Subscribe

TRENDING Sofa colours to avoid Martin

When you purchase through links on our site,

we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s
how it works.

HOME GARDEN

Garden paint ideas

- 17 ways to give
your outdoor space
a splash of colour
Transform your garden and make it as
visually appealing as your interior with
these inspiring yet simple tricks

BY TAMARA KELLY
LAST UPDATED MAY 31, 2022

Looking to lift a lack-lustre garden

scheme with a splash of colour? Then
these garden paint ideas will have you
reaching for a paint brush in no time! A
quick, easy and purse-friendly way to
update your outdoor space, garden
paint ideas have the potential to totally
transform your space ready for
entertaining alfresco all summer long.

If you're not sure where to begin, try

sticking to a co-ordinated theme. Pick
out an accent colour, such as a pretty
pink from your favourite flower in the
garden and use it as a starting point for
the painting scheme. But avoid using
too many paint colours as this can look
chaotic and won't create a restful
space.

Garden paint ideas

When it comes to choosing paint
colours to use in the garden, the bolder
the better we say. Choose colours that
will enhance the work of mother nature,
with a riot of pinks, reds, yellows,
orange, purples and blue bursting forth
from our pots and borders throughout
the spring and summer months before
dying back, leaving our gardens dark,
unassuming and lacking vibrancy.

Sponsored Links

Kein Scherz: So viel darf eine

Solaranlage in 2023 maximal kosten
Hausfrage.de

Of course, our flat, grey-tinged light

conditions have quite a lot to do with it
- the brightly painted facades of Miami
and those of the favelas in Rio would
look rather overpowering beneath
British skies - but follow our garden
design and colour experts' advice, and
you can add a lick of bright colour to
any garden ideas this summer without
scaring the neighbours.

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...

PLAY SOUND

1. Create a feature
wall

(Image credit: Little Greene)

Buy now: Yellow Pink 46 masonry

paint, £75 for 5ltr, Little Greene

Add a signature wall to create an

alfresco lounge- this rich mustard tone
works well in both the sun or the
shade. A great weekend project,
reviving hard landscaping such as
walls, fences and decking is an ideal
place to start. These elements are the
backbone of a garden scheme, so give
them a fresh coat of paint in a vibrant
shade to take your outdoor space up a
level and inject new life into tired
surfaces.

2. Update wooden
containers

(Image credit: Wickes)

If you'd like to use a bold shade, but

are nervous about using it on a large
area like a fence, restrict it to smaller
surfaces, such as furniture, planters
and garden accessories. This way you
can enjoy your chosen colour on a
scale that suits you. To update a
container, use contemporary shades of
grey, such as charcoal, slate and
graphite, to give simple wooden
furniture and plain planters the
standout factor in your garden. They
also make the perfect background to
contrast with colourful flowers.

3. Give an old table a

new lease of life

(Image credit: Sadolin)

Buy now: Sadolin Mid Green

Superdec, £41.95 for 2.5ltr,
buypaintsonline

Create a herb garden with a difference.

Here we've transformed an old table
(with its top flipped upside down), with
just a lick of paint. Start by prepping
the surfaces by giving the whole thing
a good sanding, to remove any varnish
or stain. You might also need to give it
a coat of primer first too, but check the
manufacturer guidelines of your
chosen paint colour. Once painted and
dry, fill it with compost then plant it up
with the herbs you use most often.

4. Perk up a garden
chair

(Image credit: M&L Paints)

Just one piece of colourful furniture can

enliven your space- this wicker
armchair has been transformed with a
vibrant orange hue, making it pop in a
lush, green garden. Make sure you use
an appropriate sealant on furniture that
will be left outdoors to help it withstand
the elements.

5. Refresh a garden
gate

(Image credit: Little Greene)

Buy now: Orange Aurora Intelligent

Exterior Eggshell, £38 for 1ltr, Little
Greene

Create a warm welcome and give your

garden as much love as the front door.
Whether it's wood or metal, sand it
down to create a smooth finish. Start
with a primer on untreated surfaces, or
for those previously painted, an
undercoat. For a matt look, choose
exterior eggshell, or gloss for a
lacquered result. Bring the whole thing
up to date by replacing hinges and
handles, or giving them a lick or paint
too.

6. Make a statement
by painting fences

(Image credit: Cuprinol)

Painting garden fences is a great way

to embrace exterior paint in a major
way. The colour will surround the entire
garden and therefore makes maximum
impact. Dark shades of black and slate
grey are trending right now, the perfect
accent for lush greenery.

Contrast dark paint shades with striking

planting. Flowers with jewel-like colour
abound in summer, but take care not to
overindulge and limit your palette to
three or four complementary shades.
Try purple penstemons and salvias,
with yellow dahlias, against a backdrop
of dark-leaved foliage plants, such as
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diablo'.

7. Welcome pops of
bright colour

(Image credit: Dobbies)

Always centre stage, vibrant, neon

colours shout 'Look at me' so use them
sparingly, to add dramatic touches to
modern designs. Try painting a feature
wall in hot pink or sunshine yellow –
both colours combine surprisingly well
with a wide range of plants. Liven
things up with neon planters, and dress
tables with vibrant table linen and lime
green glassware.

You can go either way with your

planting; either tone down the heat with
cool green foliage, or add to the thrill
with flowers that bolster your zingy
shades. Bright pink Geranium
psilostemon makes an eye-catching
partner for the lime-green flowers of
euphorbias, while orange red hot
pokers dazzle against magenta.

8. Paint walls to
create a
contemporary space

(Image credit: Future PLC/Robert Sanderson)

'Coloured walls create exciting effects

and bring a contemporary element to a
design; the trick is to use strong
colours in moderation do they don't
overpower the space,' says garden
designer Catherine Heatherington.

Fellow garden designer Patrick

Wynniatt-Husey, of Wynniatt-Husey
Clarke Garden Design, explains that a
painted surface will draw the eye to an
area or feature, adding: 'In our designs,
we also use coloured walls to create a
sense of depth or foreshorten a space,
and as a foil to planting.'

9. Emulate a holiday
destination with
familiar colour

(Image credit: Future Plc/ Emma Lee)

There are certain colours that instantly

transports you to another time and
place. Such is the case with this pinky
terracotta wall, which makes you
thinking of warmer climates and
holidaying in Morocco. Add contrasting
bright blue furniture and accessories to
enhance a Moroccan theme.

Choose your garden paint shade to

reflect a place you've visited, to create
a holiday haven in your own backyard.

10. Use muted colour

in traditional gardens

(Image credit: Future Plc/ Tom Leighton)

'Subtle shades of green work well in

traditional settings, or try pale lilac or
terracotta,' says Kathryn Hibberd,
designer and member of Crown Paints
Colour Influences Panel. Catherine
adds: 'You have to use colour carefully
in a period garden but I've contrasted a
dark purple wall with a brick wall to
great effect, linking a contemporary
garden with the traditional
surroundings.'

11. Give the

greenhouse a
makeover

(Image credit: Thorndown Paints)

Revive a tired-looking garden structure

with a lick of paint. This fine example
shows how a greenhouse idea can be
invigorated by a coat of on-trend sage
green colour.

12. Spruce up an old

furniture set

(Image credit: Fututre PLC/Annie Sloan)

Rather than throw out the flaking paint,

past-it garden furniture set why not
make it an upcycling idea for the
garden? Because you'd be surprised
what a thorough rub down and a fresh
coat of specialist paint can do.

This specialist paint by Annie Sloan

requires no priming, 'you can simply
pop open the tin, roll up your sleeves,
dip in your brush and apply paint to
furniture. Works on wood, metal,
laminate, concrete, indoors, outdoors
and beyond' say the paint brand.