Starting with a completely blank canvas or working around existing features like a carpet or sofa can make choosing a colour scheme for a space tricky.

While it might be easy to start with pink walls or a particular curtain fabric, knowing when to stop, colour-wise, can be a challenge. How many colours should be present in a room for it to appear considered rather than chaotic or one-note?

Guidelines for a Successful Scheme

Personal Taste vs. Decorating Principles

While personal taste plays a significant role in the colours chosen for a space, there are guidelines and decorating principles that can help ensure the design is cohesive and stylish.

The Three-Colour Rule

The three-colour rule suggests sticking to a main palette of three colours when decorating a room. This approach ensures the end result is visually appealing without being overwhelming or overly coordinated.

Breaking the Rule

According to Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux, although the three-colour rule is a good starting point, it can be beneficial to deviate from it eventually. By incorporating varying tones of the same colours in accessories, a coordinated look can be achieved. This approach simplifies decorating choices.

Percentage Split of Colours

In interior design, the three-colour rule is often referred to as the 70-20-10 rule or the 60-30-10 rule, indicating the percentage split of colours in a room. The dominant colour typically makes up 60-70% of the space, followed by the complementary colour at 20-30%, and finally, the disruptor colour at 10%.

Implementing the Rule

Ann Marie Cousins, interior designer and founder of AMC Design, emphasizes starting with a dominant colour, followed by a complementary colour, and then adding a disruptor colour, which is often a neutral shade.

Signing up for Home Decor magazines provides style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice, and more, ensuring you stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and tips.