Guide to Creating your Living Room Feature Wall

The design of living rooms can be a tricky challenge to pull off successfully. We want the room to say something about us, be stylish and yet stand the test of time without the need to redecorate every few years. The great advantage of the living room feature wall is that it makes a big impact without the need to change the entire space. And it’s no exaggeration to say that there are as many options for creating feature walls as there are homes.

Read on to discover all about living room feature wall ideas and how to match them with your home décor. We include the most popular materials and some tips on using design to make a greater impact.

Massa Bookmatch 59.6×150 cm

Planning Your Living Room Feature Wall

Before deciding on either materials or style, you’ll need to work out which wall or zone will become your living room feature wall. That will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of the room, where the windows are located and if the living room has an open-plan layout.

• Feature Walls for Small Living Rooms: you don’t want to overpower the small living room with an over-the-top feature wall. Choose the wall that is opposite the window for the maximum impact. The light will multiply the effect and generally, the seating arrangement within a small living room faces away or to one side of the window.
• Feature Walls for Open-plan Living Rooms: use the living room feature wall to create visual continuity within the space. In other words, make sure the feature wall is legible from different zones of the open-plan area. This is a great way to pull the kitchen, living room and dining areas together.
• Creating a Focal Point with a Feature Wall: for rectangular or square proportion living rooms, the feature wall is a great way to emphasise a line of symmetry. Symmetry adds to a perception of order and harmony in a living room. Use the feature wall to emphasise a strong axis within the space, opposite where the TV is located, for example.
• Fireplace Feature Wall Ideas: even though it’s an obvious choice for a feature wall there are many ways to create radically different results. The living room chimney breast feature wall adds dimension because it typically includes a hearth and mantlepiece. These modelled surfaces are ideal for adding visual interest. Additionally, you can play around with the niches on either side and the different planes of the fireplace for maximum effect.

Geo Green 12.35×44.3 cm
Geo Deco Green 12.35×44.3 cm

The Best Materials for Living Room Feature Walls

Now start with the basics, the material you choose will impact greatly on the look and feel of your living room feature wall. Living room trends are colourful and eclectic right now. The choice of material will also depend on budget, decorative style and your personal preferences. Nevertheless, the following list includes the most popular materials for feature walls in UK living rooms.

• Paint: choose a bold colour to differentiate the accent wall from the surrounding space. Geometric motifs and textured paint are great options. The strategic use of paint can transform a living room.
• Wallpaper: It’s one of the hottest trends in interior design at the moment for very good reasons. Wallpaper for living room feature walls is budget-friendly and instant.
• Wood Panelling: Traditionally used to hide imperfections, wood panels today are anything but old-fashioned or traditional. They add warmth and character to the living room.
• Stone & Brick: depending on the building structure you might want to expose its raw materials. But you can also fake it, brick slips or tiles look indistinguishable from the real thing. And stone cladding lends living rooms a rich organic quality.
• Ceramic or Porcelain tiles: whether it is a floor-to-ceiling marble effect feature wall or a decorative tile, these materials are infinitely versatile. Advances in manufacturing techniques mean timber effect, stone effect and even cement effect options are hyper-realistic.
• Mosaics: instead of hanging artwork on living room walls, convert one entire wall into a piece of art. With a feature wall, you can afford to go to town using a favourite mosaic tile. Metallics, 3D textures or figurative depictions, mosaics lend a contemporary craft sensibility to living rooms.

Airslate Metal 250×120 cm

How to Match your Feature Wall with a Design Style

For anyone who likes the idea of a feature wall but is clueless about how to go about deciding on one, don’t despair. We have your back with these feature wall ideas for the living room.

Our advice is that if you live in a period-style house or one with architectural character, then go with that groove. On the other hand, if you live in a very modern home with no architectural charm, then the living room feature wall will change all that. One of the following styles will help you stamp your personal identity on your living room décor:

#01     Modern: Characterised by clean lines and sheer finishes. Marble effect porcelain tiles, flat wood panelling, sumptuous paint and textured wallpapers are ideal for creating a modern living room feature wall.

#02     Rustic: There is a warmth about rustic design that is timeless and universal. Stone, brick, 3D tiles and modelled timber panelling will transform a hum-drum room into an inviting cocoon.

#03     Industrial: It would be a mistake to confuse industrial with cold. The feature wall is a great way to warm up the industrial style: think shelving systems, exposed brick, large format cement effect tiles, metallic effect tiles, wallpaper murals etc.

#04     Traditional: Sometimes traditional is the best option, these options include tried and tested materials that evoke feelings of familiarity. Wood panelling, wallpaper murals, fabrics, rich paint colours or an art wall are among the most popular expressions of the traditional style.

Combine Different Decorative Treatments

Instead of thinking about the living room feature wall as a monolithic insertion, why not mix and match? In other words, combine different decorative treatments to create an architectural feature.

The classic example in traditional style living rooms would be wainscot panelling combined with wallpaper (or paint) on top. You can mix and match textures and patterns through the choice of materials. The current trend for creating faux arches and adding niches within living room walls is another approach. Include different contrasting materials to add dimension to the space.

Mosaic Figure Spiral Dark 29.9×29.9 cm

Stone & Brick Feature Walls

Both stone and brick have a chameleon character as a living room feature wall. They can be traditional and rustic in appearance or modern depending on the treatment.

The rubble stone look feature wall brings nature right into the heart of the home. This works best for large area living spaces with high ceilings, the stone adds gravity without becoming oppressive. Brick on the other hand can be distressed with an aged patina or expressed in a more contemporary bond.

Wallpaper Feature Walls

From textures to raised reliefs, from figurative murals to abstract designs, the living room wallpaper feature wall is a universe in itself. Wallpaper has never really gone out of fashion since it was invented hundreds of years ago. Nowadays we use it in slightly different ways, one of which is the feature or accent wall.

You can make a bold design statement with wallpaper, modern versions ooze luxury and opulence. These are precisely the qualities that make a good feature wall that will elevate the entire room, even though it’s used sparsely. Current trends in wallpaper include organic textured varieties, floral and striped motifs and figurative scenes.

Wallpaper Skins Nature Ayame Lavender 280×400 cm

Tile Feature Walls

Wall tiles for feature wall design are among the most versatile options. From large format slabs of marble effect tiles to small traditional ceramic tiles, the finish and artistic quality of the tiles are unsurpassed.

When confined to a single wall, or part of a wall we can afford to be more exuberant. Feature wall tiles can be considered as an artistic installation, a work of art, so it’s best to work with the space. Consider the other finishes in the room and choose accordingly.

Magma Black 33.3×100 cm

Researching Modern Design Feature Walls

We have looked at how the living room feature wall can revamp the entire décor without having to completely redecorate. With the right design and materials, you can customise it to suit your style and identity. To really appreciate the potential of feature walls, we recommend making an appointment at your nearest Porcelanosa showroom. In the meantime, drop us a line if you have any questions.

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