Wall murals on the ceiling: 5 tips for choosing and sticking

What are we used to finishing the ceiling? Many will rush to answer that the best solution is paint or plaster. Someone will say that stretch ceiling - it is much more modern and aesthetic. Yes, all these are win-win solutions that are used in the vast majority of apartments. As a result, the effect of the same type of many rooms can be created. Do you want to avoid this? Then consider bolder decisions, for example, photowall-paper. If you thought that they are glued only to the walls, then you are mistaken. If you choose the right pattern and color, you can get not only an interesting finish, but also adjust some of the nuances of the room, for example, visually raise the ceiling or make the room brighter. The main thing is to figure out which wall murals on the ceiling to choose and how to glue them.

Advantages and disadvantages of the solution

Our parents were also familiar with the photo wallpaper. True, then the limit of dreams was the image of a morning forest or waterfall. We were proud of such photo wallpaper, believing that nothing better could be invented. Not so much time has passed, and this type of finish has evolved so much that it is related to his older brother only by the fact that in both cases the image is printed on the surface. Modern photo wallpaper more realistic, their choice has become thousands of times larger, many species are resistant to sunlight and moisture. If you choose the right image, then the space of the room can be expanded and saturated with a certain mood.

Wall murals on the ceiling - these are all the same murals that are used for wall decoration, only the choice of plots will be limited. So, for example, you can’t glue the image of a city street or a bird's eye view of a metropolis onto the ceiling, but there are many other options. In short, then list of benefits for using wall murals for ceiling decoration as follows:

• interesting appearance and a sufficient variety of subjects. On the ceiling you can glue images of the sky, space, flowers, tree tops and frescoes, abstract paintings also look good;
• variety of sizes. You can decorate the ceiling of any size or part of it;
• the ability to adjust the nuances of the room: visually raise the ceiling, make the room brighter, give it the correct shape, etc .;
• durability. If the coating on the walls can be damaged by constant friction, contact with people and animals, scratches and splashes, then the effects on the ceiling surface are much less. If you exclude the possibility that your neighbors will flood you, the only possible influence is evaporation, but there are special wallpapers for bathrooms and kitchens;
• low price. If you take into account that properly selected and pasted photowall-paper in appearance almost do not differ from a stretch ceiling, then the benefit is obvious.

The main minus - this is the difficulty in sticking. Even mounting on walls causes some difficulties associated with proper joining and evenness of gluing. When it comes to the ceiling, the level of complexity increases. Without an assistant, perseverance and certain skills will be difficult to do.

Types of photo wallpaper on the ceiling

All ceiling murals are usually divided into several groups depending on the material and manufacturing features:

• paper murals made from very thick paper, which is laminated with a glossy or matte film for protection. Such products impress with a huge selection of images and color rendering quality. The main advantage of paper wallpapers is their low price. It is worth noting that despite the protective film, such a material is inferior in terms of strength and resistance to other types;
• PVC mural the level of strength and moisture resistance is several times better than paper, because they are used for decor of bathrooms and kitchens. However, for other rooms this type of decoration is also great. The assortment of sizes and images is huge;
• textile mural - this is a material, the basis of which is used fabric or paper. Silk, linen or other threads are attached to the base. This whole picture is fixed using polymers, thanks to which it is possible to obtain a surface with a unique relief. The production method leaves its mark on performance. Such canvases get excellent resistance to odors and temperature extremes. It’s not even worth talking about the fact that these photo wallpapers look fine - this is a real work of art. Minus - low resistance to moisture, so in the bathroom it is better not to use such a finish. Separately, it is worth highlighting velor photo wallpaper, in the production of which fibers from velor are used;
• 3D photo wallpaper - this is not so much a production method as features of image selection. The image is prepared in special programs. The effect of three-dimensionality and realism is achieved through a combination of cold and warm colors, black and white drawing, perspective, etc. If the task is not just to decorate the room, but raise the ceilings, make a sense of infinity, then this is exactly what you need. When looking at such photowall-paper it will seem that clouds float on the ceiling or stars twinkle. The minus of the option is a higher price and difficulties in choosing an image, since there is a chance to buy something wrong and get a pressure pattern that makes you dizzy. So it is better to consult with designers or not to dwell on images that are too active or aggressive.

Also note that the murals differ in surface type. There are only two options:

• matte;
• glossy.

Glossy surface appropriate when there is little light in the room and an additional reflective surface does not interfere. If the glare will only interfere and annoy, it is better to take photo wallpaper with matte finish.

Separately, we note glowing mural. Fluorescent photo murals, on which a special paint is applied, which starts to glow at night under the influence of light from BLB lamps, are popular. Most often, such an option is obtained by wallpaper with the image of the starry sky and space.

The choice of color and plot for the photo wallpaper on the ceiling

With all the huge variety of ceiling murals, there are some typical scenes that are recommended to be used to decorate the ceiling surface. Typical stories are not synonymous with dullness and monotony, of which we will try to convince you.

Arriving at the store or studying the assortment on the Internet, it is very easy to give in to the impulse and take the first wall murals that, to put it mildly, do not really fit into the interior of the room. Before buying, it is important to analyze a number of factors and imagine the appearance of the room with future decoration as best as possible. It is necessary to take into account the size and degree of illumination of the room, interior style, the purpose of the room, layout, ceiling height, color scheme. Perhaps you yourself understand that murals with frescoes and ancient paintings are definitely not suitable for rooms decorated in the style of loft, minimalism or high tech. Abstract wallpapers with 3D effect in classic interiors will also look ridiculous.

When choosing a color scheme, pay attention to the area of ​​the room, the height of the ceilings and the level of lighting.If the ceilings are low, there is not much light, then take wallpaper in light shades. Remember that cool colors can visually move the surface, i.e. make the ceiling a little higher. Gloss works well in this regard. For large rooms almost any photo wallpaper is suitable, but with dark shades you still need to be extremely careful. However, if you successfully play with the lighting, then even the dark wallpaper will not seem gloomy, but mystical and intriguing. Almighty will come to the rescue LED lights.

When choosing the color of ceiling wall murals, take into account the color scheme of the interior, and you can do without designers.

As for the plots, there is Some of the most popular options:

• vault of heaven with clouds or stars - These are images that give a feeling of calm and comfort, because this is how blue and violet shades work. Such murals will be appropriate in any room, especially suitable for bedrooms and children’sbut can be used in living rooms. The view of the sky is chosen at your own discretion and depending on what atmosphere you want to create in the room, brighter and more summer (blue sky and white clouds) or calm and intimate (starry sky);
• space landscapes. It can be galaxies, spaceships, comets and other objects and objects that are associated with space. Just imagine that lying on the bed and turning on your imagination, you can find yourself somewhere in the middle of space, reflect on the secrets of the universe and just relax. If you use the backlight correctly, then you can achieve even fantastic results. Magic, and more!
• plant elementsfor example, the tops of summer or autumn trees, snow-covered branches of trees. Such murals allow you to visually raise the ceilings, fill the room with air, light, literally deprive the limits. It is up to you to decide which trees will be depicted in the drawing - it greatly depends on the style of the room and its color scheme;
• flower arrangements they are not able to raise the ceiling, but they effectively decorate the room, give it a romantic mood. This is perfect. for the bedroom. Flowers can be very different - the main thing is that the image does not press on those in the room;
• murals - great option for classic interiors. These are images in a restrained monochrome color scheme that will definitely not put pressure on people in the room, but at the same time will add sophistication to the room, emphasizing the aristocratic taste of its owners;
• abstraction successfully fits into various interior styles, but looks best in a modern style. Three-dimensional abstract drawings can greatly affect the perception of the room: with a good choice, the ceiling will visually rise, with a bad choice, it can press, so be careful;
• urban landscapesfor example, the domes of buildings and the tops of skyscrapers will complement modern interior styles;
• geographic Maps. It can be maps of countries, cities, a world map, or even a map of a non-existent island with a mark of the location of treasures there. A good option for children's rooms - the imagination of the baby will develop when studying such images;
• water. The feeling will be that the room is on the seabed - romantic and spectacular;
• texture of stone, wood, leather and other materials - Rare enough options, but if you want to decorate the room with certain materials, such photo wallpaper can be a wonderful alternative.

Wall murals and room type

In principle, from all of the above, it should already be clear which images and for which rooms are suitable, but in order to completely dot all the “i”, we summarize:

• in the living rooms use something remarkable, but not flashy bright. It can be abstract drawings, the tops of houses, murals - to your taste.Pay attention to 3D wall murals for the ceiling;
• to the bedroom choose something more calm, in gentle pastel shades. Look great flower arrangements, celestial and space images with the moon, stars and comets;
• kitchen - a room where you can give free rein to imagination. Use abstract drawings, the image of fruits and coffee beans;
• for bathrooms great pictures of heaven and space. Remember that for rooms with high humidity choose moisture-resistant photo wallpaper. In this case, you can recommend PVC photo wallpaper;
• in children's rooms both neutral images (sky, for example) and active drawings (cartoon characters) look good.

When choosing ceiling murals, pay attention also to the complexity of the picture, or rather, whether you can handle gluing a fairly complex image.

How to stick photo wallpaper on the ceiling?

The principle of mounting ceiling photo wallpaper is no different in principle from mounting photo wallpaper on a wall. True, the level of complexity is greatly increased, since many work will have to be done literally by a canopy.

The procedure is as follows:

• surface preparation. Photowall-paper - rather thin material which cannot hide serious surface defects. The textile coating in this regard shows itself somewhat better, but not perfectly. In order for the final result to be of high quality, attention must be paid to good surface preparation. Old coating must be removed. Align minor defects, such as cracks and pits, using putties. It can be applied pointwise, but many experts recommend covering the entire ceiling with a solution. This approach is justified in the case of thin photo wallpaper. After the putty dries, a primer can be applied;
• Separate parts of the photo wallpaper needed spread out on the floorto dock the drawing;
• glue preparation. There are murals on a self-adhesive basis. In this case, no additional adhesive solutions are needed. For photo wallpaper exist special adhesives, they are sold both in finished form and in requiring dilution with water. You can use glue for vinyl, paper and textile wallpapers - the composition is selected according to the type of material. Sometimes it is appropriate to use liquid nails for PVC photo wallpaper. The manufacturer will indicate on the package which glue is better to take;
• the surface of the ceiling is better to pre-mark. It is not very easy, but your efforts will return a hundredfold when you apply elements of the future image to the ceiling. In this case, it is very difficult to rely on the eye, since the canopy will have to work. Using a pencil, a ruler and a level, a grid is drawn on the entire ceiling or part of it - it depends on how the photo wallpaper will be located. Lines mark the boundaries of each fragment;
• glue is applied on the surface of the ceiling and carefully apply the first fragment. On the packaging, it may be indicated to apply glue to both the ceiling and the wallpaper. You can start from any angle. They act carefully and slowly, you can use a roller or a non-sharp spatula to expel air bubbles from under the photo wallpaper. Leftover excess glue immediately wiped with a cloth. Usually wall murals are glued back to back, but there are patterns that require overlapping stickers. The manufacturer must indicate this information on the package. The seam of the photowall-paper, which are glued butt, is rolled by a roller. When overlapping, the fabric is glued with a slight overlap to the previous one, the pattern is combined, then the seam in the middle is cut with a knife. Thin excess cloths neatly peel off, the ceiling in their place is smeared with glue, then the edges of adjacent paintings are finally glued to the ceiling. When working with self-adhesive wallpaper there is no chance of an error, fragments must be applied very accurately, therefore it is better to use markup;
• if after sticking in some places bubbles are found, then they can be carefully punctured with a syringe with glue, squeeze it out a little, iron this place with a spatula, and then gently remove excess glue with a cloth;
• water-based varnish can be used to further protect the coating. This is true for rooms with high humidity.

Work better with an assistant. If all the nuances of choice and sticking are observed, then the room will become a unique place of rest and relaxation.