We all like to add extra touches of interest around us. Cookies need chocolate chips, clothing looks best with accessories, and our interior decorating needs splashes of color. Without these, our lives would be very dull and bland! That is why painting an accent wall is such a helpful interior painting idea.
In most homes, the majority of the walls are painted with tame colors. This is because the bolder colors would overwhelm the senses if they occupied all the walls. When you add an accent wall, however, you are able to incorporate a richer, more engaging color, without the risk of it becoming overbearing.
How do you plan an accent wall? There are two main questions to answer when you craft your design. First, which interior wall should you choose, and second, what color should you paint it?
Which Wall Works? How to Select Your Accent Wall
Size: First, you probably want to choose a wall that is moderate or small in size. After all, the idea of an accent is that it only takes up a small proportion of the visible space.
Shape: Next, consider the shape of the wall. If it has architectural irregularities caused by the design of the room, or if the wall is interrupted by many windows and doors, this is not ideal. You want your accent wall to have regularity in its shape, since you will be drawing a lot of attention to it by the choice of paint color.
Another aspect of this is that you want a self-contained wall. If the wall flows uninterrupted from one room into another, or out into a hallway, this makes it a poor choice for an accent wall. A self-contained wall is one that has clearly-defined edges where it would make sense for a paint color to end.
Balance: When you paint an interior wall a different color, it will immediately draw the eye. This makes the accent wall a focal point in the room. As you choose your accent wall, ask yourself where people most naturally look when they are there. It makes the most sense to have your accent wall at either the “head” or the “foot” of the room, if there is any wall that could be thought of that way. If there is a clear front and back to the room, and you make a side wall into an accent wall, it could cause the room to feel off balance.
What Color Should I Paint My Accent Wall?
One of the safest paint color options for an accent wall is to go with a darker or lighter shade of your main wall color. This will still draw the eye, but it will not have a significant contrast, and the effect will be moderate.
If you are feeling more adventurous, just think of what kind of style you are going for. If you want a cozy or moody feeling, go with a deep blue, dark green, dusky gray, royal crimson, or even black!
On the other hand, if you want a cheery, eclectic, energetic vibe, you could go with a sunny yellow, a lime green, an electric blue, a vibrant purple, or a pumpkin orange.
Cherry Hill Painting
While choosing a wall and a paint color can be daunting, choosing your interior painting company shouldn’t have to be! For homeowners in New Jersey, Cherry Hill Painting is a name you can trust for honest dealings, exceptional customer service, and unbeatable painting quality. Whether you just need one interior wall painted as an accent wall, or you need your whole home interior painted, we are ready to serve you.
Since 1968, Cherry Hill Painting has been working in New Jersey and the Philadelphia region, offering interior painting, exterior painting, carpentry, wallpaper removal, cabinet refinishing, and more! Contact us today for your free interior painting estimate!