When it comes to a home design project, most people think that paint selection comes first. However, it’s actually the opposite! Professional Interior Designers know it is easier for clients to select decor elements and furniture than it is to select a paint color. Have you ever seen those home improvement shows where the client goes shopping with the designer before they ever see the designer’s paint choices? This is why!
Most of these home improvement shows are starting with a clean slate...a complete remodel. If you are doing the same, then great! However, many homeowners who are wishing to select a new color for their walls are not starting from scratch. They already have decor, cabinets, and furniture in their home which they don’t plan on changing. Guess what. It makes their paint selection process much easier!
When consulting with clients who want a new paint color for their walls, I always have them create a list of elements in the room(s) which are not changing. Such a list may include:
Flooring
Counter tops
Cabinets
Tile
Appliances
Sofas
Chairs
Once the client compiles this list, they can easily make design decisions utilizing the 60-30-10 rule.
This is an old rule in the design world which states that any space should be broken down by the following color ratios:
60% of your room is the dominant color
30% of your room should be the secondary color
10% of your room can be an accent color
Example: I have a living room with vaulted ceilings. This means the walls in the living room would represent the dominant color because they take up the most surface area. Flooring may also contribute to the dominant ratio if it is a bold color or design. If the flooring is more neutral and understated, then it may fall into the secondary color category. However, the secondary color will most likely be influenced by furniture and larger decor items. Lastly, the accent color will be “splashed” around the room by using small pictures and pillows.
Below is a condensed guide which demonstrates how you can apply the 60-30-10 rule:
Solidify the color(s) of the fixed elements in your space (cabinets, counter tops, appliances, etc.).
Choose a dominant wall color which you think would either compliment or contrast your existing colors of the fixed elements.
Evaluate a secondary color either based on flooring or your main furniture. Ensuring your dominant color and your secondary color mesh well together will be your main hurdle to overcome.
Lastly, there is an accent color. Do not feel pressured to fixate on the 10% accent color. Over time, the natural selection of the accent color will present itself near the end of the process.
Expanding on the subject of the accent color, there are times when an accent color ratio needs to increase by being painted on a wall as opposed to just being splashed around the room via pillows/pictures. Perhaps you have a room where the floors are light colored, and the walls have a large surface area. If the walls were painted a singular dominant color, it may cause the room to appear flat or stark. This would be the perfect opportunity to paint one wall with an accent color! By doing this you achieve a more dynamic look in the room, and it helps to balance the ratios between the dominant and secondary colors.
Please note: The 60-30-10 rule is used more as a guideline than a set standard. Its purpose is to create some context as to how one should consider breaking up color. Overall, every person and every house is unique in style, so the ratios can be changed endlessly to accommodate any imagination.