What Are The Best And Worst Ways To Add An Accent Wall?

A particularly popular trend in luxury interior design is the establishment of a distinct and unique accent wall to add a certain dynamism to an otherwise minimalist design style.

The use of a strategic accent in a room is a very common method for not only shaping a room but also how someone looks at it, drawing the eye towards a particular focal point before they look outwards towards the rest of the room.

Whilst commonly associated with colours, patterns, textures or even signature features can be part of an accent wall, but as with any other tool in interior design, there are good ways and bad ways to use it.

Magnify An Existing Colour Or Feature

Whilst accent walls are going to inherently be more striking and more indulgent than the rest of the room, they should ideally include a colour, motif, texture or room feature that already exists in the room.

Not doing so can cause colour clashes, which can sometimes work but often make the accent look out of place, but it is possible to get it wrong in the opposite way.

If you focus too heavily on the main colours of the room, then it can make the room appear monochromatic, which whilst often appealing in its own way undermines the appeal of an accent.

Choose The Wall You Want To Focus On Carefully

Accent walls draw attention to a particular place in the room, so if there are any unusual features that you do not want to bring the eye of the beholder onto, choose a different wall.

As well as this, avoid choosing a wall dominated by windows, as the natural light can often limit how much you can do with the accent wall.

Be Intentional, Not Trendy

Accent walls were at one point the biggest trend in interior design, but focus less on what everyone appears to be doing now and more on what works best for the room and the style you would be happy to live with for a long time.