It's amazing, and the fact that all of you worked on it makes it even more special.
After studying it, I wonder if what you are seeing isn't that the embroidery needs to be more colorful, but that it is airy and open, compared to the wide saturation of color in the Irish chain blocks. One idea might be to give the edges of the white more definition to stand up to them. Maybe quilt inside the edges of the white with a contrasting color that's in the embroidery? With a beefier thread? Or a blanket stitch in black or a color?
Hugs,
Charlotte