Colour is a big deal for us at FADS and we know that picking the colour scheme for a room can be a tough decision.
Making sure you have just the right amount of colour is crucial. Too much and your room may look small and claustrophobic and too little and it runs the risk of looking drab.
Why not choose one specific wall in your room and add a splash of colour to it? Accent walls create a bold statement without being overbearing. They draw your attention to specific parts of the room and allow you to play with colour in a new and exciting way.
With this in mind we have put together a few simple ideas for how to achieve the perfect accent wall.
- Let the architecture of your room guide you. Which wall do you want to stand out from the others? If you are decorating your living room then consider painting the chimney breast as this is in the middle of the room and will draw attention to features such as the fireplace. Similarly, if you want to accentuate a wall in your bedroom then usually the one that your bed rests against would be the ideal choice. Basically, any piece of architecture that already stands out slightly or is unusual is the best one to paint in an alternative colour to the rest of the room.
- Bear in mind basic colour theory. Warm colours such as red, orange and yellow will play with your perception and draw the wall towards your eyes. If you want to use these colours then pick a wall that will tolerate this theory and possibly choose one that is the longest or furthest away. Cool colours such as blues, purples and greens have the opposite effect and will push the wall further away from your eyes. These are ideal colours for a narrow or short room as they will make it look wider and longer.
- Don’t feel that all of your other walls need to be neutral. An accent wall is just one wall of bright colour, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t use complementary colours on the other three walls. Alternatively, use wallpaper with a bright pattern like this one to create your ideal accent wall and paint the other walls in a coordinating colour.
- Pick something solid. An accent wall will not normally have windows or doors in it. However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule, such as if you have amazing French doors or a window that shows off a spectacular view. These are features that cry out to be enhanced so you can ‘frame’ them with an accent colour.
- Make sure there is no competition from the adjacent wall. If there is already a focal point such as a large mirror or picture, adding an accent wall nearby will make it look cluttered. The wall with the focal point already on it, such as this cool chalkboard world map sticker, should be your accent wall.
Whatever your personal style, accent walls are a great way to experiment with colour and are easy enough to change if you decide you want to choose something else.
Images sourced via Pinterest. Credit: homedit.com and Buzzfeed.
