What’s your favorite color? Your answer will probably be the first color you think of if you want to try color drenching, a trendy interior design technique that requires painting an entire room or space in one color. This includes the walls, ceilings, trim and doors. Considering it’s not uncommon to walk into an all-beige room or an all-white room, color drenching may not sound like anything new. But if this home has evergreen, bright pink or purple walls, that’s definitely going to leave an impression.

If you’re a prospective homeowner and doing a house walk-through, chances are pretty high that the empty home will have neutral colors. For house flippers, landlords and tenants, this paint job may not be the best choice. But if you plan on staying in this home for a while, color drenching is an enjoyable and colorful way to make your home more creative. Here’s everything you need to know about color drenching.

When Did Color Drenching Become a Trend?

Painting a room all one color is not especially unique when the room is beige or white. It does, however, catch people’s attention if it’s in a bright, striking color in varying shades. Walking into an off-white room isn’t going to get the same response as a room with lilac walls. The latter is arguably a conversation starter upon entry.

This interior design trend got a boost in popularity in the early 2000s, but it’s historically been a design trend since the days of Renaissance art and architecture in the 14th century. Because it’s one color and one trip to the paint store, color drenching could be categorized as minimalism. However, because of the dramatic and eye-catching colors used, color drenching also falls under maximalism. Also found in fashion spreads, art and film, color drenching has been embraced in creative spaces across many industries.

When Is Painting the Walls One Color Not Considered Color Drenching?

Color drenching specifically is intended to add uniformity to a room in one color (and potentially varying shades). However, there are a few interior design rules that must be followed in order for it to be considered color drenching.

A single layer of a neutral color on the walls doesn’t fall under the color drenching category, especially if there’s a different color scheme for accents, decor and furniture. The room is too versatile to be considered uniform then.

Two-toned colors also wouldn’t be considered color drenching. For example, if the top half of a wall is cerulean and the bottom half is lemon, that’s a traditional two-tone paint job. This wall design usually ends up with a separation mark between the two colors, which is sometimes wainscoting.

Complex patterns break up color drenching. If there are stripes, stencils or murals in various colors, even if it’s just a small area in the middle of the wall, it’s no longer considered color drenching.

Accent walls, even if one wall is the same exact color, is not considered color drenching. The entire point of an accent wall is for it to be a wall that stands out from the other three. This usually means the other walls are a neutral color. This does not achieve the uniformity needed for color drenching.

Multiple-colored walls are not categorized as color drenching. You may see this in K-12 schools or nursery schools though, when the walls may be primary colors: one red, one blue and one yellow. Some classrooms may test out secondary colors, making the fourth wall green (mixing blue and yellow), orange (mixing red and yellow), and purple (mixing red and blue). Because all four walls are different colors, this is not color drenching.

What Should You Be Aware of Before Color Drenching?

If you already have experience as a painter, color drenching may make you pause. For example, if you paint ceramics, you know that committing to one dark color has its pros and cons. Why? It’s too difficult to change the color to a lighter color later, with a few exceptions. For example, glaze ceramics are treated differently than stain color ceramics. Once the clay item is cleaned, covered in glaze paints and fired in a kiln, it’s impossible to get that color off because there’s a shiny coat on top of it to make sure it cannot be painted over again.

Whereas with stain colors, the ceramic item is cleaned with sandpaper, a sanding sponge or a ceramic needle tool. Then, it is fired without being painted. Once it’s solid, then it’s painted. The painter can then change the colors however she sees fit to an extent; it’s still easier to make lighter colors show up if the base color wasn’t dark.

How does this relate to walls at home? Like a wall in a house, it is much easier to test a light color first and work your way up instead of going straight for dark shades. Wall painters must be patient with the sanding process, the painting process and the drying process before adding a second coat.

Before you commit to any color, test it out on a small area first. Paint a light switch cover or the wall behind the couch, some place that doesn’t bring as much attention in the testing phase. If that dark color works in that space, continue on with painting the rest of the room.

Dark Colors Don’t Always Mean a Dark Room

There is one common misconception about painting a room in dark colors though, and that is that it means the room will be gloomy. Color drenching doesn’t mean that lighting can’t be installed to make the room just as bright as any other. Additionally, if color drenching is completed in a room that already faces natural sunlight, even better. Opening the windows, doors or installing skylights can naturally let light in the room and save a few dollars on the electricity bill. If you live in an area (or floor) where you don’t need curtains or blinds, you can just leave the windows uncovered. However, using neutral colors for curtains or lighter-colored curtains with hints of the paint color in it still qualify the room to be color drenching. The curtains are not required to be dyed or purchased in the same color as the walls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors are best for color drenching?

Some common colors include deep blues, rich greens, reds, earth tones (ex. mustard yellow), purple, terracotta (reddish-orange), beige, gray and taupe.

What sheen of paint is used for color drenching?

There are multiple options to choose from, including matte (or flat), eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high-gloss.

What is color drenching wainscoting?

Wainscoting happens when the lower part of the wall, which is often panels or beadboard, and the upper part of the walls are painted in the same color or in shades of the same color. This stops being color drenching wainscoting if the colors are not the same. Wainscoting on its own is using decorative wall treatments such as panels, moldings and beadboard in high-traffic areas. They don’t have to be the same color as the rest of the wall.