Paintwork goes beyond aesthetics—colour choices and their execution play a huge role in how people perceive the world around them, how they feel, move, and connect with the space.

Paintwork is more than surface level – it’s psychological, emotional, and influences spatially. With the right approach, it can visually reshape geometry, shift the energy of the space, and infuse your gym with a unique identity.

Let’s look further into how colour and paintwork design can lift your space from functional to unforgettable.

Colour is one of the most powerful tools in shaping your environment. While the wall’s geometry provides form and function, colour sculpts the emotional terrain of your gym. It influences perception, energy, and how a climber will ultimately interact with the space – sometimes unconsciously.

Bright palettes can energise and create psyche – while earthy or more neutral tones can evoke a sense of calm. Warm palettes can make a space feel more inviting, while cooler shades can feel more open and promote focus. When considered alongside the gym’s lighting (both natural and artificial), your colour choices can help guide attention, enhance flow, and build an emotional connection to the space.

As climbing gym aesthetics continue to evolve, 2025 brings a bold mix of high-energy hues, grounded natural colours, coupled with natural materials such as wood grains. These colours reflect key cultural trends, blending performance, atmosphere, and sustainability into gym design.

The curated tones shown above are just some examples of colours predicted to shape the next wave of design and aesthetics. These selections strike a balance between stimulation and calm, ideal for spaces that aim to be both energising and restorative.

2026 Wall Colours — ICP’s updated palette for modern climbing wall design, blending durability, style, and custom finishes.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to gym colour schemes, it’s worth considering what’s trending, what’s timeless, and what has (or hasn’t) been done before. Colour in this context is a form of expression. Drawing inspiration from creative industries like fashion, architecture, and interior design can provide valuable insight into what’s emerging and what resonates deeply in shared physical spaces.

When envisioning your climbing walls and environment, it’s important to consider a few contributing factorsto the visual impact of your space.

Climbing hold colours are often varying and bright. Due to the number of potential colours on offer, holds will very quickly add energy to your walls. It’s important to consider how that may collaborate with your wall paintwork design. Would it be better visually to design more neutral coloured walls to help the holds stand out and offer more breathing space visually?

What kind of lighting exists within the space? Is it beautifully lit by natural or artificial lighting? Would changing the lighting enhance the look and feel of the space and the colours?

Are there any steep sections of the wall that would benefit from a lighter tone of paintwork to ensure they don’t become too dark and cavernous? We want to keep the walls inviting and well-lit to also promote safety.

To read up more on lighting – see our Hub article ‘The Right Lighting for Climbing Gyms and Why it’s Important’
https://climbicp.com/resource-hub/getting-the-right-lighting-for-gyms-and-why-its-important/

Your brand’s identity should also be considered. Wall colours can reflect your brand – or help shape it. Some gyms start with their marketing colours; others let the wall design dictate the brand palette. Either way, consistency and intention matter.

When volumes and wall paintwork work together, the result is a space that feels thoughtful and expressive. Volumes aren’t just functional – they bring cohesive balance and attitude to your walls. Some gyms match volume colours to create cohesion, while others use high-contrast colours to make volumes pop – acting as visual cues and focal points.

Head to the ICP Shop online for our Volume range. Get in touch and we can discuss colour options to help your shapes stand out above the rest.
https://climbicp.com/shop/

At ICP, we take our paintwork seriously because we know it’s what brings walls to life. Our design process is exciting, fun, and collaborative. There are three levels of paintwork we design that you can move within to match your vision:

Paintwork doesn’t just sit on your walls – it shapes how geometry is perceived.

For example – let’s say you have a climbing wall design. One paint option might use simple two tones across angled planes. Another might use sharp, angular lines to cut through panels and add detail. A third option may soften the space entirely with curved, flowing forms that create a sense of movement or balance.

At ICP, we take our paintwork seriously – because we know it’s what brings walls to life. Our design process is exciting, fun, and collaborative. There are three levels of paintwork we design that you can move within to match your vision:

Standard Paintwork: Clean, simple, and effective. Single or multiple colour schemes that act as a backdrop for bold route-setting. Paintwork that covers each wall’s angle plane and acts as a canvas that lets holds and volumes do the talking.

Sharper, more layered forms and detailed designs. This approach can shape the way your geometry is perceived and bring deeper emotion into the space. It can be bold or gentle, whatever the desired outcome, this option is full of personality.

Our most creative and versatile option. Whether it’s flowing lines or soft curves that reimagine the wall entirely, this is for those wanting to make a lasting visual statement.

At ICP, we love collaborating with creative minds to shape climbing environments that feel as good as they look. If you’d like help crafting your paintwork design, we’re here to help your vision come to life, one colour at a time.

Contact us here at https://climbicp.com/contact-us/