Feature walls are an excellent way to elevate the style potential of almost any room in the home. From a soft block colour to a vibrant display to appease your inner maximalist, feature walls come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In this blog, we’ll explore our favourite feature wall ideas and showcase just how easy they can be to enjoy in your home.
The benefits of a feature wall
Feature walls - regardless of their intensity or vibrancy - introduce a focal point to a room. By breaking the normal rules applied to your decor, feature wall panelling also allows the freedom to enjoy a different style in your room. For example, you may have a somewhat minimalist approach to a room’s aesthetic but with a feature wall, you can introduce a pop of maximalist joy without overpowering the overall effect.
The same approach works in reverse. If you have a very heavily patterned room, a minimalist feature wall will grant you the flexibility to add open shelving to present cherished possessions, or to even add a picture wall exhibiting cherished snapshots from your life, without detracting from their own visual appeal.
Full height feature walls
One of the most common styles of this trend are full height feature walls. These walls, as the name indicates, extend from the floor, all the way up to the ceiling.
For smaller rooms, a full height feature wall will make the space feel larger, especially if you select vertical stripe wallpaper. The vertical lines will give the effect that the ceiling is higher than it actually is, in turn making the whole room feel more spacious. This same approach can be achieved using full height wall panels with vertical details.
SlatWall, for example, feature vertical groove lines which draw the eye up, while adding depth and texture to the wall. These are an ideal choice for more minimalist feature walls.
Partial feature walls
If, however, the idea of a full height feature wall isn’t quite to your taste, you can always consider a partial feature wall. Here, the top half or quarter can be a dynamic wallpaper, vibrant paint, or a picture wall, but to rein in the overall effect, stylish decorators often cover the bottom portion of the wall with stylish, high quality wall panelling.
Wall panels come in a diverse selection of colours, styles and finishes giving you the versatility to find the best choice for your feature wall. Whether you opt for rich, dark wood brown panels to compliment a classically inspired wallpaper, or a soft grey panel to contrast with a bright green paint, the right product is here for you.
One popular style of paneling for partial feature walls is wainscoting panels, a style of panelling that tends to cover only part of the wall. Wainscoting can be achieved in a variety of ways which you can learn all about in our dedicated Wainscoting blog.
Living room feature wall ideas
Living rooms are the social heart of a home. As a result they deserve as much love and attention as you muster. To make a true style statement in your living room, consider making a full height feature wall using fashionable wallpaper, or for a more interesting and environmentally conscious feature wall, Reclaimed Wood Panelling! Each reclaimed wood tile is completely unique, with organic characteristics and weathering from its previous usage, ensuring a statement-making finish. This is perfect for a feature wall. We have created a collection of most popular living room wall panels for you to browse.
Bedroom feature wall ideas
Bedrooms tend to be a more softly decorated space, but they can still benefit greatly from a feature wall. With enough space, you can happily consider a combination of wainscoting and wallpaper, but for a truly sophisticated and calming bedroom feature wall, consider paintable MDF panels. These easy-to-fit panels are built to last and specially made to be painted. As a result, you can find a style that best suits your theme, then paint it in a colour that synergises beautifully with the other colours in your bedroom. View our range of bedroom wall panels here.
Kitchen feature wall ideas
Kitchens are also fully deserving of the stylistic benefits of a feature wall. Kitchen feature walls usually focus on ornate crockery mounted on the wall, but here too you can enjoy a feature wall composed of wooden panels - you just need the right panels. When it comes to moisture-rich spaces, wood isn’t always the best choice. With SlatWall Waterproof Panels however, you don’t have to worry about the steam in your kitchen. With their wipeable finish, you can easily maintain its striking appearance keeping your kitchen feature wall looking perfect for years to come. To make it easy to know which panels are suitable for a kitchen, we have collated our favourites in our kitchen wall panels collection.
Bathroom feature wall ideas
As with kitchens, bathrooms require a little more planning when considering a feature wall. At Naturewall however we have just the product - Elemence Shower Panels. These innovative panels are specially crafted from a perfect blend of real limestone and recycled materials to create a more sustainable and stylish alternative to traditional tiles. With a selection of eye-catching natural stone finishes, these shower panels are the ideal products for curating your bathroom feature wall. You can learn all about Elemence Shower Panels in our buyer’s guide.
Feature wall ideas come in a range of styles. From traditional combinations of wainscoting and wallpaper, to the intricate and unique detailing of reclaimed wood panelling, there is a style to suit any home decor style. If you’re not 100% certain about which style is best for you, don’t forget you can order samples from the website to see your options in the flesh before you buy.