Whatever happened to murals?

I remember my aunt and uncle having a photo mural in their living room of a woodsy fall scene.  For a while I have noticed very few people use murals, wallpaper murals or wallpaper anymore.  I think this is a shame because decorating is all about different patterns and people limit themselves when they simply paint a room.  There has been a rise in the use of wall decals for phrases and symbols, but I feel these are very tacky.  The one downside of wallpaper and murals is they are tedious to replace (unless applying to or painting on removable frames), so make sure it is something you don't mind seeing for a long time. 
Hand painted murals may be expensive if hiring.  There are tutorials for simple techniques like marbling.  A wall or ceiling can be made to look like anything including stained glass, tapestry, a skyline, a window to outside or a vintage postcard...you choose.  Check out some pics of simple wall and ceiling murals some of which you can find as wallpaper.