Art, wall treatments complete look of room

I'm up to part five of six in my series on decorating on a budget. This week I'll focus on artwork and wall treatments.

Artwork and wallpaper can be very expensive and since I'm working on a budget, I had to be creative and frugal with my funds. Using a model home I decorated as an example, I spent 14 percent, or $6,920, on artwork and 4 percent, or $1,483, on wall treatments.

Artwork, in my opinion, is one of the most personal items you can purchase for your home. Artwork is not just framed images; it can be three dimensional, metal wall sculptures, wall hangings, tapestries, rows of plates, fabric panels or wall galleries of many different types and kinds of items.

In the model, I had approximately 74 pieces of artwork ranging in size from 8 inches by 10 inches to 30 inches by 40 inches. Artwork can range in price from $10 to thousands of dollars. This is where you need to decide if you want strictly decorative items or investments. Since I am designing on a budget, I will only address artwork as a decorative item.

I used a combination of preframed pieces which ranged from $19 to $140 and then, for where I really wanted to convey my theme and color scheme, I splurged on a few custom pieces averaging $300.

Over the years, I have found that people do one of three things with art: They put nothing on the walls, place very small pieces on large walls or completely fill every single space with something.

First, the walls are part of the room's overall décor, so include art in your budget. Second, it is better to wait for the right-size piece than to place a small piece on a large wall. Third, white space is OK; your eyes need someplace to rest in order to appreciate the art you have. So, if your wall area is less than 30 inches, it does not need a piece of art.

Shelves are great items to add to a wall gallery to visually expand the space as they add to both horizontal and vertical space. Shelves allow you to alter the look of your wall gallery by just changing the items you have on them.

Mirrors are considered functional decorative artwork, so watch what they are reflecting. Unless you are desperate for light reflection, you do not want to see the bathroom, kitchen or a messy area reflected in the mirror. Instead, you want to reflect an attractive image. Think before hanging a mirror over a fireplace. Always ask yourself, "What is it reflecting?" Since it will be higher on the wall, you're probably only seeing the blank wall and ceiling across from it, and at night it is nothing but a black hole.

Now, let's consider the other wall treatments I did.

When decorating models, straight paint colors don't cost me any extra, so I take advantage of this and added a lot of accent paint. I know you have to pay for the paint and maybe a painter if you're not a do-it-yourselfer, but don't underestimate the power of a great accent color on a wall.

I also spent just 4 percent or $1,483 on wallpapers and borders. I used borders in a bathroom and a bedroom; wallpapered one wall in the boy's room and one wall in the hall bath; and fully wallpapered the master bathroom.

If you like wallpaper, know that you don't have to do a whole room. You can get a lot of mileage out of just wallpapering the headboard wall in a kid's room. Or, if you have a separate sink area from the shower, just paper the wall opposite the mirror. The mirror reflects the wallpaper so it appears as if the whole room is papered.

Here are some other things that you can do at home.

Stencil unexpected accents around mirrors, framed art, windows, doorways, arches and even switch plates. With the many layered stencils out on the market, you no longer have to worry about adding the highlights or accents.

Special paint techniques are a wonderful way to dress up walls. There are many tapes you can buy or classes you can attend in order to do it yourself.

I also really like using rub-on words. On the Internet you can find places to have any word or saying done in any font, any size and color for a reasonable amount. It gives a custom effect.

If you don't have the confidence to paint a mural freehand, use an overhead projector to project the image on the wall and then draw over it. Or, have the image enlarged, tape it on the wall, place carbon paper between the paper and the wall and trace over the image.

You don't have to spend a fortune to decorate your walls. Art can make a room and is a personal reflection of you. Take the time you need to wait for a piece you love that is the right size and style because once you fill the wall, experience has proven that you won't take it down for years, if ever.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.