Help my weird, awkward, ugly wall look beautiful and confident!
April 16, 2015 5:59 PM Subscribe
I have kind of a funny-looking bedroom - it's in a basement that was finished long after being built so it has low ceilings, a slightly uneven floor, limited light, and odd dimensions - but I've mostly managed to make it look really nice except for this one wall that has a cabinet set right into the middle of it. What are some decoration strategies to deal with this weird wall without cutting off access to the cabinet?
The only limits I have are:
-Colors: red, black, and white. I go for big, bold colors and patterns to help brighten up the room.
-Cabinet access: I use the cabinet to store linens and I go into there at least every couple of weeks, so I want to make sure whatever I go with keeps it easy to access.
-Bench: the bench in the photo is staying where it is. I like it there.
-Budget: lower price tag is better. If I were rich I probably wouldn't sleep in a basement...
-Absolutely no plants. I have a schefflera that has survived nearly 15 years of being poked at, neglected, overwatered, whatever, but when I moved in here the poor thing was hanging onto life by a thread because there really is VERY little light in that room. (I moved it up to my very well-lit living room. It is fine now.)
-I don't really want to paint the wall.
Non-limiting factors:
-I'm definitely not married to the wall calendar. (That would be a bit of a one-sided marriage.)
-Landlord is not at all picky about us hanging/installing stuff on the walls.
If you're going to recommend wall decals I'd really like some specifics - which ones to buy? Where to place them on the wall? I used them in my last place and it didn't really expand the space the way I would've liked, and they looked a little tacky. I really don't want to go "college dorm" with my aesthetic here.
Finally please don't judge my tiny desk which is actually an end table. I will get a real desk one day but for now I'm lazy and my stubby lil' legs are perfectly happy with a short desk.
The only limits I have are:
-Colors: red, black, and white. I go for big, bold colors and patterns to help brighten up the room.
-Cabinet access: I use the cabinet to store linens and I go into there at least every couple of weeks, so I want to make sure whatever I go with keeps it easy to access.
-Bench: the bench in the photo is staying where it is. I like it there.
-Budget: lower price tag is better. If I were rich I probably wouldn't sleep in a basement...
-Absolutely no plants. I have a schefflera that has survived nearly 15 years of being poked at, neglected, overwatered, whatever, but when I moved in here the poor thing was hanging onto life by a thread because there really is VERY little light in that room. (I moved it up to my very well-lit living room. It is fine now.)
-I don't really want to paint the wall.
Non-limiting factors:
-I'm definitely not married to the wall calendar. (That would be a bit of a one-sided marriage.)
-Landlord is not at all picky about us hanging/installing stuff on the walls.
If you're going to recommend wall decals I'd really like some specifics - which ones to buy? Where to place them on the wall? I used them in my last place and it didn't really expand the space the way I would've liked, and they looked a little tacky. I really don't want to go "college dorm" with my aesthetic here.
Finally please don't judge my tiny desk which is actually an end table. I will get a real desk one day but for now I'm lazy and my stubby lil' legs are perfectly happy with a short desk.
Duplicate the curtain rod fixture that is to the right in the picture. Put up a rod that will hold two panels, make them long, to go behind that little settee. Better yet, they make flat panel window covers that roll up and down, some are in bold black and white graphics, with maybe a little color shot. That makes the cabinet wall a big picture, or another set of curtains that match what you already have, and leave you with access.
posted by Oyéah at 6:22 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 6:22 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you like bold, what about these stripe wall decals - There are a ton of pattern options shown in the pics and here; I'm personally partial to a chevron or one thick color with one thin color, but even one color put diagonally would look awesome. You could go right over the cabinet.
You could do the same effect with painting, but I've never had any success getting a straight line using painter's tape, and if you change your mind, dark paint can be a pain to paint over.
posted by brainmouse at 6:27 PM on April 16, 2015
You could do the same effect with painting, but I've never had any success getting a straight line using painter's tape, and if you change your mind, dark paint can be a pain to paint over.
posted by brainmouse at 6:27 PM on April 16, 2015
Cover with sheet metal or magnetic paint (lots of coats needed..) hang pictures with magnets.
posted by Mac-Expert at 6:28 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by Mac-Expert at 6:28 PM on April 16, 2015
Honestly I'd just remove the trim and hang new cabinet doors, preferably flush with concealed hinges. The problem seems to be how clear it is unlevel, so make it less obvious. A nice damask wallcovering like these going over the entire wall would also help. Just cut the seam with a razor blade where it goes between cabinet and wall.
posted by Trifling at 6:29 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Trifling at 6:29 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think if it were me I'd take the doors right off the cabinet and then use it as a more "inset shelves" situation which means you can put stuff on the wall right up next to them and get more space out of it. unless the insides of the cabinets are really awful?
posted by jessamyn at 6:30 PM on April 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 6:30 PM on April 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
Silk screen/screen printed fabric wall hangings can be inexpensive and very lightweight. I have a large square Pucci scarf sewn to a piece of linen stretched over a frame. It's so light that it is held up by two pushpins, one on either top corner. So if you are only going in there once every week or so, that could work. Even just a yard or two of fabric from the fabric store or a neat vintage curtain panel stretched over a frame could work great. Look for a "canvas stretcher frame kit" for the base if you want to diy. Search Etsy for vintage or go to Michaels/Home Goods type stores to find the silk screen wall art.
posted by hiker U. at 6:34 PM on April 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by hiker U. at 6:34 PM on April 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
They make bamboo or wooden stick shades. You can stain those to any color you like, then keep them for some place else.
posted by Oyéah at 6:40 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 6:40 PM on April 16, 2015
phunniemee: "Oh dude I would turn that cabinet into a fake window. "
Came in to say fake window. Paint the molding around it. You can also very easily change out the knobs on the cabinet -- Home Depot or whatever will have dozens of choices, but even Target usually has half a dozen options -- to match them to the window background or turn them in to little cats or fish or whatever suits the picture.
A strategically-cut poster (wide enough for the space, with the top and bottom cut off) would be a very cheap option; you could mod-podge it, or even just carefully cut it and hang it with double-stick table. I immediately think beach scene or pastoral vista, but what about your favorite city's nighttime skyline? Or the woods of Narnia? Or maybe you're stationed at Castle Black and this is the view out your window? Or even have a picture of your childhood house blown up to poster-size for $20 and cut out the size you want.
If you want to experiment with some colors and patterns, washi tape is a very cheap option.
You could also hang a bold, modern-looking red-and-black quilt across the opening; you hang a bar over the space like a curtain rod, but it looks suitable as a much smaller hanging than curtains would.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:43 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Came in to say fake window. Paint the molding around it. You can also very easily change out the knobs on the cabinet -- Home Depot or whatever will have dozens of choices, but even Target usually has half a dozen options -- to match them to the window background or turn them in to little cats or fish or whatever suits the picture.
A strategically-cut poster (wide enough for the space, with the top and bottom cut off) would be a very cheap option; you could mod-podge it, or even just carefully cut it and hang it with double-stick table. I immediately think beach scene or pastoral vista, but what about your favorite city's nighttime skyline? Or the woods of Narnia? Or maybe you're stationed at Castle Black and this is the view out your window? Or even have a picture of your childhood house blown up to poster-size for $20 and cut out the size you want.
If you want to experiment with some colors and patterns, washi tape is a very cheap option.
You could also hang a bold, modern-looking red-and-black quilt across the opening; you hang a bar over the space like a curtain rod, but it looks suitable as a much smaller hanging than curtains would.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:43 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was also going to suggest hanging something over it. The previous owner of my house left a painting (well, "painting") in the basement that hangs over the crawlspace access point; you could easily do something similar there, although you might need knobs that are a bit more flush to the cabinet doors.
posted by thomas j wise at 7:19 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by thomas j wise at 7:19 PM on April 16, 2015
Response by poster: I think I'm leaning toward hanging a quilt or similar wall hanging, although jessamyn's idea of pulling off the doors is intriguing (no shelves but I could put some in), but is there a way to hang something like a painting so that I can still access the cabinet?
posted by capricorn at 7:37 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by capricorn at 7:37 PM on April 16, 2015
I immediately thought you could install a flatscreen TV on a swivel arm bracket so it could be pulled out for cabinet access and/or positioned to face any part of the room. For $20 I would plug in a Chromecast or Amazon Fire USB thingy and broadcast soothing meditation music and nature scenes - YouTube has videos like this that play for hours and hours. The Chrome or Fire "screen saver" landscape pics that play when you're not broadcasting are fairly soothing, too. Pretty sure it loads with personal collections of pics as well, it could be a digital picture frame.
My idea is to make it a functional focal point. You can get decent flatscreen Tv's fairly cheap.
posted by jbenben at 8:01 PM on April 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
My idea is to make it a functional focal point. You can get decent flatscreen Tv's fairly cheap.
posted by jbenben at 8:01 PM on April 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
I would just buy a big canvas at an art store, paint it (go crazy! or just paint it a flat color or two), and hang it on a small nail just over the cabinet. It should stick out far enough to hang flat against the wall, covering the doors. When you want to access the cabinet, just pull down the painting (ti's light! it's hanging, not attached!) and then put it back up when you're done.
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:59 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:59 PM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Install curtains and a curtain rod for what would have been a very large window, so that it takes up as much of the wall as you would like. Remove the cabinet doors and voila!
posted by aniola at 9:31 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by aniola at 9:31 PM on April 16, 2015
Jessamyn got in here with my first idea -- take the doors off.
Depending upon how deep it is you could hang a nice bit of art in there?
More likely is shelving though, and with the doors gone you're not limited to the depth of the shelving, it could come out into the room.
I also liked jbenben's idea of a flat screen but then you've got to deal with wires dangling from it, unless by some stroke of good fortune you've got access to electricity inside that cabinet.
In any case, get those doors off, put them in a closet or even use them as shelving or table tops in another place in that room.
Lots of good ideas in here, have fun.
posted by dancestoblue at 11:19 PM on April 16, 2015
Depending upon how deep it is you could hang a nice bit of art in there?
More likely is shelving though, and with the doors gone you're not limited to the depth of the shelving, it could come out into the room.
I also liked jbenben's idea of a flat screen but then you've got to deal with wires dangling from it, unless by some stroke of good fortune you've got access to electricity inside that cabinet.
In any case, get those doors off, put them in a closet or even use them as shelving or table tops in another place in that room.
Lots of good ideas in here, have fun.
posted by dancestoblue at 11:19 PM on April 16, 2015
Agreeing with aniola. A curtain rod with a double curtain to the floor will make the room seem bigger and give you the extra color you want (best to stay with the same red you have tho). Simply parting the curtains gives you access to the linen cabinet, with doors off. Very inexpensive and practical. Definitely toss the calendar and put a little art there.
posted by artdrectr at 11:55 PM on April 16, 2015
posted by artdrectr at 11:55 PM on April 16, 2015
N'thing fake window. I'd paint a jungle or rain forest scene, to counteract the plant deficit. Alternately, you could remove the doors and put a grow light in there, but I would hate to give up such handy storage, myself.
posted by cookie-k at 12:25 AM on April 17, 2015
posted by cookie-k at 12:25 AM on April 17, 2015
Along the lines of the wall hangings, maybe panel curtains? If you get some bold pattern ones, I think it could look like large scale art.
Ikea has some here, along with track fittings that can attach to the ceiling or wall. For your proposed color scheme, I like the Ullastina ones listed on that page - either the black and white one, or the red and orange one, or perhaps combine them.
They are only $4.99 per panel (+ $5.99 for the top and bottom rail for each one), a single track is $5.99 and $2.50 each for the wall brackets. Though I would be tempted if the budget stretched, to buy the more expensive double/triple track so that I could have a few panels and position them slightly overlapping.
posted by AnnaRat at 5:05 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ikea has some here, along with track fittings that can attach to the ceiling or wall. For your proposed color scheme, I like the Ullastina ones listed on that page - either the black and white one, or the red and orange one, or perhaps combine them.
They are only $4.99 per panel (+ $5.99 for the top and bottom rail for each one), a single track is $5.99 and $2.50 each for the wall brackets. Though I would be tempted if the budget stretched, to buy the more expensive double/triple track so that I could have a few panels and position them slightly overlapping.
posted by AnnaRat at 5:05 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you went the shelves route, you could do something like this, with wrapping paper or fabric behind the shelves. It would look best with the shelves accessorized rather than stuffed full of linens.
If it were me and I wanted to keep the cabinet functional, I might change the knobs out - maybe for crystal, depending on the door treatment - make the doors a bold pattern (i.e. make it into a piece of wall art), optionally paint the frame, and put a (not-very-deep but just as wide or wider) table or desk, accessorized, centered beneath it. Unfortunately, this would conflict with your bench. If you were willing to move the bench over a couple of feet, it would almost do the trick, though it's a bit low to marry with the cabinet.
posted by moira at 8:37 AM on April 17, 2015
If it were me and I wanted to keep the cabinet functional, I might change the knobs out - maybe for crystal, depending on the door treatment - make the doors a bold pattern (i.e. make it into a piece of wall art), optionally paint the frame, and put a (not-very-deep but just as wide or wider) table or desk, accessorized, centered beneath it. Unfortunately, this would conflict with your bench. If you were willing to move the bench over a couple of feet, it would almost do the trick, though it's a bit low to marry with the cabinet.
posted by moira at 8:37 AM on April 17, 2015
Best answer: Here's what I did with my wall! The magnet board/chalkboard is this one from Target. The branch decals (also from Target) looked a little tacky in my old room but I think I'm okay with them here; if I get tired of them I might go with a metallic polka dot look like this.
posted by capricorn at 5:46 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by capricorn at 5:46 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by phunniemee at 6:21 PM on April 16, 2015 [12 favorites]