Living Room Accent Wall Colors – What Not to Do
Living Room Accent Colors and Mistakes to Avoid
According to Statista, the global interior design market value is about $121 billion. With the U.S. market valued at approximately $40.7 Billion, it’s safe to assume that homeowners delight in making their homes beautiful. One unfailing way for many has always been through painting an accent wall. Accent walls, also called feature walls, are interior walls that stick out due to their distinct paint color.
If you plan to create a feature wall as part of your living room improvement project, it will help if you understood the don’ts of accent wall colors. Read on to learn what not to do when it comes to living room accent colors.
1. Avoid Selecting a Short Wall
The interior wall you decide to add color accents must always be the focal point of your living room. In this case, it is the wall where you’ve mounted your TV. We recommend against painting on a short wall.
Remember, your feature wall should act as a backdrop for the décor pieces you intend to spotlight in your living room. Additionally, accent walls should give the illusion of space. Therefore, by choosing the shortest wall in a room, you lose out on the design benefits an accent wall should provide. Instead, it would be best to paint the tallest wall or the one with an architectural feature.
2. Steer Away From Identical Wall Paint Colors
When selecting an accent wall, the idea is to compliment the other interior paint colors and not match them. Therefore, if your living room sofa is blue, we don’t expect you to paint the same color on your feature wall.
Experts recommend following the 60-30-10 rule in creating a color scheme for your living space. This color rule dictates that 60% be your room’s primary color, which will consist of your sofa, prominent accent items, and a majority of your living room walls.
The 30% refers to the secondary room color. Some common areas to include this color are your painted furniture and draperies. Finally, the 10% is for the accent color. If it’s your bedroom, you could implement this through lamps, candles, and pillows.
As for the living room accent colors, this could be your throw pillows and artwork. Also, you may want to go for a warm tone for the accent wall to contrast the neutral colors in the living room.
3. Avoid Bold Accent Wall Colors
Traditionally, accent walls were almost always associated with a bright red color. Thankfully, those days are behind us now. Bold colors can be overpowering and chaotic, especially if your artwork and furniture pieces are also colorful.
4. Dark Colors Are Not Recommended
While we recommend against bold colors, this does not mean that dark color is a suitable option for your feature wall. Remember, the goal of living room accent colors is to brighten up space.
Typically, this would mean going for turquoise, yellow and other lighter hues. There’s one exception to this rule. A dark color is only appropriate if your living room gets lots of natural light.
5. Don’t Forget Your Living Room Furnishings
Another common mistake to avoid is failing to take into account the existing décor in your living room. It is by far more affordable to find an accent color that compliments your décor rather than the other way round. That is unless you plan to purchase new furnishings.
If selecting an accent color seems challenging, it would be wise to seek advice from contractors with extensive experience in residential painting.
6. Stop Adding Accent Walls in Large Rooms
Feature walls are ideal for small spaces such as an office nook or a bathroom. Large rooms, especially if your home has an open floor plan, may turn your accent wall color into the primary color.
7. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Lighting
We always emphasize one thing to our clients during consultations; the relationship between wall paint colors and lighting. For natural light, dark colors will seem brighter. In comparison, artificial light may make accent wall colors appear darker. You should always factor in lighting before selecting your living room accent colors.
8. Don’t Be Scared to Try Patterns
One thing the team at Tampa Bay loves about painting is its versatility. Therefore, while it may be tempting to stick to popular color options, you shouldn’t be afraid to try something unique like stripes and Ombre patterns. Equally so, like the other painting tips mentioned above, remember to consider all design elements for a polished aesthetic.
9. Don’t Shy Away From Accent Wall Colors
If you are a homeowner that loves to keep things neutral, you’ll likely not see the need for an accent wall. However, you should still consider one. As discussed earlier, accent walls don’t mean bold colors. So, if this is your concern, you’ll be relieved to know that neutral color schemes are available.
Working With Professional Painters at Tampa Bay Painting Co.
Working with professional painters from Tampa Bay Painting guarantees an excellent paint job for your home! To ensure your living room accent colors turn out perfectly, contact our team today for a free consultation for interior painting in Tampa bay.
