Color Drenched: How Cedar Path Brought Our Show House Vision to Life
When Diana Vicenti and Amy Spearing began planning their Living & Dining Room at Foundry Manor, they knew one thing early: the color had to come from the landscape. The wooded 25 acres surrounding the property, the same acres that inspired their Thibaut "Albero" drapery fabric with its whimsical pattern of trees and foliage, pointed clearly toward green. What took more time was finding exactly the right one.
If you missed the story of how the room's design concept came together, you can read it here.
Finding the right green was a process. Several Benjamin Moore swatches were tested on the walls of the Foundry Manor Dining/Living Room before Cedar Path emerged as the clear choice, with just the right warmth and depth of undertone.
Finding the Right Green
"We knew we wanted to go with a green, pulling the outside in," Diana explains, "but Cedar Path was not our first choice. We originally settled on another green, but realized it had more blue undertone than we wanted."
Undertone is everything, particularly in a space as significant as this one, where the color would be applied to every surface in the room. Benjamin Moore's Cedar Path, generously donated by Spectrum Paint, was ultimately the answer: a green with the warmth and depth the room demanded.
Neil Grist, owner of Grist Paint, describes what makes Cedar Path so well suited to a bold application like this one. "It works with a color drench because it has so much dimension. It's not a simple hue, and complexity is what you really want. It reveals its gray and brown undertones differently depending on light and shadow."
In a room that shifts throughout the day as natural light moves across its surfaces, that complexity is not just a nice quality. It is essential.
Benjamin Moore’s Cedar Path
What Is Color Drenching?
Color drenching is the practice of applying a single color, or a very closely related family of colors, to every surface in a room: walls, trim, ceiling, built-ins, and architectural details alike. The effect is immersive and enveloping, a room that feels deliberately, confidently itself.
It is, as Diana notes, a treatment with a long history. "It is a treatment that has been around for centuries, but is having a moment again. I recently drenched my den and love the warmth and coziness it created." That personal experience gave her the confidence to commit to the technique in a space as grand and high-stakes as Foundry Manor’s Living & Dining Room.
The result is a backdrop that does something specific and intentional for every other element in the space. "The color grounds the space and lets the other colors in the textiles shine," Diana says. Against Cedar Path's lush, saturated green, the room's collection of patterned and textured upholstery fabrics reads with remarkable clarity.
The Grist crew at work at Foundry Manor. With a 20-foot ceiling, three tiers of crown molding, and a fully paneled fireplace surround, this was no ordinary paint job.
The Finish: A Decision as Important as the Color
Choosing a color is only half of the equation. The finish, an often overlooked part of any paint project, changes everything about how a color is experienced in a space.
For this space, Neil and the Grist Paint team made careful, deliberate decisions about finish at every surface. The walls received Benjamin Moore's Regal flat, a choice Neil speaks about with evident pride. "Ben Moore's Regal flat really lived up to its name. In the end, the finish turned out buttery smooth."
The trim presented a different challenge entirely. "The second I walked into the room I thought, man, this is a whole lot of trim," Neil recalls. "It has three separate sections of crown molding tiered down from a 20-foot ceiling, including three-by-three dental molding wrapped around the entire perimeter, not to mention the full paneled fireplace surround with built-in shelf and cabinets on each side. I knew standard trim paint wouldn't do."
The solution was Renner Wood Coatings, applied at a 10-sheen matte fine finish for what Neil describes as a furniture-grade result. "We use it every day on our fine finish work, so I knew the 10 sheen would be what Diana was looking for."
The interplay between the flat walls and the matte trim is intentional and meaningful. "The sheen will change the experience dramatically," Neil explains. "Usually, the glossier the sheen, the darker the color will appear. So when you paint a satin right next to a flat you get a stark contrast even though they are technically the same color." Using two carefully chosen sheens creates a subtle but sophisticated distinction between surfaces, adding dimension to what could otherwise read as a flat field of color.
Every surface, from the tiered crown molding and dental detail to the built-in shelves and bookcases, painted in Cedar Path. The contrast between the flat wall finish and the 10-sheen matte trim finish adds a layer of sophistication that rewards a closer look.
Trying Color Drenching at Home
TheLifing & Dining Room at Foundry Manor is a masterclass in color drenching at its most ambitious, but the technique is accessible at any scale. Both Diana and Neil offer guidance for homeowners ready to try it.
Diana's first consideration is whether the space is right for the treatment. "Is the space appropriate? Are there clear stopping points? This doesn't work well in an open concept floor plan unless you are painting the entire space." Beyond that, she emphasizes the importance of testing thoroughly before committing. "You need to really test the color first in various places in the room," she advises, noting that light shifts significantly depending on time of day and where you are standing.
She also recommends working with a professional. "Choose a flat finish and use a professional. Grist Paint did an amazing job. This space has incredible molding and built-ins for which the finish has to be durable."
Neil's advice centers on the ceiling, a surface many homeowners overlook. "Paint the ceiling too. It's a part of the drench." His typical approach for a residential color drench uses flat on the ceiling, matte on the walls, and satin on the trim, a progression of sheens that creates contrast and dimension while keeping the overall effect cohesive.
See It in Person
The Dining/Living Room at Foundry Manor is open to visitors daily from April 14 through May 10 as part of the 2026 RSL Designer Show House. Tickets are available at richmondsymphonyleague.org. The full room reveal, with a photo tour, is coming soon, so stay tuned for more!
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors!
A sincere thank you to our generous sponsors, whose contributions made this transformation possible!
