Intuit - Lessons in Colour

“Colour in workplace design is often seen as risky. It’s easier to default to the status quo, which is currently defined by safer neutrals,” Brooke Lloyd, Director and Interiors Lead at COX Sydney.

But why is it that we deem colours “risky”? Why is it we conform to arbitrary rules like “blue doesn’t go with yellow”.

As we observe in nature, a cacophony of colours coexist symbiotically in a way we never deem “too risky”. But every colour can co-exist just as they do in nature. When factors such as hue, saturation, shade, warmth and live context are balanced, all of a sudden we understand how so many colours can thrive together.

At Intuit, the breakout space has both blue and green couches against a mustard accent wall that adorns a purple koala artwork. Four colours that shouldn’t “go together” - but they create a visual harmony. Not one element in the space particularly stands out. Instead, all four colours blend softly together - perfect for the context of a calming breakout space. 

In the main communal zone we see an example of the opposite - contrast used to bring energy into a space that is dynamic and constantly being moved through. 

A royal blue, stained oak staircase bends daylight upwards to the second floor, commanding attention as the centrepiece. Its gold handrails sharpen the sheen of oak whilst creating a colour opportunity for its base hue of yellow to enter the space in varied saturations. 

Cool yellow table tops, mustard accents within the mural, a muted yellow patterned rug and brown yellow toned seating. These blues and yellows oppose each other in lightness and darkness. Not in a way that clashes, but in a way that creates contrast. The yellows within the parameters of the space lead our eye to the blue spiral staircase, framing it as the focal point.

Colour drives the energy of space. COX’s design leans into this beautifully, using bold, expressive tones that feel anything but incidental. It’s especially impressive to see a global tech leader like Intuit embrace colour so confidently. The palette mirrors their culture perfectly: innovative, fast-moving, and grounded in human-centred design.

“Intuit embraced the positive impact colour can have, and in a hybrid culture where offices must motivate people to return, colour became a unique tool to support this.” - Lloyd says.

Together Intuit and COX pulled it off. Their detailed understanding of colour is evident within the space and its proven impact visible through Intuit’s culture.

Credits

Project Location
Sydney, Australia

Client
Intuit

Architecture & Interior Design
COX Architecture (Sydney)

Interior Lead
Brooke Lloyd, Director – COX Sydney

Indigenous Design & Landscape Strategy
Yerrabingin

Art Curation & Strategy
Art Pharmacy

Workplace Strategy
COX Architecture

Joinery & Custom Elements
Custom-designed by COX, fabricated by local contractors