Realistic Chic

I received a very good question over the weekend about what to do with a blank wall that goes as follows:

"I was wondering if you might help me with something. I have some wall space in my room that's a little boring and I'm terribly indecisive and have a habit of changing my mind so I was wondering if you could recommend any ideas. Thing is, I don't wanna ruin the paint job...I just don't like having to puncture holes in the walls seeing as I change things around quite often. I was looking online at some wall-stickers and thought that might be nice for a while. I'm honestly not doing anything fancy to my room. I just wanna' have it look not so plain. maybe put a few pictures up and stuff. Anything on my walls/accessories in my room I'd like to be Black in colour."

To solve this decorating dilemma, I decided to do a bit of research about the options for such a wall that a) won't leave any marks; 2) is simple but chic; and D) is cheap so that there is no bad feelings if it is changed out eventually. First, here's some of my favourite and most inspiring images of photo walls:




Tip #1: Always use something of the unexpected. The unexpected could be a varying of size, shape, colour, spacing, style, era, or objects. You may play with any or all of these things. This may help in quelling those feelings of growing bored in your decor. The eye tends to grow tired of the matchy-matchy quicker than if there is something causing an appealing rift in the overall look. Consider how you feel about a touch of the asymmetrical or eclectic (meaning a mix of eras). For example, I like to have a gallery display style (meaning different size frames placed seemingly at random) mixing vintage frames of ornate or gilded edges with minimal-style dollar store frames, and in a variety of colours - light wood, dark wood, gold-gilded, white, black, frameless canvas art, etc. I find that it keeps things interesting. But this is extreme end in mixing everything up. If you're tepid about trying too much of this technique and want to stick to a monochromatic frame collection, check out some of these simpler styles and try to picture it on your wall:



If using all all one style, Ikea really is the way to go. Their Ribba frames come in a variety of sizes (both in black and white, and also in silver) and are perfect for this look. Now, these matching frames in different sizes look nice, but if you want my honest opinion, one or two white frames amidst a collection of black ones in different sizes would be the perfect balance of coordination and the unexpected, for example:

If that doesn't appeal to you, it is also cool to see all black frames with black and white pictures (with or without a white mat) except for a larger picture in the centre that is brightly coloured...like an old kindergarten drawing of yours, or picture frames surrounding something totally different like a mirror or oil painting. And if all else fails, keep a stash of other photos on stand-by in a drawer so when you do get bored, you can simply switch the images in the frames for a fresh look.

Frameless photos are another cool (and even cheaper) way to go. If using this vignette, the photos should all be the same size, be printed with a thin white border for the illusion of a frame, and arranged in a basic geometric shape (square or circle work best). Better yet, a square that contorts to the edges of the furniture below it (if you happen to have anything there, like a desk) can look very chic:


The best part about photos is that, unlike art, they cost practically nothing and they resonate with you, always holding at least some interest because their YOUR photographs. Meaningful decor on the cheap.

Idea #2: Another option is to create your own pin board where you can display photos, notes, and clippings of pretty things and switch them out with the utmost ease. See some examples here. And here is a tutorial for how to do so, although Michael's also sells premade ones. What mine looks like:


Idea #3: There are wall shelves, but none that can go up without damage to the walls, so instead we'll take a look at wall decals. These silhuettes can be super chic, but also may tend to look a bit "teenagery" depending on what they are. Some stylish and affordable ones I've found:

Idea #4: Printed tapestries are another cheap and changeable way of decorating a large wall:
Now for the sticky stuff. If you go with a frame collection, you'll need a way to hang those bad boys. There is the old standby, Poster Tack, that holds paper to your walls easily, and would be suitable for small frames, but may not be suitable for large frames.
These leave no residue but can be unreliable in keeping your heavier objects on the wall...even poster edges have been known to peel away after a while (especially in rooms kept cold). This option would be best suited for a collage of same-sized frameless photos, as mentioned above.

Then there is the 3M Command strips.
These claim to "make decorating quick and easy" but my experience with similar products in the past has been that they almost always either leave gobs of residue behind or, even worse, rip the paint off the walls when you peel them off. Now, these ones specificially state that "when you are ready to take down or move your pictures, they come off cleanly — no nail holes, cracked plaster or sticky residue." So you can try them out, however, my suggestion is that when it comes time to take them off, you heat the sticker with a blowdryer to make removal easier. When removing the sticker, pull across instead of off, if you can. If there's residue, spray it with WD40, using enough to coat the glue without leaving a pool of penetrating oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rub the residue vigorously, using a rag or paper towel and turning the cloth frequently. The glue should come up easily. Moisten a clean rag with water and add a drop of dish soap. Wipe any remaining WD40 off the surface.
If you're not comfortable with the risk involved in those, you can try a simple straight pin.
These are even thinner than push pins and you would be surprised how much weight a straight pin will hold when pushed in the wall at a 45 degree angle. Best of all, it leaves no trace visible to the discerning eye as it's typically meant for fabric. I would not suggest anything heavier than 1lb of weight per pin (a small to medium frame...use two for large frames). Just be sure to get ones with a bigger bulb on the end for a catch to hang things from.

I hope this helps! Readers: How do YOU decorate your walls? What do you think about these ideas? Which options do you currently use, dislike, or would like to try? Or is there a different take you have on creating a visual vignette for your wall that isn't listed here?