Mumsnet verdict on "feature walls"

[neveronsunday]

I want to paint our family room.

It's big with lots of doors / windows.

I want to paint it yellow but worry it might be too much. DH suggested one wall but I fear this may look naff.

What say you?

[ceres]

I say it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

it is YOUR house, you live there so you get to decide how it looks.

go on, have what you like!

[LoopThePoop]

I recently painted a room. We had planned on using wallpaper on the 2 alcoves knowing it is a bit passé.
Anyhow, seeing it painted, I've decided to leave it without the 'feature'.
It looks really clean and fresh.

What would the other walls be if one wall is yellow?

[ArgyMargy]

I have a yellow room - it is utterly fabulous. Just don't go too much towards the green, if you see what I mean.

[MardyBra]

Patterned ones arer up there with twigs and pebbly shit imo. A plain one may work.

[SpotsDotsandFlowers]

Depends on the paper. If you are going chocolate brown with coloured flowers I say NO. If you are going for something subtle then yes. I also get very upset about overly coordinated rooms. So the aforementioned chocolate brown paper with chocolate brown leather sofas and cushions and rugs to match the flowers has me itching to leave. A few nods to a certain colour scheme (shades of the same thing rather than identical matchy matchy) is fine. Also don't be afraid to add a couple of different patterns in one room (not crazy over the top kidston but having a spot and a stripe on the same sofa will not cause a nuclear meltdown)

Most folks seem to like my house so while I have no qualifications to offer advice I think I have a reasonable eye

[SpotsDotsandFlowers]

Yeah and obviously what Ceres says.

[neveronsunday]

I really like this fabric in yellow - that's the kind of scheme I'm after, but our furniture is white expedit & grey and the white currently looks insipid against magnolia wall.

So thinking expedit wall a colour, the rest off white with these cushions/small blind.

[neveronsunday]

No, I don't like match matchy either, it's a family room (although where we spend the most of our time) so can be a bit more fun than our 'grown up' room which is a lovely blue/grey.

[captainmummy]

What about a mural? Some places do photo-murals (NOT talking the whole-wall beach-scene!!) but there are little accents like a few thistle head silhouette, or even a 'graffitti' corner? I looked at the big orange graffitti for my family room; in the end I painted an enormous red Dahlia (6foot across!) on one wall. the rest are Jasmine white, with a grey sofa and -yes, red cushions! (And a couple of brown ones left over from the last colour scheme)

[SpotsDotsandFlowers]

Oh sorry, I misread your OP and launched into my chocolate brown rant
If it is magnolia already, why not just paint the potential wall yellow, get a feel for it and then if you don't like then go for the whole lot or change plan completely. I love yellow, there is a distinct lack of it in my current house

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

I quite like the one-coloured-wall-as-a-feature-wall type thing. Less so the flowers on chocolate brown and matchy matchy as Spots describes! I have a non-feature wall. I was going to paint one wall a mid to dark sagey green, and the rest of the room pale ivory, but I loved the green so much I got carried away and painted all but one wall. I've had lots of nice compliments about it, including from my DM who was suprised at how nice it looked.

[lifesgreatquestions]

I'm a fan of the feature wall. Our house has a base coat of a neutral colour, some rooms then have a feature wall, others strong accessories, I don't go in for wall paper but paint is easy to go over if you change your mind!

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

I have to admit, I'm not normally a fan of yellow myself, but I actually really like that yellow cushion you linked. I think it would look very nice with either white, or pale grey on the other walls.

[neveronsunday]

Thank you Mango. It's a north west room so I'm nervous about grey but off white would work.

Thank you. I am reassured.

[BoffinMum]

Dorset cream from Farrow and Ball on all walls.

[CancellingTheApocalypse]

Yes to feature wall. What i'd like to know is what the alternatives to twigs and pebbly shit are .....

[Leviticus]

I'm staring at our bedroom feature wall as we speak. Horrible large pattern wallpaper chosen by me when pregnant and hormonal after DH insisted there be a feature wall.

If we move I can see this being an issue but I'll be putting my foot down. I want nice plain walls on which to hang pictures and mirrors.

All over yellow could be great. Depends how yellow it is.

[Periwinkle007]

we have a yellowy colour in one of the bedrooms, it is pale, more yellow than cream but not too much. looks cream if you put it with some colours and yellow if you put it with others. personally I would do the whole room the same colour but in a paler shade than you are possibly thinking and pick it up with brighter accessories.

[neveronsunday]

I was thinking dayroom yellow but maybe Lancaster would be better.
I like Dorset Cream but not sure it would look best with the grey & white. It looks a bit too brown iyswim

[neveronsunday]

this one

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

In the other picture that Lancaster yellow looks a bit green.

[neveronsunday]

Tester pots methinks