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How to Easily Add a Bright and Bold Accent Wall in Any Room

Learn how to easily add a BRIGHT and BOLD accent wall to any space! It’s such an easy project that only takes a day!

Bright and Bold Accent Wall!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of FrogTape®. All opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support WTSHB!

 

How to Easily Add a Bright and Bold Accent Wall in Any Room

One of the things I was most looking forward to after learning I was pregnant (besides of course meeting my little one) was fixing up the nursery!

I scoured Pinterest like a maniac and added pin after pin to my ‘For the Future Babies’ board, and after we found out we were having a boy, I couldn’t wait to start polishing a room that was modern, hip, and filled with bright colors.

Since I was still working full-time and dealing with all the other craziness that comes with first-time mommyhood, we created a nursery that was pretty cute…but not all the way cute like I had envisioned.

Well, that all changed recently when I finally added the WOW factor that my son’s room had been missing…a BRIGHT and BOLD accent wall!

 

Accent Wall Supplies

Here’s what I used to add this bright and bold accent wall in my son’s nursery:

 

 

The Before Wall

So here’s how Rowan’s room looked when standing in his doorway before this little project (you can check this out for all the details on his entire room).

Like I mentioned, it’s not bad, but that BIG wall with the window was just dying to be jazzed up.

Plus, all that gray with only one window keeps the room looking rather dark. Boo to that.

Before picture of boy's nursery without an accent wall.

Please pardon the lopsided curtain tiebacks. Rowan here likes to always yank on the right one, and I’ve gotten tired of always retying it, so lopsided they remain…and it could also be that I completely forgot to fix them before snapping all these pictures!

 

My Accent Wall Mockup

I knew I wanted to transform it into an accent wall of some sort, but I had a hard time deciding just what I wanted to do.

I thought about horizontal stripes, but all that math and precise measuring didn’t thrill me (I wanted this project to not only look cute, but also be relatively quick and easy).

Next were ideas in vinyl that I could cut out with my Silhouette Cameo.

Maybe polka dots, or dinosaurs, or his name in giant letters?

But those would still leave the majority of the wall that same shade of gray, and I was looking for some real color here.

Then it hit me….RANDOM COLORED SHAPES.

It would be super fun for a little boy’s room, and we’d just have to throw some tape up there without any measuring then fill in the newly-created shapes with some paint. Perfect!

Since I’m a visual person, I created a (very rough) mockup of the accent wall I had envisioned in Photoshop Elements.

You can check out this post on why making mockups before painting accent walls is the way to go!

How Photoshop Can Help You Design & Paint an Accent Wall.

 

This also made it easy for my husband to understand what I was talking about.

I guess my explanation of “We’re just going to put up random, haphazard lines with the tape then paint each shape a different color” wasn’t quite clear enough.  *I* thought it made total sense though.

Mockup of accent wall with blue, green, and orange shapes separated by gray lines.

This picture was taken before Rowan was even born…which is why it’s so nice and tidy…and why the curtain tiebacks are even!

 

Purchasing the Paint

We then headed on over to our local Home Depot to purchase our paints.

I was pretty proud of myself for remembering to bring along one of the guard rail covers off Rowan’s crib so we could coordinate the colors. {*pats self on back*}

Blue, green, and orange paint chips matching a crib rail guard.

 

Applying the FrogTape Lines

I was generously provided with some rolls of FrogTape® brand painter’s tape (thanks guys!). They included two of their top-of-the-line painter’s tapes:

FrogTape® Multi-Surface is a medium adhesion painter’s tape that will remove cleanly from most surfaces for up to 21 days (seven days in direct sunlight) and is designed for use on:

  • Cured Painted Walls
  • Wood Trim
  • Glass
  • Metal

FrogTape® Delicate Surface is a low adhesion painter’s tape that will remove cleanly from most surfaces for up to 60 days and is designed for use on:

  • Freshly painted surfaces (24 hours old)
  • Faux Finishes
  • Primed Wallboard
  • Wallpaper

Frog Tape painter's tape rolls.

 

Since these walls were painted their current light gray a couple years ago in preparation for Rowan’s arrival, I used the (green) FrogTape Multi-Surface since it’s specifically for use on cured walls.

And apparently the FrogTape containers make for hilarious toys, too! :)

Happy toddler boy smiling at the camera while playing with Frog Tape rolls.

 

Once all the pictures were removed from the wall and the window was cleared of the blinds and curtains, it was time to apply the FrogTape!

I started applying the tape along the baseboards (my husband is terrified of messes, so even though we’d be using a drop cloth on the floor, he also insisted that I place a row of tape along the carpet’s edge as well *sigh…men*).

As I worked my way around the wall’s edges, The Hubs removed all the outlet covers.

Applying the painter's tape to baseboards.

 

It was then time to slap the lines on the wall!

This was a two-person job, especially for the long strips of tape that went from edge to edge.

Since I’m short, my husband did most of this task, but I helped to keep the tape taut and also instructed him where the lines should be by continually referring to my mockup.

It was a definite time-saver having the mockup tell us where to put the tape instead of trying to do it on the fly.

A short time and about 2/3 of a roll later, the wall was taped and just waiting to be colorfied!

Accent wall with painter's tape lines applied.

 

Time to Get My Paint On!

I then prepped my painting supplies.

And isn’t it cute how the disposable bowls I used also matched the paint colors??

Ahhhh, it’s the little things in life, I tell ya.

Oh, even though the can of blue paint is open in this pic….

Paint supplies sitting on a drop cloth.

 

…I actually painted all the green areas first!

I decided to switch last minute because that’s what I do.

This color along with the other two required two coats to get nice, even coverage.

Accent wall with green paint added to random shapes.

 

Then I painted all the blue areas.

The Hubs also came upstairs to check on my progress (he and Rowan stayed downstairs and out of Mommy’s way during Operation Accent Wall), so I could finally get an action shot of me painting.

And please disregard my #crazypineapplehair…that seems to be my go-to style when undertaking a painting project.

Blond young woman painting blue paint on an accent wall.

 

BOOM!  It’s coming together nicely, huh?

Accent wall with green and blue paints added to random shapes.

 

Last but not least was of course the orange paint.

Accent wall with blue, green, and orange paint added to random shapes, before removing the painter's tape to reveal gray lines.

 

Removing the FrogTape

All of the painting was easily completed in one day.

It could have even been a half-day project if I didn’t have to interrupt my work for a grumpy toddler’s nap time followed by a tornado warning after dinner…gotta love springtime in Alabama.

So, the next morning, we went upstairs and started removing the FrogTape…and I held my breath as I pulled back that first strip.

This was my first time using FrogTape on a wall project (their Chevron Shape Tape worked great on my dual-sided Valentine’s Day door hanger though!), so I was a little unsure of what to expect.

But my anxiety proved pointless because the lines were SHARP. And CRISP. And CLEAN.

Yep, that PaintBlock® Technology is nothing short of amazing! “Keeps Paint Out. Keeps Lines Sharp” is the TRUTH.

Young blond woman peeling away painter's tape to reveal gray lines.

 

Seriously, I was very anxious to see just how well the lines would turn out, especially since we didn’t do a coat of gray over the tape, which is what is usually done to help prevent paint bleeding.

But that would have ended up being a huge waste of time, because the FrogTape didn’t need a safety net.

Another awesome finding: the FrogTape never tore while I was removing it!

Yep, I pulled each line off as a single piece (some even at the same time if they intersected), so this process took no time at all.

Hooray for no scraping tiny little tape pieces off!

Painter's tape being peeled away from the wall.

 

More tape was removed, and more crisp lines were revealed.

This was looking like the makings of a very successful project…I just love those.

Painter's tape being peeled away from an accent wall to reveal gray lines between bold colored shapes.

 

The Completed Bright & Bold Accent Wall!

This bright and bold accent wall was a success!!

I just LOVE how it turned out!

It really brightens up the whole room and gives the space such a playful, cheery vibe.

{You can click on the images below and they will open up to full-size in a new window!}

Bright and Bold Accent Wall!
Bright and Bold Accent Wall!

 

It truly is a WOW factor now, and the second you walk through Rowan’s door, you’re greeted by this super fun accent wall.

It’s just perfect for a little boy’s room.

Bright and Bold Accent Wall Before and After.

 

I also could not believe how quick and easy this project was! For real.

This was my first time ever undertaking an accent wall, and I have to tell you…I might be hooked.

We (well mainly *I*) knocked it out in just over a day, and it’s made such a dramatic difference to the feel of Rowan’s room.

Now NO walls are safe in my house!

Collage showing the process of adding a Bright and Bold Accent Wall.

 

If You Enjoyed This…

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for all of my other home improvement projects, tutorials, and freebies like these!

Kids bathroom makeover

 

Hallway Family Command Center | Where The Smiles Have Been #commandcenter #familycommandcenter #home #organization #mealplanning #planner #cleaning #cleaningchecklist #chorechart #calendar #backtoschool #schoolorganization #growthchart #beforeandafter

 

DIY Board and Batten Wall with Hooks: A Mini Hallway Mudroom

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Feature Friday with Family and Friends | Easy Peasy Pleasy

Friday 29th of May 2015

[…] she has so many cute things on her blog that it was hard to pick my favorite post to share. This Bright and Bold Accent Wall in her kiddos room is something you can’t […]

Emily @ Two Purple Couches

Tuesday 12th of May 2015

FrogTape is awesome! Love that stuff :) And I also love how your accent wall turned out! What a fun idea for your son's room!

Christine

Monday 14th of December 2015

Thanks so much, Emily! :)

Kelly of Simply Kelly Designs

Monday 11th of May 2015

Wow! The accent wall looks amazing! All our walls are solid but I might need to rethink that when we do our great room redecorating. Thanks for the inspiration!

Christine

Monday 11th of May 2015

Glad to hear you liked this, Kelly! It really is amazing how much of a difference this wall has made in my son's room....it gives the whole space such a fun and playful vibe now. I'm so happy we went BOLD! :)

Rachel

Saturday 25th of April 2015

Cool accent wall. It would fun to do some thing like that in our playroom. Thanks for sharing on Small Victories Sunday link up.

Christine

Tuesday 28th of April 2015

Thanks so much, Rachel!

Rachel

Friday 24th of April 2015

I love the colors it really makes the room pop. Little ones love those bright colors and patterns I know he is loving it. Frog tape is definitely worth the time saved not having to go back and touch up the paint leaks. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.