Colour palettes for interiors
Some online resources for inclusive interior design, especially dementia and neurodivergence
Just before Christmas, I was chatting to someone who works in a healthcare environment. They happened to mention that there are suggested colour palettes for Dementia, as they had recently needed to pick colours from a selected list in a revamp of a healthcare space.
This made me think about lots of questions, which led to me finding not just colour palettes for dementia but also for other areas of inclusive design as well.
Design for Dementia
I started to dig around online, and came across these design tips from Dulux for people living with Dementia. These include creating focal points in communal spaces, using uplifting colour to encourage activity, using contrasting colour on doors that should be used so they stand out, and matching colours on doors that should not, such as staff rooms, so they blend in.
As ageing impacts eyesight and 1 in 5 of us will experience sight loss, high colour contrast is important. This is measured using a light reflectance value. Contrast should be considered for both walls and furniture, dark coloured rugs should be avoided (they can be mistaken for holes in the ground) and glare and glossy surfaces reduced.
In a collaborative project completed in 2018, Chris and Sally’s house was developed as an example of a house designed to enable someone with dementia to live well at different stages. The Dementia Services Development Centre is also creating resources to enable better design for dementia, although many of their publications are unfortunately behind paywalls.
Design for Neurodivergence
After looking around at what design tips existed for Dementia, I was quite excited to find that in June 2025, Dulux created an Inclusive Design for Commercial Spaces brochure. This includes a section on neurodiversity! It also covers inclusive offices, education, healthcare, dementia and elderly care, hospitality and residential spaces.
For neurodivergence, they found that more muted, natural colours are preferred over more vivid colours. Additionally they highlighted the importance of providing different spaces in a building, as individuals have diverse sensory needs. This is because only using muted colours does not cater for those who need greater visual stimulation. Enabling easy way finding is also key, and clear, consistent visuals with frequent, more vibrant, signage is important for reducing anxiety. They also mention the importance of biophilic design, which includes using natural light, plants and natural surfaces (e.g. wood) in interior spaces. For more on that, follow Dawn Scott who is a colour specialist and considers neurodivergence in her work.
The British Standard Institution published a fast-tracked Standard in 2022 for considering neurodiversity and the built environment. This is great because it means that people working in the built environment are recognising the importance of designing for neurodiversity. It’s quite a lengthy read, so you may prefer looking at some key highlights on spatial layout, acoustics, light and colour in Design for Neurodivergent People - page 5. For example, flickering lighting and shadows should be avoided, individualised task lighting can be helpful, and blinds should be available to reduce glare and visual noise from outside. For colour, strong patterns should be avoided (high-contrast, geometric, repetitive).
An example of someone coming up with specific colour palettes for neurodivergence is Pippa Jameson, founder of The Sensory Home. She’s created four muted colour palettes called Focus, Gather, Nook and Rest which could be helpful for creating calming spaces.
I’ve found it brilliant to find these examples within industry of inclusive design in practice. There’s plenty more to say on all of the above, and I hope to dig deeper in future posts. Do let me know if there’s anything else you’ve come across that I’ve missed!
Social Cover Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash