Color Drenching Do’s & Don’ts
Color Drenching Do’s & Don’ts
Color drenching is certainly trending in interior painting for 2025 but what exactly is color drenching? Think of it as a color explosion! Coating walls, ceiling and trim in the same, or versions of the same, color. Before you jump into the deep end and create a the navy interior of your dreams, let’s take a step back and look at the best practices of color drenching.
Historically, color drenching has it’s roots in many periods of architectural significance. It was typically seen in luxury homes of royalty and the elite and was viewed as a status symbol. During the mid-century modern era, color drenching was used to create more cohesive, minimalist styles. Today, it’s seen as a bold way to create a mood of coziness and style.
If you’re interested in color drenching in your own home, here are some basic guidelines to consider:
DO: Start Small
A great room to test your tolerance is a powder room. Using a saturated color for walls, ceiling and trim can transform a smaller space into feeling more expansive. The use of one color erases the line breaks created by white ceilings & trim causing those features to recede and shifting focus onto the decor.
DO: Select a Color that Makes a Statement
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to color! The color drenching in and of itself begs for a statement. When reviewing your color options, consider the mood you are aiming to achieve. For instance, in a home office you may want a mature, professional and stoic presentation while in a child’s bedroom something lighter and more playful could be goal.
DON’T: Use Color Drenching in an Open Layout
Of course, you do you but unless you are using a very neutral color (think white or shades of white), color drenching a space within an open layout can definitely get tricky. It’s best to color drench within the confines of a single room.
DO: Select Some Decor Items BEFORE Choosing a Color
When considering the idea of color drenching, the idea is to incorporate furnishings, window treatments, and other decor into the color pallet. The drapes match the walls, the wall matches the rug, the rug matches the sofa & chairs. Color drenching envelopes the room in a very cohesive color.
Make a Mood Board for Your Project
DO: Paint Decorative Trim & Molding
The idea of color drenching includes painting the picture mold, chair rail, board & batten, and other trim as well. You will retain the texture of the decorative detail without “calling it out” in a contrasting color.
DON’T: Forget About Sheen & LRV
High gloss points are not the best choice for this project. It’s best to use lower sheen paints: matte, eggshell or satin is best for walls & trim above the baseboards, baseboards may be easier to clean and maintain in a satin or semi gloss finish, ceilings should be flat or matte for most rooms.
Light reflective value is an important consideration when selecting your paint color. The lower the LRV, the less light will dance and move around the room. Deeper, more saturated colors have a lower LRV.
Test different paint colors in your room over a period of several days to observe how the color shifts at different times of day. Samplize offers peel & stick paint samples in your desired color so that you can test a variety of colors at once!
Popular Colors for Color Drenching
From deep, saturated blues, greens and browns to bubble pink & lavender, the sky is the limit!
Quick Tips & FAQs
- Can you use color drenching on textured ceilings?
- YES! Color drenching a textured ceiling is a great way to disguise or highlight the texture, depending on your color selection.
- Should you use variations of the same color?
- You definitely can include lighter and darker shades of the same color within your space. Variations lend interest to your room. Using a 75% saturation on the ceiling can keep the room from feeling closed in, while a saturation of 25% will provide a tint that blends perfectly.
- Which rooms are the best candidates for color drenching?
- The most common rooms for color drenching include: powder rooms, home offices, living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms.
