bold colours for summer

SUMMER BRIGHTS

Wall painted in Barrier Reef, £18.98 for 2.5L; table painted in Hot Mustard 10-year exterior gloss, £15.95 for 750ml; both Santex

Contrast strong colours to take your patio from bland to bold

Barrier Reef masonry paint, £18.98 for
2.5L, Feature Wall range, Sandtex

‘I love the idea of using strong shades in a small courtyard garden to make a wow feature of the space. I particularly like colours that remind me of a hot Mediterranean day by the sea, even if our summer climate isn’t quite so inviting, so this deep, searing blue, which looks fantastic side-by-side a sunshine yellow, really fits the bill.’ Judy Smith Colour Consultant, Crown

Mid Lead Colour masonry paint, £50 for
5L, Little Greene

‘A very dark grey creates an amazing backdrop and the perfect foil to wonderful, natural plant tones such as pale green, deep burgundy, creams and whites. It reminds me of the volcanic cliffs and wild grasses of the Azores. Use dark colours carefully, though. Try painting one wall on a small patio or a trellis in a traditional garden.’ Diogo Correia, Head of Landscaping, The Chelsea Gardener

summer decorating

 PLUM CHOICE

Fence painted in Summer Damson, £22.99 for 2.5L, Cuprinol Garden Shades

Purples will add interest to your garden throughout the year 

Summer Damson, £22.99 for 2.5L,
Garden Shades range, Cuprinol

‘We’re all familiar with adding colour to gardens through planting, but this can be complemented
by painted wood. I love this rich plum shade for fencing as it contrasts beautifully with green leaves, making the colour pop. And when the days are cold and grey and the flowers long gone, this warm, sumptuous shade will still bring the garden to life.’
 LouiseSmith 
Senior Global Colour Designer, Cuprinol

Trilby eggshell, £28 for 750ml,
Earthborn

‘Colours seem much paler outside and something that seems subtle in the house can
be disappointingly insipid in the garden. An artificial green can look uneasy against foliage, so I like to go for deep, slightly sludgy tones such as this ecofriendly eggshell. It’s neither a green nor a grey and sets off silver foliage and dark leaves wonderfully.’ Joanna Herald Garden Designer, Herald Nicholson Associates

summer time for exterior decorating

MAKE AN ENTRANCE

Walls painted in Shirting Masonry paint, £50 for 5L, Little Greene

White exterior walls look beautifully smart with foliage and plants. 

Yellow 322, £17.25 a kg (plus VAT),
Keim Mineral Paints

‘I used this earthy yellow on a wall in a garden I designed for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2011. It harmonised with the Cotswold drystone walling and helped accentuate the yellow in the planting palette. I wanted a modern colour to contrast with the traditional elements of the garden. I like the dynamic between old and new – it gives a garden a sense of timelessness.’ Cleve West Garden Designer

Shirting masonry paint, £50 for 5L,
Little Greene

‘The longer I design, the more I
realise that light in the garden,
both natural and artificial, is one
of the most important things to
consider. Paint the walls
surrounding a patio white and
you instantly increase the light
levels outside, as well as inside
the house. Anything looks good
grown against white walls – from
clean, green lines of low box
hedging to tall, vibrant verbenas.’ 
Caroline Tilston, 
Garden Designer

summer decorating ideas

Colour Experts And Garden Designers On How Painting A Wall, Fence Or Furniture Can Transform Your Outdoor Space

For best results tackle outdoor painting jobs when the weather is dry and fair. Never paint wood when it’s damp as the paint will blister and flake off, and avoid painting in direct sunlight or when temperatures exceed 30°C. Exterior surfaces also need to be prepared before painting. Treat bare wood surfaces with a knot and resin blocking primer, then prime before painting with an exterior eggshell. Any surface that has previously been painted will need sanding first to remove loose and blistered paint.

SELECTING YOUR SHADE
Choosing paint for a shed, patio wall or window frames is just like choosing a colour for inside. Don’t grab the first pot you see, look at the colour of the plants in your garden and work out what will tone or contrast with those. Also consider other external surfaces. If you have warm-coloured brick walls, then cooler grey-greens work well, but if it’s all-white render, then stronger punchier hues can create a statement. Start with tester pots and look at the colours in different light.

SHED LIGHT

Painted in Willow, £7.99 a litre, Wood Protector range, Protek

Transform a humble garden structure with a coat of paint. Painted in Willow

Antique Rose stain,£15.98 for 2.5L,
Royal Exterior Wood Finish, Protek

‘As a mother of two girls, I’ve been hormonally reprogrammed to love pink. My favourite shade is a deep, dusky rose stain, which is quintessentially English and green foliage stands out beautifully against it. I’ve used it to paint an arbour, providing coloured support to climbing roses in traditional white and cream. It also looks gorgeous painted on the girls’ playhouse.’ Caroline Thornborough Protek

Pigeon exterior eggshell, £21.50 for
750ml, Farrow & Ball

‘I’ve used this multifaceted blue-grey-green colour on my summerhouse – it has a lovely earthy feel. Meanwhile, my garden furniture is painted in strong Hague Blue and all my exterior doors in Green Smoke. Strong greens and blues work well outside as they accent the natural tones in the garden, and add flashes of soft colour in the winter months.’Sarah Cole Farrow & Ball