Custom Wallpaper Inspiration

Custom Wallpaper Inspiration: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2012-04-10T11:23:00.002-04:00

I recently saw the film Cave of Forgotten Dreams, and was so taken with the ancient murals that were featured therein. The Chauvet Cave, located in southern France, was discovered in 1994, and is regarded as one of the most important examples of prehistoric art. The drawings are the earliest wall murals known to man, nearly 30,000 years old by some accounts, preserved by the underground conditions, yet hazardous to man as near toxic levels of chemicals are present in the cave; dangerous beauty.

Since these murals are the oldest known to man, I couldn't help bu to envision them printed as wall murals and installed in a contemporary home. The above image is the result of that combination. The mural art effortlessly combines with the cowhide chair and fireplace, alluding to prehistoric materials and life that would've occupied the cave. Learn more about creating your own custom wall mural by visiting our website, where you can upload your own photo for a mural, or use one of our standard murals, which may be customized as well.

Custom Wallpaper Design: Spirograph-Inspired Designs

2012-01-26T13:58:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite toys growing up was Hasbro's Spirograph. If for some reason you are unfamiliar with Spirograph, it is a toy that uses pens and gears with a mathematical basis to create circular, looping curves. Officially these mathematical shapes are called hypotrochoids, but with the ability to create infinite shapes and patterns with a multitude of colored pens, I always just called it fun. Using this nostalgic reference to the toys of childhood as our reference point, we present to you a unique wallpaper pattern that harkens back to those hours spent hunched over the Spirograph.

Shown in black and white to coordinante with our inspiration room, this graphic wallpaper features undulating circles of hypotrochid shapes in various sizes. The oversized pattern gives the custom wallpaper a mural-like effect with it's bold presence, but recedes enough into the background so as not to completely dominate the room's decor. A custom wallpaper design that combines nostalgic elements with high design is a winner in our book; what nostalgic inspiration would you use to create a custom wallpaper pattern? Contact us to learn more about our wallpaper design services!

Custom Mural Inspiration: Nautical Maps

2012-01-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Today's custom mural inspiration piece focuses on nautical maps. We have produced hundreds of map murals; the custom map murals we have produced are oftentimes for clients who live on the East or West coast, and are typically nautical charts of their nearby waters. The mural image in this inspiration piece is of the Carta Marina. The Carta Marina, Latin for Map of the Sea, was drawn in 1539 by Olaus Magnus, the first detailed map of Nordic waters. The mural highlights the intricacies and obstacles that imperiled seamen in the 16th century, including treacherous currents, whirlpools, and even sea monsters! Nautical themed wallpaper works wonderfully with eclectic world decor; baubles and trinkets from around the globe accentuate the travel theme engendered in a map mural.

Custom Wall Mural Inspiration: Industrial Design

2011-12-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

A few months back we were contracted to photograph a number of industrial machines housed at a machine shop. The interior designers at Art Harrison were assisting the company by bringing their decor up to more modern standards, which included a series of photos we shot produced as art pieces. The pieces featured the images of the machines at abstracted angles, turning everyday tools and equipment into art. We have used one of these images as an inspiration mural for the room above, which features a series of concentric circles; the brushed metal finish adds even more visual interest to the custom mural.

Custom Wall Mural Inspiration: Lunar Surface

2011-12-08T15:18:00.002-05:00

For all of you stargazers out there who are looking to add touch of cosmic fancy to your walls, check out this lunar surface wall mural. The mural simply uses a photograph of the moon's surface, in all of it's cratered and crusty glory. The mural adds subtle texture while still being instantly recognizable as the moon. There are scores of different shots of the moon that could be used for a custom mural, with more crater impacted areas for a dramatic look, to the seas of the moon which will offer a more static appearance. Want a space mural that is inspired beyond our solar system? Contact us for more custom wallpaper design ideas from our galaxy and beyond.

Great Wall's Wallgazer Collection Featured on Retail Design Blog

2011-11-30T09:25:00.002-05:00

We just got some press that we're exited about! Our Wallgazer line of contemporary wall murals was recently featured on Retail Design Blog. Their blog assists retail designers and visual merchandisers by providing news and information about retail trends and solutions. Check out the article about our wall murals here!

Using Vintage Imagery For Wall Murals

2011-11-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Today we are sharing an inspiration piece that uses vintage artwork for a wall mural. The artwork is a lithograph from the mid 1860's, and depicts a scene of mountain climbers on Mont Blanc in the alps. This wall mural could be customized fully to coordinate with your decor, from adding a color wash over the image to washing out the detail and saturation to create an even more subdued look. Do you have a vintage image that you'd like to incorporate into your decor scheme? Contact us to learn more!

Saturn Wall Mural

2011-11-17T11:21:00.003-05:00

Today we're featuring one of space themed wall murals, our Saturn Surface Detail Wall Mural. The mural is a satellite shot of Saturn's surface. The multitude of colors that striate the surface of the planet offers a vast range of decorating possibilities. Our inspiration room pulls the yellow from the mural with it's chair in the foreground, while the neutral sofa balances the overall wall mural's color scheme. Check out more of our space murals, they will make your wall out of this world!

Featured Wall Mural: Balloons

2011-11-11T11:29:00.002-05:00

Here is an install shot of one of our favorite wall murals we offer on our website: Balloons. The mural is comprised of umbrellas and paper lanterns with a light, floaty feeling reminiscent of balloons. You can purchase a wall mural or poster of this design here. You can customize the design to your liking, or use your own image for a custom mural.

Textile Inspired Wallpaper: Houndstooth Pattern Wallpaper

2011-11-09T13:59:00.006-05:00

We are working on several new lines of wallpaper here in the studio, so we'll have a lot of exciting new wallpaper designs and inspirations to share. One of the burgeoning new lines is based on textile patterns. This modern graphic wallpaper features an oversized black and white houndstooth design; a classic which we love, and have updated with the monstrously sized pattern repeat. As with most any other design we offer, this houndstooth pattern could be completely customized; the size of the wallpaper pattern repeat could be diminished or increased, and the colors could be manipulated to give this classic look an updated flavor, utilizing more contemporary raspberry pinks or ice blues.

Announcing Our Newest Team Member: Nic Steele!

2011-10-31T12:06:00.002-04:00

We're excited to announce that Nic Steele is the latest addition to the Great Wall family. Nic is an accomplished fine artist and multi-tasking powerhouse, coming aboard as our "Organizational Attaché." This is one of her pieces that wowed us; check out more of her work on her online portfolio here: As we move forward with expanding our product line of custom wall murals and new collections of traditional wallpaper patterns, she will be instrumental in helping to facilitate our growth. Welcome, Nic!

Custom Wallpaper: Masculine Design

2011-02-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

People can sometimes have the misconception that wall murals are always over the top with bright colors and overly saturated tones. While this may be true with some mural designs, a wide range of imagery exists that would be suitable for even the most reserved gentleman. Take for instance the wall mural in the inspiration room above. The mountains in their neutral tones are accented by the lines of green pine trees; the waterfall creating the perfect focal point just above the bed. A great example of how custom wallpaper may be used as a creative and non-traditional headboard.

Wall Mural Imagery: Satellite Photos

2011-02-08T11:17:00.004-05:00

Today we're featuring an awesome wall mural of the Ganges River. You probably can't tell at first glance that the mural is of that sacred river system, but that's what we love about this wall mural design. The photograph was taken by a satellite and shows the many tributaries of the Ganges, but looks more like an abstract work of art. The Ganges River wall mural is available for purchase on our website here in multiple size and material options. If you don't want to cover a full wall, you can purchase a poster of this image for only $24.99. Custom wall mural sizes are also available to fit most any wall.

New Wallpaper Wall Mural: Disintegration

2010-09-07T14:16:00.003-04:00

This is a new custom wallpaper design we are about to add to the new website. It's got the look of traditional wallpaper, but it's really a wallpaper wall mural. The static pattern begins to fall apart, or disintegrate, as it is so aptly named.

I love the way the petals of the floral pattern look like they're floating off into space, much like seeds being blown off of a dandelion.

This pattern will be available next month once we launch our new website. We're still offering the same custom wallpaper services, but with new and even more striking wall mural imagery, so be sure to check back soon!

New Custom Wallpaper Image: 70's Surreal Sunset

2010-09-01T09:45:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we featured one of our upcoming wall mural images. Today's post highlights another new wall mural image we will soon be offering in addition to our custom wallpaper services. The image is a sunset that is obscured by gnarled twisted trees that are reaching into the sky. The coloring gives the image the feeling as though you were wearing rose tinted glasses. We love the nod that this mural gives to the more kitschy murals that were popular in the 70's.

New Website Coming Soon!

2010-08-31T12:31:00.005-04:00

We're busily working on a new design for our main website, www.GreatWallOnline.com. We're streamlining our order process, and adding a bunch of new wall murals, including this goth-inspired wall mural we featured as an inspiration piece on our blog. We'll also be adding a brand new line of childrens wall murals. In addition to the new wall mural images, we'll still be offering our custom wallpaper services. Updates to follow!

Custom Wallpaper Featuring Wood Textures

2010-08-24T09:52:00.004-04:00

Custom wallpaper can feature just about any image, design, or texture. A look we love to experiment with is wood textures; the natural patterns created by swirling bark and liner designs of wood grain are both graphic and organic, an incredible combination. The rugged natural look of wood is even more compelling when juxtaposed with clean lined modern furnishings. As in the inspiration room above, the rustic wood wall mural stands out yet still manages to blend in with the contemporary room setting.
Another stacked wood wall mural, with a graphic overlay that has been ghosted over the wood image. This mural is available for purchase in our Exclusive Designs category of wall murals.
A more simplified wooden texture wall mural, available from our Natural Patterns line of murals. As always, if you have your own image of a compelling wood texture, we can produce that as your very own custom wall mural.

Custom Wallpaper: Unexpected Urban Art

2010-08-12T16:48:00.003-04:00

Custom wall mural inspiration can come from an infinite amount of sources. Today's custom wallpaper post examines unexpected urban art, in other words, finding beauty in the ordered chaos of modern city living. The mural in our inspiration room is an image of the remains of countless handbills and posters that have been adhered over a wall.

Over time, the layering created by the numerous advertisements has created a very textural look. On top of that, the strips created by remains of ripped paper give the image a wonderful abstract quality. You may have passed by a similar scene and never thought that it could be a wallcovering, but that's exactly what we do, and the type of image we love to see produced as a custom wall mural. Contact us for more idea designs and ways to use your own digital photograph as your very own wall mural.

Custom Wallpaper Inspiration: Satellite Imagery

2010-08-11T15:58:00.003-04:00

Today's custom wallpaper post is inspired by satellite imagery. In our Space Wall Murals image gallery, you can find some cool wallpaper murals of different nebulas, constellations, planets, and comets. But when a satellite turns it's gaze back toward earth, you get some of the funkiest natural patterns and anomalies that create gorgeous murals.

The image in our inspiration room is one of my favorite space murals. It is a satellite shot of the Ganges River Delta. The river forms a massive delta as it flows into the Bay of Bengal. The resulting look from space is a tendril-like collection of crooked lines that jag there way across the mural. Contact us for more satellite custom wall mural options!

2010-08-10T09:58:00.003-04:00

Here's another custom wallpaper post to get you inspired about using images of architecture for custom photographic wall murals. Yesterday's post used the Brooklyn Bridge as an inspiration point, but the look of the mural in our inspiration room is much more abstract.

Ultra modern architecture like this makes for a very unique wall mural. The building's skin is comprised of a series of metal discs. The undulating pattern of these discs give the custom wallpaper a lot of movement and energy, and the blues give the piece an overall tranquility. Take a look around you with fresh eyes; you may just notice a building that could be perfect for your very own custom wall mural.

Wall Murals Featuring Architectural Elements: Bridges

2010-08-09T11:14:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite image inspiration sources is architecture. Structures that we see everyday can have such a different appearance through the lens of a camera. With the right perspective and vision, ordinary objects can take on new life, and a custom wall mural is the perfect way to display that vision.

The custom wall mural in our inspiration room features the Brooklyn Bridge. An iconic structure, the Brooklyn Bridge is certainly one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. But the change in perspective gives the image of the bridge an almost cathedral-like feel, with it's arches soaring. Many of us have photographs similar to this, contact us to learn how to turn your digital photographs into stunning custom wallpaper.

Custom Wallpaper Imagery: Creating a Penthouse View

2010-07-27T13:29:00.005-04:00

Today's custom wallpaper post will show you how you can use an image to create your very own penthouse view. Whether you live on the top floor or the ground floor, a custom wall mural of a city skyline can create the feeling that your space is high in the clouds. How else can you get a million dollar view of downtown Manhattan in your studio apartment in St. Louis? The above image in our inspiration room illustrates the concept: using the right image for a wall mural engenders your room with feel of living in a skyscraper.
Another Manhattan skyline cityscape mural, more of an all-encompassing panoramic wall mural.
This shot we've featured before, but again illustrates the possibility of decorating with a skyline view. This wall mural showcases the skyline of Chicago as seen from Lake Michigan.
Finally, one more image from our installations gallery from our website. Again, we're using a cityscape wall mural, but as opposed to giving you the impression of being in a penthouse in the sky, you get the feeling of being being nestled in the middle of Central Park with the skyline of New York looming around you.

Options abound when decorating your walls with custom wallpaper featuring a cityscape. Contact us to learn more.

Framing Custom Wall Murals with Wooden Molding

2010-07-19T12:03:00.004-04:00

Wainscoting and decorative wood moldings can be the perfect finishing accent to a custom printed wall mural. The image in the inspiration room above shows how you can use a room's pre-existing molding to frame out a wall mural. As opposed to filling the entire wall, the molding acts as a frame, creating the feel of a hugely oversized art piece.

The same look can be created with smaller vignettes in multiple molding frames on a single wall. The same custom wall mural image could be segmented out, or multiple images could be used to tell a visual story.

Using Vintage Images for Photographic Wall Murals

2010-07-01T13:02:00.006-04:00

Today's custom wallpaper post celebrates vintage photography as an inspiration point for photographic wall murals. Vintage photographic images can come from any number of sources; antique shops, garage sales, or they may already be in your possession. Another great vintage photo resource is Wikipedia Commons, which has a large collection of royalty free vintage images that are perfectly suited for custom photographic wall murals.
The image above is a shot by NASA, showing the vortex created by an airplane speeding along. A very different take on an airplane in a vintage photograph, but just another example of how there is almost always the perfect image out there for a mural based on individual preferences.

Custom Wallpaper Inspiration: Windows

2010-05-28T15:27:00.002-04:00

If your living space is lacking the expansive view you desire, use custom wallpaper to bring in as many windows as you want. Check out the inspiration room. The custom wall mural uses an image of an office building with windows in unexpected patterns. Then to add a little more visual interest to the mural, the image was flipped on it's side. Perfect for apartment dwellers and dorms, adding windows is simple with custom wallpaper. And with our repositionable wallpaper, you can install your wall mural and take it with you when you move.