This joyful interior trend is a celebration of colour in its purest form. Think wall-to-wall or wall-to-ceiling colour, layers of colour matching, coordinated furniture and soft furnishings, and dramatic colour drenching techniques with matte finishes.
Choose any colour – whether dark or light, classic or on-trend – to tell your story and consider all aspects of the space. This includes those forgotten-about features that usually get ignored, like skirting boards, door trims, woodwork, and even your radiators.
Colour drenching interiors is about saturating everything in the same colour for seamless beauty and impact. Want to know how to pull off this trend like a pro? Read on for our ultimate cheat sheet.
Cheat code 1 – Add more space with light colours
Choose light to mid shades to create the illusion of space and make a small room appear larger. Drenching your home in a single light colour can make it feel bright, airy and beautifully sun-lit during the daytime.
Invest in good lighting options, such as LED ceiling spotlights, to maintain the same look and ambience at night. This can work well in terms of light distribution and adapt well to all ceiling heights.
If your windows are towards one end of the room, or you have an awkward-shaped space, remember to consider ways to light up those dark corners and recesses. In the same way you're drenching the room in colour, you'll want to drench it in lots of light too.
Cheat code 2 – Create drama with darker hues
Fancy stepping over to the dark side? Darker hues like navy are a match made in heaven for colour drenching interiors. Plus, if you've never dipped your toe into dark home design, this is the perfect time to try. This highly saturated trend makes it super easy to curate dark colours, such as forest green, navy, or charcoal grey.
Matte finishes are great if you want to soften the look too. This can make moodier hues feel less imposing, creating a more ''cocooned'' and cosy effect where the colour envelopes you as soon as you walk in.
Just be sure to consider lighting carefully. Some great tips for ensuring your space still gets the right amount of light include:
- Adding lots of mirrors to bounce light around the room
- Illuminating low ceilings with effective lighting options
- Keeping window areas clear to invite maximum sunlight during the day
- Opting for lighter-coloured flooring
- Combining gloss and matte finishes for depth and dimension
Cheat code 3 – Celebrate the colour of the season
Blue by Shandra Smith wall mural
There's no better way to embrace colour trends than by drenching your space in one colour. Drenching is a confident, self-assured interior design narrative that goes full pelt with zero inhibitions. In order to really pull this one off, the designer has to do it with poise and conviction. In other words – don't second guess yourself.
If this is the colour you love, go right ahead and paint everything. Your walls, ceilings, skirting boards, woodwork, furniture, and more. Whatever you can get your paintbrush on!
Some of the hottest colours in 2024 include deep maroon and cherry, fun retro blues, golden honey and rich yellow, as well as warm, earthy tones like terracotta and caramel. And let's not forget the WGSN and Coloro Colour of the Year – ''Future Dusk'', which sits somewhere between dark blue and purple.
Cheat code 4 – If in doubt, go tonal instead
Are you concerned about using only one shade? We get it – it's a bold move. But if you get stuck or lose confidence along the way, try tonal design instead. By selecting similar shades, you won't risk losing depth and dimension, but you can keep everything monochromatic and in line with the main narrative.
Explore lighter and darker shades of the same hue and mix in some different finishes, such as gloss, matte, satin, or textured. Colour drenching interiors can be achieved in a more open way, by diversifying your colour palette ever so slightly and using a range of surfaces to tell your story.
Cheat code 5 – Use texture to balance out the space
If you're you're worried about your room appearing too one-dimensional, make texture your best friend. It's likely that wonderful textures already exist in your woodwork, shelving, ceiling cornices, or things like your fire surround. But if you don't have a lot of texture, you can incorporate it through textiles, furnishings and different accessories.
Plush rugs, tactile fabrics and surface texture wall murals can all add visual interest, which will help balance out your space. With texture-effect murals, such as wood panel effect, you get the look at a fraction of the cost too!
Other ways you can create a sense of balance include:
- Introducing neutrals to provide relief from the dominant colour.
- Considering the placement of furniture and other key features.
- Playing around with room proportions (such as adding oversized ornamentation).
You'll also want to declutter your home if balance is a concern. A clean and tidy space is critical for this trend to work and for textured elements to be seen and understood in all their visual glory. That's why it's essential to choose the right room. One with ample storage, a well-designed layout where everything has its place, and one that is easy to organise.
Cheat code 6 – Finally, use colour drenching for connection
One of the most important cheat codes for drenching your home in colour is to do it for the right reason. Yes, it's on-trend. Yes, it can really open up a space. But why are you choosing this colour? If it's personal to you, your design will have much more longevity because long-lasting interior design is about meaningful connection.
Sometimes, we can run with new interior trends only to get bored the following season. Make sure the colour resonates with you to feel connected to your colour-drenched space. You may feel connected to this hue, or it reflects your personality. It may evoke strong emotions or inspire a specific mood.
Whatever the reason, the more emotionally attached you are to the colour, the more likely it will become a project of passion and one that you really pour your heart and soul into.
What do you think of this bold trend? Would you try it in your home? Let us know whether it gets the thumbs up or thumbs down in the comments below…
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