Wall accents for your home

While most people enjoy shopping for furniture, some are not as enthused about selecting wall decor. Pictures, plaques, and porcelain can seem overwhelming or non-essential for shoppers who are not particularly interested in wall space adornments. Plain walls often appear too simple and stark to go with the furnishings of a typical home. Here are some ideas for accenting the framework of each room in your home:

1. Bathrooms. Add ceramic fixtures that coordinate with the room's color scheme and overall theme. For example, if you've chosen an ocean and beach effect, you may want to hang up a couple of starfish or a corner piece of netting to enhance that image. Match cupboards and counter space to mirrors and fixtures by adding similar towel bars, soap dishes, and other accessories.

2. Hallways. Hang touches of color or accents that link one part of the house to another, just as the halls themselves do. For example, if your home is decorated in a country style, hang rustic barnyard or woodland prints with matching or coordinating frames in the upstairs or downstairs halls. An artificial or a living plant, whether a bloom or a fern, adds a comfortable touch to these areas.

3. Bedrooms. Dried flowers, soft draperies, and family photographs make attractive and meaningful additions to the sleeping area walls. Sentimental, romantic, or cozy themes typically dominate the bedroom walls. Kids' rooms may include a bulletin board for collecting favorite trading cards, notes, friends' photos, and autographed images of celebrities. Posters are another kids' favorite, while bookshelves may boast trophies, plaques, or awards.

4. Kitchen or dining room. Have fun with food, dining, or farming images, as well as other decor that you find interesting for use in dressing up this space. The kitchen is the most frequently used room in the house, except for sleeping in the bedrooms. Use colors that fit with other shades throughout the home, although if you are painting or using a wallpaper design, these can take a unique hue, pattern, or tint for each room. Hanging assorted baskets, cookware, or prints on the walls can add a homey touch to the kitchen or dining areas.

5. Living and family rooms. Scriptural, poetic, or humorous statements can be framed and placed on walls for guests' benefit. Mounted animal heads for hunters, certificates for achievers, and wall sconces for romantics can highlight your living and entertaining space in a variety of styles. Small wall shelves for figurines or book shelves may line one or more walls of these rooms.

6. Garage. A pegboard for tools or the implements themselves may be hung in this area. Shelves with supplies, materials, and pet or planting items are often used. Sharp or antique tools may be hung up rather than left lying on the tool bench to keep them out of kids' or pets' way.

Each room offers special utility or visibility areas that can enhance the use of wall space. Give some thought to each wall in your house for maximizing its contribution to your family home.