Feature Wall Ideas for Living Rooms, Bedrooms and Hallways

The best feature wall ideas put texture, pattern or art on the one wall your eye already goes to. In a living room that is usually the chimney breast or the wall behind the sofa. In a bedroom it is the wall behind the bed. In a hallway it is the end wall you face as you come in, or the long wall beside the stairs. Choose that wall first, then pick a finish that suits how the room is used and how the light falls on it.

Below are feature wall ideas room by room, using the finishes we supply and install, from Venetian plaster and limewash to hand painted murals, sculptural plaster and mosaic.

How to choose which wall

A feature wall works when it looks inevitable, as though the room was designed around it. A few questions help.

• What do you see first? Stand in the doorway. The wall facing you, or the one that frames the main piece of furniture, is normally the right one.
• Is there a natural focal point? A fireplace, a bed, a sofa or a dining table gives the wall a reason to be special.
• How broken up is it? A wall with two doors, a radiator and a window is hard to make sing. A clear, unbroken wall is easier.
• Where is the light? The wall with the window in it sits in its own shadow. The wall opposite or beside the window catches daylight and shows texture far better.

Living room feature wall ideas

A living room feature wall has to work by day and in the evening, and it often has to share space with a television.

• Venetian plaster on the chimney breast. Polished Venetian plaster has depth and a soft sheen that changes as the light moves round the room.
• Marmorino for a quieter look. Marmorino has a fine, stone like texture and a calmer finish, lovely across a whole wall behind a sofa.
• Liquid metal in the alcoves. A liquid metal finish on alcoves or shelving backs adds glow without taking over the room.
• A fluted or wave wall. Sculptural plaster behind a television or sofa gives the room a focal point that is not just the screen.
• Panel mouldings and cornice. In a period home, plaster panel mouldings painted one strong colour can be the feature on their own.

Bedroom feature wall ideas

The wall behind the bed is the obvious bedroom feature wall, and because you see it mostly in soft light, texture and colour can be gentler than in a living room.

• Limewash. Limewash gives soft, cloudy colour with natural movement, ideal for a calm room.
• Hand painted chinoiserie. Birds, branches and blossom painted directly onto the wall, or onto gold leaf, silver leaf or grasscloth backgrounds, turn the bed wall into the whole story of the room.
• A bedroom mural. A landscape, a garden or a painted sky can make even a small bedroom feel like an escape. See our hand painted murals.
• Bas relief. Bas relief sculpted by hand in plaster above the bed, left white and lit from above, becomes a quiet piece of art.
• Panelling as a headboard. Plaster panel mouldings running to picture rail height can stand in for a headboard altogether.

Hallway feature wall ideas

Hallways are seen briefly but often, and they take knocks from bags, buggies and bikes, so a hallway feature wall needs to be tough as well as beautiful.

• Venetian plaster or marmorino. Both are durable once fully cured, and small marks can often be repaired without redoing the whole wall.
• A stair wall mural. The long wall beside a staircase is a natural canvas for a painted landscape or climbing florals, and murals in busy areas can be sealed.
• Mosaic at the threshold. A mosaic panel, a pattern or a house name in the entrance is practical and welcoming.
• Dado panelling. Panel mouldings below a dado rail protect the lower wall and leave the upper wall free for colour or plaster.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Wet rooms need finishes chosen for water, not only for looks.

• Tadelakt. Tadelakt is a traditional Moroccan lime plaster, polished with a stone and black soap to give a water resistant, softly gleaming surface.
• Microcement. Microcement gives a smooth, continuous look with no grout lines, popular for walk in showers.
• Mosaic. A mosaic shower wall or kitchen splashback is a classic feature. We supply ready made mosaics, design bespoke ones and install both.

Light and colour

Light decides how any feature wall looks. Textured finishes like limewash, marmorino and sculptural plaster come alive when light rakes across them, so think about wall lights, picture lights or a concealed strip close to the wall. Polished Venetian plaster and liquid metal reflect light, which brightens a dim corner.

For colour, a feature wall does not have to be a contrasting shade. A tone or two deeper than the other walls, in a richer finish, often looks more considered. Deeper colours can make a small room feel enclosed and cosy, while pale finishes keep it airy. Always look at samples on the wall in morning and evening light. Our Venetian plaster can be machine tinted to any of 1,950 NCS colours, and you can browse our colours to start.

Questions we get asked

Should a feature wall be a different colour from the rest of the room?

Not necessarily. A change of texture or finish in the same colour family can be more elegant than a bold contrast, and it suits rooms you want to feel calm.

Which wall should be the feature wall in a living room?

Usually the chimney breast, if you have one, or the wall behind the sofa or television. Pick the wall you face most and that is not broken up by doors and windows.

What is the most hard wearing feature wall for a hallway?

Venetian plaster, marmorino, mosaic and sealed murals all cope well with daily life. Panel mouldings below a dado rail add extra protection where bags and shoulders brush the wall.

Can a feature wall go on the ceiling?

Yes. A polished plaster or painted ceiling can be a striking feature, especially in a bedroom or dining room. Venetian plaster on a ceiling catches light beautifully from below.

Where to go next. Explore all our feature walls, read our guide to a Venetian plaster feature wall, or compare finishes for a fluted wall. When you have a wall in mind, contact us or call or WhatsApp 07592 929191.