Making the leap from tacky to trendy, vinyl wall décor — and vinyl in general — has come a long way in recent years. There was a time when the mere mention of the word “vinyl” would give people horrible flashbacks to the tacky, dated vinyl-clad kitchens of yesteryear. Today’s vinyl, however, is an extremely versatile material that can be used for everything from flooring to wall art. Modern high-quality vinyl products don’t have that shiny fake look of the vinyl of old, and they can be made to look like more expensive materials like wood and even marble. Check out below for some really cool ways to use vinyl in your home.

Update Your Floor

Today’s vinyl flooring is not your mother’s vinyl flooring. Modern vinyl flooring (often referred to as “resilient flooring”) can mimic just about any material out there. If you’ve always loved traditional, classic black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring in a kitchen, but your budget doesn’t allow for a brand-new floor, you can still get that look by using more affordable vinyl options. Even better? Vinyl tends to be a lot easier on the feet and back than harder flooring options. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to clean. Work with a local contractor for a truly seamless installation.

Banksy Your Walls

Vinyl wall décor is an extremely affordable, fun, and gorgeous way to add artistic pizzazz to bare walls. The sheer variety of decals available is extensive, allowing you to express your quirky, cute, or relentlessly Anglophilic sides. Have fun with proportion and placement: Choose a really large decal for a single wall, or have the decal art interact with objects in the room. Experiment with colors, too. You can even use vinyl letters to spell out words and phrases that are important to you and your family. Most decals are of the peel-and-stick variety, meaning that if you tire of a particular design or look, you can effortlessly swap it out for a new one. Not only are they easy to remove, but under some circumstances, they’re also reusable. (Check with the decal manufacturer to figure out whether yours can be reused.)

Personalize a Rental Space

One of the biggest conundrums for NYC renters is figuring out how far to go when it comes to personalizing their homes. They may not want to put too much money into decorating their spaces (or maybe the terms of their lease prevent them from making major changes), but they’d still like to create a space that feels like home. If you’re facing this issue right now, vinyl can help make it all better. For instance, striped vinyl wallpaper can create an accent wall straight out of a high-end shelter magazine, while a vinyl backsplash can give you the kitchen of your dreams without the budget of your nightmares. If you have children, you may not want to hire an artist to paint a custom mural on their walls, but you can get on their “cool parent” list with a custom-made decal made in the design of your choice — or their choice. They can even make decals that glow in the dark.

Get Creative

You don’t have to limit yourself to walls and floors when it comes to decorating with vinyl. You can use this versatile material to transform your home in so many other ways — from the dry goods jars in your kitchen to the entrance to your bedroom door, there’s always a place in your home that can use a little vinyl love.

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