Various color models have been developed to represent color as a synthetic construct of its component attributes. The CMYK color model is based on a mathematical framework efficient for digitally planning and processing the colors for a domain-specific application such as interior design. The CMYK color model correlated with the Munsell system would also increase usability and e In this research, we suggest a computationally assisted systematic method to formulate a color palette useful for interior design. A continuous process of sampling, statistical analysis, and computational manipulations has been performed to derive a desirable color palette. First, color samples have been extracted from the representative interior design cases of residential buildings, offices, and commercial spaces. Second, the interrelationships among C, M, Y, and K values in all samples have been statistically analyzed followed by calculating the number of elements in the numerically categorized sets for C, M, or K value. New CMYK combinations were generated by using selected sets of C, M, or K value showing relatively dominant presence in the original samples. Then, the statistically extracted correlation function was used to propose a complete list of CMYK color combinations for interior design. The resulting CMYK combinations were then converted into the values represented in the Munsell color system. We envision that the proposed approach can increase both applicability and efficiency of the resulting color palette by considering both intuitive and mathematical color models with the support of a computational data processing technique. (C) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 135-145, 2005; Publisbed online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).