One of the best parts of remodeling your home is adding personality and charm to your space and making it your own. If you’re searching for a good way to do that in your Lancaster home remodel, consider adding an accent wall. Gaining popularity in the early 2000s, accent walls are a design feature that is here to stay. They allow the homeowner to play with color, add interest to an otherwise featureless room, and bring some individuality to any space. Read on for ideas, tips, and tricks to make this design statement work for you!
Accent walls are a valuable design choice in remodeling. They can add depth to a space that would otherwise go unnoticed by drawing your eye to a feature you want to highlight. For example, if you have a long room with a fireplace at one end, painting the wall around the fireplace a different color than the rest of the room can highlight the fireplace and make it stand out as a feature by drawing your eye to it, counteracting the feeling that the room is too long.
Every room needs a focal point. Sometimes, it’s easy to identify what that should be–a fireplace, as in the above example, or a wall of built-ins that are beautifully styled. Other times, a room doesn’t have an easily identifiable focal point, and that’s where an accent wall comes in. Making one wall stand out highlights it as the room’s focal point, drawing the eye and adding interest to the space.
Accent walls can also help define a space, especially if your home has an open floor plan. Along with rugs, lighting, and furniture placement, accent walls allow you to create a more functional and visually appealing layout for your home, identifying which activity belongs where. For example, if your main living space is an open floor plan, you may paint or wallpaper one wall (or even part of a wall) behind your dining room table to set that area apart.
Finally, accent walls allow you to experiment with colors that you might not try on every wall. You can go bold without it being overwhelming, or try a pattern that would be too much on every wall. Accent walls let you play with colors, patterns, and designs in ways you might not have thought of–and home design should be playful and fun!
When you picture an accent wall, you probably imagine a wall painted a different color than the rest of the room. And that’s one way to design a statement wall for your home renovation–but there are a variety of other options as well.
So you’re ready to incorporate a feature wall into your Lancaster home renovation. But what’s the best way to choose which wall to accent, and how do you decide on colors and designs? We can help with that.
First, decide on which wall you want to highlight. Often, blank walls (with no doors or windows) are best, as you can take them from featureless to interesting. But another option is to highlight a feature like a fireplace wall or a brick wall and use color or texture to make it stand out even more. Highlight something you love, a place you want your eye to be drawn to.
Next, decide what you want to use to set the wall apart. Do you want paint, wallpaper, or other materials? You can even do a combination. Don’t overdo it, but do be confident in choosing a design you love.
The color (or colors) you use on an accent wall should be present in the rest of the decor of the space to make the room look cohesive. You can use the 60-30-10 design rule to guide you: 60% of the room should be the dominant shade, 30% should be the secondary color, and 10% should be the accent color.
Don’t forget about the ceiling! Often called the fifth wall, accent ceilings are becoming more popular. You can add interest by using planks, paneling, beams, or paint. Use dark colors for drama or to make the room cozy, and light colors to make it seem more open and airy.
For some great examples of different types of accent walls used throughout the home, check out Tim and Alison’s whole home remodel here.
Can accent walls work in historic homes? The answer is a resounding yes! Consider highlighting architectural features such as fireplaces, built-in shelving, or uniquely shaped walls. Use subtle textures–wood accent walls and limewashed brick are a great idea. Colors can be warm neutrals or can freshen up the space by being gentle and cool (especially if you have a lot of warm wood throughout your home),
Many homes in Lancaster have a modern farmhouse vibe. Enhance the rustic charm with wood, shiplap, and exposed brick. Wallpaper with a subtle texture or a geometric or botanical pattern fits well with this style of home. If you choose a painted wall, use warm, earthy colors (terra cotta, mushroom), updated pastels (chalky lavender, dusty rose), or the always-popular greens (sage, olive, even emerald).
Accent walls are a great way to add interest to your home remodel. We love incorporating them into every type of space in all styles of homes. If you’re unsure about how to use accent walls in your home, our team of designers would love to assist you. Contact us today and let’s talk about your dreams for your home remodel and how we can make them come true.