Decorating Guides
12 Ways to Hide a Flaw on the Wall
Some things you just can’t get rid of. But that doesn’t mean you can’t conceal them with a little design know-how
Have a wall that needs a little work? How about a necessary blemish you can’t get rid of but don’t love to look at? Here are 12 ways to hide thermostats, awkward windows, garish brick and other pesky flaws that are distracting you from the beauty of any room in your home.
1. Create an art collage. Magicians know the power of misdirection, and so do designers. Rather than hiding a pesky thermostat, light switch or other oddly placed wall blemish, you can distract from it by blending it into an artistic gallery wall.
In this home, you can see how the light switch next to the door is still instantly reachable, but not immediately noticeable, due to the casual collection of framed pieces placed immediately next to it. It blends in perfectly, no cover-up needed.
2. Hang an art piece on a swing arm. For an even simpler but equally artistic way to cover a thermostat or other infrequently used wall gadget, try hanging an art piece on a swing arm, or hang it from a standard hanger and nudge it out of the way when you need to get at whatever is behind.
3. Add a shop-style clothing rack. In the right type of home with some casual flair, a humble clothing rack can add a lot of style and display some of your favorite pieces (especially beautiful items you don’t get to wear often enough). They also can instantly create a screen to cover anything you might want to hide, solving a storage issue and covering an ugly wall at the same time.
4. Use chalkboard paint. If a wall has been seriously dented or otherwise damaged, painting over it with a typical eggshell paint won’t help much. The more gloss in a paint finish, the more it will highlight imperfections.
On the other hand, matte chalkboard paint gives a great non-glossy texture for hiding blemishes, and writing a fun message on it will further camouflage any dings or dents.
On the other hand, matte chalkboard paint gives a great non-glossy texture for hiding blemishes, and writing a fun message on it will further camouflage any dings or dents.
Chalkboard paint isn’t only for homes with children, either. It can be used to great effect in many spaces, even a unique bathroom like this one. The simple hand-drawn cross shapes give this room a personal touch and a dose of pattern without needing to prep the wall for wallpaper or carefully cut around imperfect trim.
5. Hang draperies. Need to hide something bigger, or work around an off-center window? Elegant floor-to-ceiling draperies can hide a wide range of flaws, and they also serve as a beautiful backdrop to a sofa, bed or any other furniture arrangement. Feel free to ignore the actual position of whatever you wish to hide, and hang the drapes where you wish the center point to be to restructure the room to your liking.
Hanging the draperies wall to wall is an especially effective way to completely erase a wall. I used this strategy in my home to correct an asymmetrical window. (Some people may not have noticed, but it drove me crazy!) Now the wall is a singular statement and a beautiful feature.
6. Explore your options for brick. Brick walls can be a very polarizing topic. To some people they are a wonderful textural feature that plain drywall can never match. To others they are an ugly blight that can’t be hidden fast enough. It doesn’t really have to be an all-or-nothing situation though, as there are many strategies for tackling brick.
A coat of white paint will turn brick from a ruddy red or brown statement into a more subtle textural effect. However, you don’t have to paint the brick out completely: A more gentle whitewashing technique will tone that brick down while preserving some character. Using a specially designed product, or paint mixed with water to create a thin mixture, will allow you to coat the brick several times until you reach the desired effect.
What You Need to Know Before Painting Brick
What You Need to Know Before Painting Brick
You can also take inspiration from weathered outdoor spaces and use a brushy, patchy or splattered application of paint to reduce the impact of heavy, dark brick or stone without covering it up altogether.
You can do this with white paint, or with a nature-inspired tone like a warm taupe or toned-down red, to subtly change the brick palette to one that feels more compatible with your furnishings. Go more patchy for a character-rich antiqued look, or more even for a cleaner-looking result. If you’re willing to put in some time, you can even paint individual bricks as needed to cover up any that are chipped or unappealing.
Watch: How to Restore the Natural Look of Light Brick
Watch: How to Restore the Natural Look of Light Brick
You can also consider using a brick stain to make the tone of your brick more uniform and to enrich or subdue the color. For example, you can take a pale brick and make it more red, or take a very yellow brick and make it more of a neutral brown, to bring the tones up to date and in line with your overall palette.
7. Panel an unattractive ceiling. Your ceiling is like a “fifth wall” and can have issues all its own. If you are not a fan of popcorn ceilings, or you have water damage or other issues to cover up, consider having the ceiling paneled in wood to turn it into a room-defining feature instead. Just be sure that whatever initially damaged your ceiling is resolved first!
8. Cover wall vents with screens. Air return vents are necessary for heating or cooling systems but often are unattractive on their own. A slotted screen can turn that exhaust port into a feature, giving the wall some textural interest and a dash of pattern.
Build the screen into the base of a bookcase, cabinet or bench, or use one flat to the wall with a simple ledge for hanging art or framed photos.
You can also use a standing room divider to achieve a similar effect. It will redirect the airflow a bit, but you can always adjust the position slightly to divert air so it is not blowing directly at a seat, or use an open or perforated screen that air can travel through.
9. Disguise a vent or unit with a bookshelf. If you have a wall vent, heater or air conditioning unit high on the wall, rather than trying to cover it up, try placing a bookshelf or armoire in a similar color below. The unit won’t stand out nearly as much when it is acting as a top to a heavy piece of furniture, so while it won’t be invisible, it will be far less noticeable.
10. Run cables through a molding channel. Whether or not the television itself is an attractive gadget worthy of display or a total eyesore can be debated, but most people would agree that the many wires needed to connect to the cable box, power, etc., are better unseen. Installing a few pieces of molding on the wall can create an elegant channel for all of those pesky wires to run through until they can reach an outlet or other device as needed, while also adding some classic appeal.
11. Use a single paint color. Older homes (and frankly, even new homes) frequently have slightly uneven walls, sloping ceilings and other minor flaws. I often use a single paint color for the walls, ceiling and trim to de-emphasize the lines between the surfaces so that all the eye catches are the details I’ve chosen to highlight and not any background imperfections.
12. Turn negatives into positives. Features like light switches are necessary for modern life, so rather than trying to hide them, it’s often better to embrace them. Choosing an attractive cover plate can turn a light switch into a decorative piece, so rather than seeing it as an interruption of your beautifully simple wall treatment, see it as a chance to add a bit of jewelry to bring the whole look together. After all, as they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
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More
How to Hide the TV, No Cabinet Required
How to Remove, Hide and Play Down a Popcorn Ceiling
5 Ways to Hide That Big Air Conditioner in Your Yard
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a pro
Browse home products