We talk to Apeer’s managing director, Asa McGillian, who explains how the composite door manufacturer is perfectly positioned to respond to increased demand for colour.

Choice of colour, style and decorative finish has traditionally been associated with interior design, but the rise of premium window and door products in the UK market means that homeowners are increasingly taking the opportunity to project their personality on the outside of a property as well.

This can be extended to windows, with a multitude of foil finishes available for flush and standard casements, but typically it is the front door that acts as the primary focal point of a home. A well specified entrance door will enhance kerb appeal, impress visitors and even make a statement about whoever lives inside.

That could be as simple as saying we are design conscious and affluent, but it could also indicate whether the occupants are outgoing and ‘fun’ or if they are more reserved.

It could also be a way to flex your financial status. In Scotland, for example, a red front door was traditionally used to announce that you have paid off your mortgage, a powerful way to communicate such a key milestone to friends and neighbours!

And while the majority of colours chosen by UK homeowners has traditionally been dominated by greys, blacks and browns, demand for more individual colours is rising. This is backed by a recent report from Renolit that revealed anthracite grey and black/brown accounted for more than half of foils in the UK market, but also that a shift in consumer appetite for new favourites was emerging.

For the industry, this suggests that door manufacturers who are able to respond to emerging colour trends will be best placed to support installers maximise valuable sales opportunities going forward.

“Darker greys and blacks were always the most popular option, and while homeowners are still most likely to order white or cream on the interior side, we are now seeing them becoming much more confident for exterior colours,” says Apeer’s managing director, Asa McGillian.

“Currently, around 12% of our weekly orders are for non-standard colours, which can include our featured premium range or for bespoke RAL or BS colour matches and apart from fluorescent or metallic finishes – believe it or not, we have actually had a request for a fluorescent yellow door! – we can supply our comprehensive range of products in almost any colour requested.”

The key to Apeer’s flexibility and range of colour options is the fact that the company has invested so significantly in its operational capabilities. This includes a companywide commitment to lean manufacturing, a move designed to further enhance quality of service and product, and also the ability to process all orders for colours in-house, rather than relying on outsourcing to a third party.

As Asa explains, one of Apeer’s many advantages over its competitors is the fact that it can spray all its doors on site, allowing it to apply an almost limitless range of colours not just to door leafs, but also to frames, rebates and trims.

“Our in-house colour facility gives us the agility to respond quickly and efficiently to orders, especially for non-standard colours, but it also helps us to guarantee a consistent quality of finish across all the elements that make up the finished door,” said Asa. “We know that all the orders that leave the factory will have passed a strict QC process, and that all the components are perfectly colour matched.

“That in turn ensures peace of mind for our partners, giving them much more confidence to upsell our colour offer to their homeowner customers.”

And as Asa is keen to point out, it’s not just the industry leading finish or range of colour options that make Apeer doors stand out from the crowd, it’s also the inherent design quality of the company’s composites.

“I have seen a lot of different colours go through our factory,” he concludes, “including ones that I have ordered for various exhibition stands, and I have not yet seen a colour that doesn’t look good on our doors.

“Whether that is due to the way they are engineered and manufactured, the high standards in our paint plant or the unique deep grain on our door skins – the overall finish just makes any colour look special!