An Expert Guide to HAY Palissade Colours: Which Colour is Right for Your Garden?
|
|
Time to read 7 min
Garden season is now in full swing, and with that brings one of our favourite annual debates: which colour of HAY Palissade garden furniture will be most popular with our customers? In previous years, Olive Green Palissade has comfortably held top position, but we are quietly rooting for a shake-up. Could this be the year another shade steals the spotlight?
It got us thinking about the questions we often hear from our customers when they are trying to choose the Palissade colour that works best in their gardens. So, we’ve pulled everything together into one definitive guide to HAY Palissade finishes. Read on for a deep dive into each different colour, where they work best and how to style them. Consider this your go-to guide for making the right choice, ensuring you buy garden furniture you’ll love for years to come.
Olive Green HAY Palissade
Olive Green Palissade furniture is iconic. It is the original incarnation of the Bouroulec brothers’ design, mirroring municipal outdoor furniture seen in parks around Paris. The shade of green is a familiar one, reminiscent of the heritage shades seen in traditional outdoor furniture. Olive green has been the favourite HAY Palissade colour of past seasons because of its ability to subtly blend in with greenery. The colour is a natural fit in gardens, the deep green toning in with foliage.
Best for: Blending in with greenery, the natural fit for outdoor spaces.
Olive Green styling tips: To emphasise a lush green garden, place Olive Green Palisade furniture on a patio or decking beside evergreen foliage. Plants with deep green leaves such as ferns, palms and ivy are ideal companions.
Get the look: 1. HAY Palissade High Lounge Chair & HAY Palissade Ottoman, 2. HAY Palissade Medium Garden Dining Set, 3. HAY Barro Salad Bowls, 4. HAY Terrazza Seat Cushion, 5. HAY Terrazza Cushion, 6. Hubsch Flora Watering Can, 7. Tom Dixon Bell Portable Rechargeable Table Lamp, 8. HAY Palissade Dining Bench.
Iron Red HAY Palissade
This one is our personal favourite; the shade of Iron Red Palissade is a rusty red colour that adds a pop of colour to your garden whilst still looking natural. This colour is a perfect contrast to green planting, sitting almost exactly opposite to it on the colour wheel. Iron Red Palissade is an excellent choice for adding sculptural interest or highlighting architectural details. See two excellent examples of Iron Red Palissade featured in Grand Designs.
Best for: Creating contrast with planting and architectural features.
Iron Red styling tips: Choose to contrast Iron Red against stonework, dark wood cladding or green planting to make your garden furniture a feature. To set the scene further, add accents of rustic red with terracotta pots or rusting ironwork to tie the space together.
Get the look: 1. HAY Palissade Seat Cushion, 2. HAY Terrazza Cushion, 3. HAY Palissade Dining Armchair & HAY Palissade Large Dining Table, 4. HAY Weekend Bag, 5. HAY Mousqueton Portable Rechargeable Lamp, 6. HAY Palissade Lounge Set, 7. HAY Palissade Garden Bench & HAY Palissade Chair, 8. Raawii Strom Jug, 9. HAY Barro Cup, 10. HAY Air Quilt.
Anthracite HAY Palissade
Anthracite is a not-quite black shade that accentuates the architectural lines of the Palissade design. This colour choice fits well in contemporary gardens with an urban edge. It works well with linear features such as decking, cladding or angular concrete that match the linear nature of Palissade furniture.
Best for: Minimalistic gardens with contemporary landscaping.
Anthracite styling tips: Choosing dark and black details in the garden adds drama and depth. Pair Anthracite Palissade garden furniture with black glazed pots or dark metal detailing to emphasise this tone.
Get the look: 1. HAY Palissade Soft Quilted Cushion, 2. Audo Copenhagen Ray Portable Rechargeable Lamp, 3. HAY Palissade Patio Set, 4. HAY Palissade Lounge Sofa, 5. HAY Palissade Lounge Set, 6. Design House Stockholm Greenhouse, 7. HAY Flowerpots.
Sky Grey HAY Palissade
An acknowledgement of HAY’s Danish roots, Sky Grey is a cloud-like grey – a natural tone that is popular in Nordic colour pallets. Because this colour choice is light and airy, it works perfectly in smaller gardens or enclosed courtyards, helping to open the space. Sky Grey complements modern outdoor spaces, but it really comes into its own in cottage style or traditional gardens because it can create clarity against mixed planting. See Sky Grey HAY Palissade styled in the historic garden of Purbeck Cottage.
Best for: Small outdoor spaces or more traditional gardens.
Sky Grey styling tips: Pair this colour with other soft, neutral tones such as unstained woods and light-coloured paving or gravel for a sophisticated Scandinavian styled garden. Add brightly coloured pots to create a playful and uplifting space.
Get the look: 1. HAY Tint Wine Glass, 2. Case Furniture Sip Plant Pot, 3. HAY Barro Bowls, 4. HAY Terrazza Cushion, 5. HAY Palissade Patio Set, 6. HAY Palissade Lounge Chair, 7. Hubsch Flora Watering Can, 8. &Tradition VP9 Flowerpot Lamp, 9. HAY Palissade Picnic Set.
Cream White HAY Palissade
Nothing says crisp and clean luxury like the neat minimalism of Cream White Palissade furniture. This colour adds brightness to your outdoor space. Instead of using harsh white, HAY opted for a cream tone to soften the tone, making it fit more naturally into outdoor spaces. This colour comes into its own placed beside a pool or on a sun-bleached Mediterranean patio or terrace.
Best for: Poolside luxury and Mediterranean inspired patios.
Cream White styling tips: Add playful detail by choosing Palissade Cushions in a contrasting colour. Matching with cream white cushions looks chic, but Olive Green or Iron Red can personalise your garden furniture to work perfectly in your space.
Get the look: 1. HAY Terrazza Parasol, 2. HAY Terrazza Seat Cushion, 3. HAY Palissade Dining Bench, 4. HAY Palissade Large Cantilever Dining Set, 5. HAY Palissade Cord Dining Bench & HAY Palissade Cord Lounge Chair, 6. HAY Barro Oval Dish, 7. HAY Barro Salad Bowl, 8. HAY Barro Plate, 9. The Conran Shop Santorini Glass Straws, 10. HAY Curve Stem Glasses, 11. Louis Poulsen Panthella 160 Lamp, 12. HAY Palissade Dining Armchair.
Galvanised Steel HAY Palissade
HAY Palissade in the Galvanised Steel finish is essentially the frame without the coloured powder coating. Instead, the frame is dipped in liquid zinc to create an extra durable layer that is rust and corrosion resistant. Because of this, the metallic finish gives the Palissade design a more industrial appearance. This finish is functional in coastal areas where salty air makes things rust easier, but the finish also looks great, giving an industrial edge to outdoor spaces.
Best for: A more industrial look. Extra hardwearing and rust-resistant for coastal properties.
Galvanised Steel styling tips: Use a Galvanized Steel Palissade Stool as a spot to place plant pots, adding height to your planting and making a feature of beautiful shrubbery.
Get the look: 1. HAY Palissade Balcony Set, 2. Tala The Muse Portable Rechargeable Lamp, 3. HAY Flowerpots, 4. HAY Outdoor Market Fire Pit, 5. HAY Palissade Dining Bench & HAY Palissade Stool, 6. HAY Palissade Medium Cantilever Dining Set, 7. HAY Indian Steel Pitcher, 8. HAY Outdoor Market Throw.
Is the Iron Red more burgundy or terracotta?
Iron Red HAY Palissade sits perfectly between burgundy and terracotta. It is a very neutral rusty red tone. Iron Red Palissade looks excellent paired with terracotta pots, making this tone a feature in your garden.
How dark is the olive green?
To give you an idea of the true tone of Olive Green HAY Palissade, think of a classic Victorian style green shade with a neutral olive tone. It’s a couple of shades darker than big Nocerella olives. It’s a very natural green - the perfect olive shade to go with green planting.
Which Palissade colour is best for a small balcony?
For smaller spaces, Sky Grey is often the best choices. These lighter, cooler tones reflect more light, making a cramped balcony feel more open and airy. If you want something bolder, Anthracite provides a sharp, graphic silhouette that looks very intentional in a minimalist setup.
Does the Anthracite colour get too hot in the sun?
Like any dark metal furniture, the Anthracite finish will absorb more heat than the lighter shades. However, because the Palissade design consists of thin slats rather than solid sheets of metal, there is significant airflow which helps it cool down faster than a solid bench would.
Pro-tip: If your patio gets direct midday sun, consider adding the Palissade cushions to keep things comfortable.
Will the colours fade over time?
HAY uses a high-quality, outdoor-grade powder coating. While any material exposed to 24/7 UV rays will experience very slight changes over many years, the Palissade collection is specifically engineered to retain its pigment. The finish is weather-resistant and won't flake or peel like traditional paint.
Can I mix and match different Palissade colours?
Absolutely. Because all the colours in the collection (Olive Green, Sky Grey, Anthracite, Iron Red and Cream White) share the same muted, earthy undertones, they are designed to be "tonal". A common designer trick is to use Anthracite for a dining table and mix Olive or Sky Grey chairs around it for a more curated, less "showroom" look. The colours also look great paired with the Hot Galvanised finish, helping to reduce its industrial feel.
We hope this guide has helped you make up your mind, but if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Customer Service team.
Written by :
Adam is the Head of E-Commerce, which means in work he is often a very busy man. His current mission outside of work is to wrestle his garden away from 3 rabbits, a dog and 2 children and turn it into a relaxing retreat. He has never knowingly turned down a cup of tea.