Upgrade a plain, boxy room with energetic, bold colour. Refresh your favourite nook with soft, subtle hues. Read on for inspiration and how-to guidance for a DIY accent wall you’ll love!

If you know how to paint a wall, you know how to paint an accent wall. How to choose an accent wall often presents the bigger challenge!

An accent wall often showcases a room’s focal point, like a built-in bookcase, fireplace, or art. Other considerations for which wall to choose include…

Adding dimension to a room that has minimal architectural detail.
Breaking up open floor plans, bright rooms, and rooms with high ceilings.
Creating a specific mood, since colour impacts how a space makes you feel.

Accent colours are meant to pop, and create visual interest in a space. When choosing an accent wall, select a wall with purpose–your eye will be drawn to it immediately. For rooms with darker colour walls, consider going lighter for an accent wall. If the walls are light and airy, consider a deeper, bolder colour.

In need of some accent wall inspiration? Look to the other colours featured in the space, picking up a similar colour from a piece of artwork or textile can help tie the room together.

Best Accent Wall Colours

Any colour can be an accent wall colour, but these are the paint colours that homeowners turn to again and again.

A white bedroom with pastel green accent behind a wooden bed with pink bedding.

Bedroom Accent Wall: Have Fun!

Creating a relaxing bedroom is often a key design goal of any homeowner, but that doesn’t mean a sense of playful style shouldn’t be in the mix!

Play with your space by painting an accent slightly smaller than the actual wall, as seen here in this pale green headboard-style painted accent in Crystalline AF-485. Behind the headboard is a popular choice for accent walls, as it draws the eye to the focal point of the room.

Feeling a bit more daring? Consider adding a painted striped accent wall into a room for a graphic element that energizes any space. Check out the carousel above for another graphic design idea: a simple pink circle behind the headboard adds visual interest to an otherwise clean space.

A living room with one light blue wall and one dark blue wall, modern white fireplace, wire frame chair, colourful wall art, and black sofa.

Living Room Accent Wall: Go Two Shades Darker

Wondering how to choose an accent wall in the living room? A solid wall without windows or doors provides the perfect canvas, and a darker hue adds a touch of drama. Add a gallery wall or large mirror to an accent wall to really draw the eye and create a powerful focal point.

This room follows a classic accent wall guide: Paint an accent wall a similar colour to the other walls, but a few shades darker. Here, Blue Danube 2062-30 elevates the small space’s minimalist contemporary design. Deep blue colours that homeowners love include Old Navy 2063-10, Van Deusen Blue HC-156, and Blue Danube 2062-30, shown here.

If depth of colour is important to you, be sure to paint with a premium product like AURA Interior. Beloved by interior designers and homeowners, this interior paint is synonymous with rich, deep, breathtaking colour.

A slick kitchen with a black accent wall, white ceiling and walls, black counters, and silver appliances.

Kitchen Accent Wall: Dark Paint Colour, Big Impact

A black accent wall adds instant style to any room. Dark colours pop in well-lit rooms, and provide striking contrast against white.

Practically speaking, darker paint colours mask dirt. Here, a kitchen accent wall in Black Tar 2126-10—also on kitchen cabinets—delivers a slick monochromatic colour scheme.

We also love dark colours as a way to seamlessly camouflage TV screens or computer monitors in a living room or home office. Take a look at Deep Space 2125-20, Regent Green 2136-20 and Mysterious AF-565 for dark colours that provide striking backdrops for TV screens of all sizes.

Choosing a colour for your dining room? Create a bright feature wall with Caliente AF-290 for an appetizing atmosphere, or try rich Sweet Butter 171 for an accent wall splashed with sunshine.

A bright blue laundry room accent wall painted with Blue Danube 2062-30.

Bold and Beautiful Accent Walls

A deep, richly coloured accent wall adds sophistication to even the most functional of rooms.

Here, a bright blue accent wall makes washing and drying a lot more fun. Woven baskets, a striped area rug, and the white stepstool all get a visual upgrade thanks to a cheery accent wall.

Deep colours that homeowners love include Slate Teal 2058-20, Shadow 2117-30 and Cranberry Cocktail 2083-20.

A soft, neutral green accent wall framed by a wooden console.

Not Ready to Go Big? Accent with Softer Hues

Green offers a robust range of shades, from earthy moss tones to springtime Kelly greens.

A neutral green accent wall—like Thicket AF-405, Vale Mist 1494, or Benjamin Moore’s Colour of the Year 2022, October Mist CC 550—offers a more restrained version of the characteristic bold accent wall. Consider using wainscoting to create an elegant color block effect, as seen here.

Looking for the right accent colour for your hallway? Be sure to think about how your chosen hue will flow through adjoining rooms.

A rustic, yet modern, bathroom with stone sink on white cabinet, wooden chair, natural pendant lamp, and dark gray accent walls.

Behold! The Bathroom Accent Wall

Your bathroom is a great place to experiment with paint colour.

Here, Flint AF-560, from our Affinity® Colour Collection, highlights the outdoor landscape and the bathroom’s rustic-meets-modern design. While many homeowners tend to steer clear of choosing an accent wall that includes windows or doors, the crisp white window trim provides a striking contrast to the deep gray accent wall.

The ceiling is another surface to experiment with paint colour. For bathroom ceilings, light blues are always popular. Check out Whispering Spring 2136-70 and Woodlawn Blue HC-147, both of which conjure blue skies while relaxing in the tub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much paint do I need for a feature wall?

A. For a feature wall, also called an accent wall, you will only need one gallon of premium Benjamin Moore paint for two coats, and likely have paint leftover!

Q. Which wall should I choose for a feature wall?

A. Many choose a wall with a fireplace, built-in bookshelves, art, or special architectural details like wainscoting. You can also use furnishings to delineate an accent wall; choose the wall behind your headboard in the bedroom, or add a collection of images and wall décor to create a gallery wall. Most importantly, you’ll want to take into consideration how you use and interact with the space. Highlight walls you want to draw attention to, but avoid walls you’d like to hide or blend into the room.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much paint do I need for a feature wall?

A. For a feature wall, also called an accent wall, you will only need one gallon of premium Benjamin Moore paint for two coats, and likely have paint leftover!