How can I create non-permanent and inexpensive textured walls in my apartment without it looking cheezy?
Question:I want to create a warm livingroom space in a small room with wood floors and white walls. I dream of rock walls, wood paneled walls, earthy looking mud walls, but I've got bare white flat spaces to work with. I can't do anything of any kind of permanence -- like painting or wallpapering, but I can stick tacks in the wall. any ideas?
Thank you!
Answers:
I see no reason why you can't put up paneling on a temporary basis: they are lighter per square inch then most pictures. Tack the panels in along the top or, for that matter, suspend them on picture hangers, using a cleat on the panel instead of wire. Join the sides of the panels with duct tape on the back. Apply to the wall a few of those tacky strips for hanging pictures here and there so your panels hug the wall. Done.
Panels are available as wood, as rock, as painted brick -which is actually fairly convincing from a distance. The real el-cheapo way: Get luan panels, 1/4" thick and treat the surface as you please to make your own finished product.
So ...what are you waiting for -get busy!
Put up wall hangings or tapestry.
One idea comes to mind is beadboard panels topped by a chair rail. They can be purchased in 6 to 8 foot sections and attached to the wall with two-sided tape. The chair rail can also be attached this way.
Before attaching the panels, you can paint them any color you wish, and when you leave the apartment, they come off very easily.
All the other ideas you suggested require something more permanent and/or painting.
Good luck.
Find a quilt or throw that you really like. Buy a wooden dowel (about 1 inch thick) Roll the quilt over the dowel, just enough to cover. Staple or flat tack the edge to the dowel. Put nails in a couple of wall studs and just hang the dowel over it.
I helped my brother out and we cheated by putting up grasscloth beach mats-it was so cheap and actually looked really good. You can use headless nails through the cloth edge and butt them right up against each other. I've also used bamboo window blinds as a headboard/canopy in the same way. using screw -hooks to attach them at ceiling and on ceiling. What about a fabric "wall" too? I know none of this is stone but it would give you some warmth. You could use screw eyes and wire right at the ceiling height and rings sewn on or ring clips-you can get them at home stores,Target etc. Look up IKEA's site for novel ideas on clean decorating and HGTV.com etc. Good Luck!
you could do one wall with cultured rock panels. These look like real rocks because they are made from molds that were formed over real rocks. They come in 4 by 8 sheets that you can put up against the wall with just A couple of screws at the top (when you move you can fill the holes with white toothpaste) Do A search for rock panels there are A few companies out there.
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