A contemporary candleholder offers a compelling design by day and warm ambience in the evening.

I recently visited a potential client who had lived in her home for five years and had never hung anything on the walls. She was so concerned that she’d make a mistake that she just left them bare! Maybe your walls are needing a little love too. Even if you like what you have on your walls, rearranging or redesigning your wall décor can be a great way to freshen up your room and give it new life. Here are some tips on decorating walls to their best potential.

• Use a variety of wall art—such as framed art, mirrors and iron work—to give that blank palette some interest. Just as you wouldn’t use one fabric throughout a room, you shouldn’t hang only photographs or only paintings on your walls. One of my favorite sources for whimsical wall art is Sugarboo Designs, a creative company in Georgia making unconventional pieces that fit well with today’s styles.

Framed sayings like these from Sugarboo Designs make a fun, casual wall art option.

• Size matters. Most people hang art that is too small for the wall space. Think bigger!

• Rather than a traditional, staged photo, consider a close-up shot of a face—such as a child blowing out a dandelion—or an action shot.

• Make your own wall art and have fun with it! Melt crayon wax on a canvas and let the drips become your splash of color for the space. Or have your kids make painted handprints on the wall in their playroom.

• Offer one consistent element for whatever pieces you choose. For example, if you are using a combination of contemporary paintings and photos, use black frames to tie the items together. Or perhaps your theme is landscape, in which case you might have landscape art and photos with different frames but similar content.

• Silly sayings (“Be good but if you can’t be good, be careful” or “Kindly refrain from whining”) are fun to hang on the wall in a casual family room, child’s bedroom or even a laundry room.

Recycled bike wheels with mirrors added to them create unexpected wall art.

• Don’t get stuck thinking frames are the only things that hang on walls. Any collection that is hangable works for a wall, so look for your unique statement. Rustic doorknockers offer a foyer an unexpected design, while old hubcaps make perfect wall art for a man cave.

• Still not sure what to do with that blank wall? Add wallpaper or tile—and you’re done!

If you need help with decorating walls—or any of your design needs—please contact us.