Using neutral colours on walls in your home creates a blank canvas on which to create eye-catching and personal decor choices. However, particularly in large rooms, this can create a sense of monotony and predictability. If you want to breathe life into a room, you can do it relatively easily by creating a feature wall.
A feature wall not only breaks the monotony of a monochrome colour scheme, it gives a room the “wow” factor. Choose a prominent wall with lots of space, and make it something that will catch the eye with one of the following ideas.
1. A clock
But not just any clock… a huge clock that dominates the wall. Specialist clockmakers manufacture timepieces with a diameter of up to four or five feet. Giant hands and an attractive face will completely transform the look and feel of a room, and create a truly unique living space.
2. Stripes
Having monochrome walls gives you a huge range of decor options, particularly if you’ve chosen white or another neutral shade. However, it break the monotony, why not paper one of the walls with stripes. Vertical stripes can create the sense of added space, and make ceilings appear higher. Add to this the odd picture frame, and you’ve got a feature wall that will turn heads.
3. Prints
The addition of a few carefully placed prints is a great way to personalise a living space. Stick to a colour scheme and an overall theme, and choose prints of varying sizes to create a collage of different artwork. While you should stick to an overall theme, don’t be afraid to be bold in your choices and arrangements.
4. A blackboard wall
This is a great idea for a kitchen or home office, as it combines a quirky feature wall with a practical tool. Choose a large, flat wall as your blackboard wall, and coat it in a specialist blackboard paint. Use the wall for doodles, notes or planning. You can even write your shopping and to-do lists on it.
5. Paint patterns
This is a quick and simple way to spruce up a wall in style. Select a shade of paint that contrasts with the existing shade on your wall, and apply it in straight lines using a patterned paint roller. This will create a stunning collection of patterns that leap out from the wall. Among the patterns you can choose from include animals, flowers and bespoke artwork. Patterned paint rollers can be bought from leading arts and crafts stores and websites.
6. Brickwork
Rather than adding things to your wall, why not try taking stuff away? Remove your wallcovering and plaster to expose the real brick behind it. If you don’t want the mess and work that involves, apply a brick wallpaper, which delivers a similar effect that can be reversed relatively easily.
7. Storage
Kill two birds with one stone by creating an attractive feature out of storage units. Choose something that really stands out and contrasts with the rest of your decor — whether that’s through colour or an unusual design. Not only will this transform your wall, it will provide you with precious storage.
8. Wall Stencils
Rather than completely redecorating your feature wall, you can make a huge impact with stencils. Some intricate artwork in your living room or some quirky cartoon characters in your child’s bedroom can add colour and an interesting focal point. If you want to keep things simple, choose a single stencil and paint over it with a contrasting paint.
A feature wall — when executed correctly — can transform any type of living space with minimal effort. Choose something that stands out and contrasts with the rest of your decor, and your feature wall will be the talk of the neighbourhood.
