There are few things more more energizing than a fresh start. With the times we have been living in, one fresh start that you may consider is a new paint job around your home or office. Instead of going with the same old colours, or a uniform colour on all walls, how about choosing to create a new feature wall. There is an unending choice when it comes to colour selection, so this post might help you decide which way you want to go.
We offer experienced painting services including painting or re-painting residential walls. So painting feature walls is something we have done many times.
One of the best ways to begin is working out what might best accommodate your character. To begin let’s take a look at a few tips when it comes to painting a feature wall.
Strike A Balance
Many design experts have spoken about maintaining a 60-30-10 principle when using more than one or two colours within an interior room. It is broken down like this :
- Use light tones for 60% of the space. This helps to make it look more spacious, roomier, and open.
- Contrasting this with 30% bolder or feature colour to bring the room some personality
- The leftover 10% can be used for specific highlighting, such as frames or skirting for example.
While we only focus on the paint, not interior design as a whole, this principle applies to the whole room. So different materials such has curtains, or furniture pieces can be included in this ratio. Imagine you have an end table with a marble top, this marble colour could be included in the thirty percent bold colour choice, or the 10% highlight colours, depending on which colours you are choosing.
Don’t Go Too Big Too Fast
When planning a painting a space, it’s important to think of the completed room, not just the colours on bare walls. Our experience has shown that if you are considering a feature wall and highlights, it is better to keep it simple at first.
By this we mean, it can be better to first paint the basic wall colour, followed by the feature wall. Once that is done, you can reconsider based on how the room feels and what it might look like with the key furniture added back in. Keeping it basic and not adding your whole colour palate right away, can reduce the need to paint over sections that might feel, too much.
Adding one colour at a time, followed by an inspection can be the best staggered approach to adding striking colours or the warming tones possible from a feature wall.
You need to be quite artistic or very brave to have more than one colour on a feature wall. Again, if this is the case, paint this wall before any extra features, such as architraves or skirting in different colours.
Be Creative
At the end of the day, paint can always be changed. It is not a tattoo.
If you want to make a feature wall, chances are you will under commit to bold colours and choices. This seems to be human nature when it comes to decorating the inside of their homes. White rules.
When it comes to a feature wall, many clients in the past either want a specific favourite colours, a colour that sets a mood or something just plain out there. Whatever the motivator for your feature wall, commit to it. People regret more the things they don’t do. Yellow is yellow. Go for it.
Never Disturb Your Sleep
When renovating a home, this is most likely time to go for a feature wall. The most common areas for this are either in the lounge room or a bedroom. In the bedroom, it is recommended that you keep your sleep and the feeling you like to have in your bedroom in mind.
It can be worth it here in the bedroom to consider some emotional connections people have with colours. Blue and light yellow or cream tones are related with resting and calm for example, while some darker purple tones, red and other colours might just disrupt your sleep, or the way you feel before going to sleep.
In kids rooms the same thing should be considered. Bright primary colours might be fun, but will they help your one year old relax off to sleep.
Invert The Rules
We live in a world where more and more design rules are meant to be broken. Depending on the sort of home or commercial space you live in, it might be an option to switch the rules a little. For example, different materials are often used on walls than would have been previously an option.
You see this in all the industrial cafe spaces with open brick work, pallet walls, and things like that. A feature wall is not just the paint, it might be a picket fence attached to your wall, or other decorative painted features on your walls.
Don’t Forget The Natural Light
Bright sunlight entering a room can be a designers best or worst friend. A feature wall with distinctive colours might look great at night with mood lighting switched on. How will it look in the daylight, with the sun entering the room. This is something that should be considered when choosing colours, or also which wall be your feature.
Other Room Considerations
Similar to the above point with the sunlight, the view from adjoining rooms might be a consideration. Especially if you are creating multiple feature wall. Will it look odd looking from one room to another that is facing a feature wall in the other room? You should consider the adjoining rooms too when deciding on feature walls.
Take A Risk
It is okay to pull out all the stops! It is your home or your office after all. Pick that metallic shading you’ve seen in a magazine that makes you go “WOW”.
Have a go at something you thought you might never do. You thoughts might change, a pattern might become no longer what you like, rooms might be used for different purposes. All you need to do if that happens is to paint over it!.
If you would like to work with a house painter in Melbourne that is experienced with feature walls, then why not contact us for a quote. You can be sure we will be excited to make your idea a reality.