If you’re looking for a unique art piece that’s sure to make a statement in your home, why not hire an artist to install a mural? Murals are a versatile art form that can transform any room from boring to one-of-a-kind. Whether you are looking to show off your style in a simple way or create a grand entrance, there are many places in your home where you can install a mural, both big and small. To help you get started, we reached out to muralists from Vancouver, BC to San Diego, CA to give us their best tips of unique places you probably haven’t thought of to install a home mural. From powder rooms to foyers, keep reading to see what they had to say.
1) Install a mural in the dining room
The dining room is a place where friends and family gather together in conversation and enjoyment and a mural can really help with the ambiance. The mural doesn’t necessarily need to be the focal point of the room, instead, it can create a subtle change in mood, eliminating flat wall spaces by adding visual texture and interest. – Mural Works
2) Go with a tile mural on an outdoor wall
If you are considering installing a unique tile mural in your home, an outdoor wall is a fantastic place for this installation. Not only does the mural add vibrancy to your outdoor space through color and unique artwork, but the tiles also protect the outside wall of your home. I would suggest placing it on a wall that is uncluttered and has a breathing space around it, for example perhaps near your swimming pool, so you can step back enjoy the art installation you have selected. – Deb Chaney
3) Bring life into a playroom
My favorite home mural I designed and painted was in a playroom. When a mural is custom-designed to wrap a whole room it creates an atmosphere and can transport you to another world. – Laura Lynne, a Chicago-based mural artist and owner of Laura Lynne Art, LLC
4) Don’t forget the fifth wall
When decorating your walls, don’t forget the fifth wall – the ceiling. A dining room, home office, bedroom, or home theater are great places to include a striking decorative ceiling design. We can create atmospheres like clouds and skies, or patterns and textures to make an interesting statement that compliments your interior decor. – G.Go Decorative
With so many iconic historical examples, like the Sistine Chapel and Library of Congress, it’s surprising more people don’t opt to install a mural on the ceiling in their home. Vibrant skies, lush greenery, abstract geometry, or trompe l’oeil scenery go a long way to make any room feel more expansive while evoking enhanced states of relaxation and contemplation, especially when combined with meaningful symbolic elements. – Sam Soper Mural Art & Illustration
5) Paint a mural on the side of the garage
One of my favorite places for a home mural is on the side of the garage, particularly if your garage faces an alleyway or into the backyard. This facade can function as a fantastic canvas to experiment on, or, create a more final, timeless piece. – Vicarel Studio
6) Decorate your outdoor patio
Outdoor patios are a fantastic space to get artsy with design elements. Commission a mural from a local artist for a truly unique addition that will elevate the entire vibe of your home. – Angela Fabbri, Professional Artist
I’ve enjoyed painting murals on otherwise boring outdoor patio walls and transforming them into beautiful oriental gardens and more. Sky ceiling murals can add a lot of character and depth to a residence. Also, a niche painted to look like a window with a Tuscan landscape can add lots of character to a wall. – Murals Fantastic
7) Spruce up your storage shed
One fun place to install a mural is on the outside of your storage shed. Sheds can often feel like an eyesore in your yard, but you can put a beautiful mural on all four sides to turn it into your yard’s focal point. Your neighbors will enjoy the view. – Elaine Stephenson, Artist & Muralist
8) Go with wallpaper murals
A perfect blend of wallpaper and art, wallpaper murals are one of the simplest and cost-effective ways to create accent walls in your home. Whether it’s for an old boring bathroom, a laundry room, or for an uninteresting bedroom or living room, they will give life and personality in the blink of an eye. – Mural Unique
9) Elevate your home office
As the pandemic forces many of us to work from home and set up home office space, a mural in your home office not only gives a nice decor to the room, but can also be a statement visual for your brand, work ethics, philosophy, and inspiration. Children’s bedrooms are always a great fit for a mural at home with your kids’ favorite comic characters on the wall bringing a smile to your kids’ faces. – Raman Bhardwaj – Artistraman, @artistraman
Murals offer unique opportunities to complement a space whether it be a modern or traditional home. One of the best locations I have transformed was a home office. As a rule of thumb, I always consider two things: the mood we are creating with the artwork, and how it complements the architectural design of the home or space. – ASEND
10) Bring personality into your powder room
A powder room can be a great place to address with a decorative mural, one that’s designed to be seen ‘up close and personal’. The small room becomes its own little world and doesn’t have to coordinate as tightly with all your other furnishings. The room experience can be playful and immersive, without having to involve a lot of square footage. – Robert Williamson, Williamson Studio Seattle
A mural in a powder room is a great way to create a big impact in a small room of your house. Whether you go with a geometric pattern, a fun floral, or even an abstract design, adding a mural will give personality to an often-overlooked space. – Iron Brush
11) Showcase your foyer
The power and drama of a bespoke mural in your home can be best showcased in your foyer. It’s the first thing your guests will see to set the mood of their visit, and the last thing they’ll see to remember their experience. Expressing our personalities with spectacular things in our homes is a trend that should never go out of style. – Lauren Asta
As a designer of murals, I love them in a lot of rooms. Especially in a foyer where guests walk into your home. Murals create an instant story and are extremely elegant. – Daisy Bennett Designs
12) Make a statement in your entryway
A great place for a mural is the entryway of a home. It’s an immediate conversation starter when guests visit, and it feels uplifting to everyone who walks in the door. – Sarah E. Bott Art
13) Get inspired in your home gym
A neat location for a home mural is in the gym or workout room. In a house we co-own, we engaged a muralist to create a wheat-paste mural featuring Muhammad Ali and other boxing greats. – Superfine World
14) Beautify your master bedroom
Beautify your master bedroom with a unique handpainted wall mural, specifically custom-designed for you. It’ll enhance not only your bedroom, but will be admired for years to come by family and friends. – Paul Maxwell Godfrey LLC
15) Create a fun pool deck
When people think about graffiti and street art they likely picture it outside in its natural habitat. We love seeing murals on the outsides of homes like a pool deck. – The Museum of Graffiti
16) Show off your style on a street-facing wall
I recommend an outside street-facing wall for a mural. It can welcome you home as you drive in, and help brighten up the whole neighborhood. One mural often encourages others, so your neighborhood could even become a living art gallery. – David Puck
17) Decorate your bathroom
Turn your bathroom into a restful spa retreat with a well-placed mural you can see while you soak. A design with natural elements and a calming color palette can enhance your self-care environment. – Talking Walls Murals
When choosing where to paint a mural in your home, consider adding a pop of color to your bathroom. Often overlooked, it’s most likely where you spend your time getting ready for the day and winding down at night. I recommend painting something that brings you joy; even a simple design in a small space can make a big impact. – Becca Dwyer
18) Beautify your emergency escape
Turn your emergency escape into a gorgeous vacation escape. They are common in basements, egress windows offer a functional exit in case of emergency, but they often face a boring blank wall. With a hand-painted mural of a lush landscape, your egress window can have the best view in the house. – Hattas
19) Don’t forget the small rooms
Besides the obvious choices of having a mural in living rooms and bedrooms, hand-painted custom murals add a lot of punch to small rooms in a house. Compact bath/powder rooms can come to life with color and pattern, so do laundry and mudrooms. A mural is also a good alternative to tile/bricks on the walls around a fireplace. – Aniko Doman
20) Transform a finished basement
Transform a finished basement with a nature-inspired mural. Use warm, light colors and simple compositions to give your enclosed spaces an open feeling. – Matt Halm
21) Focus on the living spaces
A mural in any main living space is a great way to go. Artwork as an accent wall can bring a room to life, be inspiring, be a conversation piece, and be woven into the color scheme of the rest of the house, tying everything together. A mural in the main room can give the house a common essence to build around. – Taylor Gallegos Art
22) Paint a curved wall
Curves are interesting architectural details in a home, but it’s extremely challenging to hang flat art on a curved wall. Homes both new and old are sometimes designed with beautifully curved walls that are perfectly suited for murals. The key to maximizing the impact of a mural on a curved surface (whether it’s a wall or even a ceiling) is ensuring proper lighting. Walls that are curved will reflect ambient light differently, so attention must be paid to shadows that occur at various times of the day, and even throughout the seasons. A well-lit mural on a curved surface adds an element of creativity to a space where traditional art is impossible to display. – Amy Colburn
23) Decorate your headboard
A mural is the best way to add personality to your wall. Instead of hanging art, you can try to paint a mural for your headboard, space above your couch, or your office wall. – Huyen Dinh
24) Bring life to the trees outside your house
There’s no limit to creative applications for mural art. I’ve been commissioned for murals in fascinating places. One of my favorites was 17′ birch trees on the walls of a new private residence. I used metallic paint on each of the leaves so when the sun hits it the whole painting comes to life. – Kelli Bickman
25) Spruce up your retaining walls
One place we recently installed a mural was on a very unattractive, cracked low retaining wall separating our property from the next and another on a bedroom wall. Nothing is better than some pretty paint and exotic animals and nothing cheers up a bland wall better than cherry blossoms. – Mary Ellen and Andrew of The Muse Gallery Guesthouse
26) Style your kitchen island
Stylish and functional, kitchen islands are the heart of your cooking space. Installing an unexpected mural in this spot encourages people to gather, as well as makes a striking, artistic statement. – Janaireijo Art
27) Elevate your garden patio
Create a fun nighttime gathering spot. Transform your garden patio into a colorful dance floor. Have a beautiful mural painted on the concrete or wood patio, then finish it with a clear sealer. – Jessilyn Brinkerhoff
28) Try painting behind a door
Murals are really best viewed from a single position because of their unchanging perspective as viewers move around. While it’s not practical to follow that strictly and murals continue to be very fun regardless, a great spot to present a good view in a less expected area is a wall or door behind a viewer while looking in a mirror in a small space such as a restroom. The mirror gives you more distance to appreciate the layout and perspective and the background it provides while looking in the mirror will be appreciated by everyone who visits the restroom or other small space where you may put a mirror. – Mural Joe
Other considerations when painting a home mural
1) Ensure your mural aligns with your vibe
An in-home mural is a great opportunity to bring personality into your living space. Consider where you spend the most time – maybe it’s your living room, your office, your bedroom, or even your kitchen if you enjoy entertaining. Make a bold statement by incorporating a mural that aligns with the vibe you’re trying to achieve and enhances your experience of the space. – Lettering Works
2) Understand that the possibilities are endless
As far as design locations go, it all depends on if the person wants the art all to themselves or they want to share it. For the former, I think the best place might be in your own bedroom or office space, wherever you find yourself daydreaming and wanting to feel like it’s your corner of the world. For the latter, either the entryway of a home as a conversation starter for guests, or I’ve seen a lot of garage door artwork and pieces that are installed on lawns that stand on their own as pieces of art for the community to enjoy. – Art by Moira
3) Murals can be customizable to your liking
Homeowners are always looking for unique ways to freshen up their home and hand-painted murals are an excellent solution to creating a distinctive space. Murals can add life to any room, whether it’s for a smaller area like the back of a shelving unit or somewhere larger like an exterior patio wall or accent wall in an entertainment room. The customizable nature of murals provides an incredible opportunity to integrate texture, patterns, colors, and designs in contemporary spaces. It’s an excellent way to create a powerful unexpected vignette and elicit a sense of wonder, discovery, and excitement while still complementing the overall design of your home. – Wrapped Studios
4) There are other ways to bring art into your home
Art can be a window into another world. Is there a spot in your house where you would like to have a window but it’s technically not possible? Why not install an art object that has an effect almost like a window? Our most recent creation and a fascinating new form of presentation is a dimmable LED lightbox made of brushed aluminum. – UNITY Art
Originally published on Redfin.com
