Pastoral Landscape Mural Envelops the Foyer

A mural wrapped around a room creates a lasting impression; if there ever was a room to make an impression, it is a foyer. I had long envisioned a pastoral landscape mural here.

While in the “before” photo, the lower panel molding may have looked like a way to create a cohesive connection with the wrap-around paneling in the living and dining areas, it had a greater purpose. These spaces were part of a makeover for the One Room Challenge in 2020, where I was invited to participate as a Featured Designer. As part of that makeover, I adorned the lower portion of the vaulted areas with Tudor-inspired panel molding. The project I tackled was ambitious in scope for an 8-week makeover, so I tabled the idea of a mural.

BEFORE

The deep blue paint color was lovely. It set the tone for the color palette of the home in a dramatic way. Loving a bold wall color as I do, I was quite happy in the end.

But when Photowall reached out and asked if I would like to use one of their mural wallpapers in an upcoming project, I knew this was my opportunity! My dream vision for this room would finally be fulfilled.

I selected the Pastel River mural. Even in the original, the tones and mood were precisely what I had wished for. I ordered a sample and decided a subtle shift in the temperature and a few edits of specific elements would make this mural absolutely perfect!

Photowall offers a customization service for a small fee, and I was extremely impressed with their knowledge and execution of my vision.

Most of their murals are designed as a single panel, although each mural is custom-made. I knew I wanted the mural to envelop the room. They modified the art to create a bend in the river in the corner. It is an even better implementation of the original mural than I hoped!

The landscape is quite ethereal and nondescript as far as place and time. Still, the egrets and the marshy edge of the “river” could easily be translated into the Southern sensibility of a bayou. (Obviously, there are no mountain vistas in the landscapes of Louisiana bayous, but if we are embracing beautiful imagery, it is irrelevant. It is about the emotions and memories art gives us.)

This mural is an idyllic utopia intended to bring a natural calm to any room. And it certainly does.

Styling

I borrowed the pair of jade lamps from our primary bedroom to style the antique buffet I acquired a few years ago. The jade color is featured in the mountain range and compliments the other greens in the mural.

The other elements are treasures I collected over the years and my favorite souvenir from our trip to Sicily last spring, a ceramic pinecone pedestal bowl.

I will need to include one more photo here so you can appreciate how lovely this mural flows with the rest of the main rooms of the house. The mural truly enhances our home and our entry with the almost undeniable appearance that it has always been here.

Installation

I will leave tutorials to the experts, but from my experience with many wallpaper installations, this mural was one of the easiest I’ve worked with to install. Each box of premium wallpaper included a package of wallpaper adhesive. It was easy to mix and use. The directions were to apply the glue to the wall, and I found that to be an excellent technique.

I added their wallpaper kit to my order just so I wouldn’t have to hunt down my supplies. The value-priced kit included everything I needed for a successful installation. I highly recommend it!

The mural was gifted from Photowall. All opinions are my own.