Garden trends - beyond grey

While grey is undoubtably a useful hue in garden design, it seems to be making way for a more natural, warm palette in landscaping, as well as outdoor paintwork and furniture.

Rather than the grey sandstone and porcelain that have been ever popular for so long, designers are opting more for buff and sandy coloured paving with an emphasis on natural stone such as York stone, sandstone and limestone.  They’re also looking to local stone such as beautiful honey-coloured Purbeck stone that can be sourced from UK quarries.  When it comes to aggregates, instead of grey granite, golden-coloured gravel or Breedon gravel helps warm things up.

Bricks and clay pavers remain popular for terraces.  Miles Hebron from Dutch clay paver specialist Vande Moortel agrees that while their slate grey ‘Taupe’ is popular, he’s noticed a growing interest in warmer earthy tones.  ‘Our golden yellow clay pavers such as Aureum, Saffron and Bronze Yellow work well with other hard surfaces.  Their patina, which mellows over time, means they can look like stone themselves,’ he says.  ‘I’m also seeing more reds and pinks being specified.  Our Mahogany which is mixture of deep red and burnt terracotta appeals to designers who want to add warmth without overstating the colour.’

Rusty burnt orange colours and soft terracotta tones are also increasingly popular for external rendering walls and furniture.  This gives a warm and natural-looking feel and a touch of the Mediterranean, looking great with plants such as olive trees and sage green furniture.  It also ties in with the interior design trend for brass and copper fittings and a general movement towards a more rustic aesthetic in interior and garden design.  But if you’ve already invested in grey, don’t worry, it works well with these warmer hues, so you could just update your garden with a few warmer touches.