Colour drenching: how to paint a room in one colour

Colour drenching means painting a room's walls, ceiling, skirting, doors, window frames and plaster details all in one colour. Done well, it makes a space feel calm and enveloping, hides awkward angles and lets texture and shape take the place of contrast. Choose a colour you would happily sit inside, vary the sheen rather than the shade, and leave out only what has to stay practical.

It works in big rooms and tiny ones, and it suits period homes surprisingly well. When cornice, ceiling rose and panelling are all the same colour as the wall, you notice their shadows and outlines rather than a white line drawing around the edge of the room.

Why it works

Most rooms are painted in a pattern: coloured walls, white ceiling, white woodwork. That contrast traces every edge, which can make a small or oddly shaped room feel busier. Drenching removes those edges. The eye stops at fewer boundaries, so the room reads as one calm volume.

• Small rooms feel cocooning rather than cramped, especially studies, cloakrooms and snugs.
• Awkward rooms with sloping ceilings or lots of doors look simpler, because nothing is singled out.
• Period rooms show off their mouldings through light and shadow alone.

The idea is not new. Look at the strong single-colour rooms at Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, where colour runs right across walls and joinery, and you can see how much atmosphere one decisive colour can create.

How to choose the colour

Because you will see the colour on every surface, choose with care.

• Paint large samples. Brush a sheet of lining paper or card, at least A3, and move it around the room: on the wall, on the ceiling, against the floor. Look at it in morning light and under lamps at night.
• Check the undertone. A colour that looks grey on the chart may turn green on a north-facing wall or pink under warm bulbs.
• Go a little softer than you think. A colour reads stronger when it surrounds you. If you love a deep shade on a single wall, consider one step lighter for a full drench.
• Think about the room's use. Earthy reds and terracottas feel warm in a dining room. Muted greens and blues suit bedrooms. Deep inky shades work in rooms used mainly at night.

Change the sheen, not the colour. That is where the subtlety lives.

Sheen levels

A drenched room is not a flat room. Varying the finish gives depth and also makes the paint fit for purpose on each surface.

• Walls and ceiling. Matt or flat matt for a soft, chalky look that hides small imperfections.
• Plaster details. Flat matt on cornices, ceiling roses, wall lights and pediments. Sheen shows every brush mark and hides fine detail.
• Woodwork. Eggshell on skirting, doors and frames. It is tougher and wipeable, and the slight sheen catches light against the matt walls.
• A bolder option. Some people use a higher sheen on woodwork for a lacquered contrast. It looks striking but shows every dent, so the surface must be very well prepared.

Buy each finish from the same paint range so the colour matches. The same shade in matt and eggshell can still look slightly different because sheen reflects more light, which is part of the charm.

Painting plaster details

Natural plaster pieces drink paint, so seal them first with a mist coat of thinned emulsion before your top coats. Our ceiling roses, wall lights and overdoor pediments are hand-cast in Shrewsbury and arrive as natural plaster, ready to paint with ordinary emulsion, so they can disappear into a drench along with the walls. Our paintable plaster guide explains the steps. Use thin coats and a small brush for recesses, so the detail stays sharp.

What to leave out

A full drench does not mean painting everything.

• Floors. Usually best left as wood, tile or carpet. A contrasting floor grounds the room.
• Switches and sockets. Choose plates in a finish that suits the scheme rather than painting them. Never paint over electrical fittings.
• Window glass and hardware. Keep paint off hinges, handles and latches so they keep working.
• Fine original features. Marble fireplaces, old tiles and original stained timber deserve to stay as they are.

Where to start

Try a small room first, such as a cloakroom, study or spare bedroom. Choose one colour, buy it in two sheens, and include the ceiling. For colour ideas suited to older houses, read our guide to heritage colour palettes, and if you want an architectural detail to paint into the scheme, browse our overdoor pediments.