By Tedra Schneider
Room 911
Tedra Schneider.
The canvas of the room is done. The walls are painted, the floors are covered with either wood, vinyl, carpeting, tile, stone or decorative cement. The furniture has been put in place.
Now the fun part begins. What should go on the walls?
We all remember “mirror, mirror on the wall” from fairy tales. One idea is to place exactly that on a wall – a mirror. A mirror, when positioned correctly, can enlarge a room, serve as an object to reflect in to make sure all looks well before leaving the house. It can be purely decorative, such as a mirror with a sunburst design or a long wall mirror to check on how you look in your clothes – or to face the music that it’s time to start a diet.
Most people think of a wall as a place to hang artwork. Framed artwork, photographs, plaques/signs, decals, metalwork and collages can all be put up on walls. But let’s go the extra step and think about a mural. What about a mural of the ocean and a sunset, or a marina, forests, clouds?
Or perhaps a mural of soothing, calming colors that syncs with the room’s color. One client of mine chose the latter route for her yoga room. The visuals put her in a serene, peaceful frame of mind.
Kitchen walls can lend themselves to hanging a chalkboard, which serves many functions. It can be a communication center: “Mom, I’m going out. Bye, Jim.” It also serves as a handy reminder to write down errands or a grocery list, not to mention announcing the five-course dinner you will be preparing that night.
Another wall in the kitchen can function as a foil for a kitchen clock. A pegboard can be mounted on a wall with hooks to hold small kitchen gadgets or Jell-O molds. Shelves to hold glassware, cookbooks, plates, spices or a wine rack add an additional dimension to the room.
Moving on to the living room or family room, bookcases can be attached to walls. Filled with books, knickknacks and souvenirs from past travels, they may also feature a personal collection of anything from seashells to figurines to miniature models of sailing ships.
If the lighting is right, some low-light level plants can thrive on the bookcase as well. These days there are whole walls serving as vertical gardens. There are planters that are framed in wood or metals that attach to your wall. The planters have rows into which you can put succulent plants, or ferns and mosses. It’s certainly a dramatic effect, but the best wall décor that I encountered recently was a beautifully landscaped fish tank with exotic fish that was encased in a wall.
Use your imagination and walls can become three-dimensional, adding so much depth to your room.
Tedra Schneider can be reached at restagebytedra@gmail.com.