Imaginative Murals

Thanks so much for choosing an Imaginative Mural for your interior decor. I think you'll enjoy the look of the trompe l'oeil (deceive the eye) niches. The murals will add color and dramatic interest to your interior. I enjoyed researching Oriental decorative elements and chose three elements to incorporate into the designs. The Ikebana flower arrangement uses simple yet sophisticated elements. The bonsai was interesting to paint. The trunk has all the texture of a full sized tree. I especially liked how the light filtered through the foliage to illuminate patches of the moss and rocks. Behind the bonsai tree is a scroll depicting warriors in full battle attire. I've used colors that are an integral part of Oriental design. So many decorating possibilities exist for this theme.

The niches and faux tiles can be displayed close to each other as pictured on the label or separately throughout the room. The murals will be great additions to walls in your home or place of business. Consider placing them in your foyer, stairway (Fig. 1), bedroom or bathroom. Anywhere you decide to hang the murals will create interest. They can be adhered to wallpaper and many related patterns and border trims already exist. Be sure to refer to the instructions before hanging the mural. Also, from the colors in the mural, solids and simple patterns can easily be found to match. We used Chinese red on the background for the murals on the label. They are in an alcove in our home office where we staged the photo shoot. The rest of the walls are a light ochre with Chinese red and black accents. On one wall, we plan to hang split bamboo blinds behind black shelving for textural interest.

Oriental accessories are so popular now that the hardest part was deciding what few items to buy for the photo shoot. I still ended up getting way too much for the picture so I now have everything spread out around the office including a richly decorated Asian elephant (Fig. 2). If you don't already have a waterfall, think about one to add tranquility to your surroundings. An oriental rug and stacks of exotic pillows (Fig. 3) with tassels can add visual interest to the floor. Lamps and candles add warmth. The niches also add warmth through its rich background color.

The murals also work great on smooth, painted walls. If your walls are textured, consider adhering the mural pieces to matte board, thick paper or wall liner 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, spray adhesives or adhesive tabs. Faux treatments are so popular now and would be a lot of fun to incorporate into the theme. You can make the walls look as though they have the rough texture by using a sponging or rag rolling technique. Many stencils and stamps are available at stores that would match this style well or you can design your own for the walls or window treatments (Fig. 4). Asian inspired curtain rods with simple drapes or blinds are popular choices. Consider writing ancient Chinese proverbs in English or Chinese symbols as a border trim. Tinted glazes over the crown moldings and baseboards will give them more character.

Go ahead, let your imagination run amuck! 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'd love to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Trish Selgrath