My name is John Shearer and I have been utilizing paint colors since 1990. I am a Seattle Painter specializing in residential painting. It doesn’t take a pricey interior designer to give a common-looking room a little more drama. As the French say, vive la difference: If a particular wall inside a room is painted a bold, rich color while the others remain light and neutral, the space will have the latest feel to it. That deeply hued, statement-making wall is oftentimes referred to as a highlight wall. In many instances changing one particular wall provides more punch than repainting all four; as an added bonus, an accent wall requires only a quarter of the work (and paint).
With nothing but paint, a roller, a tray, and painter’s tape, you can finish a moderately sized accent wall in 2 hours. If you do not have the time to do it yourself hire a professional to do the house painting for you. It’s fairly simple to repaint one wall, making a project like this perfect for renters. Many people seem to be choosing as an accent color nowadays, but don’t simply jump on the bandwagon. It has to fit your space; if it doesn’t, your accented room will probably be a design dinosaur soon enough. Avocado green was the “in” color years back, but it surely won’t secure you any style points today.
Some accent walls usually are meant to radiate a particular kind of energy. A bright orange wall could imbue a room with sunny vibes, while a pink wall might cast a peaceful, calming spell. Like a vertical rug, a highlight wall can deftly spotlight a specific part of a room, such as a reading corner or dining space. When the room under consideration is oblong, the farthest short wall in the door is the best to accent. Once painted, that wall can look closer, thus visually adjusting the room’s shape.
It is possible to achieve a striking contrast between your accent and primary walls even if their colors are associated. If the room has light green primaries, a green that’s two or three shades deeper might create a splendid accent color. Another neat trick: Painting the ceiling, that frequently overlooked “fifth wall,” a lighter shade of the accent color makes it seem higher. In contrast, making the upper ceiling of the dining room a dark shade like, say, Pompeiian red gives the space a snug, enclosed feeling.
A further option is basing the accent wall’s hue about the room’s current furnishings, like pillows or drapes. However, don’t choose a color that’s overly represented, like that of the upholstery. Too much of a good thing floods the attention rather than simply delighting it.
Almost any color can do well when used as an accent; it all depends on the rest of the room. Chinese red behind an Asian-influenced stairwell is a great move; dove-gray walls along with a dark blue accent wall creates a cool, sexy environment. An accent wall in Bordeau brown, which contains some purple, is a fitting reaction to primary walls colored like powder sand. White primaries provide you with carte blanche, so to speak. Muted green, inside a shade that evokes Japanese tea, is a nice way to go, but there are numerous others. Keep these guidelines in mind when you get started on your next project.
Seattle Painters