Easy DIY Accent Wall Projects You Can Do In A Weekend

Accent walls have been a design go-to for homeowners and designers alike for the past several decades. It's not hard to see why. Accent walls can make a small room feel larger, or create needed separation in a large space. They also allow you to add visual interest and drama to a room without going overboard. You can go for more daring patterns and brighter colors than usual, knowing they will be used in moderation.  

Selecting an accent wall is the crucial first step. Decide where you want people to look when they walk into the room and choose your accent wall accordingly. The best accent walls should be a blank canvas — free of too many windows, doors, and non-symmetrical angles you don't want to highlight. 

Accents change the look and feel of a room without a complete redesign, offering maximum impact for minimal effort. Try these quick and easy accent wall ideas you can implement in a weekend — even if your DIY know-how is seriously lacking. 

A boldly painted wall is the first thing most people think of when they hear "accent wall." Paint is one of the cheapest, easiest, and most dramatic ways to punch up a room. However, some designers caution that the "one very bright wall in a neutral room" accent wall is out of fashion. Your accent wall shouldn't clash with the rest of your room, but complement it with a richer, darker hue in the same color family as the other three walls. Or you can create a fun, multi-colored pattern with a few paint cans and some Amazon Basics blue painter's tape. 

You may love a fun wallpaper, but using it in a large room can feel too busy. That's why wallpaper is great for an accent wall; giving a room the perfect amount of pattern. If you don't have experience putting up wallpaper, don't worry! Wallpapering one wall without going around corners is much easier than an entire room. Still not convinced? Peel-and-stick wallpaper is having a moment. This temporary wallpaper is easy to put up, and even easier to remove in case you decide to redecorate.

Love a textured accent wall, but don't have the time, money, or skills to pull it off? Try these peel-and-stick real wood panels from Brosisincorp which mimic the look of shiplap. There are tons of other peel-and-stick options that quickly add texture to a room, such as grasscloth wallpaper and faux tiles. Pangda peel-and-stick wall molding gives you instant wainscoting for an oh-so-expensive feel. You can even create your own textured wall art using only spackling, paint, and a putty knife.

Hanging a large mirror will make a room seem bigger, while mirroring an entire wall will make it appear double in size. Use an IKEA mirror hack for a large statement mirror that covers either an entire wall or just a portion. IKEA mirrors come in a range of sizes. For smaller walls like the end of a hallway, use these 12x12-inch BLODLONN mirrors which come in four-packs for $12.99, or the 8x10-inch LONSAS mirrors for $3.99. These smaller mirrors come with double-sided tape for easy installation, but the larger mirrors need to be attached with proper fasteners.

You can hang a gallery wall in only an hour, but gathering all the artwork takes time. If you don't have enough art to cover your entire accent wall, try a smaller grouping of four to five pictures, then add to the wall as your collection grows. You may prefer matching art or frames in tidy rows or an eclectic mix of sizes and styles. Before you start nailing holes in the wall, lay your art on the floor. Place craft paper underneath your layout so you can mark where the nails should go, then transfer the paper to the wall.

Shelves are great for showing off your collections, artwork, favorite knickknacks, plants, or books all in one place (carefully curated of course). To create an accent wall, you can use bookshelves, Wopitues floating shelves, cubby shelves — whatever works best to fill the space. Try one long shelf that runs the length of your wall for a midcentury look,  or line up a few cheap bookcases and paint them the color of the wall to fake the look of built-ins. Place floating shelves over a boldly painted or wallpapered wall for two accent wall ideas in one!