An accent wall “feature wall” design differs from the design of the other walls in the room you’re decorating. The accent wall’s color can simply be a different shade of the color of the other walls, or have a completely different design in terms of the color and material.  As their name implies, accent walls are typically intended to break up the pattern created by the other walls, especially when the walls are painted a single flat tone. However, a room may be wallpapered with your favorite designer wallcovering. The point of this can be for aesthetics alone or to highlight or frame some decorative element, such as a picture, furniture,  fireplace, etc.

How to pick an accent wall

   Discover your ideal “special feature” wall.  Accent walls work best when there seems to be a logical reason why a particular wall invites special treatment, compared with other walls in the room.  A dramatic architectural feature like a fireplace or an antique armoire may be good reasons to make a special wall stand out with color. Determine the “reason” why a wall might be wallpapered with a standout color or pattern by asking a friend to enter your room and then quickly tell you which wall attracts her eye first. In most cases, the wall chosen will be the inherently “special” wall in the room.

Balance “color impact” with existing features and planned furnishings.

A dramatic accent wall will lose much of its impact or “pop” if it’s mostly obscured behind a mass of floor-to-ceiling draperies or the wall is covered with an excessive amount of art work, moldings or large pieces of furniture. In contrast, an accent wall that is almost fully exposed can bring too much “pop” to a room too. Choose an accent wall that won’t be too bare of or crowded with other design elements.

Define the “visual temperature” of the natural light in the room. If your room is located on the east or north side of your home, the quality of light entering the room during the day through the windows is cooler than the warmer light coming from a southern- or western-facing windows. Rooms with warm-hued accent walls work best in eastern or northern rooms for this reason. Rooms with cool-hued accent walls are best for western or southern rooms. A western-facing wall decorated in orange will feel like an oven once you add light, while a northern-facing wall decorated in aqua will feel like an igloo.

Wallpaper will have the most impact on a solid wall without windows — preferably the one behind the largest piece of furniture in your room (for example, the wall behind your bed, sofa, or fireplace).

Amazing way to accent high ceilings. A room decorated in blue highlights draw the eye while the white and grey focuses it and brings the navy down to calm.

Create drama 

Wallpaper will have the most impact on a solid wall without windows — preferably the one behind the largest piece of furniture in  your room (for example, the wall behind your bed, sofa, or fireplace).

Designer wallpaper is back and better than ever. Graphic patterns and gorgeous prints can instantly update your rooms and infuse them with some serious style. Makeover your walls in less than a weekend by creating an accent wall with our easy-to-follow How to Hang Wallpaper guide.

The quickest and usually the most inexpensive way to really change up the feel of a room is to switch up the surroundings. With all of the new styles and designer wallpaper patterns to choose from, this once-dated décor trend has been resurrected and is totally modern. If you’re not ready to commit to wallpapering an entire room, creating an accent wall by covering only one wall is a great way to get started, add style and interest.

Eade’s Wallpaper & Fabric is here to help with any questions that you may have. 1-877-229-9427 www.eadeswallpaper.com