Feature walls have become one of the most talked about, erm, feature or requirement in the house. But what is a feature wall, exactly? And do you actually need one?
They are an eye-catching piece of art or feature that can be used to bring life to an area or room and provide it with a focal point for conversation or for your eyes. It can come in various forms, but essentially it’s a visual statement. It’s usually a single element, often the first thing you see when entering a room, that stands out from the rest—usually due to its color, texture or pattern.
When it, then, comes to anything visual, there’s no essential need, just a want or preference. Visual statement can be anything that pops including flooring, artwork, or furniture pieces. But more often that not it’s on the wall as there are less practical considerations (i.e. you can’t or won’t want to use red textured paint on the floor) and has the biggest area/ canvas to play with.
Below are a couple of different types of feature you can consider, according to your needs.
If you have a spare wall in the room or area that can be used as a decoration canvas, go for it. But more of then than not, for me, something that is practical and usable (and looks good!) means so much more as a feature wall.
It’s almost like a go-to area of the house for anything essential to the house. TV wall or console, storage, seating area, or even a display nook among the storage next to it. When you can have a main piece of carpentry occupying a prominent space in the room, the clutter of the surrounding areas can somehow be visually dialed down.
When a wall becomes visually prominent in a room, it becomes an artwork on its own and enables you to get away with not having any decoration or features on it, without the space looking bare. Couple of usual suspects to do this up are textured paint, a pop of brighter paint color, wallpaper, or carpentry (without storage).
Some walls have texture or shape that are so prominent that can just be in white or matching other walls (no contrast). The way shadows are created on these walls creates a sense of depth which changes throughout the day based on the location of direct sunlight.
If you are a home owner that gets bored easily or who likes relatively regular change, then a loose piece of artwork or decoration is the way to go. When the wall itself is not of a prominent color, then matching or pairing your other loose furniture (sofa, table, rugs, etc) will be a breeze as there is no concern about clashing color.
Artwork these days does not cost a bomb, and if it’s something that is obtained from someone or somewhere else, a new conversation topic is also generated! It could be also a combination of a couple of elements like a sculpture on a display console next to a table lamp.
In conclusion, while feature walls are a popular choice for adding visual interest to any space, they’re not right for every home or situation. Whether or not you choose to have a feature wall in your home ultimately comes down to personal preference and lifestyle.
You might decide a feature wall makes the perfect statement in your space, or you may decide that your home should be kept more subtle without the extra attention-drawing element. Whichever way you go, a feature wall can be a creative and stylish way to bring life to any home, provided you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of space and invest in a bit of creativity.
