Add A Bold & Dramatic Look To Your Home With The Double Drenching Paint Trend

Color trends tend to come and go. However, the latest popular design tactic has caught our eye, and it's known as double drenching. Although it sounds similar to the color drenching trend, which is the process of applying one color to all surfaces of a room, this newest 2024 technique, introduced by the UK-based brand Little Greene, has revealed a fresh take on the design. "'Double Drenching' is an expansion of this colour confidence, taking the concept into a highly creative, sophisticated, and nuanced approach to decoration," Creative Director of Little Greene Ruth Mottershead said (via Little Greene).

In double drenching, every square inch of a room is covered with paint of two or more related colors. Each color may have a different undertone, say a pairing of yellow-green with a blue-green. Another example would be to use a lovely shade of cherry red on the walls and a shade with a bit more purple on the ceiling, which can help to easily create a complementary design. 

Double drenching is not for the faint of heart. However, once you've found the confidence to embrace color in all its glory, it will be a DIY paint hack worth trying in your home. Design experts recommend first choosing a palette, from moody reds to warm yellows, earthy browns, and fresh greens. Refer to a color wheel for inspiration, or request color swatch cards from a paint manufacturer. The paint names alone might rev up your imagination for the job ahead, but also may provide some direction in terms of identifying color families and trying to figure out, for instance, which yellow contains pink.

Every single surface will require painting. This includes walls, ceilings, trim, window frames, architectural details, and baseboards. Sometimes the floors are and furniture are painted, too. Interior designers encourage incorporating pops of color in double drenched spaces through rugs and other accents. Alternatively, these pieces can be brought in to match the two or more paint colors.

The double drenching method is recommended for smaller spaces in the home where it can add more character. The technique is said to be best for spaces like bedrooms and powder rooms, but could also be great in an office or kitchens. However, it doesn't work the best in open floor plans, as these layouts don't allow the color to be the focus of the design. 

There are three things to consider when painting with bold colors. Understand the base of the color, which you will have done by looking at a color wheel. Choose the right finish, such as glossy or flat, for each area of the room you'll be painting, either to achieve a certain look or to minimize wear on surfaces. And, take the whole house into account, paying attention to how color flows from one room to the next. You might pull a color or two from a double drenched room into the trim or other details in an adjoining room to maximize the effect and create intention.