Hi Annie, I know that you aren’t particularly fond of accent walls,* but my husband wants one in our family room! Our kitchen opens up into the family room. We have white cabinets and we are painting the walls in the kitchen Benjamin Moore’s New Providence Navy. In the family room, three out of the four walls will be painted with B. Moore’s Yorkshire Tan.
The problem is which wall to accent w/the navy color in the family room. I think it should be the wall w/the Palladian window, but my husband thinks that the fireplace wall should be accented…
BTW – disregard everything in the photos except the walls b/c we are doing the room over from top to bottom.
Thanks Annie for any suggestions you may have! – Ann Marie
Dear Ann Marie,
I’m so glad you’re bringing this up, because *I have gotten such a bad rap about “the accent wall.” I simply feel it is more susceptible to abuse than any other design device. Perhaps because it’s so easy to paint? Because it’s a relatively low-risk way of making the painter believe he or she is being creative?
I am not flat-out opposed to the accent wall. In fact, I recently suggested that a Gentle Reader in Canada use a dark purple accent wall in her dining area.
And in this apartment, I suggested blue accent walls in the guest bedrooms – white on the other walls. Very edgy.
I myself have been known to use accent walls, most recently in my very own office. (The accent wall – first orange, then gray – has since been painted over, but I enjoyed it at the time.)
Yes, Ann Marie: bossy color believes that there is a time and place for everything, even the accent wall.
Except in your living room.
It pains me to say this, because you already may have acted. But there are so many windows in your already open family room that a dark accent wall will chop things up further. Especially one that’s so dark. (1651 New Providence Navy is a beautiful color, by the way. I think it will look great in your kitchen.)
These are the acceptable situations in which to use an accent wall.
- To define an area within a larger space. The dining or living end of a larger, multi-use room, for example.
- Or if the room is enclosed and extremely boring. i.e., a bedroom with a doorway on one wall and a window on another. In this case, it’s ok to paint the UN-windowed UN-doored wall – the wall the head of the bed will be against – an accent color.
BUT, if:
- You love vivid colors but think that using it on all 4 walls would be too much, you must stop. This is not enough of a reason.
- You want a splash of color but don’t know how else to do it, your also must stop. The accent wall should not be a default decision. There are lots of other ways to incorporate color. A bright rug. A series of smaller accents in the same color: pillows, throw, lamp. Highly effective, less of a commitment.
- You are at a loss as to how to bring interest to a space, stop and contact bossy color immediately.
Again, Ann Marie, I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t give you better news. It’s not always easy being bossy color, but I take the responsibility very, very seriously.