If the walls in your home look a little empty and lost, there are several things that you can do to elevate them and give them interest, without resorting to using bold paint colours or pasting them over with wallpaper.

Featured in this post are ten clever and stylish feature wall ideas to transform the bland walls in your home into an interesting and visually appealing focal point.

Create a gallery wall

Bespoke gallery walls can be created using art, photos, prints, postcards and even framed 3D items. Grouping all these items creates a personal display and serves as a unique focal point for expansive walls or blank areas of the home that require a more aesthetic perspective. The casual hanging style allows for an array of mismatched prints to be displayed in a way that feels cohesive. Click here for my top tips on creating your own gallery wall.

Choose One Large Piece of Art That Moves You

A large statement piece of art will fill your wall and allow you to get away with a minimalist decor scheme within the room without it feeling empty. You don’t have to invest in high art to be meaningful: scale up your own photographs or create your own textured DIY art on a large canvas.

Frame Vinyl Covers

If you love music, framing vinyl album covers and displaying them in groups of six or nine adds personality to your home, conveys your tastes, and gives the room a stylish edge.

Incorporate Some Wood Panelling

Change the aesthetic of your walls by giving them texture. Wood panelling, reeded panels and wood slat walls are popular as they add an extra dimension to a space. You can create your own aesthetic with panelling; adding shiplap to the walls or ceiling can turn a bland box into feeling like a coastal retreat. You can also get a high-impact look on a budget if you choose MDF or basic beadings or mouldings.

Utilise Mirrors

While wood cladding and panelling can help the room feel more interesting and welcoming, some might want the space to feel brighter, bigger, and cleaner. Aside from introducing more natural light to the room, one of the best ways to do this is to use mirrors. You can incorporate one large mirror, or you can opt to host tainted and speckled mirror panels on the wall for a vintage look.

Add A Modern Fireplace

If you already have a fireplace, turn it into a focal point by decorating or installing a mantlepiece that gives you a ready-made focus wall. If you don’t have one, installing one is relatively easy. Whether you opt for a more traditional stove design or a contemporary and creative option like a media wall fireplace, you can bring heat and comfort to the room while also creating a feature that complements any kind of aesthetic.

Consider A Living Wall

The element of nature can be a big boost for any space, adding some of the necessary life that’s required in more modern and minimalist rooms. A few potted plants on a bookshelf can do wonders, but if you want to create a wall that’s truly wild, then you should look at living wall options. Interior living walls not only look gorgeous, but they can greatly improve the air quality in a given space and have even been shown to have some positive impacts on mental health, such as helping you manage stress. Just be mindful that real living walls do require ongoing maintenance to remain healthy over time.

Stone And Brick For A Rustic Finish

For a contemporary feel, exposed stone or brick walls can provide a cosy, warm and aesthetic appeal. If you cannot take your wall back to the natural brick, brick slips are an amazing way to add personality and interest.

Built-in Bookcases

I just love the look of a wall covered by a bookcase; it instantly adds elegance and interest and the look can be changed up whenever you like simply by moving about items hosted on the shelves! You can employ a carpenter to build bespoke bookshelves, or you can try and do it yourself with a simple IKEA bookcase hack.

Add a cork wall

Cork is a fabulous recyclable material and you can buy inexpensive packs of square cork tiles that you can stick to your walls easily to create a huge pinboard. Cork adds interest, texture and depth, while any photos or items added to the cork can be mixed up and changed easily for a fresh new look.