The wallpaper guides / 04
Accent wall ideas for small spaces
In a small bedroom or entryway, paper one wall: the wall behind the bed, or the wall facing the front door. Use a small, low-contrast repeat on a wall you sit close to, and a large, bold one on a wall you see from a doorway. Most small-space accent walls take two to four 30-inch panels: a 5-foot entry wall on an 8-foot ceiling is 2 panels, $240, and a 10-foot bedroom wall is 4 panels, $480. Order a $15 sample first.
1. Which wall to paper.
In a small room, one papered wall does more than four. Choose the wall with the fewest interruptions and the clearest view.
- Small bedroom: the wall behind the bed. It frames the headboard, and you face away from it when you sleep.
- Entryway: the wall facing the front door, or the wall behind a bench or console. It sets the tone for the rest of the home in a few seconds.
- Powder room or hallway end: the wall behind the vanity, or the short wall at the end of a hall that you walk toward.
Skip walls cut up by several doors or a large window; the pattern ends up in narrow strips.
2. Small repeats vs large.
Pattern size decides whether the wall reads as texture or as a picture. Both work in a small room; they do different jobs.
Small repeats: texture, close up
Small, fine marks blur into a surface from a few feet away. Choose one for a wall you sit or sleep next to.
- Beige brush stroke lines: small beige brush marks on white. The quietest pick here.
- Gray Scandi leaf: fine gray leaf outlines in vertical rows. The rows draw the eye up, which suits a low ceiling.
- Blue and white geometric floral: fine blue floral loops in a small lattice.
- Blue boho: small pale-blue tree-like marks in loose vertical rows.
Large repeats: a focal wall
Large or bold motifs make one wall the point of the room. Choose one for a wall you see from a doorway.
- Art Deco arch: nested black arches on white. Graphic and architectural, good behind an entry bench.
- Beige geometric floral: large beige medallions edge to edge. Bold in scale but soft in color.
- Palm: black palm fronds on white, with plenty of movement.
- Black and white retro geometric: bold black maze-like lines. The strongest pattern here; give it a wall to itself.
For more black and white options, see our black and white botanical wallpaper guide.
3. One-wall projects, 2 to 4 panels.
Panels are 30 inches wide. Divide the wall width in inches by 30 and round up, then add 4 inches to the height and choose the shortest panel that covers it.
| Wall | Width | Panels | 8 ft ceiling | 9 ft ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry nook or hallway end | 4 ft (48 in) | 2 | 2 × $120 = $240 | 2 × $125 = $250 |
| Entry wall behind a bench | 5 ft (60 in) | 2 | 2 × $120 = $240 | 2 × $125 = $250 |
| Powder room vanity wall | 6 ft (72 in) | 3 | 3 × $120 = $360 | 3 × $125 = $375 |
| Small bedroom, behind a twin bed | 7 ft (84 in) | 3 | 3 × $120 = $360 | 3 × $125 = $375 |
| Small bedroom, behind a full bed | 8 ft (96 in) | 4 | 4 × $120 = $480 | 4 × $125 = $500 |
| Bedroom wall, behind a queen bed | 10 ft (120 in) | 4 | 4 × $120 = $480 | 4 × $125 = $500 |
An 8-foot ceiling takes 108-inch panels and a 9-foot ceiling takes 120-inch panels. Prices are before tax, with free US shipping. Every panel is printed to order, and typical door-to-door time in the US is about one week; our shipping policy has the details.
Wider wall? Our guide to how many wallpaper panels you need has a chart for walls 6 to 14 feet wide, the wallpaper calculator works out any wall, and the measuring guide covers awkward walls.
4. Start with a $15 sample.
Scale is hard to judge on a screen, and in a small room you see the wall from closer than in any photo. Order a sample of each finalist from our samples page, or straight from a design: Beige brush stroke lines sample, Gray Scandi leaf sample, Art Deco arch sample or Palm sample. Each is $15 with free US shipping.
- Tape each sample on the wall you plan to paper, at eye level.
- Look from where you will see the wall most: the bed, or the front door.
- Check whether the pattern reads as texture or as a picture from there, and pick the one that does the job you want.
Ordering your wall after the sample? Use code SAMPLE15 for $15 off orders of $300 or more (one use per customer).
Questions
Does an accent wall make a small bedroom look smaller?
Not if you paper one wall and keep the rest plain. The wall behind the bed is the usual choice: it frames the bed, and you face away from it when you lie down. A small, low-contrast repeat reads as texture and keeps the room open; a large, bold one makes that wall the focal point.
Should I use a small or a large pattern in a small room?
Either can work. A small repeat, like Beige brush stroke lines or Gray Scandi leaf, reads as texture from a few feet away and suits a wall you sit close to. A large repeat, like Art Deco arch or Palm, suits a wall you see from a doorway, such as an entry, where you notice the pattern before you notice the size of the room.
How many panels does an entryway accent wall take?
WallJoy panels are 30 inches wide, so divide the wall width in inches by 30 and round up. A 5-foot entry wall on an 8-foot ceiling takes 2 108-inch panels, $240 before tax with free US shipping.
How much does a small bedroom accent wall cost?
A 10-foot bedroom wall on an 8-foot ceiling takes 4 panels at $120 each, $480. On a 9-foot ceiling it takes 120-inch panels, $500. Prices are the same for every design in this guide.
How long does delivery take?
Every panel is printed to order, and typical door-to-door time in the US is about one week, with free US shipping.