It’s not an uncommon dilemma: you have a large blank wall and no idea how to fill it. Even in the best-dressed room, an unfilled wall can be a distracting element that pulls the eye to its vast expanse. Filling this space can be easier than you think if you consider a few creative and often functional solutions.

It’s not an uncommon dilemma: you have a large blank wall and no idea how to fill it. Even in the best-dressed room, an unfilled wall can be a distracting element that pulls the eye to its vast expanse. Filling this space can be easier than you think if you consider a few creative and often functional solutions.

Idea 1: Lofty Goals A loft or attic tends to come to a beautiful, yet inconvenient, A-line point. How do you fill this space? How on earth do you get anything up there? A great idea is to display a single collection of china on shelves that go up the entire wall. Hand-painted, blue and white plates make a bold statement.

Bring the look home: Put your collectibles to work for your rooms by hanging them on the wall or by installing a few rows of shelves to cover the entire expanse to create a colorful focal point for the room.

Idea 2: Architectural Art If you have a big wall to fill, make a big statement.  Architectural salvage, vintage advertising or in this case, a letter from an old store sign can be just the thing to attract attention to a wall for all the right reasons.   Bring the look home: Spend the day at a flea market and peruse a few vintage offerings of large scale finds. Look for vintage advertising, signage or architectural components such as moldings, window casings, fretwork or ironwork.

Idea 3: Screen Savers Lizzie McGraw, proprietress of Tumbleweed & Dandelion, a home décor boutique in Venice Beach California took the classic approach to wall art for her guesthouse.  She propped a four-panel room divider against the main wall to add color and visual interest to the open-plan room.   Bring the look home: From folding screens to decorative panels to quilts and embroidered linens think about a variety of large-scale items that could be repurposed on a wall.

Tips & Tricks:

• To help tame an empty wall, consider letting the paint do the talking.  Choose a deeper shade taken from a predominant color in your decor to paint the wall an accent color. This will make the wall look a bit smaller.
• Consider wallpapering this wall and choose a big bold pattern. Like a modern day mural, this gives the room a punch of personality that looks fresh and interesting. –       If the large wall seems like more than you can chew, take a bite out of it. Break the space in two parts with a large bookcase or armoire and you’ll create two areas that are more manageable.
• Use decorative molding or wainscoting to give a large wall texture and dimension. –       Get in touch with your inner curator. Photographs can be arranged in a variety of ways to fill a wall with dramatic effect.
• Choose a single frame color for a classic unified look or experiment with a collage–style arrangement using a variety of frames for something more adventurous. Try hanging a few rows of tension wire and clipping family photos to it for another unique look.