by Susan Hibberd

Created on: August 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 25, 2009

Using two colors of paint on one wall is a great way of adding personal style at very little cost. Although this is a low-cost option to injecting style into your room, the effects can be magical.

Spend some time flicking through Home Style magazines to get some ideas, and invest in a note pad for jotting down your own creative thoughts. Once you have an idea, use colored pencils or a computer package to help you visualize what the finished result will be.

Here are some ideas:

Stripes

The most basic way of using two colors on one wall is to use stripes. If you have a very large room, or are following a theme (such as nautical) then you can go bold, and use two quite contrasting colors, such as white and navy blue. If, however, you are looking for a more subtle effect, choose two shades of the same color, such as pastel blue.

Look at the paint samples in the decorating store and choose two colours that are two shades apart. The colors that are next to each other on the paint chart will be too closely related, so choose one or two shades darker or lighter than your first color.

These stripes can go vertically, to increase the height of the room, or horizontally, to increase the sense of width in a room.

Circles

Tiny circles in different sizes painted onto a wall look really funky. Choose a second color that contrasts with your first, or even perhaps clashes with it, for maximum effect. Find a plate, coaster or other round object to draw round and pencil your circles onto the wall to start with. Then just color them in. choose a variety of sizes painted randomly up one side of the wall and it will look like bubbles!

Dado Rails

If you have a dado, or chair rail in your room, you can paint the walls above and below it in different colors. You can cChoose two co-ordinating colors, but it is better if you choose two shades of the same color. It is best to put the darker color on the bottom of the wall and the lighter color on the top. If you like this idea, you can always install a dado rail very easily.

You can also use paint effects to maximise the look of this style. Use a plain dark paint on the lower half of the wall, and a sponged look on the top, incorporating the darker color into it.

Sponging

Sponging is a technique whereby you use two or more colors to create a textrured look to a painted wall. Paint one color on the wall first, all over. Then use a natural sponge to lightly dab a darker or lighter color all over the top. Try to keep the coverage as even as possible.

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