Accent wall

An accent wall (a.k.a. "feature wall") is a wall whose design differs from the design of the other walls in the room. The accent wall's color can simply be a different shade of the color of the other walls, or have a completely different design in terms of the color and material.[1] The surface of the accent wall can be paint, wallpaper, brick, marble etc.[2] As their name implies, accent walls are typically intended to break up the pattern created by the other walls, especially when the walls are painted [3] a single flat tone. However, a room may be wallpapered and have an accent wall that is untextured and undecorated, as it would serve the same purpose. The point of this can be for aesthetics alone or to highlight or frame some decorative element, such as a painting.[4]

How to pick an accent wall

Discover your ideal “special feature” wall. Accent walls work best when there seems to be a logical reason why a particular wall invites special treatment, compared with other walls in the room. A dramatic architectural feature like a fireplace or an antique armoire may be good reasons to make a special wall stand out with color. Determine the “reason” why a wall might be painted with a standout color by asking a friend to enter your room and then quickly tell you which wall attracts her eye first. In most cases, the wall chosen will be the inherently “special” wall in the room.

Balance “color impact” with existing features and planned furnishings. A dramatic accent wall will lose much of its impact or “pop” if it’s mostly obscured behind a mass of floor-to-ceiling draperies or the wall is covered with art work, moldings or large pieces of furniture. In contrast, an accent wall that is almost fully exposed can bring too much “pop” to a room too. Choose an accent wall that won’t be too bare of or crowded with other design elements.

Define the “visual temperature” of the natural light in the room. If your room is located on the east or north side of your home, the quality of light entering the room during the day through the windows is cooler than the warmer light coming from a southern- or western-facing window. Rooms with warm-hued accent walls work best in eastern or northern rooms for this reason. Rooms with cool-hued accent walls are best for western or southern rooms. A western-facing wall painted orange will feel like an oven once you add light, while a northern-facing wall painted aqua will feel like an igloo.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sennebogen, Emilie (2 June 2010). "Guide to Painting an Accent Wall". HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/425533/list/Your-Bath--Treat-Yourself-to-an-Accent-Wall
  3. ↑ Painting Accent Walls (2015). "Pro Painting Tips-How To Paint Your Accent Wall". Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  4. ↑ Pollard, Kit. "Just One Wall: When the Accent Wall Works". houzz.com. <http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/132345/list/Just-One-Wall--When-the-Accent-Wall-Works>
  5. ↑ http://paintkings.com/accent-walls

Example of an Accent Wall from HG Design Ideas