The next morning over breakfast she asked who we hired to paint such an adorable scene, which was immediately followed by her next question – how much of Junior’s college tuition did it cost to have it painted? She was surprised to learn that it wasn’t a hand-painted job at all, but a convenient and affordable vinyl wall mural.
We talked nursery décor all through breakfast, and as my husband graciously cleaned up and tended to our sons, my friend and I escaped to the patio where I found myself sharing tips for decorating the nursery for her impending bundle of joy. My first piece of advice was to choose a wall mural in the theme that you want, and then choose bedding and accessories around it. You may wonder why I am such a fan of these large-scale room decorations. Here are some of the benefits I shared with my friend.
A quick way to liven up otherwise bare walls
If you live in an apartment, you might be thinking “I can’t do anything to ruin these perfectly white walls or I’ll lose my security deposit.” When renting a condominium in the city, my husband and I used wall murals to decorate our oldest son’s bedroom. When time came to move into our new home, we carefully peeled the vinyl away from the wall and rolled it up in case either of the boys requested that theme in the new house. (For the record, they didn’t. We ended up giving that wall mural to a neighbor.)
Less expensive than hand-painted art
Vinyl murals are a great choice if you can’t afford the cost of hiring an artist to add a customized painting to your son or daughter’s nursery. Along with being economical, the ones produced today will often look just as crisp and professional years from now as they do the day that they’re installed. And with alphabet decals you can personalize the mural by adding your child’s name or a sentimental quote. For instance, you could choose to use a quote from an A.A. Milne character. One of my favorites is something that Christopher Robin says to Pooh, “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
Clear instructions make for quick and easy installation
My husband and I were surprised at how quick it was to install a wall mural! Once we decided on a layout and wiped the wall free of any dust, installation only took a couple of hours from start to finish. One tip a friend recommended was to cut out newspaper in the general sizes of each piece in the mural. Using blue painter’s tape, we were able to use the newspaper cutouts to get a good general idea of proportions and decide wall placement without too much adjusting once the actual mural was in place.
Easy to change as kids grow and develop new interests
Our sons have outgrown the adorable, pastel-hued them that originally graced their nursery walls. My oldest is now into sports, and my youngest son’s bedroom was recently updated with a Disney Cars wall mural. Another benefit that wall murals provide is that their removal is as easy as their installation. If I’d spent a fortune on custom paintings for my sons’ bedrooms, I wouldn’t be very eager to paint over them each time the boys decided on a new theme for the décor. Wall murals provide an easy way to reflect my sons’ current interests. Because they’re reusable, as my older son outgrows one theme, my younger son is usually more than ready to display those murals in his room for a while.
When installing a wall mural, it’s best to have a friend on hand to help out. This definitely isn’t a one-person job. By following the instructions on the packaging, within a couple of hours you can take your child’s bedroom walls from bland to beautiful, whether in a new baby’s nursery or for updating the look to reflect your toddler or preschooler’s favorite Disney characters.
About the Author
First published more than a decade ago, freelance writer Becky James-Muth often writes reviews that relate to her own life, like the reviews found at www.whimsicalroomdecor.com. She and her firefighter husband find the Disney Cars wall mural a convenient way to personalize the décor in their sons’ bedrooms. When she isn’t working or spending time with her family, Becky enjoys visiting with friends, reading classic literature, and sewing.
