When you enter a colored room, you’ll know it, because the walls, ceiling, woodwork, and perhaps other features will all be painted the same color. For an immersive effect, this decorative technique is popular Paint trend And one that stands the test of time.
Whether you’ve visited an elegant home with a colorful interior, or you’re aware of the cost and effort savings that come with this technique, you may be curious about how to color a room in your own home. Finally, as well as making painting easier, there is also a design incentive to soak up the paint. When done effectively in the right space, this technique can add character, impact and a point of separation from the rest of the property.
If you need guidance on how to paint your space, find out how I painted my spare room, along with the products I used to achieve the look.
Things to Consider Before You Begin
Naturally, the main consideration before painting a room is deciding what color you will paint it. A light or moderately light shade of paint can make a room feel airy and spacious, while darker tones are often comforting or even dramatic.
“Color drenching is one of the most liberating decorating techniques because it simplifies the process,” says Lauren Shaw, head of marketing at DIY. Harris. “Working with the same color on all surfaces – including walls, ceilings, woodwork, skirting and radiators – eliminates many of the common headaches around cutting between contrasting areas.”
however, Choosing the right paint color is the key. “Test your color on every surface before committing,” advises Lauren. “Paint behaves differently on a ceiling versus a flat wall, and a main door, and the shade can look very different when it’s on all surfaces. Therefore, always test samples in situ, in both natural and artificial light.”
You can also consider incorporating a few pops of different color into the space using The ‘peek-a-boo’ paint trend. This arguably distracts a little from the color drenched effect, but in my case, we thought it broke up the look of the space nicely. Leaning into a contrast color, we had our radiator powder-coated yellow at a local motorcycle respraying shop (some of these businesses will paint all kinds of metal).
It’s also worth considering whether color drenching is the right approach to decorating a particular room, as it may suit some spaces better than others. “Drenches of color are more powerful in small or awkward spaces like hallways, cloakrooms and compact bedrooms,” advises Lauren.
Patrick O’Donnell, Brand Ambassador for Farrow and ballRecommends using color drenching in spaces that are rich in architectural detail. “When the details of the plasterwork in your room or Paneling on the walls“He says. “It allows these details to register beautifully, without having to pick a different color to enhance them.”
As Head of Marketing for DIY, Lauren Shaw represents Harris to a wide audience of clients who are decorating and renovating their homes. Leading paintbrush brand Harris also produces decorating accessories such as masking tape and paint rollers and will celebrate its centenary in 2028.
Patrick O’Donnell is the online face of premium paint and wallpaper brand, Farrow & Ball. Along with creating social media content, Patrick provides virtual and in-person color consultations to home renovators.
The paint I used to paint my spare room
We chose this dead flat furrow and ball paint finish so we could do the walls and wood work from the same tin.
Harris
Harris Ultimate Wall & Ceiling Paint Brush – 3 In
To paint a large area of our walls and ceiling, we used this ‘Ultimate’ Harris brush. For a quick job, you can choose to use a Paint roller
Harris
Harris Seriously Good Wall and Ceiling Paint Brush – 0.5in
You’ll need a finer brush to preserve the detail of features like skirting board
How to paint a room: step-by-step
1. Choose the right color for soaking
“An area where the color soak requires extra care Paint finish selectionsays Lorraine Shaw. “Using a single flat liquid mixture Each surface has an approach and works well for a solid, matte look. But for woodwork and high-traffic areas, you may choose to introduce a slightly different sheen – Eggshell or satin – To add durability and subtle texture, while remaining color consistent.
For our project, we used Farrow & Ball’s ‘Arsenic’ paint color in a ‘dead flat’ finish, which is suitable for coating a wide range of surfaces including walls, woodwork and radiators. This helped create a consistent look while reducing cost and hassle.
2. Prepare walls and ceiling with undercoat
Apply one or two coats of primer to the walls and ceiling. If you are painting over fresh plaster, you may need to dump some primer into a bucket and water it down a bit for the first application. This makes ‘fog coat’ That should successfully adhere to the ‘thirsty’ plaster.
Some modern paints are self-priming. If you’re using self-priming paint to create the final look of your paint-drenched room, you can skip this step.
3. Prepare and undercoat the woodwork
first, Sand the woodwork throughout the room – including the skirting boards and architrave – as this will help the paint adhere to the wood. Apply a caulking solution to any knots in the wood (this limits sap bleeding), and use wood filler to fill any gaps or blemishes.
using a tube of Coke And a skeleton gun, the edges of the woodwork where it meets the wall or ceiling. Remove excess caulk with a damp cloth as you work (and before the caulk sets).
Finally, undercoat the woodwork as needed. Protect your floor using painter’s tape and/or dust sheets, and try not to overload your paintbrush.
Products to prepare your room for a splash of color
Frog Tap
Frog Tape Green Multi Surface Painters Tape
Use painter’s tape to ensure clean lines where you don’t want the wetness of your paint to extend, such as on aluminum window frames or patio doors.
Saudal
2 packs of Saudal Decorator Caulk
Use decorator’s caulk to fill in gaps and neat edges so you can paint over them.
ARVO
Arvo 6 Pack Extra Large Plastic Dust Sheets
Use this pack of large plastic dust sheets to protect the rest of your room, floors and any furniture before painting.
4. Paint the room with your top color
Then it’s time to bring your color vision to life with your top color. Start at the corners of the room where the walls and ceiling meet, then paint the flat areas.
“We would always recommend starting with Ceiling paintingGo over the walls and finish with the woodwork and any small details,” says Lauren Shaw. As you can see in the photo, we used a paintbrush because we prefer a brushed finish in our home, but you can use a roller to speed up the process.
Use painter’s tape to avoid smearing paint on protruding features such as plug sockets, switches and light fittings, and pay attention to painting details on woodwork, as these can be difficult to see easily in a paint-soaked room. For this, use a finer paintbrush, and avoid loading the bristles with too much paint.
FAQs
Is dye dipping a traditional technique?
“Color drenching has been an editorial drive in the interior press for the past three years, but versions of ‘color drenching’ have been used since the 18th century,” says Patrick O’Donnell.
“Back then, great houses often made great halls with very subtle differences in versions of stone shades, where now, because of the variety of colors available, any color can be used.”
The term ‘color drenching’ is of recent origin. Some publications have stated that the term was first used in 2022, but Google Trends data shows that people were researching color drenching as early as 2021.
Is dye soaking just a trend?
There is no doubt that color drenching has been particularly popular in recent years. Some homeowners may wonder if this will be a short-lived fad, or an approach that stands the test of time.
“Remember, soaking color is what we call it now Interior Design TrendsAnd trends pass, so think about why you want to do it,” says Patrick O’Donnell. “It ultimately adds a simplicity to a scheme, and it doesn’t have to be in a strong color—a splash of color in white and neutrals can be pretty, too.”
Some would say that dye soaking is a passing fancy, while others might argue that the technique’s centuries-long history suggests otherwise. What really matters is how well the color drenching fits into the room and how well the color-drenched space suits your home.
Still need to brush up on your painting and decorating? Read our guides on How to paint on lime plaster, Tips for painting skirting boards And Sanding the walls before painting.
