Spruce up any area with a unique accent wall

Lately, accent walls have become my design obsession.

I think we’ve all had a fling with an accent wall. You know, that wall in the dining room you painted Polo red because it seemed the boldest choice to bring some life into your ho-hum dining room.

In home décor, we often look for a quick fix to create drama, pizzazz and a focal point. While there’s some debate that accent walls may be dated, I think an accent wall can be an amazing artistic addition if done well.

From backsplash to shower

Accent walls in the kitchen or bathroom are probably the easiest to transform to update existing living spaces or when starting from scratch because the areas that you would be calling out are already somewhat defined.

Although you may still love your granite or quartz kitchen countertops, the backsplash may have become unimpressive. The backsplash can turn into the perfect accent wall, or series of walls, when you add decorative punch. Tiles with bold and exotic colors, interesting hand-painted tiles or uniquely shaped mosaics and patterns will help create a bold and beautiful, or quiet and serene, accent wall.

In the bathroom, the shower or tub-shower combination has quite a bit of tiled square footage. White tile is always a clean, fresh-looking material. But when tile starts to look drab and lifeless, consider making one shower wall a work of art.

We use slabs of granite and marble on horizontal surfaces all the time, so there’s no reason not to use these same slabs vertically in the shower. Some granite and marble slabs are absolutely stunning, hand-made by Mother Nature, with unique colors and designs.

Consider placing an entire slab on the back wall of the shower, free and clear of plumbing fixtures, shower niches or seating that would break up the design. Frame the slab using classic subway tile on the opposing walls; a slab has never been more revered.

Time to get creative

You can feature accent walls throughout a residence: the back wall of the powder room or master bathroom water closet, the main wall in the entry or the wall at the end of a bedroom hallway. Or opt for the wall behind the bed in the master or guest bedroom and even the walls inside built-in bookcases.

All of these spaces can be transformed into accent walls using materials like intricate stone or ceramic mosaics, wallpaper or fabric with unique colors and patterns, reclaimed wood, antiqued metal panels, staggered artwork and, yes, let’s go there: even a Polo red wall.

Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.

Jennifer Leischer

jenna@j-designs.com | Website

Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton, CA. Combining a public relations degree from California State University, Chico, with further studies in design and interior architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, Jennifer began her career as an interior designer in 1998, working for various firms in San Francisco and Orinda, and Denver, Colorado. She describes every designing moment, throughout her career, as a wonderful tutorial about the importance of relationships, open communication, and getting down to the basics of functional, yet stylish, living spaces.