I need help with two focal walls in living room

wendyluwrites · 2024-09-25T17:24:03+00:00

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So our living room has two focal walls that face each other. I've already decorated the wall on the right with a painting over a mantel.

I'm trying to decide what to do with the other wall. Maybe…

A picture gallery?

Some floating shelves?

Gold leaf wall art/decor, like this one?

I want the room to look balanced and not too cluttered, like the walls are competing with each other. I could just leave the wall blank, but it's a pretty big wall.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And if you have any visual examples, all the better. Thanks so much xo

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Comments

BlairDonovan

You could do a gallery wall above the couch with some smaller-scale framed art to balance out the larger piece above the mantel! Something like this:

A mix of different frames could add some more color to the space in a very small way :)

DanielaAraya

Love @BlairDonovan's suggestion above! A few thoughts:

Playing with the gallery wall idea, what if you moved the art above the mantle to the wall behind your sofa and incorporated into the gallery wall? Suggesting this because I think you could have a lot of fun playing with layering on top of the mantle. Maybe a mirror leaning with some smaller pieces of artwork
What if you added some cordless wall sconces on each side of your sofa? It would give you a nice glow in the room in the evening. I love Pooky Lighting and their cordless fixtures — so many to choose from!
If you wanted to add more visual interest to the mantle itself and make it feel like it's own little moment, you could try adding peel and stick tile inside of it! It would make for such a fun backdrop for the books you have in there and it would allow you to play with another color if you wanted

Some image examples to paint the picture for you:

wendyluwrites

Thank you both SO much!! The visuals are a huge help. I love the idea of a gallery wall with smaller frames.

Yesss I am actually planning to add wall sconces! I haven't heard of Pooky — will definitely check out their fixtures :)

Also I'm obsessed with the idea of adding peel-and-stick tile to the mantel…that hadn't even occurred to me. Super creative! A friend of mine suggested turning the blank wall into a neutral textured wall. Maybe I could do a neutral textured wall (with gallery art) and then use the same peel-and-stick for the mantel? Would that look nicely coordinated…or odd? I'm new to interior design, as you might be able to tell!

Thank you again!

DanielaAraya

https://community.apartmenttherapy.com/discussion/comment/2318#Comment_2318

Well the beauty of designing your home is that you can have all the fun learning and experimenting, so I say go for that textured wall! I can picture a beautiful limewash paint. If you don't want the walls to compete, you could go with a more neutral tone (it still shows the texture really well!). Here are some tips. Alternatively, I've seen people fake the limewash look with regular paint. You have options!

Keep us posted on your updates 💛

DanielleBlundell

I'm team gallery wall for this area, too! I think it will help the air conditioner blend in, and I say why not add some objects to the mix as well? That may be a way to get a textured look if you don't want to try the limewash method just yet!

CullenOrmond

hi @wendyluwrites! I love everyone's suggestions above. if you wanted to add some texture, you might also consider adding some rental-friendly board and batten. I can't wait to see how the space turns out!

AdrienneBreaux

I know a lot of people have already spoken up, but I think adding something with softness and texture could be really beautiful… from a selection of hanging baskets to a wall hanging or tapestry!

Zephy

I read a great article once about styling a mantel. They said: Use 1 tall object, 1 horizontal object, and 1 sculptural object. The tall object should be tall enough to intersect with the bottom of a painting or mirror or whatever is hanging over the mantel; actually having the two things meet helps make the look.

Maybe AT has an article on this subject?

MeganBakerDetloff

@wendyluwrites this is such a beautiful mantel!!! love the ideas above, but wanted to provide some resources on mantel styling we've published in the past in case you want to change it up seasonally:

The 3-5-7 rule (as tested by our exec home director!)

How to style a mantel with live plants

19 inspiring mantel photos to sift through for ideas

Please keep us updated on any changes you make! I can't wait to see how your space develops!

wendyluwrites

Omg I can't believe I missed all of these wonderful comments! Thank you all so much!

Danielle and Adrienne, I love the idea of adding objects to the gallery wall. I have a wall hanging and a shadow box that might be good for that.

Literally taking so many notes on mantel styling, Zephy and Megan, thank you! Great ways to add dimension and intrigue. I have several plants that I can add to our mantel.

I haven't done much since I first posted lol — fall was just so busy! But this is going to be my project for early next year. I think my first step will be to add peel-and-stick tile inside the mantel, add cordless wall sconces and then play around with some gallery wall ideas. Will share updates here! x

DanielaAraya

https://community.apartmenttherapy.com/discussion/comment/2744#Comment_2744

Yay, I'm so glad you popped back in to see all of the responses here! Eager to see updates in the new year 🙂

cindyseattle4913

I love the suggestion about creating a background for the mantel.