Painting Accent Walls - A Simple Guide By Professional Painters (2024)

When redecorating your home or sprucing up a plain room, we suggest experimenting with colors and patterns by painting accent walls.

Accent walls are an incredible opportunity to emphasize and add excitement to your living space. From a subtle accent to a high-impact change, an accent wall can add just the right amount of freshness to your room needs. Plus, it won’t cost you a fortune to do it.

Knowing which color (or pattern) works best in your space can feel overwhelming. A simple solution is to choose a color already integrated into your area, such as a color in your rug or a favorite painting in the room.

You can use that inspiration to paint accent walls and completely upgrade any room’s style without spending the money for a complete room makeover.

Please keep reading for pro tips on painting accent walls to help breathe some life into any room.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Accent Wall Ideas
• Pick the Best Wall
• Don’t Be Afraid of Color
• Use the 5th wall
• Get Creative
• Define Your Space
• Ask the Pros for Help
• Frequently Asked Question

Accent Wall Ideas

Accent walls are meant to be different from the other walls in a room. It should be unique to break up the flow and give the room some pop.

An accent wall can also create visual separation in a room with multiple purposes, such as a bedroom with an office space.

Both rooms with and without architectural features can benefit from an accent wall. An accent wall can enhance an architectural feature in a room or create its focal point in a room without one.

1. Pick the Best Wall

The best way to pick your accent wall is to identify the first wall that grabs your attention upon walking into a room. Don’t just pick a wall at random. Accent walls should highlight some of the focal accents that already exist in your space.

A wall of windows can serve as an accent wall but be mindful that a dark accent color surrounding windows can create a bright light effect and overwhelm the room. A usual rule is not to choose a wall with windows or doors as your accent wall.

There are a few key locations that naturally suit an accent wall. The most common choices for an accent wall are the:

Bedroom Accent Walls: The wall that touches the headboard of your bed is the part of the room that is the focal point. That wall usually serves well as the accent wall. An accent wall in the bedroom can also be placed on the wall where your dresser is located. This works particularly well for large dressers that occupy most of a room.

Kitchen Accent Wall: Accent walls work best in large kitchens that can benefit from having a defined eating area or create the illusion of having a more defined dining area.

Living Room Accent Wall: If your living or family room has high ceilings, an accent wall can make it appear cozier and separate open floor plans.

Bathroom Accent Wall: Adding an accent wall can make a starkly white or neutral bathroom more colorful and inviting. Keep your color choices and design patterns toned to encourage relaxation and comfort.

2. Don’t Be Afraid of Color

Colors and unique patterns are what make accent walls so spectacular. This is the best time to go bold with a bright red or deep gray.

Consider the color on the other walls when deciding on accent wall colors. Accent walls in an all-white room are stunning. The contrast of a bright accent wall against white walls can look very modern.

Balance your contrasting accent wall color with neutral wall colors on the other walls. You want to ensure that another wall doesn’t create competition or imbalance. For instance, using a large mirror in an accent wall design causes the room to feel too busy and unwelcoming.

Going bold is excellent, but if it clashes with the décor, it will break up the flow and be nothing more than a distraction, defeating the purpose of the accent wall.

Finding the color you want for your accent wall can be difficult with many options. Below is a breakdown of some of the best color options and what they can do for your space.

We highly recommend colors from Sherwin-Williams.

A blue accent wall is one of the best colors to make a statement without feeling aggressive. Blue is known for its calming effects and can bring a cozy feel to any room.

View popular blue colors

Yellow accent walls are usually a safe color to paint. Most yellows will make a subtle statement while energizing the space around them.

View popular yellow colors

A green accent wall can be a calming tone that looks modern and classic, depending on the decor throughout the rest of the room. Use it for the whole wall, or choose to paint built-ins or architectural features for a more subtle approach.

View popular green colors

Remember, choosing an accent wall color is unique to your home and style. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through your color choice and wall design. Using existing colors in the room can be a good starting point and help to keep the room balanced.

3. Use the 5th wall

A chic decorating trend is to add color to the ceiling and use it as your accent wall. Accent ceilings can be created with soft or vivid colors. White crown molding helps separate the wall color from the ceiling and creates a stylish look.

Be careful when choosing a color for your ceiling, as some colors can make a small space seem smaller, and an ample space feels cold and uninviting.

As a rule of thumb, large rooms with tall ceilings can feel cozier by using a darker shade above, while smaller rooms with low ceilings can feel larger and airier by using a lighter shade.

Another good ceiling color option is a shade or two lighter or darker than the paint color used on the walls. This can give your room a bold look while keeping the room feeling balanced.

4. Get Creative

Think outside the box when considering what to put on your new accent wall. Think about other ways to use color. You can add stripes or a specialty paint finish.

While painting stripes or other exciting designs may seem complicated, mapping the design beforehand and using low-stick tape to ensure clean lines can be helpful.

Metallics can be powerful style statements for an accent wall. A coordinating wallpaper print can work well too. Keeping the room’s purpose and style in mind, branching out into these options can bring an element of fun into the space.

While paint and wallpaper are probably the most accessible and everyday choices, there are many other options for what you can choose with an accent wall. Wood, tile, stone, or brick are all great options that can add a pop to your room.

5. Define Your Space

Use an accent wall to set a room apart. An accent wall can help define a space in an open-concept layout. It can be used as a dividing line between the dining room and living room or create new energy in a room to distinguish between a relaxing area and a livelier environment.

An individual room often has subsections. Your living room may have a corner used as a reading space. A portion of your bedroom may also be an office space.

Or your office may have a separate section for gym equipment. All of these spaces can be visually separated by wall paint or design.

Designing these areas differently than the rest of the space can help better define the interior of your home.

Ask the Pros for Help

An accent wall can bring desired dimension and boldness to your space, but knowing where to start can be challenging.

As 5-star Google-rated painting contractors in St. Louis, we understand the importance of painting an accent wall and its impact on your home or office.

Our interior house painters are experts who take the time to listen to you and create a design that fits you and your home perfectly.

Painting your home is an easy and cost-effective solution to giving it a fresh look. We have the skills and experience to upgrade your home at HBP Painting Contractors.

If you’re ready to try new paint colors or wallpaper to transform your home interior, contact us for a free consultation.

If you’re in or around the St. Louis area, in the military, a senior, or a first-time customer, save on your next project by grabbing a painting deal on the estimate page.

GET A FREE ESTIMATE

Frequently Asked Question

Here are some commonly asked questions on how to best paint accent walls.

Is Painting an Accent Wall Outdated?

No. According to design experts, accent walls will not go out of style. Although popular colors and patterns may change, the idea of using a single wall as an accent piece is a design feature that is here to stay.

What Are the Rules for Painting an Accent Wall?

Although there are no complex rules, there are a few standard guidelines when painting an accent wall.

• Choose a solid wall with no windows or doors.
• Framing a focal point such as a fireplace, bookshelf, or headboard is a good rule of thumb.
• Make sure the adjacent wall does not create competition or unbalance.
• Use the color choice to your benefit. Understand that darker colors can create a cozy feel while lighter colors make a room feel larger and more open.

Which Wall Should be Painted as an Accent Wall?

The right wall to accent is usually the first one you see when you enter a room. However, sometimes choosing the wall with a focal point, such as a fireplace or bookshelf, is the best choice, even if it is not the first wall you see.

Should an Accent Wall be Lighter or Darker?

It is usually suggested that an accent wall be darker than the other walls to create depth and drama, but this is not always the answer. If you intend for your ceiling to be the accent, and the ceiling is low, a lighter color is often the correct choice.

Keeping the room’s purpose can help you decide if lighter or darker is the right choice for you.

It is usually suggested that an accent wall be darker than the other walls to create depth and drama, but this is not always the answer. If you intend for your ceiling to be the accent, and the ceiling is low, a lighter color is often the correct choice.

Keeping the room’s purpose can help you decide if lighter or darker is the right choice for you.

For more inspiration, check out bedroom accent wall ideas at https://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/bedrooms/20-bedroom-accent-wall-ideas-pictures