How To Choose Paint For An Accent Wall
Paint is an inexpensive choice for an amazing accent wall, and there are many color choices. The color you choose is really up to you and your home’s style.
- Use a dark color to make a special painting stand out, and turn it into a focal point with overhead lighting. Keep furniture in front of that wall in a lighter shade so it wont disappear into the dark background. Dark colors like navy, black and deep green can make accent walls feel dramatic.
- For a bold look, go with bright hues on an accent wall, such as vivid orange, brilliant yellow or another electric paint color. Exciting colors energize a space and make a feature wall pop out.
- Another idea: paint your accent wall with tone-on-tone paints, which are simply paints in different shades of the same color, to create an unusual ombre wall.
- If your style is modern or minimalistic, choose a deep, jewel-tone wall in a room with three other white walls.
- Dont be afraid to mix primary colors. A yellow wall can complement a room with dark blue furnishings and red throw pillows and other accessories.
- If youre creating an accent wall and theres an overly bright window on the other side of the room, use a dark paint color to absorb some of the light. If the room is too dim or dark, use white or another pale color on the accent wall to help reflect light.
What Colors Are Good For A Living Room Accent Wall
The best colors for a living room accent wall are the ones that will complement your decor scheme.
To narrow down your options, look at the accent colors that are already in your room. Pulling a color from your existing decor will tie your whole room together, and is a failsafe way to make the right choice. If you want an exact match, take an item you already own, like a throw pillow, vase, or area rug, to the paint store and have it color-matched. Or, if color-matching isn’t an option, use the in-store paint cards to find the closest shade.
What Is The Best Accent Wall
Which wall should serve as the accent wall in any room will vary depending on a number of factors. You might have a built-in accent wall like one that features natural stone or brick.
Dont fight any natural focal point you might already have in the space. Some of the things to consider before choosing which wall to paint or decorate include:
- Existing architectural elements in the space. Is there a fireplace, bay window, or other feature that already draws attention? Build on any fixed elements present to create the best accent wall.
- Built-in cabinets or shelves can help frame an accent wall.
- Dramatic furniture is perfect for adding an accent wall. This means that if you have a dramatic armoire, the wall behind it is a natural choice.
- An outstanding view is already a natural focal point so dont detract from it. If you still want to create an accent wall with paint, choose a wall that has a window with a view.
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The Easy Way To Paint An Accent Wall
Now onto the best partthe EASY way to paint an accent wallbecause lets be honest, this MAY be a project you just randomly pulled out of your head and you dont want to commit a ton of time too, am I right? For me it was likeHey honey, heres a gallon of paint I choseId like that wall over there painted dark blue and of course I got the look from him. Youre unsure about how this accent wall will looknot sure if youll commit long term and dont want to put in a ton of time on something you may just be painting right back over next year . So lets chat about how I like to paint rooms so that theres less clean up and way less messits kind of amazing actually!
Lets start with the BEFORE accent wall photo
So you can see why we decided to paint the wall. It was just kind of bland and boring. I worked with Modsy to mock up what a living room makeover WITH an accent wall might look like, which is why I decided to go the accent wall direction after all
Night and day, right?! The accent wall MAKES the room in the second design. It adds the pop of color that was lacking, it adds character and interest, and the gallery wall looks AMAZING with it!! So we got started painting!
And as a side notemy dad got my husband painting clothes for Christmas this year LOL. Hes the real deal now!
Use Accent Colours To Highlight Features
Celebrate features rather than try to hide them under a uniformed wall colour. An accent colour border will draw attention to lovely period door frames, skirting boards and picture rails. Picking out key architectural details can help to add depth to your living room and create interest.
Even if the space is devoid of features, you could fake a feature with clever paint ideas. No skirting board? Simply paint a two-tone feature on the wall to create the illusion of its presence.
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Create A Barely There Backdrop
Consider transforming a section of a white living room with country cream. Floor-to-ceiling shelving and storage is the perfect vehicle for this classic shade smart fitted bookshelves painted in the same shade occupy two walls.
Paint the architrave and panelling too, as well as the back of shelves for a truly cohesive feel. Tones of teal and burnt orange are the perfect accompaniment to cream, so bring them in aplenty on cushions, lighting and upholstery.
Accent Your Wall With Neon Signs
Photo via @zephs_house
Want to introduce playfulness into a living room, kitchen, or game room? Hang neon signs on your feature wall! Not only do neon signs add vibrant pops of color to an accent wall, but you can even find neon wall art with funny sayings or quotes that can add personality to your living space!
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Accent Colors For Furniture
Accent furniture is your way forward to creating a home that is impressive right at the first look. While a lot of people like accentuating the décor by popping some color on the walls, accent furniture is for those who are in for some serious color commitment.
Giving your furniture accent colors is not an easy decision, but when done rightly its something that would define your space and your personality. For homes that have mostly whites and off-whites in the decor, its quite easy to choose the accent furniture color. Since white blends well with every color, you can pick anything from a deep blue sofa in your living room to dark brown wooden finish dining table.
For homes with pastel colored walls like yellow, mint and powder blue, it would be perfect to opt for a dark shade of the same color for your furniture. Think an emerald green painted console table set against a fresh mint green wall. The layering of shades over each other is one of the best ways of creating a harmonious home.
If your home has darker colors on the walls like navy blue or marsala, your accent furniture can be in rustic white to make an impact amidst the dark walls. You can also make things a bit more fun by adding prints instead of solid colors. For example, a bright home with yellow walls can have an ikat fabric or floral print sofa in yellow and grey combination that is chic and impressive. Another option is to accessorize colorful prints with a throw blanket or pillows.
Pattern Up Above Paneling
We adore wall paneling ideas and the way they work beautifully in both traditional country manors and modern apartments. They can slot into most rooms, from period hallways and tiny downstairs powder rooms to contemporary living rooms and retro dining rooms. What’s more, they can make an excellent accent wall whether that’s one big wall with a secret door, or wainscoting that’s updated with accent wallpaper above. Paneling expertly merges the old and new and adds a real feature to a space.
‘Accent walls are a pop of color or wallpaper on part of a wall or one or two walls in a room. They give an opportunity to use a cool pattern or bold color in a room without overwhelming the space. They were popular in the 90s and have come back into the design conversation,’ says interior designer Susie Novak, founder of Susie Novak Interiors .
‘I love this wallpaper but dont like to overdo it with pattern so here we added it above wainscoting and it really sings and elevates the room. We wanted a beautiful and soothing atmosphere here and wanted to create a formal but also casual vibe!’ she adds.
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Enhance The Architectural Features
Moody black accent wall in the kitchen by designer, Kristina B.
Accent walls in kitchens arent always common but can create a much needed bold appeal to the room. For instance, you can instantly elevate the architectural features just by painting accent walls in a contrasting color. A black accent wall is a great way to exaggerate those artistic elements of your home.
Go Bold Below And Light Above
If your living room ceilings are on the low side, keep the upper portion of the room a single, pale neutral color, ceiling included. This is one of our favorite bedroom accent wall color ideas, too. Warm spice shades make for wonderful living room accent wall color ideas, and are obvious choices for accent colors for beige.
‘Keep darker or bolder colors on the bottom and lighter shades on top,’ says George Miller, home designer at Neptune . ‘In doing so, youll create the illusion of more ceiling height and ground your scheme. If you want to go the extra mile, a central border, painted in a third contrasting shade, will define the transition of your two color blocks and add an extra flourish to the design.’
If your home has a chair rail, paint it the darker color for a more contemporary look, instead of leaving it white.
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Make Your Own Gallery Wall
Photo via @twoqueenshome
For a completely customizable accent wall thats easy to incorporate into your home, design a gallery wall! This feature wall idea lets you showcase your favorite photos, posters, prints, and more. Consider a mix-and-match approach with your gallery wall items so that the presentation isnt too uniform!
Khaki Green For The Bolder Ones
A neutral is anything that isn’t shocking, which is a great way to reinterpret things if cream, white, or gray aren’t cutting it in your living area. Because of the architectural style, light exposures, or incumbent furnishings, some spaces simply demand something out of the ordinary and khaki green is just that.
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What Is The Rule For Accent Walls
Typically it’s best to follow the 60-30-10 rule which is a classic decor rule that helps create a color palette for a space. It states that 60% of the room should be the dominant color, 30% should be the secondary color, and 10% should be an accent color. So when choosing an accent color you’ll want something that’s different from the 60% and 30% colors. A classic interior design trick to ensure a perfect color scheme every time.
‘Using two or three shades is an easy device to divide the space and encourage the sense of something more architectural in feel, without the need for costlier building work,’ says Rob Whitaker of Claybrook. The upper wall, often in a lighter tone, can be utilized for hanging favorite art, key fobs or a coat rack. Using a bold pop of color can also be a brilliant way to have a bit of fun with your scheme.’
The 35 Best Accent Wall Colors
Although beige and desert-inspired tone palettes are popular right now, you shouldn’t be afraid to add a splash of color to your residence, and an accent wall is a fantastic way to do it without going overboard. Using an accent wall to provide shade or showcase the décor treasures on your walls is a terrific way to do both. One of the most appealing parts of an accent wall is the opportunity to choose a strong, vibrant color that you may be hesitant to apply throughout the whole space.
An accent or highlight wall allows you to experiment with color in your space without overwhelming it. Moreover, the location is entirely personal, just as The Spruce mentions. So, if you’re having trouble adding visual appeal to a vast, boxy space, an accent wall might serve as a lovely focal point. When choosing an accent wall color, you can even look for a complementary hue darker or more decadent than the rest of the space. Here are a slew of the most stunning accent wall colors if you’re looking for inspiration.
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Living Rooms With Accent Walls
Ashley Knierim is a home decor expert and product reviewer of home products for The Spruce. Her design education began at a young age. She has over 10 years of writing and editing experience, formerly holding editorial positions at Time and AOL.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
Your living room is one of the most heavily trafficked spaces in your home, so it only makes sense that you probably put a lot of thought behind the look and feel of the space. No matter your overall decor style, an accent wall is a great way to mix in colors or patterns into your living room. Not only does an accent wall add depth and allow you to create a focal point, but it can also be an incredibly budget-friendly way to makeover a living room and help it feel finished.
To inspire your next project, here are our favorite accent walls that are perfect for the living room.
Introduce An Accent Color On Shelving
To bring just a hint of color to your living room try painting or wallpapering the back of a fitted bookshelf in a contrasting color to the joinery. Not not only will this add personality and depth, it is a great backdrop for showcasing shapely ornaments.
‘We had the built-in shelving papered with a faux grasscloth by Thibaut , which helped bring some color and depth into the room. Our clients had lots of great pieces to work with already which helped to stage all the decor on the shelves. Using some pieces you have already is a great way to stretch your budget,’ says Mary Maloney, owner of interior design studio Bees Knees , designer of the project.
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Beautiful Living Room Accent Wall Ideas
Over the last several years, accent walls have become increasingly popular in residential and commercial buildings everywhere. Sure, some colors may be a bit too much to handle in an entire room, and this is exactly why accent walls are perfect. Often bright and colorful, these stand out among the rest of the walls in the room, and adding an accent wall to your space can be a great way to liven things up. Well, if theres one room that would be a perfect candidate for a beautiful accent wall, its the living room. As one of the most frequented areas of the home, the living room tends to be the place where people go to hang out, and also the place where small gatherings are held. As a result, its important that living rooms be warm and welcoming, and the right color accent wall can do just that. If youre looking for a way to spruce up your living room, and maybe even a fun DIY project, these ideas will definitely give you a great place to get started. Here are 20 beautiful living room accent wall ideas.
image via decoist.com
Paint Bespoke Storage To Uniform A Feature Wall
A savvy living room storage ideas and great way to save space is by having bespoke cabinetry built to fit, meaning you can use the whole wall for storage from floor to ceiling.
A creative way to make this a feature wall which, despite serving all your needs, look like one uniformed wall is painting it all one statement shade, as shown in this grey living room. Including skirting boards and fireplace surrounds, paint the whole wall in the same shade to make the look feel seamless.
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Wall Paneling Accent Wall Ideas
Having a natural wood accent wall can add warmth and natural color to your room. It also creates natural texture from the grain in the wood. The easiest wood paneling to install is shiplap. This comes in sheets and has the look of multiple long planks of wood with a slight gap between each plank.
You can also create a wood wall from reclaimed wood. This will add more color and variety.
If you want to create a less rustic look, consider using high-quality wood or paint. You should also try mounting the wood in a more artful design. A herringbone pattern can elevate the look of your wood wall for a modern or luxury home.
Transform An Empty Fireplace
If your living room features a fireplace that is purely ornamental, i.e it’s not a working fire, why not really show it off with a splash of vibrant colour.
The injection of colour creates the ideal backdrop to display an array of home accessories, from candles to photo frames. In this smart living room the yellow accent colour is used on the walls either side of the chimney breast to coordinate with the painted fireplace.
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