DIY Accent Walls We Love

Fab feature walls can totally make a room. HGTV Magazine shows you how.

From: HGTV Magazine

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Photo By: Savannah Kokaliares

Photo By: Mark Burstyn

Photo By: Kim Bui

Photo By: Angela Treat

3D Stripes

Everything is better in 3D — including this rainbow of stripes. “Even though this look could be replicated by painting stripes, doing it with trim makes it literally pop off the wall, which is way more fun,” says designer Savannah Kokaliares.

The DIY Details: Buy pieces of trim that are the height of your wall. Cut the same number of pieces of trim in varying lengths between 1 foot and 2-1/2 feet. Sort the trim into sets, each containing the same number of wall-height pieces and assorted-length pieces, then paint each set a different color. When they are dry, attach them to the wall with a brad nailer, leaving a 2-inch gap between each piece. Attach the smaller pieces of trim to the ceiling with the brad nailer, aligning them with the wall trim so they look like continuous stripes.

From: HGTV Magazine

Subtle Squares

Hop on board the trendy trim train! “Putting decorative molding on a wall adds architectural detail that’ll elevate any space,” says designer Erin Feasby.

The DIY Details: Start by drawing squares on your wall with a pencil and a level. Using a miter saw, cut two pieces of 1-inch-wide trim for each line you drew. Cut the corners at a 45-degree angle (or have the pieces cut at a home improvement store). Attach the trim to the wall with wood glue, butting each piece up against the other to create a 2-inch-wide piece. Secure the trim to the wall with a brad nailer, nailing into studs where possible. Fill nail holes with wood filler and caulk the edges, then sand the molding lightly. To finish, prime and paint the wall with a fine-finish roller; use an angled brush for the trim and molding details. (Or use a paint sprayer for the whole job.)

From: HGTV Magazine

A Plant Perch

“This was a boring lanai; now it serves a purpose as a place for my plants," says homeowner and blogger Kim Bui. Her pro tip: "I recommend building it with a buddy — it goes so much faster.”

The DIY Details: Buy three pieces of 1" x 2" trim that are the height of your wall. Place them against the wall vertically, then screw them in, securing them to studs where possible. Then, attach a 1" x 8" board (cut to the length that you’d like for the accent wall) horizontally to the vertical posts with wood screws, using a level to keep it straight. Attach 1" x 2" trim, cut to the same length, beneath the previous board with wood glue, leaving a 3/4-inch gap between each board and continuing until you reach the floor. Secure the boards to the posts with a brad nailer. To finish, fill in nail holes with wood filler and apply a water-based sealer in a matte finish to the wood.

From: HGTV Magazine

Patterned Panels

“This is one of the easier accent walls you can build," says homeowner and blogger Angela Treat. "It feels more creative than wallpapering the entire thing and costs less too!”

The DIY Details: With a pencil and a level, draw rectangles on your wall, leaving a few inches between each. Then, draw a smaller rectangle inside each one. Using a miter saw, cut 3/4-inch-wide trim for the sides of each rectangle; cut the corners at a 45-degree angle (or have them cut at a home improvement store). Paint the trim and the walls (but not the smaller rectangles). When the paint is dry, apply wallpaper inside each inner rectangle. Then, use a brad nailer to attach the trim around the wallpaper and the larger rectangle, securing the pieces to studs where possible. Fill in nail holes with wood filler, caulk the outer edges where the trim meets the wall and touch up the paint.

From: HGTV Magazine

Herringbone Wood

The snazzy pattern and varied tones of wood warm up this sitting room and add drama. “It feels like I’m chilling in a posh bar lounge,” says blogger Neeta Robu.

The DIY details: Neeta used 9-inch-by-48-inch 3D panels by LuxeWall; each one is made of small strips of wood laid in a herringbone pattern. Starting in the center of the wall, attach a panel with 16-gauge nails and use a level to keep it straight. Press the next panel against it (they interlock), nail it into place and continue on. When you need smaller pieces to finish covering the wall, cut panels to fit with a circular saw.

From: HGTV Magazine

A Shiplap Rainbow

When blogger Jessie Estes’s 4-year-old daughter asked for a room that was all rainbows, she happily obliged by painting white boards she had previously installed — with 17 colors!

The DIY details: Jessie bought sample pots from Sherwin-Williams (she used their ColorSnap Visualizer to get the combo right). She painted the boards one at a time with a 2-inch brush. “Using painter’s tape would have taken way too long,” she says. Her hack: She placed a 6-inch putty knife between them, and as she painted, she moved it along as a buffer to prevent paint from getting onto the next plank.

From: HGTV Magazine

A Scalloped Chalkboard

“I knew I wanted a chalkboard wall, and I’d always wanted to try scallop detailing,” says blogger Brittany Goodman. “Together, they’re really playful!” Bonus cute points: a chalk-drawn plant trailing out of a pot.

The DIY details: Using a laser level, draw a horizontal line across the wall with a pencil, then paint the area below it with a roller. Next, draw a half circle 7 -1/2 inches wide on cardstock, cut it out and use it to trace the border in pencil. Use an angled brush to fill in the scallops with paint.

From: HGTV Magazine

Metallic Wallpaper

A pattern with gold crosshatch circles by Hygge & West for CB2 couldn’t be more glam, and it helps a room that’s not a perfect box look seamless. “The large-scale pattern makes the space feel bigger too,” says designer Natalie Papier.

The DIY details: Natalie hired a pro, but if you hang your own wallpaper, have these key tools handy: a utility knife to cut straight lines and a plastic wallpaper spreader to smooth as you go.

From: HGTV Magazine

Floor-to-Ceiling Stencils

While some people might have chosen either a bold paint color or a bold stenciled pattern, this interior designer went for both in her sister’s dining room. “She gave me full rein to do whatever I wanted,” says Jennifer White. “It pushed her comfort zone, but she ended up loving it!”

The DIY details: Paint the wall (Jennifer chose Gold Seal by Valspar) and let it dry for 24 hours. Then, tack the stencil (from Royal Design Studio) onto the center of the wall with painter’s tape. Apply black chalk paint (Rich Black by FolkArt Home Decor) with a small foam roller and continue moving the stencil around to finish the wall.