Wanting to change or liven up a room in your home is natural. And you don’t necessarily have to commit to a full-scale renovation in order to transform it. Oftentimes, all that’s needed is one thoughtful change. For interior designer Malin Löfvenhamn, adding a wall mural was all it took to reinvent her entire kitchen.
The kitchen was bright, clean, and practical. Nothing was technically wrong, yet it lacked a certain presence. “It was too plain,” Malin says. “It didn’t reflect any of my personality. I wanted more warmth, character, and a sense of identity.”
In Malin’s mind, what needed to change was clear: the wall by the kitchen sink. Aside from a small open shelf, it felt empty, almost unfinished. She considered the usual solutions: adding paintings or posters, even installing more shelving. But none of it felt right. Those choices would fill the space, but not transform it.
Instead, she began to rethink the wall itself. “It just occurred to me that a wall mural would do the trick.” Rather than layering décor on top, she saw an opportunity to create something more integrated that would set the tone for the room.
Transforming the kitchen
In search of her wall mural, she browsed our collections to find a design she liked. She ordered several samples in different color schemes and matched them against the wall to see how each one interacted with the light and the overall tone of the room. Still, the final decision wouldn’t be purely analytical. “It always comes down to gut feeling,” she says.
Malin’s home, a mix of retro and vintage pieces set within an older house, called for a wall mural that was soft and cohesive. It couldn’t feel too modern or overly sharp, but rather needed to belong in a calm setting. With this in mind, Malin gravitated towards more natural motifs, particularly clouds and organic forms. “It was important that the wall mural matched the atmosphere of the house,” she explains, before adding, “But then, my home is a reflection of me too. There needs to be a balance there.”
The choice ultimately landed on Vintage Skies | Dawn, a mural design that echoed the tones already present in the kitchen. “The motif and the color just felt right when I saw it,” she says. “And just as important, it worked with what was already there. Especially with the oak cabinets! It really added to the warmth I was trying to bring forward.
The final result
Without changing the layout or replacing any major elements, the entire atmosphere of the kitchen shifted. The transformation itself was simple, but the impact was anything but. The once plain wall has become a natural focal point, giving the room the sense of completeness it previously lacked.
“It’s not just about the mural itself...” Malin explains, “...but how it interacts with the room.” In her case, that also meant thinking practically. Knowing the shelf would remain, she intentionally chose a section of the mural with less detail for that area, allowing function and design to coexist seamlessly.
For anyone considering a similar change, her advice is simple: start with what you already have. “Look at the surroundings and capture the colors and style,” she says. “But most importantly, choose what feels right for you.”
