feature walls

I’m often asked if feature walls are ‘in’ or ‘out’, well the truth is, if you feel your room could use a shot of quick colour, you really can’t go past them for dramatic and affordable results.

Start by choosing a colour that will suit the other walls in your room.  Another option is to paint the other walls a few shades lighter than your feature wall colour for less contrast and a harmonious combination.

As for paint quantity, as a guide, an average wall of around 3m wide x 3m high, without doors or windows will need approximately 2L of paint. (More may be required, depending on application and colour selected).

When it comes to which wall to paint, it’s important to select the right one, you don’t want to highlight ugly architectural features, air-conditioners or draw attention to oddly situated windows and doors.

Also be mindful of the dramatic effect a colour can have on the visual proportions of a room.  By painting a shorter wall to make it a feature, especially in a rich, deep colour, it will appear to come towards you.  This can be great for highlighting a certain area, and also for balancing out and enhancing a long narrow room.

On the other hand, if you paint only the longest wall in the room as the feature, it will only accentuate the narrowness of the room, possibly even creating a ‘tunnel’ like effect. 

Generally for bedrooms, the wall behind the bed is the best to paint and in a dining room, the wall parallel with the table or buffet often works well.

For added interest consider some of the many paint textures available such as metallic or suede effects or even try your hand at wallpapering for up-to-the-minute style. And as for accessories and art, choose them with your new colour in mind to help ‘carry’ the colour throughout the room.