The idea and main purpose of a feature wall within a room of your home is to make it just that--the main feature--the first place your eyes focus when walking into a room. The cool thing? Feature walls can be done in so many different ways and the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few examples of ideas to add some serious character to a room (or rooms) in your home. And? The majority of these walls can be done on a budget. Love that!
1.) WOOD. Horizontal planks have quickly become a popular way to add personality to a wall within your home. I have wood walls in two different rooms of my house--one in a deep gray and the other in rustic stained pallet pieces. I love the look of them, have yet to tire of them after four years, and wish I could add even more (but alas, overkill).
In the pic below, "T" wanted a rustic wood wall. His existing furniture had a deep cherry finish so AFC used a mixture of stains to create the wall you see below. However, the window moldings and finishing touches really make this room (can't wait to show you in an upcoming blog post soon).
Wood walls don't have to be cut into sections either. Long, larger pieces of wood can run the width of your wall as well.
This wall (shown below) at The Rock Church in Yuma, AZ was a whole different story. The goal was to tie in the adjacent orange wall, and the rest of the contemporary elements in the room. The lobby has a lot of black and grey so by adding the wood, warmth ensues. This wood actually came from a twenty year-old fence on the property that was taken down. AFC then stained these pieces using four different stains and a mixture thereof.
Wood walls can be subtle, semi-subtle, or carry a super strong presence. It's all a matter of preference.
2. MOLDINGS. Moldings are one of my favorite ways to dress up a wall. They add so much depth, texture, and dimension. They kick everything up a notch. A bit pricier and more involved, the end result is well worth it.
This navy wall received the royal treatment. While a navy wall is gorgeous on its own, a navy wall with moldings is ten times better (at least IMO). The picture below shows exactly what I mean. A total showstopper!
In Arizona-especially with older housing--the majority of our walls have a textured finish. When it comes to adding moldings, it's personal preference as to whether to leave the textured walls showing or to cover them for a smoother finish (like in the image below).
Board and batten was added to the TV wall to lighten and brighten the area, combine with the features of the fireplace, and give a punch of character to the whole room.
Moldings rule.
3. PAINT. Feature walls can be as simple as using one (or two, or three) color(s) of paint to transform them. I'm a huge fan of a strong, black wall. Black makes everything pop and how amazing does this cow print (featured in a cattle feedlot office of all places), look with that dark hue behind it? No other color could achieve such a dramatic look. One gallon of paint at $35 and look at the difference this feature wall makes.
However, black isn't the only color a feature wall can rock (obviously). In the room pictured below, we used SW Dovetail Gray to make that amazing cedar bed really come to life. The dark grey in duo with the Pier 1 bedding adds warmth to the room. It makes it cozy and inviting. I seriously want to curl up and read a book on that bed. Too bad it's not mine. LOL.
Same thing here. "K" really wanted a green feature wall, and not one to disappoint, green is what he got. This bright wall looks brilliant paired with his three light grey remaining walls and really pops. Paint can do amazing things in a room, especially when it comes to accenting one in a darker color.
4. PAINT TECHNIQUES & WALL MURALS. There are feature walls and then there are FEATURE WALLS. "R" and "W" share a room and really wanted a camo wall. Having not attempted camo before, I couldn't wait to jump on the chance to do so and offered a significant savings to my client for letting me try. I think the result is pretty fun and I also heard that these boys love to show their room (and especially their feature wall) off to all who enter their home. Love that!
Stripes. If you've visited this blog before, you know I'm a sucker for painting stripes. I love the look of them, as well as how clean and crisp they appear. They really are my favorite technique to paint. But stripes don't have to take up a whole wall or be limited to just one wall of your space either. This beautiful cream colored stripe (SW Eider White with SW Agreeable Grey) is simple yet gorgeous in this teen girl's room makeover. I love the decor her mama and grandma picked out as well. Simple and classic.
Wall Murals are a ton of fun. They are fun to look at and for me, even more fun to paint. They look great in bedrooms, hallways, offices, and more. I was given the wonderful opportunity to create this desert landscape at the family center of Crossroads Mission in Yuma, AZ last year. It really livens the space up and gives residents a new space/place to spend time together. This once bare wall immediately transformed this entire resident's wing...and that's super fun.
No matter what type of feature wall you select, I really think you can't go wrong. Whether subtle and understated, or vivid and detailed, feature walls make all the difference in a room. So, what's your style? What are you thinking of achieving in your space?
Love,