The Art of the Accent Wall: Innovative Ideas and Color Selection with Samplize
Adding an accent color can be a powerful game-changer in your home’s interior design. This one element can add depth, personality and focus to any space. It’s also a relatively cost-effective solution. If you’re ready to embrace the art of the accent wall, read on for ideas, insights, and more.
Choosing the Perfect Wall for Your Accent
Before you decide on the color or pattern you want to use, you’ll need to know where this accent wall is going to actually be. That choice is key to creating a balanced and impactful design.
Ideally, your accent wall will be a natural focal point of the room. This could be the wall behind a bed, fireplace, or television. If the room lacks an obvious anchoring point, select a wall that draws the eye when you first enter.
Consider the room’s layout and purpose, and avoid walls with too many windows, doors, or distractions, as these can disrupt the cohesive look of the accent. By carefully selecting the right wall, you can enhance the room’s aesthetic and create a visually stunning centerpiece.
Considering Lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in how your accent wall color appears, influencing its perceived depth, tone, and overall impact.
Natural light enhances the true color of the paint, making it appear brighter and more vibrant during the day, while artificial lighting can alter the shade depending on the bulb type.
For example, warm light from incandescent or LED bulbs with yellow tones will make colors appear cozier and softer, while cool light from daylight bulbs can create sharper, more modern looks by emphasizing cooler tones like blues and greens.
Dim or indirect lighting can make dark or bold accent walls feel richer and more dramatic, whereas bright, direct lighting can soften their intensity. Whatever room you’re revitalizing, ensure the lighting will enhance your accent wall, making it truly a standout visual element.
Making Sure You Choose the Right Paint Color With Samplize
You might feel sure that you want your accent wall to be red, or blue, or even specifically lime green. Even at that point, you have plenty of options to choose from. It’s also important to test your potential accent wall colors under different lighting conditions in your space to ensure the desired effect is achieved at all times of day.
The best and easiest way to do all that is with large-format, mess-free, peel-and-stick paint samples from Samplize. Here’s how it works.
Step One: Choose Your Samples
Enjoy browsing our huge selection of paint colors from leading brands, including Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Farrow & Ball. You can go with one of our color bundles, choose from our curated collections, or handpick a stack of samples on your own. Finish your order, and your samples will arrive on your doorstep the very next day.
Step Two: Peel and Stick
Each sample will be painted (not printed) with two coats of real paint, ensuring 100% accuracy. Start by testing one sample in an inconspicuous spot on your planned accent wall that’s clean and free of debris. Once you’ve tried one sample, feel free to stick on various colors side by side.
Step Three: Dream, Debate, Decide
Take note of how each color performs at various times of day. Ask a friend or two. Send pictures to that interior decorator you know. Sleep on it. If, after all that, you’re not in love with one color, just repeat steps one and two until you find the perfect hue for your accent wall.
Designer Tips for Creating Your Accent Wall
Neutral Colors: A Subtle Yet Impactful Option
Neutral accent walls can gently add depth and character to a room without overwhelming the space. Soft shades like taupe, beige, gray, or cream can create a refined and calming focal point, complementing a variety of design styles from minimalist to traditional.
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These understated tones can enhance a room’s aesthetic by adding texture or contrast while maintaining a cohesive and balanced look. They’re perfect for highlighting architectural features or anchoring furniture arrangements, such as behind a sofa or bed. Pairing them with layered textures, like wood panels or linen wallpaper, can further elevate their subtle charm.
(Naturally, if you go this way, test those neutral colors to make sure you choose your favorite. Consider starting your search right here.)
Creative Patterns and Textures
To make a bolder design statement, you can create an accent wall using a creative pattern or texture, adding visual intrigue and personality to a room. Geometric patterns, such as chevrons or hexagons, offer a modern and dynamic look, while organic designs like floral or wave patterns create a softer, more fluid feel.
You can also go with textured finishes, such as shiplap, exposed brick, or concrete. This option adds dimension and character to the space and works especially well with a rustic or industrial decor style.
Wallpaper is another option, available in countless designs, from metallic prints to botanical motifs. For a more unique and artistic touch, consider a hand-painted mural.
Keeping Accent Walls Accent Walls
Once you start exploring the aesthetic possibilities of accent walls, you can start to see how any and every room could benefit from one. Key to the art of the accent wall, though, is using them sparingly. Adding too many can turn them from an interesting visual surprise to a predictable quirk.
Usually, one or two accent walls in a home is enough to create impact without overdoing it and diluting the effect. It's also best to limit accent walls to key areas, such as a living room, bedroom, or entryway, where they can have their intended impact. If your big, gorgeous accent wall is in the laundry room, guests might never get to enjoy it.
All that said, your interior design should bring you joy. If you want to add several accent walls, consider varying textures or subtle tones instead of bold contrasts in multiple spaces.
Ready to Start?
Wherever you want to add your accent wall, and whatever kind of color you want to use, a great place to start is ordering peel-and-stick samples and start experimenting. When you’re ready, you can get started right here.
