If you want to create a visually relaxing space, do color drenching, the style that makes paint color decisions very easy because you choose only one for all surfaces—walls, ceilings, trims, and doors. Despite writing about this in November 2023, it is still a style that is recommended by interior designers today.
In fact, some interior designers are so against painting trims and ceilings white. According to American interior designer Loren Kreiss, painting the trim and ceiling white and the walls a different color is amateurish and ridiculous. In fact, he goes on further to say that, “Painting your wall, ceiling and wall the same color has been the accepted standard for every legitimate designer for decades.”
Strong statements that go against my live-and-let-live attitude, and my your-home-your-rules sentiment, which I still stand by.
Change the Paint Sheens
However, if you are a DIY painting newbie and feel insecure about combining different paint colors in a space, you could follow the recommendation of choosing one color.
Paint Finish: What does Sheen, Gloss or Kintab in Paints Mean?
Picture this: you’ve finally chosen a color for the room. How can you make it more interesting?
Play with the sheens for the trim, ceiling, walls and doors. Mr. Kreiss mentioned the sheens for the different surfaces. However, we would like to give you Boysen’s recommendations. Below is an infographic that will help you choose the paint sheen—gloss, semi-gloss, satin, matte, flat. It also shows where to paint what, the Boysen products that you can use, the functional feature of each sheen.
This infographic should make it easy for you to choose the sheens.
Sheens can also help you create the impact you want in a space. Here are some easy tips about sheen:
- gloss reflects the most light and flat absorbs the most light.
- high gloss highlights imperfections. So paint your walls with high gloss only if you’re sure that your walls are perfectly smooth.
- avoid using flat sheen for high traffic areas because it picks up dirt faster than any other sheen.
Less Visual Clutter
Here’s an example of the quiet impact of color drenching using a light neutral. Painting all surfaces with one color makes this bedroom look serene and restful. There is no fuss created because the trims and walls are in the same color. Even the floor echoes the same hue. The effect is a smooth visual experience that invites you to enter and relax.
Imagine having this vibe in your own bedroom. And it’s so easy to start your DIY painting project—you just need to pick a color.
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