- Grey is second only to white for glazed extensions
- Tips for painting and maintaining the finish
While colour predictions for 2024 focus on bold, mood-boosting tones, Hampton Conservatories says that grey remains a popular paint choice for glazed extensions.
The bespoke orangery and conservatory designer and manufacturer reviewed its order book for 2023 and 2024, and found that grey tones are still hugely popular with homeowners and second only to whites. Nearly half of its customers select a grey hue for either the interior or exterior woodwork.
The company offers a wide range of paint colours from very dark off-blacks (such as Lead), to warm mid-greys (such as Grey Smoke) and subtle, cooler tones, including Washed Blue and French Provence.
Despite offering a range of 36 traditional and heritage colours including creams, harvest-yellows, and soft greens, aside from greys, Hampton Conservatories orders mainly comprise white and black finishes for the woodwork.
Mervyn Montgomery, joint director of Hampton Conservatories said: “An orangery or conservatory is a significant investment and so it’s understandable that homeowners are more likely to play it safe with their colour choices. While the general interior decor can reflect whatever colour scheme is currently on-trend, these classical extensions are often best finished in elegant, understated shades.”
Maintenance tips
To ensure the paint finish lasts as long as possible, orangeries and conservatoires require several coats of a protective base primer and the same again in the selected top coat colour. It’s vital that any paint chosen is water-based, acrylic paint manufactured using fine pigments to give the best finish.
In many cases, the exterior paint will last for 7-8 years, perhaps up to ten in a sheltered location, before repainting is required but regular maintenance is always essential. This entails washing with a mild soap and water at least twice a year, more in areas of higher pollution or near the coast. Following each wash any joints or small breakdowns in the paintwork which are caused due to timber movement should be addressed immediately.
Mervyn Montgomery concluded: “Grey is a hugely versatile shade which can be used with confidence throughout the interior and exterior of the home. Whilst the world may have moved on from using grey as a core colour for walls, carpets and soft furnishings, our evidence is that the ‘greynaissance’ is far from over when it comes to glazed extensions.”
-ends-
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For more information, commentary and images please contact:
Rosey Bowring or Ali Cort
Browser Media
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Portrush-based Hampton (Hampton Conservatories) was founded in 1982 by Mervyn and Kim Montgomery and has since become a leading designer and manufacturer of bespoke hardwood glass buildings. It has developed unrivalled expertise in producing award-winning bespoke conservatories, orangeries, swimming pool enclosures, botanical glasshouses, garden rooms, and glazed pavilions.