Wall tattoo, stencilling here to stay

The writing on the wall

Picture this: one bright wall with a mirror, or paintings or a gigantic clock. This out-of-the-interior-magazine covers' look, is done to death, so much that it doesn't even invite appreciative glances anymore.

So, what do you do with that one bare wall? Here's the answer in many options. Read on...
Tattoo your wall
This one's quick and clean, claims Shaily Lalvani, who deals with wall stickers. You can choose from over a lakh designs in her database, or ask for a customisation too. Apart from thematic designs, there are chalk board tattoo, she says. "You can write messages on it with a chalk." Then there are the glow-in-the-dark tattoo. "These glow for three to five hours. They get charged with the tube light and even sunlight," she informs.
And the best part, these tattoo do not spoil your wall, and can be easily removed without pulling off the slightest paint. At a cost of around Rs 500 to 700 per square feet, you can change the designs more often.
Copy paste cool art
Graphics are making quite a statement these days, at least at corporate offices. Graphic designer Imran Ladak used the medium to create something for a dear friend's home around 2004. Since then he has been doing this kind of artwork for offices, restaurants, recording studios and retail stores. "And off late we've started getting queries and assignments from individuals to do up private spaces as well," he informs.
Graphics allow a playfield of colours and designs, perfect for out-of-the-box ideas for your space. The choice of mediums is greater too. "We've worked with strings, thread, paper and stickers," says Imran. The cost of the artwork is dependent on the size and detailing. The smallest piece, Imran says, was for Rs 4,000 and the most expensive for about Rs 38,000.
Stencil effect
Stencilling is no more just kids' business. It's being beautifully translated on walls these days, interior designer Akshika Luthra Hemnani tells us. "It's often used to give a detailed effect. For one of our clients, we stencilled the design on their curtain to the wall holding it, and it gave a fabulous effect," she says.
Stencilling is directly done on the wall with paint and allows uniformity in case of your chosen design, and lasts as long as your wall paint.
IT professional Abhishek Sharma, who got butterflies and fairies stencilled for his three-year-old daughter's bedroom, says, "It adds life to the walls without making it over-the-top."
Getting decals on your wall
Step 1: Clean the surface
Bring out your liquid detergent and wipe clean the area the decal has to be applied with a sponge.
Step 2: Positioning
Ensure the area has dried. Then with a masking tape, position the decal.
Step 3: Application
Spray some liquid detergent on the surface, and carefully peel off the backing layer from the vinyl. Since the surface is wet, you can take some time to get rid of air bubbles and fix the alignment as well. Once this is done, wait for it to dry and then gently peel off the protective layer on top of the vinyl!
Maintaining your art
Since it's indoors, chances of hard grime and dust to settle is rare. Regular cleaning with a moist cloth should do.
Removing the decal
It's easy. Use a hair dryer. The heat melts the adhesive. All you have to do it gently, and at a slow pace, tug at the sticker simultaneously.