Month: January 2020

CAN I USE WALLPAPER IN MY BATHROOM?

Posted on January 31, 2020 by - Bathroom Ideas

Wallpaper murals are a fantastic addition to any bathroom, bringing it to life or providing a cheap way to recreate the look of expensive materials such as marble. However, do think about the following before investing in a mural for your bathroom.

Position

The location of your wallpaper mural is important. Inside a shower cubicle or right next to a shower is a big no. While the odd splash won’t damage wallpaper, sustained exposure to water, steam and heat will make it peel no matter what you do.

You can still enjoy a wall mural in a shower cubicle or near to a shower – reverse printed clear acrylic is what you need. If you fancy this, please get in touch, as we can also produce this for you.

Behind a bath – especially a free standing one – would be alright, as it won’t get soaked (unless you’ve got splashing kids! Bear that in mind!) and the amount of heat and moisture coming off a hot bath wouldn’t be too detrimental.

That said, position your bathroom wallpaper mural away from the bath, shower and sink if you can.

Ventilation

The more ventilation you have, the better. Whether it is via windows, fans or both, the quicker moisture in the air can disperse, the better it will be for your bathroom wallpaper. If you have very little ventilation in your bathroom we would recommend you stay away from wallpaper as it will eventually peel and curl.

Choosing the right paper

You may be tempted to go for a self adhesive wallpaper for your bathroom but this would be a mistake. The adhesive is much more susceptible to heat and moisture than a traditional paste and will loose its ‘sticky’ properties over time no matter how well ventilated your bathroom is.

Stick with the tried and tested wallpaper paste. From our options, we would always recommend Paste the Wall for bathrooms – it’s much easier to apply, it makes hanging the wallpaper simpler and it will last longer than any other type.

If your paper does peel

If you underestimated how steamy your bathroom gets or overestimated how much ventilation you have and your wallpaper mural does begin to peel, DON’T PANIC.

If you act quickly enough, your mural can be repaired by purchasing extra adhesive to re-seal it. This is easy to do around the edges and seams. However, you will likely need to install some form of extra ventilation to prevent it happening again. A window or wall fan – which allows moisture out quickly – or even an additional window – would do the trick.

My bathroom measures up…inspire me!

You have a well ventilated bathroom with a wall perfectly positioned and crying out for a mural, do you? Ok…here’s some ideas for you!

AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS INSPIRED WALLPAPER MURALS

Posted on January 23, 2020 by - Interior Design Ideas

See what you think.

Yes, we know the Australian Open is played on blue hard courts, but apart from grass, nothing says tennis to us more than a clay court. This ‘action’ shot certainly caught our eye.

The Melbourne skyline at dusk is a great choice for a larger wall. Super view.

Blue hard court, as requested. 😉

Melbourne’s Albert Park is a peaceful place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of city living. Makes for a fantastic wallpaper mural too, especially in black and white. It’s really brought to life by the man taking a walk.

Outside of Melbourne city you’ll find lush farmland which looks fantastic in autumn.

Bold orange colour and a pictogram of a tennis player. This type of image speaks to your love of the sport and makes a statement feature wall at the same time. We love it.

The purple and red almost muted tones in this photograph of Princes Pier in Melbourne combine to create a stunning wallpaper mural.

We end with this AMAZING photograph of a wet tennis ball spinning through the air. The level of detail really captures the movement and makes for a genuinely stunning wall mural for tennis lovers.

NEW BALLS, PLEASE! If these images don’t quite do it for you, search our database for the Australian Open, tennis in general or Melbourne…there’s plenty more photos and illustrations to choose from.

MAN CAVE WALL MURALS REVISITED

Posted on January 20, 2020 by - Interior Design Ideas

We’ve covered man caves before here on the Wallblog but things have moved on since then. We’ve grown our library of of available images, we’ve got even better at producing high quality murals and we’ve refined our tastes somewhat.

All of which means it’s a subject well worth revisiting.

Where’s YOUR man cave?

Man caves are no longer restricted to the box room, shed or garage (though many still are, for obvious reasons!). Nowadays the man cave often doubles as the family room for entertainment purposes like film, TV and gaming. Sometimes it’s the kitchen, where the man of the house can escape to for some peace and quiet once the kids are in bed and the better half is settled down in front of the soaps. It could be a home gym. Or maybe you’re still single and rocking a bachelor pad that is your own personal man cave.

Really though, when it comes to the décor it doesn’t matter where it is – a feature wall works in any of these places.

What does a man who requires a man cave like then? Sports? Cars? Film? Music? Working out? Travel? Or maybe it’s something a little less strenuous…like reading? Any and all of these can be perfectly demonstrated with a suitable wall mural.

Just a few ideas to mull over for your man cave (or family room!). Just indulge your passion when you decorate, that’s our advice.

10 INTERIOR DESIGN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW IN 2020

Posted on January 14, 2020 by - Interior Design Ideas

What you will get from following these Instagram accounts is inspiration…and a little bit of envy!

We’ve gone for a mix of bold, colour obsessed Grammers, stark black and white Grammers and those who sit somewhere in between.

The majority are from the UK, with a couple of American designers thrown in who have remarkable ideas we think would translate across the ocean very nicely indeed.

Whether you’re looking to do a full home renovation, a single room makeover or just add a few smaller touches to change the look and feel you’ll find something from all these Instagram accounts to give you ideas or just outright copy.

We begin with…

@design_at_nineteen

Justin’s Design at Ninteen feed charts his renovation of his terraced home in London. It’s a modern design that manages to remain welcoming and homely, with none of the starkness you might expect. There’s lots of nice touches in his photos that you can use and even better, lots of hacks and upcycling ideas in his featured stories. Well worth following and revisiting as you redecorate or renovate your own home.

 

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@cotswold_cottage

If you’re looking to introduce or expand the cottage feel in your home then you couldn’t do much better than follow Hannah’s Cotswold Cottage Gram. Hannah uses the natural elements of her cottage to great effect, combining them with soft and bold colours depending on the room and her use of ornaments, furnishings and fixtures is just perfect for the cottage look. You’ll be able to pick up a lot of great ideas following this account. Oh, and there are cute little cockerpoos too!

 

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@inside_no_8

Inside No 8 is the IDEAL Instagram account to follow if you’re after the modern look. We’re talking contrasting white, grey and black tones, ultra-modern furniture, fixtures and fittings and innovative use of lighting. And yet…No. 8 is a very welcoming home. Where the white and grey may seem like it would look drab and uninviting, the soft lighting and carefully chosen furnishings literally transform this home. Definitely one of our favourites.

 

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@greenandmustard

A tremendous mix of interiors inspiration is provided by Anna and Sally’s Green & Mustard feed. It’s simply pic after pic of amazing ideas covering everything from furnishings through décor to fixtures. If you’re struggling to add those finishing touches to your home makeover we think you’ll find what you’re after somewhere in this epic Instagram feed. They even feature wall murals… 

@almost_everything_off_ebay

If the minimalism is not for you but you’re not sure how to implement the busier style of décor then Almost Everything Off Ebay is the account for you! Robyn Donaldson Instagram feed is a an absolute joy to behold. Robyn is “trying to make Foxberry Towers into a palace on a pittance” – and she’s packed it out with stuff, including books, framed pictures, furniture and more…but it doesn’t look a mess. It’s an incredible example of how to create a beautiful space on a budget too.

@thejungalow

If you fancy bringing the outside in to your home then you should definitely follow The Jungalow. This Instagram feed is packed with ideas on how to introduce a few (or a lot) of plants to a room and, as the name suggests, a lot of them are jungle themed. But it’s not JUST about plants. Wallpaper, carefully selected furnishings and other ornaments are used to get the same effect. Check it out – then take a look at our jungle-themed wallpaper murals too!

@plantsindecor

Broadening the outside in look from the jungle to all kinds of plants, Plants in Decor shows you some wonderful ways to introduce plant life in abundance, either to a single room or your entire home. From elaborate, room takeovers to simple but effective plant displays, this Instagram account is a must-follow if you want the lush green look in your home. 

@thejoshuatreehouse

Getting about as opposite as you can get we not only hop across the pond to the States but we end up at an account the eschews the green and lush for the dry and arid. The Joshua Treehouse Instagram account features the home of Sara and Rich Combs of Joshua Tree, California. They love open desert landscapes and this is reflected in their interior design ideas for their home and the properties they let out near the Joshua Tree National Park. It’s difficult to describe their style…but we think it can be brought into a UK home to dramatic effect. Give them a follow and see what you think.

@ourfauxfarmhouse

Staying in America, we highly recommend following Our Faux Farmhouse for what is, in our opinion, a really over-the-top but still very workable style. Holly and Brad have adopted the farmhouse style for what is decidedly NOT a farmhouse and it should give you the confidence to apply whatever style you want onto any property – your interior décor really doesn’t have to match the exterior of your property. In fact, blowing people’s expectations out of the water when they enter is half the fun! There’s a lot of DIY advice here too…well worth a follow. 

@thesefourwallsblog

For our last Instagram account we’re back in Blighty, Bristol to be precise, and Abi Dare’s These Four Walls Blog Instagram account. Abi keeps things simple – not quite minimalist, but definitely simple. There is a lot of black and white in her ideas. It’s the ideal inspiration for the modern home. Classy, elegant. We think her style would be ideal for a flat or small home…so if that’s where you are and you like a modern look, you should definitely give Abi a follow right now!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this round up of the top 10 2020 Instagram accounts to follow for interior design ideas and have found at least a couple to tickle your fancy. Oh, of course…you should follow us on Instagram too, for all the wallpaper mural inspiration you can handle!

DESIGN TREND: CONCRETE WALL MURALS

Posted on January 6, 2020 by - Interior Design Ideas

It may not be the first thing you think you of when considering a feature wall, but a concrete finish brings many benefits depending on the style you choose.

It’s an interesting way to introduce a natural design element. Concrete is, after all, stone and it will surely create a talking point in your home. It can also be quite rustic, which adds warmth and comfort to a room.

Colours, too, play their part and can be matched to existing decor or used to contrast in a striking or subtle way. In fact, the finish and shade of a concrete wall mural will be determined by where you install it.

For example, if you’re looking at introducing the effect to your bathroom, then a whiter shade and more industrial finish will be eye catching whilst retaining the clean feel you want in a bathroom. For a living room, work space or home office, you’ll likely want to opt for a darker, more grey or slightly tinted shade for a more inviting finish.

You can add an even more rustic feel by using a distressed – or broken, if you prefer! – concrete finish, or a strongly industrial effect with a cast concrete mural.

We’ve chosen some examples below to demonstrate how effective a concrete wall mural can be. Feel free to search our library for your concrete wallpaper.

This is what we would consider to be a standard concrete wall mural. It is hugely effective at bringing the natural design element into a room and because it is almost featureless, it can be used on large walls to great effect. Of course, using the Wallbuilder the image can be cropped to fit small walls and will still look stunning.

The distressed concrete look – here in a light shade – brings a more rustic feel to a room. We think this sort of mural is ideal for a bathroom, as it makes the ideal backdrop to plants and creates a focus for the room. Just wonderful.

Sticking with the bathroom, if you want a colder, more industrial feel then using an image of pre-cast concrete works very well. Here we’ve included the floor at the base of the mural, which creates the illusion of extra space – ideal for the smaller bathroom.

Of course, as we said at the start, not every room benefits from the cold, hard concrete look – but you can retain the design element and introduce warmth with coloured concrete. The three examples below demonstrate this perfectly.

If these ‘flat’ concrete murals aren’t for you then don’t despair. Using interesting concrete structures as a feature wall brings the industrial feel and also benefits from the striking look of a black and white mural – something we’ve covered before. The other benefit of choosing a concrete mural with more features to it is that the work extremely well on smaller walls. Take a look at these examples.

As you can see, concrete structures really draw the eye, making them ideal for a feature wall in any home or office.

Is concrete a design trend you would consider? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter. And have a look at our library of concrete murals or upload your own.