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Overview
If you want to make a bold design statement, colour drenching a room is a fantastic option. This technique involves painting the walls, trims, doors, and even the ceiling in the same shade, creating a rich, immersive look. Whether you’re after something cosy and dramatic or light and airy, it’s an easy way to completely transform a space. Here’s how to get that beautiful, seamless finish.
Safety tip: Always wear appropriate safety gear when sanding or painting, such as a mask, gloves and safety glasses. Work in a well-ventilated area and follow instructions on all product labels.
Steps
Choose your colour and finishes
Think about the mood you want to create. Darker tones like deep greens, blues or charcoals can make a space feel cosy and luxurious, while lighter shades such as soft whites, pastels or warm neutral paint tones help reflect light and create a sense of openness. Decide whether you want the same sheen across all surfaces or to mix finishes for subtle contrast. For example, you could choose a low sheen or matt on the walls for a smooth, modern look, and a semi-gloss or gloss on trims, doors and windows for durability and easier cleaning. Always test paint samples on different walls and look at them in both natural and artificial light before committing.
Prepare the room
Move furniture to another area or place it in the centre of the room and cover it with protective sheets. Lay drop sheets across the floor and tape them in place so they do not shift. Remove wall hangings, curtain rods and light fittings where possible. Mask off any areas you do not want painted, like door handles or built-in shelving.
Clean all surfaces
A clean wall surface is essential for a professional-looking finish. Use a sugar soap solution and a sponge or clean cloth to remove dust, dirt, grease and cobwebs. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry completely before moving to the next step.
Fill gaps and imperfections
Check the walls, trims and ceiling for cracks, nail holes or gaps where the trim meets the wall. Use a gap filler for joins and a general-purpose wall filler for holes or dents. Apply with a scraper, overfilling slightly to allow for sanding. Once dry, sand back to a smooth finish.
Sand glossy or uneven areas
Paint adheres best to a slightly roughened surface. Use fine-grit sandpaper to dull any glossy paint, smooth over filler patches and even out any imperfections. For large areas, a sanding pole will help you work faster and more evenly. Wipe away dust with a clean, damp cloth or a microfibre cloth.
If necessary in your space, apply primer with a paint brush to trims and edges, and a roller for larger sections, and allow it to dry completely before painting. Primer helps your topcoat grip to the surface and ensures an even colour, especially when painting over dark shades, bare timber or glossy finishes.
Cut in around edges and grooves
Even when colour drenching, it is worth masking along edges, trims and skirting boards with painter’s tape. This helps keep your lines sharp and prevents paint from pooling where surfaces meet, which can create uneven texture or visible ridges once dry. Once you’ve taped up, use a quality angled brush to cut in along corners, ceiling lines, skirting boards, window frames and door edges. This gives you neat lines and makes blending with the roller much easier. For panelling or detailed trims, work the paint into grooves so there are no missed spots.
Roll on the paint
Load your roller evenly, then apply paint in straight, continuous strokes from the top of the wall to the bottom. This helps maintain a consistent finish and keeps the colour flowing seamlessly from skirting to ceiling, which is especially important when colour drenching. Work in manageable sections, keeping a wet edge so the paint blends smoothly. Apply at least two coats, letting each one dry fully before the next.
Remove tape
Next, carefully peel away the painter’s tape while the wall paint is still slightly tacky, rather than fully dry. This helps prevent the tape from lifting the paint or leaving rough edges. Pull the tape back on itself at a 45-degree angle for the cleanest line.
Paint trims, doors and ceiling
Once the walls are dry, move on to trims and doors. Tape up the floor, and use a smaller brush for precision and smooth coverage. When painting the ceiling, switch to a roller with an extension pole and work in even, overlapping rows. For the best result, roll in the same direction as the main source of natural light, usually from the window wall across the room. This helps minimise visible roller marks. Remember to keep the same colour flowing from walls to ceiling for that seamless effect.
Remove tape and tidy up
Before the final coat fully cures, gently peel away the painter’s tape on the floor. Remove drop sheets, clean your brushes and rollers, and reattach fittings and fixtures. Give the paint a few days to fully harden before pushing furniture back into place.
Tip: Colour drenching can also work beautifully on smaller features, such as alcoves, bookshelves or cabinetry, if you are not ready to commit to a whole room.
Now that you’ve learnt how to colour drench a room with paint
More D.I.Y. Advice
Health & Safety
Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.
Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.
Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.
Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.