Feature Wall Colours – How To DIY Paint A Feature Wall
Feature walls offer a chance to experiment with colours and textures in your home or even your workplace. They are also known as accent walls.
They provide a fast way to add a design element to your room.
Choosing the perfect wall paint colour for a feature wall can seem overwhelming and another consideration is the wall you choose.
The colour you pick can have a significant effect on the look and feel of your room and of course your mood. We know that colour has an impact on how we feel in a room. Read on to learn how you can choose the right accent colour for each room in your home.
Pick The Best Wall To Use As An Accent.
Feature walls look great when they are and entire without any doors or windows.
Using a wall window will actually distract from the view the windows offer. Usually, the best wall to use is the first one you spot immediately after entering a room.
If you have a rectangular room, the short and farthest wall is the perfect wall to accentuate. The colour will highlight the wall and make it seem closer to you, discernibly correcting the structure of the room. The other wall type that is ideal, is one that already has a feature such as a fireplace or a mantle piece and these are often found in living rooms and in period style homes in the bedrooms.
The Colour You Choose Needs To Make You Feel Good!
Paint trends come and go and the great thing about feature walls is that you can change the look of a room when you want a change or to follow a new colour trend. Or in a child’s bedroom as they grow they will want to choose a colour that matches their age and personality.
After deciding on which wall to paint, you then have to select the colour.
One way to start deciding on colour choice is to have an understanding of the role that certain colours have in how we act and feel around them and this colour psychology guide may help you in that research.
Determine how various colours affect your mood and the ambience you wish to create.
Feature walls make more sense when you stick to a simple design rule and use a colour that is darker than the other walls in the room.
A vice versa colour mix is also possible. For example, you can have a light feature wall with other walls having a deeper colour. This will take confidence and a keen eye for painting and decorating. Therefore, if you are a beginner, it’s better you stick with the conventional colour placement.
Choose Complementary Accent Colours.
Ensure that the colour you pick complements other walls in the room. Picking a bold colour can be amazing but only if it matches in with other walls and flooring in the room. Choosing a feature wall colour just because it is your favourite colour is not always going to work as it could be a total clash.
A great interior decorating rule is the 60-30-10 Rule
Your 60 percent is the main colour for your room. Most likely the 60 percent in a living room would be most of your walls, large furnishings like area rugs, or a large sofa. An example would be the walls, the carpet and a large sofa to be all a soft grey tone.
Your 30 percent is the secondary colour. You’ll be using half as much of this colour as your main colour. So this could be curtains, a feature wall, a rug or artwork
The idea is that the secondary colour supports the main colour, but is different enough to set them apart and give the room interest.
An example would be to paint a feature wall and have a large floor rug in coral tones
Your 10 percent is your brighter accent colour. For a living room, this is cushions or throw rugs and other decorative accessories.
For a bedroom use accent pillows on the bed and use bedside tables or small artworks.
An example would be to use a bright blue with throw cushions on the sofa, blue artwork on a wall and blue ceramic or glassware on occasional tables on shelving
Test The Paint Colour
Sometimes it can be hard to ascertain how a specific colour will appear on your feature wall. If you know the colour you wish to paint on your accent wall, it’s an
excellent idea to purchase a sample pot. Apply 2 coats of the paint and we suggest painting an area from the skirting board up to the cornice so you can see the contrast against the floor and ceiling. Let the paint to dry and look at the colour during the day and also at night. This test will provide you with an accurate picture of how the colour will look like on your accent wall.
Use The Right Painting Method
When painting a feature wall, Use the best method to give a perfect painted result. Take the time to prepare the wall. Fix any hairline cracks, patch and sand any chips or dents in the wall and caulk up gaps against the cornice or the floor areas. This is a feature wall so you do not want imperfections to stand out.
Choose a matte or flat paint. Do not use a paint with a shine or pearl element – It easily can look tacky and the walls need to be perfect as a shiny finish will highlight every imperfection on the wall and with the paint application.
Make sure that you use painting tape to cut corners and protect the cornices and skirting boards so you have a crisp straight line. A feature wall that has wavy lines will drive you crazy every time you look at the uneven paint lines.
A uniform painting technique will also enable you to avoid creating noticeable edges. Standard painting guides suggest that one should paint in W zig-zag manner. This painting method will help paint the whole accent wall smoothly and avoids lines and drips in the paint that happens when you paint in straight lines. The other area that you must get right is to use a primer or undercoat on a wall if it has a darker colour already painted on it. Also do not skimp on the amount of paint that you use. You need to apply 2 coats of paint and let it dry between coats. But avoid doing the opposite and being too heavy-handed with the paint application. The paint will not dry evenly and it is likely to crack where it is too thick.
Put A Feature Wall In The Right Room.
An accent wall should be an impact feature for the right reasons. Avoid doing a feature wall in a small room or a room that is already visually overloaded with furniture. Don’t go painting a feature wall in an already congested room. It can make a room look chaotic and disorderly. A feature wall is a highlight and has room and space for it to fit into a room, A feature wall in a small busy room will make it look smaller and even busier! An example if the kitchen. With cupboards, windows and appliances – It makes more sense to use a splashback as a feature piece if you are wanting to bring colour into the area. A painted wall would look too disjointed.
Consider The Ceiling
Because the ceiling happens to be your fifth wall. Low ceilings are usually painted as white as possible and a regular ceiling paint white makes sense to use. If you have high ceilings then you do have an option of using a white with a touch of tint to it that ties in with the main wall colour.
Final Take – Painting your accent wall can be an enormous task. However, when you do it correctly, you can add a generous amount of visual interest in your room. Follow the above tips for painting your feature wall colours, and your wall will accent your space and not overwhelm it.
If You are wanting a feature wall but do not have the time to do it yourself – Then hiring a house painter may be the right thing for you.
Brisbane Painting Pros are available for all residential painting.
If it is a single wall you want to be painted – Finding a house painter who has time for a single wall maybe difficult. Hiring a handyman for a small job maybe a better choice. We work closely with Bayside Handyman if you are needing a Brisbane Handyman
Getting Started
The decision of which paint colour to use for a featureis an important one. It will affect the look and feel of the entire room, so it’s important to get it right. I’ve outlined some of the key considerations that need to be taken into account when making this decision.
Firstly, you need to decide how much paint you require for the makeover. Consider if you want to just painting all the surrounding walls or just the feature . You also need to think about whether using a brush or roller is best for your project, as well as whether a primer should be used before painting. Finally, decide what type of paint is best suited for the job – there are lots of options available at various price points.
Making a decision on which paint colour to use in your feature isn’t always easy but with careful consideration and research, you can ensure the final result will be beautiful and long-lasting. So take your time; ask questions and seek advice from experts if needed – then enjoy the transformation!
