The 60-30-10 rule
A classic way to balance a room is to split colour roughly like this:
- 60% dominant: walls, large rugs, big furniture. Usually the quietest colour.
- 30% secondary: upholstery, curtains, a feature wall, bedding.
- 10% accent: cushions, artwork, ceramics, a lamp. The boldest colour goes here.
The numbers are a guide to proportion, not a measurement. Wood, plants and metal count too: a room with a lot of oak floor already has a strong secondary colour.
Try a palette
Pick three colours. The bar shows them at 60-30-10, and the sketch shows them on a wall, a sofa and a vase.
Warm and cool neutrals
| Undertone | Looks like | Works well in |
|---|---|---|
| Warm (yellow, red, pink) | Cream, oat, sand, putty | North-facing rooms (in the northern hemisphere) that get cooler light |
| Cool (blue, green, grey) | Chalk, pebble, grey-green, sage | Bright, sunny rooms where warm colours can feel hot |
| Balanced | Greige, stone, mushroom | Open-plan spaces and rooms with mixed light |
To see an undertone, hold a sample next to plain white paper. The hidden colour shows up by contrast.
What makes a palette feel calm
- Low contrast between the main colours: neighbouring shades rather than opposites.
- Muted, greyed colours such as sage, dusty blue and clay, rather than pure saturated ones.
- One accent repeated, rather than several competing ones.
- Texture to stop a tonal scheme from feeling flat.
Testing paint
- Paint large samples, at least A4 size, on card or lining paper rather than small patches on the wall.
- Move them around: near the window, in the darkest corner, behind where the sofa will go.
- Look at them in the morning, afternoon and under your evening lamps.
- Remember that colour looks stronger over a whole wall than on a sample.
Carry colour from room to room
In a small home, rooms seen from each other look calmer when they share colours. Keep the same dominant neutral in connected spaces, or shift it one shade lighter or darker, and move the accent around: sage cushions in the living room might become a sage throw in the bedroom and a sage-glazed jug in the kitchen. Ceilings and woodwork in one consistent white or off-white tie the whole home together.
Your bulbs change colours too; the lighting guide covers colour temperature. For colour on a budget, see budget decor.