That's a really good question, I've always thought they work best when they are different or opposite colors. But have learned that's not always the case. I have golden walls in my living room and ended up with a cream accent wall (it was copper before but that was too much so I had to calm it down). In my hallway, I have cream walls and the wall at the turn of the hall is grass cloth green. I've never thought to use a shade in the same family but bet it would look wonderful too!

The greatest contrast between an accent wall and the other 3 walls in a room was in a home (mansion) in Jupiter,FL
that belonged to a friend that was an interior decorator/artist. The room featured a white, black and apple green color scheme.

Three walls in the Family Room were painted white and the fireplace was also white. The fireplace wall was selected as the accent wall and had been painted black.

It was a spectacular room, but remember that this woman spared no expense to achieve this look and everything in this room was perfect.

The best thing about this room was that even though it was showy, it was comfortable, inviting and welcoming.

I could never have pulled this look off in our home, but it worked in that home.

Mona, where was the apple green color used? Accessories?

I love apple green. Last year I painted my kitchen and eating area "Lettuce" which I considered a grannysmith apple green. I know sage green and baby turtle are extremely popular, but this color makes me HAPPY.

Here is a link that might be useful: my green apple wall

neesie, the patterned fabric on her sofas was a print that had the 3 colors in them. And her artwork and accessories had the green in them as well.

She didn't go heavy on the green in the room. She just used it in bits and pieces just to catch your eye and make you aware of the color.

Thanks lukkiirsh. Cooper was one of the high contrast colors I am looking at and wasn't feeling real positive about, though in theory it should have worked.

Monablair. Your friend's room sounds very dramatic. did you find yourself always focusing on the wall or did you eyes get to roam around the room?

Personally, I like the big contrast in color. I'm doing an accent wall in my dining room, the room will have white beadboard, very light yellow walls above it, and one wall over the beadboard will be black wallpaper with large floral designs. Main colors are the "apple/green" yellows, and reds, which is what my accent colors will be.

Go for it! :)

Justme, the room was so well planned that I saw the entire space as a work of art. Probably a poor choice of words, but it does decribe how everything worked to fit together like parts of a puzzle.

monablair & nessie: I love the light granny apple greens too, aren't they wonderful! We put celery, simular to your lettuce, in our guest bathroom, and the wall outside the door is Grass Cloth, a darker more intense version. When you have black close to it, it just pops!

justmeinsd: Copper is a really tricky color, we actually painted the wall a couple of times with varying shades and none of them worked, but it could be more because I'm not a hugh fan of the reds, they're too dramatic for me. I'm more casual and into greens, blues, yellow and even some browns.

I've done copper and love it, especially with a soft tan as the other color, but I will say, it took me a couple of tries as well. The first copper turned out "Cheap asian restaurant" I then toned it down quite a bit and worked with glaze to get it right. In the end I loved it, but I'd agree it's tempermental.

I have high contrast (deep green against parchment) in my family room (sorry no pics yet since it's not done) and a contrast in texture alone in my dining room, and I think both work. The back wall here is smooth and the finish is actually wallpaper I made. The side walls are the same tones, but the walls are knock down texture and done in a dry brush finish:

The lighting is bad in this one but it shows the back wall better. The first pic shows the side wall finish better (it's on all three other walls)

igloochic - beautiful walls, but then I loved your kitchen also.

I think the main problem with the wall right now is the amount of sunlight washes it out since the house is in a Desert. I painted the library next to it SW Mannered Gold which I really like but for what ever reason it has a real green tone to it on the walls. Do the low-e tint on windows change the way colors look?

Right now I think I am leaning to an orangy-gold if I can actually find a good one.