Blog · Remodeling · By Mara Ellingsen · 8 min read
12 design tricks for picking the perfect home colour palette
Undertones, light direction and the 60-30-10 rule — a step-by-step method our interior team uses on every single project. Start with the fixed elements, test large swatches in morning and evening light, then commit.
Keep the palette to three roles: a quiet base, a warm mid-tone and one deeper accent. Repeat each colour at least twice per room so nothing feels stranded.
Start with what you cannot change
Every room already has a palette: the floor, the window frames, the stone or brick, the view outside. List those fixed colours first, then choose paint and textiles that sit comfortably next to them. A warm oak floor will fight a blue-grey wall, but it loves warm whites, clay and olive.
Check undertones in daylight, not under shop lights. Hold your swatch next to a true white sheet of paper — the pink, yellow or green hiding inside the colour will suddenly show itself.
Use the 60-30-10 method on site
- 60% quiet base — walls, large rugs and sofas in a warm white, plaster or pale greige that lets light bounce around.
- 30% warm mid-tone — timber, linen, clay or sage on curtains, chairs and bedding to give the room its character.
- 10% deeper accent — one confident door, island front, armchair or art frame in ink, forest or burnt umber.
Test large before you commit. Paint A2 card samples, not tiny chips, and move them from the brightest wall to the darkest corner, morning and evening. Colours double in strength on all four walls, so when in doubt, go one step lighter than your first instinct.
Try this weekend
Prop your two favourite swatches behind the sofa and live with them for two days. The one you stop noticing is the base; the one that keeps catching your eye is the accent.
Mistakes that make palettes fall apart
The most common error is too many equals: four mid-strength colours competing at the same volume. Give each colour a clear job, repeat each one at least twice per room, and let one quiet surface rest the eye between them.
Finish with light. Warm 2700K bulbs enrich creams and clays, while cool daylight bulbs flatten them. Swap the bulb before you repaint — it is the cheapest colour correction you will ever buy.