A colour is not a HEX value once it is on a material. Gloss, texture, translucency, the substrate underneath and the way the surface ages all change what a colour looks like. This section describes how each major material produces, shows and loses colour, including recycled and reprocessed materials, whose colour is harder to control.
Optical properties are given as relative comparisons between materials, not measurements of a particular product. For what colours to pair with a material in a room, see Interiors → Materials.
37 topics · 141 evidence-labelled claims · 108 sources
Choosing finishes for a project? Start from the materials in your renovation.
Gloss, texture, translucency, substrate and angle.
Plaster, concrete, brick, stone and marble.
Solid wood, veneer and how timber colour moves.
Oxides, patina and metallic reflection.
Transparent, glazed and moulded materials.
Colour carried in an applied layer: paint films, enamel and gelcoat.
Fibres, hides and sheets.
Why recycled material colour varies, how sorting sees colour, and how to design for it.