Short answer
We hand-paint every mud kitchen in one of eleven outdoor colours: Bottle Green, Royal Green, Fresh Mint, Deep Navy, Cloudless Sky, Stormy Evening, Grey Elegance, Suede Black, Powder Pink, Cheerful Raspberry and Lavender Field. All eleven use the same specialist exterior acrylic wood paint, which is weatherproof and non-toxic once cured and safe for children aged 3 and up. Colour costs nothing extra on any model, and the photographs on each product page update as you choose.
Colour is the decision people agonise over longest and regret least. Every one of these finishes uses the same paint system and the same number of coats, so this is purely about how you want the kitchen to look in your garden, and how much mud you want to see on it.
All eleven colours
Screen colours are approximate. If you want to be certain, visit our Bognor Regis showroom and see them in daylight, or email us and we will send a photograph of a finished kitchen in the colour you are considering.
Which colours hide mud best
An honest ranking, based on what comes back to us in customer photos after a wet winter:
| Rank | Colour | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suede Black | Matt near-black. Dried mud reads as texture, not mess. |
| 2 | Bottle Green | Deep and cool. Splashes disappear against it. |
| 3 | Stormy Evening | Slate blue-grey sits almost exactly in the middle of the mud colour range. |
| 4 | Deep Navy | Very forgiving, though light dust shows more than on black. |
| 5 | Grey Elegance | Warm neutral grey. Hides dry mud, shows wet mud slightly. |
At the other end, Powder Pink, Fresh Mint and Cloudless Sky show mud most, which many families are entirely happy about. A pale kitchen that visibly gets used is not a problem, it is a record. All eleven wash down with a hose and a soft brush.
Which colours hold up in strong sun
Exterior acrylic pigments fade at different rates under UV. In our experience the deep greens, navy and black hold their depth longest, and Cheerful Raspberry is the most stable of the bright colours. Very pale shades do not fade so much as they weather, gradually taking on a chalkier, more washed look, which on a garden object is usually read as character rather than damage.
Wherever the kitchen sits, a fresh coat of exterior wood care every one to two years keeps both the colour and the timber in good order. That is covered in our weatherproofing guide.
Choosing a colour for a garden, not a nursery bedroom
Three things worth thinking about before you pick:
- What is behind it. Against a dark fence, a pale colour lifts the whole corner. Against light render or a white wall, a deep colour looks deliberate rather than accidental.
- What else is out there. If you already have a trampoline in blue and a slide in red, a neutral kitchen calms the garden down. If everything is green, a Powder Pink or Lavender Field kitchen is the thing children run to.
- How long you want it to last. The kitchen will outlive several rounds of favourite colours. A three-year-old who insists on pink will be nine when the kitchen is still there. Neutrals age better; bold colours make more people happy on day one. Both are legitimate.
For what it is worth, our most-ordered colour is Bottle Green, and the one children pick most often when they are allowed to choose is Lavender Field.
Worktop finish
Alongside the painted body, the worktop is available in Natural Wood or Brown. Natural Wood keeps more of the spruce grain visible and lightens the whole piece; Brown is warmer and shows scuffs less. Both are sealed for outdoor use.
Every colour available on every size
Frequently asked questions
Does choosing a different colour cost more?
No. All eleven colours cost the same on every model, because each kitchen is hand-painted to order rather than picked off a shelf. You choose your colour on the product page and the photographs update so you can see exactly what will arrive.
Is the paint on a mud kitchen safe for children?
We use specialist exterior acrylic wood paints, applied by hand and fully cured before dispatch. Once cured they are weatherproof and non-toxic, and suitable for children aged 3 and up. Children should still be supervised at play, as with any outdoor equipment.
Can I repaint a mud kitchen later?
Yes. Clean it down, let it dry fully, lightly key the surface with fine abrasive paper and apply an exterior-grade acrylic wood paint. Most people find a fresh coat of the original colour on the worn edges is enough, rather than a full colour change.
Which mud kitchen colour hides dirt best?
Suede Black hides mud best, followed by Bottle Green, Stormy Evening and Deep Navy. Pale colours such as Powder Pink, Fresh Mint and Cloudless Sky show mud most, though all eleven finishes wash down with a hose and a soft brush.
Ready to choose? Pick your size first, then your colour, on any product page. Free UK mainland delivery, fully assembled, in 7 to 14 days. Browse the range or read the complete buying guide.