Application Of The 60-30-10 Rule In Your Home

Making your home feel more comfortable and relaxing comes down to the interior design. Click here for more information.

About Me
creating a home that is comfortable and relaxing

Creating a comfortable place to kick off your shoes and relax can be more stressful than most jobs, but it can be a whole lot of fun if you do it right. One way to make finishing your house a lot easier is to learn about some of your options. Start with the colors that you like and learn the effect that those colors can have on your home. Will those colors make the space seem smaller than it is or will they be so vibrant that they make it hard to unwind? You can find a lot of advice for creating a comfortable home right here on our blog.

Search

Application Of The 60-30-10 Rule In Your Home

10 February 2020
 Categories:
, Blog


An interior design principle that's in common practice is the 60-30-10 rule. The rule relates to the color palette in your rooms. As The Spruce explains the principle, you'll choose a dominant color for 60% of your room, a secondary color for 30%, and an accent color for the remaining 10% of your room. Find out how to apply the 60-30-10 rule in your home.

Choose Your Color Palette

Your first step is to choose a color palette. The world is your inspiration. You can look through showrooms, magazines, or even nature. You can also adhere to a classic color palette, such as a Cape Cod look that features beige, red, and navy.

Another option is to consult a color wheel. You can choose a standard triadic color scheme in which the three colors are equal distance from each other on the wheel. You can also opt for an analogous scheme in which the colors are right next to each other on the wheel.

Utilize Neutrals

Depending on the palette you choose, you may actually apply a fourth color to your decorating — a straight neutral such as white. You'll want to incorporate such a color if you've chosen a creative color scheme, such as the triadic palette, to ground the colors. Other schemes, such as the traditional Cape Cod, already feature a grounding color, so you won't have to add a neutral.

Use the Dominant Color

Once you have your color palette settled, you're ready to start decorating. Your makeover should actually start with the walls, which should be either your neutral or dominant color. Large accent pieces and furniture will also be in the dominant color. Your goal is for roughly 60% of the décor to be in the dominant color.

Keep in mind how much of your space will be in this hue when you're choosing your dominant color. Obviously, you'll want it to be a color you'll appreciate. You can also vary the depth of the color so your room doesn't look monochromatic.

Apply the Secondary Color

For your next color, your goal is to use about half as much of it as the dominant color. You'll use your secondary color for window treatments, smaller furniture, and some textiles. You can also use this color for any wall trim in your room. For this application, consider incorporating patterns in which the secondary color is the main hue.

Accent with the Third Color

Your creativity comes through with your accent color. Any small items of décor can serve to provide the accent color in your room. Designers often turn to accent pieces such as vases, small textiles, and artwork. You could also choose a flower arrangement in the target color.

Design like an interior decorator by applying the 60-30-10 rule to your home.