Interior Designers Swear By This Simple Color Trick (It Changes Everything)

Key Points

• We asked interior designers for their No. 1 color trick to transform a room, and they said color drenching.

• It creates a personalized, immersive space that feels richer and more enveloping.

• Go bold, commit fully, and vary paint finishes—not colors—for depth.

It’s not surprising that when we asked interior designers for their No. 1 color trick to transform a room, they said color drenching. But what is surprising is how shockingly simple the concept is given that its results in a room can be exactly that: shocking.

Just think about it: With color drenching, you only need to pick one color of paint. You don’t have to worry about whether your selection for the trim complements your selection for the walls, and vice versa. You’re using the same paint color for the walls, trim, ceiling, and sometimes even floors.

But the results are dramatic, designer-looking, and sophisticated—all for a lot less money and permanence than wallpaper or tile or some other designer-finish. That’s why it’s the go-to color trick for interior designers.

Here’s what three pro designers have to say about color drenching.

Meet the Expert

• Lucas Goldbach is a partner and design director of of En Masse Architecture and Design.

• Luke Hass is an estimator with Pearl Painters.

• Stephanie Cole is the lead designer at Habitar Design.

It Feels Luxurious

“Color drenching enables people to break free from the ordinary, create a space they truly love, and modernize their home,” Luke Hass, an estimator with Pearl Painters, says.

But that’s not all. Designers also cite the noticeable cocoon-like effect color of drenching.

“Color drenching enriches a space and blurs the lines that separate vertical and horizontal planes, creating an aesthetic that is cohesive and feels more embracing,” Stephanie Cole, lead designer at Habitar Design, says.

Hass agrees. “When done correctly, color drenching isn’t as simple as having a room all one color,” he says. “It transports someone to an entirely different world, a whole new feeling and environment.”

The Hardest Part is Picking a Color

A large part of color drenching is not being afraid to rip off the bandage and embrace a color-filled room.

“So many people are used to the traditional white ceilings and trim, it can be jarring to even think about it all being the same color,” Hass says.

However, he notes, you have to be willing to commit. If you change your mind down the line, you don’t need to worry too much. It really is just paint, and making an alteration is more than feasible if you really tire of a certain look. It’s better to try out a color and ultimately paint over it a few years down the line than to always wonder what could have been.

Many of his clients go with blues and greens.

“Bold rich colors yearn to be used for color drenching,” Hass says.

Cole also likes like “to use deeper jewel tones and darker colors,” for color drenching, she says.

Be Sure to Vary Your Paint Finish

Also remember that just because you’re color drenching a room doesn’t mean that you should stick to just one paint finish throughout the space.

As Hass says, “the color is the only thing that is the same!”

You want your trim to be a sheen higher than the walls, for example, he explains, adding that the ceiling should either be in a sheen lower or the same as the walls.

When selecting a paint finish, consider the purpose of the room and which parts of the room have shadows, see the most sunlight, or catch extra light from an angled light fixture in the space.

Read the original article on The Spruce