Weekend Project: Add a Feature Wall to Your Open Plan Room to Create a Cosy Zone

Your open-plan living room is probably the hardest working room in your home. It’s where you do everything – relax, eat, play, work, study – the list goes on. Yet, with so many different functions, decorating a large, open-plan room can be tricky.

So, what’s the solution? According to our colour guru, Marianne Shillingford, it’s statement walls. An accent wall gives your room an instant wow-factor without having to paint the entire space or fully commit to a new colour scheme.

Why are feature walls the way forward?

Feature walls are simply decorated differently from other walls in the room. While they might not sound like anything special, a living room feature wall can really transform a space. Not only does it add personality with a pop of colour, but it also helps to subtly divide each area so that the different functions are clear.

You can easily paint feature walls in a weekend – discover our feature wall ideas below.

What Feature Wall Paint Should I Use?

We have a dedicated range of Dulux Simply Refresh Feature Wall Paint to help you create beautiful statement walls. Best of all, you can achieve your living room feature wall in a single coat, leaving you plenty of time to style the space and put your feet up for the rest of the weekend.

How can you create a cosy zone with statement walls?

If you’ve been searching for open-plan living room ideas to zone off your double duty lounge, we have lots of feature wall ideas to inspire you.

For example, here we’ve chosen a warm colour, such as Blush Pink, which acts as the canvas, then used a deeper shade like Acai Berry for the living room feature wall. The two contrasting colours give the sitting area standout, and clearly separates it from the dining space.

Feature walls should be the focal point, so Marianne suggests trying it behind a sofa, around a fireplace or in an alcove. Remember, there’s no need to paint the whole wall. A partial block of colour can be just as effective in defining a cosy and inviting living space.

Expert know-how: “If you’re adding a feature colour, try using the 60-30-10 rule to maintain balance in the room. Use light shades for 60%, so it’ll always appear bright and inviting, the darker colour for 30% and 10% for detailing or splashes of an accent shade.”

Things to Consider

There are a few factors you need to think about when painting a colourful feature wall.

The size of the space

If you’re painting a small space, dark feature wall colours are a wise choice. Darker feature walls give the illusion of a bigger room. A rich, dark purple like Decadent Damson from the Simply Refresh Feature Wall collection creates the perception of depth. And when the remaining walls are painted in a pale neutral such as Blush Pink, this colour scheme can make the room feel incredibly cosy and inviting.

The light in the room

The direction a room faces, and the way sunlight enters a room, should influence the colour of your feature walls. For example, south-facing rooms get the most natural light throughout the day, which means most feature wall colours in the Simply Refresh Feature Wall range work great.

Don’t be afraid to choose a bold colour. The jewel tones of Emerald Glade can add a touch of glitz and glam to any room. Greens are also a good pick for east-facing rooms.

The feelings you want to echo

Paint colours can evoke feelings or memories. Warm colours, for example, can make you feel happy and optimistic. They can also remind you of sunshine or whisk you away to a hot summer’s day.

A bright yellow such as Golden Sands will certainly put a smile on your face.

Try feature wall colours before you buy them

Still not set on a shade? Download the Dulux Visualizer app and see how different colours look on your feature walls before you order them. Best of all, every colour in the Simply Refresh Feature Wall range is available to try out via the app.

Easy Feature Wall Design

Read on for our painted feature wall step-by-step guide or watch Marianne work her magic.

What you’ll need:

Tape measure and pencil
String and chalk
Masking tape and scissors
Paintbrush
Paint from colour palette
Stirring stick
Roller and tray
Extension pole

NEW Dulux Simply Refresh One Coat

NEW Dulux Simply Refresh Feature Wall

Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood

Keep things on track:

10 minutes

Begin by ensuring the section of wall you’re about to paint is clean and dry. Then, use a tape measure to carefully mark where your feature wall will be positioned.

20 minutes

Wipe chalk along the length of a piece of string. Fix it to the wall along one outer edge of your feature area so it’s taut, and ‘ping’ it to leave a line. Mask along the line, then repeat for the remaining edges.

30 minutes (+ drying)

Paint over the tape with your canvas colour (in our case, Blush Pink) to seal it and create a crisp edge. Once that’s dry, apply one coat of Acai Berry Simply Refresh Feature Wall to the inner edge of the tape.

1 hour (+ drying)

Use a roller to paint the rest of the colour block in a single coat of Acai Berry, using an extension pole for the highest points of the wall. Leave to dry and admire your results.

So there you have it! Brilliant feature wall ideas you can complete in a weekend.