1. Say It With Paint
One of the fastest, easiest and most dramatic ways to create an accent wall is to paint a prominent focal wall a color that contrasts with other walls in the room. For maximum effect, repeat the accent color in decorative touches like pillows, throws and wall art.
The sheen of the paint you choose can be important, too. A highly reflective paint will help maximize the light in the room and draw attention to the wall. That glossy finish will show imperfections like drywall seams and repaired nail holes, though. If the wall is perfect, glossy paint will make it shine—literally. If you want to conceal a few blemishes, prefer a flat or matte paint finish.
2. Make Color Work For You
The function of an accent wall is to create interest, and nothing creates interest more than the right pop of color. Go bright, go light or go deep, but make your accent wall stand out. Color can work for you in other ways, too. For instance, if your focal wall is at the end of a large or long room or hallway, painting it a dark color will bring it visually closer to the viewer and make the space more welcoming. In a shallow or small room, a light colored accent wall will make the room appear to recede, giving it the look and feel of a larger space. Before you grab your paint roller, recognize what challenges the room presents as a whole, and use your compelling accent wall color to minimize any deficits.
3. Add Faux Tile
Although your home may not boast brick, tile or stone, you can mimic the look of these materials on your accent wall using vinyl floor tiles. These press apply tiles are lightweight, durable and easy to work with. They add to the architectural appeal of a room and contribute texture, color and a sense of solidity paint just can’t match. Although this type of tile has its own adhesive backing, it may not be enough to withstand the long term effects of gravity on a material primarily designed for installation on a floor. For added support, apply a base coat of compatible adhesive.
4. Select A Strategic Pattern
Accent walls can be elegant or casual. They can also work as camouflage for the less attractive features of a room. Think of it as hiding in plain sight. If your wall contains an exposed pipe or other functional element that’s more practical than pretty, the right pattern can help conceal it. In a wall of stripes, would anyone really notice that cunningly disguised electrical box?
Similar to the use of color, the right pattern can also help create a favorable illusion or feel in the space. Vertical stripes, or other vertical linear patterns, will help make the ceiling look higher, while horizontal stripes will make the room look wider and the ceiling somewhat lower. Dots will help create energy and excitement, while traditional patterns like classic fleurs-de-lis will suggest stately elegance.
5. Design Using Stencils
For custom effects that can look traditional, geometrical or whimsical, use stencils to repeat a pattern or theme on part or all of an accent wall. It’s an effective DIY technique that can result in the startling transformation of a simple, painted wall. You don’t even need to cover the entire surface with stenciled motifs. Create a border of greenery, a center medallion, the outline of a headboard or a frame for a collection of wall art. Stencils come in a huge variety of sizes and styles, including corner pieces and tessellated (interlocking) designs. Multi-layer and continuous stencils also include small registration marks that make it easy to position designs precisely.
The key to effective stenciling is in mastering the media, whether it’s a liquid paint, an aerosol spray or powder. Apply the stencil securely, and add just enough media to cover. Make the mistake of adding more and you risk spoiling the crisp lines of the design.
6. Add Wallpaper
Many wallpaper varieties rely on repeating patterns, which can be overwhelming or monotonous when wallpaper is applied to all the walls of a room. Confine wallpaper to a single wall or two, or use an appropriately sized mural designed wallpaper that doesn’t include repeating motifs, and you have a professional, permanent design. Modern wallpaper products are usually easy to clean, and they make great camouflage for walls that have blemishes like multiple filled nail holes or cracks.
7. Use Fabric
If wallpaper is too permanent for your current decorating goals, you can use fabric instead. This is actually a neat trick that’s durable but also easy to remove. Find a fabric you like and paste it to your designated accent wall using spray starch and a paint roller. Yes, this really does work. It will take about eight yards of designer fabric (around 54″ wide) to cover an 8′ x 12′ wall. Fabric can get expensive, but burlap, tea dyed muslin and other low cost crafting options (about 42″ wide) can be very textural and interesting, especially in a family room, game room or man cave.
8. Accessorize With Decals
If stenciling your accent wall seems like too much detail work, decals can look just as effective, but with less effort. Many decals can be press applied and peel off just as easily. They leave no residue or other marks, which makes them an excellent choice for decorating an apartment wall or other “hands-off” space. They’re also available as large, small or repeating designs.
9. Make It A Message Center
Instead of buying a puny message board for your kitchen, family room or kid’s room, turn the whole wall into a magnetic blackboard. There are blackboard and magnetic base paints on the market that can be blended together to produce almost any color. Although black is certainly dramatic, red, navy and dark gray are also clever candidates. Once it dries, a blackboard accent wall can be used like a conventional chalkboard, and refrigerator magnets will stick to it too.
10. Make It A Mural
Imagine a tapestry hanging on the wall of a European castle. These large wall hangings depicted hunting or other pastoral scenes that somehow managed to be interesting as well as restful. That’s the basic idea behind many of the mural products sold today, decorative scenes designed to fit the mood and style of a room. Murals can be found as wallpapers, decals, stencils and even as large photo panels. There are even rug murals on the market that can be used as wall art.
Murals are popular as bedroom accent walls, especially children’s rooms, and are also favorites for dining rooms and breakfast nooks. There are lots of styles to choose from, but sizing is important. If you’re dealing with a narrow or oddly shaped space, prefer a stencil or decal mural that uses separate pieces like flowers, trees or clouds, can be moved around and positioned as needed.
