When decorating the walls of your bedroom, the goal is never to make the room appear smaller. An accent wall can be a great way to enhance the spaciousness of even small bedrooms, but this must be done with great consideration. Certain colors and textures can lead to the accent wall "shrinking" the room, rather than "expanding" it. In this brief guide to accent walls, I will show you how you can design an accent wall that will complement your space without making you feel boxed in.
To create a dynamic accent wall for a small bedroom, you need to carefully plan out a few steps:
- Choosing the right color for your accent wall.
- Whether or not to incorporate a pattern or texture on the accent wall.
- Deciding which wall will be the most effective as an accent wall.
Clearly, designing an accent wall for a small bedroom isn't as simple as slapping a coat of paint on any wall. It takes some knowledge of color and dimension to make a room appear larger than it is. If you go with the wrong choices, you can end up feeling cramped in a space that looks much smaller. Continue reading to learn how to create a beautiful accent wall that will visually bolster the size of your bedroom.
Choose Color with an Impact
Where accent walls are concerned, "contrast" is typically the name of the game. Many homeowners have plain, white walls that they want to accent with a pop of vivid color. If you love warm, autumnal colors, you might immediately think of red, orange and bright yellow hues. While these colors certainly look great in a room, they effectively "pull" the wall toward the eye - resulting in a smaller-looking space.
The colors that work most effectively at enhancing the size of a room are cool and/or darker in shade. Greens, blues, and purples tend to pull the wall away from the eye, causing it to visually recede and make the room appear larger in size.
Dark colors are often thought to make a space look smaller, but as this example goes to show, cool and dark purple doesn't have that effect.
To compare against the dark, rich purple above, check out this lavender accent wall. The subtle shade of purple is inviting and really showcases the dimensions of this room. In a smaller bedroom, it would be a bright, yet cool-toned, addition that you can't go wrong with.
Can Warm Colors Still Work?
All of this isn't to say that warm colors are entirely out of the question. If you have a long, rectangular room that is relatively narrow, using a warm color on one of the shorter walls can create a sense of balance and depth. In a perfectly square room, however, colors like red and orange can appear to pull the walls forward.
Here is one example of what I mean. Very warm and comforting orange is used on a very small portion of the wall to create a beautiful aesthetic. Because of the placement of the color, it doesn't make the room look smaller than it really is.
A small section of the wall in this nursery has been painted red, which provides a stark contrast against black furniture and white walls without making the room shrink to the eye. Through the clever use of decorative accessories, the owners of this room have created a cohesive color scheme that looks fantastic.
Choosing the Color of Your Accent Wall
With so many options available to you, it may be overwhelming to pick any one color to go with for your accent wall. While I can't make that choice for you, here are some valuable tips that you can keep in mind as you get closer to making your decision.
- Consider choosing a darker shade of the existing wall color. If your walls are a light blue, for instance, a darker blue accent wall will make your room look larger while still being very cohesive in design. If you are stumped for choosing a more prominent shade for your accent wall, this could be the best option for you.
- Choose an accent wall color that will work with your existing decor, but only in the details. If your carpeting, for instance, is white with green details, then green may work very well as your accent wall c color.
- Cohesiveness creates a more harmonious sleeping space. If you have a lot of accessories, furnishings or beddings of a certain color, that may help you choose the color of your accent wall. Choose a color that complements and contrasts against these items. If everything in your room is of the same shade, that defeats the purpose of the accent wall. Nothing will stand out.
Put these ideas into work with these small master bedroom designs!
What About Textures and Patterns?
Of course, you aren't restricted to only using a single color of paint to create the perfect accent wall for your small bedroom. Many innovative homeowners and designers have harnessed the power of the pattern to achieve their desired aesthetic effect. The key here is to stick with the color tips outlined above. Cool hues, dark shades, and clever placement make a world of difference.
We all know that wood floors look great, but what about accent walls that invoke the natural beauty of durable wood? While very dark wood on all walls can make a room feel claustrophobic, its use on a single accent wall can open up space and really serve as an eye-catching feature.
This peel and stick wallpaper is made of vinyl and is easy to apply to any wall of your choosing. Click here to purchase it on Amazon.
Geometric designs in contrasting yet complementary colors also make for a beautiful accent wall that appears to recede. Click here to purchase this blue, geometric wallpaper on Amazon.
Your options are endless where decorating your accent wall is concerned. You can even combine color, texture, and pattern all in one space with a paintable wallpaper like this one. Follow this link to purchase this wallpaper on Amazon.
Choosing the Placement of Your Accent Wall
Just as important as the color, texture or pattern chosen is the location of the wall itself. One wall in your bedroom will likely serve better as an accent wall than the other three. How do you determine which wall should be accentuated? Here are a few tips!
- Avoid accenting walls with windows or doors. Accent walls are the most dynamic and appealing when they are uninterrupted by the framework.
- You always want to accentuate the focal point of the room. In the case of the average bedroom, the focal point is - you guessed it - the bed. In most circumstances, the best accent wall for the bedroom is the wall right behind the bed.
- Accent one of the shorter walls if your bedroom is longer and more narrow. Using the longer walls can have the opposite effect of what you want.
- Do you have a wall with a unique architecture? Slanted walls, for example, look especially sharp when they are transformed into an accent wall. Consider putting the head of your bed against this wall and accentuating it for a really eye-catching effect.
Accent Walls are an Effective Design Tactic
Not only do accent walls allow the individual to flex their creativity and personal style, but when done properly they can make a room look bigger than it really is. It's not like the average person can afford to knock down walls and expand their room physically, so this visual trick is very popular. To get the most out of it, however, you need to carefully select the perfect design for your space.
Avoid bold primary colors, especially in warm shades, if you truly want to make your room look larger. For the greatest impact, I recommend accentuating a solid wall that is void of doors and windows. This creates a more seamless look that allows your design to really shine.
Accent walls can be bold or only slightly different in shade from the rest of your existing walls. Your options are only limited by your imagination. None of these tips are set in stone, so you can take whatever approach you want as you move forward with your design. Have fun designing your accent wall and enjoy it as it all comes together for a beautiful outcome!
Try these bedroom carpets that would make your room stand out!