I’ve come to the interwebz before for advice. It occasionally works, other times… well, not so much. But I’m pondering on something so thought I’d check with my learned friends online.
You may remember I’ve previously sought online advice about: indoor plants (did happen); decorative curtain thingys (didn’t happen); covers for my TV and computer (did happen); and even a complete apartment makeover (didn’t happen).
And today I’m talking feature walls.
Because my new place is so much bigger than my old place (and I’d ditched stuff to move there) I negotiated to keep a couple of green leather sofas from the previous owner. She was elderly and going to live with family or in a home or something. Either way, I don’t think she needed them. Her style was far FAR different from my own, but… I liked these sofas and they are now in what I think of as my ‘formal’ lounge room. Or… place where I can sit and chat to people.
My plan was to put my fabulous green Zimbabwean wall hanging behind the sofa, cos it would match and it’s fabulous. Oh, and did I mention it’s fabulous? It’s featured in my last two properties (below) and survived the last decade or so (on walls) unscathed. (And a decade in storage before that!)
However… the previous owner (here) had a myriad of artwork but was seemingly as ‘handy’ around the house as yours truly. There are multiple hooks on the wall behind the sofas but all in the wrong positions for my wall hanging. No matter where I ‘centre’ my hanging, hooks would remain visible on the edges… or there’d be an unattractive hole in the wall where I removed the hook. And… (though you cannot see it because of my temporary wall hangings (from South Africa in top photo) someone has (ahem) ‘patched’ the wall in various places around the hooks, so there are different tones of white paint and it looks kinda ugly.
My options as I see them are to: leave the two hangings there now… but they’re too much of a reminder of my Brisbane full-time working life and apartment tones of chocolate brown, navy and forest green. My new life is brighter. ‘Funner’. And I want my green wall hanging there. *stamps foot in tantrum*
So… I could put it up and remove surrounding hooks, hoping the patched paint isn’t too obvious. Or… I could repaint the wall in its entirety – either white (as it currently is) or… some fabulous feature colour. Something not too scary but elegant. The flip side of that being I get sick of it quickly and the house loses the lightness it has from its all-white walls.
Source: homdesignfind.com
So dear readers… what are your thoughts? Feature wall? Repaint. Try the wall hanging and see if the extra hook / hole / patched paint looks too bad?
I’m linking up Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday. Though I’m not very wordless. As usual.
October 5, 2016
I’m a fan of the feature wall- & love painting (pity I haven’t moved up yet!). Although depending on the colour, they can look a tad yesterday. If you’re hanging your oh so very fabulous hanging, it paint it all white, or ricecake- which has some very very very green based grey, but is almost white.
October 5, 2016
Yes it’s the ‘yesterday’ thing I’m worried about. I’ve had feature walls in two of my previous places, though didn’t grow tired of either… but it was a while ago. (And yes, pity you weren’t closer!)
October 5, 2016
What I’ve done a bit is use full strength of a colour on one wall- the feature- & ½ or even ¼ strength on the others. This also works if you have a large wall that gets different amounts of sunlight from another.
October 5, 2016
Hi Deb a little tip I picked up when we had hire furniture including pictures in our house to sell. They put a tiny bit of toothpaste in the hole where they had added extra hooks for the hire pictures to hide the holes – apparently if it’s a small hole the toothpaste blends to wall colour.
Also I love a feature wall – choosing the colour is the hardest part but it will really highlight your Zimbabwean picture. Good luck.
October 5, 2016
The highlighting would be a problem if I painted the wall. Love the toothpaste idea… giggling though cos I think I have blue gel at the moment! 😉
October 5, 2016
I agree with Jo, patch the holes and re-paint the wall. I would also paint a neutral color. Congrats on your new place!
October 5, 2016
Thanks Pam and yes, I think I’d go for something neutral and darker I think. I note darker tones (like the pic in my blog post) seem to be more ‘in’.
October 5, 2016
Replied to your FB post and have now read about the Green piece.
Again, painted feature walls are OUT and you don’t need to do that anyway.
Put the big green piece up but move the couch. Bring it out on a 90 degree angle with the other couch ( so they are L shaped) . It will make your big room feel more cosy and your green statement piece will shine !
October 5, 2016
Oh thanks… bring it out to face into the apartment or the ocean side?
October 5, 2016
I’m a nay for the painted feature wall – too early-2000s. HOWEVER, I’m a yay for the feature wall that is a gallery wall – they take work to get right but I think there are lots of tutorials online (about cutting out pieces of paper the size of what you’re hanging and sticking them up before hammering holes!) – I know you’re wanting to hand your big green hanging but the two smaller ones alongside other framed things would look fantastic (and I think the tones of them contrast nicely with the green sofas).
October 5, 2016
I love the look of multiple paintings all hung together and would love to do that there, but… it’s kinda the perfect spot for my wall hanging and I don’t really have many other full walls (too many windows and doors!) for it.
I’m eyeing off some artwork – that I can’t afford / justify – at the moment. Love this from Merci Perci. (For some reason).
http://www.merciperci.com/original-artwork/shiny
http://www.merciperci.com/prints/koola
The second is just the print (not framed) but I’d love it in a huge size and it gets quite expensive. Even if I then buy a cheap frame! Would love them on a gallery feature wall, but they’d be great for my study – inspiring kinda.
October 5, 2016
I love a feature wall, but you want your piece to stand out, so I’d keep the wall white. Tagged you in Ken (the Bass player and plasterer) post, so he’d be able to sort the wall if the toothpaste doesn’t work (love that idea btw!).
Like the L idea for the sofas… Definitely ocean facing! When shall I come over to help #livingvicariously
October 5, 2016
The last two times I’ve hung the wall hanging we’ve actually drilled it straight into the wall (as the end is tacked on a slim piece of long timber) as it’s pretty heavy.
October 5, 2016
I am useless at these sorts of things but enjoying the comments! I love the green hanging though so you should definitely hang it!
October 5, 2016
I feel the same about the wall hanging Jess. I bought it in 1996 or so and didn’t put it up anywhere until 2005 or 2006. I was keeping it for ‘when I grew up’. Interestingly I’d said the same about the two hangings you can see in the top picture as I bought them at the same time but remember eventually putting them up in 2002 or so when I bought my first place, deciding I was grown up / adult enough to start using them rather than saving them.
October 5, 2016
Keep it beautiful, fresh and white. Your wall hanging will stand out beatifully.
October 5, 2016
Yes, that’s the most difficult thing… the hanging will look good against a stark wall.
October 6, 2016
Do what you can to sand down and fix the old patches – and patch the holes that are existing now. Hang what you love up there! I love an accent color wall. In my old house I had tan walls with a seriously red wall – the color of red velvet cake and I loved it. In my current home I have very pale “straw” colored walls with a white accent to match the trim and dining room.
October 6, 2016
I love the idea of a warm rich accent / feature wall, but also realise my wallhanging will ‘pop’ more on a white wall. Guess I could keep it white for the meantime (cover the patches with the handing etc) and then paint it down the track if I get bored! 🙂
October 6, 2016
That wall covering is gorgeous! I definitely see why hanging it there is a must. Personally I would just repaint either the white or a creamier color with a slight touch of yellow to make sure you keep that bright open look. I’m not against feature walls but I think if you went with a bolder color on just that one wall the wall hanging wouldn’t necessarily be the star. These are the kinds of decisions that make me crazy! Good luck!
October 6, 2016
Thanks Katherine. They obviously make me crazy as well!
October 6, 2016
I have one blue feature wall which I love (took ages to choose the right colour though) with a big statement mirror on it and the rest of the house is all white. I’d patch, paint white and put up your wall hangin. Good luck!
October 6, 2016
Thanks Vicki… I know what you mean about taking some time to choose the colour. I’ve had feature walls in the past and I’ve thought they’ve been tasteful etc but given that I was recently house-hunting I saw a number with shockingly bright walls and I wondered how on earth people thought they looked okay. But of course, to them they might have… (like my olive suede painted wall in the early 2000s!
October 6, 2016
I would take your hangings with you to the hardware store and see what faulous colours complement them. take the swatches home and mull over it. I wouldn’t go to drastically dark, it’s a long way back, and there is so much great light in these rooms, you don’t want to mess with. Good luck x
October 7, 2016
That’s a good idea. While I like the idea of going dark I am worried I’ll regret it!
October 7, 2016
I would take more time to live where you are…and even though i would be keen to get my stuff up there, I would live in the space for a bit longer. I love your large wallhanging and hope it get the place you want for it. As for moving things around I know I’d ben doing that a bit especially to manage the ‘sun and the seasons’ ….we did have a feature wall which was in tones of some trim in the house, for the one wall that viewers who came to look at our house on sale saw immediately. We hung one coloured print in it which brought in the colours of the furniture too. Good luck! I love those couches by the way, because they call you to ‘lie down’ and ‘relax’ here!!
October 7, 2016
Those couches are great Denyse. And comfy. My mum was here last weekend some time and we went for a walk, had lunch and did some stuff and then we each lay on a couch and chatted – well she was trying to read the paper… I’m so glad I negotiated to keep them!
October 9, 2016
Lots of interaction here! Sounds like you got a lot of possibilities to consider…I have nothing to add. I usually spackle holes in a color that matches the wall. But painting it seems like a plan, too.
I’m eager to see what you decide to do.
October 9, 2016
Thanks. I think I should probably start with getting the green wallhanging up – that way I’ll be able to see IF the wall needs repainting or if I can hide the problems.
October 11, 2016
Despite having a talented mother I know nothing of arty stuff or decorating and have, as mother used to say .”not one iota of good taste” but I do remember Hilda Ogden from Coronation Street she had what she called a “Muriel” painted on her wall – and, of course, the three flying ducks above the fireplace
October 11, 2016
Awwww…. gotta love those flying ducks! I remember them fondly!
October 11, 2016
I think you have heaps of suggestions already. Go with your instincts and I can’t wait to see the results.
October 11, 2016
Thanks Trish. I just need to get onto it!