Have you every heard about the 80/20 Rule? I had never heard of this rule for a long time. I can’t remember exactly where I first heard about this philosophy but remember thinking that you could apply this rule to home decor in your home.

What is the 80/20 Rule?

Wikipedia defines the 80/20 Rule as:

“The Pareto principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.”

You also businesses talk about the 80/20 Rule to when it comes to the where their sales are generated. Basically 80% of a company’s profits are from 20% of its customers.

What I take a way from the 80/20 Rule is it helps you focus your attention on the areas that give you the biggest impact.

How to Use the 80/20 Rule When Decorating?

You maybe be thinking how I am going to bring interior design into this principle.

When I first hear of this theory, it made total sense how this applies to home decor. You are likely to be thinking I am have totally lost it.

Let me translate this law into interior design terms:

In any room in your home, 80% of the room’s design comes from 20% of the home decor and furniture placed in it.

Blown Away

I was pretty blown away when I first thoughts about interior design. Maybe you are too now.

Does this really mean that only 20% of home accessories and furnishings matter?

That we only need to decorate 20% of our home to make a total impact.

I love this simple decor by Rikke at That Nordic Feeling. It is a great example of the 80/20 Rule for Home Decor.

This True and False

I think the answer to that is a little of a yes and no. Yes, this is true because when you think about a room often a few elements that drive the overall style. These elements are the 20% of the interior design that accounts for 80% of the design. Certain items your place in a room has a greater impact than others.

It is equally incorrect because the 20% is not making 100% of the overall design of a room, only 80%. Yes the 20% makes the greatest impact but not the only. Interior design is a sum of all its parts.

These floating shelves are perfectly styled with just the right amount of home accessories.

What’s the Home Decor Take Away

I believe the take away is when decorating your home think about which design decisions will have the greatness influence on the space. Maybe that is just 20% or maybe it more. However, don’t just put home decor into a room to fill up the room. Put effort into finding the home furnishings that will reflect your style into your home. You’re what the 20% to most reflect who you are.

Here is a question for you because I love hearing your thoughts.

What do you think makes the biggest impact in a room’s design?

Looking forward to hear from you.