The 15 Best Budget-Friendly Accent Wall Ideas

Although many accent walls involve painting; there are countless other possibilities. Even if you don’t have the patience or skill for a very involved DIY project, quick and easy options exist. Take a look at these fifteen budget-friendly ideas for inspiration!

The Best Wood Accent Wall Ideas

Whether using plywood, weathered wood planks, or bundles of lath; these wood accent wall ideas are sure to inspire you.

1. Picture Ledge Dining Room Accent Wall

See how a plywood panel and 1x4 boards totally transform a plain white wall by creating a wainscot-look wood accent wall with a picture ledge. The ledge adds architectural interest in what was a plain space and allows for the display of colorful accents and artwork in a more stylish way than flat on the wall. Artwork and an ornate gold frame finish the ledge with elegance.

See post: Leslie H | Wainscot Wall with a Picture Ledge

2. Wood Accent Wall Above Fireplace

Weathered wood boards above the fireplace fill what would otherwise be an empty white space with so much visual interest and show how a wood accent wall project—no matter the size—can have a huge design impact. Many homeowners search for creative ways to cover the awkward opening above their fireplace and this accent wall idea works perfectly! The area behind the television includes hinged boards for access to the mounting equipment.

See post: TaKenya Hampton|DIY Wood Planked Accent Wall

3. Lath Wood Accent Wall in Stairway

Stained lath gives a wood accent wall in this stairway a colorful and unique look. This 5.5 x 7.5-foot wall took just two bundles to cover and packs a design punch with the wonderful depth of color provided by the stains used. When guests enter the home, this wall is the first thing they see and proves how an accent wall can totally transform absolutely any space in a home.

See post: Michelle|Lath Accent Wall

The Best Bedroom Accent Wall Ideas

Don’t underestimate the dramatic impact that a single accent wall can have in bedrooms where people often hesitate to spend too much of their design budget.

4. Buffalo Check Painted Accent Wall

This amazing buffalo check kids’ bedroom project could work just as well in any room in the house depending on the colors chosen. The buffalo check pattern was created after painting the wall a base color, measuring out squares, and taping off then painting a lined pattern in two other colors. A bold navy, neutral khaki, and creamy white combine so well together in this classic pattern.

See post: Tracey bellion| How to Paint a Buffalo Check Accent Wall

5. Ice Cream Cone Nursery Accent Wall

This darling bedroom works perfectly in a nursery as sweet as the ice cream cones on the wall. In an otherwise all-white room; a bedroom accent wall painted a pale pink and covered with vinyl ice cream cone decals, creates a lovely and whimsical focal point behind a baby’s crib. This is such a simple and affordable way to add charm and transform a room by decorating a single accent wall.

See post: The Sweetest Digs|How to Create An Accent Wall in a Nursery

6. Vinyl Polka Dot Bedroom Accent Wall

Vinyl decals don’t have to be limited to kids’ rooms. Take a look at how these simple and timeless white polka dots add style and pizzaz to the master bedroom accent wall. This look achieves the same result of a wallpaper accent wall with much less effort. The decals are such an inexpensive update to the entire room but required only enough effort to decorate a single wall!

See post: Jessica VanderVeen | How to Make a Polka Dot Accent Wall

The Best Living Room Accent Wall Ideas

These living room accent wall ideas will inspire you to remodel just one wall to change an entire room!

7. Harlequin Accent Wall

Even the most tastefully decorated living room can feel boring to a homeowner. A living room accent wall is the perfect solution! Without overwhelming the entire room, this harlequin pattern produces just the right amount of design appeal to make the room more interesting. This easy to achieve—and easy on the budget—accent wall look requires only measuring, taping, and paint!

See post: Amy Rohde | Harlequin Accent Living Room Wall

8. Board and Batten Living Room Accent Wall

When a homeowner grew tired of a red wall, she used plywood and MDF boards to create a gorgeous board and batten living room accent wall that completely transformed the dark area in the room. The only regret created by the light, bright, classic looking white paint and trim is that she didn’t take on the project sooner!

See post: Lovedecor | Updating a Wall with Board and Batten

9. Quartz Accent Wall

This stunning living room accent wall provides a floor to ceiling focal area behind a wood stove for homeowners looking for options using stone. After attaching tile underlayment to the wall, quartz ledger was used to tile the area behind the stove and was finished with a border made from roof flashing. This stone focal point covers only a small portion of a single wall but creates an enormous impact on the design of the entire room!

See post: Dessya Palit | DIY Wood Stove Quartz Ledger Accent Wall

The Best Shiplap Accent Wall Ideas

Shiplap may be a trend seen everywhere, but these shiplap ideas are anything but ordinary!

10. DIY Budget-Friendly Shiplap Wall

This tutorial shows how easy and inexpensive a DIY shiplap project can be! A guest bedroom with blue walls became an entirely different space with the clean white look of the plywood board shiplap. An accent wall in a guest room is all that is necessary to bring warmth, style, and charm without clutter.

See post: Hoosier Homemade | Shiplap Wall for Under $40

11. Whitewashed Shiplap Look

Shiplap will totally transform even the most boring living room wall. This beautiful wall required only 3 sheets of veneer plywood to complete and was thin enough to skip the gluing! A paint washing technique adds soft dimension to this gorgeous accent wall that may have been too bright for the room if painted a more glossy white.

See post: Feathering My Nest - Lacey Haskell | Shiplap Wall

12. Underlayment as Shiplap Accent Wall

When the cost of materials to create a shiplap is outside of your budget, consider cutting costs by using unexpected materials! This homeowner created a lovely shiplap accent wall in her dining room for under $60 using sheets of flooring underlayment cut into 6-foot boards. After nailing the planks to the wall, it was painted a snowy white and finished off with charming frames and a cursive gather sign. Tip: prime the boards before hanging!

See post: Susanna | Livin’ The Life Of Riley | Gorgeous Shiplap at a Fraction of the Price

The Best Accent Wall Colors

Take a look at these accent wall colors that demonstrate the power of paint when it comes to decorating only a small area to transform an entire room on a budget!

13. Navy Blue Accent Wall

Although navy blue might be bold and unexpected, this dining room shows what a fabulous color it makes! The contrast provided by the bold blue paint color and bright white molding makes the dining room space seem larger and completely transforms an all-white room by changing only one wall. The navy blue accent wall color not only works well with bright white paint, but it also complements the rich wood furniture perfectly.

See post: Christine at First Home Love Life | Going Bold! Navy Blue Dining Room Accent Wall

14. Gray and Taupe Painted Argyle Accent Wall

Gray and taupe paint provide a calming color palette for this lovely nursery. The classic argyle pattern creates a striking focal point for the room even in paint colors that are anything but loud. Even though the project required a considerable amount of time spent measuring, drawing, and taping before painting, the phenomenal result shows how accent wall color can mean so much more than just paint!

See post: Sara @ sincerely, sara d. | Painted Argyle Wall

15. Dark Gray Wood Squares Accent Wall

This dark gray accent wall color nearly steals the spotlight from the amazing wood board and batten-style squares used to create it! The gray paint adds so much rich dimension; highlighted by the large floor to ceiling square pattern. Even the awkward placement of a window that previously bothered the homeowner, seems less obtrusive in this lovely accent wall design.

See post: Sawdust & Whiskey | Simple Square Accent Wall

When an entire room remodel is not quite within the budget—or too great a design commitment—opt for an accent wall project to add style without overwhelming a room or adding thousands of dollars to the cost. Whether using a pattern, shiplap, faux bricks, stone, or decals; these inspiring ideas show how an accent wall can be so much more than just paint!

Get inspired by more accent wall ideas or share your own creations with others on Hometalk!

Written for the Hometalk community by: Kate Griffin | Eating in the Shower Blog