Bedroom Accent Wall
Some people think you need a headboard. For some reason I have never loved them. I feel like it can make a room feel too full. This would be particularly true in our much smaller bedroom where we were already trying to make a king sized bed fit between two windows. You can really create the same look with layers of pillows and an accent wall.
Designing the accent wall
If the plan is to create the accent wall behind the bed, you should start with the colors of your bedding. We kept the same duvet from our last house but instead of pulling out the gray, this time I wanted to pull out the darker pewter brown that ran through the pattern. I bought two furry pillows and a throw blanket to inspire me. A color that dark on an entire wall might make the room feel too dark and would certainly not help with making it feel larger. Painting a section of the wall would make the most sense.
Creating Texture with the accent wall
Since we were replacing the headboard with the accent wall, I wanted to add some texture behind the bed. We did this with wainscoting. Wainscoting is a type of decorative paneling that usually covers half or 3/4 of a wall. We used pre-painted wood in this case and piece by piece it was nailed to the wall. Instead of using molding to finish it at the top, we simply used a wooden shelf that was stained to match the top of the dresser. Above the shelf is where I used the accent pewter brown paint.
How do you work around the windows on the accent wall?
We could have kept the accent wall within the confines of the windows, but I felt like the room would look larger if it covered the entire wall. So how would the shelf go through the windows? Here is where my favorite blinds from Lowe’s come in. They are light filtering and can go up OR down! So below the shelf the blinds can be pulled down for privacy, and above the shelf we leave them open to create transom windows.
Accessorizing the accent wall
Since our accent wall had a shelf, it needed accessories (my favorite part)! Without a headboard, I still wanted there be a focal point over the bed. I could achieve this by accessorizing the center of the shelf with different things that fit into the colors and style of the bedroom. Accessories are such a personal thing, so there are really no rules about what they have to be. You just want them to be balanced and remember less is more. One of my favorite accessories is the black and white print of Charlotte that I ordered from Etsy and framed myself. The good thing about the accessory shelf is that, unlike a headboard, you can change it out whenever you want.
