Colour drenching throws out the interior design rulebook, inviting you to fully immerse your space in a single, sweeping shade. From soothing neutrals to bold brights, this transformative trend makes a striking statement – here’s how you can take the plunge, too…
Your home should be a true reflection of you – a place where style meets comfort and personality. Creating a space that feels authentic is essential, and colour drenching is a striking but surprisingly simple way to do just that. This bold interior technique is the art of coating everything – walls, doors, skirting boards, ceilings, everything – in one shade or hue. Whether your vibe is eclectic and charming, moody and meditative or serene and tranquil, drenching can work for every mood, style and space.
The idea of swathing a room in colour can be a bit daunting; after all, colour drenching throws away all the age-old rules we’ve learnt about decorating. While we’ve been taught to never risk making a room look smaller, or that white is the only colour for creating a blank canvas, in reality, colour drenching broadens scope for creativity and creates a smooth but unique base. Gone are the days of feature walls – 2025 is all about going big, or going home. Or rather, going big at home. Drenching is a great way to put your unique mark on your abode, and it lets you showcase your own style from ceiling to skirting board.
Going big
The main aversion to colour drenching, it seems, is the fear that it will make a room feel closed in and ultimately look smaller. But contrary to popular belief, painting a room head to toe in colour can actually open up a space! By removing harsh lines, the eye can drift easily across a room, making it feel more expansive.
Walls, ceilings and corners are softened, blending into each other and blurring where a space begins and ends. In fact, ignoring size entirely can be really important when thinking creatively about a room: removing the obsession with making somewhere bigger allows you to instead create a room that feels right, distracting you from the square footage and turning your attention to its character and vibe.
A single-hued base can also add to the cohesion of a space. If white isn’t a purposeful point of reference elsewhere, a white ceiling or skirting board can feel a bit unloved. Drenching these, as well as radiators, doors and mouldings, can make them blend seamlessly into the walls and become a striking backdrop to all of your furnishings and decor.
Design notes: Ivywell Interiors
“Colour drenching isn’t just about bold shades painted on every surface. It’s a great technique to create a mood but it doesn’t have to be a statement. We often use pared-back tones (think soft clay, muted olive, warm taupe) across walls, ceilings and joinery, then layer them with textural finishes. Limewash, woven fabrics, textured tiles or even bouclé, are your best friends here to stop a space feeling flat. For the more colour-curious, dark, moody or jewel tones can be really transformative.
“Our advice: start small. A cloakroom, dressing room or snug is a great place to test a fully wrapped scheme. If you love it – great! Expand from there. And if not, it’s only paint. If you want something a little different though, try experimenting beyond traditional paint. We used microcement across walls, ceiling and floor in a bathroom – a fully drenched effect in a mid-tone hue that was both striking and soothing. Colour drenching doesn’t have to be dramatic to look great, but it should always feel intentional. However you do it – bold or subtle – make it yours. That’s where home begins.”
ivywellinteriors.com
Come-in colours
The shade you choose is key to the atmosphere you create. Lighter colours, like pale blues and greens, will give a sense of peaceful tranquility and calm, imbuing a space with a serene, sophisticated ambiance. Paler hues can also be a great way to test colour-drenching if you’re nervous about trying out the style, as they maintain an airy feel and are often more subtle.
If you feel ready to pull out the stops, bright, rich greens, yellows, pinks, oranges and blues create a playful, energetic and utterly unique space. It allows you to really have fun with your interiors, and can open up a pathway to bold, statement pieces of décor that weave in complementary pops of colour.
If you’re looking to make your home into an idyllic sanctuary, a Mediterranean colour scheme is a great option. We’re seeing raw, stripped-back plaster tones more and more, which give a rustic and earthy but grounding energy, allowing you to feel really connected to the space around you. Warm, muted pinks, oranges, and pale terracottas, like in the elegant interior from Little Green (see image right-hand image) make a space feel tranquil yet lived-in.
Riskier yet, but entirely worth it in the reward, are the darker, bolder tones that are taking over the interiors world. Rich, deep hues, while daunting, ooze personality and sophistication, creating striking and captivating spaces. In this room painted in emerald hues from Little Greene, shown above, the deep, rich green that coats the walls and is reflected in the rug creates an immersive, cocoon-like feel. Corridors are a great place to work with this, as the style can really elongate the space, and work individuality into a room that is often overlooked.
All in the detail
If you want to give the trend an extra-unique twist, try paper-drenching. Covering a room from wall to ceiling in a wallpaper can add in a wonderful element of texture that you can coordinate with a paint palette for an all-encompassing finish. It works on both big and small spaces, giving a comforting and intimate feel, while maximising pattern and colour.
You can also incorporate your decor into the overall scheme. Bold colour contrasts make a strong statement, but pairing them with complementary elements – like curtains, bedding, or furniture – helps to balance the look and tie everything together with the walls, creating a cohesive and sophisticated atmosphere.
A vibrant base allows your pieces to shine without needing to dominate the space. By letting the walls carry much of the visual weight, your personal touches stand out naturally, without the pressure of having to take on a ‘feature’ role.
Colour-drenching in any colour will require a serious think about your own style. What kind of energy do you want to create in your space? What brings you joy? How do you want to feel when you return home? Once you’ve figured that out, this method can totally transform your abode in a way that is entirely unique to you. So go on – be bold, and journey into the land of sweeping technicolour.
The trend for colour drenching is all about achieving a full-on, single hue colour across all surfaces in a room. It helps to create a welcoming and immersive space, while giving personality to a room.
It is important to vary the paint finishes for optimal dimension and to enhance light reflection. Why not consider matt walls and ceiling, with maybe a gloss finish for the woodwork?
Dark colours will make a small room feel cosy, whereas colour drenching in lighter shades will make a room feel soft and comfortable. Both Little Greene & Paint & Paper Library offer a vast range of tonal shades. so if you’re wanting a universal colour, but are feeling more cautious, then consider their ranges as they do the same colour in five differing tonal shades.
Double drenching builds on the concept of colour drenching, but it involves using different hues of the same colour family, allowing you to embrace a bold and impactful colour palette. Remember, there is no room for white ceilings or skirtings!
braceyinteriors.co.uk
