Expert tips - Painting an alcove

Alcoves can prove a challenge in a home – should you contrast or colour drench? Wallpaper or paint?

The use of paint colour can serve to emphasis the structure of the alcove itself, or the contents within the alcove, depending on your personal style.

The first thing to consider is where the alcove sits in the home. Older homes have several chimney breasts throughout different rooms, but newer structures could have them created around stairs and on landings.

Colour drenching an alcove

Colour drenching actually works very well in alcoves and across the breast or front wall. This adds depth, makes the room feel larger and allows the focus to be on the elements within the alcove - shelves, vases, books, pictures or ornaments. Here, Frogs at Night provides a deep, rich colour across the main wall as well as the recess, with colour pops provided by furniture and accessories.

Using contrasting colours in alcoves 

If you are going for a different colour in an alcove, take the time to choose your colours carefully. Order a good quality swatch of paints so you can see at a glance which tones work well together and then consider the colours you are using in the rest of the room.

You can also order real paint patches so you can place them on the walls of your alcoves and see how the colours look at different times of day, with natural and artificial light from lamps. If you are going for a contrast, paler colours within the alcoves naturally take the eye to the feature wall at the front, whereas a colour pop can provide a balance when on either side of a chimney breast.  

How do I decorate multiple alcoves?

If you have two alcoves, they usually tend look better matched to each other, as opposed to different colours. There is a feeling of calm and mindfulness that comes from symmetry in the home and two alcoves usually tend to be centred around a chimney breast-style wall, featuring a fireplace or TV. You are working with lots of right angles which lend themselves naturally to balance created by the matching alcoves.

What about wallpapering?

Wallpapering in an alcove can prove a little tricky, which is why it is more common to paper the main breast – but either can work, if you have a little time and would like to introduce some pattern or texture. The key is to make it work with the accessories around the room and ensure colours and patterns complement your lifestyle.