Have you ever found yourself in a completely empty house or apartment with bare white walls?

Yes, I know it can be depressing. But we have something for you here: 

Inspirations and 6 top tips on how to decorate empty walls

After many successful years as a home stager, I know that an empty house or apartment is a challenge for most people.

Many people cannot imagine empty rooms furnished. You lack visual imagination.

The dimension of a room is also difficult for many to assess.

This is where home stagers do valuable work, because they set up a property completely until it is sold.

But now you’re coming into your own new home, you’re standing in empty rooms, in front of bare white (mostly anyway) walls and don’t really know where to start.

Clear, white, empty spaces undoubtedly have their charm, especially when they’re painted the “right” shade of white.

But if you’re still looking for inspiration to find a stylish, harmonious solution that reflects your personal style, then scroll down. Here you will find the 6 top tips from the current interior design trends on how to decorate bare walls.

This is how you can decorate empty walls

 A few general rules/ How to decorate empty walls

Whether it’s a large, empty wall in a certain room above the furniture, or a long hallway with bare walls, I always follow one basic rule when designing rooms:

I either use a really special eye catcher, for example a large, special mirror, or a picture, or I put together a set of similar decorative elements that differ in size, for example.

This can be a picture gallery with the same frames and motifs, in different sizes.

Mixing both together, the eye catcher and the set, usually looks restless and unattractive. For me it’s either or.

Second, I pay attention to proportions: if a wall is really large, you need a decorative element (…or a set) that doesn’t get lost on the wall. If an element is too small, no matter how beautiful it may be, it quickly looks lost, small and cheap.

Thirdly, the interplay is very important to me: the decoration on the walls should “complement” the furniture, textiles and other furnishings in the room and match the overall style. Creating overall harmony in the room should always be the top priority, whether with an eye catcher on the wall or with several elements.

 A special eye catcher/ How to decorate empty walls

On the following pictures you can see what could be such a special eye catcher:

A large, unusual mirror or a set of mirrors (organic mirror shapes are very popular at the moment), a large work of art (picture), a sculpture, a special wall decoration

Whatever you choose, it will be an eye catcher and a real style statement in your space.

 Make a statement with colored surfaces

If you’re creative and have some craft skills (and a bit of patience), you can make colored surfaces the protagonists of your space. You can design these colored areas simply with wall paint, or with expressive wallpaper. Here are some wonderful examples for you.

By the way: I also often worked with colored surfaces and wallpaper in home staging, because often when a shelf wall was dismantled, an ancient wallpaper with flowers came to light underneath. I usually “hid” these under a suitable, contemporary colored surface or a motif wallpaper.

 The Picture Gallery/ How to Decorate Empty Walls

Picture galleries are a great solution for entryways, hallways and stairwells. But they are also a real eye-catcher in the living area. There are several ways to create a really well-styled look:

The frames are all the same size and color and the images are similar in motif, color or style (e.g. black and white photos of family members, vintage cards, floral motifs, modern abstract motifs)

There is 1 large frame as a key piece, around which several smaller frames gather. The motifs are coordinated in terms of color and theme.

    The elements do not necessarily have to be arranged symmetrically. Of course you can also choose a more extravagant style.

 “Floating Boards” / How to decorate empty walls

 “Floating” boards (shelves where the suspension or attachment is not visible) are a great addition if you prefer a tidier, clean look.

They take up little space and are less noticeable. The protagonists are the decorative elements that you place on the shelves.

However, the following applies here: less is more. Beautiful, sculptural elements that are color-coordinated with your interior should be the eye-catcher here.

 Moldings and stucco elements / How to decorate empty walls

Probably the most elegant and most complex solution are profile strips and decorative stucco elements. They have such a sophisticated attitude and bring so much elegance to a wall surface and therefore to a room. Clever structure makes the room feel bigger, especially when a 2 color comes into play.

The moldings can, of course, be installed in the classic style, ie in large squares, oblong or high quadrilaterals. But a very clean, modern look can also be styled well. Smooth, flat strips are used, without curves or indentations. They are placed straight on the wall at a small distance from each other, continuously from top to bottom, or offset.

There are really limits to the imagination.

Profile strips are all the hype on Instagram right now.

Here are some beautiful examples.