Let a statement-making feature wall be the focal point of your home.
Let a statement-making feature wall be the focal point of your home. Showcase an impressive artwork, or clad the surface with an interesting texture to anchor the look of the interiors. From materials like concrete for industrial-style homes, to ornate wallpaper designs for a modern, luxe apartment, here are 10 feature wall options and tips from experts on pairing them with the right furnishings.
COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
Coffee table books serve not only for your reading pleasure, but also add height to your displays, like decor accessories and terrariums, while adding a personal touch.
Kuo Shiong, manager at lighting retail store Star Lighting, advises that track lights should be typically placed at an angle of between 24 to 40 degrees from the item you’re illuminating. A smaller angle results in a narrow beam with strong intensity, while a wider angle provides coverage for a larger area with low light intensity.
FULL-HEIGHT SHELVING & DISPLAY CABINETS
Have lots of knick-knacks to showcase, like your extensive toy collection? Build full-height display shelves and cabinets – they give the illusion of a higher ceiling, while offering display space. Style them with these accessories.
CONCRETE
Inject charm and style into anyspace with the raw finish and texture of a concrete wall. The material also provides the versatility of creating patterns for added depth.
TIP There are many ways you can change up the effect of concrete – consider embossing patterns, or applying an epoxy coat over concrete.
Fuse Concept’s designers suggest doing renovation works on concrete screed walls in daytime, so as to ensure you achieve your desired colour and texture.
Tip Embrace the material’s imperfections; hairline cracks and screed marks are some of the natural characteristics of concrete.
URBAN CONCRETE FROM GREENLAM LAMINATES
Get the low-fihipster look with these laminates. They can be applied easily, and are abrasion-, impact-, heat-, scratch- and stain-resistant.
TIP For walls over 2.4m, choose laminates in large-sized formats to avoid unnecessary join lines. Try EDL’s Luna collection, which offers the marble-look Luserna Nero.
ADMIRA’S CERARL RANGE
The 3mm-thick laminated fibreglass sheets are able to withstand heat and water, making them suitable for the living room, kitchen and bathroom. Available in various patterns and wood-look designs, you can mount them directly onto walls and over tiles.
LAMINATE
Want to get a wood-look or textured finish? This relatively affordable, modern innovation comes in a wide range, including options that look like marble and stone. Laminates are also easy to maintain!
WOOD
Wood used for flooring can be used for walls, too. Softer wood options, such as pine, can be considered for use on walls as well. Mohammad Zain, general manager of wood flooring company Wow Floors, highlights French oak, American walnut and Brazilian rosewood as popular choices for wood feature walls.
Tip Engineered wood is dimensionally more stable and less prone to warping when compared to solid wood. To maintain and upkeep the shine of wood walls, simply sand and apply varnishing treatment that you’d use on wood floors. Colour changes may occur, depending on how much sunlight the material is exposed to.
WAINSCOTING
“The history of wainscoting dates back centuries, when it was used to cover damp stone walls. Today, wainscoting creates understated yet refined wall designs,” says Bu Shukun, director of Architology.
TIP There are many wainscoting styles, including minimalist abstract frames, contemporary sleek lines and even ornate Victorian designs. Match your furnishings for a holistic finish.
Ensure proportionate line work. The wall space should be scaled according to the size of the room – for example, use smaller panels in an HDB apartment.
MOTIVO QUARTZ RANGE FROM CAESARSTONE
This is a durable option that’s available in patterned and textured versions. When used on walls, it adds a luxurious look to the living space.
DEKTON BY COSENTINO’S KEON RANGE
STONE
BRECCIA C FROM POLYBUILDING
VERTICAL GARDEN
Bring nature into your home, with a green wall. They not only offer a calm respite, but also add colours and accents to your home.
Tip “Ensure that the feature wall is able to withstand a load of 25kg per square metre. Otherwise, structural frames are required.” – Chang Li En, design manager of Greenology
MUTINA PUZZLE COLLECTION
Each tile in this collection has a graphic design that comes in bold, contrasting colours resembling abstract art. When put together, it forms a design of geometric shapes. The Mutina Puzzle collection is available at Rice Lab.
TILES
Solid-coloured tiles are a common sight in homes, but they now come in a vibrant mix of shapes, sizes, designs and configurations.
If there is insufficient natural light, install artificial lighting, or choose a plant species that requires less light. – Gena See, assistant marketing manager of Vertical Garden
UNICA RANGE BY TARGET STUDIO
Inspired by the majolica of Sorrento – a renowned form of ceramic art in Italy – that have iconic designs that feature clean lines and geometric patterns, this range allows homeowners the flexibility to play around with shapes and symmetry to create visually stunning feature wall designs. Have fun with monochromatic tones and turquoise hues! The Unica range by Target Studio is available at Hafary.
BISAZZA MOSAIC COLLECTION
Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani, in collaboration with renowned tile specialist Bisazza, launched a mosaic collection with patterns reminiscent of Scottish tartan, with undulating curves in a variety of colour options.
Bisazza is distributed at Micron Asia, GF+A Global and Sinbor Company.
WALLPAPER
Easy to apply or overlay on existing surfaces, wallpapers are a convenient and fuss-free option where you can have your favourite prints, whether it’s floral motifs or ornate patterns.
BLEND COLLECTION FROM EIJFFINGER
This range has details like lace, flowers and stripes. Delicately printed on rayon yarn, the wallpapers parallel the textured look of linen. They are available in matte, metallic tones, and natural hues.
The Eijffinger Blend collection retails at Goodrich Global.
ALEXANDER LAMONT’S ETOILE PANELS
Add a touch of luxe with these gold panels. Created by applying hand-laid gold leaves, the designs add depth to a space, with an iridescent effect that shimmers when light falls on it. They come in straw patterns and geometric marquetry as well.
Alexander Lamont Etoile wall panels are available at Tatum.
DIAMOND COLLECTION BY COVERS
These wallcoverings offer a range of designs, from ornate Classical-style motifs, polka-dot patterns, to botanical-inspired leaf vein designs.
The Covers Diamond collection is available at Acacia Fabrics.
PAINT
A fresh coat of paint brightens the look of a room instantly. New paint formulations now allow a variety of textures and metallic effects to be added.
DULUX AMBIANCE SPECIAL EFFECTS PAINT
This offers a selection of finishes and textures that couldn’t be achieved with paint previously, including metallic, linen, velvet, marble, and a unique Colour Motion effect that reveals different hues when viewed from varying angles and under different light sources.
Text DOMENICA TAN
