6 Ways to Colour Drench Your Living Room
Create drama and interest in your living room with these expert colour drenching ideas
Curious about ‘colour drenching’, where the walls, ceiling and even the woodwork in a room are all painted the same shade? This rising trend has seen an increase of 142% in searches on Houzz*, so if you’re tempted to try the look, check out these designs to get inspiration – and don’t forget to save your favourites to an ideabook.
2. Highlight period features
If you have decorative period details in your living room, such as ornately carved cornices, ceiling roses or skirting boards, painting these the same colour as the walls and ceiling can actually help to highlight them. By taking away the distraction of an abrupt change of colour, you’re allowing the texture and detail to shine instead, as demonstrated in this Victorian living room by Born & Bred Studio.
Here, the walls, skirting boards, cornices, window frame and wooden shutters have all been drenched in a muted sage green. Adding a large reflective mirror helps to maximise the natural light flowing into the room, allowing light and shadow to play across the surfaces, picking out the details.
Easily find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
If you have decorative period details in your living room, such as ornately carved cornices, ceiling roses or skirting boards, painting these the same colour as the walls and ceiling can actually help to highlight them. By taking away the distraction of an abrupt change of colour, you’re allowing the texture and detail to shine instead, as demonstrated in this Victorian living room by Born & Bred Studio.
Here, the walls, skirting boards, cornices, window frame and wooden shutters have all been drenched in a muted sage green. Adding a large reflective mirror helps to maximise the natural light flowing into the room, allowing light and shadow to play across the surfaces, picking out the details.
Easily find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
3. Play with colour to create visual tricks
If you’re not sure about completely immersing your room in just one shade, take a look at this scheme by Bummer Lamb Design & Fine Furnishings, where the designers have used selective colour drenching to create optical illusions.
The ceiling of this room has been painted a classic white, as has the window frame and the glazed door that connects to the adjoining room. But the second internal door has been painted the exact same green as the wall, blending it in and allowing it to recede. When you look at the wall, one of the doors jumps out at you and the other doesn’t. It’s clear which one to use.
The same trick has been used with the piece of built-in furniture to the left of the space. Painting it the same colour as the wall means it recedes into the background and doesn’t compete for attention. So if you have features you want to ‘push back’ or minimise in your living room, selective colour drenching can be an effective way to do this.
If you’re not sure about completely immersing your room in just one shade, take a look at this scheme by Bummer Lamb Design & Fine Furnishings, where the designers have used selective colour drenching to create optical illusions.
The ceiling of this room has been painted a classic white, as has the window frame and the glazed door that connects to the adjoining room. But the second internal door has been painted the exact same green as the wall, blending it in and allowing it to recede. When you look at the wall, one of the doors jumps out at you and the other doesn’t. It’s clear which one to use.
The same trick has been used with the piece of built-in furniture to the left of the space. Painting it the same colour as the wall means it recedes into the background and doesn’t compete for attention. So if you have features you want to ‘push back’ or minimise in your living room, selective colour drenching can be an effective way to do this.
4. Wrap your room in soft neutrals
Everything about this living space by Hoskins Interior Design exudes warm, cosy comfort. By wrapping the space in a soft pink-toned neutral, there are no jarring breaks or contrasts as your eye moves from surface to surface. The sofa, curtains and footstool have also been upholstered in a similar shade, so the space feels like a gentle hug.
If you want to recreate this look, bringing in plenty of texture is the key to preventing the space from sinking into bland territory. Here, a soft rug underfoot, woven rattan storage baskets and a striking glass chandelier provide enough textural contrast to bring the space to life.
Everything about this living space by Hoskins Interior Design exudes warm, cosy comfort. By wrapping the space in a soft pink-toned neutral, there are no jarring breaks or contrasts as your eye moves from surface to surface. The sofa, curtains and footstool have also been upholstered in a similar shade, so the space feels like a gentle hug.
If you want to recreate this look, bringing in plenty of texture is the key to preventing the space from sinking into bland territory. Here, a soft rug underfoot, woven rattan storage baskets and a striking glass chandelier provide enough textural contrast to bring the space to life.
5. Create cosiness in a large room
Colour drenching is a useful way to create a cohesive feel in a room with awkward angles or unusual proportions. For example, if the high, pitched ceiling in this living area by haywoodmade interiors had been painted white, it would have drawn the eye up, emphasising the height of the room and drawing attention to the sloping ceiling.
Instead, using the same colour on the ceiling as the walls helps to focus attention on the furniture, accessories and artwork instead. It has the effect of visually lowering the ceiling and creating a feeling of cosiness in this room, which has been further emphasised by hanging the artwork low and choosing a large central pendant light that fills the space and draws the eye down.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Colour drenching is a useful way to create a cohesive feel in a room with awkward angles or unusual proportions. For example, if the high, pitched ceiling in this living area by haywoodmade interiors had been painted white, it would have drawn the eye up, emphasising the height of the room and drawing attention to the sloping ceiling.
Instead, using the same colour on the ceiling as the walls helps to focus attention on the furniture, accessories and artwork instead. It has the effect of visually lowering the ceiling and creating a feeling of cosiness in this room, which has been further emphasised by hanging the artwork low and choosing a large central pendant light that fills the space and draws the eye down.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
6. Use two subtly different shades for quiet elegance
Colour drenching doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic; it can also be subtle and elegant. In this serene space, a soft pale pink has been washed across the walls, while the woodwork and ceiling have been painted just one shade lighter.
This technique bridges the gap between a total colour drench and a traditional-style room with a lighter-coloured ceiling, and the result is a space that has a quiet elegance.
Tell us…
Do you like the idea of colour drenching? How would you do it? Share your thoughts in the Comments
*Data reflects year over year growth in UK-based searches on Houzz from January-March 2025 versus January-March 2024.
Colour drenching doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic; it can also be subtle and elegant. In this serene space, a soft pale pink has been washed across the walls, while the woodwork and ceiling have been painted just one shade lighter.
This technique bridges the gap between a total colour drench and a traditional-style room with a lighter-coloured ceiling, and the result is a space that has a quiet elegance.
Tell us…
Do you like the idea of colour drenching? How would you do it? Share your thoughts in the Comments
*Data reflects year over year growth in UK-based searches on Houzz from January-March 2025 versus January-March 2024.
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When a single dark colour is used to drench all the surfaces of a small space, the effect can be dramatic.
As demonstrated in this living room by Simpson & Voyle, the dark tone creates a powerful backdrop against which accessories can shine. It also creates a cocooning effect, which would works well in a small living room or snug that’s used primarily in the evening.
If you want to go all in, choose soft furnishings and textiles in the same shade for a fully immersive, cosy experience. Just makes sure to add a few accessories or pieces of artwork in a bright, contrasting shade to bring the room to life.