#DP Trends: Colour Drenching Marks The Bold Departure Of Neutrals

A new era of interior design is dawning, one that embraces the rich, immersive world of a monochromatic palette. Moving beyond safe neutrals and all-white interiors, designers are now plunging headfirst into colour drenching, creating spaces that are not just visually cohesive but are also profound expressions of personality and mood. This isn’t merely a shift in style, but a deeper exploration into the psychological power of colour. At its core, colour drenching goes beyond paint; it’s about conviction, about letting one colour command the room, turning and defining its atmosphere. Through contrasting textures, lighting, material juxtapositions and art-led styling, three eminent designers have dared to saturate spaces in singular hues like Merlot Red, Inky Blue and Chartreuse Green, creating environments that are both transformative and intensely personal. Let’s see why these monochromatic spaces stand out.

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1. Lux Soiree by House Of Design

Monochromatic spaces are now clearly at the centre of contemporary design conversations. One of the most compelling examples emerged at Lux Soiree, a recent Mumbai exhibition by Interior Designers Rohit Bhoite and Misha Manglani Bhoite of House Of Design. Visitors stepped through heavy velvet drapes from Embelliish into a lounge area cloaked entirely in Merlot red. “The colour of Merlot wine came the closest to our liking, so we chose a Birla Opus shade called Roses At Manik Mahal, a perfect blend of love, passion and energy,” Rohit shares. 

The designer, in collaboration with Interior Stylist Samir Wadekar, shifted towards unapologetic colour drenching, saturating the walls, furniture, textiles and accessories in a single dominant hue to cultivate an atmosphere that feels both immersive and emotionally magnetic. “Colour drenching is a technique in interior design used to create a visual and emotional impact based on the typology of the space,” Rohit explains. “It can make a smaller space appear larger or a large space feel more intimate.” In this case, the saturation of red worked to collapse the sterility of an exhibition booth into something far more exciting and memorable. 

The entire booth was designed into a series of curated zones that feel like a real home, but it was the red space that drew the eye. A monumental marble bar counter crafted by Swamy Marmo is richly veined in oxblood tones, while scalloped-shaped lounge chairs unfurl like crimson blossoms around vintage Persian rugs from Woven Legacy. The brilliance of this composition lies not merely in its devotion to one colour, but in its orchestration to nuance. Gloss and matte, velvet and stone, shadow and glow, the monochrome palette reveals an unexpected depth through a careful play of contrasts. The immersive installation signals a bold departure from neutral minimalism, and embracing interiors drenched in a bold colour.

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2. A Blue Cocoon By Maison 15

Stepping away from sterile whites and polite neutrals, Creative Head Namrata Datt of Maison 15 envisions this living room for a Delhi home with an intuitive approach, allowing a single colour to guide everything. By cloaking the ceiling, walls, and cabinetry in Inky Sea by Asian Paints, she creates a spatial experience that feels cocoon-like, contemplative and deeply personal. “The concept of colour drench felt unapologetically bold, a way to celebrate one hue with conviction,” says Namrata. Speaking about her choice of colour, she reveals, “Truth is, I loved the colour of the sofa, which already existed in the homeowners’ residence, beautifully crafted by Arun Tandon. I believe when you retain what is already there, the story belongs not just to the designer but to the homeowner as well”. 

With velvet seating, Persian rugs, calligraphy by Radhika Kapoor, a 15th-century prayer book, and the ancient sculpture of Shiva and Parvati, the room holds you close, yet opens endlessly through the mirror’s reflection, extending boundaries into infinity. At its heart, the suspended Christ painting by Anjolie Ela Menon stands as an anchor—human, raw, contemplative—finally given the depth it deserves. “For years, I felt its power was diminished against the white walls. Surrounding it with deep blue brought the artwork alive, as though the room was built around it”.

When Namrata first floated the idea of colour drenching the space in deep blue, her clients hesitated. The thought of abandoning familiar neutrals felt daunting. But after sleeping over it, they returned excited, ready to take the leap. It’s a sentiment increasingly shared by homeowners and designers alike, as the tide decisively turns away from restraint toward expressive, mood-led interiors. “The homeowners love the transformation so much that I’m now designing another section of their home—another colour-drenched cocoon, in a bold new hue,” Namrata concludes.

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3. A Green Affair by Vaishali Kamdar Associates and Gesamt Design

Green, in all its glory, takes the centre stage in this South Mumbai dining room, proof that a single hue, when embraced wholeheartedly, can turn a functional space into a full-blown sensory experience. Designed collaboratively by Principal Designers Vaishali Kamdar of Vaishali Kamdar Associates and Komal Sanghavi Vasa of Gesamt Design, the dining area unfolds as an exercise in monochromatic mastery. The space reflects the persona of its discerning homeowners, affectionately described by the duo as “past-life Parisians” who cherish Indian antiquities and carry a deep-rooted spiritual philosophy. 

“The dining room is conceived as a place where art, design, and emotion collide,” says Vaishali. Concealed behind fluted-glass sliding doors, it is layered with a punch of saturated greens, pushed a little brighter at the homeowners insistence. The most opulent expression here is the chartreuse green ceiling clad in matte velvet from Dialogues by Nirmals, a deliberate piece of theatre that sets the tone for the entire space. “We wanted the ceiling to behave like an exclamation mark. It commands attention, yet cocoons you in warmth” says Komal. Every surface, from the textured celadon hemp wallpaper to the tone-on-tone upholstered chairs from Demuro Das, contributes to the green symphony. Anchored by a sculptural grey grigio marble dining table by Quarry, the space naturally draws the eye upwards to a vintage crystal chandelier by Taherallys Hatim, that shimmers like a frozen bloom in the evening. 

In this extraordinary dining space, the green palette not only unifies the interiors, it also allows an exuberant interplay of contrasts—velvet with pyrite, stone with brass accents, and matte finishes with crystal. The result is a cocooning atmosphere that feels calming, luxurious and sophisticated. With this design, Vaishali and Komal remind us that monochrome is capable of being minimal or maximal, so long as it’s pursued with conviction.

Colour drenching isn’t just a passing trend, it’s a declaration of confidence, a refusal to let walls fade into the background. In these saturated spaces, colour becomes narrative, memory and mood all at once. Perhaps that’s the real future of interiors; not neutrality but conviction.