Lately there’s been a lot of social media out there about the Colour Drenching Trend and I’ve also been receiving a lot of messages with people asking what I think.
I was watching Emily in Paris and realized the offices of the agency she works for in the show is filled with walls that are colour drenched so then I decided it was time to break it down.
Colour drenching is when you paint everything, walls, trim and doors, the same colour.
Dos and Don’ts for the colour drenching trend
Here are some dos and don’ts on when and when not to incorporate this trend.
✅ DO colour drench walls that are covered with fabulous picture moulding
Choosing to colour drench a room that highlights the architectural details, will create a cohesive and sophisticated look. The moulding helps add some depth and character to your room when it’s drenched in the same colour.
❌ DON’T try to colour drench your open layout home
Because it’s very difficult to do, there is no place to effectively stop and start different colours–especially if you have trim that connects in each room.
Eddie Ross said it well in this post I wrote years ago . Here’s a clip of his quote:
“Jaithan and I peered through a dimly lit corridor towards the kitchen. A tangle of small rooms shrouded the front of the house, while the combined kitchen-family room from an earlier renovation was open and bright.
Every single friend and design pro we invited for a hard hat tour said the same thing, “You’re going to open this all up, right?”
Call me traditional, but no! I’ll take rooms that unfold throughout a house–albeit imperfectly–over an open concept floor plan any day.
It’s often difficult to make an open plan work. How do you know when to stop one paint colour and start another? Can you do stripes in the kitchen and a floral in the living area?
Ask any decorator–it’s hard for us too!”
✅ DO indulge in colour drenching a dining room, powder room or library room
So firstly, we’ve been colour drenching powder rooms for decades. That’s not new.
It’s not a trend in this space because it’s so small. A well-decorated powder room is often drenched in all the same colour. Or, if you choose wallpaper, the trim and ceilings typically coordinate. That said, a powder room is the perfect place to try this technique in any home.
❌ Don’t get hung up on whether it makes you perceive the space as larger or smaller
This is an obsession these days.
Sure a spacious feeling can be nice. But there is more to the feel of a room than its square footage. If you create a look and a feel with good decorating, you’re distracted from making real estate calculations hopefully.
Colour drenching can create a more cocooning effect with colour overhead. But it can also make the confines of the room less perceptible. When you take away the visual noise of high contrast cut lines at colour transitions, you get to take in the other details and the overall feel of the space.
✅ Do paint out skinny trim that looks like racing stripes
I recently helped my nephew with a bedroom makeover in his basement bedroom. This room had a pipe running along one side of the ceiling and mismatched skinny trim everywhere. So we colour drenched it.
✅ Do choose some decor before you pick your colour
Colour drenching is a bold commitment to a colour. And that’s great. But don’t just pick a pretty colour you like. Make sure it makes sense by first choosing some pieces for your room that will inform exactly which pretty blue or green or terracotta colour is perfect.
Start with a mood board to see how things relate. It’s easy to learn how with my How to Create Mood Boards course.
You can get my help on whether colour drenching is a good idea for your room. And if so, which colour? I’ll give you personalized colour advice in my paint colour eDesign consultation here.
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That powder room with the curved corner vanity is absolutely beautiful! 😍😍😍
I love this post! I’ve been trying to figure out how to color drench my open-floor plan condo. Now I’ll do the bathroom and maybe the bedroom. And BTW, I covet everything on Emily in Paris.
I have loved the idea of doing powder rooms in one color for decades. But I recently went to an open house where they did it in every bedroom. The boy’s room was blue–walls, trim and doors. The girls’ rooms were pink and blush. The master suite was in green. I didn’t buy that house because of the painting. Not only would you have to do the walls, but also trim and doors. That’s a huge expense. So I do think it needs to be carefully done or else you’re creating a lot of work for yourself when you want to change it–even if you’re not selling anytime soon. I also like the crisp lines of baseboards in most rooms. If you wanted to do an accent wall and take the color onto the baseboards as well, I think that works.
Great advice! Really explains why my friends can be more bold with color and designs in city apartments or old European houses and apartments. Farrow and Ball pics look so pretty but I have to practice restraint…
I had to go Google the definition of color drenching. Did I overlook the explanation in the article? If not, an explanation would be helpful.
Love the concept, especially in a small half-bath. My question is: in the bathroom pictured above, the door is blue on 1 side, the side that faces the bathroom so when the door is closed; blends with the rest of the interior color of the bathroom. What color is the door on the other side; the side that faces the hall? we leave the bathroom door open, so you know it’s not occupied. BUT, then the outside color wouldn’t be blue to blend with the bathroom interior color. Hope that makes sense! Thanks you. Your approach to color has be influential in my decorating success.
They painted it white/light to match the hall. You can see the whole house here (with the powder room door open even): https://www.homestratosphere.com/austin-victorian-chango-co/
I don’t see a problem with a door having a different color on each side; your mind knows it’s a door to another space and it’s a typical issue for a painted exterior door. But I believe what looks best is if the handle/latch edge of the door is painted the “interior of the door color” (assuming the door swings to the interior) and the hinge edge is painted the same as the exterior side of the door.
This theory works for me, but color drenching raises the additional thought, well shouldn’t I paint the door frame the “interior door color” up to the stop edge? I likely would. But a fun thing about design to me is seeing what people do and thinking about why they might have made that choice.
Sooo, what about modern homes without beautiful mouldings? Do they bide just as well with colour-drenching, or best left with white ceilings?