My house, built in 2003, has purple feature walls in the dining room and 2 bedrooms and green feature walls in 1 bedroom and 2 living areas. That was the fashion then. Recently I decided it's time for an update as the feature walls seem to be absorbing all the light and making the house very dark. So far I've undercoated 2 of the feature walls and what a difference it makes! The rooms are much lighter and now I have to decide on whether to add a lighter colour as feature walls or paint them the same colour as the rest of the room.

I came across your post and I think we have the same house! I was just pondering whether to paint or not. What was your verdict on painting the beams? I was leaning toward preserving the mission brown.

Go with your plan to feature colour Wall A and mount mirror on Wall A and place beachy art work on Wall B. My suggestion is to maybe consider using a paint colour for the featured wall that is tonally similar to paint on Wall B and not too dark so as to give room depth but not close it in with a dark heavy contrasting shade. Offsetting the hanging of the mirror closer (to the plant) could also add interest (and work with the shorter end of the sofa). Often going with you intuition is the best advice!!!

Hi Sue, I think the wall colour (white looks like an white/off white) is lovely. It’s neutral and light, and will be the best back drop for any soft furnishings. I would suggest maybe updating some of your furniture. Your sofas look in good condition, so re-upholstering to change the colour may be a expensive option. in a bid to save some money, perhaps updating your rug to a lighter/more neutral pattern/colour (look at armadillo rugs) is a better option. Also updating your dining setting (perhaps something with chair upholstery to compliment the sofa, and even a large light coloured marble top) to be more contemporary and in keeping with your lounge suite would be the way to go. My clients often find it difficult to part with certain pieces that hold sentimental value, but often a new home requires a furniture update. In summary, I’m not convinced changing wall colour will be able to link all your furniture together. Stick with one piece that works well (ie. the sofa) and work towards updating the rest. Good luck!