How To: Painting an Accent Wall

Repainting can feel drastic, especially when you’re not looking for a complete change but rather a point of interest or a shift in mood. For that, we recommend painting an accent wall. An accent wall is just a wall painted in a different color (or painted in a different pattern) than the rest of the room. It’s an easy way to add more dimensionality to a room or a space.

The nice thing about painting an accent wall is that it’s an easy DIY painting project for the layperson who has never done any interior painting before. That said, as with any painting project, it pays to think and plan ahead when you’re painting an accent wall. Here’s how to get started after you’ve chosen your wall:

1. Choose a color palette. You want to be careful here because presumably you’re not starting from scratch – unless your walls are white you need to take your other wall colors into consideration when choosing an accent wall color. You can be as subtle or as bold as you like when making your choice, but a good rule of thumb is to choose a color on the opposite side of the color wheel if you’re want a dramatic accent wall or choose a color a few shades darker than your other walls for a more subdued look.

2. Decide whether your wall will have a simple eggshell finish or maybe even a pattern. A striped accent wall is a trendy and fun choice, and other options include textured paint, a stenciled wall or a repeating pattern made with sponges or specialty paintbrushes. One word of caution, however. While the options for finishes and patterns are near endless, first-timers should consider starting with regular interior paint. Choosing accent wall colors can be hard enough!

3. Prep your room. One night thing about painting an accent wall is that you don’t have to clear a whole room or cover every last piece of furniture. Simply move everything against and near that wall toward the far wall, cover the floor a few feet out from the wall, and tape the wall and ceiling. Don’t forget to take outlet cover plates off and tape off the outlets themselves. A little protection goes a long way toward a perfect paint job!

4. Prime, prime, prime! This step is especially important if you’re painting a light color over a dark one or using very saturated primary colors – which tend to have less coverage per coat. In the latter case, opting for a tinted primer can save you from having to apply fourth, fifth, and sixth coats to get adequate coverage.

5. Finally, begin painting. You should begin by painting around the edges of your wall, feathering outward. Don’t overdo it with paint because you want to avoid drips and paint actually dries and cures better when it is applied in multiple thin coats. Next, use a roller to fill in the wall itself, making sure to overlap your strokes with the paint you applied around the edges. Then stop, fix yourself an icy cold beverage and give the whole first coat a chance to dry before applying a second – and possibly even a third – coat.

Every Massachusetts exterior painting and interior painting project is different, and unlike other MA interior painting companies, we will always treat your house, building, or surface as one-of-a-kind. Need help choosing paint colors? We can do that with an expert eye. Call us for a free estimate at 978-546-6843.

Categorised in: Fun stuff, How-Tos, Interior painting