8 creative ways to hide ugly walls

Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada
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Not all walls are born equal—whether your walls are full of remnants of picture hooks and nail holes, or whether you simply dislike the colour of your living room's solid, boring facade, this ideabook will inspire you to creatively cover, enhance, disguise, and beautify them. Most of these fixes are inexpensive, especially if you can find recycled materials from thrift shops (or even your own storage closet!).

These solutions are just a few examples of creative wall designs—see homify's array of walls and doors for more inspiration!

1. The Simple Solution: Cover it Up

Whether your wall is simply dull or actually damaged, hanging a large picture does wonders for brightening up that side of the room. The downside is that it's a bit unrealistic to apply the hang a large picture solution to every single boring wall in your house, but the upside is that it's both quick and temporary, perfect for anyone who rents an apartment. Here, the built-in bench and floor-to-ceiling shelves are begging for something to frame, and this horizontal landscape not only fits the shape of the space, but also pulls the viewer out into the landscape, creating the dimensional illusion of more space in the room. A large mirror would also work well here.

2. Create the Illusion of a Window

Hang a curtain in front of your wall to create the illusion that a window lies just beyond. This works well on a wall that's lacking in the window department, and it also works well to cover up an odd crawl space or electrical outlet—the curtain still allows you to easily access the space behind it. 

3. Design a Gallery

Here's simple take on a hanging picture gallery, perfect for hiding those antiquated and oddly-placed electrical outlets. In this theme, the white and black frames are spaced evenly, featuring coordinating neutrals. However, some arrangements display a wide range of picture sizes and an assortment of different artistic mediums. This one is all up to you!

More ideas on creating appealing wall displays can be found at this ideabook featuring 13 Brilliant Niche Ideas for your Wall.

4. Have Fun with Stickers

Wall stickers have surged into popularity over the past few years, and you can buy wall stickers at almost any store that sells home goods. The ugly tile of this kitchen backsplash got an easy makeover with this cheery, tile-patterned wall sticker, whose mismatched patchwork look adds a hearty dose of character to the room.

5. Build a Green Wall

Green walls are also becoming increasingly popular—you can often find them in the lobbies of office buildings and luxury hotels, and now, your home can have one, too. There are many plants that thrive in a partially sunny environment (such as a living room), and many mosses and air plants (which have roots that get nutrients from the air, not from dirt) have been used to create appealing green walls. As healthy as it is beautiful, a green wall like this will help purify your air and will give your room both a sense of vibrancy and peace. 

6. Add A Fake Brick Wall

If your wall lacks softer, warmer textures, you can create an old-style appeal with a fake brick wall. These bricks are just a fraction of the depth of normal bricks, and therefore offer a lightweight fix that can be installed on an existing wall and then painted to blend with the other elements in the room. In this example, solid white bricks give a sense of history and charm while remaining both modern and chic. 

7. Add Panels

Installing Wainscot wall panels is a great way to cover up stubborn scuff marks along the walls, replace old trim, or simply add some visual interest.  This is a fairly simple DIY project—all you have to do is find the decorative paneling, attach it to sheet wood, and paint! You don't need to cover the entire length of the wall—you can simply install one panel as a decorative piece that also functions to cover up exposed wires or an outdated air duct. For those who are looking for an English-style interior, these Wainscot panels work well, but there's a plethora of other paneling options out there.

You can build this solution yourself, or you can get in touch with an interior designer or decorator to help you choose the best panel design for your ugly wall cover-up project.

8. Install a Chalkboard

This solution turns a static wall into a clean slate—literally. Installing a large chalkboard offers the opportunity for guests to write a note, for children to practice for homework, or for you to unleash your creative inspiration, over and over again. You can either buy a very large chalkboard and simply prop it up against the wall, or you can also buy chalkboard paint at a hardware store—with a few coats of this paint, you'll have transformed your ugly wall into a clean slate to stoke your imagination.

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