How Much Paint for a Feature Wall? Litres by Wall Size
A feature wall 4 m wide under a 2.4 m ceiling is 9.6 m², and two coats of emulsion at 12 m² per litre take 1.6 litres: buy a 2.5 litre tin. A 3 m wall takes 1.2 litres (also a 2.5 litre tin). The chart below gives one wall from 2.5 to 6 m wide at two ceiling heights.
How much paint for one wall: the chart
Two coats on a solid wall with no door or window, at 12 m² per litre. The litres are the exact amount and the tins are what the paint calculator on its one-wall setting tells you to buy.
| Wall width | Area at 2.4 m | 2.4 m ceiling | Area at 2.7 m | 2.7 m ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 m | 6.0 m² | 1.0 L: a 1 litre tin | 6.8 m² | 1.1 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 3 m | 7.2 m² | 1.2 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 8.1 m² | 1.4 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 3.5 m | 8.4 m² | 1.4 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 9.5 m² | 1.6 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 4 m | 9.6 m² | 1.6 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 10.8 m² | 1.8 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 4.5 m | 10.8 m² | 1.8 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 12.2 m² | 2.0 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 5 m | 12.0 m² | 2.0 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 13.5 m² | 2.3 L: a 2.5 litre tin |
| 6 m | 14.4 m² | 2.4 L: a 2.5 litre tin | 16.2 m² | 2.7 L: a 2.5 litre tin and a 1 litre tin |
The calculator works in 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 litre tins. When the answer is a little over one tin, check the coverage printed on yours before buying the next size up.
The formula for one wall
Worked example: a wall 4 m wide under a 2.4 m ceiling is 4 × 2.4 = 9.6 m². Two coats is 19.2 m² of painting, and 19.2 ÷ 12 = 1.6 litres, so buy a 2.5 litre tin. Open this wall in the calculator and change the width and height to yours.
For comparison, all four walls of a 4 × 3 m room with the same ceiling take 5.6 litres before the door and window come off.
Coats and colour: what changes the amount
A feature wall is usually a stronger colour than the wall it replaces, and that is what moves the number. This is the same 4 × 2.4 m wall under different settings of the calculator:
| The job | Paint | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| One coat, same or similar colour | 0.8 L | a 1 litre tin |
| Two coats, typical emulsion (the usual job) | 1.6 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| Two coats on smooth, previously painted plaster (14 m² a litre) | 1.4 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| Two coats of a dark colour or on a rough wall (10 m² a litre) | 1.9 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| Three coats, big colour change | 2.4 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| Three coats of a dark colour (10 m² a litre) | 2.9 L | a 2.5 litre tin and a 1 litre tin |
The 10 and 14 m² rates are the calculator's settings for rough walls or dark colours and for smooth, previously painted walls. Use the coverage printed on your own tin if it differs.
A wall with a door or a window
If the wall has an opening, take it off. The calculator deducts 1.6 m² for a door and 1.5 m² for a window.
| 4 × 2.4 m wall | Paintable area | Two coats | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid wall | 9.6 m² | 1.6 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| One window (1.5 m² off) | 8.1 m² | 1.4 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
| One door (1.6 m² off) | 8.0 m² | 1.3 L | a 2.5 litre tin |
Open the wall with one window to try your own mix of doors and windows.
A chimney breast or an alcove
The feature is often the chimney breast, not a whole wall. Measure its face and add the two returns (the sides) to the width. A chimney breast 1.5 m wide in total under a 2.4 m ceiling is 3.6 m² and takes 0.6 litres for two coats: a 1 litre tin.
What else to buy for one wall
- Masking tape for the two corners, the ceiling line and the skirting board. The corners where the feature colour meets the other walls are the lines everyone will see, so press the tape down firmly and peel it off while the last coat is still slightly wet.
- A 50 mm angled brush for cutting in (painting the strip along the edges that a roller cannot reach) and a roller with a sleeve to suit the wall.
- A dust sheet the length of the wall.
- A tester pot of the colour, painted on the wall itself and looked at in daylight and in the evening before you buy the tin.
For all four walls see how much paint for a room, and for the kit what you need to paint a room. For tin sizes see how much a tin of paint covers.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for one wall?
Multiply the width of the wall by its height in metres, multiply by the number of coats and divide by 12, the square metres a litre of typical emulsion covers. A wall 4 m wide and 2.4 m high is 9.6 m², so two coats take 1.6 litres: buy a 2.5 litre tin.
Is 1 litre of paint enough for a feature wall?
Only for a small one. One litre covers 12 m² in one coat, so 6 m² with two coats. A wall 3 m wide under a 2.4 m ceiling is 7.2 m² and needs 1.2 litres for two coats, so a 2.5 litre tin. A chimney breast 1.5 m wide needs 0.6 litres: a 1 litre tin.
Is 2.5 litres enough for a feature wall?
For most, yes. At 12 m² a litre a 2.5 litre tin gives two coats on 15 m², which is a wall 6.25 m wide under a 2.4 m ceiling. A long wall goes past it: 6 m wide under a 2.7 m ceiling is 16.2 m² and needs 2.7 litres for two coats, so a 2.5 litre tin and a 1 litre tin.
How many coats does a feature wall need?
Plan on two. A deep colour over a pale wall often needs a third, which takes a 4 m wall from 1.6 to 2.4 litres (a 2.5 litre tin).
More guides
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Estimates only. Quantities depend on your materials, site and supplier. Confirm important numbers before you order, and check the Building Regulations and any planning rules for anything structural or close to a boundary.
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