Jason Nicholson of K Rend looks at the wide range of colours and textures available in K Rend’s render portfolio and how these options allow housebuilders to achieve the desired aesthetics without compromising on efficiency.
A home’s external façade is a critical element of its overall design, which is why a façade material or solution that can add personality and character has an all-important role to play in the aesthetics of both new build and refurbishment projects.
The visual impact of a building’s outer skin, achieved through carefully selected coloured and textured renders, can shape how people perceive and interact with it. These choices not only influence how the building fits within its environment but can also define the character of a street or community. The right combination of colour and texture in an external façade can transform a building’s aesthetic and evoke an emotional response from passers-by.
This is why developers and housebuilders are increasingly moving away from uniform white boxes in favour of incorporating colour and texture to enhance the visual impact of developments. Through-coloured renders have become a popular choice due to their low maintenance finish that eliminates the need for painting. Additionally, the use of contrasting colours can help to break up street scenes, creating a more vibrant and cohesive development.
Balancing colour and texture
When specifying a coloured render, it’s essential to take into account the surrounding environment. The hue, tone and texture should complement the local architecture and landscape, creating a visually appealing streetscape. 
Lighter shades can help to make a building feel more spacious and airy, while darker shades can add depth and drama. The texture of the render also plays a significant role in defining the overall appearance and character of a property, whether it is the smooth uniformity of a fine finish, to the tactile appeal of a more textured surface. Additionally, using multiple colours will build contrast, accentuate architectural features and bring attention to specific details. The outside of a home can be considered in the same way as the inside, ensuring everything builds as a canvas together – including the windows, doors and tiles.
Collaborating closely with the render manufacturer is key to ensuring the chosen colour and finish meets the design vision for the project. For example, K Rend’s through-coloured renders are available in 20 standard colours, with the option to colour match using the NCS colour system for bespoke shades.
With a variety of modern render finish options available, from thin coat to scraped texture to roughcast and dash, it’s important to request samples to verify colour and texture choices.
Transforming developments
A development in Suffolk features K Rend’s K Mono, monocouche scraped-texture render in a palette of powder blue, salmon pink and ivory. This mix of soft, pastel tones helped to create a pretty and unique aesthetic across the development, avoiding the monotony of a single colour and appealing to home owners while fitting perfectly with the picturesque historic streets of this rural area of Suffolk. K Mono, which can be applied in one coat one pass, was ideal for a large development such as this due to its quick setting times and speed of construction.
In Northern Ireland, a detached property was enhanced with a bespoke colour created by K Rend’s silicone thin-coat render. This allowed the housebuilder to achieve a striking shade that complemented the surrounding architecture and landscape. The ability to colour match and create renders in any shade outside the standard 20 colours available in the thin coat range, enables the house builder to create a truly unique and bespoke project.
A development in Mullingar, Southern Ireland used K Rend’s Silicone K1 scraped texture range in white but offered a pop of colour with thin coat render in two bespoke colours creating a striking aesthetic and a development with real kerb appeal. Furthermore, the silicone technology use in both products added water repellency to keep the render looking fresher for longer, and the mica in K Rend renders added that signature sparkle.
Coloured and textured renders provide housebuilders and specifiers with a versatile and long-lasting solution for creating visually appealing new homes. By carefully considering colour, texture and the surrounding context, the exterior façade can be transformed from a standard ‘brick box’ into a distinctive, memorable building that elicits an emotional response. As the demand for more vibrant and personalised new-build homes continues to grow, coloured renders will play a key role in shaping the future of our built environment.
For more information about the wide range of render systems available from K Rend, or for technical guidance, click here
