“I’ve done this a lot in my houses and for clients, and once you’ve tried it you won’t go back," says Gavin Houghton, of colour drenching. “White ceilings can feel very unloved if you have no other white paint in the room," and decorative ceilings “never overpower" thanks to their position above the eye line. The practice of ‘colour drenching’ is a specific development on this theme, in which you paint walls, ceilings, trim and even features like radiators in the same colour. “Colour drenching is a useful trick for maximising the feeling of space in a small room," points out designer Nicola Harding, who has often used the practice. The experts have spoken: colour drenching is the way to make a space feel up to date.