How to Decorate the Walls of a Traditional Southern Home

Molding and Wainscoting

• Wainscoting is a molding or paneling for the walls, often found in older homes, historical homes and wealthy homes. The subtle pride of craftsmanship that wainscoting adds to a room sends signals to visitors and guests that a room has been lovingly designed. Wainscoting has a solid and stately appearance most appropriate for high-traffic rooms like a dining room, foyer or living room.

Balanced Presentation

• Symmetry and balance are prevalent in Southern decorating and Southern architectural style. A large picture frame hung on one side of the fireplace will have a corresponding picture frame on the other side, hung at the same level and at the same distance from the hearth. In the case of pictures and mirrors that don't come in a pair, hang them so they appear to be centered between two windows. Alternatively, they can be centered above a table or some other piece of furniture.

Focus on Family

• Southern culture has a great emphasis on family and family history. Hang tasteful black and white photos of family members on your walls. To frame these photographs, choose high-quality black picture frames, all of the same size, and a substantial white mat inside. Presentation of your photos is as important as the photos themselves. These small touches display your decorating abilities as well as your significant family history.

Historical Context

• Hang documents, pictures and paintings that have a historical context on the walls. An old landscape painting by a long-gone relative, a framed copy of your grandparents' marriage certificate or a picture of your town square a century ago are all perfect examples of the sort of items you should hang on your walls.

Other Tips

• When decorating your house, the comfort of your guests and family members should be paramount. Choose decor that rides the line between stately but homey, elegant but casual. Limit the decor on your walls to only a few attractive pictures, in large frames, rather than many little items. Your walls shouldn't be too busy, and there should be a clear and clean color scheme. Earthy tones -- as well as shades of blue, gray and black and white -- are all appropriate.