Homeowners who have recently moved in to their new house find themselves facing a blank wall- literally and figuratively- when it comes to interior design inspirations. Unless you provide specific instructions as to which paint a certain wall must be painted with or what texture should be rendered, you will find yourself surrounded by bare walls all over the house. Fortunately, there are hundreds of design tricks that you can use in order to infuse style onto those bare walls.

Certainly, the easiest and most obvious option is to simply hang any kind of modern wall art, such as posters, wall sculptures, prints, and posters; but why stop there? By painting patterns and designs onto the walls themselves, you will be able to set off these fine artistic creations amid a colorful, well-designed background. In fact, depending on how handy you are with a brush, you might just find yourself looking at the wall itself as art! Moreover, not only is this a less-expensive alternative, it is also a fun DIY project.

If you are ready to give this a try, then here are the basic tips you need to consider as you transform a bare wall with paint.

Choose the location- First things first, you do not have to paint all your walls, this could prove to be too tiring or too expensive. What you can do is just paint a certain wall as an accent. For instance, in the living room, you may choose to paint a design on the wall behind the sofa and paint all other sections using a plain color that complements the accent wall. In the bedroom, you can paint the wall behind the headboard to serve as the focal point of the room. In choosing the right location, remember that the wall must be clearly visible and easy to paint.

Choose the design and color combination- A "transformation" requires a dramatic change from the previous bare wall to the resulting accent wall. However, the design need not be loud or overpowering in a way that it will completely overshadow all the other elements found in the room. Choose the patterns and color combinations that suit your taste and then experiment. You may also browse through interior decorating magazines or thousands of pictures from online libraries to get an idea of which design is appropriate for the location you have chosen. A whimsical trompe l'oeil mural, for example, is more appropriate for the kitchen or the nursery than in the main receiving area.

Choose the right accessories to enhance the effect- Finally, sort of like the icing on the cake, choose the right accessories for the finished wall. The right set of accessories, such as canvas wall art in the form of abstract paintings, or even modern wall art such as sculptures and plaques can easily set off the color and design you have chosen for the accent wall.

With a careful consideration of the above factors, you are well on your way to having utterly stylish and unique accent walls in your home.