The accent wall is a stylish interior design element that can add a vibrant and beautiful look to any room. Whimsical and charming, accent walls can instantly elevate a space by creating contrast, complementing your decor and allowing your color scheme to pop. If you want to add visual interest, these accent wall colors are timeless and modern choices for your living room, bedroom or kitchen.
Whether you want dark and bold, neutral and versatile or light and bright, these color ideas for accent walls can help you feature your personality and make a difference in your living space. While white walls are universal and low-maintenance, painting an accent wall can give your room the dimension and drama it needs for a stunning finish.
To inspire you, we’ve compiled some examples of beautiful accent wall colors. From neutral to colorful choices, these popular paint colors for an accent wall will transform your space.
Accent Wall Paint Colors
Black
A black accent wall is a strong color choice that introduces a sense of drama and power into a space. Black is a neutral color, but people often shy away from using it in their homes because it is so dark and bold. Bringing this striking shade into a single accent wall is a great way to start pushing your style boundaries.
Black accent walls are adaptable enough to work with various interior design styles. For a clean and modern look, you can use black to add a contrasting element to an otherwise white room. Fill the space with sleek and streamlined furniture, and dress it up with graphic black and white throw pillows.
A black accent wall can also give a chic and elevated twist to a boho-style room, as the deep hue enhances the warmth found in natural wood tones.
Light Blue
A light blue accent wall is a timeless color choice that creates a versatile, fun and elegant look for any room. Light blue is a peaceful and serene hue that can add a subtle pop of color and brightness to your living room, bedroom or kitchen. As a great bedroom paint color, light blue has been proven to have a soothing and relaxing physiological effect.
Because light blue is evocative of the sky and the sea, it is an excellent fit for coastal-inspired interior design. A light blue accent wall is also effective in French country decor, as the muted color palette inherent to this style draws inspiration from nature.
Light Gray
A light gray accent wall is a stylish and sophisticated design that uses a versatile neutral color. While other neutral tones like beige have an earthy quality, light gray tends to skew much cooler which lends an air of refinement to your home.
Light gray has risen dramatically in popularity in the last decade which makes it particularly well-suited for contemporary homes. Families with young children should certainly consider bringing a gray accent wall into a family room. Not only does light gray hide grubby fingerprints better than white, but it can also serve as the perfect hue for a gallery wall to display crayon drawings or other bright artwork created by your kids.
Green
A green accent wall is a versatile way to infuse your space with a feeling of verdancy and vitality. In nature, the color green tends to signify thriving new life. It makes sense then, that in the field of color psychology, green is associated with concepts like growth, rebirth, and renewal.
Because green comes in such a wide array of shades, it can work with any number of interior design styles. An olive green accent wall can make a midcentury modern living room feel more era-appropriate, while hunter green amplifies the dignity of a traditional dining room. If you like bolder and brighter colors, look for shades with more intensity like lime green or chartreuse.
Red
A red accent wall is a guaranteed way to grab attention and create a focal point in any room. This energizing and invigorating hue is perfect for adding a punch of vivid and vibrant color to your decor. Because red is a psychologically stimulating color, it’s best to avoid using it in places like bedrooms where you want to create a more restful environment. Instead, stick to using this color in common areas.
People often fear that a straightforward, primary red may be too jarring for an accent wall. If you’re similarly apprehensive, explore more muted red hues instead. As a shade of red with brown undertones, maroon has an earthy and inviting vibe that looks great in a living room. With purple undertones, burgundy has a regal feel that can look luxe and lovely as part of a formal dining room.
Taupe
A taupe accent wall is a restrained way to bring an air of subtle sophistication to your interior decor. While the word taupe is often used to describe other neutral tones like beige and tan, this color is a deeper shade of brownish-gray. With its resemblance to the smoky topaz gemstone, taupe could almost be considered the neutral color palette’s version of a jewel tone.
When decorating their homes, homeowners often gravitate towards neutral, monochromatic color schemes because they are so timeless. A taupe accent wall is an ideal way to infuse a beige or gray room with a sense of depth in an understated manner.
Dark Orange
A dark orange accent wall is an adventurous color choice for people who aren’t afraid to make a strong, stylistic statement. True orange is a happy and cheerful color that is derived from combining equal portions of red and yellow pigmentation. Blending in small amounts of warm blue or ultramarine takes true orange to dark orange, which has a more complex and nuanced feel.
While dark orange is a distinctive color, it can be surprisingly versatile. A dark orange accent wall is equally at home in several diverse genres of interior design, including boho, midcentury modern, and Southwestern styles.
Yellow
A yellow accent wall is a great way to make a room feel instantly light and lively. Yellow is the most visible hue on the color spectrum, so using it in excess can make a room feel busy and overwhelming. Because a little yellow goes a long way, it’s an amazing option for an accent wall.
Because it’s such a sunshiny color, yellow is particularly appropriate for a warm and welcoming breakfast nook. Wake up your senses and start your day by enjoying your coffee alongside a zesty lemon yellow accent wall. If you prefer your decor to be more understated, opt for a soft, buttery yellow hue instead.
Dark Gray
A dark gray accent wall can offer a timeless look similar to black but in a manner that is much more accessible to the average homeowner. Black absorbs all light, which can make it feel a little severe. Dark gray blends black with a little bit of white which softens it up and creates a slightly reflective property.
If you have a wall with three-dimensional features like board and batten or picture frame molding, dark gray is a wonderful way to highlight it. Because this color is both classic and controlled, it won’t detract from or compete with the more prominent decorative elements.
Navy
A navy blue accent wall creates a compelling focal point with a tasteful and timeless appeal. Navy is a shade of dark blue that gets its name from the uniforms traditionally worn by the British Royal Navy, an armed naval force that specializes in naval warfare. That color has since been echoed in the uniforms of other naval operations from around the world.
Dark blue naval uniforms are often trimmed with white for a clean contrasting look. This color combination looks equally crisp when incorporated into home decor. Adding a navy blue accent wall to a white living room provides the perfect launching point for decor with a nautical inspiration.
Pink
Pink is a pretty and playful color that can give your home a whimsical look. This color is often underutilized in interior design since it is so strongly associated with femininity, but a pink accent wall is a wonderful way to embrace an unconventional hue.
Brighter shades of pink like rose or raspberry can have an exotic feel when styled in the right way. Use a pink accent wall as a backdrop for a Moroccan-inspired bedroom that’s layered with colorful tapestries, bedding, and decorative floor poufs. Complete the look with punched tin lanterns that will cast intriguing patterns across your vibrant walls.
Purple
A purple accent wall injects a rich and regal feel into any room. Purple, a secondary color that results from combining red and blue pigments, has long been associated with wealth and royalty. As such, it’s often used in interior design to elicit a chic and upscale feel.
There are many shades of purple, but the deeper hues tend to make the biggest visual impact. Use darker shades like plum, or mulberry to give your living room a classy and luxurious feel. Purple also plays beautifully with metallic colors, so you can also look for an interesting wallpaper like a matte aubergine with a gold geometric pattern.
Teal
A teal accent wall can be used to create a one-of-a-kind space that manages to be striking yet soothing all at once. A blend of blue and green, this deep jewel-toned hue is similar to turquoise but it has been amped up to the nth degree.
Teal is a prominent part of the maximalist color palette, which is all about celebrating the aesthetic of excess. Use a teal accent wall to ground a kaleidoscope of other intense and saturated colors including amethyst, sapphire, and goldenrod. If your design style tends to be simpler, you can also include a teal accent wall in a coastal living room to instill a slightly moody feeling.
Beige
Beige is a timeless neutral tone comprised of gray and yellow pigments that can pair well with other colors to create a stylish combination. The word “beige” is derived from the Old French word “bege”, which was used to describe the natural color of undyed sheep’s wool.
Because of its yellow undertones, beige is one of the warmer neutral shades. A beige accent wall can make a minimalist white living room feel more inviting without significantly altering the overarching aesthetic of the space. With an innate warm quality, it also plays well with earthy colors like brown and rust.
Sage Green
Sage is a blend of gray and green that has recently risen in popularity as a neutral color. A sage green accent wall feels fresh and modern, but this muted color is enduring enough that it will never go out of style. This color gets its name from the sage plant, which is a perennial herb known for its dusky green-gray leaves.
You can often find this savory herb in hearty home-cooked meals like pasta dressed with sage-infused brown butter. Fittingly, the color sage is trendy for use in kitchens, particularly ones designed in French country or modern farmhouse styles. Sage green subway tiles are a great way to introduce a subtle wash of color into your kitchen decor.
Mustard
Mustard is a distinctive shade of dark yellow that gets its moniker from the yellow condiment with the same name. Just like mustard can add zing to a hot dog or sandwich, a mustard yellow accent wall can flavor and pizzazz to your home decor. Red undertones give mustard a depth and complexity that can be lacking in a true primary yellow.
Because mustard has an almost muddy feel, it pairs well with other earth-toned colors like forest green or a rich, chocolatey brown. This intriguing hue is an integral part of the boho color palette, where it can be incorporated in layered textiles as well as via an accent wall.
Violet
While often thought of as a shade of purple, violet is a unique color that stands on its own. A violet accent wall can help you feature visual interest in any room by bringing style and flair. There are only seven colors on the spectrum of visible light, and violet is among them. Meanwhile, purple is a combination of blue and red which are two other hues on the visible light spectrum.
The truest purple color consists of equal parts of red and blue, though either element can be adjusted to create a specific shade. Violet is much closer to a true blue with only the merest hint of red undertones.
Because violet is such a blue-dominant color, it is ideal for a bedroom accent wall. The color has just enough personality to give your room some character, but it is serene and subdued enough that it won’t disturb your slumber.
Greige
The greige accent wall is a popular trend that offers a versatile and high-end look. As a blend of gray and beige, greige has been enjoying its time in the spotlight as a trendy new neutral. Beige is mellow and inviting but can feel dated, while gray is clean and modern but can come across as sterile. Greige embodies the best characteristics of both of its component colors.
Choosing the right neutral color for your home is more complicated than you might initially imagine. It’s easy to assume that neutrals are essentially interchangeable, but choosing a color with the right undertones and color temperature can really make or break your design.
Greige is such an adaptable color that it can easily be utilized in any number of design styles. It is especially prevalent in modern farmhouse-style homes, as it strikes the right balance between cozy and contemporary. Make a monochromatic modern farmhouse living room feel more nuanced by including a greige accent wall.
Charcoal
Charcoal may sound like just another name for dark gray, and these two hues are very similar. Both charcoal and dark gray contain a mixture of black and white pigments, but charcoal also possesses slight hints of blue. These cool undertones give charcoal a sleek and suave quality.
With its masculine energy, a charcoal accent wall is fantastic in a modern minimalist bachelor bedroom. Look for midnight blue bedding to play up the blue tones in your feature wall, or soften the effects with pale silvery gray décor.
Brown
Brown is a homey and hospitable color that brings the feeling of nature indoors. If you’re creating a comfortable and cozy den, a brown accent wall can serve as a solid anchor for your space. People often think that neutral colors are limited to lighter shades like beige and taupe.
A deep, rich brown is an example of a neutral hue that plays well with others. Combine this hue with other earthy tones like forest green or rust to create a soft and snug vibe. For a more multifaceted twist on this concept, use reclaimed wooden planks to create a dimensional feature wall.
Lavender
A lavender accent wall walks on the tightrope between sweetness and sophistication, making it an amazing focal point in a teen girl’s bedroom. With its high level of lightness and low saturation, this pastel shade of purple feels whimsical yet mature all at once.
People are often tempted to use lavender alongside other pastel colors like petal pink or mint green, but overdoing these shades can make you feel like you’re sleeping in an Easter basket. Instead, pair lavender with light gray to create a chic and contemporary space that will still age well.
Blush Pink
Like lavender, blush pink is a delicate pastel hue that is evocative of spring flowers. As far as pinks go, blush is fairly understated. As a beautiful and chic pink color, blush has a more ephemeral and almost gauzy quality. Blush has always been a popular wedding color, but in recent years it has become increasingly adopted into home decor, where it is often treated as a neutral color.
Because pink is so inextricably linked with femininity, you can often find it in household spaces that are frequented by women. A blush pink accent wall looks phenomenal behind a vanity, and can even enhance the lighting in the space.
Cream
While many people think of cream as a variation on white, it would be more accurately described as a pastel yellow. A cream accent wall shares many of the reflective qualities of a white wall, but it has a soft, mellow quality that can be incredibly appealing.
When paired with gold, cream can help you create a stylish color scheme that will brighten a space while adding an upscale yet accessible feel. This color palette is fantastic for a Hollywood Regency-inspired parlor.
Emerald Green
Emerald is a bright shade of green that derives its moniker from the gemstone of the same name. Every shade of green is the result of blue and yellow pigments coming together, and because there are so many shades of blue and yellow there are also seemingly endless hues of green. Cadmium yellow and cerulean blue are the two specific shades that give emerald green its distinguishing, deluxe hue.
Emerald is a lavish hue that looks especially sumptuous when used alongside other jewel tones. Pair an emerald accent wall with luxurious textiles in shades like sapphire, teal, and ruby to create a maximalist bedroom that’s fit for a queen.
Gray-Blue
It’s not always easy to narrow down your color choices when decorating your home. Bolder colors like blue can feel risky, while neutral colors like gray may feel too safe. Finding the middle ground between these two colors allows you to get the best of both worlds.
There is a whole spectrum of shades that can be defined as gray-blue. One of the most classic versions of this in-between color is French blue, which is a smoky grayish blue blend. It gets its name from the color of the uniforms worn by French infantrymen in the 19th century, which were tinted by organic indigo dye. Use this color in your home office, as it is subdued enough to be a good background for video calls but colorful enough to make work less dreary.
Bronze
Metallic shades aren’t at the top of most people’s lists of potential accent wall colors, as their sheen can run the risk of overshadowing the space. However, a bronze accent wall can be a major flex for homeowners who want to show off their adventurous side. This metallic brown shade is named for the metal alloy bronze and tends to be a lot less flashy than other shiny shades like silver and gold.
A small powder room is the perfect place to experiment with unconventional wall finishes like metallic paint. Paint the walls dark brown, then brush a layer of bronze paint on top of your chosen feature wall. The slight reflective quality will give the space a glam, grown-up feel.
Peach
A peach accent wall is an enticing way to incorporate some color into your home in a way that won’t overtake the space. This delectable hue has a fresh and youthful energy that is positively mouthwatering. Falling somewhere among shades of orange, yellow, and pink, peach has an indefinable quality that helps it stand apart from other paint colors.
Peach is a staple of the boho color palette, where its cheerful demeanor is mellowed out by lush greenery, creamy neutrals, and natural wood tones. To play up the uniqueness of this highly customizable shade, consider painting your peach accent wall in an ombre style.
Brick
Adding a few coats of paint is probably the easiest way to highlight an accent wall, but it’s not the only method. Building materials like brick can be used to create a textured, dimensional feature wall with lots of character.
Brick accent walls are most often found in spaces like lofts that have been converted from factories into living spaces since they are considered to be one of the defining characteristics of industrial interior design.
Brick walls have become so popular that they are now sometimes included in new construction. Many people gravitate towards using brick accent walls in the kitchen, as this material is durable and hardy. Renters can also jump on the brick bandwagon by sourcing wallpaper printed to look like a distressed brick wall.
Bedroom Accent Wall Colors
The most popular bedroom accent wall colors are soothing, soft and balanced, offering a fresh and relaxing vibe. From an interior design perspective, there are many factors to take into consideration when painting an accent wall in the bedroom. Colors can have a strong effect on our mood and affect our quality of sleep.
When choosing a bedroom accent wall color, you’ll want to stick to soothing shades like blue and green while staying away from energizing colors like red and orange.
Picking the right location for your accent wall is also important, as the wrong placement can make a room feel off-balance. In a bedroom, the wall behind the headboard is the most obvious choice for an accent wall.
This creates a focal point by drawing the eye towards the bed. Because beds tend to be centered against a wall and framed by matching nightstands, an accent wall can further highlight a pleasingly symmetrical setup.
Living Room Accent Wall Colors
The best living room accent wall colors are ones that complement your design style, furniture and current vibe. While there are many options, the right paint color can draw attention to decorative elements or offer the perfect backdrop.
A living room accent wall can provide a practical purpose that goes beyond aesthetics. In an open floor plan home, an accent wall can serve as a visual transition between the living room and kitchen. If you need to create a work-from-home space but don’t have a spare bedroom to serve as an office, an accent wall can create a feeling of separation from a workspace or living space.
Living room walls sometimes contain architectural details that already lend themselves to being excellent accent walls. Applying a coat of paint to a living room wall with an alcove or interesting molding will make these features stand out even more.
Kitchen Accent Wall Colors
The right kitchen accent wall colors can help you create a functional, relaxing and alluring space that will make enhance the cooking and eating experience. Creating an accent wall in the kitchen can be exceptionally challenging, as pieces like cabinetry and large appliances take up a lot of wall space.
Like the living room, it is often best to let the architecture dictate the accent wall placement. If your kitchen has a vaulted ceiling, you may want to paint one of the pentagonal walls at either end of the room instead of the more traditional rectangular walls on the side.
If none of your walls seem like an immediately evident pick for an accent wall, remember that your ceiling can also serve as a fifth wall. On-trend and demanding attention, painted ceilings also draw the eye upward which can make a room feel bigger. Use a color from the backsplash or countertops to create continuity throughout the space.
Popular Accent Wall Colors
The most popular accent wall colors are light blue, dark green, black, sunny yellow, violet, blush pink, burnt orange, olive and neutrals like gray, beige, cream and taupe.