Wall and accent wall paint calculator
For one wall, or a few walls the same size. Accent walls are often a deep color, which can need a third coat or a tinted primer, so the coats field matters here.
Enter your measurements
More options: Extra (spray loss, touch-up stock)
- Paint needed
- 0.55 gal (2.08 L)
- Cans of the size you chose
- 1 can · 1-gallon
- Wall area (one coat)
- 96 sq ft
- Paint per coat
- 1.1 qt
- Coverage used
- 350 sq ft/gal
12 ft × 8 ft = 96 sq ft
96 sq ft × 2 coats ÷ 350 sq ft/gal = 0.55 gal → buy 1 gallon
- Under three quarts, quarts can work out cheaper than a gallon; at three quarts or more, a gallon almost always is.
- Keep a little for touch-ups: an accent wall gets scuffed where furniture meets it.
Quick answers for common sizes
| Example | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much paint for an accent wall | 0.55 gal: buy 1 gallon |
Paint for this wall by number of coats
| Coats | Paint needed | Buy (gallons and quarts) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.1 qt | 2 quarts |
| 2 | 0.55 gal | 1 gallon |
| 3 | 0.82 gal | 1 gallon |
Measure the wall’s width at the floor and its height to the ceiling. If it has a door or window, enter the area to leave out. The result rounds up to the gallons and quarts you can buy; switch the can size to quart to see the count in quarts. New to this? Paint words explained.
How much paint for one wall
wall area = width × height × number of walls − openings paint = wall area × coats ÷ coverage 1 quart ≈ 87 sq ft per coat at 350 sq ft/gal
A 12 ft wall 8 ft high is 96 sq ft. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon need 0.55 gallons, which is three quarts, so a single gallon is the sensible buy. That job, with the dark-color and two-wall versions, is on how much paint for an accent wall.
Accent walls and deep colors
- Coats. Deep and bright colors are mixed in clear or deep bases with less white pigment, so they hide less per coat. Plan three coats, or two over a tinted primer, unless your can says otherwise.
- Coverage stays about the same. The square feet per gallon on a data sheet is the same across bases; what changes is how many coats it takes to stop seeing the old color.
- Which wall. The wall you see first when you walk in, or the one behind the bed or sofa. Walls with lots of windows and doors make poor accent walls; there isn’t enough uninterrupted color.
- Sheen. Matte and eggshell hide wall flaws; a dark color in satin or semi-gloss shows every roller mark and patch.
Tips
- Cut in the corners with a brush first. Inside corners where two colors meet are easiest if you paint the lighter wall slightly onto the accent wall, then tape the light side and paint the accent.
- Gable walls and walls under stairs: measure the average height (the height halfway along) and use that.
- Several walls the same size? Set How many walls this size. Different sizes? Add each one to the project list.
Painting the whole room? The room paint calculator takes doors and windows off automatically; how much paint for a 10x12 room shows what an accent wall does to the main color. A single wall of wallpaper instead? See how many rolls of wallpaper for one wall.
What you’ll need
- Painter’s tape (multi-surface)Budget price
Masks trim, ceilings and glass. Pull it at an angle while the last coat is still slightly soft for the cleanest line.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Angled sash brush (2–2½ in)Budget price
For cutting in along ceilings, corners and trim. A nylon-polyester brush is what the latex data sheets recommend.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Paint roller frame and covers (9 in)Budget price
A sturdy 9 in frame and a few 3/8 in nap covers handle smooth drywall. Rougher walls and ceilings want 1/2–3/4 in nap, as the data sheets suggest.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Cross-line laser levelMid-range price
Gives a plumb line for the first wallpaper strip and a level line for accent walls and two-tone paint.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
Is a quart of paint enough for an accent wall?
Rarely. A quart covers about 87–100 sq ft per coat, so it does one coat on a 12 × 8 ft wall. Two coats need about three quarts, and a gallon usually costs less than three quarts.
How many coats does an accent wall need?
Two for most colors, three for deep or bright ones over a light wall, or two over a tinted primer. The calculator’s table shows one, two and three coats side by side.
How much paint does one wall need?
Width × height × coats ÷ the coverage on the can. For a 12 × 8 ft wall and two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon, that is 0.55 gallons.
How many litres of paint for a feature wall?
A 3.6 × 2.4 m feature wall is 8.64 m²; two coats at 8.6 m² per litre need about 2 litres, so a 2.5 litre tin. Switch the calculator to metric for any size.
Related guides
Sources
- Sherwin-Williams, ProMar 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex Eg-Shel (B20 series), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 350–400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet; two coats over primer on drywall; sheen 15–20 units at 85°.
- Benjamin Moore, Regal Select Interior Eggshell (549), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 400–450 sq ft per gallon at 3.8 mils wet; two coats for full color; eggshell 15–22 units at 85°.
- Behr, Premium Plus Interior Flat Paint (No. 1050), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 250–400 sq ft per gallon depending on application method and substrate porosity; does not include spray loss.