Colour Guide for Post-War Houses (1945–1970): Exterior and Interior Schemes

Understanding the Post-War House Before You Pick a Colour

Houses built between 1945 and 1970 are a distinct architectural category, and they need to be approached as such. These are not Victorian properties with period features to restore, nor are they modern new-builds with plasterboard walls and no character. They occupy a middle ground: generous room proportions, often cavity-wall construction (rare before 1945), steel or timber windows, and in many cases a rendered or pebbledashed exterior that was designed to look crisp and modern — not heritage.

Getting the colours right on a post-war house means working with what the building actually is, not trying to turn it into something it is not. We see too many post-war semis decorated in Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath, a colour that looks slightly awkward on a 1957 build because the paint is doing battle with the architecture rather than supporting it.

The Architecture: What You're Working With

The typical post-war house in London — built for local authority, housing association, or private speculative development — has these common external features: smooth or tyrolean cement render on the front elevation, face brick on side and rear elevations, concrete window surrounds or tile cills, and either a flat roof section or a shallow-pitched roof with wide eaves.

Post-war houses also often have flush-panel front doors, metal casement windows (steel in the earlier period, aluminium through the 1960s), and a shallow porch with a canopy rather than a Victorian-style decorative hood. All of these details inform which colours work and which do not.

Exterior Colours: What Works on Post-War Render

Rendered post-war elevations suit crisp, clean colours rather than the muted, chalky tones that work so well on Georgian stucco or Edwardian roughcast. The surface texture is different — tyrolean and sand-and-cement render have a harder, denser quality — and bright or mid-tone colours sit better on them.

Whites and light greys remain the most versatile choice. Dulwich Weathershield Smooth in Brilliant White is a workhorse product that works on this render type, but consider off-whites for more warmth: Dulwich Trade Weathershield in Pebble, or Sandtex Masonry in Harvest Gold from the lighter end of the beige range. These colours acknowledge the mid-century origins without overclaiming.

Mid-century greens are worth considering on post-war houses with good landscaping. Sage green render with white window frames and a signal red door is not a cliché — it reads as coherently period for a 1955 or 1960 house in a way that warm grey or heritage buff does not. Farrow & Ball Mizzle (exterior oil) or Little Greene Laurel are usable references, though matching in a good masonry paint is sensible at this scale.

Brick panels and reveals are common on post-war houses in London. Where brick returns are in good condition they are best left unpainted. If they have been painted previously, Sandtex or Weathershield applied correctly — with proper preparation — is the right route.

What Colours to Avoid on Post-War Exteriors

Dark heritage colours — Railings, Hague Blue, Down Pipe — can look very wrong on post-war architecture. They are colours that sit comfortably on Georgian and Victorian buildings because those buildings have the depth of mouldings and reveals to carry the contrast. A flat-fronted post-war semi in dark grey tends to look oppressive rather than elegant. If you want a darker exterior, use mid-range charcoal or slate blue rather than the very deep tones.

Avoid painting concrete window cills or surrounds in gloss unless they are in very good condition. Concrete that has hairline cracks or aggregate exposed will absorb paint unevenly, and gloss emphasises every imperfection.

Interior Colours: The Mid-Century Rooms

Post-war houses have interior proportions that suit both contemporary and period colour palettes. Ceiling heights are typically around 2.4 metres — lower than Victorian but not oppressively low — and the rooms are often well-proportioned squares or slight rectangles.

Living rooms in post-war houses suit warmer, earthier tones than period properties. Mid-century interior colours were bold by the standards of the preceding decades: mustard yellows, burnt oranges, sage greens, and teal blues all have period authenticity here. These need not be applied at full intensity — a half-strength terracotta or a soft ochre carries the mid-century spirit without overwhelming the room.

Woodwork in post-war houses is usually simpler than Victorian: flush-panel doors, plain architraves, and basic skirting with a pencil-round profile. These suit eggshell rather than full gloss — Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell or Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell in a warm white reads better than brilliant white gloss on plain joinery. If the woodwork has been painted many times and is losing its crispness, a proper preparation — stripping back or sanding down, filling any dents — makes a significant difference.

Kitchens from this period, if original, often have painted timber units rather than the moulded cabinetry of Georgian or Victorian properties. Spray-painting these in a two-pack water-based finish — Tikkurila Otex as a primer, Teknos Tiokappa as a topcoat — gives a factory-smooth result that transforms the room.

Ceilings and Artex

One of the defining challenges of post-war houses is Artex. Applied from the late 1950s through the 1980s, textured Artex ceilings can contain chrysotile asbestos in material made before the mid-1980s. Painting over Artex is entirely feasible — and in many cases the right decision rather than removal — but it must be done properly: two-coat application of a good emulsion, ensuring the first coat seals the texture fully before the second coat is applied. We use Dulwich Trade Matt or Crown Trade Covering Plus for this work.

Do not skim over Artex without testing for asbestos first. A simple air or bulk sample test from an accredited laboratory costs very little and tells you exactly where you stand.

Getting the Scheme Right: Combining Exterior and Interior

On a post-war house, interior and exterior colour decisions benefit from a joined-up approach. A house with a sage green exterior reads most coherently with interiors that either continue the earthy green palette or contrast it cleanly with warm whites and naturals. A house with a white exterior and signal-red front door can carry bolder interior accent colours more easily — the exterior is a clean backdrop rather than a statement.

If you are unsure, commission a colour consultation before buying paint. It costs a fraction of the painting itself and prevents the mistake of purchasing five litres of a colour that is wrong for the light or the architecture.

Ready to Get Started?

We work across London on post-war properties of all types — from council-built ex-right-to-buy semis to architect-designed private houses of the same period. If you'd like a proper assessment and a competitive quotation, contact us here or request a free quote.