YOU'VE heard of the elephant in the room, well this is the elephant in the street - and it's got the neighbours talking.

A mural featuring the gentle grey giant with a bright tropical background has been placed on the front fence of a home on Plunkett St in Paddington, the brazen display dividing the normally quiet street.

Owner Dermot McCormack said the 3D mural was a gift to his wife Ramma Prasad-McCormack, whose Fijian-Indian culture believes that elephants with their trunks up bring good luck.

"People stop and look at it, it's definitely different," he said.

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But the display was branded "monstrous" by one resident.

"All the neighbours have spent so much money on renovating their houses and to do this . . . it was a bit of a shock," the neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said.

"It's just not in keeping with the area."

But the 2.4m x 1.2m display has many motorists beeping as they drive past and families taking photos in front of it.

Mrs Prasad-McCormack said: "I saw city council workers taking photos with the elephant . . . I said I should start charging."

The mural was a gift for his wife but Mr McCormack said it was also a statement.

"Everything is so boring now, I just felt it would make the street more exciting".

A Brisbane City Council spokeswoman said they did not remove decorations.

"There are no actions that council can take on how a home is decorated," she said. "There have been no complaints received."

Neighbour Glenn Ward said he hadn't seen anything like it since living moving to the street 10 years ago.

"It puts a smile on my face every day," he said.

Just a few doors down, Gary Collins said he quite enjoyed the show of "individuality".

"I did threaten I would put a giraffe behind my hedge though," he said.