26th January 2014

How to Create the Ultimate Feature Wall

By Darlings Of Chelsea

The idea of having a feature wall in one or more rooms of a property is not a new one. However there are ways you can make sure you create something truly stunning everyone will love.

Choose your Feature Wall Colours Carefully

Before you begin it helps to decide whether or not you are going to decorate the rest of the room as well. The nature of a feature wall means you don’t have to do this; you can choose the wall to act as a focal point and decorate that on its own.

The colours will be important here – they should complement whatever else is in the room. It is one thing to allow your feature wall to stand out, but quite another for it to jar against everything else in the vicinity.

Patterns that stand out

Typically your chosen wall should have a pattern of some kind to make it stand out. You could opt for stripes or perhaps a more subtle design. Some people choose strikingly bold single colour wallpaper that has an embossed design. Others opt for a special type of paint that has a different finish.

Fortunately many manufacturers now have dedicated ranges focusing on feature wallpapers that are designed specifically for feature walls.

Wallpaper or paint?

If you choose wallpaper you must be confident of hanging it properly. The wall will be designed to draw the eye in, so any errors in hanging it or matching a pattern will show up. You may feel more confident in using paint to achieve the effect you want.

If this is the case you can consider using more than just special paints to achieve the desired effect. Wall art can work extremely well on feature walls, as can stencils that enable you to add a pattern to the base colour in a secondary colour.

Adding the final touches

A stunning feature wall does not simply have to be created with wallpaper or paint. You can add other features to it as well. Think about a framed picture that contrasts directly with the appearance of the wall behind it. For example, if you have gone for chocolate brown wallpaper, you could add a picture with a striking white frame that really stands out.

Alternatively if you feel really brave you could create a piece of art on the wall itself. There are plenty of wall art examples, special paints and large paintings that would make light work of this possibility.

A lot will depend on the size of the wall you choose and where it is. If you live in an older property with a real fireplace, this would make the ideal feature wall. With the dramatic fireplace standing out against the chosen wallpaper or paint finish, there is little need to do much else.

As you can see, by focusing on which wall to pick and how to make it stand out, you will find it easier than ever to create the ultimate feature wall.