Accent Wall Colors You'll Regret Choosing (And Timeless Alternatives To Use Instead)

One of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to refresh a room (besides just rearranging your furniture) is with a fresh coat of paint. If you really want a quick fix, forget about repainting the whole room and just opt for an accent wall. But if this is your DIY path of choice, you may want to be wary of certain common accent wall colors that could leave you feeling more regretful than refreshed. 

While an accent wall can feel like a safe way to explore color, especially dark and moody tones or a splash of bold saturation, even a little bit of the wrong color can make your home feel tired, dated, and in need of an update — the last thing you want after spending your time and money fixing up your home. 

Although color choices will ultimately come down to personal preference, style, and the color scape that you already have in your furniture and accessories, there are some colors that are so tied to an era that it is hard to make them feel current. A perfect example are the peach and pastel shades that ruled the 1980s, but if any of these "outdated" colors happen to be some that you want to use, you usually can make any color feel modern, depending on how and where you use it. On the other hand, you could fully lean into the aesthetic with these '80's-themed room ideas.

One of the most common color choices is really more of a shade range that includes anything particularly dark (think black, charcoal, navy, and other deep colors). Though not inherently bad, these colors can be intended to make a room feel moody, but without the perfect conditions, it can end up being more dark and gloomy than "dark academia." On the other side of the spectrum are your warm, bold colors. Bright red, orange, and yellow are energizing, but when used in such abundance, they can easily overpower a room and make it feel busy and overstimulating. These are best used in smaller doses as pops of color, as they can make a room more interesting and create visual interest without going overboard. Depending on the space that you are in, you will also want to consider the energy you are after when selecting the right temperature for your room.

Previously in-demand colors are also an easy road to regret. All kinds of pinks were trending for a while, with everything from the more neutral Millennial Pink to bright Barbie Pinkbeing token colors of the last decade. But trends that spread like wildfire are also usually some of the first to die down, and they can make your home feel like a prematurely unearthed time capsule.

If you are going to add in an accent wall, one of the best ways to make it feel modern is to also keep it from being too obvious. Instead of stark contrast, many interior designers are leaning towards a more subtle color change and sticking with muted earth tones. Colors like olive, fig, taupe, and sky blue give off a serene and organic feel while still adding more life to your space than a strict neutral. Another way to make your accent wall feel fresh is by using different materials or painting techniques. Lime washes have become quite popular in the last couple of years as they give a rustic and romantic vibe, and since they are meant to have visible texture, you don't have to worry about having a perfect technique.

If you do want to try one of the more "dated" or risky colors, there is a way to get an accent wall-like result with a modern twist. Double-drenching is the fun aunt of color drenching and accent walls. Instead of just painting an entire wall with your accent color, this trend, instead, targets the moulding and other architectural details as well, which can bring attention to the more unique elements of your home and give a saturated feel in a modern way. Another option is to introduce your color of choice with a timeless wallpaper. This can help to make those more intense colors feel a bit more relaxed while carving out an eclectic space that feels uniquely yours.