If you find yourself walking into a room in your house and despite all your design efforts the room still feels bland, you may want to consider an accent wall. By adding a quick dose of color to a room, you can upgrade its personality and appeal by leaps and bounds.
An accent color can dramatically change the mood of a room and choosing which wall should be the new accent wall can seem like a daunting task. It doesn’t need to be, though. The location and lighting of walls in the room, the shape of the walls, and the colors you’re considering can all help you quickly narrow down which wall you want to accentuate.
Location & Lighting in the Room
The first thing to consider when choosing an accent wall is the location and lighting. First, consider location: are your eyes naturally drawn to this wall? Is it a focal point of the room? If so, this is a good sign the wall is a solid choice for a new coat of paint!
Secondly, consider how the wall is lit. Accent colors perform best on walls that are lit evenly throughout the day because the way the paint looks will be consistent. If the wall gets really heavy light in the morning but none in the afternoon, the color can appear to shift. This can create interesting mood changes in the room if done purposefully, but you run the risk of having the color look different than you imagined depending on the time of day. Evenly lit walls will help the color pop more consistently.
Shape of the Wall
Generally, you want your accent wall to be symmetrical. Walls with symmetrical features help the accent seem less busy and more tasteful. A wall with unbalanced windows, too many shelves, or other asymmetrical features can cause it to seem too busy and make the room feel overwhelming. Look for symmetry, and you should be in the clear.
Color
You’ve found a wall that’s symmetrical, with lighting you like, and is the focal point of the room. Now you just need a few ideas for the accent wall’s color. Possibly the most important part of the accent wall, the best color comes down to what you believe will create the mood you are looking for in the room. Here are a few basic things to consider that will help you narrow down your choices.
First, decide whether you want to go with a warm or cool color. We tend to associate cool colors with relaxation, while we associate warm colors with higher energy. Don’t write off monochromatic colors for your accent wall either. Stark grays, blacks, or whites can create beautiful contrast when near opposing colors.
If you want your accent wall to last a long time, choose muted colors over bright, trending colors. While there’s nothing wrong with an accent wall made using a trending color, it’s more likely that you’ll need to change the color of that wall as trends evolve. Muted colors, on the other hand, tend to stand the test of time better.
If you want more advice on accent walls or are looking for professionals to help you get the perfectly painted finish, reach out to our interior painting professionals at Fillo Painting, or give us a call at (770)-769-7941!