A wood accent wall is a stylish and elegant design element that can instantly create a cool, charming and textured backdrop for any room. Wooden accent walls can be a simple way to elevate your living room, bedroom or kitchen by adding warmth and dimension with a unique twist. If you want to feature wood, these wall designs will help you choose the style, stain and lumber to use for the perfect vibe.
For a modern style, some homeowners will want custom wood paneling for a feature wall with patterns that looks sophisticated and ornate. To enhanced the rustic texture, you can choose a wall made with multiple wood tones for a dramatic touch that demands attention. While painting your drywall is the easy choice, building an accent wall with wood will take your space to the next level.
From modern to rustic, check out some of the most stunning wood accent wall ideas to inspire your design.
Wood Accent Wall Ideas
Moody Black Wall
While predominantly found in rustic-style homes, wood accent walls can feel modern and urban with the right color choices. In recent years, gray has become popular in interior design as a neutral color because it looks fresher and more contemporary than beige or taupe. The carbon gray stain on this wood accent wall helps this bedroom feel new and current.
Beautiful Dark Wood Paneling
Vertical wood accent walls are less common than horizontal ones, which gives them a unique and distinctive feel. This installation method works well in rooms with low ceilings, as the vertical planks draw the eyes upward and create the illusion of height. As a variation of more traditional wood walls, slat walls feature wide gaps in between the wood pieces to create texture. When creating a slat wall of your own, be sure to create contrast between the background color and the wood stain to make a more striking visual impact.
Chic Wall in Living Room
There’s a common misconception among interior design newcomers that the wood tones in a room should all be the same. The truth is, sticking to a singular wood tone can make a space feel flat or completely overwhelm the rest of the decor. Mixing multiple wood tones gives a space character and makes a home feel more inviting. In this eclectic modern living room, the warm honey tones in the wood floor introduce an element of warmth that is lacking in the weathered gray reclaimed wood accent wall.
Rustic Wood Wall in Bathroom
Adding wood paneling into your bathroom is a great way to make the space feel more organic and less sterile. This finish requires a little more care in installation and maintenance than porcelain or ceramic tiles. Untreated wood can absorb water which may cause it to warp or grow mold and mildew. Bathrooms are humid environments, so be sure to treat your wood accent wall with a waterproof sealant to protect it from moisture in the air.
Style You Can Stick To
If you’re not tremendously handy with tools, a DIY wood accent wall may seem too complicated for your skill set. However, some companies are now offering peel-and-stick wall panels faced with real reclaimed wood. These art panels adhere directly to painted or primed flat surfaces and are so secure that they’re considered to be a permanent feature. This natural, weathered wood wall is just one example of this surprisingly simple DIY project.
Bring Out The Best
This midcentury modern dining room is filled with gorgeous wood tones, from the floor to the furniture to the trim. Staining the wood accent wall in a similar tone would make the space look too uniform. As a striking focal point with a dark due, this black accent wall also contrasts with the warm wood tones and makes them pop out even more.
Rugged and Reclaimed
While you might assume that reclaimed wood is cheaper, it is actually more expensive than new lumber, on average. When you purchase reclaimed wood, you’re paying for the costs associated with sourcing it and preparing it to be safe for use. However, there are still plenty of reasons why people prefer using reclaimed wood. This eco-friendly option has already shown it is durable enough to hold up over time, and it brings a sense of character and history into your home. The multiple wood tones in this reclaimed wood accent wall help this bedroom stand out and feel unique.
Mellow Modern
Wood accent walls are frequently used to introduce a rough and rustic texture into your decor, but that’s far from the only finish you can choose. In this snug yet sophisticated den, a mini-room within the larger open floor plan is lined with smooth cedar panels laid out in a grid panel. The styling of these panels is modern and industrial, but the warm finish ensures that the space continues to feel welcoming.
Make Your Own Style
The problem with incorporating just one design trend into your decor is that your home can look a little cookie-cutter. Combining multiple styles in a single space enables you to personalize the design and make it individual to you. This serene bedroom combines the muted color palette and homey feel of modern farmhouse design with the geometric textiles of boho-style to create a one-of-a-kind retreat.
Use What You’ve Got
The best way to save money on reclaimed wood is to source it yourself. This sustainable new construction home utilized leftover building materials from the structure that had originally stood on the property. Both the accent wall and furniture in this living area were made from reclaimed wood, making the space friendly both to the budget and the environment.
Coastal Cool
While shiplap walls are a staple in farmhouse decor, their roots are actually nautical in nature. In the early days of seafaring, wood planks were lapped over one another with opposing rabbet joints to create a tight seal to weatherproof against wind and rain and strengthen the ship’s hull. Later, it became a staple in seaside homes and cottages as an exterior weatherproofing feature. Today, shiplap is primarily used in interior design as a decorative feature. In this formal living room, a shiplap wall and a navy blue and white color palette work together to create a chic, nautical-inspired space.
Statement Staircase
This home boasts a stunning stone staircase that dramatically wraps around midway through as it extends to the second story. Lining the stairwell with a wood accent wall highlights this feature even further. Multi-tonal wood planks extend from the first floor all the way up to the ceiling of the second floor, giving the space a better sense of flow. The transparent glass panel staircase railings are virtually unnoticeable, allowing the accent wall to shine.
Beautiful Blend
When working with multiple building materials, ideally they will have some kind of common element that ties them together. The floors in this dining room are tiled with travertine, a natural limestone known for its warm color tones and high level of variation. These characteristics are echoed in the reclaimed wood accent wall. The metal legs on the live edge wood furniture and the raw steel chandelier lend the room an industrial feel.
Custom Colors
One simple way to elevate a DIY accent wall is to stain it to match the different tones in your existing decor. This custom wall features an array of different stains. The warm, orangey tone that dominates the wall matches up well with the coppery base on the metal and slate Parsons coffee table while the deeper gray hues correspond with the charcoal sofa and graphite-tinted lamp. Blending these colors on a single wall makes the space feel more cohesive.
Less Is More
You don’t have to fully clad a wall in planks to build a wood accent wall. Using thin strips of wood trim to create geometric three-dimensional designs is a clever way to create a focal point. While you can commonly see this technique used to create a grid pattern, that design isn’t a good fit for this asymmetrical wall. Instead, the abstract layout makes the shape of the space feel more intentional.
Bring The Outdoors In
City living is vibrant and exciting, but it’s easy to feel disconnected from nature amidst the urban sprawl. Distressed wood floors and a reclaimed wood accent wall incorporate an element of nature into the house, making it feel less like the concrete jungle outside. The metal dreamed windows and patio doors allow plenty of light to filter in, introducing another natural feature into the space.
Float On
In this cozy yet stylish family room, a floating bench with cabinets underneath provides auxiliary seating as well as hidden storage space. Above it, floating shelves are the perfect place to store decorative treasures. The vertical wood planks on the wall are painted a matte black, which contrasts beautifully against the natural wood finish on these built-in features.
Modern Mash-Up
Several different styles of interior design make use of geometric shapes and patterns, including art deco, boho and modern. This bedroom pulls inspiration from multiple styles, resulting in a space with a modern boho flair. An octagonal ottoman with a metal base and a three-dimensional accent wall with an intricate geometric pattern both have a more modern feel. Meanwhile, the warm wood floors and faded patterned carpet have a distinct boho vibe.
Balanced Beauty
A mixture of textures and finishes gives this living room a one-of-a-kind feel. The slick, shiny marble fireplace facade exists directly in opposition to the rough grain of the weathered gray wood on the walls. This contrast results in a room that walks the line between elegant and attainable.
Blend Into The Background
Wood accent walls are a great way to add character to a room. If a space is already packed with stunning statement pieces, keep your wood wall understated and neutral for a stylish aesthetic. This living room is overflowing with interesting decor, including framed midcentury graphic art and a sleek buffet with a hammered metal front. The matte black accent wall allows these pieces to take center stage.
Visual Variation
Neutral nurseries are surprisingly controversial. Some parents think that they are soothing and serene, while others worry that children may be missing out on the stimulation that brighter colors bring. Installing thin, peel-and-stick wooden planks in a striped pattern with patches of blank walls in between is a clever way to introduce pattern and polarity into a space while staying true to a neutral aesthetic.
Well-Traveled Walls
This warm walnut slat wall exemplifies the Japandi design style, which is a hybrid of the minimalist Japanese aesthetic and functional Scandinavian decor. This kind of treatment adds surprising depth and detail to a space with otherwise pared-down furnishings. This living room is stripped back and uncluttered, but thanks to the wood slat wall it still feels layered and inviting.
Casual and Cultivated
Known for their simplicity and sophistication, trestle tables are perhaps the earliest form of dining table in America, if not the entire world. The popularity of these legless tables dates back far as the Middle Ages. Here, a beautifully crafted trestle table and matching bench are the centerpieces of this rustic yet regal dining room. The wood accent wall gives the space a relaxed, family-friendly feel, while the chandelier adds a touch of elevated elegance.
From Eyesore To Event
Families used to spend their evenings around the hearth in earlier eras, but today we’re much more likely to gather around the TV. Despite their prevalence in living rooms, many people consider televisions to be bulky and unsightly. While you can hide your TV away in a cabinet when it’s not in use, you may also want to consider setting it against a beautiful backdrop like this variegated wood accent wall.
Work It Out
With more people working from home than ever before, an attractive home office is a necessity for many families. In this home office space, a row of lower cabinets provides ample storage options for office supplies. The wide wood planks above the cabinetry are laid out in a herringbone pattern, adding a subtly stylish element to the room.
Into The Woods
Dark colors work exceptionally well in bedrooms, as they create a cozy and restful atmosphere and promote better sleep. This bedroom incorporates dark hues in the form of a rich wood accent wall with swirling grain. A large photograph of a misty thicket of trees adds to the moody forest-inspired vibes.
Warmth Through Wood
Decor items like a matte black metal ceiling fan and oversized modular couch are incredibly contemporary in style. In a room with all white walls, these furnishing choices could make the space feel sterile. The warm wood tones in the wood accent wall add character to the room and make it feel more accessible and approachable.
Farm Fresh
With a few thoughtful styling options, this contemporary kitchen gets a dollop of farmhouse flair. Pieces like a gooseneck metal wall sconce and apron front sink both have a classic farmhouse silhouette, which is further amplified by the rough-hewn wood walls. Floating wood shelves bring in another element of country charm.
Artistic Alcove
In this unusually-shaped bedroom, a recessed entryway creates a cut-off section that feels disjointed from the rest of the room. Installing a wood accent wall as a backdrop for a dresser and television makes this disconnected space seem more intentional. The wood pieces have been stained in varying shades of gray, which ties in well with the charcoal-hued industrial metal door.
Sophisticated Salvage
Architectural salvage stores are a great place to source unique materials with lots of history. This glam nursery is filled with intriguing items, including a linear lantern-style pendant light and vintage channel letters with exposed bulbs. Even the accent wall is crafted out of reclaimed wood.
Fired Up
Direct vent gas fireplaces feature sealed combustion chambers that allow them to vent directly through the wall or ceiling of your home with no fireplace required. While these are more convenient to install than a traditional fireplace, you may miss out on the focal point that a hearth inherently provides. This direct vent fireplace is installed into a wall wrapped in acacia wood, helping to make it more of a feature.
It’s A Wrap
Removing the doors from your upper cabinets can make a small kitchen feel more spacious. These navy blue doorless cabinets are backed with gray-washed wood planks, giving the space a more complete look. The same wood has been wrapped around the peninsula countertop, bringing a sense of continuity to the room.
Find New Angles
White and navy blue is a classic color combination, and it gets a new lease on life in this dreamy dining room. Strips of wood trim have been laid out on a feature wall in interlocking patterns giving the room a bespoke feel. The round wall mirror provides a curvy contrast against the sharp angles created by the trim.
(Not) Another Brick In The Wall
Brick walls are a staple in the industrial style of interior design. Here, short wood planks have been laid out in a brick-inspired pattern. Harder elements like metal coffee tables and steel-framed windows keep that industrial edge, but the wood accent wall brings a more organic feel to the room.
Handsome Home Decor
With its rich, dark stain and gleaming finish, the wood accent wall gives this bachelor bedroom a cultivated and cosmopolitan feel. The combination of recessed lighting, pendant lights, and wall sconces illuminate all the nuances in the wood and give it a warm glow even in the absence of a natural light source.
Expect The Unexpected
As this contemporary bedroom proves, a wood accent wall can work with any style of design. Wall panel molding has been used to create a feature wall behind the bed with a dimensional design element that helps elongate the space. The slim lines of the molding are echoed in the sleek chrome lines of decorative items like a floor lamp, bed end bench, and modern metallic stick chandelier.
Come Together
When two people with vastly different styles share a home, it can be difficult to find common ground. This dining room demonstrates one way you can bring disparate decor together. Furnishings in this room like a mahogany dining table and chairs, an iron chandelier with shades, and a bar cart with crystal glassware have a formal, traditional feel. Meanwhile, the reclaimed barn wood accent wall is more rustic and relaxed. The common element of wood serves as a throughline and makes the different styles feel connected.
Make It Work
Working with a neutral color palette allows you to meld styles of furniture and decor that wouldn’t typically go together. This living room features a hodgepodge of pieces, including a French country end table, contemporary angled sectional, midcentury modern arc floor lamp, and rustic wood accent wall. The neutral color scheme consisting of beige, taupe, and gray makes the space feel surprisingly harmonious.
Only Natural
Blonde wood floors with visible grain and a tan leather couch give this living room a natural and organic feel which is enhanced by the potted plants and natural fibers used throughout the space. The diamond pattern on the plush wool rug adds some visual texture to the room, as do the narrow unstained strips of wood that make up the Scandinavian-inspired slat wall.
Curves Ahead
Form and function collide in this contemporary curved wood accent wall. This one-of-a-kind custom wall incorporates the spirit of nature into the home, and its curved profile creates a sense of movement and flow. This wall also goes beyond being a simple artistic statement. Some curved wood pieces protrude farther than others, creating clever shelves for displaying decorative treasures.
Teal Wood Paneling
Narrow wooden planks installed in a board and batten-inspired style add new dimension to this relaxing bedroom retreat. Both the boards and the wall behind them have been painted a deep and dramatic teal hue for a vibe that is moody, yet soothing. Introducing a bold hue like this onto a single accent wall is a great way to explore more adventurous color choices.
Piece By Piece
Wood wall panels come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, In this contemporary living room, multiple types of wall panels have been pieced together like a puzzle to create a completely original accent wall that’s more like a modern art installation. The lines in the wall panels complement decorative items like the irregular linear Sputnik chandelier.
Think Outside The Box
This bedroom is full of confusing architectural elements, including a partial wall and a bulky box on the ceiling that disguises an older air conditioning ventilation system. Wrapping the partial wall with wood paneling was an ingenious way to turn these flaws into features. With the bed centered against it and floating nightstands mounted on either side, this wood accent wall serves as a stylish headboard. This symmetrical positioning also helps the box above the bed feel less out of place.
Classy Wood Paneling
In bedrooms, wood accent walls are often positioned behind the bed. With long, narrow windows framing a tall, upholstered headboard, this wall was not ideally suited for that kind of treatment. Instead, wood panels with a dark brown stain have been installed on the side walls around the bed. The matching ceiling panel that connects them creates a waterfall effect that makes the space special.
Bring The Drama
When it comes to boho interior design, you often picture bright, airy rooms accented with earthy hues. Adding a black accent wall to a boho room gives it a modern edge and helps the natural wood tones in the space pop out even more. This matte black accent wall gets some extra pizzazz from strips of trim installed in a geometric pattern, echoing the patterns on the textiles in the space.
Black Wood Wall in Bedroom
The rich black hue on the wood accent wall in this masculine midcentury modern bedroom was achieved in an unusual way. Each piece of wood was burned to achieve the charred black effect. Pieces like metal light sconces and a vintage leather loveseat carry this inky black shade throughout the space. If you’re not the type to play with fire, you can always achieve a similar effect with black paint.
Highlight Your Hand-Me-Downs
Putting together a nursery for a new baby can be a costly process. Purchasing items secondhand not only saves you money, but it can also inform your design process. In this room, a multifunctional wooden furniture piece serves as toy storage, a window seat, and a changing table. Those wood tones have been picked up in the reclaimed wood accent wall.
Catch The Drift
In small rooms without a lot of square footage, people don’t have a lot of room to express themselves through their decor. This is where creative finishes can come in handy. In this cozy and compact bedroom, peel-and-stick wall panels have been laid out in a chevron pattern to elevate the design. The wall-mounted driftwood piece mounted on the center line adds just a touch of whimsy without creating unnecessary clutter.
Entry Point
Foyers are often something of an afterthought in the interior design realm. These spaces don’t serve much of a function, but they do set the tone for guests as they enter your home. As such, they should reflect your style. In this entryway, beadboard wall paneling adds a little texture and instantly makes the space feel less stark. The large round mirror reflects the light from the front door, which helps the room feel bigger. The low-profile console table provides the perfect spot to display decorative objects and store car keys.
Slice of Life
Incorporating organic elements like wood into your decor can make a room feel airy and alive. In this serene, spa-like bedroom, wood is used in a multitude of ways. Doubling as a headboard, the wood accent wall is adorned with large art prints of wood slices. This design element is echoed in the cut wood stored under the console table. Even the cut and color of the ceramic floor tiles have a warm and woodsy feel.