Accent color wall ideas


The 35 Best Accent Wall Colors

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By Paula Tudoran/March 16, 2022 9:40 am EST

Although beige and desert-inspired tone palettes are popular right now, you shouldn't be afraid to add a splash of color to your residence, and an accent wall is a fantastic way to do it without going overboard. Using an accent wall to provide shade or showcase the décor treasures on your walls is a terrific way to do both. One of the most appealing parts of an accent wall is the opportunity to choose a strong, vibrant color that you may be hesitant to apply throughout the whole space.

An accent or highlight wall allows you to experiment with color in your space without overwhelming it. Moreover, the location is entirely personal, just as The Spruce mentions. So, if you're having trouble adding visual appeal to a vast, boxy space, an accent wall might serve as a lovely focal point. When choosing an accent wall color, you can even look for a complementary hue darker or more decadent than the rest of the space. Here are a slew of the most stunning accent wall colors if you're looking for inspiration.

1. Go dark and bold with black

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You'll love a black satin hue with a sheen to it for a dark and bold look. This tone provides a lot of stark contrast and can be used with various styles and color schemes.

2. Give the room an airy feel with sage green

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Need to unwind after a long day at work or home? Make your living room accent wall sage green; the color would look great in a living area. It's a soothing, peaceful color that's ideal for welcoming guests into your residence, besides being very adaptable to various venues and styles.

3. Warm-up the room with a spicy desert palette

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Hot, vibrant desert combinations — reds, oranges, and yellows — can be used for a fiery accent wall. These paint colors for the living area are an actual color explosion. To make an area feel more livable, add pillows that speak to the vibe of the desert palate. 

4. Combine blue and sandstone for a beachy feel

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Set a tranquil tone in your bedroom or living area with a combination of ocean blue and tan tones. You'll get a relaxed, beachy vibe without the clutter of sand and ocean.

5. Light up the space with a mellow yellow

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Look no farther than a sunny, neutral hue of yellow for a paint color that delivers a modest statement on an accent wall. A warm yellow instantly energizes a room without being too bright. A mellow yellow hue is particularly effective in sections of your home that get lots of natural light.

6. Chanel rustic summers with an olive green

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Green is a popular paint color, but an accent wall can be an excellent compromise if you don't want to go all-out. Choose a green shade that pairs nicely with neutrals like beige or off-white.

7. Choose medium blue for a calming atmosphere

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Because it lends a relaxing touch to the room, blue is a terrific choice for an accent wall. A medium blue is a powerful hue with cool nuances that will give your feature wall a pop of color. Use cool neutrals like gray or white to highlight the rest of the space.

8. Cheer up a room with a bubblegum pink

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A bright pink color is a cheerful hue for accent wall paint that reminds us of bubblegum and childhood. This hue provides unlimited color to your room and becomes an instant center point, so try it behind a couch in a basic living room to add some individuality.

9. Try an emerald green for a luxurious feel

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An eye-catching jewel tone may produce an impressive effect on an accent wall; it's powerful but not loud or demanding. This emerald green hue has all the relaxing, recessive, introspective aspects of a fabulous shade, but with a pop of vigor and assertiveness.

10. Go royal with a rich purple

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A rich purple is a sophisticated, grown-up purple that looks great as an accent wall color. This deep shade would make a great accent wall color in a den, office, or bedroom. It's a chilly, dusty tone that's both welcome and peaceful.

11. Bring the sea inside with an aqua blue

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Who says accent walls have to be dark to be effective? A light aqua paint hue can brighten up any space, so if you want to keep your adjacent walls white or painted in a milder neutral tone but want to add color, a lighter accent wall is a perfect alternative.

12. Try cobalt blue for a rich aura

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Cobalt blue is a color that is both friendly and daring. While it resembles a deep rich sea, it's a little brighter and more colorful, with a hint of charcoal undertones. It's a majestic hue that works well in both old and classic settings.

13. Bronze for an urban atmosphere

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Bronze is a deep yet subtle tone that encourages silent reflection. You'll feel as if you're borrowing inspiration from decades past, but with a new perspective.

14. Fake a brick wall to maintain a cozy tone

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An accent wall made of brick can provide dimension, neutral color, and warmth to a room, and it's ideal for achieving a rustic look. However, you don't have to renovate your wall to get this result. Instead, create a brick accent wall with a sponge and a bit of color.

15. Catch the breeze with an airy blue

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If you like powder blues, an airy hue is a must-try. This delicate color is nearly a pastel, yet when used on a wall, it pops. However, you'll want to ensure your other walls are light and neutral to get the most contrast.

16. Go charcoal for a cozy yet light feel

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A piece of conventional, neutral furniture would merge fantastically with a charcoal gray as it has a low visual effect, allowing the darker hue to shine. Don't be afraid to experiment with this deep, somewhat purple-gray tone; it turns out to be a vibrant and dramatic backdrop.

17. Bring summer inside with a lemon yellow

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Does the idea of painting a wall yellow make you feel sick to your stomach? A lemony yellow accent wall that gives off a vibrant, bright, and summery feel will change your mind. Paired with a few chilly blue tones, it will provide a warm, glowing contrast you'll fall in love with.

18. Try a gray and peanut butter combo

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Light and serene accent wall color selections are among the nicest. The area will soothe the eyes and the spirit, with an accent wall set against a comfy bed.

19. A peachy hue for a warm yet airy space

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A peachy hue on a wall will give the room a new dimension. Warm, yet not too warm, this color goes well with several pink variations, rosy glows, and brown hues.

20. Choose an earthy orange for a dreamy autumn atmosphere

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If you enjoy the fall season, this is the ideal hue of orange to use on your accent wall. It's deep and rich but also light and brilliant, making it a popular choice for individuals who want to bring the comfortable orange glow of autumn into their homes all year.

21. Go with a stunning navy

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To create a contrasting pattern with the crisp white in a room, paint a wall navy blue. You can develop a reflective and sensual backdrop further by combining the matte navy blue with gray and gold tones — it's ideal for a small living area.

22. Achieve a bold and hot aura with a deep pink

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A deep pink paint is extraordinarily vivid but still not too bright or bold. When choosing accent wall colors, keep in mind that a shade of deep pink looks stunning against pristine white walls and in a room with rich jewel tones.

23. Choose lilac for a gentle touch of color

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A misty lilac color on the walls helps ground vibrant, sculptural furniture items in an unusual but charming living room setting. The soft purple is mild enough to be used as a neutral, but it also has a sweet undertone that keeps a room from becoming too flashy.

24. Khaki green for the bolder ones

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A neutral is anything that isn't shocking, which is a great way to reinterpret things if cream, white, or gray aren't cutting it in your living area. Because of the architectural style, light exposures, or incumbent furnishings, some spaces simply demand something out of the ordinary — and khaki green is just that.

25. Choose a dark gray for a lighter Industrial style

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If your home style resembles the Industrial design style or you want it to look more minimalistic, go for a darker, more striking gray. This color is a nice alternative to black and goes well with other cold colors.

26.

Coral for a warm yet not too flashy space

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If you want to try out a bright pink hue, it's best to start with coral on a smaller part of your walls. Although offering pink nuances, coral gives off a romantic glow without making the room feel like you've coated the walls with bubblegum.

27. Choose a bright mossy green for a fresh style

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Try a mossy green for a bright accent wall that provides a bit more of a visual statement. This classic green with yellow overtones exudes a happy spring vibe. It's bold but classic, and it pairs well with other bright colors.

28. Stick with an ever-changing neutral

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If you'd rather use a delicate color palette, warmer tones in a neutral accent wall will add some young buoyancy to the dark wood elements. Neutrals can show a soft gray-green color in some settings and a warmer beige hue in others.

29. Pair violet and red for an unexpected fusion

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Why choose between two interesting paint colors when you can have both? The romantic yet unexpectedly fresh color combination of fire red and violet will go perfectly with throw cushions in a bohemian style.

30. Try a rich yellow-orange combination

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Honeycomb is a vibrant, lively color. It's a bright mix of yellow and orange that strikes the perfect balance while remaining quite earthy. Depending on the lighting, it can lean yellow, so if you're looking for a genuine orange, this color might be too airy for your preferences.

31. Stay with the traditional yet outgoing cream

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Cream, softer than white but neutral, is the ideal backdrop for a welcoming yet traditional living room. The neutral, almost iridescent accent wall can emphasize a velvet sofa and brass elements, while a blue blanket and white side table can provide a wonderful contrast.

32. Pick a light gray for a less dramatic feel

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You can use a light gray hue in the living room as a neutral contrast for patterned furnishings and still keep it drama-free. It's more sophisticated and nuanced than a basic white, but not so much that it steals the show.

33. Try a dusty rose for a touch of spring

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A dusty rose pink tint is indeed romantic, although it's a pretty classic color that's more neutral than warm. However, this makes it a versatile accent wall shade that can be used in almost any setting, providing a sense of soft refinement to any space.

34. Get an innovative greige hue for a comfortable setting

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Greige paint colors are a great backdrop in contemporary interiors, as they are far more complex than white while remaining soft and modest.

30 Accent Wall Color Combinations To Match Any Style

Looking to add character to your bedroom, living room or another favorite spot in the house? An accent wall is the perfect opportunity to add a pop of color without having to paint the whole room. Whether you opt for a dramatic chalkboard wall or softer tones, consider these accent wall color combinations to turn any room into a space you absolutely adore.

Blue and Sandstone

Set the tone of your family room or bedroom to peaceful. With a creamy blue wall amidst white and tan hues, you’ll have a relaxing, beachy vibe without the mess of sand and water.

Green and Red Brick

Amplify the energy of your favorite room by placing a brick wall perpendicular to a colored wall, like the green one here. The texture of the brick next to the smooth surface adds dimension and visual appeal. Decorate with accent items like framed photos, canvases and area rugs.

Black, Green and Cloudy Gray

Infuse texture into your bedroom or living room with a brick accent wall. Black bricks complement other neutral tones like white or grey—allowing colors like green to fully pop with personality.

Navy, Brown and Pink

Don’t be afraid to try a bolder accent wall idea. A rich blue paint can offer character and depth to a bedroom, guest room or kid’s room. When alongside softer hues like brown and pink, this color combination is both striking and warm.

Black, White and Pebble Gray

Build contrast in your living room color scheme by forming a floor-to-ceiling accent around your fireplace. Choose materials like stone, tile or brick to construct the feature wall. The dark gray shade in this arrangement provides a necessary blend between the black and white elements in the room.

Blue and Cream

An accent wall doesn’t have to consist of a solid color. Opt for a pattern to give the room personality and shape. Complement the space with a photo wall that incorporates similar colors.

Candy Red and Light Sapphire

Notice the contrasting colors among the hardwood countertops, white walls and cabinets, and accent blue behind the stove. The accessories, like the red kettle, make the room pop and transform the kitchen from an ordinary space to one with a bright, youthful look.

Dark Clay with Pastel Blue and Pink

Looking for accent wall ideas that bring texture to a room? Try a brick feature wall in your bedroom or office to amplify the energy. Accentuate the color scheme with soft blues, pinks and whites.

Black, White and Blonde

Black and white tones are commonly found together for a reason: they offer simple contrast and allow other colors to enhance the design. Decorate the space with black and white accents, like framed prints on the wall or blonde-colored wood features.

Bright Pink, Blonde and Green

Brighten an entire space by painting a wall in a rich pink shade. Layer the room with other tones like light green and blonde to create a fresh and friendly feel.

Rich Blue and Soft Browns

Your main accent surface doesn’t have to be a wall. It could be the ceiling, for example, like in this bathroom that features a rich blue ceiling. Pair the darker color with white walls and light brown tiles. Your bathroom will seem bright and open but will have character and contrast.

Canary Yellow, Black and White

Step outside of a traditional feature wall. Paint the back panel of a bookshelf in a rich yellow to give life and color to the room.

Brown Blend with Black and White

This kitchen touts white cabinets—making the black paneled wall a stunning accent that doesn’t overpower the room. When paired with wooden features, like shelves and a dining table, this scheme seamlessly blends together a modern and classic style.

Earth Tones

Bring an earthy vibe to your living room or family room by painting one wall in a soft blue. Layer in white and sandstone hues to create harmony and a sense of peace. Personalize the room with photo pillows and canvases.

Mint, Blonde and Charcoal Black

Whether you’re designing a workspace or study area, consider a chalkboard wall for practical and inspirational purposes. Add colors like mint and blonde to the room for a soft, serene contrast.

Grays with Peanut Brown

Some of the best accent wall color combinations are light and serene, like in this room that utilizes a grayscale gradient. With a darker accent wall next to white walls and curtains, the space is soft on the eyes and the spirit.

Soft Blues and Grays

Accent wall colors don’t need to be completely different to offer a room some character. Try a light blue paint next to a white or gray to form a soft, welcoming color combination.

Green, White and Black

Give a narrow space a longer feel with a rich accent wall color, like this green kitchen backsplash. Build contrast with whites and blacks to infuse energy and balance into the design.

Sandstone, Sage and Sunny Yellow

Invite nature right into your living space with a leafy patterned accent wall. Cover one wall from floor to ceiling or use the design halfway with wainscotting. Involve other earth tones, like brown, sandstone and sunny yellow to round out your color composition.

Blue and Green

Accent walls can be for more than just your living room and bedroom. Splash the wall of your staircase with a cheerful blue to make daily trips more fun.

Banana Yellow and Berry Blue

Illuminate your kitchen—or any room for that matter—by choosing a light yellow accent wall. Juxtapose the brightness with a darker hue like berry blue. Keep your accessories neutral, like your shelving and seating, as to not overpower the room with too much color.

Green, Tan and Redstone

Make your outdoor areas as beautiful and stylish as your indoor spaces. Start with a green or white backdrop then accent with the opposite color. Bridge the scheme with redstone and sandy shades in pieces like your patio furniture and outside decor.

Mint with Gray

Paint your feature wall in mint green to outline the space. Of all the accent wall colors, mint tends to be the most tranquil—ideal for a living room or bedroom. Opt for gray accent pieces like an area rug and ottoman to amplify the serene aura.

Navy and Tans

If a warm and charming atmosphere is what you’re going for, consider navy accent paints. A darker feature wall offers a cozy sense to a bedroom, family room or office. Loop in tan shades and off-white touches in your couch, rug and throw pillows to balance the darker tones.

Black and White

This sleek kitchen showcases a stunning modern scheme. With its white cabinets and black backsplash, you have a chic and classic look all in one.

Light Sapphire and Blonde Wood

In your kitchen, use the cabinets for the accent color like the blue ones in this example. With a contrasting white backsplash, wall and shelving, you breathe character and depth into a small space. Wooden details—like your countertop and cutting boards—bring further dimension to this all-important room.

Navy, Blonde and Hunter Green

Make a small room appear larger with a hunter green accent wall. Incorporate navy and blonde in your bed linens and accessories for a modern, fun color scheme. Try this design in a guest bedroom or kid’s room.

Pretty Blues and Sea Green

A great feature wall isn’t just about choosing the right accent wall colors—it’s about building texture, too. Vertical paneling, like in this living room, adds extra visual appeal. By painting the panels blue, you achieve the dynamic duo of color and character.

Orange and Gray

Burst open your outdoor space with a splash of fun. Choose a door or side wall of your patio for adding the vibrant color, like this bright orange set of doors. Temper the rest of the area with a series of gray tones.

Black, Silver Gray and Off-White

With plenty of accent paints available, chalkboard paint is one that offers an extra dose of fun. Cover one wall with the paint to give you full reign to change the design any time you want—making it an ideal choice for kids’ rooms or a home office.

Even a simple accent wall can breathe fresh, energizing life into any space. Choose from our accent wall ideas and then decorate with framed photos, metallic prints or photo canvases.

Interior accent wall: useful decorating tips

House in Tangier, designed by Cassandra Karinsky. In tourist booklets, Moroccan Tangier is called the "white city". It is in this color that the locals have been painting the walls of their houses for centuries. Without disturbing the harmony, the designer diluted it with dark blue — one of the walls in the living room is painted in this color. A blue sofa is matched to her tone.

Photo
Gaelle le Boulicaut

Ideal for small spaces

Wall painted in a contrasting color, perfect for small spaces. This technique will allow you to beat a cramped room, especially if you use a deep saturated shade. Painting one of the walls in a small room a rich dark color (or black) will create visual depth in the interior, making the space appear larger.

Room dedicated to Madeleine Castaing in the Saint James Hotel in Paris, designed in turquoise tones. A contrasting navy blue hue adds depth to the space.

Photo
Antoine Baralhe

Lots of styles

You have several options for this fashion trend. In addition to paint and wallpaper, there are ways to play not only with color, but also with texture. For example, using panels that mimic brickwork or wood. You can drape the wall with a cloth or lay it out with tiles or mosaics. For a children's room, an interesting option would be a wall painted with slate paint. A child can boldly paint and paint such a wall with colored crayons, without fear of incurring the wrath of their parents.

Trianon decorative panel, design by Carlo dal Bianco, Bisazza.

Photo
Bisazza

A way to divide space

Apartment of Patrick and Laurence Chavannes in Lyon. Its interior is built on panoramic wallpaper, including the interior of the owner's eldest daughter's room. Now it is decorated with wallpapers with the image of New York. What will be on this wall in a couple of years is unknown. The interior of the room changes as often as the tastes of the maturing hostess.

Photo
Anne-Catherine Scoffoni

Contrasting one or more walls in a room is a great way to divide up a space. For example, an open living room can be easily divided into zones (living room, dining room, study, etc.) if you use different wallpapers or paint colors for wall decor. At your request, one space will turn into two, or even more.

Apartment in Madrid. Designed by Gonzalo Pardo and Ana Torres.

Photo
ImagenSubliminal.com

The main accent of the interior

When planning your interior, keep in mind that the accent wall is the very first thing everyone will see when they enter the room. This is the focal point that will stand out and distract attention from everything else. To make the interior look more harmonious and balanced, it should have two or more accents. Therefore, to “support” the accent wall, it is better to choose pieces of furniture or accessories that match in color.

Kitchen, Kitchens Titarev. Bar stools, IKEA. Apartment in Krasnodar, project by Ksenia Lysenko.

Photo
Mikhail Chekalov. Style: Sofia Kalbazova

The accent wall is tiled with Zigzag, Popham Design. Cassandra Karinsky's project to Tangeree.

Photo
Gaelle Le Boulicaut - Photographer

The right choice of color

The wrong accent wall color can ruin a space. To avoid this, give up random shades, even if the color itself is bright and you really like it. A red wall in a pastel interior is too much! The color palette of your home should be unified and clearly planned. Therefore, choose a color for a contrasting wall based on the overall range of the interior, including furniture, finishing materials and textiles.

Designed by Julia Sheipunas.

Change the accents

A bedroom in a Parisian apartment designed by decorator Pierre Jovanovich. One of the walls is sheathed with cork panels from top to bottom. This technique made it possible to hide the door leading to the dressing room.

Photo
Catherine Scotto

It is not necessary to build an interior around an accent wall. Art objects will give originality to the interior. Instead of papering or painting one wall, choose art pieces that match the style and mood of your home decor. Framed photos or paintings that you like and are in tune with the overall style of the interior are what will give your home a personality, creating a memorable image.

Project by Liljencrantz Design.

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Color in the interior: 7 tips and solutions

Tips

Color plays an important role in the interior, and this should not be forgotten when starting to repaint the walls. Different shades evoke different emotions and feelings: some fill us with energy, others serve as an antidepressant, others irritate, and four help to relax and brew in a calm way. With the help of color, you can create a completely different atmosphere in your home, and our tips will help you do it in style and beauty.

Apartment in Moscow. Project by Alisa Shabelnikova.

Photo
Sergey Ananiev

Choose the right palette

Choose shades wisely, not based on fashion trends. Not all trendy shades are suitable specifically for your interior and lighting. Remember, your goal is a harmonious space where everything fits together.

TIP: blue green and yellow is a magical combination where each color compliments the other. Especially in combination with natural wood and live plants!

The combination of cool blue-green and honey yellow, vintage and modern, gives this interior a spectacular dynamism.

Accent wall

One step from love to hate - and vice versa! The accent wall is back - but this time in its classic form: not "pulling the blanket over itself", but creating a harmonious whole with the whole environment.

TIP: keep the white molding at the ceiling. It will beautifully accentuate the transition from color to white and at the same time visually increase the height of the ceiling.

Light salmon is perfect for an accent wall in the bedroom.

Paint the walls in different colors

Always imagine the big picture. It is not necessary to paint all the rooms in the house the same color. If the rooms are located in an enfilade or next to each other, and another is clearly visible from one room, you can paint them in close tones, or in colors that blend well with each other.

House of stylist Sophia Wood in Stockholm. The gray-blue color of the living room goes well with the light gray walls in the adjacent dining room.

Photo
JAMES STOKES

Apartment in Moscow. Project by Alisa Shabelnikova.

Photo
rom

Juicy colors

One of the most trendy colors of recent seasons is a deep lingonberry pink. It will work great in a small room or dressing room: the interior will gain depth and charisma. Looking to add some chic to your space without sacrificing tranquility? Work on the ceiling!

Lake Red, Farrow & Ball.

Paint everything!

Now it is fashionable to paint not only walls, but also everything else - rosettes, moldings, ceiling mouldings, shelves and even the ceiling - in one color. The space is homogeneous and solid. This solution is especially well suited for small rooms (entrance hall or, say, dressing room).

TIP: in a small hallway, you can hang shelves above the door and paint them in the color of the walls, and if there is paint left, storage boxes.

The "rusty" color of the walls and ceiling is harmoniously complemented by natural wood on the floor.

The apartment of the designers Stina Lofgren and Matthias Krisander. In the hallway, the cabinets, the door, and even the IKEA shoe racks are all painted the same color. Paint Jotun Lady Supreme Finish 05 NCS S2010-Y50R.

Choose harmonious colors

We spend a lot of time in the bedroom, so it is especially important that nothing annoys you here. On the contrary, the palette should set you up for rest, relaxation and peace.


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