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You rearrange furniture. You move into a new place. You break up with some guy and rip his pictures down. Suddenly you're staring directly at an unexpected enemy -- a boring white wall, begging silently for some sort of awesome decor.

Never fear! We've pulled together 15 great ideas for what to do with the space, and none of them take more than 2 hours or $20 to pull off.

The supplies are surprisingly affordable -- a can of paint, the collection of Bundt pans in your grandma's attic, a stack of photos or records from the thrift shop -- and the results are surprisingly killer.

Blank Walls No More

    Yikes -- blank walls are daunting!

    The Loopweaver, Flickr

    Get framed.
    Get a glut of picture frames that reflect your style. You can keep it simple with identical glass frames (psst, dollar store!) filled with b&w photos, or mix and match the frame styles.

    hownowdesign, Flickr

    Be cheap and anal.
    Forget the frames and tape up your printed photos methodically in columns and rows.

    Amanda Truss clash, Flickr

    Be cheap and impulsive.
    If you can't deal with straight lines, consistency in disorder creates this dynamic collage of photos.

    James Tan Chin, Flickr

    Reflect on the issue.
    Adding mirrors to a wall makes the room feel bigger without having to dip into your bank account for an all-out renovation. Space randomly sized, antique-looking ones across one wall, or buy several of the same type and line them up.

    laudu, Flickr

    Paint it black (or something).
    Painting just one wall a contrasting color from the others will instantly add depth and a focal point. It'll also tone down the sparseness of the surface, so it looks fine to hang just a photo or two.

    _Nia_, Flickr

    Trompe l'oeil.
    If you can't afford it, trick your eye. Paint a rectangle on your wall to use as your canvas. Take a simple graphic and paint it in the corner. Voila, art.

    MissLPS, Flickr

    Stick 'em up.
    If you insist you can't pick up a paintbrush, wall decals are for you. Good, fast, and cheap.

    Vaedri1, Flickr

    Set the table.
    Hanging an array of plates can liven up any wall. Flea markets and tag sales are great places to find unique decorative dishware.

    Andrea Mercado, Flickr

    Set the table 2.
    You can get more specific by hanging multiple styles of the same kitchenware, like this wall of bundt pans. Great if you find yourself with a box of kitchenware you can't use, or need extra storage space.

    hownowdesign, Flickr



Tell us! How have you upgraded a boring wall? Send us a photo and we may feature it on Lemondrop; or click here to design your dream room.