Designers don’t really understand why people respond to these proportions when selecting a color scheme, but they do work.
Jim Howard
The “60-30-10″ rule is a breakdown of percentages that helps guide you on how much of a color is needed to make the room balanced and cohesive. Usually, the walls make up the majority of the room, and will be your 60 percent. Your furniture’s color will take up the 30 percent, and the remaining 10 percent are items such as throw pillows, picture frames, rugs, or vases.
Jonathan Adler
When using the 60-30-10 rule, keeping one of the three colors as a neutral (such as white, beige, or black) will create a “safer” palette, and give you more choices when trying to find objects in that color to accentuate the room.
Tom Stringer
You can play around with the colors and percentages, and doing so will completely change the look and the vibe of the room. For example, assume that your three colors are black, raspberry, and white. Imagine all the walls being white (60%), the furniture being black (30%), and your accents being raspberry(10%).
Stephen Shubel
Now imagine your walls being raspberry (60%), your furniture being white (30%), and your accents being black (10%). It’s a totally different picture, but the color choices are exactly the same.
Jonathan Berger
So, when decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages:
60% of the room’s color is the walls.
30% of the room’s color is the upholstery.
10% of the room’s color is, say, an accent piece or a floral arrangement.
When you think about it, this color breakdown is similar to a man’s business suit:
60% of the outfit’s color is the slacks and jacket
30% of the outfit’s color is the shirt
10% of the outfit’s color is the tie.
Remember that three color divisions doesn’t mean exactly three colors. It means tones. You can have furniture and window coverings that are both blue, but not exactly the same shade. They just need to complement each other. Textural differences can also add greatly to the richness of a décor.
Marshall Watson
The orange accents used in this space was used in the right way. As I explained here, try repeating your accent color in 2 to 3 spots so that it creates rhythm within your room. Do you think the blue can also be named as the accent color here?:
House and Home
If you have a favorite color you want to use everywhere, then make sure to use several shades of it to give the room some depth. You can still apply the 60-30-10 rule, just using different shades of a single color.
Tobi Fairley
Isn’t Tobi Fairley’s designs fantastic? I love her rooms.
So next time you are looking to redesign a room, try using this 60-30-10 rule. Start with your furnishings if you are going to keep. What color are they? This will be the 30%. Do you want another neutral color for the walls? They do not have to be neutral if you don’t want them to be. After you select the wall color, your next choice would be the ‘fun’, the ‘pop’, and the ‘excitement’ of the rooms colors. Remember that these colors should be the 10% “wow” that should be carried out in three separate spots throughout the room.
Comments? Do you use the 60-30-10 rule when planning colors for your room?
If you need help selecting great paint colors for your home, contact me today!
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