Accent walls are an easy home hack. They don’t need the same amount of effort as a full room renovation, but they completely transform the space. 

But first, what is an accent wall? Creating an accent wall means making one wall a focal point for the room. It’s advised that you leave the other walls in the room fairly plain, otherwise the room can feel too crowded. 

Keep reading to get some inspiration for accent wall ideas. 

1. Paint

This is one of the most obvious options. Simply paint one wall in the room a different colour from the other three. 

There are two approaches to this method. The more common option is to paint the wall a bright or dark colour – something that wouldn’t work if you painted the whole room that way. Good choices are saturated shades of blue, red, and green. 

Tie the room together by running the same accent colour through the rest of the room. 

The other approach includes keeping to more muted tones and shades, but using a different colour. This keeps the energy of the room calm and relaxed, but still creates depth. For example, you might offset your white walls with a grey accent wall. 

Painting an accent wall is a fun weekend project for you and your family to enjoy. But if you’re worried about the quality of work, consider hiring a pro painter to help you out. 

2. Gallery Wall

Gallery walls are an increasingly popular accent wall feature. While these are easier to install for homeowners, there are even some renter-friendly approaches to gallery walls. 

A gallery wall refers to a dedicating wall (or a large portion of a wall) that you cover with a variety of art, photographs, posters, and more. There’s a lot of room to experiment with your own style with this kind of accent wall. 

Finding the balance for a gallery wall is important. If you don’t, the wall will look clustered and untidy. Remember to incorporate things like floating shelves to add even more depth and balance if needed. 

To find balance, it’s best to map out your gallery wall beforehand. This means plotting out where you want your pieces to go before putting them on the wall. Careful measurements are your best friend here! You might even consider using a design programme and a projector pointed at the wall to map it out. 

Precision is vital to pull this off. Consider hiring a handyman to make sure you’re drilling holes in the right places. 

3. Tiles

Tiles add both colour, pattern, and texture to a wall. With tiles you’ve got a huge variety of options to choose from, so you can create almost any look your heart desires. 

One thing to consider with this method is that tiles aren’t easy to hang other items from. They aren’t easy to drill through without cracking the tile either. This means that if you’re going with tiles, you won’t really be able to have anything else on that wall. 

That just means you need to be intentional with your tile usage. Some people choose to only tile some sections of the wall rather than the whole thing. Others are happy to use up all their wall space, but that wall will be in a less intimate space, such as a braai room. 

4. Wallpaper

Wallpaper lets you create much more intricate patterns than painting. You don’t need to worry about precisely painting or buying several colours, when you can just buy wallpaper instead. 

Choosing a wallpaper is similar to choosing a paint colour. You’ve got to consider how the colours and print will impact the room. The goal is to create a focal point without being distracting. 

Sometimes you can offset a vibrant wallpaper with some picture frames, light fixtures, or other smaller touches. 

5. Wooden Features

A slightly controversial option, wooden features are another accent wall choice. These features are controversial because homeowners tend to either love them or hate them. But really, it comes down to how you use them. 

If your home has a rustic, cosy feel, then some wooden features will work well in the space. As long as you find the right balance – don’t go overboard! But if your home is modern and minimalist, wood features will stick out like a sore thumb. 

There are two approaches to wooden features on an accent wall. 

The more common choice is a wooden trim. This means creating subtle designs using thin pieces of wood. This adds depth and texture to your wall. To offset the colour of the wood, you can always paint it to match the wall behind it – the depth and texture will still be there. 

The other option is to lean into the wooden look. Using lots of thin pieces of wood in a shade that works for the room, you can create a wall of wooden slats. This works similarly to painting an accent wall, but brings in a lot more warmth and depth. 

If you’re not used to working with wood, consult a carpenter to guide you on this process. 

Accent Wall Ideas to Refresh Your Home

These are only a few of the accent wall ideas you can choose from. Whether you choose paint, a gallery wall, tiles, wallpaper, or wooden features, you’re going to create a beautiful focal point in any room in your home. 

If you’re wanting to do home renovations, but not sure what kind of contractor you need, don’t worry! Contact us and we’ll guide you to the right contractor.