Move over flower walls – 'holiday walls' are the new trend taking over UK gardens

We may have seen flower walls popping up everywhere last year, but it seems there's a new trend in town. 'Holiday walls' are the new craze sweeping Instagram.

The garden idea, according to home improvement store Wickes, is born out of a year of failed holidays. Instead, people are turning to their gardens to create sunny statement backdrops of their own that they can show off on their social media.

From rainbows and stripes to pretty florals, all you need is a blank wall and some paint – and of course a bit of creativity. Not only is it a fun small garden idea, but it's something to make you smile, even when the sunshine ends and the grey days begin.

In a recent survey*, results showed that almost half (45%) of millennials (24–35-year-olds) are preparing to spend around £271 each on creating their holiday wall. A fifth said they would spend more than £500, with many basing their design on scenes from Miami or Ibiza.

Holiday wall trend

With 70% saying they’d need help to create the wall, Wickes partnered with DIY enthusiast Hannah Gale to show how you can create your very own holiday wall. Using a selection of Wickes products, costing a total of £170, Hannah has fully embraced the trend and created a sweet design of her own.

'One of my favourite things about going on holiday is being able to capture amazing photos and make memories in places that look different to home,' she says.

'As someone who loves having friends and family over to enjoy the garden, I was keen to create this holiday wall to inject some colour and give my friends a fun backdrop to pose against for their Instagram pictures.'

'I took inspiration from all the gorgeous colours and designs in the Miami Art District,' Hannah continues. 'With everything available at Wickes, the whole process from buying the supplies and painting the wall was so much fun, and my Insta feed is thanking me for it already.'

Hannah started using a wire brush to prep the wall by removing old dirt and paint, then laid down dust sheets to protect the floor. When it came to the painting, hand-mixing different colours to get the exact shades she wanted.

Then she measured up, drew on her designs and used Frog Tape were needed to create straight lines, such as the rainbow stripes. 'I used rollers for the large areas and smaller brushes for the details,' Hannah says.

'I drew the flowers freehand. My advice is to make sure you allow yourself enough time, as some colours and parts of the wall will need extra coats and touch-ups.'

Once the design was finished, Hannah removed the Frog Tape, took away the dust sheets and got ready to enjoy her new holiday wall.

Has it inspired you to transform a wall in your garden, and which country would you be inspired by?

*Survey data from Mortar Consumer survey, conducted in July 2021