Grey Slate

Grey slate is the most widely recognised and respected form of slate, traditionally quarried in regions such as Wales, Spain and Brazil.

Its colour comes primarily from carbon, iron sulphides and fine clay minerals, creating subtle variations that give each piece its own natural character.

Why grey slate is ideal for house signs:

• Naturally neutral, suiting both modern and traditional homes
  
• Exceptional contrast when sandblasted and painted
  
• Ages beautifully, developing character without fading
  
• Clean, understated and timeless in appearance - never trend-led or dated

This balance of durability, legibility and elegance is why The Bespoke Sign House uses grey slate exclusively for our slate house signs. It delivers a premium finish that looks as good in ten years as it does on day one with minimal maintenance.

Green Slate

Green slate is quarried in regions such as North Wales, Cumbria, parts of France, and the USA. Its distinctive green tone comes from naturally occurring minerals such as chlorite, giving the stone a softer, more organic character. Because of this, green slate is often chosen for interior features or decorative architectural applications where subtle colour variation is part of the appeal.

For house signage, however, our priority is consistent clarity and legibility at a distance. In our experience, green slate can show greater natural variation in tone and typically offers less contrast for engraved lettering than grey slate. While this does not make it an inferior material, it does mean the finished result can be less crisp for high-contrast, design-led exterior signage.

Green slate can look beautiful in the right architectural or garden setting, and it remains a material we admire and would be open to offering again if we could reliably source it to the standards we require. For now, we work exclusively with grey slate, as it delivers the clearest lettering, strongest contrast, and most consistent finish for long-lasting house signs.

Red Slate

Red slate is most commonly associated with Cumbria in the UK and parts of North America. Its warm tones come from a higher concentration of iron oxide, the same mineral responsible for rust-like colouring.

While visually striking, red slate tends to:

• Be more visually dominant
  
• Show greater colour variation
  
• Offer less contrast for fine lettering
  

For signage, this can make text harder to read and designs feel less refined, which is why we do not use red slate for house signs. It is, however, commonly found as plum slate chippings in garden and landscape design.