location, location

Determine what you’d like to highlight and what needs to keep a low profile. Making a feature of the wall behind a special fixture – such as a kitchen or laundry splashback – will give it instant hero status.

“Use a mix of full feature walls behind freestanding baths, as well as the rear wall of the shower, to add some contrast,” suggests designer and co-founder James Treble of e-course Interior Design For Profit.

The floor is fair game too, and can be a clever technique to trick the eye, especially in a small space like a powder room. “Have a darker patterned feature on the floor to outline the edges of the room,” says interior designer Olivia Sirocco of GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens. “A feature wall draws your eye when you enter, and if done correctly, it can bring a long skinny room forward, or make a shallow room feel like it has depth.”