Okuzeka
Interior Design vocabulary · Colour & Colour Schemes

60-30-10 rule

Meaning in interior design, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In interior design, 60-30-10 rule means: A guideline for balancing colours in a room: about 60% dominant colour, usually walls and large surfaces, 30% secondary colour and 10% accent colour.

In Turkish: 60-30-10 kuralı

How it is used

Taught in design courses and quoted in client presentations as an easy way to explain a colour scheme. It is a starting point, not a strict law: experienced designers often break it on purpose.

Example sentences

  1. Following the 60-30-10 rule, the walls are warm white, the furniture is oak and the accent is rust.

  2. The 60-30-10 rule is a helpful guide when a client can't decide how much colour to use.

Common collocations

  • follow the 60-30-10 rule
  • break the 60-30-10 rule
  • apply the 60-30-10 rule
  • accent colourA strong colour used in small amounts, for example on cushions, a chair or a door, to add interest to a mostly calm colour scheme.
  • colour schemeThe planned combination of colours used in a room or project, including walls, floors, furniture and fabrics, chosen so that they work together.
  • colour paletteThe limited set of specific colours selected for a project, often shown as samples or paint codes, from which every surface and item is chosen.
  • balanceThe even spread of visual weight in a room, so that no side feels heavier or emptier than another; it can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

More terms: Colour & Colour Schemes

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: