A simple way to jazz up a basic bathroom design is with dual tone walls. We are seeing this trend across all areas of the market due to its simplicity, and impact.
The trend divides the wall in two with the bottom portion being either a continuation of the floor tile or a different finish in contrast with the floor. The upper part of the wall is finished in another tile which differs in colour, texture or even simply, laying pattern, to the bottom portion.
How high up the wall you choose to make the change is entirely up to you. Halfway seems to be the most popular choice while some go only a third of the way or two-thirds of the way up the wall.
You may like to line the division up with a fixture like a shelf or the vanity mirrors but this technique also gives the opportunity to add dimension by floating the vanity mirrors over the top of the dividing line, creating another layer.
Dividing the wall also provides a great way to introduce intricately patterned tiles to the space without the pattern becoming overbearing or resigning them to the floor. Tile the lower half of the wall in the patterned tile with a plain tile on the floor and the upper portion of the wall.
One thing to keep in mind to pull off this effect is to ensure that the tiles you choose are the same dimension, or the smaller of the sizes divides neatly into the larger. If they are too far off you can end up with staggered grout lines that increase as you work your way along. For example, a 2mm size difference becomes 4mm on the next tile until at the end you may have a significant deviation. This is not an issue when combining large tiles with smaller mosaics, or finger mosaics.
I would be wary of using this in homes with low ceilings as it can divide the height of the wall, making the ceiling appear lower. Ceilings at 2700mm or higher are fine.
An alternative option if you like this idea but want something a little more subtle is to introduce a variation to the laying pattern at the halfway point. You can read more about laying patterns in our article on creating a unique design with laying patterns.
About the author: Jo Scott
Billy Hoo Studio was founded in 2015 by Interior Designer, Jo Scott. Jo has over 10 years experience in interiors including multiple residential, commercial and retail design projects across Australia as well as a solid background in Australian manufacturing and product development within the building industry. In addition to Interior Design, Jo has completed studies in Holistic Counselling and Building Design to further enhance her approach.
Visit Jo at billyhoostudio.com
