Learn from actor Rajkummar Rao’s home, and make your walls interesting

The upper storey of this split-level space is where Rao meets and greets friends and work colleagues, hosts parties, has meetings. The lower floor is his personal space where he spends quiet time his dog, Gaga. For Rao, who grew up in a joint family of 16 in Gurgaon, then shared a flat with two friends when he came to Mumbai, this house cancels out the noise and chaos of a very hectic life. The neutral tones, the clever detailing, the thoughtfully procured everything (from furniture to accessories) all reflect Rao’s work ethic. What it also reflects is his penchant for risk-taking when it comes to choosing roles. In decor-speak, that means whimsical, clever experiments with the material, art, accessories—and the walls of his home.
 

His use of walls offers an interesting playbook if you want to take some risks with your decor. Here’s a guide to how you can give your walls a dramatic makeover.

Create an Eclectic Gallery

Art is the go-to solution to add some character to a wall you don’t know what to do with. Rao cleverly chose an interestingly sized trio of large vertical paintings along a wall behind the staircase. Take a cue from his playbook and go radically different. You can work this in a variety of ways: a large painting that dominates the wall or a collage of small works. If you have the space, create an eclectic gallery by creating a nook with a painting on the wall and smaller standing sculptures on the floor before it.
 

Personalise With Decals and Quotes

For a creative solution to wall use, a quirky option would be fun decals to add a bit of personality to your place. Even light installations planted on a wall, as Rao did with slice-of-life quotes, are a great way to use walls interestingly. There are a variety of decals available with Asian Paints, from the seriously whimsical to the patently elegant. Decals are options to work with if you want a quick solution that you can change around and play with often.

Wall as Art

Use your wall as a canvas for murals. But make sure you think long and hard about what you want it to convey. A mural gone wrong is not something you should have to live with! A failsafe alternative to that is opting for beautifully designed wallpapers which can either complement your decor or lend some drama to the space. You would be spoilt for choice with the collections available with Asian Paints. In either case, plan well and plan smart.
 

Add in a Mirror

An unusually shaped mirror with an interesting frame isn’t just a way to decorate your wall it does the additional duty of making your space look bigger.
 

Give Some Thought to Layering

You took the plunge and experimented with a bold shade for one wall but the adventure doesn’t have to end there. If you’re in a risk-taking frame of mind, think about layering—a colourful painting hanging on a bright-coloured wall with a couple of sculptural sconces adorning it as well. If you are the type who isn’t shy of taking that design leap, layering is certainly something to flirt with. The worse that could happen? It may not work but you can pull down the painting and remove the sconces but at least you’d know you tried.
 

Explore more such celebrity home tours for your home inspiration.