Current Order

How to Paint a Colorblocked Accented Wall

Create a modern look with a colorblocked accent wall. Colorblock walls are a great way to make a bold statement in your living spaces. With Sherwin-Williams color collections, colors for an accent wall come in seemingly endless options. Ready to stand out? Follow the directions below to start your design!

STEP 1

Prep

Using a cloth or cellulose sponge dampened with water and a little mild dishwashing liquid, wipe down the wall(s) to be painted to remove dust and dirt.

Rinse the walls with clean water to remove soap residue.

STEP 2

Tape

Tape the bottom of the wall or baseboard with the painter's tape and a drop cloth.

Move the drop cloth about an inch away from the wall so that the tape will stick to both the floor and the drop cloth.

A woman measuring a wall before painting.
STEP 3

Measure

Measure how high you want the color blocking to be. We recommend about 7 feet.

Using a measuring tape set to 7 feet from the floor, make a pencil tick every foot or so along the wall.

STEP 4

Draw

Use a ruler to draw a line in pencil, connecting each tick along the wall.

STEP 5

Tape

Stick your painter's tape slowly above the line, using a level to make sure your line is straight.

Add a second strip of tape about halfway up the first piece of tape to ensure that even a sloppy paint stroke won't get paint above the tape. If you don't want the connecting walls on either side to be painted, use painter's tape at the corners to protect the adjoining walls.

A woman using painters tape to paint an abstract wall. SW colors featured: SW 6352, SW 6218, SW 7616.
STEP 6

Paint

Now for the fun part!

Start by using the paintbrush for edging along the floor, ceiling, and corners, then, use the roller to get the large parts of the wall painted.

Do your first coat, and let the wall dry for about an hour before starting on the second coat.

When the paint is still tacky from the second coat, carefully pull the painter's tape off the wall.

And voilà!

A before and after of an accented painted wall. SW colors featured: SW 6352, SW 6218, SW 7616.
STEP 7

Enjoy!

Let the second coat of paint dry for at least two hours before starting to put your room back together.

Then sit back and relax as the compliments from your guests roll in.

Colors We Used

Check out our most popular colors for your most important projects to develop your color palette and create like a pro. See the colors we used for this design below.

A person using a laptop to visualize bedroom paint colors.
A person using a laptop to visualize bedroom paint colors.

Color Visualizer

Color Visualizer

Upload a photo, then virtually paint your scene and compare colors side-by-side.

Upload a photo, then virtually paint your scene and compare colors side-by-side.

Sherwin-Williams PaintPerks logo.

Sign Up for PaintPerks®

Sherwin-Williams PaintPerks is an exclusive program designed to help you with your at-home projects.

Sign Up for PaintPerks®

Sherwin-Williams PaintPerks is an exclusive program designed to help you with your at-home projects.