70 Genius Ways to Decorate a Blank Wall
Here are the best designer-approved ideas for transforming that wide open space.
It doesn’t matter whether you live in a small city apartment or a sprawling country estate—or whether your personal style skews minimalist or maximalist—everyone is eventually confronted with the difficult decision of what to do with that large, windowless wall. Admittedly, many people have a complicated relationship with blank walls. Sometimes, a bare wall can feel refreshing—especially when a room is filled with bold furniture, printed area rugs, and plenty of objets. But more often than not, a blank wall can appear neglected and, let’s face it, boring. So do you want to bring style to every square inch of your space, walls included? Check out these designer-approved ways to give all of your walls the attention they deserve. From statement-making artwork to whimsical wallpaper and everything in between, every idea here is packed with visual intrigue.
Turn Family Photos into Art
No wallpaper? No problem! Memphis, Tennessee–based designer Sean Anderson used his collection of Polaroid photos taken on family vacations and events to cover the blank space surrounding the door frame.
Embrace Shapes
Paolo Castellarin and Didier Bonnin used two “portholes” in a dividing wall between the living room and dining room to open up the space in their Milan apartment. The vases on the piano are by Gaetano Pesce.
Paint a Mural
In the Palo Alto, California, home of Florie Hutchinson, designed by Atelier Davis, the family commissioned the artist Mariel Capanna to paint a wall mural in a narrow hallway. The mural includes depictions of the family and their day-to-day life.
Lacquer the Walls
Milanese designer Fabrizio Casiraghi used a custom green color to lacquer the walls throughout a Parisian loft. The artworks, which include paintings by H. Craig Hanna and a 19th-century club from Fiji, add even more intrigue.
Go Crazy with Prints
In the upstairs kitchen of designer Ramsey Lyons’s Pittsburgh home, patterned Schumacher wallcovering gives the garret a maximalist garden feel.
Add Texture
In lieu of a flat paint, designer Augusta Hoffman covered the walls of her Manhattan bedroom with a tweed wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries.
Add Humor
Designer Jacques Grange applied resin wall art by Jean-François Fourtou to otherwise blank walls in a home in Portugal.
Match the Furniture
In a Sonoma County, California, home designed by Ken Fulk, the walls, shades, and ceiling were matched to the sofa and cushion fabric.
Go Bold
If the walls are blank, don’t be afraid to go bold. Designer Delia Kenza painted the blank walls and ceiling of a Brooklyn bedroom an inky black.
Mirror, Mirror
Mirrored wall panels not only enliven a blank space, but also enhance the natural light from windows. Gabriel Hendifar used bronze mirror panels in the dining room of his Manhattan apartment.
Try Some Color Theory
Daun Curry brought some childish wonder to a girl’s bedroom in this home in the Hamptons with a painted mosaic, complete with varying shades of pink, purple, and blue. When paired with floating cubbies and pendants by Tom Dixon, this once-bare wall is transformed into an optical illusion.
Add the Midas Touch
Fancify your bare walls with opulent accents. When ELLE Decor A-List designer Jean-Louis Deniot restored this French manor, he festooned the walls with an ornate gold-framed mirror and matching bronze Empire sconces.
Stenciled Style
If you want to add some visual interest to your bare walls—but don’t want to sacrifice that crisp, versatile look—consider a stenciled border. Let this Manhattan apartment by ELLE Decor A-List designer Stephen Sills show you how it’s done.
Embrace Embroidery
Contrary to popular belief, embroidery isn’t solely reserved for throw pillows and upholstery. In her London home and studio, textile designer Nathalie Farman-Farma adorned her walls with embroidery by Namay Samay. Rounding out the look is artwork by Léon Bakst and a Napoleon III slipper chair in a Décors Barbares linen.
Rediscover Old Roots
As in this Art Nouveau townhouse in Tbilisi, Georgia, a home’s foundation can often provide all the inspiration you need. The frescoes, which depict scenes of Venice, were uncovered during a restoration; while they make a good case for leaving the walls au naturel, the sleek brass sculptures seen at right add a measured dose of modernity.
Mix and Match
When it comes to adding prints to your bare walls, more is always more. In this townhouse in London’s Belgravia neighborhood, designer Thomas Hamel juxtaposed the agate-inspired backsplash with de Gournay’s Coco Coromandel wallcovering.
The Textured Treatment
Marie Flanigan gave this Houston bathroom a hint of texture by affixing hand-molded plaster dogwood branches on the wall. The result? The feel of a plush tapestry combined with the subtlety of a dainty wallpaper repeat.
Build a Bar
Remember that your walls don’t have to be impractical. If you’re willing to get a little crafty, you can convert your empty space into a home bar. The built-ins seen in this Pittsburgh study double as the room’s focal point.
Wow With Tiles
As Antonio Martins’s San Francisco home proves, your walls can be anything you want them to be. So he made a statement in his stairwell with enlarged reproductions of 18th-century Portuguese tiles, custom painted by Linda Horning and Katherine Jacobus.
Strategically Placed Sculpture
You can break up a negative space with a slim sculpture; the key, however, is where you choose to place it. The linked sculpture Antonio Martins added to his San Francisco kitchen is both effortless and edgy in equal measure.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
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