9 great feature wall ideas

If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your living room or your bedroom, then a feature wall might be just the thing you’re looking for. Not only will it draw the eye, modernise and add character to any space, it will also help guide the colour scheme for the rest of your interior decor.

Add colour

Paint your chosen feature wall one solid shade of colour. It might be pale blue, it might be deep red, it might be bright purple - it can be anything to your taste. Then work the rest of your interior decor around it. You might choose neutral-coloured lounges and brightly coloured cushions that complement the colour of your feature wall, or you might sit a floral centrepiece atop the dining table that contrasts the feature wall.

Add texture

If done right, a tiled, stone or wood-panelled wall in the midst of three plaster walls or walls with floor to ceiling windows can turn an otherwise plain room into a modern, sophisticated space.

Add freshness

Probably an idea best left to sunrooms and bathrooms, having a wall of plants, vines or flowers as your feature wall can add a rustic, outdoorsy feeling to a space. From sitting a couple of pot plants on shelves on the walls, to actually having a wall of vines and leaves, a feature wall of plants is certainly something that will leave your house guests talking.

Add decals

Cheap and easy to come by, wall decals are becoming increasingly popular. They’re easy to place and remove, meaning you can change it up any time you want with none of the hassle that a new paint job would create. From inspirational quotes, to artsy swirls, to dainty butterflies and birds taking flight, there’s a design out there to suit all tastes and spaces.

Add depth

Make a small room seem more spacious by hanging a large mirror, and making that your feature wall. Paint horizontal stripes to make a narrow room seem wider, and vertical stripes to make low ceilings seem higher.

Add storage

Optimise space with a whole wall of storage cubes, or make a colour statement with just a few cubes with colourful backboards. Create a colour scheme by sitting certain coloured objects on plain-coloured shelves, and base the rest of the room’s decor around that. Alternatively, a wall of bookshelves will be a dream come true for booklovers.

Stuck for storage space? Here are a few ways to maximise the space you have.

Add excitement

Wallpapered feature walls are an easy way to add a touch of excitement to an otherwise dull space. Bright, geometric patterns create a feeling of sophistication and modernise the room, while vintage wallpaper patterns can maintain the vibes of an older house that’s been refurbished.

You can even jazz up the kids’ bedrooms with patterns and prints. While a wall of cars or butterflies or rainbows may create a feeling of fun, a feature wall that’s pale blue or yellow or painted with a cloud or starry sky motif, for example, might be calming.

Add warmth

Be bold and add a splash of bright summer colours, like orange, crimson and gold, to add warmth to a space that feels cold. Alternatively, try hanging paintings using similar warm colours against a plain wall to create the same warm feeling. Keep the rest of the room’s decor, which includes everything from rugs to drapes to vases, in this colour scheme to add further warmth.

If you wanted to add literal warmth, you could even create a feature wall around a fireplace.

Looking for ways to warm up your house during the winter months? We've got a few low-cost ideas.

Add history

Put your most cherished memories on display for everyone to see with a feature wall of photos. Hang frames of different shapes and sizes to create interest. Use frames with solid black edges to create a classier, artistic look. For a more laidback, hipster look, create a photo garland with string and pegs.