Fun Ways to Decorate Walls &mdash; Without Actually Wallpapering

Wallpapering can be a charming way to add visual impact to a room, but what about those of us who aren't willing (or aren't allowed) to wallpaper their home? Here are three fun ideas for providing the interest of wallpaper to a space — without all of the headaches wallpapering can bring.

If you crave the interest of pattern on your walls, but want to keep up your relationship with your landlord, this first idea might be for you. Hang panels on your wall that are wallpapered or covered in a favorite fabric. Making these panels would be as easy as sizing thin plywood, wallpapering it, trimming it out, and fastening it properly onto the wall.

After painting a wall with magnetic paint, achieving the look of funky wallpaper is easy by arranging a collection of small prints, pages from magazines, or even an eclectic mix of ephemera. Thanks to mini magnets, fear of commitment is no issue at all when decorating a wall this way.

This last idea is whimsical, to be sure, but not really a practical decision for permanently decorating the walls of your home. Although wouldn't it set a lovely backdrop for a party? Stringing together live or silk flowers to create stripes on the wall is just about as romantic as a wall can get.

Images: Wary Meyers, Niotillfem, Front

Comments (14)

I've seen that first picture before, and I'm almost sure it's a stencil, not wallpaper panels. Whichever (sigh) it's a beautiful pattern.

I love the little bitty kitty strolling through the room!

I love the gatito, too!

And does anybody know the location of pic #3? I'm curious to know what kind of venue it is. A retirement home in Boca?

Magnetic paint is such a clever idea, although I'm afraid I'd start adding To Do lists and calendars and the general clutter of daily life...

When I was a kid and my parents didn't want me tacking things all over my bedroom walls, I tacked things to the ceiling very near the walls and let them hang down, then attached new things to the bottom of whatever was hanging there until my walls were nearly covered. Thus may have began my love of collage.

Would you please tell me whether I missed an announcement that this is wallpaper month? Thank you.

I would totally live at picture #3 when I retire :D

P.S. @Miami, yes it's "wallpaper week:" http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/roundup/bold-beautiful-blue-wallpaper-129188

Cutest kittie I've ever seen.

Ventura, Thank you. That's good to know.

I just used the magnetic paint UNDER the chalkboard paint for a client. It's a great combo!

Am I the only one who looks at those flowers and thinks, "That would be a serious PITA to dust."?

Great idea about the magnetic paint, but how bad would it stink to dust all those flowers?

OK, so maybe the variety of flower colors in picture #3 aren't for everyone, but by using only 1-3 flower colors would minimize the retirement home look that some of you took away from this. Chanel did an installation of only white paper flowers that looked amazing and very contemporary.