A Beginner’s Guide to Accent Walls

Updated: August 12, 2026Written by: Shannon Lee

Looking for an easy way to add some drama to a room? Look no further than an accent wall. These eye-catching home design must-haves add visual energy and focus attention on the features of a room you most want to highlight. If you’d like to incorporate the pleasing punch of an accent wall in your home, here’s what you need to know.

Accent the Right Wall

First things first—where to paint?? The best wall to accent is the one that already has a logical reason for being emphasized. Good examples of this are walls with built-in features like fireplaces or bookshelves or walls that anchor a large piece of furniture, like the headboard in a bedroom. Accent walls can also be used to break up large rooms or to define a space in a loft-style space where one room serves more than one purpose.

Choose a Color that Contrasts

When choosing the perfect color for your accent wall, be sure to choose something that contrasts enough with the other walls in order to really stand out. If the other walls of a room are neutral toned, use a pop of bright color. If the room is mostly light and airy colored, choose a rich, dark hue for your accent.

Utilize Color Theory

Color theory tells us that warm colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) will make a wall appear closer to the viewer, whereas cool colors (blues, purples, and greens) create the illusion that a wall is further away. A warm-colored accent wall can help a large room look smaller and cozier, whereas a cool-colored wall can make a small or narrow rooms appear larger and wider. Keeping these basic theories in mind when choosing a color will help you make the most of your space.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment with Patterns

Printed wallpaper is making a comeback these days—specifically customized wallpaper that incorporates the color scheme of your room into interesting patterns and textures. Wallpaper works especially well on rooms where the other walls are already a brighter or more saturated color or in a room where most of the décor is solid colors.

Incorporate New Textures

If you’re up for a slightly more involved project, creating an accent wall out of a different material adds texture and dimension. Brick, stone, and wood all make for interesting points of focus in a room. Adding a textural element can bring visual interest to a room without being overly colorful.