Our bespoke service truly means just that – we can design your glazed extension to your exact wants, needs and preferences. A popular choice is to blend the new build into the existing architecture of the property, but in this era that we’re dubbing the ‘greynaissance’, grey is a standout choice for many of our customers.
We have 36 traditional and heritage paint shades for homeowners to choose from, including creams, dark off-blacks, harvest-yellows, subtle blues and soft greens. Despite this, white takes the lead as the most popular choice and grey follows closely behind, with nearly half of our customers opting for a grey hue for either the interior or exterior woodwork.
The rise of millennial grey
‘Millennial grey’ refers to the trend of coating the entire home in muted grey shades, without a single pop of colour to break up the sea of faded hues. As the name suggests, this trend was (and still is) extremely popular with millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996. It’s predicted to have come about due to a rejection of their parents’ eclectic and bold interior decor choices throughout the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, which often included Tuscan-inspired browns and an array of animal prints.
Millennial grey receives a mix of opinions, with many people claiming it’s the most calming colour, and contributes to their home looking fresh and clean. Others view the trend as dull and lifeless. It comes down to personal preference, as all interior design choices do. The trend seems to be on its way out, but the love for grey hues will likely never truly die down.
Playing it safe
A grey exterior does not mean that the entire design must be focussed on the colour, as many millennials once opted for. Instead, it creates a base for endless creativity. Depending on the shade of grey, a wide range of brighter and bolder colours can beautifully complement it, leaving the door wide open for creative and unique interior design choices.
An orangery or conservatory is a significant investment, so, understandably, homeowners prefer to play it safe with their colour choices. Opting for an elegant, understated shade for the woodwork of the extension is a timeless choice. Purchasing new furniture, decor items and soft furnishings is a great way to completely refresh your interiors or jump on board with the current design trend, but fewer homeowners are willing to completely repaint their extensions unless truly necessary.
Maintaining the paint finish on an extension
Proper care and attention to the exterior paint can help maintain the finish of the extension for up to ten years, depending on its location. Our orangeries and conservatories are given several coats of a protective base primer, and then multiple layers of the selected top coat shade. The water-based acrylic paint that we use is manufactured using fine pigments which results in the best finish.
In more exposed locations, the appearance of the exterior paint should last for around 7-8 years before repainting is required, but regular maintenance is essential. At least twice a year, homeowners should wash their extensions with a mild soap and water, more often in areas of higher pollution or near the coast. Any joints or small breakdowns in the paintwork should be addressed immediately. These are often caused by unavoidable timber movement but can be a simple fix when tackled early on.
Grey is a hugely versatile shade which can be used with confidence throughout the interior and exterior of the home. Whilst the world may be moving 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.