The term “Millennial Grey” pokes fun at the 2010s trend of styling interiors in the most “meh” colors possible. A browse through Redfin shows that when homes are staged for sale, they usually take on an inoffensive blandness. When the prop furniture leaves, a sea of white and beige remains. But this blank canvas presents an opportunity.
Painting accent walls is a simple home decorating project with lasting benefits. You can start with a small area, or paint multiple walls for a more ambitious project. But once painted, the wall will give a room personality until painted over again.
This is a very common DIY project and no specialized knowledge is needed. Hardware stores sell all the needed materials, and employees in the paint section can also give tips for choosing the right shade and sheen. It’s helpful to take measurements of the wall beforehand so employees can advise one how much paint is needed.
Note:
This is just one person’s DIY experience, and results will vary.
Painting Materials
Tape measure
Rag and bucket
Surface cleaner
Ladder
Frogger tape
Screwdriver
Drop cloth
Paint rollers
Paint brushes
Paint tray
Paint in the chosen color
Process
The Home Depot has a comprehensive guide to painting accent walls, but this is the basic method I used. First, wipe the wall with a soapy rag to remove smudges, and go over one more time with clean water. Let dry. Then tape the edges of the wall, baseboards, any windowsills, smoke detectors, etc so they are protected from paint splotches. Press the tape down firmly so it has a good seal, and make sure lines are straight. Remove outlet plates, to replace when paint is dry. Put down a dropcloth to catch drips. To avoid paint fumes, open a window, run a fan or wear a KN95 mask while working.
Stir the paint. First, use the brushes to create an outline around the wall and any taped-up areas. Next, pour paint into the tray and work with the rollers to paint the middle. Most walls have some texture, so roll up and down and side to side at different angles to get complete coverage. Step back and look for unpainted “speckles.” Go over those areas again. If you find more speckles later, you can go back over with a brush. The paint will dry cleanly.
Allow paint to dry for at least a day, then remove the tape. The tape should leave a clean line. If the line looks wobbly because the tape wasn’t properly placed, you can make corrections with a small detail brush. If there are paint splatters on surrounding walls, they need to be painted over. I was lucky enough to find some leftover white paint at my place from the last time the walls had been painted. Definitely keep any leftover paint from your project in case you need to make future revisions.
Painting accent walls can take anywhere from a couple hours to an entire day. But the painting itself goes surprisingly quickly once prep work is done. This is a project that can be easily completed in a weekend, including time to buy materials and let paint dry.
Choosing a Wall
An article from The Spruce advises choosing a wall that acts as a natural focal point for the room to make the accent wall. Obviously, you want people to notice and appreciate your work. Walls with a feature like a fireplace or window can also make good accent walls. On the other hand, Paper Moon Painting advises choosing a featureless rectangular wall, or at least a wall with symmetry, so people notice the color and not the odd shape the color takes.
A more practical matter to keep in mind is choosing a wall with concave edges. This is because there will be a line where the accent color stops, and it’s more difficult to mark a straight line on a convex surface. Also, for higher ceilings, a taller ladder is required.
Color
Accent walls can be any color—and even textures like wallpaper, brick, or wood. While there are general principles to keep in mind—such as that darker colors in a matte finish will suck the light from an enclosed space, and that bright colors should be paired with neutrals to avoid overwhelming a space—it’s more important to choose a color that reflects your personality. You aren’t staging this home to please the common denominator; you’re living here. Even if other people find your colors too loud or weird, too old-fashioned or too depressing, the point is they make you feel content.
In my case, I chose a eucalyptus green for the living area, because I like a natural vibe. For the office, I chose a seafoam green because that’s the darkest room and the color makes it more cheerful. The bright sky blue of the bedroom wall reminds me of my bird.
Wall complements
Once the paint is dry, wall art, furniture, cushions and plants in complementing colors can bring the room together. A lived-in space won’t be all matchy-matchy, but it’s good to think about what you already have and what affordable items can highlight the new color.
Accent wall alternatives
Renters have less freedom for personalizing their space, and may not be allowed to do any painting. But there are temporary ways to add a splash of color to walls. Places like Target and Walmart sell large wall stickers that can create a similar impression, and peel off easily.
Overall, painting accent walls is an accessible project, and definitely less costly than other home renovations. Yet I think the value is deeper than simply prettifying. When so much of what’s going on in the world feels out of our hands, investing in a small part of our environment that we can control is a surprisingly big boost to mental health. Whatever color that comes in.
