A Special Feature

A Special Feature
Feature walls have ascended in popularity over the past few years. They can be found not only in residential spaces, but also in hotels, retail settings, and offices. A feature wall in a small space can make it look bigger. We’ve all heard that light colors make a space look bigger, but that’s not necessarily true. Instead, having one darker wall can open a space up by providing a focal point.

There have been many widespread trends over the years that dictated the way that people covered their walls—from the “Golden Age of Wallpaper” in the 1920s, the wood paneling of the mid-20th century, to the infamous shiplap trend of the 2010s (AKA wood paneling for Millennials). Though these trends all have their rightful places as iconic moments in interior design history, the darker colors often used in these elements often made rooms feel smaller than they actually were when used on every wall.

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When some people think of a feature wall, they just picture one wall being painted a different color than the rest, but it doesn’t need to be that basic. A feature wall can take many forms—including but not limited to plaster, wallpaper, and natural materials like stone or wood. Don’t look at your feature wall as just a way to add a new color element to the composition of your room, but also a textural element.

If you have a very eclectic style when it comes to the design of your space, a feature wall can be the perfect addition to help tie everything together. This can be done by emphasizing your accent colors, or having a textured, neutral wall to give everything a muted but still interesting backdrop. If you have an open-concept floor plan, a feature wall can help with subtly dividing the space. When choosing what wall to feature, a safe choice is to go with the natural focal point of the room. For example, in an office you would feature the wall behind the desk, or in a living room feature the wall with the television or fireplace if you have one.

The beautiful thing about feature walls is that every one of them is unique; not just to the space, but to the person. A feature wall can help make your space feel more cohesive and give it a nice flow, which will help create a welcoming ambiance.