Written by Sarah Lee
Britain in the Buff! REVEALED: The UK’s favourite patio colours
Summer’s heating up, and so are our gardens! With alfresco living at an all-time high, Bradstone, a leading name in transforming outdoor spaces, has delved deep into the heart of the nation’s patio colour preferences – and the results are anything but grey (well… mostly).
Between January and June this year, thousands of orders across the UK were placed for Bradstone patio paving. This latest data offers a vibrant glimpse into how the UK is choosing to create their great outdoors. Now, the company can officially crown “Buff” as the reigning champion of outdoor chic, accounting for every 2 in 5 purchases (42%). It’s clear that the British public simply can’t get enough of that warm, golden glow, choosing it to infuse their outdoor spaces with a soft, inviting radiance.
Close behind in the patio colour wars is Light Grey, proving that timeless elegance never goes out of fashion – with almost a third of patios (31%) across the nation sporting this sophisticated shade.
It’s a colour story that shows Brits are happy to play it safe, but there’s a growing band of homeowners who are willing to take risks and opting for the more distinctive hues, from sultry Dark Grey to sun-drenched Terracotta. And we see you, 0.4% of patio pioneers going for a brave and bold White option.
“Colour choice can completely transform a garden space – it’s like choosing the perfect outfit for your home’s outdoor personality,” says Matt Carroll, Head of Assured Landscaping at
Bradstone. “These results powerfully demonstrate the UK’s love affair with a soft, natural aesthetic. Yet, we are equally thrilled to see a more adventurous design movement, hinting at the truly showstopping transformations yet to come in our back gardens.”
The patio mosaic across Britain
England: United in Buff
Across all regions of England, Buff came out on top – with one exception. In Greater London, Light Grey is the preferred choice with over a third of purchases (35.7%), reflecting a distinctly contemporary urban design aesthetic. Wales and Scotland: Cooler Tones Take Hold In contrast to England, regions in Wales and Scotland showed a stronger preference for grey tones:
● West Wales and Southeast Wales: dominated by Dark Grey
● North Wales and South Wales: Light Grey leads
● Scottish Highlands, East Scotland, and East Central: lean toward Dark Grey
● Scotland’s Central Belt: an outlier, where Buff still reigns.
Northern Ireland also aligns with the cooler trend, favouring Dark Grey.
With outdoor living continuing to rise in popularity, Bradstone expects garden paving trends to follow the fashion world: ever evolving, beautifully bold, and always enabling you to create your GREAT outdoors. So, whether you’re team Buff or flying the flag for Beige, one thing’s clear: Britain is paving the way to better back gardens, one exquisite slab at a time.
Editors Notes:
The full breakdown of Bradstone domestic paving orders across the UK (January – June 2025) is:
| Shade | Percentage |
| Buff | 42% |
| Light Grey | 31% |
| Dark Grey | 15% |
| Brown | 7% |
| Cream | 3% |
| Medium Grey | 1% |
| Beige | 1% |
| Terracotta | 1% |
| White | 0.4% |
| Grand Total | 100% |
The full results for regional totals are available upon request.
