The accent wall isn’t a design surplus. It can decorate the interior and correct it. Besides the obvious aesthetic function, the accent wall can visually expand the space. Correctly allocate it, you can create a feeling of geometrically proportional room, if the room is corridor-type – long, but narrow. And of course, zoning – for example, in this way you can create a workplace or, conversely, a place to rest, without fencing it off with walls.

Rules of Decoration

There must be only one accent wall. Or it can be a corner of two walls, but not two walls completely. Remember that we only need an accent – and it ceases to be such if there is too much of it.

To get the proportions of background and accent right, use the 60:30:10 rule. It means that 60% of your interior should be done in calm tones, 30% can be an accent, and another 10% is an additional, but cohesive shade.

Exactly which wall to make an accent wall depends on the objectives. If it’s simply a “fixture” of the interior, it is more logical to highlight the most noticeable wall, that is, the one opposite the entrance. If we are talking about zoning – it all depends on the location of furniture and the function of the interior as a whole. When you want to expand or narrow the space, you should work with problematic walls.

Don’t turn the interior into a museum of interesting ideas and findings. Everything should be in moderation.

The Main Options

The Accent Wall Can Be Functional

Often it’s not just a decorative method but also a means of zoning. Combine one with the other and highlight one of the zones in the living room with a contrasting wall – for example, a place to watch TV, play blackjack online games, or work.

So you visually transform one room into several rooms. And without walls, but with free boundaries.

Make an Accent on the “Right” Wall

It’s best to make a contrast wall, which first opens to the eyes when entering the room. The base takes the quantity, and the accent should stand out for quality, that is, the richness and its advantageous location.

Bright wall should be the only one in the room. The accent must set off or intensify the general tone of its intensity, but not try to enter into a fight with it on equal terms.

Sometimes It’s Enough to Emphasize Only a Part of the Wall

In the living room, it’s recommended to allocate with the help of this reception the zone of rest. A good solution would be an accent on the wall behind the sofa, if it’s pushed close.

However, if the square footage of your living room is quite impressive, making one of the walls completely contrasting will be superfluous. In this case, it’s enough to emphasize only a small part of it. For example, a place near a bookcase, a mini-cabinet or the area of the fireplace, if there is one.

In the bedroom, there is no such variety of options – it’s recommended to highlight the wall behind the headboard. If the room is large enough or the bed is pushed to the extended wall, it’s better not to get carried away and mark only the area directly at or near the headboard.

Adjust the Strength of the Accent

If you only need to shade a quiet space a little and diversify it a little, don’t resort to too bright colors. In that case, for a contrasting wall, you should choose a shade that resonates with the main tone of the room. The palette can also be completely uncomplicated: a good solution would be to dilute the interior with a prominent ornament or texture.

If you want to bring dynamics and achieve a “wow” effect, then, on the contrary, do not be afraid to use bright opposite colors. And, of course, remember about the compatibility of colors.

A picture with juicy colors can become a bright and attractive accent in a quiet interior. But in this case, it’s necessary to look at the size of the picture in relation to the wall and don’t add anything nearby.

Play With Visual Effects

An elongated, narrow room can be grouped more cozy by leaving a warm accent on the far small wall. Don’t use this technique for a large wall – it can narrow the space even more.

On the contrary, the use of a cool palette visually expands the room. So, you can use green, blue accents for the elongated wall. In this way you will make the room more voluminous.

You can also use a larger scale method – to highlight the color of the architectural volume (a column, 3-4 partitions of the protruding room).

Contrasting Wall Isn’t Just About Color

Emphasis can be made not only by other wallpaper or paint, but also by an unexpected texture. If it fits in with the overall concept of the interior, try on brickwork, 3D panels or decorative tiles.

There are a lot of different materials that can be used to highlight one of the walls in the room. For example, in a child’s room, you can use slate paint. Such a wall will become not only an interesting design solution, but also a spacious canvas for children’s creativity.

Remember the Design Concept

Whatever the relationship between the accent and main areas, they should fit together into the overall concept of your interior.

Therefore, a contrasting wall should not stand apart from the other elements. No matter how bright and prominent it may be.

Establish a connection between the zones: if the accent wall acts as a clear contrast, support it with other similar, but less “intrusive” details in the rest of the room.