A feature wall (or accent wall as it is sometimes known) is a wall designed to stick out from all the others.
Adding feature walls to rooms can help make each room more exciting. They’re a great way of transforming bare walls in your home. Of course, there are so many different ways in which you can decorate a wall. Below are 40 feature wall ideas to choose from.
Bright paint
Paint a single wall a bright colour to make it stand out from the rest of the walls in the room. Choose red, yellow and orangey hues to provide energy, or blue, purple and green hues to provide a sense of calm.
Wallpaper
A single wallpapered wall could be a dramatic feature in a room. Striped wallpaper such as this new addition could be a great option. Alternatively, you could try floral wallpaper or cityscape wallpaper.
Tiles
You could try tiling a single wall in a room to add some unique texture. Tiles are most popular in bathrooms and kitchens, but can be used in other rooms too such as living rooms or dining rooms to spice things up.
Exposed brick
For a fun rustic feature, consider stripping back a wall to its original brickwork. This can be a way of bringing out the history of an old building, however it can also be used to add character to a new build.
Wood panels
Wood panels could help to add an earthy Scandinavian touch to a bedroom or living room. They can also provide sound and heat insulation.
Synthetic panels
Synthetic panels can be used to create all kinds of unique textures and styles. They can even be used to mimic brick or wood, often serving as a more waterproof and easy-to-clean substitute for the real thing.
A large painting
A large painting will immediately make any room more visually exciting. This could be anything from a calm landscape painting in a bedroom to a vibrant abstract painting in a dining room. You can add a frame for a more traditional look or go frameless for a modern look.
A wall mural
Apply art directly to your walls with a wall mural. This could be anything from a cityscape to woodlands. You could hire a mural artist or do it yourself if you’ve got a talent for art.
Text wall stickers
Write a name, a quote or a message on a wall using some custom text wall stickers. These could be words that are meaningful to you. Such stickers are typically temporary so can be removed if you move out.
3D text
3D text could be an alternative to stickers, helping to provide texture while displaying a message of your choice. You could even consider neon text.
Bird wall decals
Add some stickers of birds to a wall to breathe life into the room. Birds can help to create a sense of freedom and peace.
A large photo on canvas/acrylic
You could make a wall stand out by adding an enlarged acrylic or canvas photograph. This could be a treasured family photo or a picture of a big event in your life (such as a wedding or a vacation).
A photo gallery
Got lots of special photographs that you’d like to display on your walls? Why not create a gallery wall of photographs? You could cover the entire wall or create a small cluster in the middle.
A photo collage
You could even create a collage out of photographs. This is a great way to display lots of photos in a small area of your wall – and it’s certain to be a conversation starter among guests. You can add to this collage over time.
Posters
Posters aren’t just for teenage bedrooms. If you’re a gamer, cinephile or music enthusiast, why not show off your tastes with some posters of your favourite games/movies/bands. Surround yourself in the things you’re passionate about!
Vintage signs
Vintage signs could be another fun feature to consider. These can work particularly well in kitchens for adding a retro cafe/diner feel.
A large clock
A large clock will help you to keep track of time while also serving as an eye-catching feature. This could be a classic clock or a quirky modern clock.
Mirrors
Mirrors can help to make a room feel bigger and brighter. There are so many ways to use mirrors including large wall-size mirrors, ornate framed antique mirrors or even clusters of small mirrors.
Certificates
Take pride in your accomplishments by dedicating a wall to certificates. These could be placed in frames. You could also hang medals here and add a shelf with trophies.
Curtains
Curtains don’t just have to go over windows. You can disguise a wall in drapes to give the room a cosier feel (great for bedrooms and living rooms).
Tapestry
Hanging a tapestry on a wall could be another option. Tapestries can have the same impact as art, while also bringing warmth to a room due to their soft texture. You could even weave your own tapestry!
Geometric shelving
Thinking of adding some extra shelving? Consider thinking beyond dull floating shelves – geometric shelving could provide storage for items while serving as a fun arty feature. You can check out some geometric shelf ideas here.
Wall lighting
Lighting can also be used to make a wall stand out. Fluorescent panels, fairy lights and colour-changing mood lighting are just some of the options to consider. These will look great in the evening.
An electric fireplace
Recreate the soothing experience of a real fireplace with an electric fireplace. These are great features to add to living rooms and dining rooms. They’re much cheaper and less high-maintenance than the real thing.
Designer radiators
Radiators don’t have to be boring. With a designer radiator, you can turn your room’s heating into a stylish feature that will spark conversation. Explore some of these designs for inspiration.
Baskets
You can also hang baskets on walls as a form of rustic decoration. Baskets could also be used as an inventive form of wall storage.
Plants
Spruce up a wall by hanging some houseplants in wall-mounted planters. Growing plants in your home can have all kinds of advantages from improving air quality to reducing stress. There are all kinds of houseplants that can be grown indoors in this fashion.
Faux taxidermy
Instead of hanging a real stuffed animal head on your wall, why not look into faux taxidermy? Synthetic animal heads can be a great feature for spicing up a wall (they’re a great dining room feature).
Flags
Flags could be a way of showing off your national heritage. You could hang a large flag on a wall, or use lots of small flags.
A large map
A world map could be a fun way of decorating a wall. If you like to travel, you could even use this map to mark places you’ve been, while possibly adding photographs. Alternatively, you could display a large map or your country, state, county or city – anywhere that is meaningful to you.
Religious ornaments
If you’re religious, there could be various ornaments that you could hang on the walls as a symbol of your faith. This could include crucifixes, buddhas or khanda ornaments. These can work well in any room.
Dream catcher
A dream catcher could be a feature for hanging on a bedroom wall and could help to promote a peaceful night’s sleep. This could be a single dream catcher or multiple dream catchers.
Hats
Hats can also be used as fun and quirky wall decorations for living rooms and bedrooms. These could be hats that you wear or purely decorative pieces.
Vinyl record
If you’re a record collector, why not hang some of your most prized records on the wall? These could be hung in or out of the sleeve. They could be a great talking point.
Musical instruments
Instruments like guitars, violins and flutes can also be hung on the wall. These could be ornamental instruments or they could be instruments that you can play.
Sports equipment
You can also hang sports equipment such as cricket bats, tennis rackets and boxing gloves on the wall. These could be sports memorabilia or equipment that you regularly like to play with.
A bicycle
Bicycles can also be mounted onto walls. If you like to cycle, this could be a space-saving way of storing your bike, while also showing it off to guests. Alternatively, you could hang an old bike on a wall as a quirky decorative feature.
A chalkboard
Chalkboards can be used for writing reminders or adding personalised messages. Alternatively, they could simply be a fun feature for kids to draw on.
Kids’ drawings
Do your kids like to create drawings? You could dedicate a wall for displaying all of these drawings and add to it over time.
Glow in the dark stars
Glow-in-the-dark stars can be a great feature for a kids bedroom wall. That said, there’s nothing to stop you putting them on your own bedroom wall.