How designers make rooms that work for colorblind clients
Quintin Tate knows that as an interior designer, it’s his job to see things from the perspective of his client. That guiding force – to put the vision of the client first – was recently put to the test when, 10 minutes into a consultation for a sunroom, Tate’s client described the magenta-based color palette before him as “brown and green.”
Tate knew that he and his client were literally not seeing the same thing. The client later confirmed, after a trip to the eye doctor, that he was red-green colorblind.
Tate, a lover of lush interiors and rich hues, had to take color out of the picture, or at least those not singing to his client. The exercise in shifting perspective helped sharpen his design chops, he says, and his empathy and communication skills.
“When you learn that you have to find a shared vision, despite the challenges of color, it’s time for you to really kick your problem-solving skills into play,” says Tate, the owner of North Carolina-based Twenty Sevyn Interiors.
Colorblindness affects 1 in 12 males and 1 in 200 females in the United States, though as one very famous viral dress can attest, color is subjective even for those without a diagnosis. Aging eyes see color differently. Language, commerce and culture layer meaning on color. One company labels the paint chip lake blue, another deems it denim. There are as many reasons to look beyond color in home design as there are shades of pink polish at a nail salon.
Colorblindness can be a useful detour to other paths to creative collaboration. We spoke with five interior designers who shared surprisingly universal wisdom gleaned from working with colorblind clients.
Can’t paint a picture? Tell a story
Without the option of color to give his colorblind client’s sunroom the warmth he desired, Tate pivoted to the idea of place, one the client associates with warmth: the beach.
He created a clean, coastal sanctuary, anchored by a patterned rug in cream and oceanic blue, a color his red-green colorblind client could see. He found pillows with silhouettes of coral and seaweed, and covered the couch with a creamy durable fabric that conveys both yacht-club luxury and seaworthy ruggedness. The effect is a bit nautical and a bit beachy: a coastal combo that exudes warmth. His client couldn’t see the green leaves of the large potted plant Tate selected, but he could appreciate their spiky angles, shadows, sense of movement and nod to nature.
Join the dark side
Black is technically not a color; a black object absorbs all the colors of the visible spectrum and reflects none of them to the eyes. In other words, colorblind clients can see it. And if it’s up to Miami-based interior designer Ashleigh Hue (yes, that’s her real name), everyone would see it as a versatile go-to.
Hue hasn’t found a detail she doesn’t love in black: fixtures, bedroom walls, kitchen islands.
“Black is often associated with elegance, sophistication and a sense of mystery. It has a timeless quality that can add a touch of drama and depth,” she says. “I can use it to create sleek and minimalist designs, and bold and edgy ones.”
Toronto-based interior designer Michael London knows that black can read as eerie or too masculine, but he encourages homeowners to not shy away from using it as a focal piece. He did just that with the free-standing fireplace in a colorblind client’s home. He also likes it as a strong supporting character that helps other elements shine, whether it’s a black floor topped with a colorful rug or the veins and lines of a marble kitchen island.
“Black can truly make everything around it better,” London says. “You see textures in detail; colors pop; lines are sharpened.”
Come to (all) your senses
Texture is a classic element of design, one that designers lean into to engage their colorblind clients’ sense of touch.
When London learned that his luxury-seeking client was colorblind, he immediately shifted to seeing things in monochrome, which allowed him to focus on other elements. “The real challenge is: How do I make it an experience for that particular client?” London says. “How can I give him distinctions and details he can truly enjoy?”
He chose a combination of hair-on-hide fabric and suede for the walls, paired with silk drapery. “Playing up the texture just adds more depth to the room,” he says. “We’re still working on the project now, and he’s loving the process because we’re still playing on texture and touch.”
London also considers smell and sound, prescribing scents and soundtracks for all his clients. In his own office, clients arrive to hear the crackle of a fireplace and his curated office soundtrack. For rooms where you entertain, soundtracks are crucial, London says, as they give a foundational vibe the party (or baby shower, luncheon, etc.) can build upon.
Pick a pattern or two – or seven
Patterns pack a visual punch equally powerful to color. “Colorblind clients still feel like they’re getting that pop – it’s just not a pop of color,” says Christina Kittelstad, a color consultant, home stager, painter and owner of Spiral Design Color Consulting in Lakewood, Colo. Patterned wallpaper and shapes playing off one another in pillows, furniture and rugs can all give a room depth and energy regardless of hue.
During a recent design for a colorblind client’s living space and art gallery, Houston-based interior designer Christopher Charles Evans packed in patterns on the hair-on-hide ottoman focal piece, in texture-rich pillows and a “lot of geometrical shapes going on with high contrast in color,” says the owner of ChristopherCharles Interiors and IndigoRED, LLC.
In that same client’s bedroom, patterns play nicely off each other, with lines and curves zinging from one pillow to the shapely “Space Age meets art deco” shiny light fixtures. And there’s plenty to get your hands on here too: A lush ocean of a blanket is the tactile cherry on top of a three-throw pileup, and Evans concocted a signature scent of rose and sandalwood for his client’s room.
In his colorblind client’s bathroom, London constructed a pattern playground with flower petals in a painting harmonizing with the shapes of the room’s modern chandelier. (Yes, chandeliers in bathrooms are a thing.) The abstract petals in the painting also vibe with a row of the flowers lined up on a ledge above the tub.
Get into shape
Shapes speak volumes throughout the home of London’s colorblind client and in the designer’s own office. Curvy couches soften more angular features and give a sense of serpentine movement. “I love how [the couch] creates flow and allows the eye to both move through a space while offering a soft landing,” London says.
Repeating rectangles in the form of door frames add to that sense of rhythm as they lead from the client’s bathroom into the vanity and dressing room. Surrounded by textured wallpaper, in varying shades of brown, anchored by a travertine floor, with its own rectangular tiles, the hallway leads to a lit-from-behind mirror.
Put it in neutral
As every Gen Z-er in beige athleisure knows, neutrals are having a sustained moment.
Colorblind clients are sharply attuned to tone, and designers herald neutrals as the best way to capture these slight changes in saturation and depth. “My colorblind clients tell me they just feel safer with neutrals,” says Kittelstad. “You can’t go wrong really. Even if you mess up, it’s still probably not going to look bad.”
Neutrals offer a quick solution to the paralysis often associated with home projects of any scale, whether you can see color or not. “Sometimes you don’t want to take that risk, or maybe there’s a lot of that going on in your life,” Kittelstad says. “Neutral choices can keep it simple. There’s no denying that.”
Make it work
If your party room doesn’t accommodate more than two people, your office has no outlets and that granite island has left a permanent bruise on your thigh, then all the bold patterns and interesting textures can’t do a thing to make your design work for you. Colorblind clients raise the bar on functionality, designers say, and underscore the ethos of all good design.
“The functionality of a space is the underpinning of effective and value-added interior design,” Evans says. “A space that has great function adds value, ease and order to the client’s environment and daily living.”
Common mistakes in function that Evans sees are: absence of linen closets in new construction; lack of storage; not using performance fabrics for high-use upholstered furniture; inadequate door and cabinetry swing directions; and sacrificing function for cost.
“No deal is good if you have to go out and buy a better version of it when it fails to perform,” Evans says.