With neutral tones and whitewashed spaces dominating living room design the last few years, color is coming back into the picture and not just as an accent — color is now swathing everything in deep tones and rich hues. This is something Noelle Harvey, owner, lead designer, and creative director of Sunday House, says is referred to as “color drenching.”
“When painting a room in a deeper tone, drenching the room — painting everything in the room the same color — creates a rich, intentional, and finished look,” she shares. “Color drenching reduces the visual noise to create a more serene space, and because of that, you don’t need as much decor or art.”
Designer Alicia Cheung of San Francisco-based Studio Heimat agrees. “Color — deep color — has been more integrated into design,” she says. “There is something about the right rich color that just feels great to be surrounded by.” Designer Leah Harmatz of Field Theory thinks color is about to come on strong in the living room, too. She predicts moody hues, such as browns, oxblood red, and olive green, might be paired with brighter accents like powder blue and lilac.
