As a design professional, you know there are often elements of a project that require careful persuasion to get a client’s approval. While it may be a challenge to convince a client to purchase a quirky lighting fixture or agree to an unconventional seating arrangement, it can be even more difficult to sell a particular color, especially one a client thinks is “too dark.”
I learned this firsthand when I began offering color consultations. As someone who prefers deeper hues, it was natural for me to specify these colors. However, I found that many of my clients were placing these selections in the “dark” category. I started to think that perhaps I should suggest dark colors only if a client requested them. But that didn’t work either because, it turns out, the word “dark” is very subjective. The colors I deemed light or mid-tone were considered dark by some clients. Not only did I have to re-evaluate my perception, but I also had to understand my clients’ color fears and ultimately help them overcome their beliefs (often misconceptions) about deeper hues.
I found support for my position in a video produced by Sherwin-Williams that I used to teach color workshops. In one segment, designer Donald Bingham Schmitt says:
“There are people who will say you should never paint a room a dark color because it will make it feel small. You should never paint the ceiling a dark color; it will bring the ceiling down. There are rules and regulations like that, but they’re not valid because if you use color advisedly, you can do anything.”
Schmitt continues, “In my home, I have a black library and no one has ever walked in and said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t breathe! This room is so claustrophobic!’ In fact, it’s the opposite. They think they’re in a really large room when actually, it’s quite small.”
Those liberating words gave me the confidence to explore people’s resistance to darker colors, and then offer a different narrative. Here are three ways I’ve helped clients look at dark colors in a positive way:
