Adding Life to Bare Walls

Recently, a Suite 101 Budget Decorating site visitor asked if I would be addressing how to dress up bare walls, since she had just moved into a new place and was looking for ideas. (I remember being in that same predicament just four years ago.) If you find yourself in a similar situation - or if you're just looking for a fresh new look - here are some ideas on how to fill up your walls beautifully, even on the tightest budget:

*Decorative painting: Today's painting methods are more grown up and creative than ever before. Try your hand at faux painting - using paint, special techniques and tools to create the illusion of texture on walls. For inspiration, stop by the Faux Like A Pro site - a Mecca of faux painting wisdom. Stenciling is also a fun and budget-conscious way to inject personality into a room. You can decorate doorways, go along the ceiling line or chair rail -- even create entire murals from pre-cut stencils. I also discovered a wonderful product at my local home improvement store - chalkboard paint. I plan to paint an entire wall in my 5-year-old son's room with it, so he can scribble, practice the alphabet and create his own masterpieces on his very own (large!)personal art space.

*Plates: Last year, I started noticing plates hanging on walls in many decorating magazines, and I gave it a try. Now I'm hooked, and the look is not just for kitchens anymore! You can buy plates for just a few dollars at discount stores, flea markets, yard sales and estate sales. Arrange several plates of various sizes on a wall and you've created a "grandma's cottage look". I like go with a theme when collecting and arranging plates. I have rose pattern and pink plates in my home office, and my kitchen's all-white plate collection is ever-growing. Collecting by theme or color makes it easy to spot the additions for my collection when I go treasure hunting.

*Empty Frames: Another popular decorating trend involves using empty picture frames, particularly antique (or antique-looking) frames. I've created wall arrangements by grouping several empty frames, and sometimes I hang a larger frame around a group of small pictures, plates or other items. Playful or fancy frames can also be used to add whimsy to typically plain items - such as a chalkboard, mirror or bulletin board. If you can't find old frames, try aging new ones with liquid chalk. Victoria Magazine also recently featured an article titled Homespun

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