Christmas Style

Personalize Your Space With a Small Price Tag

Waiting out the real estate roller coaster ride? It's a good idea to improve your home now with designer touches that will both personalize your living space and enhance your home's value once the inevitable market recovery (finally) occurs.

So what's the hottest trend in personalized decor - one that delivers big changes for a relatively small price tag. Easy-to-install wallpaper murals.

Interior designers have long used murals in upscale decor, yet the cost of hand-painted artwork puts traditional wall murals outside the budget of most homeowners. And unless you're exceptionally talented, you may not be happy with the results of your hand painted efforts

"Wallpaper murals are really a do-it-yourselfer's decorating dream," says Todd Imholte, president of Environmental Graphics, a company that markets more than 5,000 different murals through its MuralsYourWay Web site. "They are simple to install and can completely change the atmosphere in a room. Pricing starts under $200."  

MuralsYourWay murals have been featured on popular home improvement programs, including "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition,"  "Trading Spaces," Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and HGTV's "Divine Design"  Available in canvas or vinyl, popular wallpaper mural themes include:

* Sports - From a surfer riding the tube in Oahu to an outfielder's view of Boston's Fenway Park or horses thundering down a racetrack, it's possible to pay homage to your favorite sport with a wallpaper mural. "A sports themed mural is great for a man room or a teenage boy's bedroom," says Imholte.

* Nature - Whether you yearn for the Yosemite Valley, dream of dipping your toes in a babbling brook or simply crave your piece of sky, you can bring nature indoors with a wallpaper mural.

* Travel - Picture the Manhattan skyline arcing gracefully above a wet bar in your sophisticated living room. Or the rustic arches of a Tuscan villa gracing your breakfast nook. Wherever your fancy takes you, it's possible to find a wallpaper mural to bring the destination home.

* Children - "Kids' rooms can be a challenge since their tastes and interest can change nearly as quickly as their shoe size," Imholte says. "A wallpaper mural is an easy, cost-effective way to incorporate a child's interests into her room, whether it's for a girl who's into ballet and castles or a boy who's interested in space and sci fi."

* Original Art - Finally, if you just can't find what you're looking for amid the 5,000-plus images offered at MuralsYourWay.com, you can have a wallpaper mural made from your own original photography or artwork. The company will create the mural to the dimensions you specify in any size larger than 12 square feet.

To receive a 20 percent discount and free shipping within 10 days on an easy-to-install, cost-effective wallpaper mural, visit www.MuralsYourWay.com.

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