5 Tips for Painting a Feature Wall

Gone are the days when you need a huge budget in order to make your home design more exciting – now, all you need is one wall and the right paint color to add an extra dimension to your home. Feature walls (also known as accent walls) are a single wall in a room that stand out, whether it be by a different color or material, than the rest of the room. Here are five tips on painting a feature wall to make your room pop!

1. Make Sure Your Feature Wall is the Focal Point

The wall you decide to ‘feature’ should be the focal point of your room. For example, the wall that your TV is mounted on or the wall your bed is against should be the one you choose to feature. Do not just paint any random wall in your room – this will divert attention away from anything else and become a distraction for your guests. Instead, painting the wall around your fireplace or any architectural feature will be the perfect way to make it the centerpiece of the room. If your room does not have a discernable focal point, choose the shortest wall in width and put a piece of artwork or fun piece of furniture on that wall.

 2. Compliment, Don’t Match the Colors of Your Room

Since your feature wall will be the main focus, it’s best to not paint it the same color as anything else in the room. If your couch is brown, do not paint your wall brown, as the matching colors will clash rather than harmonize each other. Instead, choose a complimentary color for your room – for example, choose the color of the pattern on your accent pillows, or a warm color to contrast with the neutral tones of the room. Pull a small dash of color from the fabric in the sofa or the stone of the fireplace. Check out our guide on choosing a color for more tips on making the right paint choice for your feature wall.

3. Steer Away from Bold Colors

When feature walls first became popular, it was almost obligatory to paint the wall a bright red, since that bold color contrasted perfectly with every color scheme a room could have. However, those days are long gone. When painting a feature wall, try not to paint it a bold color, as this may make your room look chaotic, especially if you have furniture of various colors in it. There are some exceptions to this rule – black, for example, is a popular and beautiful bold color choice for your accent wall. Contrary to popular belief, black does not make your room look smaller, but rather it adds depth to it, making your room feel warmer and more inviting to guests. If you do decide to paint your feature wall a bold color, ensure that the rest of the room is neutral so that the finished product doesn’t look busy.

4. Preparation is More Important than Ever

Primer is the mandatory first step when painting, but even more so when you’re painting your feature wall. It ensures that the paint adheres to the wall, giving you a longer-lasting paint job. Painter’s tape should also be an essential preparation step when painting your wall. Applying painter’s tape to the wall prevents spillage onto other walls in your room and any drip or splatter onto anything situated on the wall itself. It’s better to be safe than sorry when you’re taking on an important interior decorating project like this.

5. Avoid Painting Streaks

Because the color of your feature wall is going to be different than the rest of your room, any paint streaks will be doubly noticeable. To avoid this, make sure you are using the right type of paint for your walls. The wrong type of paint roller can also cause paint streaks. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your paint roller has the right cover to avoid any of these mistakes. Check out our Mess-Free Guide to Painting a Room for more information on how to neatly paint a perfect wall!

Buy Interior Wall Paint at Gleco Paint Stores

To make sure your feature wall comes out perfectly, buy high quality paints and supplies from Gleco Paint. We have a large variety of paints to choose from for your next home interior project, and if you need help we offer color consultationsto help you decide on the best color for your wall. Contact us at one of our three locations across Pennsylvania today!