Coloured bathroom suites — avocado, harvest gold, primrose yellow, peach, burgundy, sky blue — were enormously popular in UK bathrooms throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and many remain in service today. When a coloured bath chips, the white or cream substrate is exposed beneath the coloured glaze, making the damage very visible against the distinctive period colour. Fortunately, coloured bath chip repair is highly achievable by an experienced specialist.
Why Coloured Bath Repair Is More Challenging
White bath repair is relatively straightforward — “white” is forgiving, and minor colour variations are hard to detect. Coloured bath repair is more demanding because:
- The colour itself must be matched precisely — avocado green has a specific saturation and undertone; harvest gold has warmth and depth that varies between manufacturers
- Aged colours have shifted — a 40-year-old avocado bath will have a different shade from brand-new avocado — the colour has yellowed, faded or shifted slightly over decades. The repair must match the current colour, not an original colour chart
- Colour must hold under different lighting — a colour that matches in daylight must also hold under bathroom lighting
Common Coloured Bath Colours We Repair
- Avocado green — the iconic 1970s bathroom colour; various shades from yellow-green to grey-green depending on manufacturer
- Harvest gold / autumn gold — warm golden-yellow; popular 1970s–80s
- Primrose yellow — pale to mid yellow; particularly associated with Armitage Shanks
- Peach / apricot — warm pink-orange; popular 1980s
- Burgundy / wine — deep red-purple
- Sky blue / Wedgwood blue — pale to mid blue
- Whisper pink / shell pink — very pale pink
Can a Coloured Bath Be Matched Perfectly?
In most cases, yes — to the degree where the repair is not visible from normal viewing distance. Coloured bath chip repair by a skilled technician produces results that are indistinguishable from the original glaze when viewed normally. On very close inspection in raking light, the repair area may be detectable, but for practical purposes the result is excellent.
The alternative — replacing a coloured bath — usually means a full bathroom refit, since matching coloured sanitaryware is no longer manufactured. Repair is almost always the right choice.
Shazam Repairs has extensive experience with coloured bath chip repair across all period colours. Send us a photo for a free quote →
