Discover the Best Cuprinol Garden Shades for a Gorgeous Outdoor Space

Compared to my house, my garden has always been a bit lackluster. I’m not a gardener you see, not that I wouldn’t like to be! I just don’t know where to start and it scares me a little if I’m honest with you.

We have grass, yes, but we even managed to kill that after paying the GDP of a small country to have a new lawn laid. We also had a new fence put in after our old one fell down when a cat tried to balance on it and some decking put in which wrapped around the house, but that was about it.

I knew it needed a bit of colour and had several Cuprinol Garden Shades testers lying around!

A very unloved garden
How our garden looked when we moved in. The fence was a shocker and a pond right in the middle of the lawn. Not good with small children running around!

My love of color and pattern was completely missing from our garden. It was like my taste and style stopped at the bifold doors and I was always apologizing to guests when they came over, saying I liked the garden neat and tidy (devoid of character) and was going to let it grow wild (which was obviously a code word for I’m lazy!)

I painted our decking, but the rest of the garden needed a bit of color and character. We started off by getting rid of the pond and different layers of grass and stripped back the garden to give us a completely blank canvas. 

garden renovation in progress and lawn being laid
Levelling the lawn and filling in the gaps in the fence
Newly laid lawn in the back garden/ yard
A blank canvas! Just the way I liked it πŸ™‚
This was pretty much how I was going to leave it, however, this grass lasted one Summer! Note to self, water the grass!!!!

Cuprinol Garden Shades

Cuprinol shades and pots of paints
A cute miniature display

During the Spring, I was invited to a Cuprinol event (the wood care partner of Dulux) as they were showcasing their Garden Shades range in the stunning location of the Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings in London.

We had a fabulous lunch whilst the Cuprinol (and Dulux) Creative Director, Marianne Shillingford, talked us through the latest garden trends and how their Garden Shades are inspired by nature.

Cuprinol’s “Natures Brights” Garden Shades
Cuprinol’s “Nature’s Neutrals” Garden Shades

Marianne explained how they liked to look at their colour shades as Nature’s Neutrals and Nature’s Brights, explaining that the “Neutrals” were best used on large items such as fences, decking, and sheds and the “Brights” were fabulous for furniture, plant pots, and other decorative items.

Marianne was extremely inspirational and it got me thinking about how I used colour in the garden.

For Your Great Outdoors

Two tone fence in the garden with pink painted garden table
A Cuprinol promotional photo, I love the dark fence and pops of colour

Cuprinol Garden Shades offer a beautiful and effective way to add colour to any outdoor space. These popular exterior woodcare products come in a range of attractive shades that can completely transform sheds, fences, decking, and other wood around your home.

Cuprinol Garden Shades offer elegance and vibrancy to bring dull garden features back to life. They provide rich, consistent colors that won’t peel or flake off. With multiple stylish shades like Spring Green, Honeysuckle, and Cornflower Blue, you can find the perfect hue to complement your garden aesthetic.

Black Ash, Seagrass, Pink Honeysuckle, Iris and Sage

The Importance of Choosing the Right Garden Shade

Picking the perfect shade is crucial for achieving the look and feel you want for your outdoor space. The colour you choose will set the tone for your entire garden or patio.

You’ll want to consider factors like:

  • The existing colours and materials in your outdoor area – the shade should complement existing features like stone, plants, wood decking, etc. Matching or contrasting shades can both work well depending on your goals.
  • The mood you want to create – light, bright shades feel airy and calm, while bold saturated shades are dramatic and inviting. Neutral natural wood tones create a relaxed vibe.
  • How much of the surface will be coated – A small accent fence or trim area can handle a bolder colour than a large shed or pergola. Make sure to pick a shade you’ll still enjoy seeing covering a large surface.
  • Sun exposure – Lighter tints hold up better in direct sun over time than darker shades which can fade faster.

Take your time picking the perfect Cuprinol Garden Shade. A shade that flatters your space will enhance your enjoyment and refresh the look of weathered garden features.

The Best Cuprinol Garden Shades

Cuprinol Garden Shades offer a wide variety of colours and finishes to choose from. Here are some of the best options to consider and where to use them: 

Cuprinol Fence Paint Colours

a garden fence with lots of plants
I present to you my fence! And patchy grass (we’re working on it!)

We put a new fence up around our garden and after a few months over the summer, it was already showing signs of damage. The fence is pine and it desperately needed painting.

I wanted a dark backdrop to make the plants and flowers pop against it. I was drawn to Black Ash, Iris, and Sage to begin with. Once I received the testers, I set about painting the fence to see which color I preferred and was instantly taken with Iris!

I thought Black Ash was a little too dark and Sage wouldn’t have let the plants stand out like I wanted them to. Iris was a beautiful contrast to our lawn so I spent the next couple of days painting my fence while the weather was good.

a fence with tester paint on it
See what I mean by liking my garden wild? πŸ™‚
Here we have Iris on the left, Black Ash in the middle and Sage on the right

Thankfully, I only needed to apply one coat as it applied really well and easily. We have concrete bollards holding up the fence panels and I did consider painting them as well, but in the end, I went with painting a pattern onto them with Iris to create a bit of a feature.

I am extremely pleased with the results and the plants and trees really do pop against the colour. It provides an amazing backdrop to our garden.

a garden patio area with eucalyptus trees, white gravel, a corner sofa and the fence painted a dark blue
The Cuprinol Iris paint makes this corner of our garden extremely cozy!
The painted pattern on the bollard. Lanterns from lights4fun.co.uk

I then hung my Bugz Hotel from one of the trees to encourage wildlife to make a home in our garden, the children are fascinated by it!

Can you spot any bugs in there?

The Best Fence Paint Colours

a dark grey slatted fence around a patio area with garden furniture
Cuprinol Urban Slate – Wickes

Urban Slate – The dark charcoal gray shade works well as a neutral that won’t clash with other colors in the garden. It blends in. Against a green garden backdrop, the darker gray hue will make the fence stand out and define the borders of the yard.

Urban Slate has an upscale, modern aesthetic. It gives a stylish, refined look to any outdoor space.

a bench with roof painted in cream
Cuprinol Country Cream

 

Country Cream – A versatile cream shade that makes a fence stand out. Country Cream has a fresh, crisp appearance that gives a neat, coherent look to a fence line and provides a clean, bright backdrop for plants.

The soft white tone complements just about any garden style, from traditional to modern. It won’t clash.

a green slatted fence with brightly coloured planters in front
A beautiful shade of green allows for bright colours to be used in the garden. Cuprinol Willow

Willow – The pale sage green shade has a very soft, inviting look that complements gardens nicely without overpowering. Willow resembles the colors found in nature. It will give a fence a lush, earthy feel that blends into the surroundings.

The greenish-gray beige tone pairs well with bushes, plants, and wood structures in gardens of any style.

an olive green fence in the garden
Cuprinol Olive Garden

Olive Garden – If you don’t want to stray too far away from the wood shades of a fence, Olive Garden could work. The natural olive green tone perfectly captures the colors seen in nature. It has an earthy, organic look.

Against neutral house exteriors or stone, the olive green creates a noticeable contrast for definition.

A cream painted fence with monochrome garden furniture
Amazing what a bit of garden paint can do! Cuprinol Natural Stone – Image: @visitnumber7

Natural Stone – This is a light beige shade that works well as a neutral backdrop in any garden. It won’t clash with existing colors or features. The tone resembles real stone and gives a subtle aged, weathered appearance to a fence. This natural aesthetic works nicely in outdoor spaces.

Cuprinol Colours for the Shed

The colour of your garden shed can also make a significant impact on your garden. With the recent rise in garden rooms, she sheds and sun houses, our sheds are now more than just a potting area, so why not choose a brilliant colour to highlight its presence? 

a black shed in a garden
Cuprinol Black Ash – Image: swoonworthy.co.uk

Black Ash – Black, while perhaps not the first colour many think of for a garden shed, offers several benefits and can be an elegant and modern choice. It helps give a garden shed a sleek appearance and provides a neutral backdrop, allowing the surrounding plants, flowers, and features to stand out

Green foliage, in particular, can pop beautifully against a dark background.


I was also asked by Cuprinol to add some colour to my garden by using their Garden Shades Nature’s Brights and initially, I was going to paint a little wooden bistro set that sits under our pear tree in Pink Honeysuckle. Unfortunately, our pear tree got blown over by the high winds at the beginning of August so I had to find another way of adding bright colours to my garden.

I had an unloved planter already in the garden that was painted a bright blue with paint not meant for the great outdoors, so hadn’t weathered very well. I decided to paint this Pink Honeysuckle and it looks fabulous sat on our grey decking!

The unloved planter
Adding a splash of pink to the garden with Cuprinol’s Pink Honeysuckle
I wonder how long I can keep these plants alive??
My Pink Honeysuckle Planter and Willow storage bench

I also managed to pick up a little storage bench which was perfect for our outdoor dining table and could house all our outdoor tableware that was taking up valuable space in my kitchen cupboards. Initially, I was going to paint it Seagrass but I preferred the more natural tone of Willow. Both the planter and the storage bench only needed one coat of Cuprinol and have already lasted well through several downpours.

Our storage bench painted in Willow
Cuprinol Shades go perfectly with my hydrangeas and the plant pot

So, there you have it! My garden is now full of colour and ready to use… for winter! Haha. I love the fact that even when the plants and flowers start to hibernate for the colder months, my garden is still a colourful little haven thanks to Cuprinol and their Garden Shades.

Mel x

Choosing colourful cuprinol garden shades for your outdoor space Pinterest pin

17 Comments

  1. 23/05/2020 / 8:15 pm

    I have been trying to obtain a 9 ltr tin of cuprinol silver copse for 4 week in warrington Cheshire. There doesn’t appear to be any of this product in the north west of England. Wickes inform me that the nearest place for this product is 194 miles away

    • Melanie Boyden
      27/05/2020 / 7:49 pm

      Hi Les

      Sorry to hear that, I think Cuprinol and Dulux have been having distribution problems at the moment and they had to shut down their Design HQ. I’ve also been finding it very difficult to get hold of paint but I think things will improve in the near future. Have you tried ordering online direct from the Cuprinol site?

  2. Christine O'Hara
    02/06/2020 / 4:43 pm

    Hi’ I very painted my garden fence pebble trail what colour would you suggest for the concrete posts,there are 10 fence panels down both sides of garden and 7 across the end of the garden

  3. john gallagher.
    03/06/2020 / 12:28 pm

    having terrible job finding Cuptenol Rustic Brown!

    • Melanie Boyden
      10/06/2020 / 12:43 pm

      Hi John

      I think so many people are having issues with getting Cuprinol paint at the moment. I know they shut down their design centre and factories during the lockdown and are now probably trying to play catch up by getting stock back to the shops! I managed to get Iris and Black Ash from my local B&Q the other day in Brighton so keep looking.

      Mel πŸ™‚

  4. Jeanette Waters
    06/06/2020 / 9:40 am

    I’ve used seagrass on both my sheds with silver birch for the doors and edging round the windows and roof. It looks amazing and has brighten up the garden no end. Plus i painted the flower troves silver birch to that are now attached to the shed. The fence will be done next i think forget me not will be the colour.

    • Melanie Boyden
      10/06/2020 / 12:41 pm

      Hi Jeanette

      That sounds fabulous, I nearly went with Seagrass myself but I am a lover of dark colours (as you probably can see in my home) so went with the Iris for a dramatic back drop and it certainly has done that! I can’t believe it’s taken so long for people to be more adventurous in the garden and steer away from the typical brown colours for fences and sheds!

      Mel πŸ™‚

  5. Alison Johnson
    07/06/2020 / 8:06 pm

    Hi I have been having the same problem with garden shades willow. Tried everywhere in my area & even on line 5 ltr. Where can I get some please? Also tried cuprinol direct. I understand being in lockdown but it’s the time most people need it.

    • Melanie Boyden
      10/06/2020 / 12:38 pm

      Hi Alison

      This is true, unfortunately even I’ve struggled to get hold of Cuprinol paint at the moment. Our B&Q seems to becoming more well stocked recently so I think you just have to keep checking. Very frustrating I know. I have contacted the PR team who I work with but they said due to the Dulux HQ and paint factories being shut throughout lockdown, they are now trying to catch up with orders and get the paint back out again. Hope you find some soon!

      Mel πŸ™‚

  6. Joyce Miles
    27/06/2020 / 7:39 am

    Last Autumn I bought 2 x 2.5 tins of Pebble Trail with the intention of painting my new fences this year. I have painted 1.5 fences and will need the same again but cannot find Pebble Trail anywhere. My local shops are without almost any fence paint, stocks don’t seem to be getting replenished. Ineed help to find more Pebble Trail.

    • Melanie Boyden
      07/07/2020 / 1:20 pm

      Hi Joyce

      I have recently spoken with the Dulux PR team and the design centres and factories are now reopen so they are slowly starting to get more stock out to the shops. I also need some Iris paint to finish my fence but have not been able to purchase some anywhere! Hopefully the shops will be fully stocked soon! Mel πŸ™‚

  7. Irene Andrews
    27/06/2020 / 4:35 pm

    Where can I purchase a sample pot of willow please, I have 11 six foot panels to paint so need to ensure it’s the correct colour. And how many litres do you think I will need.

    • Melanie Boyden
      07/07/2020 / 1:23 pm

      Hi Irene

      I have been assured by the Dulux PR team that the design centres and factories are open again so hopefully the shops will start to become fully stocked once more! I have also had a lot of trouble trying to locate paint to finish my fence!

      Are the panels 6 foot by 6 foot? Mel πŸ™‚

  8. Sarah Vernon
    23/12/2020 / 9:49 pm

    I have painted my fence in seagrass and love it now have a summerhouse and might try sage and cream …going for a moroccan sort of feel do like your willow storage Mel and touches of pink great idea …I agree people are very conservative with colours all my neighbours have wood green or brown .I get my paint from wickes

    • Melanie Boyden
      30/12/2020 / 5:54 pm

      I think if there’s anywhere to be bold with colour, it’s the garden! I love splashes of bright colour in the garden, it breaks up all the green, brown and often grey skies! πŸ™‚

  9. Rebecca P
    20/03/2021 / 8:16 am

    Just to say, my local B&M has much better stock of Cuprinol than B&Q or even online…..

    • Melanie Boyden
      20/03/2021 / 10:11 am

      Ah, thanks for this! My nearest B&M is 90 minutes away, gutted πŸ™

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