The Once-Controversial Trend That Increases Your Home Value
It's no secret that in prior years, minimalism took the world by storm. There was a period of time when more and more real estate listings featured photos of houses with gray walls and neutral interior designs, intended to appeal to a wide array of home buyers. But interior design trends indicate that minimalism is out, and maximalist decor that emphasizes bold colors is hotter than ever. While off-whites and versatile greige paint used to be viewed as chic and modern, real estate trends show that home buyers are beginning to prefer homes with character and unique charm.
One popular trend that encapsulates this specific shift is color drenching, a bold design choice that involves matching your walls, trim, ceiling, and even floors with a single eye-catching hue. Incorporating color drenching into your current home's interior design could even raise the overall value of your house if executed with intention. According to a 2026 trends report conducted by the real estate website Zillow, "Mentions of this design choice jumped 149% year over year, showing buyers' appetite for spaces that feel immersive, dramatic, and cohesive." Color drenching is expected to stay popular in upcoming years, as people shift towards purchasing homes that have more personality.
Choosing the best shade for color drenching
To thoughtfully execute the color drenching trend in a way that can increase your home's value, choosing a singular hue that makes sense for the space is key to crafting a harmonious and refined look. It's very important to be intentional when selecting a color — the last thing you want is to fully commit to a shade only to realize afterwards you actually aren't very fond of that specific color.
Deep and rich shades of blues and greens can spark intrigue and look incredibly elegant, and cozy and inviting earth tones can add warmth to a room. Consider the lighting of the room and whether or not the color you choose will still look good as the illumination shifts throughout the day. You can find hues that look good in both natural sunlight and artificial lighting from lamps. Always test your color with patches and view it in various levels of light before fully committing to a shade that could potentially become an eyesore.
If you're at a loss for where to begin, consider which colors buyers are drawn to. Take a look at trendy paint colors that will be taking over walls in 2026 to get a sense of what will be attractive to potential buyers. If you don't plan on selling for a while, choose more timeless paint colors like muted jewel tones or warm, rosy neutrals that can stand the test of time. This will help you avoid having to repaint the whole room if a trendy color falls out of fashion. While buttery yellows and berry pinks may have been popular in 2025, these shades may not increase your home's value in the long run.
Tips for color drenching with a refined finish
In addition to choosing colors thoughtfully, consider the size of the room you want to paint. A lighter shade of paint is a good match for smaller rooms since it can make the space feel roomier. Alternatively, darker colors can make spacious rooms feel more welcoming and intimate. Rooms that have a lot of texture are also a great option for color drenching, since varying materials and finishes on accessories, furniture, and decor add contrast to the monochrome paint job.
To avoid a tacky look or interior design that looks like overkill, select accents in reserved, complementary colors that will flatter the hue you chose to color drench. You can also choose to accent with the same color in just a shade or two lighter than the wall and ceiling colors, guaranteeing that the palette is similar enough that the colors play off each other harmoniously. You can add contrast to the room with your accent furniture so the color-drenching hue doesn't overwhelm the space, especially by taking advantage of natural materials like wood, metal, bamboo, linen, jute, or stone.