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Design Dilemma: Three Different Looks for Walls

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Lately, we’ve been thinking of all the wonderful things that we’re seeing on walls. True, paint is still the number one choice for most of us because after all, it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to change. What we’re noticing in paint is deep, dark dramatic colors (like the bedroom above) that create drama and a sense of peace.  Still, there are plenty of other options for walls beyond just a bucket of paint, and many of them are just as pretty and sometimes more practical.

Here’s what we’ve been noticing:

Tile

It’s the standard wall covering in bathrooms and kitchens because its  easy to clean and can get wet.  The tile  in the bathroom below is graphic and punchy, a little bit retro and a whole lot of fun. But there’s no reason to limit tile only to rooms where you expect to splash around a lot of water.

For example, tile used in the entry foyer below creates dramatic interest with more depth and texture than would have been achieved with the use of wallpaper or just plain paint. The natural stones also work well against the rich wood floors.

And here’s subway tile used in a dining room. It’s the contrast of the subway tile with the ornate molding on the ceiling that attracts all the attention:

We’ve even seen tiles put to use in the livingroom:

Wood

Wood paneling is a commonly used material for dressing up walls. The latest takes on wood paneling use reclaimed wood to create a rustic/edgy sensibility. Here we see reclaimed wood in a bedroom:

And below we see it used in a dining room. The wood has been mixed in sources, and includes some painted planks for a patterend effect. Using reclaimed metal adds another funky element:

Below is an even more colorful rendition:

Cork
A lot of us never think about adding cork to our wall covering repertoire, but why not? It has great insulating capabilities and looks cool too.

Below, a cork wall on a stairwell adds lots of texture, and prevents sound from bouncing around as well.

Cork can be used in small doses, as in this dining room, where it is used on sliding doors…

Or, it can be used throughout an entire room, as seen below. The owners of this home chose to outfit their theatre room in cork for sound absorption.

So you see, there’s a whole world of choice for walls out there. No need to feel limited to paint or wallpaper!

Images: designsponge.com; motiqonline.com; remodelista.com; Livingetc.com; apartmenttherapy.com;