Painting uPVC – how I transformed the overall feeling of every room in my house, and all it took was a £25 tin of paint
I hacked my way to high-end windows
Home decorator and content creator Grace H is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on colourful home design, mixing vintage pieces with new and making personality-filled spaces. See the rest of her articles here.
I always dreamed of a period home. You know the one: flickering fireplaces, ornate cornicing, soaring ceilings, and… original wooden sash windows. When we bought our Edwardian semi in Manchester four years ago, we got three out of the four. The fourth? Ugly, stark white uPVC windows that really bothered me.
Spoiler alert: It didn’t. Here is how I hacked my way to high-end windows for the price of a fancy bunch of flowers.
Phase 1: The "low-stakes" trial
I started small with the downstairs loo. It was the perfect test subject because the bright white plastic screamed against the rich green walls.
I chose Zinsser AllCoat Exterior in Satin in Black because it needed the least amount of prep (I’ll do anything to get out of sanding!). A quick wipe down with sugar soap, three thin coats with a brush, and a few hours of drying time and the results were in: total transformation.
I immediately moved on to the landing window, but the white handles were still bugging me, so I ordered a cheap multi-pack of black handles and my glow up was complete.
Phase 2: The magician’s trick
Once bitten by this nifty DIY bug, I realised black would be too harsh for the living room.
I wanted the windows to disappear, not dominate, so I gave the bay window two base coats of AllCoat, then topped it with two coats of the same eggshell paint used on my woodwork.
It worked like a charm. Instead of screaming, "Look at me, I'm plastic!" the windows blended seamlessly into the walls.
Phase 3: The "pear drop" pivot
Plastic handles are the ultimate giveaway (the black ones you can just about get away with being so dark). I knew painting them wouldn't last with daily use but finding fancy brass handles that weren't too shiny or yellow (and I ordered and returned a lot) or ones that fit the current holes without having to drill more was tricky.
Finally, the internet gods were in my favour and I stumbled across the Mila Heritage Pear Drop Espagnolette Handle in Antique Bronze. There was one snag: they are designed for side-opening windows and mine… weren't.
I delegated the mechanism research to my other half, and it turns out changing the internal mechanism is actually incredibly easy. It boggles my mind how different the windows look.
Phase 4: The full house glow-up
Now there was no question in my mind that every single internal window and door deserved the same treatment, and I discovered that you could get the exact same paint colour-matched to any brand.
Instead of going in all guns blazing (my default mode), I ordered a colour match for the kitchen/diner to test out how good the match actually was. I was so impressed and slowly over the course of a few months I ordered the colour matched paint for every room as well as more handles and I can honestly say I transformed the overall feeling of each room and all it took was a £25 tin of paint.
The Verdict: Does it actually hold up?
In a word: Yes. We have one tiny scratch mark on the living room window (which I could touch in an instant if I wasn’t too lazy) and the rest look fab and my other half is an aggressive cleaner.
My only regret? Living with that white uPVC for four years. Well, that and not taking enough "before" photos.
My "cheat sheet" for painting uPVC
- Prep is King: Don't skip the Sugar Soap. You need to remove every trace of grease for the paint to bond.
- The Magic Paint: Zinsser AllCoat (water-based) is the gold standard. It acts as a primer and topcoat in one and can be colour matched to any shade.
- Thin Coats: Don't try to cover it in one go. Three thin coats will always look more professional than one thick, gloopy one.
- The Hardware: Changing the handles is 50% of the transformation. Don't skip this step!
Ultimately, painting your uPVC bridges the gap between modern practicality and period aesthetics without the eye-watering price tag of new timber frames.
For the cost of a tin of paint and a few hours of your time, you can stop living with your windows and start loving them. If you're on the fence – get the brush out. Honestly, it’s the best £25 you’ll ever spend.
