Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 35 Architecture & Design | 29 L et's forget the phrase 'feature wall' for a moment and give importance to all our walls. When people want to inject some colour or pattern into a room, they opt to treat just one prominent wall - which is fine, sometimes. Although, when all walls are whitewashed and one wall is featured it tends to make the room look unfinished or forced. Here are a few ways you can give your walls the treatment they deserve. WALLPAPER Wallpaper is no longer a thing of the past and hasn't been for a while now. The choice of patterns and textures is never ending. So how do you pick the right one? Once you have a colour scheme in mind, you must decide whether you want texture or pattern. If it's pattern you are after, ask yourself; do you want florals, geometry or landscapes? The shop assistant will be able to help you in this area and show you what is available from their library. When choosing wallpaper for an enclosed area or room, I like to treat all the walls in the same way. People are usually afraid of this being 'too much' although if that is the issue, I wouldn't opt for a colourful pattern but instead a texture in a lighter colour. A textured wallpaper is surprisingly effective, almost like having your walls covered in a beautiful fabric. Whichever style of paper you opt for, allow it to wrap the room for a beautiful and consistent finish. WALL PAINT Using wall paint is inevitable when renovating, but picking the right shade and finish is crucial. Choosing white is not as simple as it may seem since there are multiple shades and tones. Once again it all depends on the colour scheme - is the tone warm or cool? How much natural light does the room have? These are all points you should consider. Natural light does play a large part of selecting your paint swatches. People tend to choose white when a room is dark, not to add to the darkness. This may have the contrary effect - when a room lacks in natural light, white walls highlight this fact and lots of shadows are projected making the room grey instead. Consider a darker shade of a specific colour in this case. TOP TIP - Painting the whole room including the ceiling in the same colour makes the room appear larger and gives the illusion of higher ceilings. WALL PANELLING Wall panelling also referred to by the French term boiserie, has increased in popularity in recent years as we veer away from ultra modern styles and sleek walls. Boiserie's are a great way of brining in a bit of tradition and luxury into a space. The styles may vary from traditional mouldings to more contemporary panels depending on the style of the space. Mirrored panels may even be used in more contemporary spaces to make the space look larger. When discussing wall panelling, it is imperative to consider skirting. One thing you may notice is that skirting is usually a continuous part of the wall panelling and should carry on this way whether or not your walls are panelled. Don't fall into the habit of matching the skirting to your floors but make them a continuous part of your walls to give the illusion of height. DON'T FORGET YOUR CEILINGS Treating ceilings can be very interesting and effective for the more daring ones of you. They give the space a more complete and cohesive feel. Interesting fact - During the Renaissance period you would come across coffered ceilings because they added to the spaciousness and value of the house. Even though they are not as popular nowadays, ceilings are slowly being treated again and in many different ways. Block coloured walls and patterned ceilings give the space some interest without bringing the busyness down to eye level. Pamela Jaccarino Design

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