Accent Walls Are On Their Way Out: Accent Doors Are The Must-Have Trend Taking Over

Painting a single accent wall a different color as a room's focal point is quickly becoming a thing of the past. This is partially because we've seen it done for decades (I proudly painted my first apartment's bedroom wall neon lime green, so we're all guilty here). The novelty of the accent wall has become downright tiresome at this point, as this choppy design feature rarely does anything to make a space more cohesive, and often achieves the opposite. Additionally, as an interior designer, an accent wall feels like a half-measure to me that screams, "I wasn't really willing to commit to a design point of view." That's why, instead of accent walls, accent doors are taking over.

The creators of today's most impactful interiors are moving beyond the safe, uninspiring accent wall and looking for more exciting ways to inject style into their spaces. Some look to the ceiling to act as an unexpected statement, while others are embracing the benefits of the color drenching paint trend. One such exciting design feature that highlights the architecture of your home in a fresh, fun, sophisticated way is accent doors. I'm not talking about just painting the exterior of your front door to shake things up a little (though please feel free to do this too!) — I'm talking about painting interior doors to create a visually dynamic design feature out of a utilitarian part of the house. 

The painted accent door does an incredible job of walking the line between injecting a pop of color and maintaining the delicate balance of a space. Even if you tend to gravitate toward a more neutral palette with small doses of color, an accent door works to create an isolated decorative statement without overwhelming or overpowering the room. It's a nod to whimsy and color in a way that is fresh, elevated, and impactful without the risk of commandeering the room's entire identity.

Unlike an uninspired accent wall, a door painted in an unexpectedly playful hue adds a layer of sophistication and design credibility to your room. By thinking outside the box, an interior door painted the perfect color drums up more personality and wow-factor than an accent wall ever could. It shows you are willing to take a chance on a design point of view, rather than fall in line with the endless designs featuring the same beige on beige palettes that don't have anything unique to say. To me, this finely-tuned design perspective and attention to the small details is what makes or breaks the success of an interior's aesthetic and presence.

The perfect balance between visual interest, unique personality, and elegant restraint, the accent door is an incredible design feature to showcase in a space, creating a subtle, special moment from an otherwise standard and untreated home feature.

When choosing which door to accentuate with exciting color, look for one that has a unique architectural quality to it. French or double doors, doors with glass panels or sidelights, pocket doors, arched doors, or even a bank of built-in cabinet doors are all wonderful opportunities to showcase your home's finer features. But even standard interior doors can make great accents, so don't fret if you don't have any specialty doors to highlight.

Whether or not you should paint the door trim is a painting debate that no one can come to an agreement on. Painting only the door provides a pop of color and contrast, while painting the surrounding casing as well will make the feature stand out as one spectacular architectural unit. This works particularly well for doors with specialty or historical trim profiles to really highlight their charm. The other way I like to incorporate an unexpected pop of color is to just paint the side edge of any door in a bright hue, creating a hint of color in a surprising and playful way when the door is ajar.

Regardless of if you go for a French door painted in a serene, muted earth tone for an exceptionally elegant design statement, or put an unexpected stripe of vibrant pink on a door's edge for a bit of fun, an accent door is sure to make an impact. It will create a sophisticated focal point that puts uninspired, outdated painted accent walls to shame.