Faux finishes just aren't for you, and painting one wall a different color isn't enough of an "accent" for your interior design tastes. Yet you're tired of looking at the same four walls day after day.

How do you dress them up in a way that will make a statement without blowing your decorating budget? Borrow a page — or a wall — from the handbook of top designers and add impact with a wallpaper mural. Easy-to-install wallpaper murals are as flexible and eye-catching as hand-painted murals, plus they are cost-effective and do-it-yourself friendly.

"Murals right now are my favorite design element because I can go big, bold and beautiful in a way that's really fresh," says Jonathan Fong, an interior decorator and author of "Walls that Wow". Fong found a cost-effective source for wallpaper murals in muralsyourway.com. "Murals create a dramatic focal point for a room. Have one wall with a mural and your whole room changes."

Modern murals have gone far beyond the whole-wall look you might remember from the '70s. Technology has allowed mural makers to delve into an inspiring array of designs, creating more vibrant colors and eye-opening perspectives. It's even possible to create your own custom wallpaper mural from a favorite photograph.

Here are a few ideas to use wallpaper murals to create a statement in virtually any room of your house:

• Turn a blank wall into a full-size accent with a floor-to-ceiling mural. It's possible to find a wallpaper mural to match any decorating theme — from a view of Yankee Stadium as seen from home plate for your basement game room, to your favorite scenic photo from your honeymoon to dress up your family room.
• If a full wall is too much of a statement for you, consider framing a smaller mural or a series of small murals in a central location in a room. Small, framed murals are a great way to make a snug room, or one lacking windows, feel bigger and more open.
• If your hallway is just a pass-through for your family, consider spicing it up with murals. Fong used larger-than-life custom murals of chandeliers to accent one wall of a hallway in a Beverly Hills mansion. A smaller scale mural can create interest and flow in a hallway in your home too.
• Many contemporary designs feature architectural niches as accents throughout the home. Rather than simply hanging framed artwork in the niche, consider creating a more striking effect with a wall mural cut to fit the space. For example, if you have a niche over your garden tub, place a tropical or woodland scene or a close up of a large bloom there to bring the outdoors in and create a focal point for the room.

Using a wallpaper mural to make a statement can be a very cost-effective design tool. "I wanted to see if it was possible to do large custom graphics for the home at an affordable price," Fong says. "I was surprised at how affordable it was. I've priced out regular wallpaper and to create your own custom wallpaper with the exact image you want costs even less."

"Your walls are the largest decorating canvas in your home," adds Fong. "If you do something interesting with your walls, it can make more of an impact than any piece of furniture or accessory in the room."

Courtesy of ARAcontent