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How to colour drench your room with paint

Colour drench a room with paint

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

1Choose 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.
Choose colour and finishes that make a space feel cosy and luxurious

2Prepare 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.
Prepare the room by applying blue painter's tape along the base

3Clean 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.
Clean wall surface for a professional-looking finish

4Fill 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.
Fill gaps and imperfections

5Sand 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. 

Sand uneven areas to smooth over filler patches and even out imperfections Image Description: A Bunnings Team Member is sanding a wall with a sanding block to smooth over filler patches and even out any imperfections.

6Cut 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.
Cut in around edges and grooves

7Roll 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.
Paint on the wall in straight strokes from top to bottom using paint roller

8Remove 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.
Remove painter’s tape while the wall paint is still slightly tacky

9Paint 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.
Paint trims, doors and ceiling

10Remove 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.
Green Bunnings hammer
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.
Stylish room with colour drenching

11Now that you’ve learnt how to colour drench a room with paint

Suggested products

Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. 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 or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.