HGTV Stars Share Their Do's And Don'ts For Designing An Accent Wall

Are accent walls still stylish? Or does that really just depend on how you style them? As always, the stars of HGTV have the answers. These are the key do's and don'ts you need to know when designing and installing an accent wall in your home. You might think you can only use paint for an accent wall, but this isn't true at all. In fact, there are heaps of options. The hosts cover how you can use materials like wallpaper, wood paneling, or even tile to add much-needed texture and depth to a space.

Plus, you might assume that if one wall is bold, then the other three need to be white. However, many TV designers actually encourage you to experiment with more color combinations. Finally, it does in fact matter which wall you select to stand out from the rest, as choosing one at random is a major faux pas. Below we unpack these and other impactful do's and don'ts, courtesy of your favorite HGTV hosts.

Having tiled walls in the bathroom can really elevate the space, but it also makes it more functional. Tile is quite easy to keep clean and isn't prone to water damage like drywall. However, if it's not in your budget to tile the entire bathroom, or you don't think you'd like the overall look, consider still covering one wall to elevate the space. It's the easiest way to make your bathroom feel more like a spa, at least according to one star of "Unsellable Houses."

In Season 4, Episode 4, Lyndsay Lamb does just this by creating a tile accent wall in the home's master bathroom, which takes it from basic to beautiful. "I love everything, but this wall, when you open the door, says 'come on in,'" the homeowner gushed on the HGTV clip. Lamb is proud of her work, explaining why she did what she did. "I wanted it to feel like it was a little elevated. So we did this whole wall of tile," she said, adding a little quip to cement the uniqueness of the idea. "It's not anything your neighbor's gonna have." Using tiles for an accent wall is a designer-grade idea, but it's more budget-friendly than tiling the whole space. So, if you love a unique tile that has a high price per square foot, limiting it to an accent wall may make it more in reach. Wondering if you can DIY this look to further reduce costs? While there are some mistakes you'll want to avoid while tiling, it's definitely a doable project for a handy homeowner. 

An accent wall can be a great addition to a room, but including it just because is a major "don't" — at least according to Emily Henderson. "Don't paint one wall an 'accent' color unless it architecturally warrants its own moment," she wrote on her blog. "This is a general design pet peeve — when a random wall is painted a bold color for seemingly no reason other than to be different." Yes, everyone loves a pop of color, but for it to be chic and not gauche, it needs to have a specific purpose for the room's design and not seem like an afterthought. "An accent wall must warrant the attention, it needs to be a focal point, not just randomly placed," she continued.

There are a couple of instances where HGTV's Emily Henderson does feel an accent wall is applicable: "My two favorite places for accent walls are behind a bed or in a niche," she wrote. In these two places, the wall has more purpose because the color is anchoring something physical. The wall with the bed is more or less the "main wall" in the bedroom, so having it stand out from the rest makes more sense stylistically. Next, niches are already set apart from the rest of the room anyway, so making them another color enhances their architectural interest. 

Accent walls don't have to be the only color in the space. There is a common misconception that these features must be a bold hue, while the other three walls should be plain white. But Jasmine Roth points out that this doesn't have to be true, and she proves that an accent wall is a stylish addition your child's nursery needs. "If the whole room was painted this dark seafoam green color I think it would be too much," Roth said while giving a tour of her own baby's nursery, per YouTube. "Just like if the whole room was painted pink, I think the pink wouldn't have as much of an impact because you wouldn't have anything to offset it. So together, I think they really play nicely."

To soften the monotony of the pale pink, Roth uses the green feature wall to introduce more variety to the room. What makes this tip a "do" however, is that both colors are similar in intensity and tone. While they do not match, they still complement each other. When recreating the look, introduce the secondary color in other ways, too — like in bedding, furniture, or wall art.

For a lot of folks, accent walls are created using color only. Yet for "Windy City Rehab's" Alison Victoria, this method is actually at the bottom of her list. "When I do accent walls in rooms, I don't do a paint color," she said in Season 2, Episode 5 of the show, per the New York Post. "I think it's so noncommittal. It's too boring." One wall being a different color from the rest is simply too predictable for her. It's all been done before and seems quite flat — a major "don't."

Instead, she recommends using texture to set the wall apart. "Let's bring texture in," she said. "Let's bring depth and color and contrast. And I think there's no better way to do that than with another material." Not being willing to branch out from color alone is actually a big mistake you may be making with your accent wall. Instead of just paint, consider using wood paneling like shiplap or beadboard to make the room seem more three-dimensional and inviting. Or, give the impression of paneling with peel-and-stick wallpaper. In the episode, Victoria goes for a wallpaper that simply has wood grain printed on it, giving the space a textured look without having to build anything out. Even if you aren't DIY-savvy, peel-and-stick options like this Grey Grasscloth Wallpaper, are a great way to achieve this look in your own home.

Accent walls are a great way to interrupt the eye as it scans a room. HGTV favorite Mike Holmes thinks that if one wall is a bit different than the rest, your eye might pause on it, leading your brain to think the space is bigger than it actually is because of the lack of monotony. "Accent walls break up the space, making it feel bigger like an area rug does to a floor," he shared on his blog, Make It Right. "Even darker colors that would otherwise cause a room to feel smaller will make a room feel more significant when you use them for an accent wall."

This trick is best used in smaller spaces like bathrooms. However, if you don't want to use paint to achieve the look, Holmes has a secondary suggestion, too. "Large patterned wallpaper is also a great idea that can create the illusion of a bigger space," he wrote. To maximize the impact of the accent wall, consider making it the one people will see right when they enter the space. In a bathroom, this is typically the wall behind the sinks and vanity.

You might avoid using too much black when decorating a space for fear of making things feel too closed off or intense. Designer Bobby Berk gets it, as his clients often feel the same way. "Everyone's always like, 'What do you mean black walls? It's going to make the space look smaller. It's going to make it look so dark,'" he told Glamour. "Actually, it has the opposite effect." Black is only a "do," of course, when using the color correctly, he says.

Berk points out that he never typically goes in and paints three walls black with something like a white accent wall. This would be too overwhelming. The only time he might do this, he says, is when designing a media room or maybe a home office, as a more enveloping feeling in these spaces is fine. Outside of these spaces, "a black accent wall here and there creates so much depth and dimension into a space, and it actually makes rooms feel larger if it's done right," he continued, Although if you're not necessarily into black, Berk thinks deeper hues of charcoal, navy, or even green will work, too. For the best results, you can't stop there, however. "You have to counterbalance that with light things," he said. "If you're going to do a black accent wall, make everything else white and do lighter-colored furniture."

For all the HGTV stars who love using wooden paneling to create a feature wall, there is another who thinks the trend is a major "don't." In Season 2, Episode 6 of "Tough Love with Hilary Farr," the famously sassy host is quick to make her opinion known on the topic. The clients have a mid-century home, which she loves in general — she just can't get behind certain features. "We are on the fence about whether to stay with this wood paneling or not, but for right now we're leaning into it," the homeowner said, during the initial walkthrough of the home, per HGTV. Farr made a face saying, "I think you might lean back out again."

The reason Farr thinks this old-school wall design should be left behind is simple: It doesn't mesh well with modern ways of living. "I do like the concept of mid-century homes but ... the way people lived in 1950 is so completely different and now there is discord ... it just doesn't work," she explained when revisiting the area later in the episode. Instead, she settled on no feature wall at all in the space, which to her, was a better choice than the dated wooden paneling. Of course, there is a less drastic way to refresh tired paneling: simply paint over it (here is everything you need to know to paint over wood paneling, in case you go this route). You can choose to make the painted paneling match the rest of your walls, or paint it a contrasting, bright, or moody color to keep it as an accent wall, but with a modern upgrade. 

This HGTV it-couple has a unique take on accent walls in general — and they hint that it's what keeps their love strong. "We both dislike accent walls, love vintage furniture, and agree that I should never attempt cooking," Berkus joked on Facebook, adding the cheeky hashtag "#KeyToASuccessfulMarriage" to the post. If following this advice, the classic painted accent wall wouldn't find a place in your home.

Yet Berkus and Brent have been known to enjoy something very similar in style, just called by another name. Instead of an accent wall, they have an affinity for feature walls and they've twice included one in their own home made of aged mirror squares. Thanks to the space-expanding illusion mirrors create, Brent and Berkus' feature wall of choice can make a small room look grand. "An antique mirrored wall is one of my favorite statements to incorporate in a home like we did in our previous NYC home's entryway and our current dining room," Berkus posted on Instagram. "Mirrors work with the light of a room, creating optical illusions and can make the room feel larger than it is." To recreate the look, consider using glass tiles or a sectioned mirror. The breaking up of the glass helps you avoid the 1980s jazzercise studio look, turning the space into something more chic and modern. You can get antique mirror tiles on Amazon Handmade, or buy something like these 12-inch Ruomeng Home Gym Mirrors and using some paint stripper, DIY a budget-friendly antiqued mirror look.

To make your accent wall a bit more interesting to look at, David Bromstad (a well-documented lover of color and all things bold) thinks more people should branch out into alternative materials, rather than paint alone. "Instead of painting that accent wall with paint, choose a unique wall covering made of textured fabric or natural materials such as wood, glass, or stone," he told Miami Herald. "There are so many options with wall coverings (formerly known as wallpaper), you will be amazed!"

Yet he doesn't want you to stop there, as having a bland accent wall is just as boring as a blank wall that matches the other three. Instead, his "do" is to lean into its uniqueness and add some extra flair. "If I was the one creating your accent wall, I would add some additional drama with a faux animal head. One of my faves are the white faux animal heads with the gold horns," he said. "Chic, sexy, and unexpected. There are no rules and no limits to adding unexpected elements, you just need to be creative and take a risk!" If any animal heads aren't your cup of tea, try some avant-garde wall art, a funky mirror, or even just your favorite family photo in a frame painted the same color as your wall for a color-drenched effect. 

Popularized by Joanna Gaines in the 2010s, some might say that shiplap has already had its moment. But for plenty of designers, the typically white-washed wood is still fair play, especially if your home is farmhouse chic. In Season 3, Episode 3 of "No Demo Reno," host Jenn Todryk tells viewers that she still just can't get enough. "With the shiplap being on the walls, it gives you freedom to not feel like you need to decorate the walls too much," she said, per HGTV. "You have a lot of interest in here."

In this episode, Todryk uses the material in a nursery. She encourages the parents to leave the walls more or less blank and let the shiplap do the heavy lifting of decor, a blessing in a space that's pretty visually cluttered anyway with lots of toys and books. Yet the same principle works elsewhere in the home, too. If you are going for more of a minimalist look, or are someone who gets stressed out when spaces look a bit cluttered, Todryk suggests letting the more subtle elements of the decor, like the shiplap, take over. If you're up for a DIY project, we have a guide on how to install shiplap on a wall. To speed up the process, you can buy prefinished planks, such as the Kimberley Primed Wood Nickel Gap Ship Lap Board. For an even faster project that's also potentially renter-friendly, you can also plump for a peel-and-stick option, such as these adhesive Brosisincorp Real Paulownia Wood Shiplap Boards.

You can combine color, texture, and patterns into one wall if you want to. The biggest "do" for accent walls from the stars of "Fixer to Fabulous" is to go all out because the bold results set a fun tone for the space. "We love an accent wall," the couple posted on Instagram. "To spice up the bedroom, Dave and Matt installed a wood accent wall with fun angles. With the kitchen being blue, we wanted to continue the color throughout the home. The wall adds a beautiful detail to a classic room."

In this space, the accent wall functions as a piece of artwork. In your own home, consider the same technique. You can take a bold hue from another part of the house and utilize your accent wall as a callback to it. Next, use wood or tile to add interesting texture to the space, but arrange the material in an unexpected, artistic way. Even something like herringbone or diagonally laid pieces are just interesting enough to add the extra touch of character.

Do you want to add a touch more texture and depth to a wall, but don't want the expense (or have the DIY capacity), to cover the area with built-ins or nail-on paneling? One of the Property Brothers has a favorite clever home design trick that's also an accessible solution. "It's so easy," Jonathan Scott told PopSugar. "There is a product now that's amazing — it's like a veneer with adhesive on the back. You just cut the boards, and stick them on your wall the way they are. It gives you that whole barnboard look. I love reclaimed wood and I love reclaimed rustic pieces."

This is a simple, beginner-friendly project because it's straightforward and relatively inexpensive. Even though Scott doesn't mention the product he's talking about by name, there are plenty of options on the market. For example, Timberchic's Peel-and-Stick Wood Planks come in a variety of colors and sizes to meet the style and dimensions of your space.