For me, there is nothing more intriguing than viewing how other people decorate their homes. I am especially curious about unique wall art. There are a great many different elements to use and many different ways to use them. I can remember years ago, the first time I saw a family use their old reclaimed wood to cover an entire wall. This was long before it was fashionable to use reclaimed wood and the barn had been in the family for more than 100 years. They did it to remember their roots but also it created a beautiful wall and even better, it was sentimental for them.

In staying with the wood theme, another beautiful piece I encountered was a friend of mine that owns a woodshop. He was using exotic hardwoods that come in many vibrant colors and had created a large number of dowels in 20 + different colors. We took those dowels and cut them in half and placed them side by side at an angle for a large piece that sat behind a client’s couch.  It almost seemed to jump off the wall and made the couch color pop.

There are so many wall projects that show just how creative that someone can be. I can remember watching an acquaintance take a sheer sparkly cloth material and wrap lights into it and drape it in a large frame and then put it behind her bed. It was gorgeous.

Think about what kind of unique wall art that you may have created or has been created for you. Many people chose to hire a caricature artist to create their family portrait as a truly unique way to display both art, and family. 

Now to start deciding on what to put on your own walls…

You should look at what makes you happy and then choose something that brings about conversation. You’ll want to create your own style.  Let’s start by looking at the different elements and ideas that could be used and for inspirations we can view how others have used them.

We already touched a little on wood but there is so much more that can be done with it, whether it is used to build shelving that will allow you to create the art piece on the shelves or if it’s the wood that was sculpted for a particular area of the wall. Add to that a little lighting and color and you can create a real conversation starter.

Think of the many ways to use lighting with by running them through the piece or put them around a frame or even hiding them in back of the piece to let them shine through it. The lights could be all white, or all the same shade of a color or many different colors together.

Metals are such a diversified element with great colors to choose from. Copper, silver, gold, brass, brushes, flat, glossy or a mixture of them.

Acrylic is such a wonderful medium to use. Create your own colors, fill in empty spaces in a piece of  wood, create a river between two pieces of live edge wood, use molds to create a vibrant centerpiece. Make several small pieces to put together to create one large piece.

Paint, paintings, designs, using paint as a frame for other elements. Paint a nature scenery, or paint a whimsical conversation starter.

Roping could allow you to braid a background, add different colors, run thin wires through it, hang frames from it, or create a light fixture to lighten a dark area of a room.

Mirrors are a wonderful way of making a room look larger, especially if you put them on both walls across from each other. You can frame them or make the entire wall a mirror, or use different colors and/or size mirrors to create the look you are going for.

Cloth Material comes in so many different colors and styles and prints that you can literally create a patchwork that would be unique to your life, one that no one else would ever have. Just think of a man cave where you create an art piece with your family’s favorite sports teams. Or, a soft pastel wall hanging for a peaceful retreat.

Ever thought of a waterfall, real or painted? If you have a room that seems to always be dry, a live waterfall would be a great way to add some humidity to the room while creating a wonderful wall decoration.

If you are into antiques, there is anything from hanging old plates to using an old piece of furniture as the centerpiece and then hanging antiques on the wall around it, such as old kitchen tools, old frames, or old clocks.

Optical illusions make a great way to get away while sitting in your room. A nice ocean scene or a river in the woods, or the mountains would help you feel like you are getting away from your everyday life.

A photo wall is a great way to remember the wonderful fun times you have had or to pay tribute to your family and friends. Nothing like looking at a picture to make you smile at the moment when it was taken.  

Wall lettering can title pictures to create a unique family wall or put up a favorite family saying.

Want to use a real tree? Take an old dying tree and cut it in half vertically and use that tree in the corner of the room going up the wall.

Interestingly, I saw a unique art piece using paint chips, so if you have too many paint chips left from deciding what colors to paint your interior walls, try using those chips to create one or more framed multi-color pictures.

My last unique art piece is one that we all have probably seen but have you ever thought of doing it for yourself? A fish tank. If you have a large enough area you could hollow out part of a wall and build a fish tank into the wall while hiding all of the electrical cords that are needed but allowing yourself to peacefully watch your fish swim in this tank.

Now that we have discussed the many many ways to create a unique art piece, the last question left is do you DIY it, do you purchase it already made, or do you commission it out to an expert? I happen to love creating things for myself, so many times I will do the DIY route. Only you can make that decision depending on your time, your patience, your finances, and the choice of the piece you want to be made.

Good luck and happy decorating!