55 Modern Accent Wall Ideas To Freshen Up Your Space!

Get inspired with these affordable DIY accent wall ideas, from paint, to wallpaper, to wood planks and hand-painted murals.

55 Accent Wall Ideas collage of rooms with colorful accent walls

I am a huge fan of accent walls, which you’ll notice the moment you walk in my front door and see the giant jungle mural in my entryway! Let’s talk about this fun and versatile interior design trend and how you can use it in your own home, even on a tight budget.

And finally, we’ll look at some gorgeous DIY accent wall ideas for inspiration. I’m seriously blown away by my fellow interior designers & DIY bloggers’ fabulous ideas! If you want to pin their ideas, please follow the links to their sites and pin from there.

What is an accent wall?

An accent wall is a single wall that’s a different color, pattern, or material from the others in the room to create a focal point. They can use paint, wallpaper, murals, wall stencils, wall decals, brick or stone, wood paneling, ship-lap, or even upholstered panels.

Why use an accent wall?

There are many reasons to use accent walls in your home. In the US, most of us live with relatively plain sheet rocked walls, and things can get a little boring. A well-placed accent wall is one of the best ways to add drama, texture, and dimension to a space. It can also make a room feel more expensive and put-together.

Some of the most popular accent walls right now are wallpaper and murals, which I absolutely love. But unlike in the 70’s, the trend this time around is to just paper a single wall. And this is better than papering a whole room for so many reasons, not the least of which is you only have to buy one wall worth of wallpaper, instead of several.

And it’s important to keep in mind that no color or pattern will be in style forever. A single wall is a much smaller commitment. And as lovely as that cool mod orange wallpaper is, you probably shouldn’t make a life-long commitment to it.

Which rooms lend themselves to accent walls?

While you can create an accent wall pretty much anywhere in your home, there are some rooms that tend to work better than others. Bedrooms, kids’ rooms, living rooms & family rooms, home offices, dining rooms, and powder rooms are some of my favorites.

If you’re new to this trend and want to start with a small-scale and relatively fool-proof project, I suggest creating your first accent wall in a small bathroom or powder room or a nook. This will give you the chance to practice on a small wall.

Which wall?

Now the question I get asked the most: Which wall should be the accent wall? Accent walls are most often used to highlight an important architectural feature in your home, emphasize an important piece of furniture (like the bed in a bedroom), or to create a focal point where none existed before.

Architectural Focal Points

fireplace
window with a view
bar
staircase
a wall with paneling, interesting texture, or moldings
a built-in bench or alcove

Furniture Focal Points

the wall the headboard is against
bathroom vanity wall
the wall a desk sits against in a home office

DIY Accent Wall Ideas

Now let’s look at some inspiration. Most accent walls are created with paint, wallpaper, wood molding, or paneling. You can find full tutorials for most of these DIY accent walls if you follow the links to the creator’s site.

Solid-Colored Accent Walls

We’ll start with cheapest, easiest to DIY, and most basic accent wall: the solid-colored accent wall.

One of my favorite trends right now is a room with white walls, and one accent wall in a bold color. Grey is over and done with. Yes, you read that right. I said grey is out (at least as a wall color). We’re painting our walls white now, folks!

Almost every client I talk to asks me to help brighten up their home. Often the very first thing we do is paint the walls white to make the most of the natural light in the room.

But sometimes an all-white room isn’t very interesting on it’s own, especially if the space doesn’t have a natural focal point, like a fireplace or bank of windows. That’s why I like to paint one wall a different color.

woman painting an accent wall dark green with a paint roller

I painted this green accent wall (Beta Fish, from Behr) to make a bold statement behind the kids’ homeschool desk. The desk wall and decorative floating shelves are the main event in this room, so this wall was the obvious focal point.

homeschool room with a dark green accent wall behind the desk and two girls playing

I love how this navy blue feature wall make s the curtains and bed pop, while the remaining white walls keep the room feeling bright and airy.

girls' bedroom with a navy blue accent wall — **Sunny Side Design**

Hand-Painted Accent Walls

I also like to use wallpaper and faux wallpaper in rooms. A bold pattern can be overwhelming and make your head spin when it’s plastered on every wall. But a single wall makes a big statement, while leaving room for the eye to rest.

Many of the modern geometric and abstract patterns that are popular right now are just not that difficult to create yourself. So depending on your budget, time, and DIY skills, you might consider painting or even hand-drawing one.

I painted this accent wall behind the desk in the closet office. It’s just a bunch of brush strokes. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

woman painting a patterned accent wall with brush strokes — **Jessica Welling Interiors**

hand painted feature wall behind a desk in a home office — **Jessica Welling Interiors Closet Office Reveal**

Here’s a tutorial for a simple DIY herringbone patterned wall from Zoe Hunt:

hand-painted herringbone pattern on a wall — **Pine & Poplar**

When my girls were younger, they couldn’t agree on a wallpaper pattern, so I drew a whimsical floral pattern on the wall with sharpies. And of course they got to help too!

little girl drawing a pattern on an accent wall with a Sharpie

girls' bedroom with a hand-drawn floral patterned accent wall

You can also create a fun modern accent wall, or even an accent corner with color blocking. Stephanie Watkins painted this cool accent wall of geometric shapes for her son’s bedroom using painter’s tape.

colorful child's bedroom with a color block-painted accent wall — DIY Color Block Accent Wall, **by Casa Watkins Living**

The bold white and navy stripes on this bedroom accent wall are easy to make with painter’s tape as well.

boy's bedroom with a striped feature wall behind the bed — Bold Striped Accent Wall, **by Maggie Overby Studios**

Stenciled Accent Walls

Painting an accent wall with wall stencils is an easy way to get the look of wallpaper for a lot less money. Just be sure to get a stencil designed for walls. Most wall stencils are MUCH larger than other stencils designed for smaller projects, so they tend to cost a bit more. But trust me, that extra $10 will be well worth it once you’re elbow-deep in paint! Here’s a list of my favorite modern wall stencils if you need some ideas.

Here’s a quick tutorial: How to Stencil A Wall

close up of woman painting a wall with a wall stencil

This wall in the alcove of my master bathroom was begging for some visual interest, so I painted it with a wall stencil.

bathtub in front of a green botanical stenciled accent wall — **Jessica Welling Interiors: How to Stencil A Wall**

This black hand-stenciled wall behind the bed makes a big impact!

master bedroom with a black geometric stenciled accent wall behind the bed — Stenciled Bedroom Feature Wall, **from Bloom in the Black**

mudroom with a hand stenciled pattern on one wall — Stenciled Mudroom Wall, **by Just Measuring Up**

stenciled feature wall in a home office — Stenciled Accent Wall in a Home Office, **by Bloom in the Black**

neutral stenciled accent wall with a night stand and lamp in front of it — Simple Herringbone Stenciled Accent Wall, **by At Lane & High**

bathroom vanity with a hand stenciled geometric accent wall — Geometric Stenciled Wall in a Bathroom, **by Pine & Poplar**

Hand-Painted Murals

Another option is to paint a simple mural yourself. One of the benefits of painting your own is you can design the mural to work with the features and furniture already in the room. So you can ensure the most important features in your design won’t be covered up by a headboard or toilet.

I painted this botanical mural in my powder room. Here’s the tutorial: How to Paint A Mural

woman painting a mural on a bathroom wall

small bathroom with a bold botanical mural accent wall — **Bold Botanical Mural by Jessica Welling Interiors**

I painted this giant tropical mural in my entryway and TV room. There’s even a sloth hiding in one of the trees! You can see all the details here.

entryway with a tropical green mural accent wall

stairwell with a hand painted mountain mural — Hand Painted Mountain Mural, **by Pine & Poplar**

Wallpaper Murals

Murals have become very popular over the past few years. The most common type you’ll see are peel and stick wallpaper murals that can be cut to size to fit your space. And tropical and botanical murals are wildly popular right now. So are other landscapes such as mountains and forests.

One of the great benefits of murals is they take the place of wall art. But keep in mind that most murals should be the main event in the room, especially if they’re bold and colorful. So it’s usually best to make the mural accent wall a backdrop for simpler furniture and accessories, such as a solid-colored sofa. Too many bold competing patterns can make a room feel chaotic.

living room with a tropical wallpaper mural on one wall and a green sofa — Tropical Wallpaper Mural **by Maggie Overby Designs**

entryway with colorful floral wallpaper — Floral Bird Mural Accent Wall, **by Sunny Side Design**

girls' bedroom with a pink palm tree mural behind the bed — Girls’ Bedroom with Peel & Stick Wallpaper Mural, **by Casa Watkins Living**

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is making a huge comeback. Don’t roll your eyes at me! If the very idea of wallpaper makes you twitchy, you can just keep scrolling. But you should know that the adhesives have changed over the years, and there are also many peel and stick wallpaper options available. Which means wallpaper doesn’t have to be forever. And let’s face it: no one should be making a life-long commitment to any pattern.

Here’s a list of my favorite modern botanical wallpapers, and here are 200 cool wallpapers for girls’ bedrooms.

Let’s look at some cool wallpaper accent wall ideas:

I just installed this cool neutral wallpaper from Coloritto in my new guest bedroom. You can see the tutorial here: How to Hang Pre-Pasted Wallpaper

Modern bedroom with a neutral wallpaper accent wall

Natural grasscloth wallpaper makes this bedroom feel luxurious.

master bedroom with brown grasscloth wallpaper — Master Bedroom with Grasscloth Wallpaper, **by Craftivity Designs**

I love the pretty tile patterned wallpaper behind the vanity in this chic powder room:

modern powder room with a tile wallpaper accent wall behind the vanity — Powder Room with Tile Wallpaper Backsplash, **by Designing Vibes**

I used a fun peel and stick wallpaper in my powder room at my last house, and I still miss it!

powder room with a blue floral peel and stick wallpaper accent wall — My Powder Room with a floral Peel & Stick Wallpaper Accent Wall

This fun pink waves patterned wallpaper is perfect for a girls’ bedroom.

girls bedroom with a pink wave patterned wallpaper accent wall and a retro dollhouse — Girl’s Bedroom with Pink Wallpaper Accent Wall, **by Craftivity Designs**

The pretty floral wallpaper accent wall in this dining room would probably be too much if it covered all the walls. But on one wall, it’s perfect!

dining room with a yellow floral wallpaper accent wall — Dining Room with Floral Wallpaper Feature Wall, **by Maggie Overby Studios**

Wood Molding Accent Walls

Whether you want to create an ultra-modern feature wall or give your home some old-world charm, using wood trim and panels on one wall is a relatively inexpensive way to make a space feel expensive and classy.

This classy DIY board and batten feature wall adds visual interest and provides a gorgeous backdrop for the bed.

master bedroom with a DIY board and batten accent wall behind the bed — Wood Feature Wall, **by Sunny Side Design**

DIY picture frame molding adds character to this entryway wall.

modern entryway with a DIY picture frame molding accent wall — DIY Picture Frame Molding Accent Wall, **by Designing Vibes**

My friend Kippi created this class board and batten accent wall in her guest bedroom.

guest bedroom with a DIY board and batten accent wall — DIY Board & Batten Accent Wall, **by Kippi at Home**

Zoe Hunt is the wood accent wall master, and this cool modern feature wall is just one of several amazing walls she’s done.

DIY wood accent wall with a modern geometric pattern being painted — Modern Wood Accent Wall, **by Zoe Hunt**

The dark paint color and board and batten create a beautiful gallery wall in this master bedroom.

master bedroom with a bold navy blue board and batten accent wall — Board & Batten Accent Wall, **by Sunny Side Design**

hallway with a classic DIY picture frame molding accent wall in white — Accent Wall with Picture Frame Molding, **by Pine & Poplar**

My friend Julie created this budget friendly and renter-friendly board and batten wall in her small apartment living room.

small living room with a temporary board and batten accent wall — **Temporary Accent Wall, by My Wee Abode**

Wood Accent Walls

There are some seriously amazing creative ideas in this category! This modern wood accent wall/ window seat combo by Zoe Hunt is stunning!

modern DIY wood accent wall with a window seat — Modern Wood Accent Wall, **by Pine & Poplar**

I love how Nick & Bethany of Reality Daydream cut plywood into geometric shapes to create this stunning pattern!

modern geometric plywood accent wall in the bedroom — Geometric Plywood Accent Wall, **by Reality Daydream**

And here’s yet another cool DIY accent wall from Zoe Hunt, this time using shingles.

bathroom with a blue wood accent wall — DIY Accent Wall Using Shingles, **by Zoe Hunt**

Wood Planks & Ship-lap

A ship-lap accent wall is a great way to bring a farmhouse or beachy feel to a space, without having to commit to it forever. We added ship-lap to the walls of the kids’ bunk room at my parent’s beach house.

children's bunk room with ship-lap walls — **Bunk Room with Ship-lap Accent Wall, by Jessica Welling Interiors**

Here’s a modern twist on traditional ship-lap.

modern shiplap-style accent wall — DIY Wood Accent Wall, **by Lovely, etc.**

This DIY herringbone wood plank wall by Tasha of Kaleidoscope Living adds the perfect amount of wood to this living room, without making it feel dark and imposing.

living room with a DIY wood herringbone accent wall and colorful rug — DIY Herringbone Plank Wall, **by Kaleidoscope Living**

A single small ship-lap accent wall gives this entryway modern farmhouse vibes.

small entryway with a DIY shiplap accent wall — DIY Ship-lap Accent Wall, **by DIY Beautify**

Wall Panels

Cool 3D wall panels take this living room to the next level.

Concrete, Stone, & Brick Accent Walls

Stone and brick accent walls can add beautiful texture to a room, as long as they look real. If they don’t they can easily make your space look cheap.

Here’s a great example of a realistic faux brick wall. Chelsea & Logan Making Manzanita used German schmear to give it this gorgeous aged look:

laundry room with a German schmeared faux brick feature wall — German schmear faux brick wall, **by Making Manzanita**

And finally, Cara Newhart used grout to mimic the look of concrete on this cool accent wall in her guest room.

bedroom with a DIY faux concrete accent wall — faux concrete accent wall, **by Never Skip Brunch**

I hope you found some great ideas for your next DIY accent wall! Now be brave, start small, and remember it’s just paint (or wallpaper, etc.) and the stakes are just not that high!