Interior Trends: How to create a split wall interior scheme

One of the biggest trends for this year and which is due to stick around for 2023 too, is painting your walls in two tones, or creating ‘split walls’.

A split wall is essentially when the wall is painted in two different colours, whether they be complementary or harmonious, with the end result being striking and modern. It allows colourful drama and stylish flair to be brought into a space, and is a particularly useful way of injecting personality into children’s rooms.

Before embarking on your split wall painting job, it is worth planning the rest of the bedroom first:

1. Use any furniture or architectural details (such as window sill heights for example), to dictate the height of the split in colour.
2. Generally speaking, it is most aesthetically pleasing to split the wall at either the top or bottom third. – Dividing the wall exactly in half creates a more traditional aesthetic.
3. It also looks great when the split in colour intersects a bed or piece of furniture, rather than being exactly the same height as the furniture.
4. You also need to decide whether you are creating a bold colour combination (for example Orange and Blue, or whether the palette will be more tonal (for example, a range of Purple).
5. Once you’ve picked out the colours, apply the base colour (or the colour you’d like to see more of) first, and use a spirit level and masking tape to mask off where you’d like the second colour to start.
6. Ensure that you allow enough time for the base colour paint to fully dry before applying masking tape to the wall and the second colour.

Looking for inspiration for your own two-tone wall?

Here are 5 different ways to paint a split wall:

1. Create a traditional look with a modern twist, by painting panelling and using the rail as the divide in colour.

For a light and airy look, keep the colour bright White above the dado rail, or for a more gentle scheme, select a soft Greige.

2. For a bold aesthetic, paint black on the bottom third of the wall. Black can be paired with any warm colour, or even white. Avoid Blue or Green as these are tonally more similar to Black, and so there may not be enough contrast.

3. Try out a mural idea using just two colours. A mountain mural works really well with two tonal hues. Ensure that they are more than three shades apart so that you get a clear and clean line.

4. Brighten their space with a zesty Yellow-Orange. Often a colour to exude happiness and joyfulness, Yellow works brilliantly when pared with subtle, pale colours such as this light Blue for a playful interior scheme.

5. If cottage core is more your style, use Tongue and Groove panelling on the lower half of the wall, and top with a shelf. – Perfect for trinkets and books!