7 wall murals to transform a room into a work of art

Walls don't have to be devoid of personality. Whether you want to make a statement or add colour and texture to small spaces with one epic mural, dressing up a wall can add an extra element to rooms.

For colour, detail and sheer character, large scale wall murals are way ahead of the pack. More refined than a wallpaper and definitely more interesting than a coat of paint, adorning a wall with an oversize flower or a work of art is a shortcut to making a room something to marvel at.

rose crystal wall mural

(Image credit: Murals Wallpapers)

The beauty of rose quartz crystals shine in this detailed photograph, zoomed in and blown up to show every facet. As an added bonus, the blush pink tones are on point. Buy Now: Rose Crystal wall mural, £25 per square metre, Murals Wallpapers

If you think of walls as a blank canvas, you're half way there to creating a striking design statement. Undoubtedly, the image you choose will become the focal point of the room so there are a few things to consider before you commit.

Choose your style

While a mural can make an arresting feature, it is something you've got to live with every day, so make sure you're going to be comfortable with it in the long term.

More expert advice: The best white paint – how to choose the right shade for your walls

Botanical designs, in particular, are perennially desirable. "From dainty posies to the more dramatic dark florals, paired with unusual insects and birds from our Natural History Museum Collection, nature-focused imagery remains popular," says Tom Pickford, marketing manager at Surface View.

Use the mural as your guide for accent colours elsewhere in the room to bring the whole scheme together. It should be the focal point, so try not to pick patterns or hues that will fight against it.

oriental wall mural

(Image credit: TBC)

Size is everything

The trend towards oversized florals, still life compositions and all things greenery works wonderfully as wall murals. Tiny, obscure details in the image come to life - and you might find that however many times you take a look, you will always come across a new intricate detail in the design.

If you intend to enlarge a smaller picture to fit a space, then zoom into a section of the chosen image to get an idea of how it will appear when blown up. "Use paper cut-outs to map the key elements of the design and decide if it works. The braver you are, the bigger the impact and the greater the success." says Tom.

If you don't want to cover an entire wall or you have a compact space, you could split a mural into panels to make a statement or put the image on a smaller canvas.

Preparation is key

The best surface for a mural is a flat, plastered and painted wall. Surface View recommends using traditional fabric-backed non-woven wallpapers for wet pasting into position, but if you're not a fan of paste you can use a mural that has a straightforward adhesive backing. Another idea, if you'd like a mural in a bathroom or kitchen, is to have it applied to ceramic tiles of Formica laminate instead.

1. Take it to the tropics

tropical painting

(Image credit: Wallpaper Direct)

What's not to love about this wild wall covering? It's painterly - think Gaugin's pacific island period and you're bang on - it's tropical and if animal's aren't your thing, you can get it with the jungle cat removed. Why, though?

Buy Now: Jungle Lounge wall mural, W 3.6m x H 2.65m, £220, Mr Perswall at Wallpaper Direct

2. Create an enchanted forest

room with wooden flooring and printed wall

(Image credit: Rebelwalls)

If you don't have much outdoor space - cheat! Bring the outdoors in with a dark and mysterious forest setting - full of those dark greens that are so on trend.

Buy Now: Similar wall murals from Rebelwalls

3. Go geometric

geometric wall floor mural

(Image credit: Murals Wallpaper)

For a clean and modern feature wall that still packs a punch, this abstract form really hits the mark. Try taking the pattern onto the floor to make a real design statement.

Buy Similar: Geometric wall murals, from £25 per square metre, Murals Wallpaper

4. Call on some cool cacti

cactus print

(Image credit: Etsy)

Go for some graphic pattern with this cool cactus print. The beauty of this design is in its clever self-adhesive material, which allows them to be applied, peeled and reused when you fancy a change.

Buy Now: Reusable Geometric Cacti Pattern, in various sizes starting at £28 for W 23.5 x H 48 inches, Etsy

5. Personalised vintage map

old map wallpaper

(Image credit: LoveMapsOn)

If you're not keen on a modern world map, how about this vintage one? It's available for any postcode in England, Scotland and Wales in a choice of three styles: old series maps, revised new series maps and Victorian street maps.

Buy Now: Custom Vintage Ordnance Survey Map, £160 per square metre, LoveMapsOn

6. Go for modern marble

bronze cracked print

(Image credit: Murals Wallpaper)

Tap in to one of the biggest home trends of the moment without the eye watering cost of the real thing with this gorgeous marble wall mural.

Buy Now: Bronze Cracked Marble Wallpaper, £25 per square metre, Murals Wallpaper

7. Blow up a bloom

rose wall mural

(Image credit: Wallpaper Direct)

This ravishing rose image is all the more stunning for its size and the chalky colours mean it swerves being overly sweet.

Buy similar: Ophelia wall mural W2.1m x H3m, £360, Wallpaper Direct

Like what you see? Take this inspiration and be bold - go for something big and beautiful and transform your walls into a work of art!

Thea Babington-Stitt
Assistant Editor

Thea Babington-Stitt is the Assistant Editor for Ideal Home. Thea has been working across some of the UK’s leading interiors titles for nearly 10 years. 

She started working on these magazines and websites after graduating from City University London with a Masters in Magazine Journalism. Before moving to Ideal Home, Thea was News and Features Editor at Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc and Country Homes & Interiors.