Colour drenching

Discover the decorative benefits of committing to one single colour

ALL ENCOMPASSING The decorative art of stretching one single paint shade onto multiple surfaces – from your walls and woodwork, to fitted furniture, radiators, fire surrounds and sometimes even ceilings – that’s colour drenching. It’s a fast way to achieving a trend-led space.

STANDOUT APPEAL ‘Using one colour in a room,’ explains decorating expert Nicky Phillips, ‘blurs the traditional boundaries of the space, making the walls recede and allowing the furniture and accessories in the space to take centre stage.’

EXPAND YOUR SPACE Tash Bradley, director of interior design at Lick, is a big fan of the paint technique. 'Even if you have a smaller room, colour drench it,’ she says. ‘It opens up the whole space and you don’t notice the edges of the room. So, if you have a windowless bathroom for example, paint the ceilings and the woodwork in the same colour as the walls.’

LIGHT THE WAY Admittedly, colour drenching often brings up concerns about the room looking unvaried. But that’s where daylight comes into play. ‘As with all painted walls,’ explains Nicky, ‘the colour will change depending on the time of day and the amount of light the room gets, so don’t be put off by the idea that it will look too samey.’

BOLD APPROACH There’s also an additional benefit to using this paint technique, as decorating expert Nicky Phillips reveals: ‘Since a neat finish isn’t required when you’re painting everything in one block colour, you can throw caution to the wind and put your masking tape back in your tool box!’