Inspiration

Choosing Pairings for a Feature Wall

Written on 26th February 2021

Walls: Titmouse Blue No.W24 and Off-White No.3 in Estate Emulsion, Woodwork: All White No.2005 in Estate Eggshell

There’s a simple trick to pairing a feature wall colour with your other surfaces, and it’s one that our colour expert, Patrick, has been using for years.

“The best way to approach a feature wall is to avoid any really strong contrasts between the accent colour and the three adjacent walls,” says Patrick. “Look for colours with the same undertone, which will help you achieve a more ‘blended’ look.”

With Patrick’s help, we’ve put together some ready-to-use combinations using some of our most popular feature wall paint colours, including earthy greens, inky blues, and soft greys.

Pairings for a green feature wall

For a green feature wall, it’s hard to go wrong with our Traditional Neutrals group. It’s home to our off-whites with green or grey undertones, giving you plenty of pairings to choose from for a subtle green scheme.

Green Smoke Feature Wall

With Shaded White walls and School House White ceiling and trim

French Gray Feature Wall

With Off-White walls and Slipper Satin ceiling and trim

Pigeon Feature Wall

With Drop Cloth walls and Pointing ceiling and trim

Mizzle Feature Wall

With James White walls and All White ceiling and trim

Pairings for a blue feature wall

With a navy feature wall, a deeper neutral like Hardwick White or Old White reduces the starkness of the contrast between white and blue, while a lighter grey creates a delicate combination with mid-tones like De Nimes and Oval Room Blue.

Hague Blue Feature Wall

With Hardwick White walls and Shadow White ceiling and trim

Titmouse Blue Feature Wall

With Off-White walls and All White ceiling and trim

Inchyra Blue Feature Wall

With Old White walls and Lime White ceiling and trim

De Nimes Feature Wall

With Purbeck Stone walls and Strong White ceiling and trim

Pairings for a grey feature wall

Another great way to build a scheme around a grey feature wall is to take inspiration from our colour card. Try three greys from the same column – like Blackened, Pavilion Gray and Plummett – for a foolproof combination.

Down Pipe Feature Wall

With Blue Gray walls and Shadow White ceiling and trim

Plummett Feature Wall

With Pavilion Gray walls and Blackened ceiling and trim

Mole's Breath Feature Wall

With Purbeck Stone walls and Ammonite ceiling and trim

Pavilion Gray Feature Wall

With Dimpse walls and Wevet ceiling and trim

Pairings for a neutral feature wall

Accent wall colours don’t always have to be dramatic. A neutral feature wall alongside two paler variations is easy on the eyes, creating a lovely restful feel in any room.

Jitney Feature Wall

With Joa’s White walls and Pointing ceiling and trim

Drop Cloth Feature Wall

With Shadow White walls and School House White ceiling and trim

Light Gray Feature Wall

With Off-White walls and Slipper Satin ceiling and trim

Dove Tale Feature Wall

With Skimming Stone walls and All White ceiling and trim

Pairings for a dark feature wall

When you have a dark feature wall, it can be tempting to default to white on the other walls. But a paler complementary tone – like Calamine with Studio Green – is well worth considering. It creates a softer contrast, feels more deliberate, and looks fantastic.

Studio Green Feature Wall

With Calamine walls and Great White ceiling and trim

Railings Feature Wall

With Peignoir walls and Strong White ceiling and trim

Brinjal Feature Wall

With Elephant’s Breath walls and Pointing ceiling and trim

Stiffkey Blue Feature Wall

With Skylight walls and Dimpse ceiling and trim