How to Perfect the 70-20-10 Rule in Interior Design (2024)

FAQs

How to Perfect the 70-20-10 Rule in Interior Design? ›

It states that you should use three different types of materials in your space in the following proportions: 70% for the main material, 20% for the secondary material and 10% for the accent material. The main material is the dominant material that defines the style and character of your space.

Thou Shalt Use the 70-20-10 Rule

For a balanced scheme, keep 70% of the elements (say, walls and floors) as one color, then add 20% in another color (fabrics such as that of upholstery, curtains and rugs), and 10% in an accent color (cushions, décor objects etc.)

According to the rule, 60% of your space is usually dominated by walls and larger pieces; 30% is often accent furniture, curtains, rugs and other textiles; and the remaining 10% are typically decorative pieces – think art, lamps, cushions and other decor.

In theory, a room should be 1.6 times wider and 2.6 times longer than it is taller to achieve perfection... but of course, this is not always practical or possible. Often, however, great room proportions are just something we get a feeling for when we enter them for the first time.

The golden ratio helps achieve a balanced room layout by assessing the floor space covered by furniture. Striking the right balance means that nearly 60% of your room will have furniture on it, with 40% being clear.

It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. It's an approach to budgeting that encourages setting aside 70% of your take-home pay for living expenses and discretionary purchases, 20% for savings and investments, and 10% for debt repayment or donations.

You might be familiar with the 60-30-10 color rule, used by interior designers to create a balanced color scheme. It's actually the same rule of three, just spelled out slightly differently as color percentages of 60, 30, and 10. “The idea is to use no more than three main colors in your space,” Marino explains.

It suggests that you should choose one dominant style or color scheme for 80% of your room, and a contrasting or complementary style or color scheme for the remaining 20%. This way, you can achieve a cohesive look without being too boring or too chaotic.

Use the golden ratio.

The ratio (which is roughly 60/40) is useful for interior designers seeking to achieve visual balance when furnishing a room. Filling 60 percent of your floor space with furniture and leaving 40 percent open makes a room feel complete without appearing overcrowded. 6.

Essentially, it's adding anything that's red – be it big or small – to a room where it doesn't match at all, transforming the space in one fell swoop. One TikToker is so keen on this theory that she's “petitioning for red to be a neutral colour because it just looks good with everything”.

What is the first rule of interior design? ›

1. Know your space. Interior design is a broad church that covers everything from the intricacies of the color wheel to more practical tips around furnishing your home for functionality. Therefore, we always advise that you know your space well before you make any changes.

There are seven main principles of interior design: balance, harmony, rhythm, proportion and scale, emphasis, contrast, and details.

“The 2:3 design rule suggests your sofa should be the equivalent of ⅔ the size of your room,” she says.

The “60-30-10” interior design rule says that you should stick to three colors in a given room: Main color: The main color should represent 60% of the room. It is typically used on walls, anchoring the room and providing a backdrop for your secondary color.

Decorate slowly with meaningful things.

Take time to find, restore, and collect things that will make your home beautiful in a way that's unique and special to you. Frame photos that tell your story, or mementos from places you've been. Clean up your grandparent's antique treasures if they bring back good memories.

It suggests that you should choose one dominant style or color scheme for 80% of your room, and a contrasting or complementary style or color scheme for the remaining 20%. This way, you can achieve a cohesive look without being too boring or too chaotic.

Which left me with the same challenge: how to fill a fairly big surface without it seeming too cluttered with bitsy things. And that's where the “3-5-7 Rule” comes into play, which essentially means styling with odd numbers to create an asymmetric but still visually pleasing arrangement of things.

60 percent of a room should be in your primary color, 30 percent in your secondary hue, and 10 percent in an accent shade. These proportions prevent your chosen colors from feeling too overpowering or, alternatively, from being too minimal to notice.