Choosing a design for your home can be pretty straightforward, as long as you know what you want and you’re confident it’s the one that’ll capture your personality the most. For instance, there’s the modern style for homeowners who prefer natural materials, clean lines, and a monochromatic color palette. On the other hand, minimalist design features an uncomplicated form with simple finishes, primarily neutral colors, and functionality. (1)
Accentuating your urban home design
Another home design you can choose from is the urban style. Design experts characterize the urban style as a unique blend of industrial, modern, and contemporary designs. This particular style is perfect for those who want a trendier approach to inner-city living but with a more calming, casual, and comfortable feel. If you’re planning to achieve an urban home design, there are several ways to do so. (2)
To start, take note of key architectural features such as clear open spaces, unfinished surfaces, light colors, and exposed beams. Aside from these structural and design elements, here’s another detail to help you pull off an urban home design: wall art. (2)
Urban artwork is powerful enough to add a touch of liveliness and modernity to any given space. For your always-on-the-go lifestyle, there’s nothing else that can best accentuate your urban home than wall art that speaks of your suburban way of life. Whether you’re redecorating, moving into your city dwelling, or updating your interiors for a much-needed makeover, here are some tips that you can use to achieve an urban home design with wall art:
Go ethnic
Suburban homes are all about the latest trends in interior design. If you haven’t heard yet, people seem to rediscover their roots and culture. In this sense, ethnic prints and wall decors are getting more attention than in recent years. What’s more, independent artists who devote their talent to doing urban art and graffiti in public spaces made most of these modern masterpieces. In other words, supporting ethnic artwork is also like advocating for their cause, which is to introduce city people to the beautiful world of traditional and ancestral art. (3)
Ethnic canvas prints and framed art come in different patterns, textures, and sizes. The splash of color can also make your urban home design stand out even more. You can mix and match those elements however you like, depending on the size of wall space you have. (3)
Upsize when possible
One noticeable thing about urban art is that the bigger the art piece is, the better and more striking appeal it has. Perhaps it’s because street art was initially visible on streets, buildings, and other wide public spaces where artists can draw or paint as they please. To create such a distinct vibe, it’s only natural that you try to allow as much space as you have for your metropolitan wall art. (4)
Oversized framed prints and murals can do so much in helping you achieve an urban feel in your home. You can do one large piece as the center of attention and add smaller ones around it. Or you can hand two or more large frames of different sizes if you wish. The decision boils down to what you want to make out of your urban home design. Of course, add to that the wall size you have to ensure your frames won’t look overly crowded. (2)(4)
Show your penchant for travel through cityscape pieces
Another element that characterizes an urban home design is the vitality that city life has to offer. Essentially, this means capturing a fast-paced spirit that you can find and feel when you think of the most iconic cities in the world. If you love traveling and exploring, you can make that passion a part of your wall art by hanging candid views of what it’s like to be in different cities and places. (2)
You can go for framed prints or canvas pictures of Tokyo’s busy streets or the quaint corners of Paris. Or if you’re into photography, you can enlarge some of the best photos you took, featuring the glamorous and fast-paced life in the city. Anything works as long as it captures the essence of cityscapes and everything else that characterizes a bustling urban setting.
Try the wall-to-ceiling approach
One good thing about a city-focused interior style is that there’s almost no limit to what you can do and add to achieve the feel you want. You can use as many colors and patterns as you prefer, and you don’t have to limit wall art to your wall. You can try the wall-to-ceiling approach that lets you decorate the ceiling the same way for your wall. (1) (4)
You can use trendy tapestries to accentuate your ceiling. Alternatively, you can commission an artist to paint or draw on your wall and ceiling to have a more unified look that matches all the other elements in your interior. Graffiti art and murals are often the designs you’ll find on those empty spaces. But of course, you’re free to choose whatever you want for your interior. (4) (5)
Turn the space into a freedom wall
Can’t decide yet what to display or hang on your wall? There’s no need to rush because you can wait and just keep the space as is for now. You can consider it your version of the freedom wall where you can add anything that sparks interest in any form or style.
If you’re an artist yourself, you can paint, doodle, or spray-paint colors on it, depending on your mood. If you have friends coming over, they can also contribute to your freedom wall and let them add something colorful, eclectic, and full of energy. (5)
Takeaways
It’s exciting to think about how your home will turn out once you’ve figured out the wall art that’ll match its urban ambiance. Again, there’s no need to rush because why would you? Real art takes time, and if you’re keen on achieving an urban home design with wall art, you’ll plan it carefully and think of the elements you can add to make it happen.
Remember, before you carry out any DIY such as hanging large photos and artwork, it’s important to stay safe. Protect yourself with PPE such as eye protection and hard hats.
Some ideas you can include in your plan are ethnic styles, upsized frames and prints, wall-to-ceiling designs, and cityscape pieces. If you haven’t figured out what to do just yet, you can also turn the empty space into a freedom wall that you can design however you please.
References
- “Design Styles Defined”, Source: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/design-styles-defined-pictures
- “Urban Home Interior Design”, Source: https://mydecorative.com/urban-home-interior-design/
- “Ethnic Wall Décor Ideas”, Source: https://medium.com/@soniyakapoor599/ethnic-wall-d%C3%A9cor-ideas-46f87a2fbb87
- “27 Wall Decor Ideas to Refresh Your Space”, Source: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/wall-decor-ideas
- “34 DIY Wall Art Ideas to Add Personality to Your Home”, Source: https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g31153820/diy-wall-art-ideas/