Incredible Wall Mural Ideas From Designers
Maximalists, rejoice: The past few years have seen a resurgence in bold patterns and colors, resulting in a newfound wallpaper craze. And if you're looking to lean in even further, we'll see your wallpaper and raise you an even more showstopping treatment: a wall mural. Unlike wallpapers, which feature a repeated motif, wall murals show one large image or pattern, either custom-designed for the space (and sometimes even painted right onto the wall) or created with oversized repeats in mind to encompass a large room. Some companies, like Gracie, Fromental, or De Gournay, hand paint intricate scenes on silk or paper rolls, which are then painstakingly installed in a home, with thoughtful attention paid to spacing around doors, windows, and even light switches. Others, like MJ Atelier, may even add three-dimensional details to the panel. In any case, a finished wall mural essentially serves as a built-in artwork—and one that you can even hang more artwork on top of if you really want to flex those maximalist muscles. Read on to see some of our favorite murals from designers and artists.
1
Custom Landscape
Nashville artist Charlotte Terrell offers clients a one-of-a-kind wallcovering in the form of her commissioned murals, which she handpaints on paneled birchwood—custom fit to the client's room—and then digitally scans for a wallpaper that has the effect of an oil painting. "The high-quality scanner picks up every detail of the painting, including the texture from the plaster, lending the effect that each panel is handpainted," says Terrell, who then adds handpainted details atop the scan. "It is a very personal experience for the client, and often the painting is inspired by a special place to them"—like this one, which draws inspiration from the landscape around the family's vacation home in Maine.
2
Whimsical Menagerie
The centerpiece—and palette unifier!—of this open-plan apartment by Courtney McLeod is Voutsa's wildly whimsical, incredibly detailed "Menagerie Chinoiserie" pattern, which spans 4 panels of wallpaper (and comes with an installation map to ensure the perfect mural).
3
Under the Sea
In the entryway of the 2022 Kips Bay Show House Palm Beach, Craig & Company worked with MJ Atelier to affix real seashells to the walls to give this ocean-themed mural an extra textural effect.
4
Mesmerizing Abstraction
Designer Bailey Li creates handpainted murals for her clients, pulling in colors from the room to create hypnotic abstract masterpieces like this one (watch her at work here).
5
Circus Fun House
"The dining room was our greatest challenge, but it ended up becoming the most exciting room in the house," says designer Sarah Gilbane of this wild and cheerful space. The theme was vintage Everglades so decorative artist Brian Leaver painted the palms and flamingos over a grasscloth wallpaper, then created a trompe l'oeil tented ceiling. Painting over texture-rich materials instead of straight onto the wall can add even more depth. Read More...
