You might have come across the 80/20 styling rule when it was doing the rounds on TikTok last autumn, or perhaps you read British Vogue’s piece on the subject. For those who aren’t familiar with this so-called ‘wardrobe hack’, the idea is that 80 per cent of an outfit should be made up of reliable basics with the remaining 20 per cent being a statement piece or pieces. Naturally, here at House & Garden, we began to wonder whether this trick can be applied to interiors.
The cross-pollination of fashion and interiors is nothing new. As Fiona McKenzie Johnston has highlighted, these two creative industries have been intertwined for centuries, from furniture design being affected by the tightness of a corset to the Barbiecore trend seeing pink sweep across the catwalk and into our homes. There are also numerous stylists and designers working in interiors who started their careers in fashion, and some who continue to work across both disciplines. And who better to help us tackle the 80/20 question than four such individuals?
‘In fashion, the 80 per cent basics create coherence and wearability, while the 20 per cent gives identity and energy,’ says Sophie Rowell, who worked as a fashion stylist and art director for more than two decades before setting up her interior design studio Côte de Folk. ‘It’s definitely possible for interiors to work in the same way. The 80 per cent is the visually calm – the structure, walls, floors, core palette and continuity. The 20 per cent is the personality – the contrast, the storytelling, the emotion, personal items, art, lighting, textiles. This works because our brains crave both the order and the surprise.’
Colour, in particular, seems to lend itself to this approach. ‘When building up an outfit or a room, it’s great to begin with the basics, and that could be neutrals in clothes, such as khaki, brown and navy, and in the house it could be all white,’ says Lucinda Chambers, a former fashion director at British Vogue and co-founder of lifestyle brand Collagerie. She gives the example of a guest room that she recently painted entirely white, including the floorboards. ‘Then I spied an electric red lacquered 1960s metal chest of drawers so the colour began! Just adding spots of brilliant colour around and about against the sharp white walls felt very fresh,’ she explains.
Though white walls might be considered the basic of all basics, a similar effect can be created with any palette. ‘We used this theory for our son Lyon’s bedroom. Everything was very blue/green and cream and then we added a pop of yellow with his bed,’ says stylist Sarah Corbett-Winder. ‘I feel the added punch in colour has made the room extra special, original and more fun. It’s slightly unexpected and it allows everything to sing in the room, not just the bed. With this theory, you can totally change a room by adjusting the “20”.’
This is indeed one of the best things about the 80/20 styling rule: it encourages longevity while allowing for evolution. ‘Think of the 80 per cent as the things you want to fade into the background, choosing things that support any future decisions (like the perfect blazer or the perfect jean),’ says Sophie. ‘Then the 20 per cent on items that show your personality and make a space shine: a bold fabric, oversized art, unusual lighting, an unexpected pairing.’ Just be careful not to make your 20 per cent too outlandish. ‘It’s not about being loud, it’s about being intentional (like a statement earring),’ advises Sophie. ‘It’s important to remember that fashion tolerates trends much more easily; interiors need some restraint so the 20 per cent can evolve without requiring you to redo the 80 per cent. The best interiors, like the most stylish people, aren’t made from doing more, but from better decisions.’
However, if it’s a richly layered look you’re after, perhaps more really is more. ‘I’m not entirely sure that the 80/20 rule does work in interiors,’ says interior designer and former British Vogue staffer Emma Sherlock. ‘I think a room requires more layered elements than you might need in an outfit to make it interesting. Personally, I love layering statement fabrics and pieces in a room, as that’s how you can really give it character. Having said that, the odd simple piece can sometimes be incredibly useful,’ she says, referring to the Ikea ‘Hol’ side table in her sitting room at home in Hampshire. ‘It cost me £12 about 10 years ago and it has been painted various different colours over the years, but it is definitely lifted by the Vaughan Imari lamp and Nushka lampshade.’ And with this she makes a radical suggestion: ‘Maybe it should be 80 per cent statement pieces and 20 per cent basics in interiors.’
So what’s the verdict? I think Emma’s fellow Vogue alumna Lucinda has the right idea when she says, ‘The 80/20 fashion rule can be applied to interiors, and it can be really useful, but I don’t think it has to be so.’ Whether you prefer to think in terms of 80/20, 20/80 or something in between, the important thing is that we design in a way that balances practicality with style to some degree. Above all, we should feel happy and comfortable in our homes, just as we do in our clothes. ‘If I can’t fling myself on a sofa to read a book or run for a bus I know I’m in trouble,’ adds Lucinda. Wise words indeed.
