Painting an "accent wall"
PopCorn 208
How do you go about painting an "accent wall"? How do you handle the transition with the other walls? How drastic can the color change between the walls be and still look OK? I've seen this done on TV and it looks great, but in real life will I like it as well....??
catwoman708
You paint right up to the corners where the walls meet, from ceiling to floor. If there is baseboard or molding, keep that color the same throughout the room, only the wall itself will be painted. It can be any color you want, lighter or darker than the surrounding walls (usually it's darker or brighter, but not always). I'd just suggest you make sure there is enough contrast in color for it to to be noticeable. If your walls are off white and your accent is light beige, the difference might not be noticeable enough, and will just look like the paint doesn't match. If you're doing the painting yourself, I'd suggest a 2" sash brush (slanted tip) of good quality to "cut in" the corners/edges where the two colors meet. I usually do the lighter color first, let it dry, then do the darker color, trimming in around the edges with that slanted tip brush. Have a wet rag in your other hand to wipe up any "sloppage" onto the other color, to give you a nice clean, even line.
seagrass
I have an open floor plan where the kitchen and living room are separated by a small partition wall. I painted the living room a very light sage green which I love and my kitchen I painted a fresh peach color. The two colors contrast each other but complement nicely. I think that if your going to have an accent wall, it should really stand out and not "match" too much. In college I painted my living room bold yellow and painted an old brick chimney in the room a vivid fuschia. It turned out great with white furniture and accents. I'd say take the opportunity of an accent wall to really do something daring that you have always wanted to do. If you don't like it, just paint over it.
ju-ju
My home ahs an "open concept" on the first floor, so I have painted a majority of the spaces a sandy taupe color. I have a wall exclusive to the LR and a wall in the open stairway that I have painted chocolate brown. There is enough of a seperation to the kitchen to justify a different color, so I am in process of painting it a soft silvery beachy looking blue. All of these colors look great together, and are all still neutral and look good with my stuff. I would decide on a color for the main walls first, and then choose you accents, making sure that it will all flow together when finished. There should be a contrast between your colors that will make your work worth the effort.
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