For some, Color Drenching has been a big step change, moving away from a more typical, traditional use of color in a design scheme. This  use of ‘drenching’ or enveloping a room with a single color across walls, ceiling, woodwork and skirting has proven to be a real confidence  booster, opening the door to new ways of using color in the home.  

Perhaps a bold but relatively easy step to take, Color Drenching simply requires the choice of a color you like, and the confidence to paint  it everywhere. Occupying a more sophisticated space is a more nuanced approach, offering both a creative opportunity and a point of  difference which is a natural progression, evolving the color drench aesthetic and taking it further.  

‘Double Drenching’ is the name Little Greene has given to dramatically transforming a space by painting two or more related colors on  all available surfaces to achieve an even more accomplished ‘wow factor’ in a room.

This new approach is a way to confidently embrace  and combine colors that might not typically be seen and used alongside one another in a single scheme. Traditionally, tonal variations  of a single color are used to achieve a harmonious look, perhaps three strengths of a neutral shade being used across walls, woodwork  and ceilings.

With ‘Double Drenching’, the variation is in hue rather than strength, so the colors might be as bold as each other and from  the same family, but they carry different undertones. Greens at different ends of the spectrum, such as a bluish green used alongside a  yellowish green on different planes within a space, for example.  

Taking reference from colors that are near or next to one another on the Little Greene Colors of England Color Card (rather than the tonal  shades above or below), we see colors: ‘Hopper’ juxtaposed with ‘Citrine’, ‘Mid Azure Green’ alongside ‘Deep Space Blue’, and ‘Tivoli’  with ‘Blue Verditer’ and ‘Woad’.  

Because these new double-drenched schemes are built on strong shades, they offer the chance to embrace a stronger palette in other  elements of the room, adding an unexpected feature color on furniture, upholstery and accessories. This style of decorating is all about  embracing the power of color, there is no room for white ceilings or skirting here!  

With Little Greene’s Intelligent Paints now being truly multi-surface finishes, ‘Color Drenching’ and ‘Double Drenching’ are now even easier,  and more economical, as it is now possible to paint almost any surface from a single tin without the need for primer. 

“It’s always fascinating to see how color confidence and the use of color changes over time. The understanding of the effect of color on  the atmosphere of a space is something that has grown exponentially over the past few years. Since first introducing the ‘Color Drenching’  approach back in 2021, we have seen customers move away from traditional schemes to embrace deep and mid-tone hues from floor to  ceiling and everything in between, creating really engaging, inviting spaces. ‘Double Drenching’ is an expansion of this color confidence,  taking the concept into a highly creative, sophisticated and nuanced approach to decoration.”  

– Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director Little Greene.  

All images ©Little Greene 2024. 

About Little Greene  

With a small factory in the foothills of Snowdonia and a Head Office based in Manchester, Little Greene is an independent, family-run  business and the only manufacturer still producing a complete range of traditional and modern decorative paints for all areas of the home.  

Little Greene’s environmentally-friendly paints include child-safe, water-based paints and oil-based paints made using naturally occurring  vegetable oils, available in finishes for walls, ceilings, floors and even exteriors. They are designed to complement an unrivaled collection of  authentic archive wallpaper designs, adapted and re-colored for the contemporary interior.  

Little Greene’s water-based paints contain zero added VOCs, so don’t contribute to atmospheric pollution. But VOCs are not the total picture  in talking about a ‘green’ paint. Little Greene also maintains its low carbon footprint by manufacturing at their own factory in Snowdonia and  through the fact that the paint’s excellent coverage means a room can be painted in significantly fewer coats, the knock-on effect of which is  fewer tins to be delivered and reduced transport pollution.  

Little Greene’s complex and profound color formulations are created using traditional and contemporary pigments. The company’s paints  contain 40% more pigment than many ordinary paints, which results in unequaled depth of color and undertones that subtly change in  different lights, providing real character.  

Little Greene’s beautiful finishes are designed to last. Thanks to carefully chosen ingredients, the paints are easy to apply and boast better  coverage than any other. The excellent coverage of the paints means fewer precious raw materials are required and their longevity means  repainting is a less frequent task.  

Paints are routinely tested to international performance specifications, namely BS EN 13300. By ensuring the highest performance to this  standard, Little Greene ensures that product performance is not compromised but remains environmentally friendly.  

Little Greene produces one of the most environmentally-friendly ranges of finishes for every application, ethically manufactured in the UK,  with no compromise on quality or performance. The water-based paints far exceed all legislation on VOCs and the oil-based paints have  been formulated to use naturally occurring vegetable oils.  

Little Greene’s packaging, including the metal cans, contains over 50% of recycled materials and can be recycled again upon disposal.  

The pigments used in the paints and to print the wallpapers are completely non-toxic and sourced inside the EU, thereby ensuring they have  both environmental certification and are free from any chance to be associated with slavery or child labour.  

All Little Greene wallpapers are printed using water-based inks and the paper used comes from FSC or PEFC certificated sustainable forests.  

Little Greene wallpapers are produced in the UK using ‘paste-the-wall’ technology making them both hard-wearing and easy to apply. All  wallcovering products comply with the European Product Standard EN 15102:2007+A1:2011.  

The company has committed to a dedicated programme of recycling and uses sustainably-sourced packaging and paperwork for its  administration and distribution.  

There is Greene-thinking at all operational levels, including a continual waste reduction programme, increased recycling and ongoing work  to minimize the impact of emissions & transportation.  

Visit www.littlegreene.com for more information and inspiration.