Grey dominates

Shades of grey dominated Vertik-Al’s powder coating lines in the 11 months to April 2020, according to the company’s latest powder usage figures.

Of the top 10 colours most used, five were a tonal variation of grey, with anthracite grey leading the charge with almost 20% share.

In fact, the powder coater’s top 10 comprises only neutral tones, with the five remaining colours a variation on this theme : jet black, signal black, heritage black, hipca white and pure white.

Vertik-Al director John Park-Davies said: “For many years white has been the principal finish for window and door products, while black and a uniform grey accounted for the majority of roofline products.

“As tastes and trends have evolved, designers and homeowners have embraced the entire neutral colour palette, seeking hues that don’t compete with other colours but can easily be layered with stronger tones, both inside and out. Our powder usage is proof of this, with greys and blacks prevailing.”

Vertik-Al also crunched the numbers on finish usage and matt dominates at 83.91%, followed by satin, gloss and then finally, metallic.

In combining colour and finish, variations of grey in a matt finish obliterate the competition with 20 entries in Vertik-Al’s top 50. In fact, anthracite grey is the only grey to feature in both a matt and satin finish.

The powder usage data has also supported a rising interest in bolder, more extraordinary colour and finish combinations. Anodic pewter, white aluminium and gold metallic all rank in the top 50, featuring in metallic finishes.