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Color soaking, which involves saturating every surface in a room with a color, took the home design world by storm two years ago. And now the future is looking even brighter with a newer, bolder, and more dramatic decorating move: the double drench. Here's everything you need to know about double drenching, including tips from pros on how to give your home the perfect look.
What is Double Drenching?
The term “double drenching” was coined by UK-based paint brand Little Greene Painting every available surface in a room in two or more related shades. In a double-damp room, the colors are in the same family but have different undertones (think deep blues and forest greens). The purpose of double drenching is, quite literally, to saturate a room from floor to ceiling with color, leaving no room for white.
Designers are drawn to this trend because it's so eye-catching and accessible to anyone who loves color. “I think this is a beautiful and stylish trend because it is diverse and because it can be easily implemented by both designers and homeowners, creating a stunning look with color alone,” says Paige Garland, founder and CEO by Paige Garland Interiors.
Photo credit: Paige Garland Interiors Photo credit: Paige Garland Interiors
This is how you take advantage of the double soaking
Choosing two or three colors for a room can be daunting, but when it comes to double drenching, there's one simple rule that makes it easy: Choose colors that are next to each other on a color wheel, also known as analogous colors.
Take the room pictured above, for example. “For this dining room design, we tapped into the double-denching trend and worked with an analogous color palette of purples and reds to create a striking and memorable look,” says Garland, who designed the space. Luckily, most color charts group their hues in a similar way, making color selection even easier.
Photo credit: Sarah Ivory Design Photo credit: Sarah Ivory Design
Sarah Ivory, director and founder of Sarah Ivory Design, recommends exercising some restraint when experimenting with double drenching. “It's best to stick to two or three colors at most, as anything else can create chaos instead of cohesion, which is the exact opposite of what you want.”
Ivory adds, “This method can also be used between different applications such as stone and wall paint or curtains and wallpaper, like I did in the teal dining room.” [pictured above]. This doesn’t just apply to color.”
Double drenching with monochromes
You don't have to love bright colors to embrace the double drenching trend. With so many possible color schemes, double soaking works just as well when combining monochromatic tones with different undertones.
Using Benjamin Moore's colors as an example, Jessamy Tsoris, owner and lead designer of Color Zen Interiors, suggests combinations such as Frosted Berry (CC-8) with Muskoka Dusk (CC-6) or Great Barrington Green (HC-122) with Kennebunkport Green ( HC-123). These combinations create a winning combination that makes a room feel professionally put together, says Tsoris.
The double drench can be dark and moody, light and bright, or a combination of both, depending on your personal flair and the colors that appeal to you. It's a powerful way to confidently add color to any room. With this new trend, 2025 will look very bright and colorful!
Further reading
We've tested (and rated!) every sofa at West Elm – here you'll find the best for every need
We asked 5 contractors which kitchen reno trend homeowners regret most, and they basically all agreed
See how a stage artist used paint to transform a 1950s living room
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