Accent Wallpaper Ideas

Wallpaper is one of the simplest and quickest ways to add style and elegance to your interiors. When carefully planned and executed, accent wallpaper is a powerful tool for expressing your personal design taste and infusing depth and creativity into your home.

Whether you’re working with a small powder room or a grand open-concept living space, accent wallpaper can be used strategically to elevate your décor. From delicate florals and abstract designs to sweeping landscapes and wall murals, this article highlights some of our favorite designer-inspired accent wallpaper ideas to help you transform your space.

What is Accent Wallpaper?

Accent wallpaper describes wallpaper that’s applied to a single wall or a particular section of a room, creating a focal point in the space. In contrast to the traditional approach to hanging wallpaper, which involves applying the same pattern to all four walls, a wallpaper accent wall is designed to stand out.

Whether your pattern involves eye-catching colors, rich textures, or bold patterns, the goal is to create a unique yet tasteful statement without overwhelming the room.

Accent wallpaper can work in virtually any space:

• Behind a bed in a bedroom
• On a fireplace wall in a living room
• In a hallway
• Behind a formal dining room table
• On a ceiling
• In alcoves or closets

A Brief History of Accent Walls

In traditional interior design, walls were almost always painted or wallpapered uniformly–with the notable exception of painted wall murals. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that designers began to experiment with feature walls.

The trend caught on quickly and hasn’t faded since. As open floor plans became increasingly popular, so did accent walls. Homeowners and designers looked for ways to define individual spaces within open-concept living areas. Today, accent wallpaper is as popular as ever, with peel and stick varieties, wall murals, and faux grasscloth taking center stage.

Why Choose Accent Wallpaper?

Here are some of the key reasons to consider creating an accent wall with wallpaper:

• Design intrigue: It can add color, texture, and pattern to an otherwise plain space.
• Cost-effectiveness: You need just a few rolls of wallpaper to make a big statement.
• Space definition: It helps define smaller zones in open-plan living areas.
• Creative expression: You can express your personal style with color and theme.
• Convenience: The application process is simpler with just a wall or two to cover.

Ways To Decorate With Accent Wallpaper

1. Create a Cozy Breakfast Nook

A cottage-inspired wallpaper can add a charming touch to a breakfast nook. This can also help add some separation between food preparation and eating spaces. 

A classic floral pattern like the floral bliss white wallpaper is an excellent choice if you’re looking to create a cozy vibe while you sip your morning coffee. 

2. Frame a Bed or Fireplace Wall

Accent wallpaper can act as a focal point, drawing the eye toward specific features. For example, you might choose calming retro wallpaper like the folding ribbon off white blue wall paper to frame your bed in a primary bedroom. Or, if you have a large fireplace in your living room, consider highlighting it with a dramatic pattern.

3. Create a Unique Kitchen Backsplash

When you think of a backsplash, you might think of simple ceramic tile or stone. But did you know you can actually use wallpaper as a stylish backsplash? This technique adds unexpected flair to your kitchen and gives you more ways to personalize the space. Just be sure to choose a durable, moisture-resistant material.

Consider the peony bouquet watercolor floral wallpaper to create a chic and delicate kitchen backsplash.

4. Highlight Architectural Features

If your home has unique features, consider using a wallpaper to highlight them. This is especially effective with an eclectic wallpaper design like the canopy sketch blue smoke floral wallpaper. 

Here are a few ways you can pair wallpaper with unique home features:

• Place wallpaper inside molding frames to create instant wall art.
• Install wallpaper on your ceiling to create a dreamy feel.
• Add wallpaper to your stair risers to create a luxurious vibe.
• Apply wallpaper to an alcove for a touch of intrigue.

5. Create a Themed Wall for a Kid’s Room

Nurseries and kid’s rooms give you the opportunity to play with fun prints and themes that you might not consider otherwise. From adorable animal prints to jungle-themed botanicals, you can put together a joyful, colorful bedroom or playroom for your little one.

The dog days sketchpad white wallpaper is the perfect choice if you want something that pairs well with white and neutral colors–or if your kid just loves puppies.

6. Make a Statement With A Wall Mural

Wall murals allow you to create grand, sweeping artworks that span the entire width and height of a wall in your space. 

These stunning masterpieces make a statement like no other. From soothing landscapes like the Kiawah Oaks mural in natural by Megan Molton to bold abstract and retro designs, you can choose a wallpaper wall mural for a feature wall that truly expresses your creativity.

7. Add Texture With Grasscloth Wallpaper

Grasscloth wallpaper is woven out of natural fibers like jute or hemp, and it brings elegant texture and depth into any space. 

Creating an accent wall with a genuine grasscloth wallpaper like the chiseled back grasscloth can instantly elevate your home, but the material usually requires professional installation. Faux grasscloth can be an easier-to-apply and more affordable option.

8. Mimic Natural Brick or Stone

A unique and increasingly popular way to incorporate feature walls is to use faux brick or stone wallpaper only on your exterior walls. This gives the appearance that you have natural exposed materials in your space.

A high-quality faux brick wallpaper like the bucktown alleyway brick wallpaper looks incredibly realistic and can add an industrial or organic feel to a plain room.

Create Unique Spaces With Mitchell Black Wallpaper

An accent wall is a powerful, yet simple design choice that can truly transform a room. One of the most impactful ways to add an accent wall to your home is to use a patterned wallpaper.

At Mitchell Black, our wallpapers aren’t just stylish, they instantly elevate your surroundings with artistic depth and allure. Check out our diverse wallpaper collection and turn your home into your own personal oasis.