Inspiration | News | Interior Decorating Tips | Wallpaper | March 18, 2022

10 Wild and Dreamy Bedroom Feature Wall Ideas

With such an abundance of options out there, committing to a wallpaper is an intimidating prospect. But once you’ve found your dream print, how much should you use and where should you put it? These bedroom feature wall ideas prove that sometimes, less is definitely more.

Previously, we wrote about when to wallpaper more than one wall, taking inspiration from customers who decided to go ‘the full monty’ with wallpaper. Here, we look at the other side of the coin; when to wallpaper one wall, particularly when it comes to bedrooms.

In bedrooms, or any room for that matter - the accent wall is divisive. Designer Luke Edward Hall recently wrote an article for the Financial Times titled ‘The Curse of the Feature Wall,’ referencing UK decorating shows from the early 2000s.

It’s true that Maximalism is having a moment. Search for this term on Pinterest and you’ll see a cacophony of pattern and colour. But is there still some design merit to wallpapering just one area of a room? We think so.

In our view, it depends on the pattern and it depends on the space. How is a room going to be used and how do you want it to make you feel? A busy design on all four walls might bring on a dizzy spell; an accent wall or two could strike the perfect balance. Here are a few points to bear in mind, alongside some bedroom feature wall ideas from our lovely customers. Top image - Hua Trees in Pink by Nude and the Novice.

Choose a bold design for your boudoir

Bedroom feature wall using botanical wallpaper by Sian Zeng

Your bedroom is a sacred place. It makes sense to decorate it in a way that helps you wind down and get ready to sleep.

At Sian Zeng, many of our designs come in soft colour palettes, designed to make rooms feel serene, calm, and soothing. That’s why we often see customers using them on more than one wall, because they create a cocooning feel in the bedroom.

If however, you’ve fallen in love with a vibrant colourful pattern, using it on one wall might be just the right amount to add some character, without overwhelming the space. Sian chose her Summer Tropical Bloom for the wall behind the bed in her very own bedroom. With white walls and neutral coloured curtains, the look is fresh and stylish.

Pick out the colours in the wallpaper

Wallpaper that contains more than one colour can often be the starting point for the entire colour scheme of a room. At Sian Zeng, we often put together paint options from Little Greene and Farrow & Ball that compliment a particular design and colourway (get in touch if you’d like some suggestions).

After you’ve picked a wallpaper for a feature wall in the bedroom, go bold with a block of colour alongside it. Perhaps you want to keep this wall for hanging pictures, shelving or other decor items that may not work as well on a patterned wall.

We adore this kids room by Danish stylist Mie Valsgaard which picks out the colours in Dino Pink Green wallpaper perfectly. Below, RachelAnne Maggs has used Dino Wallpaper in Grey to tie together a muted palette in this beautiful bedroom interior.

Create a feature wall behind the bed

Many of our customers like to create an accent wall behind the bed using our wallpaper. Perhaps it’s because the design almost becomes an extension of the headboard, creating a bed frame or canopy effect. We love this rattan frame by Tiretta Living with our Clematis wall mural.

Decorate your bedroom on a budget

Wallpaper can be a huge investment. Whether you’re an interior designer or a homeowner, most of us are working to a budget.

Where bedroom walls are largely covered with tall furniture or shelving, wallpapering here just may not be worth the time and expense. Paint this wall in a complimentary shade instead. Pictured above - Classic Seasons Winter Snowdrift.

Highlight an architectural feature

Accent walls in bedrooms don’t even need to be wallpapered from top to bottom. Wallpaper the inside of a panel - as seen in this room styled by Timea Sido and you get a lovely framed art effect. Wallpaper is great for highlighting architectural features, whether it’s a chimney breast, a sloped ceiling or a dado rail.

Use a feature wall to bring nature indoors

Hua Trees is one of our best selling mural wallpapers for bedrooms. Its subtle colour palette and layered quality brings nature and tranquillity to the room, whilst sitting quietly in the background.

As seen in this child’s bedroom by Cristina Diaz, a mural wallpaper adjacent to a window creates a seamless link with the outdoors, mirroring the views of trees.

Equally, if the view from your window doesn’t overlook greenery, wallpaper can help create that connection to nature.

Bring art into the bedroom

Murals have been hand painted on walls for centuries. Because we reproduce our mural wallpapers from original artwork, we love seeing them treated as such.

In collections such as our Swan Lake mural, every brushstroke can be seen, creating a sense that artwork really has been painted on the walls.

Create contrast

Nevermind a bedroom feature wall, how about a feature corner? Wallpaper is a great tool for zoning an area, creating contrast to break up the different activities. In this nursery by Little Greene’s creative director Ruth Mottershead, she puts our Jungle mural next to painted walls in two shades of green. The dark ceiling makes the corner feel extra cosy and brings the jungle scene to life.

Love these bedroom feature wall ideas? See more examples in our Inspiration Room.