The Future of Feature Walls

“I think I’d like a feature wall in red in the dining room, and perhaps a feature wall of gold in the living room, a feature wall at the entry - definitely lilac.”

Does this sound familiar to any of you?

Yes, it is very common melody of the feature wall tune. It is like the pop song that you love the first time you hear it then after it is repeated played on the radio and TV at least twice every hour and in every retail store you go - you soon loathe the very thought of it.

I used to use feature walls a lot in commercial design and they worked well, they created focal points in workspaces which could often be dreary, they designated areas for the public and staff and they were fun. You expect drama and movement in these areas. Now I am fed up. Every new house has at least 3 feature walls, each in a different color! Feature wall overload. I get people wanting advice on colors for feature walls, and I now hate them! Well I did until recently when they have now been revamped with the resurgence in popularity of wallpaper.

Feature wall used here to create a separate dining area in an open plan space.

Yes wallpaper, the stuff we have finally finished getting rid of in our DIY projects is now back and more expensive and luxurious than ever. That is why I think it is now being used as a feature wall. Full of wonderful color, texture and patterns, the choices are endless and the complexity of styles is fantastic. You can even get murals in wallpaper now! Simply superb and used in the correct context, they just look fantastic. I know I am using a lot of adjectives in this article, but I have been brought out from my melancholy of painted feature walls to a bright new future for feature walls and I have wallpaper to thank for that.

At last we will now get to see some real creativity happening in homes, combining wallpaper, paint and fabrics. A good combination of textures, colors and patterns. A visual symphony waiting to be created. So get out there now and create a feature wall for your home, but I must stress, there is still the need to keep them to a minimum! Use them as a feature. The term “feature” should be the point to remember. Use them to highlight an important area and make a focal point in your home to create your feature.

Have a look at this for bold use of wallpaper as a feature wall - I love it!

For example a dramatic wall in your entrance to create a positive first impression and show off a stunning piece of artwork or use it in your living room around your fireplace once again to create that space as your focal point in the room, but please don’t use them in every room. It can make your home look disjointed with your eye jumping from one color or pattern to the next and this causes uneasiness and you don’t feel comfortable or relaxed.

If you don’t have the confidence to use a big bold patterned wallpaper then take the subtle option and select a textured wallpaper and gradually add drama and color with your furnishings and decoration.

Architectaria - Architect and Planners

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