Is the industry becoming to fixated with colour

We all know that colour has exploded in popularity over the last few years, with a bigger selection of finishing options than ever before. For consumers, that’s great – it means more choice, and the ability to match products to a specific project or property. But is it possible that as an industry we’ve become too prejudiced against traditional white finishes, and too fixated on colour?

We hear a lot about the benefits of colour, of which there are many. But very rarely do we hear anything about the potential pitfalls. Colour for colour’s sake can produce some unpleasant results. We’ve all seen houses with eye-wateringly garish doors and windows that clash with their surroundings – and personally, I believe that one unexpected effect of the colour revolution will be a renewed appreciation of traditional white.

In order to work, colour has to be used extremely sensitively. Strong colours can only be used in certain contexts and look in-keeping. The beauty of white lies in its versatility – the attribute that lies at the roots of its widespread use for so many years. It perfectly suits older, traditional-style properties, it suits contemporary-style new-builds, it can fit with practically any property or project, and, given that the majority of homeowners still opt for white windows, blends perfectly into any residential area.

Of course, that’s not to argue that homeowners shouldn’t use colour at all. If you mix and match colour with white – so opt for a coloured bi-fold and white windows for example – it can be a hugely effective addition to a property.

I think we could see more and more homeowners starting to realise the long-unappreciated benefits of white uPVC as it becomes less common, and coloured windows and doors become more popular – and that we could be on the cusp of a white uPVC revival.

As an industry, I think we need to watch the market closely, and be prepared for this potential development before we put all our eggs in the colour basket. It’s not about doing colour down – it’s vastly increased consumer choice, and has made our towns and cities much more interesting places to be. It’s about appreciating white for the versatile, timeless finish it is.