Use A Little Paint Behind Your Framed Photos To Add A Pop Of Color To Your Walls

Whether family portraits or colorful prints, wall art is (no doubt) one of the easiest ways to add personality into a decorating scheme. Normally, you'd just hang the pictures in frames and call it a day. But sometimes, that's not enough for us quirky folks. If you're up for something out-of-the-box, why not paint a decorative border behind your artwork? It could be multi-colored, pattern-filled, or a block of color — regardless, adding a little paint to your wall art display offers more advantages than you might think. It also beats just having a plain white wall, if you ask us.

Perhaps its most obvious role is to draw attention to the framed art. You don't want your piece to sink into the wall, yet that's likely to happen when both the frame's backing and wall are white. This is where a painted backdrop does its magic. It first catches the eye with its unusual design. Once the viewer is lured in, they'll naturally want to take a closer look at the picture on display.

This makes it perfect for giving unique artwork and souvenirs the spotlight. Better yet, it also helps highlight small pieces that would otherwise get lost on a large wall. And hey: we'll take any excuse to add a pop of color in a room with white walls. Now, grab your paint sample stash, some painter's tape, a level, and put your hand-painting skills to work.

First things first, choose which picture frames you want to make stand out. Even a mini-gallery wall would work here. However, try not to overdo it (as in, painting a mural behind every piece of art you own). Too many could look overly busy, especially if you're mixing and matching designs. Next up, tape off your chosen shape on the wall. It can be anything from a simple border to mimic the shape of the frame to an abstract blot if you're going for an artsy look. Don't forget that you can later increase the shape's size if you need to fill more wall space.

Can't decide on a painting technique? The simplest approach would be to stick to a solid color — it's easy yet still delivers a wow factor if you opt for a vibrant hue. Think pink, blue, or yellow. You might even want to pull colors from your artwork to create a cohesive arrangement. Or, as an alternative, pick a slightly lighter or darker shade than your wall color if you're worried about the result being too overwhelming. For those feeling extra daring, consider decorating with patterns around your art. A checkerboard background, a dotted border, and small doodles are all beautiful ways to add trendy, whimsical accents to your home.

While this idea definitely spices up walls, it's not practical if you like to move your art around when refreshing your space. Plus, not everyone can paint their walls in the first place. Luckily, the solution is as easy as placing white contact paper on your wall and painting that instead.