DIY feature wall - made simple!

Perhaps your home is in need of a new look, or maybe your social calendar is looking a bit quiet through the cooler months and you want a new hobby! But whatever your reason, doing some DIY painting around the house is a great project to take on this winter.

It is amazing how much a lick of paint can do for a room, let alone the whole house - but if you're new to this type of DIY job, it is best to start small so you don't end up with a huge project on your hands that you run out of time to finish.

Visiting your local Kennards Hire will ensure that you are equipped for the job - while in-store experts should be able to provide you with some advice on what you require, essential hire gear will include trestles, platform and extension ladders.

You can also find some great painting resources online.

Feature walls are a relatively modern concept and a great way of injecting life and colour into a room.

They are also a great tool used by interior designers to create different illusions that can enhance space and break up living areas.

A bold colour against a more neutral tone can make a real statement, and you can also use your primary colour to coordinate the room and give it a themed look.

Once you have chosen your colours - don't feel limited to just one colour for your feature wall, you can also experiment with patterns or paints with special finishes - choose which wall will take pride of place as the feature of the room.

In most cases, you will want your feature wall to be solid and without the disruption of doors or windows.

However, if there is something that you specifically want highlighted, for example a fireplace, then this is a perfect opportunity to draw attention to it.

Once you have decided the wall and the colour scheme, it is time to get painting.

First of all you need to mark off your feature wall with masking tape to ensure that you don't paint anything else, such as frames and skirting boards.

It is also a good idea to line the floor with newspaper or painting sheets for protection against paint splatters.

Start with an undercoat and apply with a brush to all of the edges and corners of the feature wall - once you have done this you can continue painting the rest of wall with a roller.

Make sure your first coat is dry before you apply the second in the same way, ensuring that coverage is even .

Finishing the painting with either parallel or horizontal strokes will help make sure the paint is spread evenly.

If you are painting the other walls, repeat the same process.