Show the formula and working
This free feature wall paint calculator works out how much paint you need for one accent wall in a bold colour, and separately how much for the other walls in the room, for homeowners and renters in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Buying the two colours separately avoids paying for a big tin of a strong shade you only need a litre of.
Quick answer: Multiply the feature wall’s width by its height, take off doors and windows, multiply by the coats and divide by the coverage. A 4 m wide wall 2.4 m high is 9.6 m², so a feature wall paint calculator shows 1.13 litres for two coats at 17 m² per litre.
What Is a Feature Wall Paint Calculator?
A feature wall paint calculator is a tool that sizes the paint for a single accent wall and, if you want, the rest of the room in a second colour. In plain words: feature wall area = width x height – doors and windows on it. Feature paint = area x coats / coverage per litre. The other walls = (feature wall width + 2 x room depth) x height – their doors and windows, and their paint is worked out the same way.
The default coverage of 17 m² per litre is the figure on the Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt product page, which recommends two full coats and says one may be enough over a sound surface of a similar colour. Many retail colours quote a lower figure, so always enter the coverage on your own tin.
How Do You Use the Feature Wall Paint Calculator?
- Enter the Feature wall width, the Wall height and any Doors and windows on the feature wall.
- Set the Feature colour coats and the Paint coverage from the tin.
- For a big colour change, tick Add a base coat or primer under the feature colour and enter the Base coat coverage.
- Leave Also paint the other walls ticked to include the rest of the room, then enter the Room depth (side walls), the Doors and windows on the other walls and the Other walls coats.
- Pick the Tin size.
- Read the litres and tins for each colour, then open “Show the formula and working” to see each step.
How Much Paint Do I Need for a Feature Wall?
Most feature walls need between 0.7 and 1.5 litres for two coats, so a single 2.5 litre tin, or sometimes a 1 litre tin, is usually enough. The table assumes a 2.4 m ceiling, no doors or windows on the wall and a coverage of 17 m² per litre. If your paint covers less, the litres go up in proportion.
| Feature wall width | Area at 2.4 m high | Two coats | Three coats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 m | 6.00 m² | 0.71 L | 1.06 L |
| 3 m | 7.20 m² | 0.85 L | 1.27 L |
| 3.5 m | 8.40 m² | 0.99 L | 1.48 L |
| 4 m | 9.60 m² | 1.13 L | 1.69 L |
| 4.5 m | 10.80 m² | 1.27 L | 1.91 L |
| 5 m | 12.00 m² | 1.41 L | 2.12 L |
Do Dark Feature Walls Need More Coats?
Often yes: deep or bright colours painted over a pale wall may need a third coat, or a tinted base coat first, to reach an even colour. Check the tin, because some ranges recommend a specific base coat for strong shades. Going from a dark wall back to a light colour is the same in reverse, and a coat of primer or a mist coat on new plaster helps; the mist coat calculator covers fresh plaster.
Which Wall Should Be the Feature Wall?
Pick the wall your eye goes to first when you enter the room, such as the wall behind a bed, a sofa or a chimney breast. A wall without doors or many windows shows the colour best. Paint a sample patch and look at it in daylight and lamplight before buying the full amount, because strong colours change a lot with light.
Worked Example: A Feature Wall in a 4 m by 3 m Room
Example: a 4 m by 3 m bedroom with 2.4 m walls. The wall behind the bed, 4 m wide with no openings, gets a dark blue feature colour, and the other three walls a pale neutral, with one door and one window taking out about 3.5 m². The feature wall is 4 x 2.4 = 9.6 m², so two coats at 17 m² per litre need 9.6 x 2 / 17 = 1.13 litres, one 2.5 litre tin.
The other walls are (4 + 2 x 3) x 2.4 = 24 m², less 3.5 m² of openings = 20.5 m². Two coats need 20.5 x 2 / 17 = 2.41 litres, also one 2.5 litre tin. For the whole room in one colour, or to price both tins, try the paint calculator and the paint cost calculator, or browse the paint and decorating calculators.
Feature Wall Paint Calculator FAQs
Is 1 litre of paint enough for a feature wall?
Often, for a small wall. One litre at 17 m² per litre covers 8.5 m² with two coats, so a wall up to about 3.5 m wide and 2.4 m high fits. Paint that covers less, or a third coat, will need more.
How do I calculate paint for one wall?
Multiply the wall’s width by its height in metres, subtract any doors or windows, then multiply by the number of coats and divide by the coverage per litre on the tin. Round up to the next tin size.
Should I paint the feature wall first or last?
Paint the ceiling first, then the lighter walls, and the feature wall last. That way any light paint that strays onto the feature wall’s edges is covered by the darker colour, and you only need to cut in carefully once.
How do I get a sharp line at the corner?
Once the lighter walls are dry, mask the adjoining wall right into the corner with low tack decorator’s tape, paint the feature wall, and peel the tape off while the last coat is still slightly wet for a clean edge.
Do I need primer for a dark feature wall?
Not always. Over sound emulsion, two or three coats of the feature colour usually work. A base coat helps when a very strong colour struggles to cover, and primer or a mist coat is needed on new or bare plaster.
Why does the calculator work out the other walls too?
Because the feature wall is part of the room, the other walls need less paint than a full room would. Working out both colours together stops you buying too much of either, and shows the total wall area in one place.
Checked October 2026. Sources: Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt (product page), Paint (Wikipedia).