We love a good “wow” moment in the living room—a stylish and impactful “something-something” that catches your eye when you first enter the most welcoming space of your home. Maybe it’s a statement-making piece of furniture, an arrangement of artwork that commands your attention, or a single wall clad in character-rich reclaimed wood or wallpaper. All of these ideas and more make for interesting living room accent wall design ideas—design focal points that will stop your guests in their tracks, all while making your home feel uniquely you.
One fun thing about accent walls is the options—so many options! Farmhouse living room accent wall ideas, like freshly painted shiplap, wainscoting, board-and-batten paneling, and beadboard, bring architectural interest to a living room. Looking for more rustic living room ideas? Try reclaimed wood as a way to add instant charm to new builds or renovations alike.
Perhaps the most popular —and easy!—way to enliven a single wall is with living room accent wall paint ideas. Pretty living room paint colors act as a backdrop for impressive, artful arrangements, like gallery wall ideas that incorporate collected artwork, family photos, and other meaningful mementos. These personality-driven design moments invite you to pause and linger. Below, discover some of our favorite one-of-a-kind DIY living room accent wall ideas like paint, wallpaper, and paneling right here!
Here are more ways to make your living room your favorite room in the house:
Vertical Wood Paneling Accent Wall
The soaring vertical paneling in this converted barn’s living room draws the eye up to the impressive wood beams overhead. Leather furniture, baskets, and stacks of firewood add warmth to the soaring space.
Grasscloth and Wainscoting Accent Wall
This might just be the most stylish TV wall we’ve ever seen! On a family room accent wall of beige grasscloth above painted shiplap wainscoting, designer James Farmer arranged a mix of vintage French baskets of varying shapes and framed hunting-themed art around the television.
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Wall of Windows Accent Wall
Talk about an accent wall! In this open-concept great room, floor-to-ceiling windows frame an ever-changing view of the lake for what we would argue is the ultimate accent wall. A cozy seating area near the windows makes for an ideal spot to soak up nature, while double sofas provide maximum comfort for a weekend crowd.
Angled Wood Paneling Accent Wall
For a subtle yet clever twist on wood paneling, install it on an angle. Here, warm white paint on the ceiling and walls provides a clean backdrop for the khaki sofa and colorful rug. Another of our favorite slightly modern living room accent wall ideas: Cover an accent wall in an ultra-cool throwback wallpaper.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Oyster White by Sherwin-Williams
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Black Paint Accent Wall
Matte gray-black paint is a sophisticated canvas for a casual gallery wall of framed and unframed family silhouettes, oil paintings, and a 1920s deer mount. We love this as one of our favorite black living room accent wall ideas—the artwork really pops! A handmade flag, which sports the red cross of St. Patrick, hung atop a corrugated metal piece, adds even more visual punch.
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Creative Wallpaper Accent Wall
We could not be more obsessed with this DIY living room accent wall idea! In place of standard wallpaper, take vintage book pages and decoupage them on your wall with wallpaper glue. The ones shown here are from vintage bird-watching manuals and maritime books, a nod to the home’s waterside location. “It took about a day to install,” says homeowner Ted Kennedy Watson. “We just love it!”
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Rock or Stone Accent Wall
This impressive accent wall of moss rock makes for the most amazing lodge-like vibes in this Minnesota living room. The stone is stacked tall to meet the timbered ceiling of white oak and elm. Below, the fireplace and cubbies are seamlessly built in, creating the coziest spot for listening to music or warming up in front of the fire.
Vintage Collections Accent Wall
Floor-to-ceiling painted shelves piled with prized collections, like ceramic vases, mercury glass compotes, plates, and more offer a revolving accent wall for collectors (raise your hand!). Pro tips for the most pleasing visual arrangement: Group like items in odd numbers and stagger heights and prop paintings and trays behind groupings as pretty backdrops, as shown here.
RELATED: Bookshelving Ideas to Style Your Collections
Art Gallery Accent Wall
One piece of art is great, but a whole wall of art… that’s an accent wall! Keep the subject matter consistent for a more cohesive look, like in this arrangement of boat scenes and seascapes in the Maine home of designer Loi Thai.
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Reclaimed Wood Accent Wall
A rustic reclaimed wood accent wall creates a quintessentially country focal point in this Texas living room. In fact, almost every building material in this house has lived a former life! Two sets of French doors and a pair of metal sconces create symmetry, with the columned fireplace mantel as the star of the show.
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Unique Collection Accent Wall
This living room accent wall is clad in vertical shiplap painted a striking deep blue. For eye-catching—and budget-friendly!—wall art, hang one large basket on the wall as an anchor, then surround it with several smaller round baskets for a starburst effect. This kind of wall decor works with other collectibles too, like framed silhouettes, botanicals, paint-by-numbers, or kids’ artwork.
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Vintage Furniture Accent Wall
A piece of furniture that covers the entire back wall of this Texas living room makes quite a statement. The substantial apothecary cabinet houses collected yellowware and provides storage for linens, crafting supplies, and more. Other vintage treasures include a chippy factory cart used as a moveable coffee table and general store signage that create focal points throughout.
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Fireplace Nook Accent Wall
In her tiny bungalow, homeowner Bambi Costanzo transformed a completely blank nook into a curated accent wall that includes an electric firebox, an antique mantel wrapping a brick surround, lower shelves to display treasures, and a hodge-podge collection of landscape paintings. The thoughtful arrangement gives the room instant hand-me-down history. For small living room accent wall ideas like this one, we say pack in the charm!
Large Art Accent Wall
Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to go. One oversize piece of art or architectural salvage, like this late 1800s weathered clock face, is all a wall needs to go from sleepy to statement.
Wall-to-Wall Art Accent Wall
For a one-of-a-kind accent wall, think outside the box and hang a collection of artwork wall to wall and ceiling to floor. It’s a fun look that can continue to evolve as you find new pieces to add to the arrangement.
Horizontal Wainscoting Accent Wall
This living room accent wall does double duty, with handsome forest green horizontal wainscoting on the lower half and a warm creamy white above that serves as a perfect backdrop for a unique arrangement of Adirondack-style and tramp art frames. For the record, we love a collage of collected mirrors—whatever the frames!—from flea markets or tag sales as a budget-friendly way to decorate an accent wall.
RELATED: Wainscoting Ideas to Add Character to Every Room in Your Home
Grasscloth-Covered Accent Wall
In this tailored living room, the wall behind the sofa is covered in a grasscloth wallcovering that from far away reads solid but reveals its texture and varied shades upon closer sight. A grid of framed art fills out the space between the apple-green velvet curtains.
Hat Collection Accent Wall
Turn unexpected items into “art” for an accent wall that is sure to spark conversation. Here, in an Massachusetts beach cottage, a row of straw hats adds fun shape and texture to a white wall. “I love using things that are three-dimensional,” designer Marynn Udvarhelyi says, noting how the hats pair well with the warm wood trim.
Wide Tongue-and-Groove Paneling Accent Wall
Ten-inch-wide poplar paneling on this cottage’s fireplace wall brings loads of character to the cozy living space. Painting the flat-front mantel, brick fireplace surround, and wall the same color is a smart small-space design trick. Another pro tip: Be sure to consider the “lines” the paneling creates when choosing a board width. Four- or six-inch paneling might have been too busy in this room.
RELATED: 50 Fireplace Ideas to Warm Up Your Home
Bookshelf Accent Wall
Let’s talk about bookshelf wealth. A floor-to-ceiling library (complete with a library ladder!) in a Manhattan apartment is every book-lover’s dream and sets the coziest scene for curling up by the stone-framed fireplace. A gallery wall of family art adds even more of a personal touch.
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