Seven accent wall patterns, and the rooms each one suits

Accent walls fall into a handful of families. Each one changes a room in a different way: some add height, some add calm, some add movement. Here is how to tell them apart before you pick one.

What are fluted and slat walls?

Repeating vertical ribs or boards spaced with small gaps. The vertical lines pull the eye up, which is why fluted panels show up so often in rooms with standard-height ceilings. Slats with a dark backing read modern; painted flutes in the wall color read soft and architectural.

How do chevron and herringbone differ?

Boards or trim set on the diagonal, meeting in a V (chevron) or offset (herringbone). These are the most energetic patterns on the list, so they work best on one wall with little competing art. Sage green and natural wood tones suit chevrons because the pattern does most of the talking; the bedroom on our cover is a sage green chevron.

What is picture-frame molding?

Rectangles of thin trim applied to flat drywall, usually painted the same color as the wall. It is the most traditional pattern here and one of the easiest to live with, which makes it a favorite for dining rooms and entries.

What is board and batten?

Vertical battens over a flat field, often with a horizontal rail on top. Tall versions run most of the wall height; shorter versions stop at a rail and leave paint or wallpaper above.

What is a geometric grid wall?

Trim laid out in squares, offset rectangles or crossing lines, typically painted one strong color. Our bedroom feature shows a blue version behind a bed.

When do grasscloth or fabric insets make sense?

Natural-fiber wallcovering set between slats or framed by trim. It adds texture rather than pattern and suits offices and quiet rooms where you want warmth without a busy look.

What is color blocking?

No trim at all: a single bold paint color, sometimes in a shape such as an arch or a half-height band. It costs the least to change later, which is why it is a good first step if you are unsure about committing to paneling. The numbers behind dark and light colors are on our color page.

Editor’s summary based on the descriptions above; not a survey.

What size are the boards used for battens and slats?

Lumber is sold by nominal size, but the dressed board is smaller. The Southern Forest Products Association publishes the standard dry dimensions below; a “1x4” batten, for example, is actually 3/4 by 3-1/2 inches. Plan spacing on the actual width, not the name on the tag.

Source: Southern Forest Products Association, Standard Sizing (dry boards and widths).

How do MDF, plywood and particleboard compare?

Flat panels behind slats and painted flutes are often wood composites. The U.S. Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook lists typical specific gravity and bending properties for each; higher modulus of elasticity means stiffer, higher modulus of rupture means stronger in bending.

Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-190), Table 12-1.

To see several of these patterns installed in real homes, browse the accent walls Trim My Crib has built around Venice. If you are looking at a TV wall rather than a plain one, our sister title The Feature Wall covers accent panels around a TV.