In all honesty, I love the modern design of some of the wall decals out there. I noticed recently that so many of the murals that have inspired me on Pinterest are not, in fact, murals but rather decals. So what's wrong with decals? Great designs. Fairly inexpensive. Temporary. Nothing wrong with any of those things, right?
But, I still don't like them. Why not? Well, here are my top three reasons.
1. They look like wall decals. The photos you see in catalogs, on Pinterest and on design blogs are taken and edited by professionals. Don't be fooled. They never look that good in real life. They often have a plasticky glare when seen from an angle and they never look right on a wall with any kind of texture since, well, wall decals aren't textured. Kids' rooms are the only rooms that you can get away with using wall decals, but then there is my second problem with them.
2. Kids will pick at them. I promise. If you have a children under the age of 3 or maybe even 4, don't put a decal where it can be reached. My kids mess with everything. All kids mess with everything. They will get pealed off as soon as your kid realizes that they aren't painted on. Cheap ones will peal off on their own, even without a kid picking at them.
3. They are limiting. Most wall decals don't come in an endless array of colors like wall paint. You won't be able to perfectly match or compliment your wall color, furnishings or decor. Also, you won't be able to fit them to your space exactly. It can be quite tricky to work wall decals around windows or doors the way you want to.
As with most things, you pay for what you get. Cheap wall decals aren't ever worth it, and the higher quality ones may in fact be too adhesive for your own good. Some wall decals can actually damage a painted surface so that your "temporary" art work leads to a much more expensive fix-it job than just simply painting over a mural that you are tired of.
So, there you have my personal opinion on wall decals. Take it or leave it, and have fun decorating either way.