14 Feature Wall Ideas for the Modern Home
Since they rose to fame in the early 2000’s, feature walls have been a staple in the design-led home. The chance to channel your creativity and embrace your inner interior designer – without committing to a complete decor overhaul – creating an accent wall (or two) in your home is at the top of many DIY-er’s to-do list.
To help you create the ultimate feature wall/s in your home, we’ve rounded up 15 exciting feature wall ideas to inspire your next home improvement project.
Table of Content
- Add a pop of colour to your accent wall
- Go big with some statement wallpaper
- Make a TV feature wall
- Get smart with shelving
- Go for an exposed brick wall
- Play around with wood panels
- Curate an elegant gallery wall
- Tile your feature walls
- Decorating with wall stickers
- Take it outdoors with a garden wall
- Turn up the heat with a fireplace wall
- Grow your own living wall
- Turn built-in storage into an accent wall
- Put a mirror on it
So what is a feature wall? Simply put, it’s a wall that has qualities that make it stand out from the other walls in a room. Using contrast, colours, patterns, textures and even furniture pieces, you can direct the eye to a space that may have been overlooked and to add character or style to a room. It also gives us a chance to experiment with bold colours, striking patterns and mix-and-match artworks that would otherwise easily overwhelm the space.
But is it still fashionable to have a feature wall in your home? The answer is absolutely. Feature walls, thanks to their versatility and ability to add interest to the dullest of rooms, have cemented their place as another timeless trend that’s here to stay.
14 feature wall ideas for your home
1. Add a pop of colour to your accent wall
One of the easiest – and most effective – feature wall ideas is to simply pick a wall and add a splash of paint to make it stand out from the rest of the room. It’s up to you whether your pop of colour is making a bright and bold statement or favours something a little more paired-back – and therein lies the appeal.
2. Go big with some statement wallpaper
Another simple solution to DIY-ing an accent wall is to use statement wallpaper. Why? Because, whether you prefer minimalist designs or bold maximalist prints, there’s a wallpaper to suit every preference with a near infinite number of colours, styles, images and patterns to choose from.
3. Make a TV feature wall
Media walls convert the focal point of your living room – your TV – into an accent wall. You can do this by mounting your TV on a design-led TV stand (such as these ultra modern floating TV stands by Wallroom), which immediately draws your eyes to the area. You can also display the other components of your media set-up (gaming console and sound system) on wall-mounted display boxes or shelves to complete the look.
4. Get smart with shelving
If a fresh coat of paint isn’t cutting it in the feature wall department, consider installing stylish floating shelves or wall-mounted display boxes as a way to draw attention to your wall. Not only will these shelves provide extra storage and add depth to the space but you can use them to display decorative items that will add a touch of character to your room.
5. Go for an exposed brick wall
Exposed brick is the poster child for industrial chic, and when it comes to industrial chic, it’s an interior design trend we can’t get enough of. Bring a taste of this perennially popular trend into your home by making exposed brick the base of your feature wall – whether you’ve got a bona fide exposed brick wall or a brick veneer.
6. Play around with wood panels
The wonderful thing about a wood feature wall is that you have plenty of options to choose from. There’s the different types of wood and their respective shades, grains and textures, as well as different types of panelling, from elegant shiplap panelling to modern wood slats with geometric detailing. The best part? If you’re not a fan of the raw wood look, you can paint the panels.
7. Curate an elegant gallery wall
Art never goes out of style, which is what makes gallery walls a timeless trend. Whether you prefer contemporary pieces or classical artworks in gilded frames, put on your gallerist gloves and curate a stylish living room or bedroom feature wall with a collection of your favourite artworks and pictures. Tip: use different-sized and shaped artworks to give your gallery wall extra character.
8. Tile your feature walls
Tiles come in a wonderful variety of colours, patterns and textures. This makes them an excellent choice for transforming a plain wall into a stylish feature in your home, whether it's an elegant blue backsplash for your kitchen feature wall, or a wall of patterned tiles to make your bath or shower stand out.
9. Decorating with wall stickers
10. Take it outdoors with a garden wall
Having a feature wall doesn’t have to be limited to the indoors - you can build one in your garden too. Simply add a water wall or wall-mounted fountain to create a focal point for your garden feature wall.
11. Turn up the heat with a fireplace wall
If you think about it, a fireplace is already a feature in its own right, which is why it makes a great centrepiece for an accent wall. If you want to turn your fireplace into a feature wall, simply elevate the surrounding wall by adding a unique wallpaper, or giving it a textured exposed brick or wood panelled finish.
12. Grow your own living wall
Plants bring a welcome splash of green that can completely revitalise a room, and a living wall turns things up a notch by making plants your focal point. All you’ll need to do is put up several wall-mounted display boxes, built-in or floating shelves on your wall and pile on the pot plants – just make sure you pick ones that are easy to care for.
13. Turn built-in storage into an accent wall
There’s something inherently eye-catching about built-in shelving that stretches from the floor to the ceiling. Convert this point of interest into an accent wall by painting your shelves a unique colour, or filling them with a selection of art, picture frames, books, vases and other trinkets to make it stand out.
14. Put a mirror on it
Mirrors are known as an interior designer’s secret weapon because they enhance a room’s natural light and give the illusion of space. They immediately draw the eye, which is why large mirrors – or multiple smaller mirrors in varying shapes and sizes – are a popular choice for feature walls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wall is best for a feature wall?
The short answer: whichever wall you want. But, there are a few interior design rules of thumb to keep in mind. First, consider the room as a whole and decide on which space draws your eyes when you enter it. That focal area would be the ideal place for your accent wall. That, and you’ll want to steer clear of walls with windows and doors which could diminish the overall feature effect.
What can I put on a feature wall?
When it comes to creating your accent wall, the sky’s the limit. Start small – with a simple coat of paint – or go big, with a boldly patterned wallpaper. But, if you want your feature wall to endure the ever-changing interior design landscape, choose something timeless rather than trend-led and choose colours, patterns and pieces that you won’t get tired of.
Should a feature wall be lighter or darker?
Generally (but not always!) when it comes to feature walls, you’ll want to use paint or wallpaper that is a darker shade than the other walls in your space in order to create contrast. After all, it’s this contrast that will ensure your feature wall draws the eye.