Feature walls: Ideas

Creating a feature wall in your home can be as simple as using a unique painting technique and stylish, bold colours on an existing wall, or as complex as installing a water wall. The feature wall is well worth considering for your home renovation, because with a few ideas and a little time you can add both value and interest without major reconstruction.

What are the types of feature walls?

The possibilities for a feature wall are truly limited only by your imagination. Consider some of these possibilities, or use them as a starting point for your own creative ideas.

• Water walls are certainly a dramatic choice! A stone, steel or timber water wall feature will make your home a talking point, and will create a beautiful, peaceful ambience. Water walls should recycle a small mount of water, filtering it through a pump system
• Glass bricks will create a dynamic, different look for any room, from an entrance way to the bathroom
• Recover and paint an existing wall. Consider recovering a wall in render, plaster or even a rough finish such as hessian, then pick a colour which accents or creates dramatic contrast to the rest of your interior
• For a really artistic look, consider something unusual. Try a mosaic design in broken tiles or coloured glass (be careful to cover any edges when grouting, and take care when installing)
• Use a beautiful patterned rug thrown over or hung on an existing wall
• Internal or external feature walls made of rough stone such as bluestone or granite are be magnificent and arresting

Panting your feature wall: Tips

Consider your budget and the impact you want, and plan from there. Be as creative as you like within that budget - some of the most interesting and dramatic looks can be achieved with the creative application of a few pots of paint or a patterned mosaic of broken tiles.

Consider the cost of professionals if you are considering building a new wall. Doing this yourself can lead to disaster - unless you are experienced don't try to install a water wall, or new wall yourself. Consider feature walls externally too - a beautiful stone wall to greet visitors to your garden can create a first impression that is hard to forget.

Feature walls can add to the appeal and value of your home, so consider something that would have wider and more lasting appeal if you are considering selling your home. A very personalised artistic mosaic may not be appreciated by all potential buyers, whereas the appeal of a stone feature wall will not fade with trends.

Final information on feature walls

The addition of a feature wall to the inside of your home or to your garden can add pleasure to your experience of your home, or value to it if you are selling. Consider all the options, and don't hold back. You can change the entire feel of your home with a simple paint job or the addition of a patterned rug, or by installing something as timeless and dramatic as a water wall. There are a variety of websites available for you to look at to get some innovative ideas.