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.
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.
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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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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