Say Goodbye To Boring Walls With Design Inspo From Joanna Gaines

If you're looking to add an eye-catching design feature to an otherwise boring room, an accent wall offers an easy way to create a focal point. While there are many trendy accent wall ideas to bring your home to life, these design features are constantly evolving. A few years ago, painting a wall a different color than the rest was popular, but now we're seeing creative versions that include trim, wallpaper, and murals. If you're looking for something even more unique, there's another idea that's gaining popularity: Joanna Gaines' tile accent wall from her "Mini Reni" series. 

Tiled accent walls can make a space look more upscale by introducing color, texture, and pattern. Like Joanna Gaines, you can use this idea to define a space (such as a breakfast nook, like she did) or to draw the eye to a specific area of the room, usually around a large picture window or other large space you'd like to highlight.

In episode 2 of Joanna Gaines' "Mini Reni" series, she tackled a breakfast nook that's snuggled in between the homeowner's kitchen and dining room. The windows in this space already had thick wood molding, which Gaines wanted to highlight with a tile accent wall. To qualify as a "mini-reni," the project had to require no demolition, and the materials had to be available locally or have quick shipping, making it a perfect project to emulate at home.

Gaines chose rectangular white-and-gold tile, and her team installed it using a dry-stack method, which offers a more handcrafted look because neither spacers nor grout are used. It also makes installation easier and less messy (although not all contractors agree that going groutless is a good idea for tile installations). Thanks to the vertically installed, rectangular tile, the room looked taller, and the tile ended up being the perfect choice for defining the breakfast nook. While the tiled accent wall is the star of the show, Gaines finished off the room with some shelving and greenery.

If you're ready to tackle a "mini reni" of your own, one of the best things about tiling an accent wall is that you can tile directly over drywall. The only exception is around showers and other high-humidity/high-moisture spaces, where you'll want to install cement board or another waterproof backer board. While there are a few mistakes to avoid while tiling, creating your own custom accent wall is a fairly manageable DIY project. But before running to the home improvement store to grab supplies, consider the material you'd like to use.

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are both solid options, offering affordability and low maintenance, since you can use just about any type of cleaner on them. They're also available in numerous colors, sizes, and patterns. Natural stone tiles, on the other hand, are more expensive and typically require regular sealing and gentle cleaners to prevent etching or damage. Depending on the look you're going for, one isn't necessarily better than the other, but it's important to consider maintenance and cleanability before making a selection. For example, if you're installing tile in a messy breakfast nook or a kids' playroom, an easy-to-wipe surface is preferable.

If you want to create an intricate pattern or use multiple tiles in your design, these 12 tile installations to try for a bold kitchen backsplash can act as inspo. However, it's helpful to first lay out the pattern to ensure you get it right during installation. A little preparation can go a long way in creating the perfect tile accent wall for your space.