If you dream of having a home that belongs in magazine, then you’ll know that fabulous feature walls are a great way of making an immediate impression.
They’re a tried and tested way of giving a room the wow factor – the domestic equivalent of ‘dress to impress’. Thankfully, accent walls have moved beyond the bright paint and floral wallpaper beloved of daytime TV shows – these days, there’s a whole host of new and exciting ways to make a wall stand out. And because they focus on a single area, you don’t have to go to the expense or hassle of redecorating an entire space.
So if you’re looking to banish the beige and get creative, read on. We’ll take you through a few of our favourite ways you can use tiles to make a focal point in any room.
Play with pattern
Love the idea of decorative tiles but can’t pick a pattern? Go for patchwork tiles and you don’t have to. These usually feature a number of prints and designs in a limited colour palette, but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous why not opt for the multicoloured mosaic effect of Dolce Blue? Either way, lay the tiles at random and your new wall is guaranteed to be totally unique.
Go graphic
Adding a simple repeating geometric design is a sure-fire way to create an eye-catching wall without dominating the space. Here, a simple blue motif brings a fresh touch to a modern bathroom, creating a contrast against the clean lines of the freestanding tub.
Rustic revival
Who hasn’t dreamt of an exposed brick wall in their home? Just pull back your plaster and if you’re lucky, the bricks behind will be a deep rich red, full of raw charm. Or that’s the idea, anyway.
But if that sounds a little messy, don’t worry. Our unique Brix Red tiles look and feel just like real thing, and they’re a far easier way to give your living room oodles of character, without having to rip down your walls.
Hex appeal
Hexagons are one of the break out trends of the past year or two, so why not create a geometric feature wall using nature’s favourite shape? We’d recommend combining different colours together for the full eye-popping effect – create delicate petals with our Memory hexagon tiles as below, or lay darker Kaleido colours on a background of Kaleido White for a more simple affair.
Monochrome magic
Who said feature walls have to be bright and bold? You can still create dramatic walls using the classic palette of black and white. In this art-deco inspired bathroom, the humble black metro tile is used to break up the white walls and provide a stylish backdrop to the claw-foot bath.
And in a nice twist, the patterned floor also becomes a focal point. So there you go – two focal points in one room, without clashing.
A novel idea
Thanks to digital printing, there’s now plenty of choice if you’re looking to clad your walls in something a little unusual. And these unique tiles certainly fit that description – with their antique volumes they’ll give your room the air of a ancient library. And whilst you won’t be able to grab a book off the self, at least they won’t be sat there gathering dust!
If you want to know more about this designer tiles, please get in touch.
Around the block
If you need to spice up a bland wall but don’t want to go all out, then take a look at colour blocking, the simple idea of pairing two contrasting colours together. A hot trend in the fashion world, it’s a really easy way to create a focal point or highlight a feature, and it works best when you use plain, solid colours.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to tile halfway up a wall, then paint above. Or if you’ve got a large expanse of wall tiles, break them up with a few rows of an alternate colour, as shown below with our Chalk Jade wall tiles.
All that glitters…
…might not be gold, but who cares when our Brooklyn Gold brick tiles look this good? Covering a entire wall might not be for the faint hearted but when it comes to gold, we say be bold – these tiles have a classy, quietly opulent style that will give your walls a luxurious look that’s anything but kitsch. Finish the room off by mixing and matching pieces of furniture in other metallic finishes.
Unfinished symphony
You don’t need to tile a whole wall to draw attention – why not create a half-finished masterpiece that’s deliberately designed to catch the eye? This works particularly well with hexagons and brick effect tiles, especially when you stagger the joints to expose the edges. For extra accent wall brownie points, paint the rest of the wall in a contrasting colour to achieve the colour block effect.
Put the tile into tactile
A time-honoured way to create add depth and personality is though texture, so clad a wall in a sculptured surface and voila, you’ll instantly create a stunning focal point. Chimney breasts and split face tiles are a match made in heaven – the irregular sizes and colouring of natural stone have a rustic charm that modern materials just can’t match. Get the look with our split face tiles.
Add oomph with ombre
If you’re unfamiliar with the word ombre, you’ve probably seen its effects somewhere. It’s used to describe the gradual blend from light top dark, through varying tints. Just think of a paint sample chart and you’ll get the picture! It’s far easier to achieve the effect with tiles than paint though – simply pick a few colours from the same range and off you go.
Plain and neutral shapes work best – our crackled Ludlow wall tiles will give you the look below. Add in a herringbone format for a little twist.
Mix and match
We’re often wary about mixing colours, but’s theres no reason why, with a little thought, you can’t bring in different tones and create a room that’s both fun and sophisticated. In this kitchen splashback, pastel tiles from the same range are mixed at random to create an eye-catching yet serene living space. It works because the rest of the room is deliberately kept neutral – there’s no visual competition for the cocoon of colour that makes up the wall.
