Slat & Reed Accent Wall: Learn to use basic millwork to bring your room to life with slat or reed accent walls.

Upgrading a plain room is easy with a millwork accent wall. Accent walls are a creative way to pull focus in a room and add some visual stimuli to your home. Whether you are looking for a natural look, texture, or color, nothing gives you more diversity to hit these points quite like wood trim. There are so many ways to use a basic millwork trim to give you a unique accent wall with endless options. Need some inspiration? Here are some design ideas and details about using slat accent and reed accent walls. 

Blue Slat Wall

Slat Accent Wall Design

Wood slat accent designs have a rich history in both Eastern and Western architectural design. Originating centuries ago in Japan, millwork slats were used to create movable partitions that provided privacy and air circulation.  

Japanese Slat Partitions

Customize a wood slat accent simply the location that you put the slats and the spacing you put between the boards. A slat accent wall can range widely from a wood slat divider wall between living spaces to the simpler application of an accent to a piece of furniture; the options are endless. In Japanese and mid-century design, the wood slat walls were used to define the space while allowing light to filter in. Wood slats used as divider walls are a great way to give your home entry space some character or have as the wall along staircase as an alternative to enclosing a staircase with two walls.

Natural Wood Slat Room Divider

In Japandi design, the art of combining Japanese minimalism with the warmth of Scandinavian design, the use of a warm wood backdrop made with slat accent wall or reed accent wall is the perfect addition to any living room. Give your hallway some flair by adding slats to the walls and ceiling or a backdrop to your fireplace or entertainment area.

Stained Natural Wood Slat Wall

Reeded Accent Wall Design

Where wood slat accent designs can be used to allow light in when used as room dividers, the convex ridges of reeded accent wall designs have been used since antiquity to add texture and depth to decorative elements. With origins as far back as ancient Greece and Rome, where it was used in the design of Doric columns, the visual depth of reed design accents plays with light and shadow. This design technique was also prevalent in the Renaissance where it was applied to various architectural elements and furniture. We can also find reed accents in Neoclassical and Georgian styles where it was used widely by upper class families and nobility on furniture and interiors. Later, reed accents featured prominently in the Art Deco era and still today in modern accent walls. Reed accent walls are a timeless architectural design element that you can add to your home through accent walls, furniture and more.

Painted Reed Accent Wall

Adding reed paneling transforms simple and flat surfaces into ornate decorative features.  Like other design accents, reeding is a great way to add a focal point to an area without changing the entire color school of the room. A reed accent wall provides texture, a unique aesthetic and a cultured visual piece that can range from classic to modern design.  

Reed Accent added to Furniture

Do you not want a full accent wall? Consider a half wall accent. Max out the accent at 4’ and top the wall accent with a sill to separate the slats from the rest of the wall. The sill can be used as a shelf or simply as décor. Try putting reed paneling under the kitchen island to add some flare to an often-forgotten space. Another use for the partial accent is a 2’ high section that runs along the ceiling. And as always, going with a full wall of slat or reeded accent never fails to impress.

Kitchen Island Reed Accent

There are many ways that an accent wall can make a home stand out above the rest.  If you are in the Greater Seattle area, we want to know how we can assist you with your millwork needs.  We have been providing quality doors, hardware and millwork to the Greater Seattle area since 1990 and are ready to help you start your next project.

Give us a call at Interbay Door (425-485-6404 or info@interbaydoor.com) today! 

Martinez, Rosa. "18+ Stunning Wood Slat Wall Ideas for Your Home." Story and Home website. https://storyandhome.com/blog/wood-slat-wall-ideas/

Parker, Walter. "10 DIY Wood Slat Wall Ideas for a Cozy and Contemporary Look." Dec. 11, 2024. Wood for Woodwork Blog. https://woodworkly.com/wood-slat-wall-ideas/

Nasir, Fariha. "Easy DIY Reeded or Fluted Wall Moulding Tutorial." May 2, 2024. Pennies for a Fortune. https://penniesforafortune.com/diy-reeded-wall-moulding-tutorial/

Hohendel, Kristin. "52 Stylish Wood Slat Wall Ideas for Any Room." November 11, 2024. The Spruce Website. https://www.thespruce.com/wood-slat-accent-wall-ideas-8382908#:~:text=Customize%20a%20wood%20slat%20wall%20room%20divider%2C%20living,a%20range%20of%20spaces%20and%20styles%20for%20inspiration.

Fetzer, Mary. "Transform Your Space with These 9 Fabulous Bedroom Accent Wall Ideas - Find eye-catching decorating inspiration with this guide." Wayfair website. https://www.wayfair.com/sca/ideas-and-advice/guides/transform-your-space-with-these-9-fabulous-bedroom-accent-wall-ideas-T20298?refid=MX79646084556332.wayfair~bb&pcrid=79646084556332&device=c&targetid=dat-2331445687989913:loc-190&channel=BingToF&query=reed%20accent%20wall&msclkid=219413cf82d8174f82b37b6814c7ebae&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=WF.Blog.General&utm_term=wayfair&utm_content=NoCategory.TransformYourSpaceWithThese.DSA