Summer is almost upon us, bit there’s still time to spruce up your garden with a quick lick of paint. Perhaps your fence needs a colour refresh or your shed is weather-beaten beyond recognition? Updating your garden space with a coat of outdoor paint is a cheap and effective way to get ready for a season of socialising.
Over the past few years, many of us have spent more time outside, and with that has come a greater awareness of garden aesthetics. Treating your garden like an extra living area, makes it easy to bring interior style outdoors.
With hundreds of paint colours to choose from, it’s easy to co-ordinate your indoor and outdoor decor. Outdoor paint gives you the opportunity to create different entertaining spaces in your garden, and disguise any areas of fencing or brickwork that aren’t visually appealing. Try up-cycling your patio furniture or refreshing a garden wall, or simply paint some plant pots for an easy starter project.
We tested a range of outdoor paints on various surfaces to find out how easy they were to apply. We considered colour saturation, drying time and the final impact of each finish.
Lick Garden Paint in ‘Grey 08’
From the latest on-trend colours, to Instagram-worthy paint canisters, Lick stands out for all the right reasons. This paint brand has a huge social media presence and is often featured on the accounts of leading interior design influencers.
We wondered how well this paint would work outside, but when testing we were delighted by the deep colour saturation. This dark grey shade has universal appeal, and would work equally well used in large gardens or to decorate planters for a small balcony.
We recommend using an exterior undercoat as a base coat followed by two or three coats of this matt exterior paint. Other shades that caught our eye included the soft sage tone of ‘Green 02’ and the deep terracotta of ‘Red 03’.
Tash Bradley, Director of Interior Design at Lick said: ”The first thing to look for when purchasing an exterior paint is to check for key words like: masonry, weather-shield, exterior or all-purpose. This ensures that you aren’t using an interior eggshell or satin outside. Most exterior paints can withstand fluctuating temperatures, but from a practical perspective - e.g. where a wooden fence might have long periods of direct sunlight - avoid painting this in a high sheen finish to avoid too much reflection. If you’re planning to paint decking check the paint has an anti-slipping agent to avoid making surfaces a hazard."
Buy now £45.00, Lick
Graham & Brown Paint in ‘Herbert Exterior Eggshell’
A great all-rounder, this paint colour can be used anywhere. The exterior eggshell range is a quick-drying, water-based exterior paint, which is weather resistant and washable.
We tested a dark grey exterior eggshell paint that was reassuringly thick and easy to apply. We used an undiluted coat to paint some exterior brickwork without any primer. This paint had a thick coverage in its first coat, so depending on the finish you are hoping to achieve, you might get away with a lighter coverage. We recommend starting with a thick roller, because it helped the application and was much quicker than using a brush.
This mid-sheen paint is virtually odourless and has excellent colour retention, so your chosen shade will stay perfect for years to come. It is also available in over 360 colours, so there’s a shade for every outdoor space.
Before painting outside, make sure that the weather is dry and has been for at least two days in the summer and four days in the winter. Choosing the right time to paint means you will prevent any blistering or dripping. Most paint takes 28 days to fully harden, so wait a while before washing down the painted area.
Buy now £48.00, Graham Brown
Valspar Exterior Paint in ‘Carriage Wheel’
With 2.2 million shades of paint to choose from, Valspar has a colour to suit every outdoor space. And if you’ve got your heart set on a particular tone, the colour matching technology can pinpoint a colour from any sample. This means you can match paint with your garden furniture, or use a wallpaper sample from your living room to co-ordinate indoor and outdoor spaces. Take any sample of your choice along to a B&Q store to have it matched and mixed.
We tested ‘Carriage Wheel’ along the base of a fence to create a dividing line around a patio. We started by cleaning the fence with warm soapy water, waited for it to dry, then applied an undercoat before painting. The paint applied smoothly and its thickness gave us confidence that it would be UV resistant and stay weather proof over the winter.
Tobie Lewis, Senior Brand Manager at Valspar Paint says: "If you’re looking to create a joyful garden, Valspar’s colour effect palette is a great guide for shades that reflect natural light to boost serotonin. Bright and lively shades of pinks, oranges and yellows - either in pastel or vibrant tones - can uplift the energy in our gardens and boost our mood, making the space even more welcoming for a moment of relaxation or entertainment.
“Alternatively decorate with a darker colour at the bottom of a fence or wall, to give the illusion of your fence fading into the sky. If your garden is a sanctuary for unwinding, use muted biophilic colours to connect with nature.”
Buy now £42.00, B&Q
Designers Guild Masonry Paint in ‘Notting Hill Slate’
This paint felt luxurious when it arrived on our doorstep - from the packaging, to the deep rich colour inside each pot. We tested the dark grey ‘Notting Hill Slate’ on a wooden fence post and were impressed with the full pigment and modern finish.
This paint will stand up in hard wearing outdoor areas - walls, brickwork and render, and maintain a beautiful deep chalky look. We applied one coat using a roller, waited two hours, then applied a second coat using a brush. The area was dry to the touch after about an hour. We were impressed by how quickly the paint dried, and how little paint was needed to achieve a smooth matt finish.
This moody dark graphite colour is perfect for outdoor spaces, acting as a dramatic background to plants and greenery. We can also see this paint working well on brickwork surrounding a patio, to accent garden furniture. This shade is also available in matt emulsion for use throughout the home, if you’re keen to co-ordinate indoor and outdoor spaces. This paint is mixed to order, manufactured in the UK and the tins are made using recycled materials.
Buy now £47.00, Designer Paint
Little Greene Garden Paint in ‘Cool Arbour’
Ethically manufactured in a traditional paint factory in the foothills of Snowdonia, Little Greene is a paint business with real provenance. This family-run company produces environmentally-friendly water-based paints, and oil-based paints that are formulated using naturally occurring vegetable oils.
On first impressions, this paint delivery stood out because of its attractive recyclable packaging. Because of the pretty packaging, we were excited to lift the lid and reveal the colour inside. The warm neutral colour felt timeless, whilst being relevant for use within a wide variety of garden-scapes. Practical and hard-wearing, it was easy to apply using a medium sized brush. This paint is washable, weather hardy, and suitable for all exterior woodwork and metalwork.
Little Greene’s exterior paints come in an a wide palette of colours, with a variety of finishes, from traditional gloss to chalky matt limewash. We tried ‘Intelligent Exterior Eggshell’, which is a popular finish for most outdoor paint projects, from buildings and gates, to fences and furniture.
We applied the paint, without primer, to a bench and noticed how quickly it penetrated the wood. Two coats and 24 hours later and our finished bench was ready to be placed back in the garden. This paint is strong and durable, ideal for furniture, and formulated to prevent colour fade and mildew, saving you the job of repainting next summer.
Buy now £37.50, Little Greene
COAT Exterior Paint in ‘The Record Store’
This deep black colour will add a luxurious touch to your garden, as a dramatic backdrop to planted areas or patios. This paint was smooth to apply, deeply coloured, and is ideal for wood, metal or masonry projects. Note that this paint flexes with the weather for a hardy finish, and works well on doors, windows, sheds, furniture, masonry and metalwork, but is not suitable for decking.
We wondered whether this black paint would stand up to the unpredictable British weather, but the day after we tested a sample, it rained heavily outside and the paint maintained its sleek finish.
Choosing a monochrome colour means your painted furniture, woodwork or brickwork will continue to look attractive as garden trends change. We can see this shade being used to paint a fence or wall, with contrasting bright seasonal flowers planted in front. Or make your garden chairs stand out, against a background of glamorous dark colour.
Buy now £36.00, COAT
Verdict
For visual appeal and deep colour saturation, Lick was our top pick. Whilst the eco-credentials, attractive packaging and shade options in Little Greene’s range, made it another solid choice.
