Create a bedroom feature wall

Wallpaper
There was a time when wallpaper was the preserve of chintzy B&Bs, but now that it's back in vogue the shops are full of flamboyant designs that simply scream out to be used. From retro Sixties and Seventies to Art Nouveau to modern floral prints, there is bound to be something that takes your fancy.

Use feature wallpaper to set the theme of the room, for example if you choose an oriental silk pattern then go for a bed that is low off the ground and a lantern-style lampshade. Likewise if you opt for a retro print, try to find furniture that looks like it is from the same era. Wallpapers with a flock or metallic finish add an extra degree of opulence.

In order to integrate the wall with the rest of the room draw out two or three colours from the design that you can use elsewhere. Try to take a fairly neutral colour to use on the three remaining walls, a mid-tone for the bedspread and window dressing and save the brightest accent colour for small touches like scatter cushions or a lamp.

Pattern and colour
A feature wall can also be a chance to use a splash of an adventurous colour that you might not dare to use on every wall. For the greatest impact use a contrasting colour to your main wall paint by choosing one that sits on the opposite side of the colour wheel. If you want to create a harmonious effect use shades from the same colour group on the colour wheel.

Paint suppliers such as Dulux and Crown both stock a feature wall range with colours that are designed to work alongside neutral schemes as an accent. You could also go for a paint with a metallic finish or a colour like gold or silver to give your bedroom an air of glamour.

Use tape to create your own design on one wall, such as vertical bands of colour in varying widths or Mondrian-style abstract blocks of colour.

Stencils are another simple way to give your bedroom personality and at stencil-library.co.uk you can choose anything from Chinese dragons to crocodile skin, not to mention many traditional floral designs.

Wall stickers are another easy solution with shops like wallglamour.co.uk and stickyups.com both stocking an extensive range. You can get lettering both as stencils and stickers, so another idea is to write a line of lyrics from your favourite song or a poem.

Beautiful objects
A collection of striking objects can also be effective as a wall feature and the more you have the better. You could arrange framed photographs in a large cluster or have a large spread of postcards from different holiday destinations and art galleries. Vintage film posters or record covers can also look fantastic. Other ideas include an array of Japanese fans or a display of mismatched antique mirrors.

You can really start a collection of anything that takes your fancy and the quirkier the better. Take a stroll around a junk shop if you are stuck for inspiration as you are bound to find something weird and wonderful.

Another feature wall idea is to stretch a patterned fabric over a wooden canvas frame that you can find in art shops and secure it with staples. Either one large frame or a series of three smaller frames in a row can look fantastic as a wall display. You could mix one frame covered in a patterned fabric with two frames that each take a different colour from the pattern.