Lower parts of walls take the most abuse—kids’ hands, bags brushing, chair backs, shoes, random knocks. On very light colours, every scuff and mark shows up, especially near dining tables and corridors.
Using a slightly darker, more forgiving shade or tougher finish on the bottom portion (and a lighter tone above) helps. Marks don’t scream at you from across the room, and occasional cleaning keeps things acceptable without constant touch-ups.
It doesn’t have to be an obvious two-tone design; even a small shade difference with a subtle line can make maintenance much easier.