Who doesn't love the feel of more room?

Home trends come and go so fast that even we—self-proclaimed homebodies and decor aficionados—sometimes can’t keep up. That’s why when a new paint (read: more affordable) concept crosses our radar, we’re listening.

After years of celebrating colour drenching, a bold colour trend that involves dousing an entire room in a single shade, we’re turning our heads towards a slightly more subdued idea: colour capping.
 

What is colour capping?

Coined by paint company Benjamin Moore, colour capping is all about using one colour with gradient hues. For example, different shades of mauve or green. It still creates an impactful design, but plays as more neutral than colour drenching.

"Colour capping involves enveloping a space in a tonal wash that gradually deepens the further up it goes, incorporating the often-overlooked fifth wall (the ceiling) into the design," Helen Shaw, the brand's colour expert, explained to Living Etc.
 

How to use colour capping

First, choose a colour palette. You'll want to stick to the same family to create a cohesive set of neutrals, but this doesn't mean you have to choose beiges or greys. An array of pink mochas, greens, and blues—go for at least three shades of your hue—lend themselves to a quirky style that can still be a relaxed background for a space.

As an added bonus, the style can change the appearance of proportions and dimensions in a space, making it look bigger. This layered approach, using lighter hues towards the base of a room and richer shades of the same colour family higher up, naturally draws the eye upward.

3 foolproof colour capping combinations

Green dream

• Benjamin Moore Guilford Green HC-116
• Benjamin Moore Silken Pine 2144-50
• Benjamin Moore Hunter Green 2041-10

Mocha mauve

• Benjamin Moore Whipped Mocha CSP-350
• Benjamin Moore Soft Sand 2106-60
• Benjamin Moore Firewood 1027

A study in navy

• Benjamin Moore Gentleman's Gray 2062-20
• Benjamin Moore Blue Jean 2062-50
• Benjamin Moore Blue Hydrangea 2062-60

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