15 Accent Wall Ideas to Help Your Room Stand Out

accent-wall-ideas-GettyImages-942920076 — Photo:
Katarzyna Bialasiewicz/Getty Images

It’s funny how just one small design change can make your entire room come alive. Case in point: A bold statement wall. The best accent wall ideas can instantly transform your space, helping to anchor your design scheme, solidify your layout, and draw all eyes into the room. The good news is that creating a memorable (and stylish!) accent wall doesn't have to break the bank—or suck up your entire weekend.

Whether you’re looking to try out a new paint method or find a home for vintage woodwork, an accent wall can be the easy, impactful solution to your design woes. To help get the wheels of inspiration turning, here are 15 standout accent wall ideas that'll earn a place on your Pinterest board. From unique wallpaper applications to faux finishes, these clever upgrades will level up your home in an instant.

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Hang Pretty Wallpaper

For an easy way to add pattern and color to your room, look no further than a wallpaper accent wall. While blanketing an entire room in wallpaper can get pricey, sticking to just a single accent wall is a great way to stay on budget while still making a big impact. To ensure the print has synergy with the rest of your space, repeat the colors seen in the pattern throughout the rest of the room. Here, Toll Brothers echoed the soft cornflower blue of the wallpaper through the curtains, upholstered sitting chairs, and even the painted tray ceiling detail.

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Create Architectural Interest

Bedroom with arched walls — Jenna Sue Design Co.

If you have the time (and the DIY willpower), you can create an accent wall that adds depth and architectural interest to your space, like the modern, Mediterranean-inspired bedroom seen here by Jenna Sue Design. In order to bring visual depth to the builder-grade room, Jenna created old-world arches out of plywood and drywall, eventually painting the whole thing with limewash paint for a timeless feature wall that looks like it could have been there for centuries.

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Bring the Outdoors In

Faux stone wall panels — Madison Bess for The Honest Home

If timeless, nature-inspired design is your thing, look to textural accents like wood or rock to create an accent wall in your home. When it came to upgrading her closet-turned-office, creator Molly of The Honest Home turned to stones to create a centuries-old look. Fun fact: While these rocks look like they were laid by hand, they’re actually faux stone panels, which are lighter-weight and easier to install.

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Paint on a Playful Mural

Painted mural — Racheal Jackson for Banyan Bridges

We get it—the thought of painting your own mural can sound intimidating, but some designs can be easier to execute than you think. Creator and artist Racheal Jackson of Banyan Bridges painted a playful squiggle design (affectionately referred to as a “gummy worm”) in the home of a client for an eye-catching and graphic accent wall.

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Install an Unexpected Finish

Who says tile is just for bathrooms and kitchens? For a creative accent wall idea, steal a page from the home of Lee Thornley, the founder of tile company Bert & May. He installed graphic tile (from the brand’s Living Etc. Arch collection) behind his bed for a playful and creative twist on traditional bedroom decor.

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Stick Up Wall Decals

Whether you’re a renter looking for a less permanent solution or a parent aiming to please a toddler whose preferences change like the wind, wall decals are a simple and stress-free means of achieving an accent wall. Look for designs that incorporate graphic shapes—like the arch collection seen here from Minnie and Me Interiors—instead of figurines or characters to ensure your application feels chic and design-forward.

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Go Old School With a Mural

Decades ago, you couldn’t walk into a home without seeing some sort of mural up on the wall. While the art of hand-painted creations has fallen a bit to the wayside, there are plenty of wallpaper-style murals out there for a stylish (and instantaneous) take on the trend. Bonus: This pastoral scene from The Goodies Wallpapers can be custom-made to your exact specifications, making it a great accent wall idea if your space is a quirky size or boasts a difficult layout.

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Add Modern Paneling

To bring visual interest to an otherwise plain bedroom, designer and author of Home Therapy Anita Yokota turned to board and batten to create an easy accent wall. “This room was calling for character, and it wasn’t a large space so we knew it would have to be the vertical area of the room that would give us our biggest architectural impact, Yokota says. “Batten became the perfect solution. It’s a great way for beginners to put their DIY skills to the test, and always results in a beautiful upgrade to a space, without the big price tag.”

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Don’t Forget About Your Fifth Wall

Emily Gilbert for Colleen Simonds Design

When it comes to making a design statement, there’s no need to feel closed in by the four walls of your room. Instead, look to the ceiling for an unexpected way to turn the idea of an accent wall on its head—literally. Here, designer Colleen Simonds added a bit of whimsy and wonder to a little girl’s room by papering the ceiling with colorful botanical wallpaper.

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Freehand Some Funky Shapes

Ricki Snyder for Hilary Matt Interiors; Styled by Frances Bailey

When it came time to add personality to the den of this Upper East Side home, designer Hilary Matt called on an accent wall of angular shapes to bring edge and funk to the space. To achieve a similar look, go high-contrast with your paint picks (like the taupe and charcoal gray seen here), and make sure your shapes take on a free-flowing arrangement so they don’t look too structured or uniform.

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Put Up Planking

Plank walls — Holly Blain for Rusticx Wild Arrow

When it comes to adding texture and old-school appeal, nothing beats a wood plank accent wall. Painting your planks is always an option, but we think they look extra pretty stained or left raw, as seen here in the home of creator Holly Blain of Rustic Wild Arrow. The end result? An accent wall idea that costs almost nothing (especially if you use reclaimed wood!) and adds decades' worth of well-worn charm.

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Frame Wallpaper Panels

Here’s another great idea if you’re feeling apprehensive about committing to a whole room of wallpaper. Instead of going floor-to-ceiling with this beautiful botanical print in her daughter’s room, Lauren Shaver of Bless’er House decided to team wallpaper (Chinoiserie Chic from Rebel Walls) with molding for a classically inspired accent wall that’s budget-friendly and beautiful.

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Go White on White

White…for an accent wall? You bet! Sometimes, making a quiet statement can be just as effective as making a colorful, bold, loud one. Case in point? This tonal accent wall from Lindsay Harrington of Woods and Ivory. To bring subtle dimension to her primary bedroom, Lindsay turned to decorative trim painted the same shade as the wall (Behr’s Shoelace) for a soothing, hotel-worthy retreat.

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Lean Into a Complimentary Color Palette

Even a room that’s painted from top to bottom can benefit from an accent wall to anchor the space. In this bedroom by muralist Ashley Maeda, a graphic combination of colors and shapes collide for a bed backdrop that’s both eye-catching and serene.

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Try a Paint Technique

If subtly is your goal, skip the bright colors in lieu of a specialty painting technique, like the velvety lime wash wall seen in this project from Jean Parker of Le Jean Design. Instead of a wall that screams “Look at me!” you’ll score a subtle and sophisticated accent that brings a cozy layer of comfort to your space.

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