Accent walls are a quick and easy way to add color to a room. If you are one of the many homeowners who are afraid of color, introducing a contrasting color to a single wall isn’t as scary!
How to decide?
- Choose a hue from a painting or fabric in the room as your accent color.
- Go bold and bright
- Look at the color wheel. Go with opposites or complementary colors.
- For a more subtle contrast, pick a darker or lighter shade of the same paint on the rest of the walls.
- Bright white or black can be great contrasting colors.
- Be totally unexpected. Try orange, fuchsia, lime green. After all, it’s only paint!
Which Wall?
- Choose a focal wall: fireplace wall, window wall or wall with the bed.
- Paint the wall behind a dramatic, bold piece of art.
- Try painting the inside (back) of a built-in bookcase.
- Paint the short wall at the end of a hall. Add a mirror and a fun table.
- Still not ready for the family room? Create a contrasting wall in a bedroom. playroom or guest bath.
- Spotlight an interesting architectural element.
- Paint a door!
- Instead of ignoring odd spaces, highlight them with paint: sofit in the kitchen, beams, awkward bump-out walls.
- Emphasis the ceiling or window/door trim
- Outline the window trim,door frame, fireplace, art or mirror (see below).
A bold color makes a dramatic painting stand-out!
Amber Road~Cronulla Residence, Sydney, Australia. From Est Magazine
A dark charcoal wall adds intimacy to an all white room. Keeps it from feeling too stark and cold.
Bright pink in a teen’s room sets off the white shelves.
The color might be neutral, but the contrast between window trim and ceiling beams is very dramatic.
HGTV Dream Home 2014
Instead of a focal wall, “frame” the mirror in a small bath.
Do you have an accent wall in your house?
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