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Looking to add major style and visual interest to any room? Consider these wood accent wall ideas. Often budget-friendly and extremely versatile, wood feature walls can look good in every room—from bedrooms to bathrooms—and they work with a variety of design styles.
Options are aplenty when it comes to approaching your wood accent wall: You could leave the timber in its natural weathered state, complete an easy DIY and paint it, or even use slats to create a unique pattern, like chevron. AD PRO Directory member Jeff Andrews, the founder of Jeff Andrews Design in Los Angeles, appreciates how natural wood patina gives walls “an organic quality that can’t be recreated with new or painted wood.”
When planning your project, keep in mind that this feature wall doesn’t just have to be an aesthetic choice, but a functional one too. Think about using your wood accent wall to camouflage storage closets or oddly shaped areas, as some of the interior designers did in the spaces shown below.
The wood you’ll want to use to create your accent wall is dependent on the type of space you’re designing. Ipe or teak wood is best for bathrooms, says Jessica Dorling, the founder of Dorling Design Studio in Seattle, as it’s known to withstand wet environments. However, if you’re incorporating a wood accent wall into a living room, dining room, or bedroom, try a white oak or walnut, Dorling suggests, noting that the choice you make will depend on if you prefer your feature wall to have a dark or light finish. Michelle Gage, the founder of Michelle Gage Interior Design in Philadelphia, adds, “Each wood type has its own characteristics and undertones, so it’s about selecting the wood species and finish that harmonizes with the other materials and overall design.”
Dorling says that there is no right or wrong approach to selecting wood color for one’s accent wall. “It depends on how you want the wood wall to appear in the space,” she says. A contrasting wall will give the wood wall a strong accent, while matching the wood’s color to the tonal value of the wall color will add texture to the space without creating high contrast.”
Feel like taking on a DIY project? Interior design pros are here to help you step by step. When DIYing a wood accent wall, remember to “measure twice (or three times) and cut once,” says Arne Jensen, the founder of Arne Jensen Design in Walpole, Massachusetts. “Big-box stores offer a huge variety of woods as well as styles—think tongue and groove, shiplap, and more, or you could talk to your local lumberyard about new or scrap lumber.”
However, before you tackle your project, consider the following wood accent-wall ideas.
Becky Shea, the founder of Becky Shea Design in New York City, installed a curved wood accent wall made out of ebonized oak in this calming, neutral bedroom. “There's just something about the rugged elegance of ebonized oak that I find utterly captivating,” she says. “It’s bold, it’s dramatic, and it adds a layer of depth to any space that’s hard to achieve with other materials.” Further, Shea appreciates how the wood adds “a dash of personality” to the space. “Contrast is my secret weapon as a designer. It’s what gives a room that wow factor, that undeniable sense of drama.”
In her work, Shea greatly enjoys pairing together dark and light tones, as illustrated by this bathroom featuring an American walnut accent wall above the vanity. “My strategy was to extend the vanity finish upward, seamlessly creating a floor-to-ceiling effect without overwhelming the space with excessive millwork,” she says.
A fluted wood wall makes for the ideal Zoom backdrop in this home office, all the while camouflaging two storage closets in the space. The walnut that Gage selected pops against the plum-colored walls, which are Benjamin Moore Vintage Claret.
Louis Duncan-He, the founder of Louis Duncan-He Designs in Calgary, Canada, designed this basement with the intention of creating a “masculine, sexy, moody cigar lounge type of vibe.” Duncan-He added a wooden accent wall to the mix, which extends all the way to the ceiling. “We were working with this awkward bulk-head in this basement, and it was neither centered or offset properly,” the designer explains. “Instead of trying to unsuccessfully hide it, we decided to turn it into a feature. It was the perfect bridge between transitioning the rich blue and white ceiling paint.”
This new-build home already featured decorative paneling in the formal dining room, which Duncan-He decided to give a mini-makeover to with the addition of custom candle sconces, which he felt would give the room more symmetry. “We actually played off of this existing panel and added in more transitional panelling in the living room and entry, so the house felt classic with a hint of farmhouse,” he says.
A wood accent wall made of walnut complements the nightstands in this bedroom to a T. “We wanted to create a rich, textural sanctuary for our client where he could relax and feel serene,” says Nicole Hirsch, the founder of Nicole Hirsch Interiors in Boston. “This bedroom overlooks the Boston waterfront, so we wanted to keep all the tones very neutral and bring in rich texture so there was nothing jarring taking away from the view.” She opted to add an oversized headboard that spans the length of the wall “so it accentuated the length while not covering all the gorgeous millwork.”
AD PRO Directory member Kristen Peña, the founder of K Interiors in San Francisco, placed a wood slat wall behind a plush white bed, which makes an eye-catching statement. “We wanted to add texture and a natural element to soften the mix of materials with the antique mirror and brass,” she says.
In a mountain home in Lake Tahoe, Andrews wanted to embrace “an element of rusticity” with barn wood but took a more modern approach with the chevron pattern. “Any feature wall needs something to make it sing,” the designer says. “In this case, it is quality, texture, and history combined to add character to a new home.”
Raili Clasen, the founder of Raili CA Design and author of the new book Surf Style at Home, incorporated a natural birch plywood wall into a teenage surf enthusiast’s bedroom. “Plywood screams California casual, and for this room, we wanted to lean into the vibe of the surf camps throughout California,” the Newport Beach–based designer says. You can replicate this look with MDF too.
Cathy Purple Cherry, the founder of Purple Cherry Architects in Annapolis, Maryland, used clear white oak to create a slatted wall that surrounds a fireplace. She notes that wooden walls do not have to match the wood floors in a room. “You either use a lighter wood or a darker wood, rather than the same wood,” she notes. “Matching a wood accent wall to wood flooring would create an undesirable monolithic feeling.” Wood used on the ceiling should indeed match the floor, though, Purple Cherry explains.
Kim Duensing, the founder of Kim Duensing Projects in Laguna Beach, used clear vertical grain Douglas Fir with a special stain that neutralizes color to “create an elevated space that maintains a relaxed, ‘earthy-modern’ feel.” The designer adds, “We leaned into the ’70s and used extensive amounts of warm wood to balance the modern, clean lines of the slab fireplace.”
Dorling selected Ipe wood, known for its durability in wet environments, when designing a wood accent wall in a bathroom. Her goal was to create a spa-like environment. “Turning the wall behind the tub into a focal point was an ideal addition to the space, harmonizing perfectly with the transom windows and the home’s architectural design,” Dorling says.
Working with clients who craved a feature wall in their family room, Sallie Lord, the founder of Grey Hunt Interiors in Chantilly, Virginia, decided to go geometric and play off of the space’s coffered ceiling with a square board and batten design. For the paint color, she chose Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black. “We wanted the colors in the space to really visually pop and showcase the different colors and textures in the design,” Lord says.
Lord worked with architect Brad Norris to create plenty of fun nooks in this family home, including the wall-size one seen here, which contains a white shiplap backing and becomes the focal point of this entryway.
Jensen desired an “in-between, transitional effect” when designing the DIY accent wall in this bedroom, noting that those who crave a rustic look will want to opt for reclaimed or salvaged wood, while new lumber is best for a contemporary space.
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