Wall decals give decor sleek a-peel

If you're the kind of homeowner who likes to redecorate frequently, you know that painting or wallpapering an entire room can be daunting. It's time to welcome an easier solution: wall decals.

If those words make you think of cartoon characters, tacky outdoor scenes or a life-size quarterback, you haven't seen the latest generation of adhesive wall art.

The peel-and-stick vinyl appliques are showing up in the pages of Elle and Dwell and on the walls of hotels, offices and stores such as Sony, the Gap and Design Within Reach.

Simple to apply, decals usually come in multipacks, with prices from around $12 to $165 or more, depending on size and customization. Several companies even will interpret your own idea on reusable vinyl.

Grown-up graphics

For a sophisticated aesthetic, stickable wall art can range from bold, wall-covering graphics to delicate art worthy of a frame (stick-on, of course).

Keith Haring, Undoboy, Mel Lim and other artists have been made into wall art at whatisblik.com, which bills its decals as "wall graphics for the commitment phobic." You also can find designs inspired by early video games such as Space Invaders, or try Matthew Haggett's patterned orbs, which have a 3-D quality that makes them appear to burst off the wall.

Ferm Living, a Denmark-based design company, has startling images of giant fingerprints, lightbulbs and even houseflies at fermlivingshop.us.

At Urban Outfitters, you can buy a flock of stick-on birds or a trompe l'oeil version of a chandelier or headboard.

No room for a Chippendale chair? Canthaveitstickit.com can provide a two-dimensional pet, plant or piece of furniture in arresting black and white.

And if you like the look of graffiti but not the cleanup, Scribble onwalls.com will turn your name or phrase into a peel-and-stick street tag, perfect for an urban playroom.

Just for kids

Kid-friendly wall art doesn't stop with traditional licensed characters or tame wallpaper borders. With removable art, a child's room can be a menagerie one year, a skate park the next.

For the nursery, an array of orange, hot pink, lime and aqua dots from wallcandyarts.com can create a bubbly wonderland, while creative types can envelop a room with a favorite song lyric or quote.

Older children can surround themselves with a prehistoric mural or full-fledged rain forest from wallsofjoy.com - or choose your own version of SeaWorld, complete with coral, sharks, and bright fish.

Space cadets of any age will be pleased with the aliens and robots at Moderntots.com.

A racetrack complete with repositionable cars can zoom along walls and smooth floors from whatisblik.com.

For teenagers, a sports fan can do homework beside a life-size Vince Young or transform a bedroom into an elegant French salon with ornate flocking, a chandelier and the Eiffel Tower, from fridgedoor.com.

Good to know

Some decals can be repositioned; others are just removable. Surfaces should be dry, clean, smooth and even and free from dust or grease.

Most sites offer layout ideas, but you should plan your design before peeling and sticking. Decals shouldn't be used on wallpaper, tile or paneling, but they can work on windows or floors or any suitably finished furniture.

Decals by WallPops create a geometric study in black and white that plays off the modern furniture perfectly.