The 3 Accent Wall Trends That Are Taking Over TikTok

If the thought of creating a feature wall seems painfully stuck in the ‘90s, think again. Sure, the concept was huge then, but it’s come a long way since the days of sponge painting and chintz. These days, it’s a creative outlet (and an excuse to update your Zoom background), with dozens of people sharing their DIYs across social media. (Seriously—#accentwall has 159.9 million views and climbing on TikTok.)

Instead of painting a wall a solid color and calling it a day, people are getting artistic, and in the process, three major accent wall trends have emerged: waves, arches and slatted designs. Take a closer look at all three—and by the end of this story, you may start looking at your walls in a whole new way.

If your home’s lacking in architectural detail, make up for it with a strategic coat of paint. Painted arches have been trending since the beginning of the year, and they’re showing no signs of stopping. They’re a great way to frame a desk or shelf, or they can take the place of a headboard, Ebel says.

The key to nailing the shape is measuring out how large you’d like your arch to be, then taping a piece of string in the middle of the wall. On the other end of the string, tie a pencil. Pull the string taut and use that to sketch the arch—it’ll give you the perfectly rounded top you’re looking for. Then, use an angled brush to paint it in. It’s that easy, but if you worry that your expectations won’t match reality, you can always buy a removable arch decal instead.

Up for more of a project? Get in on the slatted accent walls trend. It’s a chic way to add dimension to a room and works particularly well for dark, saturated colors. (If you’ve been wanting an inky navy or emerald wall, this is your chance!) Some people glue wooden planks to the wall, some nail them up and spackle in the holes—the critical thing to keep in mind is measuring out the slats and making sure they’re level, so you don’t wind up with crooked boards.