DIY home decorating: 7 tips for painting an accent wall

Accent walls add a conversation-starting element to any space and can tie a room together. Here are seven simple tips that will make painting your own accent wall a snap.

High-impact accent walls aren't for the faint of heart. Afraid your colour is too intense? Try choosing a similar (but more muted) shade with a hint of grey, or going just a few shades darker in your colour family.

Afraid of commitment? No problem.

• If you're nervous about painting your first accent wall, it's best to start with a "swatch test" — narrow your choices down to three or four shades, then paint a medium-sized swatch on the future accent wall to test them out.
• After spending a few days with your colours, you'll know which one is right for the space.

Not sure which wall to emphasize?

• Think about your accent wall as if it were a large piece of art you were going to hang.
• Which is the focal wall of your space, where art would best be showcased?
• Would you hang it above your fireplace? On a large blank wall above the couch? Either would be a great place for an accent wall.

Alternately, you can choose to focus on a wall that doesn't get much love, using the opposite school of thought as in the tip above.

• Got a skinny wall that's mostly taken up by a door? Give it a little pop of contrast rather than dedicating a huge blank space to your accent colour.
• It's more subtle, and it makes a nice "moment" out of an otherwise under-appreciated space.

Pick your accent wall colour by thinking small. If a room is done in predominantly blue shades, painting a blue accent wall may drown out your favourite things about the space.

• Instead, pay attention to the colours of accent objects and scope out background shades in patterns.
• Is that a pewter-grey thread woven in among the blues? There's your accent colour.

To add a graphic element to your space and even make it look bigger in the process, here's a tip.

• Tape off a large proportionate rectangle rather than painting the entire wall. The extra white space will make an even more pronounced "pop" and give the illusion of depth.

Looking for a unique way to set your space apart?

• Try painting an accent ceiling instead.
• A deep, dramatic colour that would otherwise darken a room can be a perfect shade for the ceiling — especially for homes with intricate mouldings.