inner architect swear by this guideline that can help you title any outer space .
If you ca n’t seem tostyle your interior decoration piecesquite right , the resolution might be as simple as learning how to aggroup your decor . Whether you have too many objects cower together or not enough variation , this easy scheme used by the well couturier could solve all of your design woes .
Three is the wizard figure inhome decor , which is why designers rely on the appropriately - named ' principle of three ' forstyling just about everything . From trinkets to artwork to furniture , thisdesign guidelinewill help you createperfectly - curated spaces . Discover how national interior decorator use it to make balanced outer space with impact .

Credit: David Patterson
What Is the Rule of Three?
group things in threes is pleasing to the eye and creates a balanced authorship that is visually appealing . “ Items of any sort wait better when used in groups of three ” says Kristin Marino , interior designer and laminitis ofKozy Kasa . In fact , “ rum numbers , in world-wide , is a rule all designer should follow , " she says .
It might resist logic , but grouping objects in odd numbers is far more visually pleasing and memorable than grouping in even number ; it has to do with how our brain register what ’s around us . Therule of threeis a tried and tested technique that cultivate in other area too , such as graphic plan , artwork , and photographic compositions . “I sexual love to use the normal of three in interior design , ” says interior designerPaige Goodloe . “ It helps to make balance and beauty in a space . ” The rule can be applied to any design element , from color , pattern , and texture to furniture and decor locating and organisation .
How to Decorate Using the Rule of Three
Use these ideas from the experts to decorate your home with trios of furniture , graphics , and decor spell .
Robert Peterson
1. Create Stand-Out Decor Features
Grouping objects in three can bend three disparate objects into a co-ordinated and optic - catching lineament that looks knowing . Scale mattershere , too . Combining tall physical object with small-scale single create further balance and guides our eyes around the composition , making it a more piquant optical experience . “ invest three taper candle holder at different heights together on your bookshelves , ” Marino says . “ Or , essay a decorative roll on top of a chocolate mesa book and perhaps a smaller taper or taller vase style together . ”
2. Perfect Your Furniture Arrangements
Whether you desire to fill a elbow room or an awkward void , grouping three furniture pieces togethercan assist delineate a distance . For a chance arrangement , follow the same guideline as the decor , unite three items of varying configuration and sizes , such as a chair , side table , and graphics . You could alsoadd a rugto linchpin the vignette . For a more courtly look , create symmetry by flanking one object with two pieces of furniture that are the same or of the same scale , such as two armchair with a little side table between them in a bay window or a sofa and two armchairs in the animation room .
Dane Tashima
3. Style Artwork
“ I make love to utilise the rule of three with artwork , ” Goodloe says . “ I like to point three musical composition of art over a king bed , all equally spaced two inches aside — three just feels so much better than two . ” She also advocate hanging two big pieces of artwork below with a low mirror above . “ It creates a nice piffling sketch , " she says . If you want tocreate a gallery wallor display a series of prints , you may stretch the pattern of three to become the rule of five , seven , or nine , and so on — just stick with odd numbers .
4. Create Magic with Color
You might be intimate with the 60 - 30 - 10 colour principle , used by upcountry house decorator tocreate a balanced colour scheme . It ’s really the same formula of three , just spelled out somewhat differently as colour percentages of 60 , 30 , and 10 . “ The idea is to use no more than three independent vividness in your quad , ” Marino explains .
The most dominant colouring material should be 60 % of your space , covering the largest Earth’s surface area of a room , such as the walls . This organize the start point for the rest of the scheme . The 30 % colour is the secondary color that usually contrast with the primary color to bring profundity and interest to the blank space . We suggest using this hue on the most important piece in the room , like a lounge , curtains , or bedhead . The terminal 10 % is an accent colouration that complements the petty chromaticity . “ Introduce accent colors through smaller pieces , like stroke pillows , graphics , or cosmetic objects , ” Marino read .
5. Scatter Your Cushions the Right Way
The beauty is in the contingent in interior design — cam stroke pillow let in . “ Keep cushion on a layer , couch , or sectioned to radical of three , ” Goodlow says . “ I do the prominent pillow in the back , followed by a 22 - inch by 22 - in square and a little lumbar in front . The dissimilar size and layering please the eye . ” cushion make a sofa or bottom so much more inviting and are also a great opportunity to experiment with color and grain .
6. Dazzle with Decorative Lighting
Grouping decorative lighting in threes is a pop way to make an eye - catching feature film . hang three evenly - spaced pendantsover the kitchen islandestablishes a focal and key spot while creating a sense of balance . Alternatively , a curatedcluster of pendant lightsis a ingenious way to make an impact in the dining way . Mix and lucifer lighting of different condition and complementary colors and hang them at different drop lengths to form a symmetrical composition .

Credit:Robert Peterson

Credit:Dane Tashima

Credit: Annie Schlechter