10 Color Drenching Ideas That Highlight the Beauty of This Paint Trend

Allow for Natural Light

Unless you’re specifically aiming for a moody parlor room vibe (which is wonderful, too), make sure to allow for plenty of natural light in your color-drenched space. You can do this by choosing a room that's already outfitted with windows and by choosing sheer drapes or curtains that are easy to push off to the side—or no window treatments at all.

Don't Forget Your Furniture

Color drenching ushers in a burst of energy, but it's also a winning strategy for making a room feel cohesive. A quick way to further tie everything together is to make your furniture part of the saturated game plan. A blue velvet couch adds to the drama in this black-blue space by Jenami Designs.

Add Contrast Here and There

The goal of color drenching is to embrace a single hue without apology. Still, there's room for a bit of dimension here and there. "I painted this entire study—including walls, bookcases, and trims—an inky blue (Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball) to give it a cozy and cohesive feel," says interior designer Bambi A'Lynn. "I balanced the rich drama and contemporary finish of the drenched walls with a lighter blue on the ceiling to give the room a bit of relief and keep it from feeling too dark." Patterned drapes and a light-hued rug help, as well.

Try Light Color Drenching

Rich and bold colors—like dark blue, maroon, or black—are often used for color drenching, but softer hues like lavender, sky blue, and pink can also work. Take, for example, this teen girl's room designed by Lauren Evans Interiors that utilizes Benjamin Moore's Foggy Morning on the walls, ceilings, door, and trim.

"It's not your average pink, but a fine breathy blushF," Evans says. "Sometimes it reflects white when the light floods the room and other times, like rich and creamy peach sorbet you didn't know you loved so much."

Drench Your Kitchen

Color-drenching examples often showcase bedrooms and living rooms, but you can apply this pigment-happy trend to any room in your home. This includes the kitchen, where countertops, backsplash, and cabinetry are all awaiting a fresh coat of paint to completely transform the space. Here, Andrea Schumacher Interiors opted for a wash of blue.

Use Furniture for Contrast

If you want to color drench with a moody hue, but don't want your space to feel too dark or drab, use furniture to incorporate a pop of color. Take a note from this living room designed by Jennifer Hughes—she gave life to the dark blue walls and ceiling with the addition of a playful mustard yellow couch.

Add Dimension With Wallpaper

Paint is your best friend when it comes to color drenching, but don't write off wallpaper so quickly. "This bedroom is unique because the ceiling has so many interesting angles. We decided to cover the entirety of the walls and ceiling with a single wallpaper pattern in order to give things a cohesive and pulled-together look," A'Lynn says. While she notes it was a little tricky to ensure the wallpaper pattern properly matched at all angles, it was well worth the effort.

Get Your Stairwell in on the Action

When assessing a room for its color drenching potential, leave no stone unpainted. Magenta was the color du jour in this wow-worthy project by Chad Dorsey Design, and he used it liberally on the stairwell, walls, and ceiling.

Add Texture to Your Walls

Another way to prevent a color drenched room from feeling too flat is to weave in organic, subtle texture via the walls. For example, Wolf suggests limewashing or plastering the color versus using a flat paint. Wall paneling—including beadboard, fluting, board and batten, shiplap, and wainscoting—can also infuse warmth and texture into a space.

Infuse Visual Interest Through Art

When dreaming up your color drenched room, consider opportunities to add visual interest via art on the walls and perched on shelves. You can always choose selections in the same color family, or add contrast like Theresa Butler Interiors did in this groovy pink bedroom.