A color formula

A color formula

60-30-10

Afraid of using color in your own home? Don’t be. It all comes down to color basics. Decorating a space in terms of color is as easy as 60-30-10. Don’t believe it? Take a look at some rooms in magazines or on the Web. You’ll notice that the rooms you like the most are almost invariably divided into percentages of 60-30-10. Why this works is anybody’s guess. Perhaps it is the human tendency to see an overall theme in the 60 percent hue, unifying the coloration. The 30 percent provides visual interest and the 10 percent, not unlike jewelry, provides that little spark of sparkle. So, when decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages:

60 percent of a dominant color

30 percent of a secondary color

10 percent of an accent color

When you think about it, this color breakdown is similar to a man’s business suit:

60 percent of the outfit’s color is the slacks and jacket

30 percent of the outfit’s color is the shirt

10 percent of the outfit’s color is the tie

Translated to a room setting, it typically means:

60 percent of the room’s color is the walls

30 percent of the room’s color is the upholstery

10 percent of the room’s color is, say, an accent piece or a floral arrangement

Source: Scripps Howard News Service