Move over, color-drenching: As smile-inducing as this trend was, it turns out that dousing your entire room in one shade is 2024. With a new year in full swing, many top designers are looking for fresh, exciting ways to bring a similar (and seriously cozy) touch to their spaces. Topping the list of must-watch trends for 2025? Material-drenching. At its core, this phenomenon isn’t too different from color-drenching, but instead of reimagining an entire room in a single shade, pros are creating a homogenous effect with one material. Sure, wood, marble, and stone might be obvious choices for a kitchen backsplash or a built-in bookshelf, but material-drenching empowers you to apply these finishes everywhere. Walls, ceiling, backsplashes, and countertops? Yes, they’re all in play.
Design by AM Interior Design; Photo by Miranda Estes Photography
For Aimee Meisgeier, who runs AM Interior Design in the greater Seattle area, this concept proves that less really can be more. “It brings a cohesive feel and sense of opulence and grandeur into a space,” she explains. “It adds a wow factor that can be a bit more subtle than color drenching for those not wanting to take that big of a design step in their living spaces.”
Though the design pendulum is sitting squarely on the maximalist end of the spectrum, material-drenching offers the best of both worlds: An opportunity to give your space a warm, inviting touch without going full-on dopamine decor. Some spatial skeptics might be worried that material-drenching can appear sterile and soulless, but John Ike of Ike Baker Velten in San Francisco says the devil lies in the details.
In a recent kitchen, Ike employed Hemlock cabinets and oak floors to “wrap the space in warm wood.” The wood species aren’t identical, but they’re similar enough to create a cocooning effect. “Maintaining a consistent hue while keeping the materials and finishes diverse, the room feels symmetrical yet divided,” Ike says. “This coordination makes space for contrasting details like a custom Racetrack light fixture and stainless-steel hood.”
Design by Wendy Labrum Interiors; Photo by Aimée Mazzenga
Since materials are the star of this trend, it’s important to select yours with care. Marble, for example, will require a lot of maintenance and upkeep whereas certain metals might patina over time. “Just make sure that whatever material you select to achieve the material-drenching look, it works with your lifestyle, long-term,” Meisgeier explains.
While there are a lot of options to choose from, Meisgeier says natural surfaces like stone and wood offer a “timeless and classic” look. “Trends come and go, but if you are thoughtful in the materials you choose to achieve the look of a trend, your design will better stand the test of time than using trendy materials on top of the trendy look,” she says. Investing in a lot of materials can get pricey, but you can avoid (some) of the sticker shock by buying wooden beadboards or slats at your local hardware store.
Design by Ike Baker Velten; Photo by Richard Powers
However, if installing brand-new millwork seems like a huge undertaking, Wendy Labrum recommends capturing the look with upholstery. “Find a matching wallpaper-slash-fabric combination and cover your walls and furniture in the same fabric,” says the designer, who splits time between Chicago and Park City, Utah. “You can continue into window treatments and other pieces, or create contrast with a solid color drapery.”
With so many ways to tackle this trend, one thing’s for sure: Material-drenching might celebrate one type of finish, but it’s a far cry from appearing one-note.
