Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site Shops at: Zazzle & PrintFection
 |
Bring
Italy Inside Your Home with Wallpaper Murals, Tiles,
Stencils
(Image heavy page, please be patient while it loads; it's worth the wait!) |
|
|
Conservatory Mural
Lake Como Mural
Tuscan Scene Mural
Tuscan View from the dining room  This example and some of the others below are from another on-line seller, Leland's Wallpaper and Interiors. This is the link to their murals catalogue. This link is to their Classic Tuscan Series. They also sell stencils. Here's an Amazon.com link for the same wallpaper mural, from Lelands.
Tuscan Arbor View available from Lelands and other suppliers. Here's the mural available via Amazon.com.
Portofino off the dining room in the smaller 'chair-rail' partial mural size. And here below in the full wall mural.
Loggia coming off the dining room This wallpaper mural is, according to Amazon.com, the favorite on this page, and the favorite link on my entire site! Some of you have even purchased it. Good for you!
Another option for Italy wall murals, one that offers more flexibility of size, is Murals Your Way. Click on the link or banner to go to their on-line shop linked to this site, featuring their 150+ Italy murals. I've a Gallery of some of their mural images below.
These are some Partial-Wall Wallpaper Murals that you can find at either Lelands or USA Wallpaper, or at your local wallpaper specialist (usually more expensive).
Vineyard Scene
Vineyard View (note how it folds into the corner creating the illusion of greater space in the hallway)
Mediterranean View
Tuscan View
Tuscan Hills View
View of Vineyard Through Stone Arches
Vineyard View Through Stone Arches (note that it folds into a corner nicely)
Tuscan View Through Stone Arches
Tuscan View Through Stone Arches (note the corner seems to fade away)
Another Tuscan View Through Stone Arches
Mediterranean View Through Stone Arches
Mediterranean View Through Stone Arches (note how here the corner makes it look like a type of bay window)
Here are links to some other partial-wall wallpaper murals from Lelands: Mediterranean View, Tuscan Scenic, Tuscan Hills.
Alcoves and niches are options for small effects that can carry a big decorative punch. These two groups of three niches can be cut into three and applied separately, making them very economical.
Alcove Garden
Stone Wall Niche Garden I put the above example up after cutting it into three, one alcove each section, one section each of three walls. It looks beautiful and dries so tightly to the wall that it looks painted on. Update Note: The last time I checked the product is gone from their catalog, but that doesn't mean it won't come back.
Tulip Niche and Pansy Niche and Hydrangea Niche
Bust Niche and an Angel Niche
Wine niches are very attractive when combined with a serving table before them, adding depth to a room.
Wine Niche
Here the mural of Lake Como has been cut to fit the stair landing.
Instead of a dado-rail, here they've used a wall effect mural to flatten out the slope, with the fields above. Some wallpaper murals come with two parts, otherwise you can combine two. See below for some wall effect wallpapers.
You can visit USA Wallpaper's selection of wall effect (mainly marble) wallpaper.
A wine niche roll
View of Tuscany through arches roll
A Venice border roll, that can go around your room either at the top of the wall or 2/3 of the way down the wall.
These tile murals are from the artist Linda Paul. Her original artwork (also for sale, and prints) is digitally applied to the tiles, so the murals are available in many sizes.
Wine and Roses
The Vineyard
Sunflower Field
Tuscan Kitchen
Fields of Tuscany
Sunset Over Tuscany
Tuscany Window
Everything Tuscany (there's a resting cook on the right)
Italian Still Life
Wine Country and The Olive Grove
Angelica Di Chiara Art on Tiles
IdeaStix Murals, adhesive mural for tiles and other surfaces, a simple alternative to retiling.
These stencil examples come from on-line suppliers Stencil Kingdom. Other suppliers are: Stencil Planet, Stencil Ease, Stencil Library.
The banner just below is for Stencil Ease, an on-line firm that has a wide selection of stencils, and they also let you create custom stencils. |
Murals Your Way - 150+ ITALY MURALS
If you can't get to Italy, bring Italy to you...Anyone who loves Italy wants something around them to remind them of Italy's beauty. Why not decorate your home to make you feel like you are in Italy? Or at least to give the illusion that Italy is not so far away. If you're an artist, you can attempt to paint a fresco on fresh plaster. Or project a slide image on a wall and then draw the image and fill it with paint. But most of us are not that artistic, nor can we afford to hire our own 'Michelangelo' to paint something for us. For us, there are three reliable solutions:
Full-Wall Wallpaper MuralsWallpaper Murals are wallpaper that give the effect of murals or frescos. They are ideal for:
You can cover a whole wall with a wallpaper mural. The mural is created by hanging the wallpaper in numbered strips so that together, they create the mural image. Then you place furniture in front of it like in the example below. Click on either image to go to the seller's page. Note that some manufacturers make the murals in 8 panels twice as wide as the normal wallpaper roll, that are hung 4 above and 4 below.
The above example and many of the following are from the Creative Wallpapering site, an on-line wallpaper seller. This is the link to their wall mural catalogue. All the wallpaper sellers on this page should give the manufacturer's catalogue information so you can take that and purchase them from a shop, too, but usually pay more. , is an on-line wallpaper seller that ships worldwide. The following are some of their wallpaper murals from their on-line catalog. I ordered from USA Wallpaper, was disappointed with their on-line service, waited three months for the murals to arrive (outside the US), but I did finally get what I'd ordered at the prices quoted.My second order with USA Wallpaper arrived in one month (outside the US and with a new expedited shipping), but again the after-sales service was very disappointing. Despite promises, I was not notified when my order shipped, and an e-mail request for the status of my order was not answered, nor were the two follow-up requests.
Seven Panel Full-Wall Mural with Tuscan View
8 Panel Full-Wall Mural of Italian Garden
8 Panel Full-Wall Mural of Italian Columns
8 Panel Full-Wall Mural of Italian Terrace and Garden
8 Panel Full-Wall Mural of Italian Terrace with View
8 Panel Full-Wall Mural of Italian Terrace and Garden
I've hung the above three full-wall murals (purchased from USA Wallpaper), so I can offer some practical advice.
Partial-Wall Wallpaper MuralsTo use partial wall wallpaper murals, you usually paint or wallpaper a wall the same color or a similar color as the border color on a wallpaper mural. Or you paint the lower part of the wall so it appears to be a bay window wall.
Examples of partial wall murals are:
Then you hang the wallpaper image on the wall in the position you want it. It blends into the painted wall, creating the desired illusion. Here are some examples, left and right. Click on the images to go to the seller's page for that product. (You may need to scroll down on their page.) These types of window murals are especially nice as they can act to open up closed up rooms and hallways.
Tuscan View Through a Stone Window
Vineyard View Through a Stone Window
Tuscan Window
Window with a View of Venice (Update Note: new link, to 'Window Murals' page.)
Open-Shuttered Window (Update Note: new link, to 'Window Murals' page.)
These are window/door partial-wall wallpaper murals. They too can open up closed areas of your house.
Door to the Lake, a Window on Venice I can't find these in the original seller's catalog, so I've changed the link to another seller's 'Imaginative Accents' page and 'Window Murals' page. Have Fun!
Window on a Fountain
View through a Villa Window
You can also use murals to disguise doors. Remember to blend the coloring in with the surrounding wall, just like when hanging other partial wall murals. Here are a few murals to either create a door illusion, or to hide an existing door.
Lelands also offers wallpaper cutouts like these topiaries to flank a doorway and a swag for over the doorway.
Stair MuralsStairs are tricky because unless you purchase a mural specifically for stairs (I've not yet seen any except in this image below, which I can't find at any seller), you have to cut the mural for the slope of the stairs, losing part of the mural.
To be honest, stairs are are usually decorated with niche or window partial-wall wallpaper murals, so this is a continuation of the previous section.
Window wallpaper murals make it look like you get peeks at Italian views through stone windows as you climb the stairs. This avoids the problem of the stair slope completely.
Here they've solved the problem of the stair slope by adding a dado-rail to flatten it out, and then applied the mural without having to cut it to fit.
Wall EffectsYou can use wall effect wallpaper to disguise a wall. These can be especially nice used in combination with niche murals, or along stairs. And here are some of the many wall effect papers available via Amazon.com.
Self-Sticking AccentsThese wallpaper cutouts are self-sticking, vinyl coated, and generally come in packs of 25. They stick to walls, wood, painted surfaces... Here is a link to the selection of Wallies at USA Wallpaper. Here are some available via Amazon.com, usually at a price discount.
Architectural ElementsWallpaper cutouts of columns allow you to create columns of any height. You can flank doorways, for example, and trim the central piece (or pieces if the wall is very tall) to the correct height for the column with top and bottom to reach from floor to ceiling.
I had links here to the column tops and bottoms available from Lelands Discount Wallpaper via Amazon.com, but they seem to no longer offer them (?!) and only offer the column itself. So here is a link to Lelands's site where you can find other columns and all sorts of accent murals and stencils. There are also murals and boarder rolls of pedestals, engravings and architectural elements.
Border Accent RollsThere are also wallpaper mural border/accent rolls available. All are roughly 9 inches high, 25 feet long, and priced between 11-18$. Here are some from on-line store Lelands and also from Lelands via Amazon.com, and other suppliers.
Roll with a beam with a grape/fruit vine on it (my favorite), you can create the illusion of ceiling beams. Here are some more.
Topiary border roll, and a Grape border roll
Tile Murals and Back-splashesTile murals can be applied to walls throughout the home:
Many of the examples I show here come from artist Linda Paul, produced in her Colorado studio. Ms. Paul's beautiful original artwork (also for sale, and prints) is used for many of the tile designs. I show a wide selection of her designs in the left column. Linda has over 30+ images of kitchen backsplashes installed by her happy customers for you to enjoy and be inspired by.
Some classical bathroom helpers
Watery Venice in a water-closet (someone has a sense of humor)
Venetian view (on glass)
A village scene under the cap, which looks like the roof of the home depicted
Pepper Pail and Peppers
A Pepper Pail spilling out
A Tuscany Window behind your stovetop
These tile murals (and more) are made from the artwork of Italian artist, transplanted to the U.S., Angelica Di Chiara. Visit her website or see her art at this established on-line tile company for more information. (The tile company has lots of inspiring images of tile murals installed in satisfied customer's homes.)
Here are some special new items for if you:
You can use a new product called Idea Stix Murals. These are adhesives that stick to tiles to form the mural. They are resistant to heat, steam and water, according to the manufacturer. You can also remove them completely, with a solvent, I'm guessing.
Here's the link to the selection available from Leland's Discount Wallpaper. And this is the link to the selection at USA Wallpaper. They also have light-switch covers and other stickers. Here are a few of the ones they offer (left and right columns).
StencilsStencils can be used to paint decorative elements onto the walls of a room. They're ideal for:
Stencils are a bit fussy to work with. You spray a temporary adhesive to the back of the stencil, then apply the stencil to the wall. Then you use a brush, or roller, or rag to apply the paint. The key is to use as little paint as possible to fill the stencil holes. If you apply too much paint, it seeps under the stencil, or runs down the wall, ruining the stencil image. Two points in favor of stencils:
There's is a new product that makes the stencil effect simpler to achieve. It's called Instant Stencil and is a rub-on transfer that can go onto all sorts of surfaces. You can read more about it at the Leland's Discount Wallpaper site, and see what they have on offer. Or you can visit the USA Wallpaper site for their selection and instructions on how to apply them. I've put several Italian-related stencil designs in the left column, and below. They link through to suppliers who ship worldwide. Here are some stencils and advice about stenciling available from Amazon.com.
|
|
|
These Stencil Ease murals are actually made up of several smaller stencils that can be used over and over again. Just click on an image or the banner to go to their site for more information.
 Murals Your WayThese beautiful prints by artist Roberto Lombardi, available from AllPosters.com, can be purchased in various sizes to hang as wall murals in your home, from the on-line company Murals Your Way. They have lots of images and sizes to choose from, and they even let you provide your own image to make into a wallpaper mural. Just click on this banner or link to go to their shop where they have over 150 Italy Murals. The Italy art/painting murals give the illusion of a painted wall mural, which is beautiful. The photo murals are starker, probably better suited to an office environment or to accompany a modern decorated room.
|
||
Window PostersThese are posters from the on-line print and poster store AllPosters.com. I've used wallpaper glue to attach them to walls, and they look beautiful, just as nice as partial-wall wallpaper murals. The delivery time is usually less and the cost is often less. Just trim off the unwanted edges and you're all set to glue! Remember the instructions above about partial-wall murals: paint the wall a color/texture to match. Some of these windows look in, and some look out. Click through the image to get sizes and prices.
Niche PostersThese are posters from the on-line print and poster store AllPosters.com. I've used wallpaper glue to attach them to walls, and they look beautiful, just as nice as partial-wall wallpaper murals. The delivery time is usually less and the cost is often less. Just trim off the unwanted edges and you're all set to glue! Remember the instructions above about partial-wall murals: paint the wall a color/texture to match.
|
||
