How to Decorate Antique Walls

Change the color of the walls by priming and painting them. Protect the floor around the antique walls with a drop cloth, and cover trim with painter’s tape. Apply primer to the entire wall with a paint roller, and let dry. Use a small trim brush to apply paint on the wall surface along the trim (adjacent to the areas of tape), then use a clean paint roller to cover the entire wall. Allow the walls to dry for several hours between each coat.

Choose a tapestry that complements the room. Use a tapestry with a city scene, landscape or seascape if the room is small, helping to give the area the illusion of space. Horizontal tapestries give the illusion of height; they work well in rooms with low ceilings.

Hang tapestries on the antique wall using self-adhesive hook-and-loop fasteners instead of nails or screws. Using hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro) will prevent damage to the structure of the antique wall. Apply the adhesive-backed loop strip horizontally along the wall where the tapestry will hang. Apply the adhesive-covered hook strip to the back of the tapestry, along the width of the top. Press the male strip against the female strip to hang the tapestry in place. The larger or heavier the tapestry, the more hook-and-loop strips you will need; generally, a long strip at the top should suffice.

Display only a few framed pictures or artwork on antique walls. Using too many pictures or artwork will make the wall and room appear cluttered. Use picture-mounting tape instead of nails or screws to hang framed pictures or artwork on antique walls. Such a wall is usually a plaster wall; use picture-mounting tape designed to securely attach frames to such walls without damage. Choose the correct type of mounting tape for the weight of the framed item.