Perfecting the 60/30/10 Rule in Painting 

Planning to paint a space in your home and want it to look balanced and cohesive? You may want to try the designing rule 60/30/10 which will help your colors feel balanced and bring together a unified look for your space. 

If you are not from the interior designing world or the painting industry, you may be wondering what this 60/30/10 Rule is and how it could possibly help your interior spaces come to life and create a well-thought-out space to enjoy. 

What Is The 60/30/10 Rule? 

This decorating concept suggests using three colors when painting and decorating a space. The main or dominant color you choose should show up in 60% of the room. A secondary or accent color should be another 30% and a final spattering of a third color makes up the remainder of the space. It is all about maintaining the perfect balance of tones. Pick colors that mingle well with each other to create a subtle combo. 

Here is a typical example of this rule. The 60% of a typical room using this rule would include the walls and floors. For instance, a room with beige walls and tan/brown hardwood flooring would make up the main or predominant color scheme. An accent wall of blue and a couch in a similar shade would make up 30% of the room. And then for the last 10% of the room, some green throw pillows or blankets would round out the space. 

As a quick caveat, this rule does not mean that a space is void of other colors but rather the most notable colors fall into these three categories. 

Inspiration Ideas for the 60/30/10 Rule 

Need help deciding what parts of your spaces should fall into each category of this design rule? Here are a few suggestions to inspire your creative side. 

Since 60% of the room’s color scheme is the largest portion, consider using the rugs, flooring and walls for this portion. If you are planning the design for the bedroom the flooring, seating area and walls could be included in this design portion. 

For the 30% portion of a room consider the colors of drapery, accent walls, throw pillows, blankets, lamp shades, throw rugs, painted furniture or painted built-in bookshelves. 

The last 10% of the color scheme is really the last pop of color that ties the entire space together. This could be all those little decorative accessories such as lamps, artwork, candles, plant containers, and small ottomans. 

The idea with this rule is not to be strict with the use of color but to expand the palette and make the space homey, inviting and easy to live in. 

Categorised in: How-Tos, Interior painting, Jerry Enos