Murals a must-have statement piece
November 23, 2009
Paola Loriggio
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Kim Johnson has a forest in her living room.
The tall, leafy trees stretch from floor to ceiling behind her couch, a touch of the outdoors in her downtown Ottawa home.
All it took was a few hours messing around with wallpaper glue.
"I think it's a lot of fun," Johnson, founder of the popular design blog Desire To Inspire, said of her woodsy mural. An online photo of the wall drew nearly 40,000 hits — and hundreds of compliments.
A bolder cousin to decals and accent walls, murals are becoming the new must-have statement for the home, adding drama and whimsy to otherwise plain or confined spaces.
"People are going more bold and graphic with their decor, and you can't get more bold and graphic than a mural," says Johnson, herself a design trendsetter.
While many stick to paint, a new crop of muralists borrow from the wallpaper and decal industries, turning stock or personal photos into durable, roll-on wall murals.
These aren't the kitschy palm-tree murals of the 1970s, basically blown-up photos tacked on to the wall, says Patrick Pépin, founder of Wall You Need Is Love, a four-year-old mural company based in Montreal and Toronto.
While nature is a recurring theme — forest scenes make up about half of the company's sales — today's murals have a depth of image that makes a room seem larger, he says.
"It gives that three-dimensional feeling, like you're outside," Pépin notes. The company's murals, printed on vinylized canvas and tailored to the client's space, cost $9 per square foot.
Mural-buyers come from all walks of life, but Pépin says they all share a common trait: creativity. "They all have a creative mind, and they all have a good sense of design."
The average person may shy away from such strong wall art, but they don't realize murals' versatility, says Corrado Mallia, a Toronto muralist with 15 years of experience.
"Most people think of murals for kids' rooms" — indeed, much of his residential pieces involve Disney characters — "but they can go almost everywhere," Mallia says. "And they don't always have to be so bold."
Johnson found the forest mural worked well with her ever-changing decor, complementing both vintage and contemporary pieces. "It makes the room seem cozy," she said.
Those looking for a relatively subtle approach can opt for a monochromatic design or pick a smaller wall, Mallia says.
Couples or roommates should discuss their vision before placing an order, Mallia stresses.
"Agree on the theme," and the mood you're trying to create, he advises. When selecting a wall, take into account where the furniture goes — you don't want the mural hidden by a home entertainment centre, he adds.
A good muralist will discuss the project with you and show you some designs before whipping out the paintbrushes, he says. They'll work with your low ceilings and oddly placed windows, too.
And worse comes to worst, if you want to sell your home or just outgrow the design, you can always cover or remove the mural, he says. After all, "it's just paint."
thestar.com