The “50/50” Rule Works in Every Room — Here’s How to Use It

If you’re trying to be more sustainable and conscious of your footprint this spring, you’re in good company. 

So many are also working to make their homes a place where good practices thrive; maybe that means reducing food waste, walking more, or committing to sharing unused items in the neighborhood Buy Nothing group. 

But sustainability also extends to decorating at home, and interior design firm Light and Dwell has a foolproof formula that bridges the gap that sometimes exists between sustainability and charm. In each space they design, they have a “50/50” rule as their guiding principle, and it translates to sourcing 50% vintage items and 50% new items. 

The firm’s designers use this approach in every one of their projects, whether it’s a sprawling new-build living room or a charming cottage bedroom. The rule is driven by their focus on sustainability as when more items are sourced secondhand, there’s less of a need for new manufacturing, less depletion of natural resources, and less impact on the environment.

But by adhering to a combination of both old and new in the home, they’re not just creating a more sustainable space; they’re also designing rooms that feel personal and lived-in. These are spaces with soul rather than copy-paste vignettes from catalogs.

Light and Dwell’s designers prefer to start with the items that are often best sourced new, like upholstery, rugs, and textiles. Then, they look to decor and accessories to build up to the 50% ratio. That includes vintage mirrors, ceramics, secondhand books, paintings, lamps, and dishware to add depth and character to any design. 

Furniture — like a wood coffee table with a well-worn patina or perfectly aged antique chair — adds warmth, and buying these secondhand pieces means one fewer manufactured big-box store item in the world. 

You can apply this 50/50 rule to any room in your house, whether it’s the kitchen or a home office. And each time a vintage book ends up in your living room or a metal plant stand finds a second life as a table, that’s another item that doesn’t end up in a landfill — and one more step toward a more sustainable (and stylish!) way of living.