Interior Accent Colors
Accent walls are one of those things that you either know about or you don’t. But, it should be said that this is one of the best ways to add a more updated and modern look to your home. But, don’t get me wrong, this can also be used in traditional homes as well. Accent walls have a few different benefits. First off, they break up the traditional look and feel of all the walls in a room being the same color. Secondly, they allow you to focus your eyes to a specific part of the room, maybe to a certain design aspect, feature, something you want to put on show, etc. But, these accent walls also give people that want to or like a bold color, to use it, but not over-use it. Personally, I have always loved fire engine red. But, I never had the gull to paint an entire room for fear that it would be too bright, too red, or have a really gaudy look to it. After some careful planning, I chose to paint one wall red as the accent wall and it worked out perfect! If you want to know a little bit more about how to choose an accent wall, or tips on color and brightness, continue to read below for more information on interior house painting in Bel Air and accent walls!
Picking a Room and a Wall
One of the most difficult things about doing an accent wall, is which room to do and which wall to choose. In reality there really is no wrong room or no wrong wall, but there ARE a few things to consider before you go blindfolding yourself and playing pin the paint on the wall. One of the best places to start with accent walls are bedrooms. This is a good place to start if you have never done or thought you would do an accent wall before, because it essentially lets you go as crazy as you want in terms of colors, and if it’s too crazy, well - shut the door! Don’t let guests come in! Primarily though, I have seen a lot of accent walls done in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. If you choose the bedroom, which is a safe zone, you should probably paint the wall where your headboard goes - or your head if you don’t have a headboard. If you are choosing another room, just look at the room itself. Are there any areas you want to highlight? Perhaps a built in bench, maybe a unique wall feature, a unique wall shape, etc.
Materials to Use
People that know a little bit about accent walls, may think the only materials you can use is paint. But you might be surprised to know that’s not the ONLY material you can use. In fact, if you take a look at some home decorating magazines, you may begin to see accent walls that you didn’t even realize were accent walls until you read this! Using paint is a popular option, but some other options to consider are; bamboo slats on a wall, a geometric pattern drawn on the wall by an artist, a mural on one wall, painting it and then stenciling a shape or design on the wall. Your limitations are only limited by your imagination. This is a project where you can be really tame and formal, or you can go crazy. Another reason for doing something like this might be because you have some vintage wallpaper you really love, but it’s not enough to cover an entire room, or maybe it’s too "busy" for the room. Just use one wall, use the paper you have, and don’t overwhelm the room with all the walls being printed on.
Pick Your Colors
I think that when most people think of an accent wall, they picture red, green, orange or a yellow wall. But, not everyone is going to want to do something like that, so they automatically assume that because they don’t want a red wall, then they can’t have an accent wall. Not true! Essentially you can use any single color that you want to use for your wall. But, there is a color theory flowing around out there that certain colors "do" certain things for a room, and I’ve found that this theory works about 99% of the time. The theory is that warm colors; reds, yellows, and oranges tend to make a room feel smaller and cozier. Maybe it’s because these colors invoke "fire" or flames and they make the atmosphere in the room change to the feelings we feel when we sit next to a fire; comforted, relaxed, cozy, etc. Who knows! But, these colors do make a room seem smaller (usually). On the other hand, colder colors like blue, green, and purple tend to open up a room and make it seem larger. Think open sky, outdoors, running in the green grass, etc. Either way, this may have an effect on what paint colors you choose, so it’s something to think about.
Picking a Room and a Wall
One of the most difficult things about doing an accent wall, is which room to do and which wall to choose. In reality there really is no wrong room or no wrong wall, but there ARE a few things to consider before you go blindfolding yourself and playing pin the paint on the wall. One of the best places to start with accent walls are bedrooms. This is a good place to start if you have never done or thought you would do an accent wall before, because it essentially lets you go as crazy as you want in terms of colors, and if it’s too crazy, well - shut the door! Don’t let guests come in! Primarily though, I have seen a lot of accent walls done in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. If you choose the bedroom, which is a safe zone, you should probably paint the wall where your headboard goes - or your head if you don’t have a headboard. If you are choosing another room, just look at the room itself. Are there any areas you want to highlight? Perhaps a built in bench, maybe a unique wall feature, a unique wall shape, etc.
Materials to Use
People that know a little bit about accent walls, may think the only materials you can use is paint. But you might be surprised to know that’s not the ONLY material you can use. In fact, if you take a look at some home decorating magazines, you may begin to see accent walls that you didn’t even realize were accent walls until you read this! Using paint is a popular option, but some other options to consider are; bamboo slats on a wall, a geometric pattern drawn on the wall by an artist, a mural on one wall, painting it and then stenciling a shape or design on the wall. Your limitations are only limited by your imagination. This is a project where you can be really tame and formal, or you can go crazy. Another reason for doing something like this might be because you have some vintage wallpaper you really love, but it’s not enough to cover an entire room, or maybe it’s too "busy" for the room. Just use one wall, use the paper you have, and don’t overwhelm the room with all the walls being printed on.
Pick Your Colors
I think that when most people think of an accent wall, they picture red, green, orange or a yellow wall. But, not everyone is going to want to do something like that, so they automatically assume that because they don’t want a red wall, then they can’t have an accent wall. Not true! Essentially you can use any single color that you want to use for your wall. But, there is a color theory flowing around out there that certain colors "do" certain things for a room, and I’ve found that this theory works about 99% of the time. The theory is that warm colors; reds, yellows, and oranges tend to make a room feel smaller and cozier. Maybe it’s because these colors invoke "fire" or flames and they make the atmosphere in the room change to the feelings we feel when we sit next to a fire; comforted, relaxed, cozy, etc. Who knows! But, these colors do make a room seem smaller (usually). On the other hand, colder colors like blue, green, and purple tend to open up a room and make it seem larger. Think open sky, outdoors, running in the green grass, etc. Either way, this may have an effect on what paint colors you choose, so it’s something to think about.