RAL Colours for Aluminium Doors: A Complete Guide
From anthracite grey to bespoke RAL, everything you need to know about choosing the right colour for your aluminium bifold, sliding, or entrance door in 2026.
One of the great advantages of aluminium doors over composite or uPVC is the almost unlimited colour choice. But unlimited choice can be paralysing. Here's how to think about colour selection for bifold doors, sliding doors, and entrance doors, and which choices have proven to stand the test of time.
What Is RAL and Why Does It Matter?
RAL is a European colour matching system used across the powder-coating, paint, and manufacturing industries. Every RAL number corresponds to a specific colour that can be exactly replicated across different products and manufacturers. When you specify RAL 7016 for your bifold door frames, your builder's render, and your architect's window schedule, everyone is working to the same precise colour, which matters when you want an exterior that looks coherent rather than approximately matched.
Origin powder-coats all of its aluminium doors in any RAL colour, including dual-colour options where inside and outside faces of the frame are finished differently.
The Most Popular Colours in 2026
Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016)
The dominant colour in the contemporary UK market. Dark, sophisticated, and works with almost any external material, white render, brick, timber cladding. Anthracite grey frames have an architectural quality that reads as premium without being aggressive. If you're not sure, start here.
Black (RAL 9005)
A stronger statement than anthracite. Black frames against white render produce a very high-contrast, bold aesthetic. It's the choice of architects and design-led homeowners who want their extension to make a statement. Warm black tones (RAL 9004 or 8019) are worth considering as softer alternatives.
White (RAL 9010)
The understated, timeless choice. White frames are clean, work well in period properties or where the architecture is traditional, and tend to make interiors feel airier. They require slightly more cleaning to maintain appearance in urban environments.
Warm Grey (RAL 7030)
A lighter, warmer grey than 7016. Popular in Scandinavian-influenced interiors and cottages where the deep tone of anthracite feels too heavy. Ages gracefully in rural and period settings.
Dark Bronze and Metallics
Powder-coat finishes mimicking bronze, copper, or gunmetal have become increasingly popular for entrance doors and roof lights. They add warmth and period quality, particularly suited to red brick buildings and period properties.
Dual-Colour Finishes
The most popular combination: anthracite grey outside (for kerb appeal and contemporary exterior) with white inside (to maximise light reflection and match white-painted walls). This combination works extraordinarily well and is worth considering for almost any installation where the door is visible from the main living space.
Things to Consider When Choosing
Look at the colour in direct sunlight and shade, RAL chips look different under showroom lighting and under a grey British sky. Ask for full-size colour samples and hold them against the render or brickwork you're matching. Consider what's already on the property, frames should either match existing metalwork or intentionally contrast with it.
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Author at SmartaView, writing about aluminium glazing, home improvements and the buying process.
