The debate for wallpapers v/s paint is a never-ending one. It doesn’t matter what we do for a living or for leisure, all of us have moments when we find imagination in the wall in front of us.
Empty spaces and blank walls rekindle the child within us- we visualize the patterns and colors that we want the walls to be filled with, colors and patterns that form an intrinsic part of us and how they make us feel, something that cannot be explained.
This need for personalization of one’s space has always got us wondering- are we limited to colors and patterns to define us and how we want to connect to the space around us! Surely, an image or a mural could give life to our innermost ideas better than plain colors or shapes and lines.
The joys of going crazy with your walls, or with a space that you want to call your own, that you would want to come back to every day, is somewhat hampered by the commerce behind it formed by what we call the 3 C’s — Costs, Customizations and Care!
Let’s take a comparative look on these scales between the classic wallpaper and the new product on the block- bespoke mural art!
COST
Prices have been greatly beaten down in the wallpaper industry partly due to competition and because there is no innovation in the product itself other than changing designs from a number of years now. Wallpapers rolls are anywhere between 100 to 1000 dollars for a 10-meter roll with 50 to 70 cm width. Just to make matters more confusing the rolls come in different lengths as well and the cost of application varies depending on the type of wallpaper.
However, to choose a photo-realistic wallpaper that we can fairly compare to Mural artist’s work to some extent, the wallpaper starts to cost in excess of 500 dollars per roll. To break down the math, in a standard room, it would cost anywhere between 1000 to 1500 dollars to get a good quality wallpaper. This figure does not include application cost or surface preparation, labor costs.
Murals can vary in design, colors, and complexity of work, all of which affect the final cost. Your artist can work with you to keep all the factors in mind and make your design exactly how you want it.
Artist: Aspire
On the other hand-painted murals can cost anywhere between 120 to 300 dollars per square meter which would give you a finished product on a bedroom wall. The costing of a mural is more straightforward than a wallpaper; you just have to get the right artist to make you the design that you want or find one that suits your budget or project from an online marketplace like bookanartist.co
For home projects, the costs might be on the lower end, and you could get the exclusive bespoke design for the same cost of wallpaper. Of course, the experience of seeing your design being painted live and come to life is another experience we can talk about later.
To summarize, there is no clear winner in terms of cost. If you are looking for cheap DIY or off the shelf-solution, then go for the wallpaper. They work great for common spaces like bathrooms and corridors, but with mural painting becoming accessible and hiring an artist for custom jobs made easy, you should still have something to think about for that special wall that you want to show-off.
CUSTOMISATION
We won’t get into complex analysis and details here because there is none to do.
This is where mural painting clearly takes the cake! Even the most exquisite wallpapers, with intricate designs that cost upwards of 2000 dollars for a wall are basically a repeat of what is printed on one block. While you might be able to get them customized but what you can get done in terms of design is limited to the printing capabilities. Even the expensive customized wallpapers have an artificial feel to the end product.
Mural painting today has become an art of expression that knows no boundaries and is as bespoke and personal as art gets. Mural and graffiti artists around the globe are now working in places that are not limited to alleys and outer walls of establishments, but rooms, working spaces, lofts, backyards, and other personal spaces that form an everyday part of our lives.
Mural artists can draw and paint in free flow and it could be one massive portrait on the wall or a complex abstract design that changes through the length of the wall. Think of mural paint on walls like tattoos with no boundaries of color and design.
CARE
Durability is a big question when you want to spend money on a particular section of your work or home space and get something more than just plain paints.
Wallpapers are fairly durable but come with the problem of being limited in sizes and thus need to be joined somewhere to extend the design. This joint eventually gives away and starts to look rather shabby.
Mural painting, on the other hand, will look bright and hand-painted for a very long time. Depending on whether the mural is indoor or outdoor, the paints will have wear and tear just like any wall paint would. Any indoor mural art is done, however, it would give a similar amount of time that wallpaper does.
Another major problem with wallpapers is the removal procedures and the hassle involved in repairing the wall to get a new one.
With mural paintings, artists can usually do a touch up of their murals for a reasonable cost or just wash away and start on a mural when you are ready.
Let’s conclude by saying that the charm and awe of looking at a random design might fade away but the value of bespoke art and the process of getting a mural designed that holds meaning for you is truly an enriching one and one that will stay with you till you decide to move on the next one.
BAA is a website where you can hire graffiti artists, mural artists for your next project.
