a Cohesive Look

Your walls don’t need to be isolated from the rest of your space.

• Colour Echo: Draw colours from your rug or throw pillows into your wall art. If you have a teal velvet couch, a print that includes hints of teal will be the perfect finishing touch.
• Size Matters: A small 5x7 frame will get swallowed up by a large blank wall. Even the hugest of canvases will be a problem to hang in double doors if it has turned too big, and vice versa, a little picture can be lost in an oversized hallway. Scale the art to the size of the wall it’s on.
• Eye Level: The biggest mistake is hanging art at eye level. The artwork’s centre point needs to be at eye level, which is usually 57-60 inches above the ground.

Your Walls, Your Canvas

Wall decor is the last layer of design that makes your home feel like a home. It tells your story, screens out the noise generated by the outside world, and provides an environment where you see things as only you can. And don’t let yourself be restricted by types of wall decor and materials of wall decor. Begin with a single wall, experiment with layouts on the floor before committing to a nail, and see your space morph.

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