You may have wondered how to add some interest to your room when you sit staring at those bland four walls. You could add art, which is a great idea, or you could create more of an impact with an accent wall. However, accent walls can be expensive, and difficult to install. So what are the best options for DIY accent walls? I think it comes down to three basic options: wood, paint and wallpaper.

Why add and accent wall?

First of all, why should you add an accent wall? An accent wall helps create interest and a visual focal point. They can add a pop of color to a room, or create added texture. They’re a great option for the wall behind the bed in a bedroom, behind a freestanding tub in the bathroom, or on fireplace walls in living rooms. They draw the eye to this part of the room and can help create balance and cohesion in a design scheme.

However a full slab of porcelain, stacked stone marble tiles or even some wooden accent walls can be very expensive to buy and install. Here are some ideas of cheaper and easier accent walls you can DIY over a weekend.

Wood

Cost: $-$$ / Ease of installation: Easy – medium

Wood accent walls can be installed pretty easily, and for low cost. There are so many different looks you can create with wood from traditional farmhouse white shiplap, to a more rustic barnwood look, to modern slat wall designs. The possibilities are endless. Here are some of my favorite ideas to inspire you.

Shiplap is a great traditional staple, but why not mix it up a bit and paint it black for a more modern feel like this one by A House We Built.

You can get creative with it too and create patterns with strips of wood like this stunning design by Madsen Remodeling.

A personal favorite of mine is this accent wall by Katie Kurtz of Adorned Homes. I love the warm color of the wood and the herringbone design adds interest.

Or for a more modern look, I love (correction, I’m obsessed) with slat walls. They add so much interest and texture, and make your home look like it was created by an Architect. Here’s a really easy and affordable how to guide to creating one by Simply Aligned Home.

Paint

Cost: $ / Ease of installation: Easy – medium

Painting a wall is probably the easiest way to add a DIY accent wall. All it takes is paint, tape, a roller, a paint brush and a steady hand! It’s also probably the cheapest way of adding an accent wall, as it’ll probably cost you less than $100, and only take a few hours, depending on what you do. Here are some creative ideas that you can try.

If you have a very steady hand and an artistic eye, why not try this spectacular painted accent wall by My Style Vita.

If painting an an entire wall by hand is too daunting of a prospect, try using a stencil to create an interesting design like this one by The Tattered Pew.

Or another easy option would be to use painters tape to map out a design. This one by Lolly Jane is super easy and looks fab!

Or for the easiest way to add an accent wall, just simply paint one wall a different color. You can read my tips on how to do this here.

Wallpaper

Cost: $-$$$ / Ease of installation: Medium – difficult

I… am… addicted… to… wallpaper… There I’ve said it. I love the stuff, can’t get enough of it! I could literally write an entire blog on wallpaper, but today I’ll spare you. I deliberated about whether to include it in the ‘cheap and easy accent walls’ list though, as I personally have never tried to apply traditional wallpaper myself, as I’ve always thought it looks quite tricky. However friends have told me that it is in fact easy. So I tried my hand at a vinyl mural wallpaper that we had custom made for us, and well, you can read how that went here. However, if you are handy at installing wallpapers, here are a few of my favorites.

It’s important to note that wallpapers can be quite pricey, so use them sparingly on a smaller wall ideally. They make great accent walls for downstairs toilets or other small rooms like this one by Paige Pierce Design. She used Tibet by Clarence House Wallpapers.

We used a wallpaper accent wall in our kitchen. I love this wallpaper by Harlequin in Limosa pattern in Mustard / Charcoal / Stone color way. I color matched the background color of the wallpaper to the paint we used on the rest of the walls to make it look like a hand painted mural.

I hope you found this post inspiring and motivating to try your own DIY accent walls. With all this time at home, what are you waiting for!?

Thanks, and until next time.

Jo