15 Ways to Decorate Large Walls

Feeling a little intimidated by that big, blank wall in your home? We hear you! Choosing a large piece of wall art can be a big investment in terms of style, space, and your wallet. But the good news is, there are tons of super creative, budget-friendly ways to deck your walls and suit any style.

Whether you love a classic gallery wall or are looking for something a little more off-the-wall (see what we did there?), we’ve rounded up 15 awesome ways to decorate a large space.

15 Ways to Decorate Large Walls

1. Your Book Collection

If you’re a total bibliophile, you may have a hard time parting with your books once you’ve finished reading them. So, why not make your collection do double duty? Displaying your beloved books on an extra large bookshelf or wall-mounted shelving system can add some serious color, texture, and visual interest to a large, blank wall. Some unique ways to display them include arranging the covers in a “ROY G BIV” rainbow pattern; turning all of the pages outward for a large, neutral display; or adding tchotchkes and plants between groupings of books.

2. Potted Plants

Bring Mother Nature into your home—and give your space a boost of fresh oxygen—by mounting small, potted plants to a large wall. These days, lots of retailers sell pre-made wall-mounted planters, but you can easily DIY it by installing small floating shelves that are painted the same colors as your wall and placing the plants on top of them.

Just remember to remove the plants from your wall before their weekly waterings. The last thing anyone wants is mud dripping down a pristinely painted wall!

3. Large-Scale Artwork

It is possible to make a major visual impact without putting a million nails in your walls or spending a small fortune. Want to make a real investment? Purchase one super-sized piece of art that you absolutely love—and won’t want to replace with something else in a year or two. Love to change up your home decor? Large-scale engineer prints from your local printer are an extremely affordable way to fill your wall space without breaking the bank. Plus, you don’t feel so guilty swapping them out with something new after a few months.

4. Unique Shelving

Don’t get us wrong—we love a good open shelving system. But thinking beyond the traditional open shelf and opting for something a little more out-of-the-box can make a room feel totally unique, whimsical, and downright fun. Check your favorite home retailers for interesting shelving systems or—if you’re really handy—consider building your own.

5. Murals

A hand-painted mural—whether you DIY it or leave it to the professionals—is a great way to add depth, color, and interest to any sized wall. Murals are especially smart for an oddly shaped space where it might be hard to fit furniture or artwork.

6. Woven Wall Hangings

Long gone are the college dorm days of hanging tapestries as decoration; today’s woven wall hangings are super colorful, stylish, and impactful. It is possible to create an amazing, woven wall hanging with a weaving kit from your favorite local craft store, but plenty of makers offer custom designs, so you can choose the perfect size, colors, and textures for your space.

7. A Classic Gallery Wall

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Highly curated gallery walls came onto the home decorating scene over a decade ago, and have remained a popular pick with home decorators ever since. We recommend blending different styles into your gallery wall—like photographs, abstract paintings, line drawings, and three dimensional objects—to avoid a super uniform look.

8. Board and Batten

Sure, “board and batten” sounds fancy, but in reality, it just means attaching strips of wood to a wall in an interesting pattern. Head to your local hardware store to have wood or MDF strips cut to the proper size; attach with carpenter nails or wood glue; and paint in a dramatic hue for a super chic and super expensive look on a budget.

9. Open Shelving

Like we said before—we love a good open shelf. You can create a massive display of your favorite framed photos or images, tchotchkes, plants, and other home accessories with a few sturdy, wall-mounted shelves. Bonus: When you feel like changing up the look of your wall, you can simply swap out the displayed items with new ones from around your house.

10. Wallpaper

Nope, today’s wallpaper isn’t your granny’s pinkish, daisy-printed wallpaper. Whether you go the traditional route with real wallpaper (glue and all!) or choose more temporary peel-and-stick wallpaper, today’s options come in super stylish prints, colors, and patterns. Try installing wallpaper on one, large feature wall or wallpaper all of your room’s walls for some serious drama.

11. Wallpaper + Large-Scale Art

Wallpaper isn’t dramatic enough for you, huh? Consider topping your freshly installed wallpaper with large-scale wall art in the same color family. It’s an easy way to fill a big, blank space while making a big statement.

12. Washi Tape Feature Walls

If you’re intimidated by the thought of installing wallpaper—or just a tiny bit averse to the commitment—you can achieve the same effect with washi tape. Washi tape is easy to find in any craft store and comes in a massive array of colors, so you can choose the perfect hue for your home decor. Then, simply cut and arrange your washi tape in any pattern you choose. Think: small crosses, geometric shapes, or even mountain peaks.

13. Wainscoting

When you hear “wainscoting” you may think of a stuffy, old dining room. But with some super-sized dimensions and a few coats of dramatic-colored paint, wainscoting can be an easy, inexpensive, and super effective way to fill in a large wall. Like board and batten, you can have wood or MDF strips cut-to-size at a hardware store, then install. Alternately, many home improvement stores sell pre-made wainscoting that’s even easier to mount to your walls.

14. Banners and Streamers

Sometimes the most simple home decor can be the most impactful. Draping a homemade banner or streamer over your child’s bed is a fun, whimsical, and super easy way to add color and texture to any blank space. Simply string a few handmade tassels or pennants to yarn or twine, and voila. Plus, banners are so lightweight, you don’t have to worry about it falling and injuring your child in the middle of the night.

15. Wall Murals + Open Shelving

Want to make a serious visual statement? Pair a painted wall mural with accessorized open shelving. Not only will you add a major dose of color to your space, but you’ll double down on your storage, too.