Home Decor Help - Cincinnati,OH

Updated on June 20, 2011
H.S. asks from Kings Mills, OH
17 answers

Is it old school or tacky to paint 1 wall in a bedroom or any room, different than the 3 other walls of the room? Or to paint alternate walls? We have beautiful red and campaign colored bedding, and my husband wants us to paint one wall red to pull the color. Bad idea? I first reaction was NO.

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D.S.

answers from New York on

I have one red wall in my living room as well. Accent walls help things to really stand out. Not tacky at all. Good luck!!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Cincinnati on

My great room is like that. One wall is a deep dark red and the rest of the walls are a sort of darker tan color. We have had it that way for 7 years and I still like it!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Its perfectly fine.
That is called an "accent wall."

It is not 'tacky.'
This is done, all the time.

Just make sure it is the right color red.
To 'match' your bedding etc.
Or it will clash.
Not all reds, are the same color.

You can, take one of your pillows/bedding to a paint store, have them make a sample based off of that, and then choose the right red color. To match your existing, decor.

7 moms found this helpful
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S.F.

answers from Utica on

I love this idea. Its a nice way to incorporate a bold color without it overpowering the whole room. I say go for it. I will mention though that you should be aware of the sunlight in your room because whatever color you choose will look differently if there is always sunlight reflecting off it and you may end up not liking the 'color change' due to this
Good Luck

5 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Good idea. I still see this in magazines.

5 moms found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would do it! I can picture the wall that the bed is up against as red, and the other walls a more neutral tone, such as the champagne.

But I don't follow the trends always in these things. When everyone was painting shades of beige, I chose yellow. Then yellow tones became popular...

A friend of mine has one red wall in her livingroom, and I've always thought that it looks so bright, and it shows her artwork off so well.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.A.

answers from Charleston on

Still a current look. Go for it.

4 moms found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I think it's fine. Some colors are too bold or too dark for some people to do a whole room in them. A friend of mine just turned her son's room into her daughter's room and painted one of the four blue walls pink and then bought some pretty floral bedding with both colors in it. In her case, it wasn't about too bold or too bright, she was just too tired to do all of it and it worked out fine! :)

3 moms found this helpful

M.M.

answers from San Antonio on

Not tacky at all, if done right it can be very tasteful!

I say go for it! We did it in our master bedroom, living room & dining room. Actually, the painting contractor recommended it and suggested colors. Looks amazing if done correctly.

Make sure the red & the champagne color are withing the same "hue" - go to a painting store or the painting section of the hardware store, and get advice from a knowledgeable professional (not the minimum-wage, summer-time job kid!!) . Bring bedding samples as suggested earlier.

Have fun creating your bedroom retreat!! :)

2 moms found this helpful

H.G.

answers from Dallas on

If its wrong then my house looks like booboo! I love the accent wall thing. My sons into the chicago bulls and his bedding is grey,black and red and he painted his room red except the wall his bed is on, its black. It looks real nice. I say go for it! Just paint the accent wall a color you like or get a few bed sets you like that will match.

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J.K.

answers from Dallas on

That's exactly what we did in our bedroom. The main wall, the one the bed is against, is a dark brown...the rest of the room is a lighter beigeish brown.

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

red is beautiful on walls! If I could, I would do that too. If you have a red comforter and the wall that the bed will go against will be red, I think it would look very nice, even if it's just that 1 wall. If you paint all the walls red, I think it would be too dark and over powering.

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M.B.

answers from Springfield on

We did it this past fall. Three of the walls are a dark color and the wall behind the bed is a deep red color. I Love It! The red color is on the window and in other items throughout the room and I have to say it looks very "grown up" and even a little sexy when it is all made and de-cluttered!
I say go for it! Its only paint if you hate it you can paint over it.
Best Wishes!

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

My first reaction is oooo pretty!!!
But I am known for painting murals using the whole room.

Like the other posters have said take the bedding in and talk to a professional.

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W.M.

answers from Nashville on

I don't think it is a bad idea, I don't like it personally unless it is just a few shades darker or lighter. I do like it if it is a great backdrop wall. Don't make colors too different or too clashy. If you do red, make it a nice deep red and maybe a light gold'ish color. If you can afford it, there are decorators that specialize in paint colors. We just had a lady come to help with decor and paint colors. She was able to pick colors based on their undertones which I enver would have been able to do. Paints have pink undertones, gray, blue, etc and we would never see it but they clash when together if they don't come from the same family of color or undertone. Worst case, it is just paint and you change it.

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P.W.

answers from San Francisco on

It's usually better to paint all the walls in one room the same color. DEFINITELY DO NOT paint alternate walls. That will look odd.

Focal walls can work, but it depends on the layout of the room and other factors. Also, when you paint one wall a different color, you need to have other elements of that color within the room (for perfect decorating - you can do anything you want in your own home.)

Especially in a small bedroom, the room should be unified. I'm with you on this one -- one painted wall is "old school."

Also - it depends on the room. For my room, I would not do that. For a kids room, I would be more likely to. My son's room has one dark red wall, and it's not perfect, but I'm not about to change it. It IS an amazing red though, and you couldn't paint the whole room that red, or it would look tiny and claustrophobic.

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I saw an HGTV program once that said it was tacky to do that so I never did it. My recent decorator said that a burnt red accent wall would look good so I did it and I do really like it I have to say. Just make sure to have similiar colors on the opposite wall in either drapery, fabric on furniture or paintings to balance it out.

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