Handyman Hints: Pondering your accent wall
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Released April 18, 2023 • Last updated on April 19, 2023 • 3 minutes reading time
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Feeling kind of blasé these days? Has your favorite NHL hockey team’s failure to make the playoffs again made you gorge on popcorn while watching the Oscar-nominated movies you missed out on at the cinema?
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Well my friend, I think you’re just the type who could benefit from the inspirational power of an accent wall.
What exactly is an accent wall?
Basically, as the name suggests, it’s a whiff of something else. An alternative color or texture that makes a powerful statement, but doesn’t overwhelm the room because it only needs to take up about 10 percent of the wall space.
It’s like a polka dot bow tie or a fuchsia pocket square tucked into the breast pocket of an otherwise plain black suit jacket.
The accent adds a touch of individuality and, in our case, a little pizzazz to a normal-looking wall space.
What creates an accent wall?
Basically all you would have to do is take a liter of red, blue or any other primary color and throw it at the wall. And there’s your accent. Because the accent generally takes up limited space but is still eye-catching, it’s often used to transform a drab area or wall space in need of help into something special.
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So you wouldn’t normally turn that wall that supports your big-screen TV, which is mostly covered by a bookshelf or has a large window, into an accent wall. Busy walls don’t really need the attention of a pop of color or raised texture.
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In general, look for a smaller space – the wall, which is always the last chosen for the dodge ball, the underdog. This is the wall that will benefit from an accent.
How do I create an accent? As mentioned, all you really need is a vibrant color. However, it’s always nice to add structure as well, in the form of a natural slate tile or an MDF board with an overlap. The practical thing about accenting with slate or MDF is that you’re essentially creating a picture and either covering part of the wall, usually a central strip six to eight feet wide, or if it’s a smaller one space acts, the entire wall .
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Regardless, you should not use your miter saw to make corners, angles, or anything other than a straight 90-degree cut. Therefore, the accent wall can be a good first try with a natural slate product, as cutting the slate to size can sometimes seem intimidating for first-time installers.
However, as with anything else that requires a cut, it’s important to have the right blade on your chop saw. So make sure your chop saw blade is rated for cutting slate, and be sure to make those cuts outdoors or there will be a dust storm of debris. Or rent a wet saw that will remove most of the dust and allow you to do your cuts indoors.
The only other recommendation for a slate product is that you buy a stackable model that simply glues to your drywall. So no mortar joints have to be filled.
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Unless you want an accent wall to be slate or some sort of tapestry or woven fabric, it needs to be painted. Not that stained oak or knotty pine planks don’t draw a lot of attention, but in most cases a vibrant color or interesting texture makes for a great accent.
There is hardly a better way to create structure than with a primed MDF board. Installed horizontally, diagonally or simply vertically, an MDF board will give you lines, closely spaced lines, more widely spaced lines, bumpy lines – when it comes to decorating, you can’t invite too many lines to the party.
The easiest way to frame your chosen slate or MDF board, or to create a frame, is to use a 1×3 or 1×4 board of MDF. The .75″ plank is slightly thicker than the slate and MDF, creating the perfect shadow line and solid start and end points.
Good accentuation.
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