Imaginative Murals

I'm so excited that you chose to decorate with one of my murals. Thank you. This one is one of my son's favorites. So many fun decorating possibilities exist for this theme.

The murals can be adhered to wallpaper and many related patterns and border trims already exist. Also, from the colors in the mural, solids and simple patterns can easily be found to match. The murals also work great on a smooth, painted wall. Faux treatments are so popular now and would be a lot of fun to incorporate into the theme. You might make the walls look as though they have a wavy texture by using a sponge or brush. You might refer to the many How-To books and magazines that are available at retail or the library.

If your walls are heavily textured, consider adhering the mural pieces to matte board or thick paper and cutting it out. Ask your local wall treatment specialist for the best way to attach it to your particular type of wall. Your options may include nails, brackets, velcro or adhesive tabs.

You can keep the background simple or add extra details to the room. Have fun painting extra fish. If you're not confident about designing your own fish, use tracing paper to copy the fish in the mural, then using graphite paper, transfer the new fish to various parts of the room. Some fish can be half hidden behind furniture or pictures like they're timid about coming out. Clumps of coral and a few fish can be painted on the wall like it's sitting on the dresser or in a corner. A chest of sunken treasure (Fig. 1) with coral and seaweed growing around it can be painted to rest on the baseboard. Maybe even a sunken ship (Fig. 2). Some people buy an extra mural so they can cut it up and have more matching pieces to go around the room.

You can create your own borders using stencils and stamps. If you don't find what you want at the store, make your own. An easy one would be to paint waves around the room about a foot down from the ceiling. Little fish can be playing in the waves (Fig. 3). The fish can be carved into a cut potato or sponges can be cut up or you can make your own stencils using heavy paper. So many tools exist on the market to help create whatever look you want. Another fun idea would be shell stencils to create a border around the room. If you're really brave, some real shells could be adhered to the walls.

I have seen at the stores, a lot of bedding and accessories that will go great with this theme. Fish are on everything from bedspreads to trash cans. You can choose from bright and modern or rustic and old world styles. Think of items that will add texture too like nets, buoys, and big fishing lures (with the hooks removed). A practical use for a net would be to hang it on the wall and pile toys in it (Fig. 4).

Well, I'm sure you'll come up with a lot of your own decorating ideas. If you get a chance, write or email us with your ideas and results. We would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Trish Selgrath

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