Decorating Tall Walls: 8 Smart Ways to Style High Ceilings

One look through Instagram and you’ll know that high ceilings still reign supreme! While 8-foot ceilings are still standard in many homes, it’s increasingly common to see 10-, 12-, or even taller ceilings. And even homes with lower ceilings often feature vaulted ceilings in spaces like living rooms or entryways.

All of that height can make a room feel bigger and more open. But it also creates a decorating dilemma many homeowners run into pretty quickly: what do you actually do with those tall walls?

When a wall stretches far above eye level, the usual decorating tricks don’t always work. Artwork suddenly looks too small, furniture can feel disconnected from the wall above it, and the space can start to feel unfinished.

The good news is that decorating tall walls doesn’t have to be difficult. There are several simple ways to approach the space so it feels balanced and intentional. Below are eight ideas for decorating tall walls that will help you make the most of all that extra height!

The Trick to Decorating Tall Walls

If you’ve ever tried decorating tall walls, you’ve probably realized pretty quickly that standard decorating techniques and decor items don’t work very well. They’re simply too small for such a large space. If your decorating stops around the typical 8-foot height, the room can start to feel unfinished or even a little cavernous.

Instead, embrace all of that wonderful space. Tall walls are actually a great opportunity once you start thinking about them a little differently. There are several easy ways to tackle those big blank canvases and make them feel like a natural part of the room.

With the ideas below, the goal is simple: either draw the eye upward to take advantage of the full height, or bring the visual focus down to a more comfortable, human scale.

1. Artwork

Standard-sized artwork will often feel too small for tall walls, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. The trick is to think bigger with how you display it.

One option is to create a large-scale gallery wall. Grouping multiple pieces together allows you to fill more vertical space and makes the entire arrangement feel substantial enough for the wall.

If your style leans more symmetrical, a grid of matching frames can create the illusion of one large piece of artwork while still letting you use smaller prints.

Another option is to go with one oversized piece of art that fills the space on its own. When doing this, pay close attention to the shape of the artwork. It should feel proportionate to the wall you’re trying to fill. For example, a very skinny vertical canvas can still feel too small if the wall itself is wide.

2. Mirrors

Mirrors are another great option for decorating tall walls because they can help fill the vertical space much like artwork does. An added benefit is that mirrors reflect light, which can brighten an otherwise dark area. Placed near windows, they can also help bounce light around the room and create a sense of balance.

Mirrors work especially well on tall walls in staircases, entryways, and living rooms where you want to add light and visual interest without adding a lot of heavy decor.

Here, a collection of mirrors has been used to fill the entire space above a staircase.

Or go bold with one large mirror that fills the space and creates a real wow factor!

One, big mirror can also fill the space and create a WOW factor!

3. Millwork

A plain sheetrock wall isn’t all that interesting, but add a bit of millwork and suddenly the wall has a whole different presence! Trim details add architecture and visual interest, and they help draw the eye upward so the wall feels like part of the overall space instead of just a big blank surface.

Below, the artwork itself isn’t all that large, but the surrounding trim helps fill the wall and gives the piece more impact.

In this example, the lack of additional decor lets the millwork speak for itself!

4. Shelving

Tall walls provide plenty of space for storage, whether you use built-ins, freestanding bookcases, or simple floating shelves. Shelving is a great option when decorating tall walls because it not only fills the vertical space but also gives you a place to display books, art, and collected pieces.

5. Murals & Wallpaper

Adding wallpaper or paint details to the upper portion of the wall is another great way to draw the eye upward.

In this example, an oversized vinyl decal fills the space beautifully!

6. Display Pieces

If you can’t find artwork you love, consider mounting an oversized display piece instead. Items like a large clock, old shutters, or even a hanging rug can fill the space beautifully and add a lot of character!

Large architectural pieces often work especially well on tall walls because they naturally have the scale the space needs.

7. Use One, Tall Focal Point

Instead of emphasizing the full height of the wall, this idea focuses on bringing the eye down to a more comfortable, human scale for a cozier feel. That doesn’t mean leaving the upper portion of the wall blank. Rather, you treat the upper and lower sections of the wall as two separate areas.

And although I say “in half,” I don’t necessarily mean that literally—it really depends on your space.

8. Cut the Space in Two

While the other ideas listed above are all aimed at helping bring the eye up to include the tall wall as part of the overall space, this idea is more about bringing the eye down to a more human scale for a cozier feel.  That doesn’t mean you leave the upper half of the wall blank, but rather that you treat the upper and lower portions separately.  {And although I say in “half”, I don’t necessarily mean that literally because it depends on your space.}

In the example below, the wall is visually cut at the ceiling height of the surrounding rooms, and the upper portion is given its own unique treatment.

Here, a simple piece of trim lowers the visual height of the wall and creates a frame for the canvas artwork.

And a bonus #29… This bathroom treatment is simple, yet absolutely stunning! The wallpaper at the top is a great way to break up the white walls and add interest.

How to Choose the Right Approach for Your Tall Walls

Not every solution works for every room. The best approach often depends on the height of your ceilings, what furniture sits below the wall, and whether you want the wall to feel dramatic or cozy.

If the wall stands on its own, emphasizing the height with oversized artwork, mirrors, or tall architectural elements can create a striking focal point.

If the wall sits behind furniture, it often works better to visually connect the decor to the furniture below. Stacked artwork, gallery walls, trim details, or shelving can help tie everything together.

And in very tall rooms, sometimes the most comfortable solution is to break the wall visually into two sections so the space feels more balanced.

Common Mistakes When Decorating Tall Walls

Decorating tall walls can feel tricky, and a few common mistakes can make the space feel awkward instead of balanced. If your room still feels unfinished after adding decor, one of these issues might be the reason.

Hanging Artwork Too High

One of the most common mistakes when decorating tall walls is hanging artwork far too high. When people see all that extra wall space, the instinct is to push art upward toward the ceiling to try to fill it.

But doing that usually disconnects the artwork from the furniture below and makes it feel like it’s floating on the wall.

Even on tall walls, artwork should usually still be hung around eye level. If the space above still feels empty, the better solution is to go larger with the art, stack pieces vertically, or add other elements like trim or shelving rather than simply moving the artwork higher.

Using Decor That’s Too Small

Another common issue is using decor that simply isn’t scaled for the height of the wall. A single small piece of art or a narrow vertical canvas can get completely lost on a tall wall.

Instead, look for pieces with more visual weight, or group items together so they feel large enough for the space.

Leaving the Upper Wall Completely Blank

Sometimes people decorate only the lower portion of a tall wall and leave everything above it empty. This can make the room feel unfinished or top-heavy.

If your walls are very tall, it often helps to extend the design upward with stacked artwork, taller architectural details, shelving, or wallpaper so the whole wall feels intentional.

Ignoring the Furniture Below the Wall

When decorating tall walls, it’s easy to focus only on the wall itself and forget about the furniture below it. But the wall decor and the furniture should feel connected.

If artwork or decor is floating far above a sofa, console, or bed, the space can start to feel disjointed.

Instead, think of the furniture and the wall as one visual unit. Artwork, mirrors, or shelves should relate to the furniture below so the whole area feels balanced and intentional.

Final Thoughts

You might have noticed that several of the rooms above use more than one decorating technique to fill the space. For example, artwork paired with millwork, or paint combined with display pieces, or even millwork and wallpaper working together.

Whether you use one idea or combine several, the goal is simply to make the wall feel balanced within the room. Tall ceilings create beautiful volume, but they also require decorating that keeps the scale of the space in mind.

When decorating tall walls, don’t be afraid to go bigger, taller, or more layered so the wall feels like a natural part of the room instead of an empty backdrop.

More Decorating Ideas:

• 6 Small-Scale ideas for that Empty Corner in the Living Room!
• 28 {Best} Ideas for Decorating Above the Bed
• How to Decorate a Kitchen – Stylish & Practical Ways to Accessorize Your Space
• How to Pull a Room Together