Colour drenching: A guide to honing your hues
, by Ruth Wilbur, 7 min reading time
There's no faster way of transforming a space than focusing on colour. Calming, invigorating, soft, fabulous – whichever hue you choose, it instantly injects emotion. So what about colour drenching? This dreamy design technique creates a cohesive, immersive look that’s become more and more popular in recent years, but is far from a transitory trend.
Here, we take you through all things colour drenching (which we're absolutely here for), including how to incorporate tone-on-tone interiors into your home to transform a space, from statement furniture to textured cushions to colourful lamps. Dive in…
What is colour drenching?
Choosing a single hue and exploring its many shades can have a powerful impact on a room's atmosphere, building a dynamic yet harmonious look. The exact colour you choose can transform the energy in your room, turning faceless spaces into living, expressive rooms – depending on the emotions you wish to evoke:
- Blues and greens: From duck-egg blues to moss greens to jewel-like teals, these shades are known for their calming and relaxing properties – perfect for drenching bedrooms and living areas to create a soothing space.
- Reds and oranges: These warm tones can invigorate and energise a space, making them vibrant and stylish options for kitchens and dining rooms.
- Yellows and creams: Bright and cheerful, these colours can make your space feel welcoming and cosy. Yellow injects optimism and energy, making it ideal for lively, lovely kitchens and breakfast nooks.
- Pinks and purples: Soft and luxurious, pinks and purples can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any space. Pink hues, ranging from delicate rose to bold fuchsia, can infuse a room with calming energy, or even romance, making it beautiful in bedrooms. Meanwhile, purple offers a sense of opulence, ideal for living rooms and dining areas.
- Browns and neutrals: Earthy and grounding, browns and other neutral shades set a versatile backdrop that can enhance the warmth and comfort of any room. They’re ideal for creating balanced and harmonious environments, making them perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, and offices.
How to colour drench your interiors
Whether you’re a minimalist, maximalist, or love a blend of both, colour drenching can transform any interior space. Try the following techniques to boost your home’s mood and style:
Paint different elements of a room the same colour
Reaching the pinnacle of colour drenching can be achieved simply by painting your walls and ceiling in a matching hue. This elongates a room to create a seamless look, making it perfect for more petite spaces. Another quick colour-drenching style win is painting your walls and skirting boards the same colour. Again, this creates a flawless look, but this time into the floor rather than the ceiling, creating a cohesive finish. If you have standard radiators and don’t want them to detract from the room’s harmonious aesthetic, painting them the same colour will help blend them into the background, keeping the focus on the decor.
Add depth with texture
Layering up textures adds a delicious depth to your colour drenching. The best way to do this is to make every texture contrast. Consider varying materials such as velvet, faux fur, and silk, as well as wood furniture and panelling to all add plenty of tactile pleasure. A sumptuous velvet, buttery leather, or comforting fabric sofa in a varying hue of your chosen shade can enrich your colour drenching further, creating a cosy, cocooning sanctuary. Alternatively, choosing a sofa in an entirely different colour to the rest of the room can make it the star of the show.
Complement your colours with accessories
As well as using a statement sofa as a focus feature in your space, accessories, mirrors, and other furniture can really enhance the mood of your room. Layer up cushions in various shades (or complementary hues) of your chosen colour, or experiment with decor – for instance, an orange painting against an orange wall, or a flamingo wall mount against a shocking pink space (one for the bold!).
Think about shape, too: for example, a grand sofa such as a Chesterfield or chaise with rolled arms can create a striking silhouette against a calm, cohesive backdrop. Mix up your lighting with pendant lights and table lamps in various shapes, sizes, and materials (in the same colour or a complementary one), or one statement standalone floor lamp to really bring your colour drenching to life.
Despite the bold name, colour drenching is all about balance. While the trend is perfect for unleashing your creativity, there is an art to getting it right – from carefully chosen statement pieces to cherry-picking your varying shades and textures – ultimately complementing your one chosen colour for a truly impressive space.
Want more room-dressing, colour-drenching inspiration? You’ll find buckets of it on our Instagram. Explore our sofas, furniture, and home accessories to find the perfect pieces for your own colour-drenched space, or visit our beautiful showroom in Yorkshire’s idyllic Luddenden valley. We’ll get the kettle on.
