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3 Practical Clues You Should Change Your Wall Decor (and How)

  • by Arthur Harrison
  • 6 min read

It takes much effort and care to decorate our spaces according to our satisfaction. That’s probably why when the time to redecorate comes around, we can’t help but dilly-dally. After all, how can you be sure you’re not just redecorating for the sake of it?

A painting on a wall with color swatches stuck onto the wall

But you can put your worries to rest! In this article, we’ll be discussing the most practical ways to know when it’s time to bring your interiors up to date. This way, you can lessen your confusion and be more certain about what truly needs your attention.


Let’s get started!

New lifestyle, new walls

Let’s start with the sign that’s probably most keenly felt on this list. We design our homes around our needs—our habits, jobs or businesses, and the people we live with. So it’s a given that with a change in lifestyle, you might also need to adjust how your home looks, including the walls.

With every new lifestyle, ask yourself if your home and wall design setup fits your needs and preferences. Maybe you have had any of the following developments in your home life recently:

  • A roommate or partner moved in

  • You got a new pet

  • You switched jobs

  • You moved into a new home

  • You welcomed a baby

  • You got into a new hobby

Two people hanging a picture on a wall, one of them standing on a ladder

The bigger and more demanding the change, the more likely you are to benefit from a refreshed wall design and wall decor. So how should you refresh a wall in this case?

A stress-free layout

Even the smallest lifestyle change can make you feel some pressure. As much as possible, try sticking to a straightforward style that isn’t high maintenance. Something as simple as a repaint can already do wonders.

A gradual makeover

When the lifestyle change is big enough, it’s likely to impact how much you can spend on interior design too. Don’t force yourself to go all in—when minding a budget, it’s wise to slowly curate wall decor pieces you like and build up your new wall.

Get rid of unwanted clutter

A yellow wall with one picture. Cleaning tools and boxes are on the floor

It can be tempting to jump the gun on pieces that you feel you may miss out on. When buying new wall decor, focus on items that will enhance your walls and serve your new needs.

Consider the people you live with

You might not be the only one who will benefit from a design refresh. Remember to keep your new pet, baby, or partner in mind and how to cater to your shared needs.

The ravages of time

One of the most prevalent telltale signs of an outdated wall is regular wear and tear. In other words, the natural deterioration of items and tools used in your wall decor.


No matter how well we maintain our home, objects are bound to reach the end of their lifespan. Over time, with exposure to the elements, parts of your wall decor may even become harmful instead of helpful. 

Specifically, check if a wall is showing any of the following age-related issues:

  • Faulty and rusty picture hangers and frames

  • Moldy grout lines on tile walls

  • Bubbles and blisters

  • Peeling paint

  • Fading wall color

Closeup of peeling paint on wall

Because these wear and tear problems are almost universal and mostly a matter of time, not to mention they tend to be visible and in turn, indicate how dated a wall design is, they’re a reliable basis for an overdue wall makeover.


Here are some tips for managing damage wrought by time:

Keep a good backup supply of picture hangers and frames

Depending on the quality of your picture frames and hanging solutions, it can be tricky to predict when you’ll need to replace them. Common examples of wear and tear in picture hanging hardware include:

  • Corrosion

  • Warping and bending

  • Breakage

  • Dents, scratches, and cracks

  • Fraying and unraveling (for picture wire)


That’s why it’s a good idea to have a stock of your favorite picture hangers and frames always ready. For frames, acid-free, non-plastic resin frames are a good starting point. Our article can be a great help here:

Picture hangers from Picture Hang Solutions

As with all things, the better the quality, the better they fare against the passage of time. Select picture hangers according to your go-to frames and check these best-selling hangers out to begin:

Once you’ve collected a decent array of hangers, make the most of them with the help of this guide:

Tile wall overhaul

We’ve all had our share of moldy grouts on our walls. It’s a particularly common problem on bathroom walls, and unless you want guests and yourself to regularly deal with the fungus and mold buildup, not to mention the smell it can lead to, you’ll want to take action.

There are three things you can do with mold in your wall’s grout lines:

  • Remove or rake out grout and apply anti-mold grout

  • Completely remove the tiles and change them into new ones

  • Replace tiles with another wall paneling or stick to concrete

closeup of a tile wall with moldy grouts. A hand scrubs part of it clean

Repaint your wall

Wall bubbles? Peeling paint? Faded colors? These are the effects of exposure to sunlight and moisture over a long period of time. This can only mean there’s no better opportunity to layer a fresh coat of paint on your walls. Note that properly applied paint usually doesn’t lead to a bubbled appearance or peeling paint, so check that you have the correct type of paint for your wall type and have the job done by a professional if possible.

A woman painting a wall

Blights and blemishes

While there’s wear and tear on wall decor that is a result of time, there’s also damage that comes from contact and usage occurring in our spaces on a daily basis. These blemishes are often incidental rather than gradual and inevitable. Think scratches on a wall by a pet or stains on the kitchen wall from a cooking spill. 

These issues are common to every home, so if any of the following are becoming an unwanted part of your wall decor, it may be time to have an overhaul:

  • Stubborn stains

  • Mildew on walls and picture frames

  • Dirty walls

  • Cracks, holes, and scratches

Closeup of a stained white brick wall

You’ve probably noticed that most of these issues concern the walls themselves, which underscores how much wall upkeep is essential for overall wall decor. So how can you deal with these issues?

Add new pieces to blend in

Repainting a wall when it’s dirty or badly stained may be the usual solution, but you can also work with the tainted wall to come up with something new. Add decor pieces that help the stains stand out less if not totally disguise them.

Prevent mildew on walls with picture frame bumpers

Lifestyle image of picture frame bumpers and applying them to a picture frame

We can all agree that mildew on frames is far from ideal for our wall decor. Avoid mildew growth by giving your frames proper ventilation and regularly checking behind them. Picture frame bumpers are a great accessory you can use to ensure your frames have the right amount of breathing space. You can also learn more about fighting the growth of mildew on walls in this article: 

Make your pictures fall-proof

While cracks in a wall can be natural deterioration, they’re also often a result of surrounding movement, like door slams, heavy traffic, and earthquakes. If your walls are regularly subjected to these vibrations, as well as other factors like fluctuating temperatures, it’s a good idea to secure your wall decor and wall hangings besides immediately patching up any cracks and holes. Here are some tools that can help you with fall-proofing pictures and wall hangings:

Read this article for an in-depth guide on protecting wall decor from a fall:

Final thoughts

It’s easy to put off redecorating, and tough to pull the trigger on starting a home project. It’s also more than just keeping up with the latest trends. Practical hints like the ones listed in this article are among the most telling signs a makeover is overdue for your walls, and with a practical problem comes a practical solution.


Are your walls ready for a makeover? Let us know in the comments below!

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