Decorating your house and lot is probably one of the most exciting parts of acquiring and getting your own place. Designing your home is like matching the character of your property to what vibes you want for it to emit. There are a lot of themes that you could choose from and it is not only limited to just one. Every room could have a different theme according to your liking or you could have a one unifying theme for the entire house. If you’re one of the minimalist type of people that wants everything to look minimal and organized, then you probably want a theme that isn’t too flashy but have a more muted design is the best for you. What we’re trying to say is, designing your own house is entirely up to you! Everybody wants their house design to be unique and appealing especially to guests. The best way to make your house pop is to add contrasting elements that will save your home from the threats of being boring and bland. There are a lot of ways to add focus to a certain area or to create a contrasting element to your house but the most common way is to add an accent wall.
If you want to make your interior design to look more exciting or if you want to add emphasis and contrast to certain areas then you should consider adding an accent wall. Adding an accent wall is the process of adding a lit bit of spice to your interior design by giving a contrasting design to a certain wall towards the general design and finishing of your walls. Setting up an accent wall is a trend nowadays and homeowners are designing theirs with their own creative ideas trying to be unique from everyone else. You’re probably reading this because you’re looking for ideas and tips on how to choose the perfect accent wall for your lovely home. If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place, read along as we list down pointers to consider so you’d find the perfect design and colour for your accent wall and how to achieve them.
Choosing the Right Accent Wall; What is an Accent Wall?
What is an accent wall anyway? An accent wall is an interior or sometimes an exterior wall that stands out from the other walls around it. An accent wall could be different through various techniques such as changing the colour, altering the texture, or having it in a different shade or even styling it in to a different material that contrasts itself from other walls. There are tons of accent wall ideas on the internet but if you want to have something uniquely yours and reflects the vibes that you are trying to manifest in your home, then it’s probably best to design your accent wall yourself by selecting every element and style and matching them to go well with each other.
Experiment With Colours
The most common thing that you can do to make your walls pop is to paint it. The only question is what colour and shade would you choose. There are tons of colours to choose from and there are no rules, which means that you can even choose more than one colour in different designs. With the right paint colour and with helping materials such as a high-quality set of painting brushes and painter’s tape, then you can DIY your way into an amazing accent wall. You can browse through the internet for ideas and some easy hacks so that you have an idea on what to do first.
If you plan to paint your wall a single bold colour then the preparation shouldn’t be too hard. The main thinking that you would need to do is choosing the best colour for your accent wall. The best colour is the colour that you personally like. Since choosing a colour is subjective, you should make a shortlist of probable colours until you arrive to the perfect one. There are tons of factors when it comes to finding the right hue and shade but here some pointers to help you narrow it down:
- You can choose a complementary colour with the general colours of your house if you’d like an accent wall that unifies the entire house.
- You can choose a contrasting colour such as a light-dark or a cold-warm tandem to make an emphasis on your accent wall, contrasting colours are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel.
- You can choose a colour that manifests a certain ambiance that you want the space to give off for example, you want a peaceful and tranquil aura then a shade of green would be ideal, if you want to manifest a space for rest and sleep then having a cool and light shade of blue should do the trick, and if you’d like to stimulate hunger and appetite for let’s say in a dining space, then a splash of red should be considered. Colour psychology is an interesting thing to read more on and there’s plenty of studies and blogs about it that you can find in the internet.
In painting an accent wall, as with all things, you first need a plan. Making a plan instead of just painting it on-the-spot. Painting your wall without a plan increases the chance of your accent wall turning out wrong or slightly not as initially visioned. If you want to paint your wall a single bold colour then it is alright to paint without making a sketch first. But if you plan to have an elaborate design with different geometric shapes and designs then we suggest that you grab a pen and paper first, measure the dimensions of your wall, find a ruler and start sketching your desired design on your paper. After sketching and if you’re happy with the result, grab a pencil and translate your design to your wall. If you’re design consist of geometric lines and shapes, then a painter’s tape would be very helpful. If you’re design is picturesque or a landscape painting, then sketch your design to your wall, making a grid would really help make your sketches proportional to your design on paper. Having multiple sizes of brushes is encouraged since you can’t use big-sized brushes for small details. Making sure that you have the supplies needed or some alternatives would increase the chance of you painting your accent wall turning out as planned and appealing.
Here are some painting design ideas to help your mind start generating layouts:
- A plain bold colour as stated above
- Geometrical triangles in different angles (which is a trend right now)
- A painted landscape like a mountain range or a scene from a forest, or a beachfront
- Your version of a cloudy sky or a sunset
- A psychedelic splash of different colours
- Or an abstract painting
Read Also: Ways to Adapt 2022’s Lucky Colours Into Your Affordable House and Lot
In designing an accent wall, most people like to go to a whole new level instead of just experimenting with paint and there are lot of options to do so. If you want to go beyond a set of paint brushes and a paint bucket then read along. Some read-to-own house properties or condominiums already have a possible accent wall just waiting to be redecorated.
Take Your Existing Accent Wall to A Whole New Level
One crucial thing about designing an accent wall is choosing the right accent wall. Although there are many walls to choose from inside your home, only a selected few could become the perfect accent wall. For example, if you have an existing wall with a fireplace or a wall with no windows, doors, or any kind of openings or how about the wall behind your bedframe. These walls are the most commonly chosen to become an accent wall.
With the right tools and an organized plan, you can beyond painting colours to create your accent wall. Below are some ideas you could get ideas from, that goes beyond painting and embrace the exciting world of textures.
- Creating with wood. Try putting up panels such as wood planks to create a cosy and earthy ambiance to the room, setting up wood planks in a pattern are most common on contemporary designs. The versatility of wood doesn’t end on planks, you can have them cut in different designs and set them up on your wall. Again, there are no rules with creativity, so you are free to choose different shades of wood for your design to create a more interesting output.
- If you feel like a room needs a sturdy element to hold everything grounded, then consider having a stonework for your wall. A stone clad wall emits a natural and sturdy aura which when matched with the perfect could look like an expensive wall from a hotel lobby. It would take so much work compared to just painting but seeing the wonderful results would be worth it.
- An accent wall doesn’t really need to be just a wall; an accent wall could also be an exhibit wall. You can set up shelves or ledges on your wall which you could display your trophies, collections, toys, or other stuff that you want to showcase. Designing an exhibit wall doesn’t need to be just a set of squares and rectangles, you can even experiment on different geometrical shapes to make it more unique.
- If you want to be close with nature or just want to give a tropical or a forest ambiance to your room, then you can fill your wall with plants, either real or faux plants. You can arrange your succulents in a way that they would be appealing to the eye. Some people set up membranes and linings where air-growing plants on their accent walls. The only difference is having real plants growing on your walls need constant maintenance compared to other ideas.
- Creating a feature wall to put your favourite snaps are perfect for people who love to take pictures. Choose a theme for your frames and arrange them first on the ground before you nail your picture frames to the wall. It is better to choose different shapes of frames and think beyond symmetry. Just stick to your guts and choose the arrangement of frames that you like the most, and nail them one by one to your wall. You can choose the best photos of you, your family, your friends, your pets, or your favourite travel pics.
- One of the easiest ways of designing an accent wall is choosing a wallpaper and sticking them up to the entirety of your wall. If you don’t want to mess with paint and stones, then choosing a wallpaper that creates the same design that you want and carefully place them. There are tons of wallpaper design that you could choose from and some are even available online. It is better to buy your wallpapers physically so you know exactly what it would look like in person. Choosing a wallpaper accent wall is a classic way of spicing up your space. Although setting wallpapers up is easier than painting, you should still be careful because once they’re stuck to your wall, it’s going to be a mess to adjust them. The key to successfully setting up wallpapers is having somebody to help you. An advantage of wallpapers is that they’re easy to remove and replace if you want another design.
Read Also: Give Your Home a New Look With 2022 Home Décor Ideas
- If you want to really take your accent wall into an entirely new level then create a light show. There are various fairy lights that come in different colours that you could buy in the market for cheap prices. Just make sure that the lights are safe. Create a design pattern or mix them up with other textures like plants to create a whole new design. Creating a glowing wall really catches the eyes of the viewers especially to first time guests. Not really sure if you want plugged in lights? No problem, there are amazing glow in the dark paint to use as an alternative.
- One of the best ways to create a stunning accent wall is by designing it with exceptional tiles. You could choose any design you want or any material you want. Whether be it made from ceramic, granite, or even marble, having a nicely made tilework on your wall is definitely an eye-catcher.
These are just some of accent wall tips to give you ideas but in the end, it is still up to your imagination and creativity on how you could create an accent wall that unifies the room, a wall that matches the vibe that you’re trying to have, and an accent wall that showcases the personality of the homeowner. Go ahead and give that plain bland white wall a new identity. Good luck!
Written By Rashid Mansan
