Colour Workshops for Design Professionals
Unlock the potential of colour
What You Should’ve Been Taught at University
Colour is the means by which architecture is seen, and space is understood.
As designers, we are acutely aware that colour is “everywhere, all at once, all the time”.
However, most architectural courses teach little or no colour theory. If they do, they focus on colour theory in 2 dimensions, or they teach colour psychology in a formulaic way, making architects even more colour averse.
Spatial designers need colour training attuned to architectural thinking. Lymesmith’s workshops focus on unlocking the potential of colour in the design of complex three-dimensional environments.
Designed for architects and built environment professionals, my group workshops teach the colour design foundations every architect and spatial designer needs to know. I don’t teach colour psychology, or the history of the colour wheel, which any decent book on colour can offer you.
I teach you about the application of colour for real world, large scale, complex built environments. I teach Architectural Colour Design.
What is Architectural Colour Design?
I define architectural colour design as ‘colour selection and arrangement that is in service to the architecture, and to the people who will use the architecture’.
While most people have colours they love and those they’d prefer to avoid - good spatial colour design is not about individual colours at all. It’s about relationships between the colours, and the strategies used to determine the placement of those colours.
Good colour design may be very understated, hardly registering as ‘coloured’ at all. Conversely, colour may be a building’s most dominant and memorable characteristic, or it can be anywhere in between these two extremes.
GOOD COLOUR DESIGN IS Intelligent Colour Design
Intelligent colour design is the artful combination of colour selection, colour strategy and architectural style.
Architectural colour design;
makes buildings better for people
creates engaging, place-sensitive environments for human well-being and user engagement
connects interiors to landscapes
is about colour relationships not individual colours
is Architectural Colour Design.
Upcoming Colour Workshops & Webinars
Deepen your understanding of colour, build practical skills, and explore new ways of shaping space through colour with Lymesmith’s in-person Workshops, and online Webinars.
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The Role of Colour in Trauma Informed Design
Date: 2 December 2025
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm (AEDT)
Venue: Online via Zoom
$59 +gst
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It's Not Black and White
Date: 10 February 2026
Time: 12:30-1:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Online via Zoom
$85 +gst
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Foundations of Architectural Colour Design
DATES COMING IN 2026
Learn the essential language, techniques and theory for applying good colour design to your built environment projects.
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Introduction to Place Based Colour Design
DATES COMING IN 2026
This 3.5 hour session introduces Lymesmith’s philosophy of ‘place-based’ colour design. Learn to work with site and context to develop uniquely resonant colour palettes for every project.
I TEACH in-person colour workshops across Australia
Subscribe to the mailing list for colour workshop and webinar updates and offers. I offer group workshops for solo practitioners and smaller teams in major cities across Australia.
PREFER A BESPOKE colour workshop FOR YOUR STUDIO?
On demand, private, half day workshops, in your studio, for your team. Develop a colour language that’s unique to your practice and your projects. For groups of 10-14 people.
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“I’ve just attended Lymesmith’s Colour Workshop in Hobart. It was fantastic and eye opening! Sonia’s use of real examples from her own work as well as global and local precedents was really inspiring and helped me to understand the colour theory and principles that she was describing. It’s given me more confidence in talking about colour to clients.”
Emily Taylor, Core Collective Architects
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“Sonia, your philosophy and theories on colour are game changing and I can’t wait to learn more”.
Michelle Lee, Architect, Sydney
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“Colour is rarely discussed, so it was wonderful to gain an insight into the Lymesmith process. It was great to play with a real example and see the actual built results... It was an inspiring course, and I was excited to get out my coloured pencils after leaving them all alone for so many years! Thank you, Sonia.”
Karryn Dargie, In-Teria Architects, Tasmania
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"The course gave a language to the way we have already been using colour in our work without realising it, as well as presented the ways to develop it further. It also introduced other strategies that could be used when thinking about applying colour in architecture."
Vesna Trobec, Studio Trobec
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"I love that I'll now be able to consider colour as another layer / design strategy to inform and connect to place. I'm really looking forward to integrating this knowledge to see how colour can be used as intrinsic to the spatial qualities of a design. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!"
Charmaine Pang, Charmaine Pang Architect
earn cpd points
All Lymesmith workshops and webinars qualify as professional development training and can be claimed as a tax-deductible business expense.
Workshops: Each workshop currently provides 3 formal CPD points.
Webinars: Webinars provide 1 informal CPD point.
Lymesmith’s training is designed to support your creative growth, and your confidence with colour.
NEED CPD FAST? ACCESS Colour Webinar recordings NOW
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Webinar: The Threat of Colour
Recording Now Available - $59 + GST
Originally presented online via Zoom on 12 August 2025
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Webinar: Don't Look Up! Do Ceilings Have To Be So Ugly?
Recording Now Available - $59 + GST
Originally presented online via Zoom on 7 October 2025
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Webinar: The Role of Colour in Trauma Informed Design
Recording coming soon
Will be presented online via Zoom on 2 December 2025.
About
sonia van de haar
Hello, I’m Sonia!
I am passionate about the potential of intelligent colour design to create a built environment that connects people to place and enhances human well-being.
My qualifications in architecture and fine arts gives me a unique insight into colour design that is attuned to the particular needs and concerns of architects.
Through my design studio LYMESMITH, I love helping my clients to unlock the potential of colour and material to transform buildings and create memorable places. I collaborate with a broad cross section of design professionals, from sole practitioners to large established firms, with Councils, developers and private clients, on all scales of projects in the built environment.
In 2023 I began teaching my award-winning colour design methodology to colour curious architects and spatial designers around the country.
SUBSCRIBE to receive the free GUIDE
Discover how Lymesmith's design method naturally leads to better colour communication by outlining the key skills you need to weave a colour story your clients will love.
