What is a feature wall?
A feature wall is one that’s painted or wall papered in a contrasting colour to others in the same room. The trend for adding them began as a way to add interest and often low-cost trend updates to a room.
Are feature walls still fashionable?
If you take any notice of the style leaders then you could be given to believe that they’re a dying trend. Some have gone as far as to label them “childish” and “distracting”. However, we’d argue that this is a very broad-brush view and that in actual fact, just like many great trends, they have simply evolved.
How do I choose a feature wall colour?
Until recently, when searching for a feature wall colour, fashion would have led you to spin the colour wheel until you settled upon two “complementary” hues (colours often of opposite sides of the colour wheel) to deliver a high contrast and high impact combination which leads each colour choice to have increased prominence in the presence of the other.
Subconsciously guided as we are by the fashions of the day, feature wall choices will increasingly see you gravitate now towards a single base colour and select two or more tones and tints of that one base colour choice. Colour theory labels colour combinations of this sort “Monochromatic”.
Monochromatic colour schemes are versatile and easy to apply to design projects for a harmonious look. This type of colour layering brings cohesiveness and depth to a room. And, just as before, a great place to use one of the strongest tones or tints belonging to your base colour is on a “feature wall”.
Making your monochromatic colour scheme sing…
To add further texture and depth to a monochromatic paint colour schemes consider layering an accent and colour pop on top of the colour scheme with your furniture and home accessory choices. For a safe and easy room design some people adopt the rule of 60/30/10:
- 60% is the base colour
- 30% is the accent hue
- 10% is the pop of colour
To get those proportions right, a simple way to go about selecting furnishings can be to choose large items e.g. sofas and curtains/blinds in the base colour tones and tints you’ve selected. Side tables and table lamps in an accent hue and add a pop of colour in the form of plants and flowers.
So, are feature walls going to be a lasting trend?
Absolutely! Like many trends they will alter with time but feature walls in some guise or other are here to stay. Afterall, what is not to love about giving the richest iteration of your room’s chosen hue some limelight?! Today’s monochromatic feature walls are an unmistakably great means of adding some depth and layering to a space.
Our Colour of The Year: Teal
Ever wondered how the Pantones and Dulux’s of this world set a ‘Colour of The Year’ before its even started? Well, the answer undoubtedly has something to do with big budgets, professional future-gazers and extensive research.
Take this year’s choices: Pantone gave us ‘Ultimate Grey’ (a pebble grey) in combination with ‘Illuminating’ (a sunny yellow) and Dulux ‘Brave Ground’ (an earthy beige).
Each had its well-meaning and uplifting reasons, which resonated with many…
- Pantone: “Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope” explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute
- Dulux: “A warm, natural neutral that’s an enabling and stabilising colour”
And, the Dulux colour we’ve definitely seen some adoption of in real homes. However, should anyone wish to know our “Colour of 2021” then read on…
Without the luxury of big budgets or a crystal ball, we’ve had to take a pragmatic approach to putting a pin in our ‘Colour of The Year’. We’ve let the year run to halfway before taking stock and having a flick through a few of our favourite interior design magazines and social media accounts. …Sounds a bit like cheating some might say but we think it just makes good, Yorkshire (read: cost effective), sense! Anyway, the accent colour leaping out at us in the homes of real people is TEAL. Yep, shades of teal are becoming a big deal!
Why do you think teal is a big deal?
Defined by the Collins dictionary as a “greenish-blue colour” teal is – to our minds at least – kind of a big deal this year.
As well as being a beautiful tone popping up in the home, the colour also conjures up images of the beautiful Mediterranean seas that keep sailing (unhelpfully) into mind as we long for our favourite summer holiday locations to sneak their way on to the ‘Green List’ this summer.
As a colour within the home it is at once intriguing and deeply soothing. Who doesn’t want to add some relaxation and intrigue into their lives? In fact, when we put it like, it sounds almost like a Sunday afternoon on the sofa watching Poirot. It’s definitely more modern than that whodunnit classic we promise, but could also prove as timeless and well-loved.
Being a combination of blue and green it draws together the calming, tranquil qualities of blue and the energetic optimism of green. Perfect for a bedroom or living space then: a colour that will help you recharge and leave ready for the adventures that finally await after having our collective wings clipped for so long.
How to adopt a new accent hue:
Naturally, we’re on hand with some fabulous accent pieces in this stunning hue. In fact, we take the intrigue level up several notches with our menagerie of animal lamps with teal shade and some fabulous feather wall art. We’ve curated an entire teal collection for your delectation here.
Interested in Promain‘s wall paints? Have a look at these categories:
- Interior Wall Paints
- Ceiling Paints
- Kitchen and Bathroom Paints
- Interior Wall Primers
- Hygienic Wall and Ceiling Paint
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