Colour Drenching: The Trend I Fell in Love With (and Why It Didn’t Work at Hyams)

I first noticed colour drenching through Kelly Wearstler’s homes.

You know those projects where you literally stop scrolling. The rooms look rich and bold, but still calm. Walls, ceiling, trims, doors… all the same colour. No harsh breaks. No white lines cutting everything up.

It looks spectacular. Like a proper high-end LA home.

I’ve been obsessed ever since, and I knew I had to try it one day.

When it looks amazing on the mood board

So naturally, when we started pulling colours for Hyams Beach, I thought, this is it. My colour drenching moment.

On my mood board it looked unreal. Edgy, warm, very “designer”. I was so ready.

Then we put the sample pots on the actual walls.

And I knew straight away… not for this space.

The moment I had to be honest

Hyams bedrooms aren’t huge, bright, high-ceilinged rooms. They’re smaller, calmer, and the light is softer and moodier.

What looked incredible in theory suddenly felt too dark in real life. And in a bedroom, that matters. You want it to feel lifted and fresh, not heavy.

So I made the call to pivot.

What I learned about colour drenching

Here’s the honest takeaway.

Colour drenching in a richer colour is magic when you’ve got:

• big rooms

• high ceilings

• loads of natural light

That’s where it looks expensive and intentional.

Smaller rooms with less light still need brightness.
They need a shade that lifts the space, otherwise it can start to look a bit… DIY.

And not in the cute way.

More like a kid’s art project than a Kelly Wearstler home.

What we did instead (and why it worked)

We still colour drenched at Hyams. We just chose the right colour for the job.

We went with Dulux Natural White, and drenched the whole room. Walls, ceiling, trims.

And it was instantly better. The rooms felt calm, warm, and bright again. The look is still seamless and elevated, just without the darkness.

I may still go back and add my colour but through paintings or some feature wallpaper.

Will I try a bold drench again?

One hundred percent.

I still love it. I’m still going to do it.

Just not in a smaller space.

Give me a big room, high ceilings and good light and I’ll go full Kelly.

Hyams just needed something softer and brighter.

And honestly, knowing when to pivot is part of good design too.