4 Fast Fixes Banish Boring Walls
One of the challenges of apartment life is finding creative ways to customize the space to reflect your style and individuality. Try one or more of these four fast fixes to banish blank, boring walls.
Foam Core Panels
Large, light foam panels are available at most home improvement stores. They come in a variety of widths and lengths up to 8 feet and are easy to trim to size with a sharp utility knife, good ruler and steady hand.
Cover the entire wall or hang panels at spaced intervals to break up the expanse. Measure and trim the panels to the desired dimensions, then cover them. Fabric and wallpaper offer endless pattern, texture and color options, while vinyl wraps feature designs and finishes that resemble wood, granite, stone and stainless steel. Or use craft paper you can decorate with paint or stencils.
Mount the finished panels with removable heavy duty mounting squares or a few small, strategically placed tacks.
Rollup Blinds
Lightweight reed and matchstick rollup blinds come in a variety of widths, lengths, colors and finishes. Better yet, many can be installed with a couple small screws.
Decide whether you want the edges to be evenly spaced, butted together or slightly overlapped. Install them close to the ceiling, unroll them to their full length, trim the rollup cord and disguise exposed hardware with a dab of paint that blends with the blinds.
For floor-to-ceiling coverage, invest in full-length blinds, or use the standard 6-foot length and cover the exposed portion of the wall with a low shelving unit or credenza.
Temporary Wall Hooks
Temporary wall hooks are available in colors, finishes and styles that range from serviceable to chic, and they’re a fast and affordable way to create a gallery wall.
Use them to display anything that can be hung from a hook: album covers, art, family photos, hats, needlework samplers, plates, posters, small mirrors or a collection of your kid’s drawings. Just remember heavy duty hooks support weights up to 5 pounds, but they’re not strong enough to securely hold heavy items.
Measure the width of the wall and the size of the items you intend to display. Attach the hooks in banks of straight or staggered rows, hang your items and you’re done.
Drapes
Drapes come in all types of fabric, patterns, colors, weights and sizes, so they’re a fast, easy way to cover a bland or unsightly wall.
Choose drapes or sheers in a standard length (84 inches) or opt for ones long enough to cover the wall from ceiling to floor. Next, determine what type of rod will work best for you.
Some spring or tension rods are long enough to span a wall in a narrow room, but most will only support lightweight sheers. Use removable hooks to mount a lightweight rod almost anywhere or invest in a traditional rod that extends the full width of the wall you want to cover. Mount the rod of your choice at the correct height and hang the drapes.
Bottom Line
From compact studios to spacious apartments, these fast fixes will help transform blank walls into personalized statements. They offer the added advantage that when it’s time to move, they’re equally easy to undo.