That’s right, there are rules in the world of interior decorating.
Are you familiar with the “60, 30, 10 rule“?
It’s really pretty simple.
look at a photo of the room you are
decorating and divide it up.
Rule:
60% of a dominant color
30% of a secondary color
10% of an accent color
Rule translation:
60% wall color
30% upholstry
10% accesories/ other color
This room shows a clear example of this rule.
60% yellow
30% cream / white
10% orange
The result is a balanced, visually pleasing room whth just the right amount of everything.
Let’s do another one...
60% Khaki walls
30% White couch & trim
10% black accessories
This one is a challenge…
Since the outside is very dominant, you have to consider it as a part of this scheme.
60% lavendar (I am banking on there being a lot more unseen wall)
30% Blue & Green
10% White trim
What do you think?
please help,
I bought new moss green carpet. There is Tan/Tawney furniture. The wall colors should be _______? I want to follow the 60-30-10 rule and feel utterly confused. I don’t have money to throw away. I can’t keep changing “things”.
Help,
Maureen
Hi Maureen,
It sounds like you have neutral furniture and now a green carpet. You can choose a nice cream / off white for most of the walls and do an accent wall in an orange / terracotta. Or you can add oranges, reds and browns by adding nice cushions to your neutral furniture.
Orange / red is a complimentary color combination with green and it always works.
Good luck,
Patti
Patti,
Thanks for the tips, never come across this rule before but it make total sense.
Tom
Hi Tom,
It only took me 20 years in the decorating world to come across it, so don’t feel bad… and it is one of the good ones too!
🙂
~P
I’ve read this before and have always not *quite* understood it. Mainly I don’t understand the use of black and/or white in the equasion. What if you have a split complimentary scheme — say yellow(60%), blue-purple(30%), and purple-red(10%). How does white (trimwork) and black (picture frames, etc) then factor into the equasion?
Thank you!
Hi De Anna,
I had a roomate in college named De Anna, I wonder if it is you?!
The break down would be something like this:
1) Yellow 2) Blue – purple 3)Red – other (Black & White),
The purple is one color eventhough it appears as a combination somewhere with red…
I am just guestimating since I have not seen the actual room.
Hope this helps.
~Patti
Hello Patti,
I am designing a room and having difficulty following the 60-30-10 rule. The walls in the room are a neutral tan color. I would like to do a baby blue headboard and I have two white end tables, a white dresser, and a tan desk. I’m not sure how to combine these colors into this rule. Which colors should be where? Thank you for your help; also, I’d like to do an accent color in the midst of all this confusion.
Again thanks,
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany,
How exciting! Your color choices sound soft and sophisticated and from what you have told me so far it sounds like you are almost there. Your 60% color is the tan for sure. It’s a draw between the white and blue for the 30% spot right now but my suggestions are as follows:
For 30% blue add:
To add a bit more punch to this otherwise neutral color combo I would start with the bed cover and pillows. Try adding a pattern (your pick, stripe, plaid or floral) that utalizes shades of blue possibly mixed with a white background. The blues can range from navy to your lightest color blue. I would seriously consider a rug in a dark brown or tan solid or with a soft, muted pattern that works with the bedding. As for an accent color, blue goes well with yellow and green (a rug in green would work too). If you have a white ceiling and trim and add the blue as suggested above then the white becomes your 10%.
Happy decorating and happy to help!
~Patti
Thank you for your suggestions, this had made things a lot easier. As for mirrors in this room, what color trimming should I use; I was thinking about silver.
Thanks,
Tiffany
Good call Tiifany,
Silver is a natural match for blue and tan and white decor. Personally I choose silver over gold in most decorating situations.
~Patti
I’m back again. So here’s an update. I have scratched the whole design scheme and started over. I found this duvet by Ralph Lauren (Millbrook in case you wanted to take a peek) and have decided to use this as the headboard fabric instead. It has navy blue as a base color with red, hunter green and yello gold as accents; the print is kind of paisley. The room walls and carpet are still tan. I also have a wooden futon that I am using. So, I was thinking of using the blue as my 30% and red as my 10%. But here’s where I’m getting stuck: my furniture (side tables, dresser) are white and the desk and futon are cherry wood. I was thinking of painting a blue trim around the drawers of the dresser and a painting a navy stencil on the side tables also. My futon covering is also going to be navy blue. The white and cherry furniture is throwing me off; would these colors count for the 60-30-10 rule? I am also trying to keep the room as light as possible because the room is tan and the fabric is dark. I am having trouble with picking curtain colors, a rug color, and trims for picture frames and mirrors. Hope you can help with this ordeal…..my head is about to explode. Thanks so much Patti.
Tiffany
I just bought Tawney Tan Carpet for my living room. I would like to stay with brown furniture. What color should my walls be?