Wall Mural Ideas for Bedrooms, Living Rooms, Nurseries and Gardens

A wall mural is a picture that covers part or all of a wall, either painted by hand directly onto the plaster or printed and pasted up like wallpaper. The best wall mural ideas start from the room. A soft landscape or a garden of blossom suits a bedroom, a gentle story scene suits a nursery, a bold scene or chinoiserie suits a living or dining room, and a garden wall can carry a mural outdoors if the paint is right for masonry and weather.

Here we compare hand painted and printed murals, share mural ideas room by room, look at outdoor and garden murals, and explain how to plan a commission.

Hand painted vs printed murals

Both can look good, but they are different things.

Printed murals

A printed mural is a large image produced on paper or vinyl and hung in panels. It is quick to install and there is a huge choice of ready made designs. The limits are that the design is fixed, the panel joins can show, and it is sized to a standard wall rather than to yours.

Hand painted murals

A hand painted mural is painted on site, directly onto your wall, so it can be designed around the room itself. A branch can curl around a light switch, a horizon can line up with a window, and a scene can carry on around a corner or up a stairwell. Brushwork gives a depth and softness that print does not. Zavoré paints murals by hand on site, including florals, landscapes and scenes, and chinoiserie painted onto the wall or onto gold leaf, silver leaf or grasscloth backgrounds. In busy areas the finished mural can be sealed.

Painting rooms is an old idea. Smarthistory describes a painted garden that once lined the dining room of the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, near Rome, dating from around 30 to 20 BCE and now shown at the Palazzo Massimo in Rome. Painting a whole room into a garden still works beautifully today.

Mural ideas by room

Bedroom mural ideas

• A landscape behind the bed. Soft hills, a lake or a view through trees, painted in muted tones that suit low evening light.
• Climbing florals. Blossom, roses or wisteria rising from the skirting, so the room feels like a garden.
• Chinoiserie on a coloured or metallic ground. Birds and branches on gold leaf or grasscloth make a romantic, layered bedroom. Our guide to hand painted chinoiserie explains the style.
• A painted sky on the ceiling. Clouds or a soft dusk overhead are lovely to wake up to.

Living room mural ideas

• A scene across one wall. A garden, a coastline or a city view gives the room a focal point that is not the television.
• Trompe l'oeil. Painted arches, columns or a view through a false window can make a room feel larger. Read more in what is trompe l'oeil.
• A mural in an alcove. Painting only the alcoves either side of a chimney breast is a subtle way to start.

Nursery mural ideas

• A gentle story scene. Animals in a meadow, a woodland or hot air balloons drifting across a pale sky.
• A low horizon. Keeping the main design low on the wall means it is at a child's eye level and leaves space above to calm the room.
• Room to grow. A landscape or garden will suit a toddler and still suit a ten year old, where a single cartoon theme may not.
• Sealed lower walls. Sealing the mural where small hands reach makes it easier to wipe.

Plan a nursery mural well ahead of the due date so the room is finished and has time to air before it is used.

Hallways, stairs and dining rooms

A long stair wall is a natural canvas for a climbing landscape or a tree whose branches follow the stairs. In a dining room, a painted garden or chinoiserie scene makes the room feel special in the evening. Our article on dining room feature walls has more ideas.

Outdoor and garden murals

A garden mural can turn a plain boundary wall, a shed or a courtyard into a painted view of trees, flowers or distant hills. Outdoors, though, the paint and the wall matter as much as the design.

• Use paint made for exterior masonry. Indoor paints are not designed for rain, frost and sun. Some makers produce mineral paints specifically for murals. KEIM, for example, describes its silicate artist paints as weatherproof and lightfast for walls indoors and outdoors.
• Respect old walls. Older solid brick, stone and lime rendered walls often need breathable finishes. Guidance from Mid Suffolk District Council explains that limewash lets a wall breathe so damp can evaporate, and that modern masonry paints are relatively unbreathable by comparison.
• Check consent first. The same guidance says painting previously unpainted walls of a listed building is very likely to need consent. If your house is listed or in a conservation area, ask your local planning authority before you start.
• Prepare the surface. The wall should be sound, clean and dry, with any damp problems solved first.
• Follow the manufacturer. Always follow the paint maker's technical guidance for the wall you have.

Planning a mural commission

• Choose the wall. Pick the wall you see most, ideally without too many doors, sockets or radiators breaking it up.
• Gather references. Photos of colours, plants, places or paintings you love help shape the design.
• Agree a design. A sketch or colour study shows the composition and palette before any paint reaches the wall.
• Think about furniture. Plan where the bed, sofa or sideboard will sit, so the best part of the mural is not hidden.
• Decide on the background. Painted plaster, gold leaf, silver leaf or grasscloth each give a different mood.
• Plan for wear. In hallways, children's rooms and dining rooms, ask about sealing the finished mural.

Questions we get asked

Is a hand painted mural better than a printed one?

It depends on what you want. Printed murals are quick and ready made. A hand painted mural is designed for your wall, has no panel joins and has the depth of real brushwork.

Can a mural be painted onto gold leaf?

Yes. We paint chinoiserie and other designs onto gold leaf, silver leaf and grasscloth backgrounds, as well as directly onto the wall. Our gilding page explains the leaf.

Can a mural be cleaned?

A mural in a busy area can be sealed, which makes it easier to wipe gently with a soft, barely damp cloth.

Where do you paint murals?

Zavoré works across the UK, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Where to go next. See our hand painted murals, read about hand painted chinoiserie and trompe l'oeil, or get in touch to talk about your wall. You can also call or WhatsApp 07592 929191, or email support@zavore.co.uk.