I’m not one for interior design rules – but these are the 4 that actually work

Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.

I don’t stick to many rules. A big opening statement I know… but generally speaking I try to follow my gut and go with my instincts when it comes to my decisions. And nowhere is this more true than in my own home. I’ve written about why I don’t follow traditional interior design rules and I stand by the idea that your home should be led by what you love, rather than what you’ve been told to do. That said, it turns out there are a handful of principles I do pay attention to. They aren’t rules to follow blindly, but useful guides that can help make a room feel more considered.

So, here’s my opinion on the rules I think are worth knowing about. The little tips and tricks that I actually like to use when creating a home.

1. The 60-30-10 rule

There’s a colour rule that, in theory, helps create a balanced and cohesive scheme, this is the 60-30-10 theory. And I have to admit, I really think this one works, particularly when layering different styles and introducing bolder colour palettes.

That said, I don’t follow this rigidly. For example, if I want to colour drench a space in different tones of the same colour, the rule doesn’t really fit, but I do like to incorporate this way of thinking in some spaces, and in particular in clients' homes.

The idea itself is quite simple – the most dominant colour is your 60%, think walls, large pieces of furniture or anything that creates the backdrop of the space. Then 30% is given to a secondary colour that complements the base colour, introduced through things like upholstery, rugs, curtains or furniture pieces. The final 10% is an opportunity to have a little fun with a bold pop of an accent colour. This can be through artwork, cushions, styling accessories or smaller details. I particularly like to throw in a chair, cushion or pouffe in something a little surprising.

As someone who has become increasingly more confident with colour over the years (my millennial grey era is well and truly buried at this stage of life!), I can see why this rule works… it gives a clear starting point to create a palette without feeling too flat or overwhelming.

Would I sit with my floor planning tool and calculate the exact percentages… absolutely not. For me the real takeaway with this rule is the balance. Use the 60-30-10 as a loose guide to build the foundations of the room, but trust your eye rather than the maths.

2. The unexpected red theory

This is one I can, and if you have seen my house, definitely have, got behind! In early 2024 Brooklyn based interior designer Taylor Migliazzo Simon posted on TikTok with the idea that adding a small, unexpected pop of red to a space can instantly make it feel more considered, even when red has nothing to do with the rest of the colour scheme.

It could be a small change, in a lamp, chair, piece of artwork, or something like a vase. It can also be a more dramatic change, a sofa, bed, ceiling, cabinet or rug. For me, it’s less about the colour red itself and more specifically about introducing something that is fun and unexpected… that little bit of contrast can actually end up bringing the whole room together and it’s surprising how red seems to compliment everything!

3. The rule of three

When styling, I often find myself clustering objects in groups of three. There’s something about an odd number that naturally feels more balanced to the eye, without looking too symmetrical or overly styled.

I tend to use this mostly with accessories on say a coffee table, shelf or sideboard, especially playing with different heights, shapes and textures to keep things interesting and balanced.

Although this theory isn’t exclusive to three (it can work with any odd number really) the principle holds true overall.

4. The rules of proportions

This one is a rule that I pretty much always follow. More often than not, when something feels a bit off about a space, it’s because the items within the room are out of proportion, leaving it feeling unbalanced and with a feeling that something isn’t quite right.

So, let’s start with rugs… In a living room in particular, your rug should be large enough to sit underneath at least the front legs of your sofa and any surrounding chair, rather than floating somewhere in the middle of the room looking sad and lost. A rug, in theory, should act as an anchor, helping to pull the whole seating area together. If it’s too small, it can feel disconnected and like an afterthought. In a weird way it can also make the room itself look smaller if it’s the wrong size.

The same thing applies to artwork. A tini tiny piece of art floating above a 3 seater sofa, for example, can feel totally lost. I would tend to go with a larger scale piece or collection in areas such as these, to make more of a statement while also feeling in proportion with the furniture below.

And this art rule can be applied to almost everything in a room. There’s no exact formula with this, but do pay attention to how the scale of each piece relates to what’s around and below it. Sometimes, when a room feels wrong, it’s simply a case of getting the proportions back in balance and it will bring balance to the space.

So, do I follow the rules?

Well… it turns out I do follow a few rules after all! But for me, they act more as guides rather than a rule book. Take the bits that work for you, ignore the ones that don’t and most importantly, trust your gut. Don’t forget… rules are useful until they get in the way of creating a home that feels like you.