Our feature photograph, courtesy of Dulux Australia, has a feature in it that I wanted to address. The back wall has a fireplace that is inset into a protruding section of wall, which is necessary to house the fireplace workings. The actual fireplace is not at issue here. The section of wall that surrounds it is what I want to focus on today. Note that this section of wall has been painted in a darker colour to make it a feature in the room. This, too, makes sense as fireplaces are usually a focal point but again, it's not about the fireplace.
There are many homes that have odd traits that can be challenging to decorate. The section of wall mentioned above may be in your very home even without a fireplace. It could be housing chimney or plumbing or just be a quirky design feature. Other oddities like a china cabinet alcove in a dining room or small vertical sections of wall in an open concept home can be just as tricky to decorate.
I chose our feature room because, even without a fireplace, the odd wall section looks good painted in a focal colour. Sometimes it's a good idea to feature the oddities rather than try to diminish or disguise them. In this case, the olive green paint co-ordinates with the plum-coloured foreground wall to create a dynamic yet tasteful colour palette. The artwork on the small focal wall enhances the overall look and the cream colour on the remaining walls helps bring it all together.
If you're going to highlight a quirky feature in your home, be sure to decorate the remainder of the room in co-ordinating colours. Don't just paint a small feature wall bright red and leave the rest of the room without an update. If you're happy with the room, just choose a focal colour that will co-ordinate with the rest of the space. If you're starting from scratch, then the sky is the limit.
Highlighting these quirky spaces can be done through other means as well. Wallpaper, fabric, faux paint treatments like stone, bricks or even tongue and groove paneling can be used to turn that negative feature into a positive. You could use decorative moulding to create wall panels that could either be painted or wallpapered to create a unique look.
Luckily, for smaller wall areas like these the investment in paint or wallpaper is minimal. It doesn't take a lot of time to create a small feature with a lot of visual impact. It's easy enough to change down the road if you don't use permanent finishes like brick.
Specific ideas
For a protruding wall as in our sample room, you could cover it in brick to give it an Old World feel. This would be stunning in a kitchen. If there is no fireplace, you can create a faux fireplace by installing a mantle shelf and placing a decorative tea light screen in the "firebox" area to add a soft glow in the evening. Adorn the mantle with appropriate accessories and add either artwork or a mirror on the wall above.
You can create a unique wall display on a protruding wall using sets of floating shelves to highlight unique artwork or collections. In a bedroom or powder room, a collection of vintage purses or hats can be displayed on a brightly painted section of wall.
Large paintings work well on small walls. Consider hanging a decorative item like this on a small wall and choose a wall colour that will co-ordinate with the artwork. I say "decorative item" because you don't necessarily have to run out and buy a huge expensive painting. You can purchase a large stretcher frame and cover it in colourful fabric to get the look you want for less. This project is also easy to change or collapse if you want to store it away.
For an alcove-type feature (for instance a china cabinet alcove that you don't have a china cabinet for), you could install glass shelves and lighting to create decorative display in the dining room for your china, vintage platters or what have you. Again, use colour on the back wall to add some punch. You could create a library by installing sturdy wooden shelves and finish off the look by framing the entire alcove in decorative molding. Recessed areas like this are great for collections of small items like salt and pepper shakers. Consider adding mirror to the back of the alcove to reflect light and highlight the collection further.
Whether you're dealing with a protruding chimney wall or an unusual wall cubby, consider it a positive instead of a negative and give it special decorative attention. The fun part is deciding what you'll do with it. There are so many options that it can be a great creative endeavour.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
