INTERIORS 63 Commercially sensitive
Jemma Saunders at Crown Paints says colour has long been seen as a ‘fi nishing touch’ in commercial settings, but it is key to get it right for increasingly multi-purpose spaces.
C
olour shapes how a space feels and how well it works for the people using it, supporting more inclusive environments across workplaces, healthcare, and hospitality. For neurodivergent people, who may experience heightened sensitivity to colour, light and spatial change, the physical environment isn’t just a backdrop; it can affect wellbeing and day-to-day experience. And what calms one person may overstimulate another. With around one in seven people in the UK estimated to be neurodivergent, there is increasing awareness that environments are experienced very differently depending on sensory sensitivity, cognitive processing and perception.
What became clear through our research with architects and specifi ers was both a strong appetite for designing more inclusively, and a genuine knowledge gap around how elements such as colour, contrast and sensory stimulation affect people in practice. This underlines the need for a more considered approach – looking at colour in context, and how it works alongside light, texture and acoustics to reduce sensory load and make spaces easier to use.
From aesthetics to experience Architects have always understood, instinctively, that colour affects mood. Today, that intuition is increasingly being supported by research – and by real-world feedback from building users. In commercial settings in particular, spaces must now do more. Workplaces should feel focused and functional while still encouraging collaboration; healthcare environments should be calm and reassuring; and hospitality spaces need to balance atmosphere with comfort, creating spaces that feel welcoming and memorable for every guest.
Colour is central to achieving that balance. Subtle shifts in hue, saturation and contrast can transform how a space is perceived and experienced – infl uencing
ADF JULY/AUGUST 2026
everything from stress levels and concentration to a clearer sense of fl ow through the space.
Highly saturated palettes and visually busy schemes may energise some users while causing discomfort or fatigue for others. But this doesn’t mean specifying bland or neutral schemes. Instead, it requires a measured approach, recognising when colour should stimulate and when it should calm within different areas of a space.
Low-intensity tones often benefi t environments where focus and calm are essential. Both dark and light colours can promote a restful calm space vivid bright colours on the other hand, run the risk of becoming a distraction, especially if someone has a particular sensitivity to colour.
Workplace design: performance, focus and fl exibility In offi ce fi t-outs, colour psychology is increasingly tied to performance. As offi ces evolve into hubs for collaboration, social connection and focused work, a
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Architects have always understood, instinctively, that colour affects mood
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78
