Are "feature walls" naff?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

Like an all-white room but with one wall brightly coloured/wallpapered?

Thanks!

[ReluctantCamper]

They're a bit old school, I was doing them in the mid noughties, and I don't exactly have my finger on the pulse of fashion. But, I like the way they look, so if you do too, I'd go for it. Have you tried buying some interior decor magazines to see what's hot?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

I've been doing google image searches. But also being heavily influenced by my mother and suspect her finger might not be on the pulse either...
(See my other threads about curtain tie-backs and wallpaper borders).

[ReluctantCamper]

Wall paper borders. Only if you want to feel like you live in a pub.

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

I agree. And they make the roof look lower down IYSWIM.

[BrockAuLit]

Yes they are 100% naff.

The clue is in influence coming from your mother...

[wowfudge]

Yes! Especially the bold modern floral pattern paper on the living room chimney breast. Please nobody bring back paper borders. Or that late 80s thing of dividing the room with a border at dado height and having a sparsely patterned paper above with some hideous vertically striped one below.

[thecatfromjapan]

It's definitely a look of years gone by - and not quit old enough for a vintage revival, either.

What wAllpaper were you going to go for?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

OMG OMG OMG!!!

Wowfudge you have just described my mum's house!!!!!

WTAF?!!

Thecatfromjapan - flowery wallpaper with sparkles on it?!

[wowfudge]

There's a house for sale on the street we used to live on. Beautifully updated bathroom and kitchen. Living room stuck in an 80s border and stripe time warp. What were they thinking?

[Roseybee10]

I like s feature wall personally although it depends on the room and style of house.
I have two rooms with feature walls and two without.
I wouldn't worry too much about what's 'in fashion' and go with what you like. Essentially 'fashion' is just following what someone else thinks looks good and then having to change it when someone else decides it no longer looks good.

[mandy214]

I agree - our large kitchen diner / living room is white with white contemporary kitchen and then one wall (at the end of the diner) in a "feature" wallpaper. Its not floral or sparkly .

It might be outdated but you know what, I absolutely love it. It really makes the room. Brings some colour and personality to the room.

Its down to what you like - our sitting room is all very F&B esque, all neutrals with splashes of colour in the soft furnishings, a more traditonal look with picture rails and 1930s stained glass windows. Lovely in its own right but you know what, I much prefer the feature wallpapered room .

[PrimalLass]

I like them to an extent. In our living room the chimney breast is painted a F&B taupe (the rest is Dulux Timless). In my kitchen I have a very expensive nice wallpaper on the chimney breast. Neither are offensive or in your face.

[Cherryblossomsinspring]

Awful tasteless things feature walls. But that's just my opinion.

[GummyBunting]

Oh feature walls... so naff!
The house we're buying has awful flowery (brown, glitter, large flowers) wallpaper on the chimney breast in the living room.

Forget unpacking the kettle, the first thing I want to do when we move in is tear it down!

[Stokes]

I know they're naff and passe, but almost every room in my house has one. Not wallpaper, a strong colour paint with the rest of the walls white / cream etc. I love strong and bright colours and this seemed the best way of using them.

[PrimalLass]

Stokes, I agree. The way I see it is that just because someone else thinks they are naff doesn't make it so I'm not sure what is 'in' at the mo, but I don't want my house all white or grey, and I don't want it all brightly coloured either.

And the wallpaper in my kitchen is not your Homebase bargain bin type. But I accept that wallpaper patterns are very much personal taste.

[MaryBerrysEyelashes]

Yes yes yes yes. With your brown leather sofas and twigs and pebbly shit

[PrimalLass]

Phew. I don't have those so it's just my walls that are naff

[sebsmummy1]

I think it depends. Anything 'contrasty' can look really dated. Whether it be one wall painted a bright colour or garish accessories against a plain background.

In our bedroom, newly decorated. I chose a Laura Ashley wallpaper with a burnished bird pattern on it. We colour matched the paint for the rest of the room to the background colour of the wallpaper. The light comes in from the left hand side and depending on the time of day the facing wall always looks different. Just lovely and subtle, but also shimmers at times too.

So yep that's a feature wall. If we'd used the wallpaper on every wall it would have looked too much and been hideously expensive. But as it is I think it's subtle enough to add interest without screaming 'look at me'.

[sebsmummy1]

Wooden letters spelling out HOME or LOVE or kitchen stencilled on the wall in the errrrm kitchen age also considered naff. People still like to do it though.

[sebsmummy1]

*are

[Cherryblossomsinspring]

Maryberry's and Sebsmummy, I actually shuddered.

[patienceisvirtuous]

We have a few feature walls but they're lovely and subtle. Like our living room is painted varying degrees of mauve and on firebreast we have a shimmery fawn/silver paper which looks lovely.

We also have a subtle bird etchings paper in guest room with other walls painted a muted green to match. Looks fab. No twigs, pebbles or 'love, laugh, live' signs allowed though

[YouMakeMyDreams]

My house is like Stokes described. Mostly cream or white walls with a bold colour on one wall. I like bright but even I draw the line at bright everywhere so I have a mix. Was a good way to let the dc pick bright colours or wallpaper without having to do the whole room again when they outgrow it.
I don't care whether it's fashionable or not. I've picked colours and furniture I like and I want to live with.