A description of colours available with our wood fire surrounds

It's very tough to know how a colour will look on your fire surround in your home. The lights used in high street stores always make colours look different. Computer monitors are no better, they all display images differently, and even if they were all the same, it is just an interpretation of colour made by the photographer on the day.

The only way you can truly know what a colour will look like in your home is with a colour sample; this is why we have a free colour sample service (you have to pay for postage, but this is refunded when you order).

We have tried to describe our colour range for you to give you an indication when ordering samples. They are brief descriptions grouped into colour families; 

We have also arranged the colours into colour pallets so that you can view them next to each other before ordering. Please click on the links below to view these.
Light Colours
Dark Colours
Wood Colours

We have done everything we can to help you with your colour choice. Please use these guides as an indication of the colour samples you require and not an accurate guide to the actual colours, as the variance in monitors and photography can not be 100% accurate. We charge £2.50 for colour samples; this is only to cover postage and production costs. If you order a surround, this charge will be refunded by using the code supplied. If you order more than one set, when purchasing your surround, mention this in the comments field (at the checkout), and we will refund all the samples. We do not make money on this service and offer it only to ensure our customers can order with peace of mind; please take advantage of this option.

Please feel free to call us if you would like any help.

Matt Oak

Matt Oak is standard European Oak with no added colour. We finish the fire surrounds with a matte sealant to for protection; no colour is added; this and Clear Oak are the

Clear Oak  

Clear Oak is a clear satin lacquer applied over the Oak; there is no col,our added, so along with the Matt version, this is the lightest Oak finish we supply.

Matt Oak and Clear Oak look exactly the same colour. Only the finish is slightly different. If you are ordering our three lightest Oaks, we would advise ordering Matt Oak, Celtic Oak and Golden Oak. If you like the Matt Oak best, but prefer the slight sheen of Celtic or Golden Oak, then the colour you will require is Clear Oak.

Celtic Oak

Celtic Oak gives a similar colour finish to Matt and Clear Oak, although it is slightly darker. The Celtic stain pulls out the grain of the wood, so the overall appearance of the surround is marginally darker than Clear or Matt Oak.

Golden Oak

Golden Oak is a slightly darker, more vibrant and warmer colour than Clear, Matt or Celtic Oak.  

Clear, Matt, Celtic and Golden Oak are a natural range of colours, if you are looking for a light Oak fire surround then one of these will generally suit. Clear, Matt and Celtic are our most popular Oak colours.

Medium Oak

Medium Oak is darker than the above; it has hints of red and yellow, and the grain stands out more than the lighter colours. It is often used on traditional fire surrounds, although it also gives an excellent twist to our modern range of surrounds. 

Warm Oak

Warm Oak is quite a bit darker than medium Oak and has a slightly reddish appearance, like Medium Oak. Often used on traditional fire surrounds but can give a contemporary twist to our modern range of mantlepieces.

American Walnut

American Walnut has hints of Medium Oak and warm Oak with a completely different look, the grain is much less dense, and this gives a pleasing effect of colours shaded across the wood. American Walnut is only available as a veneered board and is not available in solid wood.

Golden Oak, Medium Oak and American Walnut are all worth considering if you are looking for a slightly darker wood fire surround.

Black Oak 

Our Black Oak fire surrounds are sprayed black at the final stage of production; the finish has a slight sheen but is not glossy; the wood grain shows through, meaning that every surround is unique. 

Matt Black

Matt Black is only available in a smooth finish; it is ideal when looking for a modern or contemporary finish. Although the colour does look matt, it has the same sealer finish as all our other colours and is therefore easily wiped clean in the same way.

Wood Grain Slate

Our Slate finish is sprayed onto our veneers at the final stage of production, allowing the natural grain pattern to show through. The colour is a very dark grey, almost black. 

Smooth Slate

Our smooth slate is the same colour as Wood Grain Slate but with a smooth finish.

Smooth Thunder

Thunder is lighter than slate and darker than Storm, it is a very neutral grey colour

Wood Grain Storm

The colour Storm is sprayed onto the wood veneer fire surround at the final stage of production. This allows the natural grain pattern to show through. Storm has a flat finish, and the colour is slightly darker and slightly warmer than Cloud.

Smooth Storm

The colour is as described above only with a completely smooth finish.

Wood Grain Cloud

The colour Cloud is sprayed onto the wood veneer fire surround at the final stage of production. This allows the natural grain pattern to show through. Cloud has a flat finish and would best be described as a mid-grey with a blue tinge.

Smooth Cloud

The colour is as described above only with a completely smooth finish.

Wood Grain Olive

The colour Olive is sprayed onto the wood veneer fire surround at the final stage of production; this allows the natural grain pattern to show through. Olive has a flat finish and is our light grey with a slight greenish hue.

Smooth Olive

The colour is as described above only with a completely smooth finish.

Wood Grain Mist

The colour Mist is sprayed onto the wood veneer fire surround at the final stage of production. This allows the natural grain pattern to show through. Mist has a flat finish and is the lightest grey we do, and it is a fairly neutral colour, although it would be classed as a soft, warm grey.

Smooth Mist

The colour is as described above only with a completely smooth finish.

Black, Slate, Thunder, Cloud and Mist are our range of grey colours; they suit modern fire surrounds but can bring a contemporary twist to traditional surrounds such as the Hawthorn, Chesham and Kilkenny. They also make good inset colours for surrounds such as the Seattle. As the colours for the smooth and wood-grained versions are the same paint, we suggest ordering either the smooth or wood-grained version, rather than both, to maximise your three colour samples.

Light Pine Waxed Pine

The lightest of our two pine colours.

Stripped Pine

Darker than Light Pine, also slightly redder.

We can supply pine 'nude' if you wish to finish it yourself with wax to match your current furniture. If you order some colour Pine samples, then you can see the unfinished 'nude' colour on the reverse side.​

Mango

Mango is a dark, warm colour; darker than warm oak, it would be best described as a very dark brown.

Vintage Honey Oak

Vintage Honey Oak has dark and light areas and suits a more traditional surround. It is impossible to view this effect's full range of colours from a colour sample. If you look at the Exmoor Fire Surround you will get a good idea of the impact of this stain.

Red Mahogany

This colour is darker than even Mango but is much redder; it is hard to see the grain pattern as this tends to blend into the overall tone.

Brown Mahogany 

Similar in density to Red Mahogany but browner, the grain again tends to blend into the overall colour.

Mango, Vintage Honey, Red & Brown Mahogany tend to suit more traditional fire surrounds. If you are looking for a traditional dark colour then Mango, Brown Mahogany and Red Mahogany are three samples that we would advise you order. Vintage Honey Oak is entirely different, and it is worth looking at the effect on the Exmoor Fire Surround.

White Stone

White Stone has a Brilliant White base coat with paint flecks added to give a similar finish to a marble. The specks vary in size and are made up of greys and beige colours. 

Beige Stone

Beige stone is another paint effect, the specks are much smaller than on White Stone, and the base is a cream colour; the overall product is similar to Marfil Stone Marble.

Paint effects work very well on fire surrounds, although we generally see customers with electric suits choosing them most often.

They look excellent when the hearth, back and fire surround are all the same colour; an example is the Biarritz Electric Suite. 

White Stone and Beige Stone look excellent when used on hearth and back panels; they are an excellent alternative to marble.

Wood Grained Oyster 

Oyster is a dark cream sprayed over a veneered wood allowing the natural grain pattern to show through.

Brilliant White 

What can you say, brilliant and white!

Pebble White 

A very slight off-white colour, best used when you want something slightly softer than brilliant white or warmer than iced white.

Iced White 

Iced White is slightly bluer than Brilliant White.

Our three bright whites (Brilliant, Pebble & Iced White) all look very white on their own but look quite different when viewed together. If you want a white surround, it is worth ordering a sample of all three. Olde England White looks quite cream in comparison to these three colours.​

Olde England White 

Olde England White is a cream, similar to Magnolia, sprayed onto a smooth surface, ideal for those who don't want a bright white fire surround but still want something similar to White.

Wood Graned Ivory

Ivory is the same colour as Old England white but sprayed over a wood veneer, allowing the grain of the wood to show through.

Tudor Oak 

Brilliant white sprayed over a wood veneer, allowing the wood grain to show through.

Unfinished 'Nude'

We can supply any of our surrounds unfinished; this will need to be requested in the comments field at the checkout. They are all supplied and ready for you to paint or stain. So the Painted Fire Surrounds come with a base coat, and the wood surrounds come smooth and prepared to finish.

Bespoke Colour

We are the only UK wood fire surround manufacturer that can paint your fire surround ANY British Standard colour (BS). We would advise you to get a colour pot from a local DIY (such as B&Q) or paint company and then supply us with the BS colour reference, and we will do the rest. This is a special order, and you will need to call us if you wish to discuss this option.