In Russia, it is not customary to decorate the walls of rooms: it is believed that beautiful wallpaper in itself is sufficient decor for the walls. But there are a lot of simple and, by the way, not at all expensive ways to decorate your home with your own hands. Cute trinkets, old framed posters, magazine clippings and collages, dishes or watches - all this will help transform your home and make it unique. All you need is hands, scissors, frames and a couple of hours of free time.
“...accents are those little whimsical touches that show that you don't take things in your home too seriously: photographs framed in a beautiful antique mirror...Things left where they don't belong show that... that you set the rules in your home, and not your home dictates your lifestyle. Framed photographs leaning against a wall or mirror indicate that there is movement, life in the house...”
(Deborah Needleman “Home Sweet Home”)
Use the free space on the walls to realize your wildest ideas. We will help you with this.
Decorate your wall with vinyl decals
An inexpensive and original way to decorate a wall. Where to get? Buy at a hardware store or make to order.
The stickers are easy to apply and remove if necessary. With their help, change the design as often as you want.
Niche in the wall
The presence of a wall niche located at the proper height from the floor will be a definite advantage. The planning of such a construction feature is carried out at the stage of rough finishing or even construction of the building (for private houses).
The walls, bottom, and back wall of the niche can be treated with plaster or covered with liquid wallpaper or paint.
If desired and with the proper level of skill of the owner, spotlights can be mounted on the ceiling or on the walls of the alcove. As a rule, souvenirs, photos and family albums, books and decorative crafts are stored on the shelves.
Hang pictures and posters
We have already written about how to hang pictures in the house
, and how to choose them. It's time to learn how to correctly place paintings above the sofa, turning the adjacent wall into a gallery.
Select gallery elements in the same style: create a group of black and white photos or pop art posters, a series of watercolors or acrylic miniatures. If you want to mix styles, that’s okay too. A bright poster surrounded by retro photographs is a good option.
Accent cladding
Accentuating space with contrasts or textured elements is another way to fill empty wall space. The accent color should blend harmoniously with the style of the rest of the room.
It is necessary to adhere to a number of decorative rules:
- A warm color shade can visually make a room smaller, while a cold color can make a room appear larger.
- The creation of a calm, peaceful atmosphere occurs thanks to colors that match the main tone of the room being decorated.
- Expression and saturation are introduced through the use of opposite tones.
Thanks to accent cladding, it is possible to zone the living room into different areas, visually increase or decrease the space of the room, and add a bright accent. The most popular methods of accentuating a wall above a sofa are:
- Wallpaper (paper, liquid), photo wallpaper is one of the most diverse options for accent cladding. It is performed by applying decorative, geometric, abstract, floral or other patterns.
- Wood, stone (natural or artificial) will add coziness and comfort. Natural wood brings warmth and a homely atmosphere to the living room. The effect produced by a stone can be completely opposite, depending on the type, texture and shade.
- Elements of artistic painting, which is applied with different types of paint (acrylic, oil, fluorescent, markers, aerosol cans).
- Items that perform a decorative or functional role (paintings, mirrors, shelves).
Wallpaper decoration above the sofa Source luxury-house.org
Living room panel with sofa Source emilygarrisonphotography.com
Choosing wallpaper for the wall above the sofa Source i.pinimg.com
A classic example of wall decor Source skachat-kartinki.ru
Original decoration of free wall space Source pro-mebel-textile.ru
Select one item
If you don’t want to cover the wall with photos or posters, take one large and expressive element - a large painting, poster, tapestry. For example, in a nautical-themed living room, hang a map, a lifebuoy, or a wooden steering wheel.
By the way, it is not necessary to place such an element exactly in the center of the sofa. Move it to one of the edges, creating original symmetry. For example, in the photo above, on one side there is a painting with a fox, and on the other there is a pendant lamp. Different objects, but of the same visual weight. This is called visual (original) symmetry.
Other decor
In addition to the methods listed above, you can use many other options to decorate the free space on the wall above the sofa. We invite you to familiarize yourself with several interesting solutions using specific photographic examples.
Wall decor from an old carpet Source www.zastavki.com
An old, tattered carpet in skillful hands can get a second life. With its help it is easy to make beautiful and original decorations for the walls of the living room.
Political world map on the living room wall Source ytimg.com
The world map above the living room sofa is a great solution for those who are interested in geography. In addition, this solution will be an excellent choice for different styles. In modern ones (neoclassical, hi-tech, loft) it is better to use ordinary political cards. In ethnic country, classical - ancient, depicting the world as perceived by people of past eras, in Scandinavian it is advantageous to use cork volumetric surfaces.
Living room with a carpet on the wall hanging above the sofa Source goodsgn.com
A colorful carpet will not give the impression of a relic of a bygone era if you choose it in accordance with the chosen style of the room. It will be most acceptable in an ethnic living room style. The width should not extend beyond the boundaries of the sofa, plus, if this allows, hang it so that the pattern looks like it is located vertically.
Spectacular photo wallpaper above the sofa Source dekormyhome.ru
Spectacular futuristic wallpaper with a variety of images to suit every taste and color.
Polyurethane foam decor for living room walls Source thumbs.dreamstime.com
Decorating with decorative plaster of various shapes and configurations is a simple, economical and very original method of covering the space above the sofa in the living room. The use of white is a universal technique that combines favorably with the interior of any style.
Family photos as wall decoration above the sofa Source cdn.inmyroom.ru
Another method would be a method similar to decorating using several paintings. Only in this situation, photographs are used instead of images.
Decor from a prefabricated kit Source jardinedistribution.com
When decorating a section of a wall with paintings, there is no strict requirement to adhere to the mandatory rules for their location and appearance. In the example shown in the photo, the owner of the premises combined the decoration using several paintings of different genres, adding to the composition a couple of family photos and a memorable diploma placed in a decorative frame.
Hang a mirror
One large mirror above the sofa will visually increase the space and add air. Especially if there is a window to the right of it. But that is not all!
From mirrors, just like from paintings, you can create a composition. Make it a hobby or a quest. For example, spend a weekend visiting antique shops in search of an antique mirror. Or let your friends bring them to you from travels instead of magnets and plates.
Mini library above your sofa
Do you like to read? Great! Pull books out of dusty cabinets and place them on open shelves above and even on the sides of the sofa. This is not only a good reason to show off your large library, but also to read more often - after all, all the books are now at your fingertips, and you don’t even have to get up from the couch.
Collection of black and white photographs
Hang a clock on the wall
Wall clocks are a special element in the design of any room. Beautiful and functional. You can only hang them...
...or you can combine the clock above the sofa with other design elements: paintings, posters, color accents. For example, in the photo above, the retro clock fits perfectly into the interior of the loft and does not discord with the posters.
Wall decoration with various applications
Wall decoration using appliqués is suitable not only for children's rooms, but also living rooms. For their manufacture, you can use various materials:
- Colored paper and colored cardboard are the most inexpensive, but also lower quality and short-lived materials. It is often used to organize a temporary application, assembled in order to test how it will look in practice. If the effect is positive, the paper is removed and other, more durable elements are fixed in its place.
- Felt is a thick felt fabric. The pattern on it is assembled from individual elements and fixed according to the “paper” principle.
- Vinyl is a material from which appliques can be purchased in specialized stores. It is made of flexible material on an adhesive base, which means that the elements can be fixed to any surface.
Applique above the sofa Source mt.m4y.ru
Butterflies above the sofa in the living room Source vsaunu777.ru
Applique sticker in the form of butterflies Source bp.blogspot.com
In this case, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of proportionality: in a small living room it is better to organize a small composition consisting of numerous small elements, and in large rooms to organize a large-scale object.
Polyurethane clock above the sofa Source inmyroom.ru
Application in the form of a flowering tree Source emilygarrisonphotography.com
Applique decor above the sofa Source bpasstatic.boomer.
Advice! The most common option for applications for the living room walls above the sofa is the image of fluttering butterflies. Raised wings of insects are considered an important condition for creating a beautiful interior.
Use geographic maps
Yes, yes, they help not only to find the right path, but also to add zest to the interior. Cards create a romantic, dreamy mood; they seem to open the door to other worlds for us. Think about where you would like to go straight from your living room: to the next city, to another continent, to the Parisian metro, or straight into space, to the stars?
Single piece of art
Large format paintings and posters are self-sufficient. One such detail is enough to rid the wall behind the sofa of emptiness and bring additional nuances (color, “characteristic,” thematic) into the living room.
To decorate the wall in the upholstered furniture area, not only paintings and posters are suitable, but also stained glass panels, decorative panels, tapestries, etc.
A single element is usually placed strictly above the central point of the sofa.
Don't forget the carpet
Here's more, you say! The carpet over the sofa is a relic of the Soviet era and bad manners. And you will be wrong. Of course, you shouldn’t hang up a huge fleecy monster that you inherited from your grandmother. But a small antique rug is quite appropriate in an interior in an oriental, Moroccan or Mediterranean style. Besides, this is exactly the accent we talked about above.
Wall shelves
Typically, shelves are placed along the length of the sofa - straight or in steps. They are filled with books, decorative items, and souvenirs.
An observant guest will certainly pay attention to the contents of the shelves. This wall design can be a kind of business card. Books will characterize the owners as reading people, cups and awards as strong-willed and successful, and the fruits of creativity or collection items as enthusiastic.
Conclusion: mix and taste
Everything written here is just ideas. You can and should try, combine these techniques with each other, change and update compositions to create your own unique design. This is the easiest and simplest way to change the interior.
There are many sources of inspiration. One of them is our blog in general, and this post in particular. If this is not enough, go online and do some research. Take a look at Pinterest or Tumblr, for example. Search and compare, think about what you like and why. Experiment, try, and everything will definitely work out!
Lamps
Cute wall lamps are appropriate everywhere, including behind the sofa. However, there should be no wires “crawling” along the wall, unless, of course, this was intended as part of the composition. It is better to make the decision to install sconces before renovation - this will allow you not to disturb the aesthetics.
Most often, one or two lamps are placed above the sofa. If the room is large, you can hang many more sconces, creating a gallery or “light wall” out of them.
