The Do’s and Don’ts of Feature Walls

If you pick a random wall as your feature wall, it will look exactly that - random! Instead, your choice of wall needs to be guided by purpose and intent. For example, feature walls are a great way of drawing attention to an architectural feature such as a window or chimney breast. Choose blinds or curtains in a colour that echoes the wall around them; that way your eye will be drawn to the window. If you have a fabulous fireplace, paint the surrounding wall in a contrasting colour so it really stands out. Similarly, if a wall is an unusual shape, make it a feature. Quirky can be very good.

Feature walls are an effective way of defining an area for a specific purpose within a larger room. Perhaps you want to create somewhere to work, read or eat in an open-plan space; a feature wall will provide the perfect backdrop, grounding the area and ensuring it has its own identity.

As effective as feature walls can be, they will never make a room look larger. A strong colour on one wall will make it appear to advance and draw attention to the boundaries of a room. So, if space is at a premium, use the same colour on all walls and woodwork.

In contrast, the visual illusion of an advancing wall can work a treat in a narrow hallway or room. If you paint the end wall and woodwork in a stronger colour, the space will feel squarer and wider.

If you’ve gone to the trouble and expense of bespoke joinery, show it off by making it the feature wall. Painting a set of bookshelves and the wall behind them in an accent colour is a great way of creating a feature wall and will really make books and other display items pop. Why not go for gloss paint for maximum impact? If a television is incorporated into your joinery, a dark colour behind will do a great job of camouflaging it when it’s switched off.

Although paint may be the obvious way to create a feature wall, there are many other materials to consider. What about wallpaper or tiles for example? And while the word ‘cladding’ may conjure up images of saunas and 1970s design gone horribly wrong, a panelled feature wall can be very effective indeed, introducing texture, character and depth to a space.

Discover our range of beautiful fabrics to complement any feature wall here