Microcement Colours, How to Choose One You Will Still Like

Microcement colour is never quite one flat shade. The trowel leaves soft clouds and movement, so the same colour can look lighter in one patch and deeper in another. That is the appeal, but it means choosing a colour works differently from choosing paint. This guide covers the popular colour families, how colour is made, and how to choose one you will still like in five years.

How microcement gets its colour

Colour comes from pigment mixed into the material before it is laid. Because each coat is trowelled by hand, the pigment settles slightly differently across the surface, which creates the cloudy look. The sealer then shifts the colour again, usually making it a little deeper. Always judge colour on a sealed sample, not on a wet one or a chart.

Popular colour families

• Warm whites and off whites. Calm and bright in bathrooms, but they show marks sooner on floors.
• Greige and sand. A forgiving choice for floors and family bathrooms.
• Concrete greys. The classic industrial look, from pale cement to deep charcoal.
• Earth tones. Terracotta, clay and warm taupes that pair with timber and brass.
• Dark tones. Charcoal and near black for dramatic shower walls. Water marks and limescale show more on dark colours, so cleaning matters.

How to choose a colour

1. Start with the room's fixed things. Sanitaryware, timber, metal finishes and stone already set the palette.
2. Think about the floor first. Mid tones hide dust and water marks better than very pale or very dark.
3. Ask for a sealed sample. In the finish and sheen you will actually get.
4. Hold the sample against your other materials in the room before you decide.
5. Order enough for the whole job in one batch where possible, so the colour stays consistent.

Matching across floors and walls

Using the same colour on floors and walls gives a calm, wrapped look. Some people go one shade darker on the floor so it grounds the room and hides wear. Either way, check both on samples side by side.

Colour in lime instead

If you love the seamless look but want softer, more mineral colour, lime finishes are tinted in a similar way. Zavoré tints its lime plasters to your chosen colour. See our colour library.

Questions

What is a popular microcement colour?

Soft greys, greige and warm off whites are common choices because they suit most rooms and hide everyday marks well.

Will the colour look the same as the sample?

Close, but never identical, because microcement is laid by hand. A sealed sample in the right sheen is the best guide.

Can microcement be any colour?

Most systems can be pigmented widely, but very strong or bright colours are harder to keep even. Ask for a sample before committing.

Does the sealer change the colour?

Usually yes, it deepens it slightly. Gloss sealers change it more than matt ones.