Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. We are repainting the soffit and fascia of our house and are considering also painting the triangle area just below the fascia as well in the same colour to provide some contrast to the house. The soffit will be white. Our house colour is Resene Akaroa. The roof is a terracotta dark orange tile. Can you recommend some possible colours for the fascia boards and triangular wall below? A. You might like to look at these options. I’ve chosen neutral browns in slightly darker tones to the Resene Akaroa and then also some blues and green which all tone in with your existing finishes. Try Resene Stonewashed, Resene Castaway, Resene Quarter Karaka, Resene Cobblestone, Resene Rolling Stone or Resene Mine Shaft. Resene stores stock folders with A4 sizes of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint.
November 2017
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Q. We're renovating our small bathroom. The bathroom is on the south side with frosted windows so there isn't a lot of natural light coming through. We've picked a slightly cool toned wood-grain vinyl with an off-white neutral tile for the shower over bath. I think we will choose Resene Half Concrete for the walls. Do you think this is a good choice? What colour should we paint the windowsill/trim/door to complement Resene Half Concrete? A. The Resene Concrete family has a purple grey undertone, which can sometimes read as cooler, especially if you have tinted windows in the bathroom. I think it will probably go with your other choices, definitely the flooring. The tile I’m not 100% sure on, mainly because the concrete might be too pinky/purple for it. But if you have seen them all together and are happy with the combination then trust your gut. Just make sure that when you test the colour you are actually painting a large piece onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and leaving a white border around the outside so that you can truely see what the colour looks like. Alternatives to the Resene Half Concrete would be: Resene Rice Cake, Resene Merino or Resene Half Athens Grey. Your trim colour could be something like Resene Double Alabaster or for more contrast use Resene Alabaster.
November 2017
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Q. Our house is painted with plain white walls (I think it’s Resene Sea Fog) and all doors, kitchen cupboards, wardrobe doors and window surrounds are in Resene Nevada. The vinyl is black and white checked and the carpet is a dark grey. The house was redecorated just about the time we bought it, due to earthquake damage, and we didn't get a say in the colours. The house is 1950s retro. We would like to put warmer colours in the house as it is dark and cold feeling, with a lot of grey. We don’t want to repaint the grey as it’s a lot of work and it’s in good order. We were thinking of Resene Double Pearl Lusta on the walls and a feature wall in the kitchen dining area, some sort of orange (like Resene Melon Orange) pinky red (like Resene Mexican Red) or mustardy yellow (like Resene Pizza) to add warmth, light and a pop, maybe in the lounge a feature colour too, something warm as it’s not sunny. I need ideas of what would work with this grey please? A. Colours in an interior have the potential to look much deeper in depth (or brighter depending upon the type of colour) and because of that I am a little worried that your preferred colour – Resene Double Pearl Lusta - may look more like Resene Triple Pearl Lusta. Would that worry you? If not, then all is well. But if you wanted a creamy warm neutral, that allowed more flexibility in regard the deep grey (Resene Nevada) and a possibly warmer orange, soft red or yellow colour then I would be inclined to suggest that you used Resene Pearl Lusta. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you for a feature wall in the kitchen/dining room and the lounge - Resene Japonica, Resene Sebedee, Resene Hot August, Resene Simply Red, Resene Putty or Resene Apache. November 2017
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Q. We are repainting our entire complex and would like to change a yellow wall to a different colour. We initially chose Resene Mischka, but we are nervous it will not look as ‘warm’ as the present colour. We do not want it to look cold/boring/old fashioned. We cannot change the frames (too expensive) so the Resene Coastal Blue will remain. Should we leave the door the red brown, or change it to Resene Coastal Blue? Also, should we leave the roof colour as red or also make it Resene Coastal Blue? Please advise us on the wall colour and the garage, front doors and roof colour. The cedar tops will just be stained – could you also give us a suggestion on the colour of the stain? We are using Resene paint and stains for the entire complex (15 houses). A. I am not 100% sure about your suggestion of using Resene Mischka. It is a lilac based grey, that may look a little bit industrial, and I am unsure about whether it is a harmonious co-ordinate with Resene Coastal Blue. I suggest that it might help tie all the colours together if you changed the red/brown doors to Resene Coastal Blue to match the frames. These colours might be checked out for the main exterior colour to replace the yellow - Resene Spanish White (this is a warm cream), Resene Quarter Craigieburn (warm earthy beige) or Resene Sandcastle (a warm salmon/tan). Stain colour options for the cedar might be one of these - Resene Waterborne Woodsman Oiled Cedar or Resene Waterborne Woodsman Cherrywood.
November 2017
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Q. I was initially thinking of an all Resene Alabaster interior but a neighbour has suggested Resene Alabaster for the walls and Resene Half Alabaster for the ceiling/skirting/door/frames. Do you have any advice on that combination or any pictures of that combination? A. Often trims and ceilings are a lighter variant of the main wall colour. This helps to add contrast to a simple colour scheme. Some people don't want to do that and would prefer if everything was the same colour (especially if it is a white like Resene Alabaster) with just different sheen levels of product for different surfaces - i.e. totally matt/flat acrylic for ceilings, semi-gloss or full gloss enamels for all painted woodwork and low sheen acrylic (or low sheen waterbased enamels for service rooms) for the walls. This is a simple but effective difference, and appropriate for the different types of surfaces. The very subtle difference between Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Alabaster may be missed by most people, unless they have extremely discerning eyesight. If you wanted to see a more distinct difference between walls and all other surfaces you may need to use Resene Quarter Alabaster or even real white - Resene White. In some lights, the difference between then may still be not greatly noticeable. Using one of these whites with a slightly deeper variant of your original Resene Alabaster - i.e. Resene Double Alabaster, may make more of a contrast. You ask about photos - most photos wouldn't show the difference and may well look exactly the same.
November 2017
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Q. I am trying to find a colour to paint our cottage exterior and roof. It is a 1950s, three bedroom cottage, cement rendered. I am looking for a blue/grey with maybe light grey, off white or baby blue trims. Would you have any ideas please? There is some brick featuring around the garden beds and a brick pillar. A. You might look at these colour combinations to see if they appeal to you. Option 1 - Resene Grey Friars (roof), Resene Quarter Silver Chalice (main house colour) or Resene Half Black White (trims).
November 2017
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Q. We would like your opinion on some colour choices we are considering for a house that we are having built. Our new home is a traditional style, with weatherboard and an iron roof. Windows and corners are framed. We are considering white weatherboards, either one of the Resene Alabaster family or one of the Resene Black White family. The aluminium joinery will be Silver Pearl. The roof will be either Grey Friars or Gauntlet (Sandstone Grey). We think if we use Grey Friars for the roof, we may use Resene Gauntlet for the garage and front doors. My wife favours Gauntlet for the roof and garage/front doors, whereas I think Grey Friars for the roof would have more impact with Resene Gauntlet on the garage/front doors providing an extra layer. A. The greys you mention – Resene Grey Friars, Resene Gauntlet and Silver Pearl - are quite different to each other - Resene Grey Friars is dark/cool and slightly blue toned, Resene Gauntlet is a warm stone grey (in some lights it looks as though it has a brown/red undertone) and Silver Pearl is a yellow based silver grey. The colours that you are considering as the main colour on the house are versatile - they are willing to work with any other colours because they are so 'white'. They will make the Silver Pearl seem to be a more definite yellow/grey, whereas when it is used with deeper colours it can appear to be much lighter and more of a pale silver. Resene Gauntlet (aka COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey) looks quite good with Silver Pearl but if you wanted to use a darker charcoal on the roof, you might look at Resene Element (aka COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod) as they all have warmth about them. Take your time, and please make sure that you have real powder coated metal samples (as large a sample as you can get from the builder or roof/window manufacturer) so that you can truly judge the unique undertones of colour, and can compare them with each other.
November 2017
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Q. We have scaffolding going up for a repaint after 12 years. We would like some ideas for colour please. The current colour is ‘Jennian Malta’ a special made up at the time that was based on Resene Malta, but with a little bit of pink to tie in with the bricks. We’d like a bit of a change. The roof tile is Graphite and the spouting, fascia, joinery and garage door are Ironsand. The brick is Austral Brick McCubbin. The eaves, interior ceilings, doors and woodwork are all Resene Half Blanc with the walls Resene Drought. A. It may be only a subtle shift in colour options because the roof, the joinery and the bricks are staying as they are. You might look at using one of these colours for a new main colour - Resene Double Blanc, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Half Sandspit Brown or Resene Quarter Drought.
November 2017
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Q. We are looking for a red, cream, black combination for our house. The red is for the boards, and cream windows with black trims. Can you suggest some reds please? We’re thinking less colonial, and more vibrant. A. You might look at these colour options - Resene Red Oxide - main colour, Resene Pearl Lusta - windows and Resene All Black – trim. More vibrant colours might be like these ones - Resene Jalapeno - main colour, Resene Half Dutch White - windows or Resene Nero – trim.
November 2017
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Q. We want to modernise the exterior of our house. We have Silver joinery and Resene Napa paint at the moment, but would like information on the best paint that would work well with the Silver joinery? A. You might check out these colours - they seem to be very popular and work well with silver joinery - Resene Double Stack, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Trojan or Resene Silver Chalice.
November 2017
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Q. We are building a mono pitch roof home in Central Otago. Half of the exterior wall cladding is corrugate and half is Rockcote. We want the same colour on the roof, corrugate walls and joinery and a contrast on the Rockcote. What colours do you suggest? We are on a rural property. We want the exterior to look 'sharp' with a wow factor and impact. A. Roof, metal joinery and corrugated iron are usually a powder coated paint finish. If this is what you want to use, then it does pay to check out what colours are available in the powdercoat manufacturer’s range. There isn't a huge selection available. You mention wanting the exterior to look 'sharp' with a wow factor and impact - does this mean (to you) having a contemporary urban look, even though you are a rural property? If this is the case, then you might check out these palettes of colours – COLORSTEEL® Ebony for the roof/joinery and corrugate iron cladding and Resene Kensington Grey for the Rockcote. Or try COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod for the roof/joinery and corrugate iron cladding and Resene Triple Black White for the Rockcote. If you would prefer a colour palette that embraces the ambiance of your rural aspect then you might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle for the roof/joinery and corrugate iron cladding and Resene Taupe Grey for the Rockcote. Or COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase for the roof/joinery and corrugate iron cladding and Resene Bone White for the Rockcote.
November 2017
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Q. Can you recommend an off-white (grey tone) for an open living, dining and kitchen area that works with black joinery and ceiling trusses, concrete floors and blue accents in art and soft furnishings/accessories? It also needs to be child-proof! A. You might look at these off white/grey tones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Barely There, or the paler version - Resene Half Barely There, or Resene Half House White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Black White or Resene Half Concrete. Child proof may be about the type of paint that you use as much as it is about the colour. There are paints that look shabby fairly soon after painting, because they are general acrylics. These lesser paints don't have super washability (they may have no potential for washing down at all) and constant sticky finger touching and general living marks them and wiping makes them look dull and patchy. If you want child proof in an open plan living/dining and kitchen area, then I strongly recommend that the walls be painted with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen water based enamel. This product has a lot of ‘extra' stuff in it that makes cleaning easy.
November 2017
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Q. We are undertaking major renovations. We have a 1950s house and new sleepout with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof. Our house has concrete tiles, which we are planning to paint Ironsand as well. We like Resene Waikawa Grey, but do you think this will work well together? We are replacing windows with white aluminium windows, so also need a white colour suggestion for window frames. The house will be re-clad with Linea® (the back half will remain horizontal panels). A. I think the distinct brown/olive/charcoal tone in Ironsand will work with the pretty blue, with a subtle grey and lilac undertone that is in Resene Waikawa Grey. An alternative blue that also works well with the brown that is in Ironsand is Resene Cello or a lighter blue - Resene Escapade. You have several white powdercoat options available but the white that is most versatile is Appliance White. I have often found that Arctic White is too cold blue/grey toned to work, unless you always have cool blues or greys and never change from those types of colours.
November 2017
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Q. I have renovated my bathroom and tiled two walls (white tile with ever so slightly yellow tone) and floor. All of the bathroom furnishings are porcelain white and the cabinet tower etc. are all white. The door frame and door are painted in Resene Alabaster. The tapware has a chrome finish. Can you please recommend a good paint colour for the two remaining untiled walls? A. You might look at some of these warm neutral colours for the remaining walls to see if they associate well with the tiles - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Triple Black White, or deeper tones Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.
November 2017
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Q. My base colour on my weatherboards is Resene Parchment, which I’m trying to keep the same. I need a window trim colour etc. I’m thinking possibly a white that goes with the roof colour, which is Grey Friars. I was thinking a grey but now I think a white. A. If you have Resene Parchment, you might consider using one of these whites for the windows sashes and window surrounds and door surrounds - Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Rice Cake. If you wanted to use a grey you might consider a paler version of the roof colour, so there is a nice co-ordination but only for the window sills and doors – try Resene Quarter Grey Friars. This would add a little visual contrast between the warm main house colour and the clean crisp white and relate well to the roof colour.
November 2017
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Q. We have painted our villa Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream with Grey Friars on the roof. We need to choose the door colour and deck. We chose Resene Bokara Grey for the door and Resene Quarter Grey Friars for the deck but I don't think they go well. Do you have any suggestions for colours that may match better? A. You may need to consider using a warmer charcoal grey to harmonise with the Resene Bokara Grey instead of a cool steel blue charcoal – Resene Grey Friars. Perhaps you could check out these suggestions – Resene Half Ironsand, Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Tundora or Resene Nocturnal.
November 2017
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Q. We have a new house external plaster in Resene Craigieburn and a garage door in Resene Slate. Could you suggest a front door colour? I prefer it to be black. A. You could look at one of these colours to see if they are the 'right' black for you – Resene Element, Resene Blackjack, Resene Zeus or Resene Nocturnal.
November 2017
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Q. We need to repaint the interior of our home. It is Resene Triple Spanish White. We need to lighten it up away from cream. The carpet is taupe/beige in colour. A. You might consider using one of these options – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Albescent White or Resene Quarter Fossil. They are lovely warm toned neutrals and may lift and lighten the look of your interiors.
November 2017
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Q. My house exterior is made entirely out of limestone bricks. I have white balustrades and windows. My interior is Resene Sea Fog with dark walnut timber floors. What colour should I paint my roof? I’m thinking a grey but not 100% of the hue. I’m after a coastal Hampton look but unsure. A. You might look at these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Gauntlet, Resene Windswept, Resene Steel Grey or Resene Half Tuna.
November 2017
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Q. We are building a holiday home. The roof is FlaxPod and the joinery matt Sandstone Grey. We are after a mid to dark grey for the Linea® with a lighter grey (not too light) for one part of one of the walls for interest. We really like the combination of Resene Fuscous Grey/Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey but would like to know if this combination will work with our roof/joinery. A. The Resene Fuscous Grey palette of colours would work well with FlaxPod but not so well with Sandstone Grey. The warm undertones of colour in Sandstone Grey tend to favour greys that also have that influence. If the colour of the Sandstone Grey and how it works with your original favoured colours isn't a big issue to you then all is well. But if you want to look at other warmed greys you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Half Ironsand, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Baltic Sea or you might substitute Resene Half Baltic Grey for Resene Gauntlet which is a match to Sandstone Grey.
November 2017
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Q. I need a colour to match my roof which is Resene Karaka. Very shortly I will be inserting aluminium windows in the colour Karaka as well as a mix of full replacements and inserts so would need a colour for the trims too. I would probably need colour for the deck as well. A. If you wanted a warm earthy toned neutral for the main colour on the house that works really well with Resene Karaka you might look at these colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Rice Cake, Resene Fossil, Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Joanna. Some colours that could be used for the trims might be these - Resene Quarter Karaka - could be deck balustrades/posts and gables, and Resene Double Alabaster - could be under soffits, the top hand rail of balustrades, all timber under deck roof, guttering and roof line fascias and barge boards etc. If the deck boards were stained you could use Resene Woodsman Natural wood stain - this is very natural and not really a colour unless you think of wood looking a bit deeper when it is wet as a colour.
November 2017
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Q. We are in the process of planning my 7 year old daughter’s new bedroom. She loves the colour Resene Scrumptious – so do I, it’s beautiful. What complementary and/or contrasting colours would go well with it? She does love pink, so maybe a paler shade of pink or a creamy white or is that a bit uninspiring?! Her room is south and west facing. The south wall has one window approx. 150cm x 100cm with a green outlook and the west wall is mostly French sliding doors approx. 180cm x 200cm which mostly look out to a garage and some open view. We have also just bought her a wooden desk for Christmas which we are planning on renovating and painting to go with room. We would like to incorporate Resene Scrumptious in the desk, perhaps with another colour possibly leaving the top as bare wood. Do you have any suggestions for this also? A. Resene Scrumptious is a vibrant magenta pink so it carries a purple undertone - and purples like yellows so a creamy white might be considered as long as it has a yellow glow to it. You could check out these options - Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Orchid White. A sharp yellow/green like Resene Fresh and an aqua/green like Resene Niagara look lovely with Resene Scrumptious - they really sizzle together - but another pink may compete too much with Resene Scrumptious. However if your little girl has her heart set on a pink then one of these ones may work - Resene Shocking or Resene Classic Rose. I am not 100% sure about leaving the top of the desk as a bare wood - bare wood is yellow/orange/brown and it does clash a bit with any pinks. Don't forget about painting some 'surprise' colours in unusual places - i.e. the interior walls of the wardrobe (often totally ignored in the decor stakes) or the whole interior of drawers - these are often the places that accents or contrast colours can be hidden so they pop out when least expected. Don't forget drawer handles - they can be changed.
November 2017
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Q. We are in the process of painting our house. We have already purchased Resene Ironsand for the base boards and roof. What lighter colours go well with Resene Ironsand that we can paint the rest of house in? A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Truffle, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Surrender. I’ve given you colours with different undertones so you can decide which direction is of interest to you. All of these colours have lighter and darker options, so the first thing you need to do is determine which type of colour you like, then how dark you want the house to look. Keep in mind that colours outside will look about half a shade lighter once the sun and sheen is in play.
November 2017
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Q. We are recladding a seaside cottage with a Karaka roof. We would prefer greenish options. A. You might like to consider these options: Resene Secrets, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Lemon Grass, Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue or Resene Half Beryl Green. This is a mix of cleaner, yellow greens and colours that have a fair amount of grey undertone to give you a decent spread of options. You need to decide if you want a moodier/grey kind of colour and then how much undertone of green. Please also keep in mind that these colours are available in lighter and deeper versions. A colour palette you might want to look at is the Karen Walker Paints range from Resene. She has some beautiful colours that work really well for coastal properties. All Resene stores carry A4 sizes of each of colours that you can look at before purchasing testpots to sample on your house. Keep in mind that colours will appear about half a shade lighter once outside in the sunlight.
November 2017
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Q. We have built a wee cabin, roofed in FlaxPod. I am looking for a dark oil stain for the exterior, with not too much green undertone. I have thought about Resene Shadow Match or Resene Crowshead. The wood is European Spruce - so denser and whiter than pine. We are also building steps the width of the cabin front - should this be the same colour as the exterior walls? I have done a testpot, but remain unsure. The interior will be Resene Colorwood Whitewash walls and Resene Walk-On Eighth Arrowtown. A. Of those two, I’d probably opt for the Resene Shadow Match because the Resene Crowshead can sometimes look a little green. The Resene Shadow Match will also offer some contrast with the roof. Use the oil based version of our stain and not the water based oil - it will take better to the dense timber.
November 2017
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Q. I'm completely renovating my 1940s/50s bach style house. The new roof colour is New Denim Blue and the windows are Appliance White. I would like the colour of the house to be a blue colour which gives enough contrast to the windows and roof. I've been looking at Resene Awash and Resene Moby but they are quite blue and then tried Resene Bluff and Resene Powder Blue but they are too grey. A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Eskimo, Resene Botticelli, Resene Casper, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Abacus.
November 2017
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Q. I am building a new home, single storey with a 35° pitch roof, plaster type exterior finish with classic stone trim. I have in my mind a Grey Friars roof (wide profile) and Nulook window frames either Ghost Grey Satin or Silver Pearl Satin. The classic stone will be a grey Mountain Shale. I would like advice on a colour for the exterior walls. I thought a 'white' but I don't want a 'bright white' but I also don't want it too grey. A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Merino, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Ash or Resene Athens Grey. I’ve given you four different undertones to these whites, and varying levels of grey tone. You’ll need to decide which type of colour you prefer - is it a warmer colour like the Resene Rice Cake, or something along the grey lines, like the Resene Athens Grey. Colours outside appear about half a shade lighter, so it is essential you sample any colours outside, not solely in store or in your home. These colours are all available in lighter or deeper shades, so if you like an undertone of one the colours but want it a little bit darker, that is available for you.
November 2017
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Q. I have my lounge dining/kitchen and entry all painted in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. I'd love to inject another colour on either the wall behind the television or the entry way area. I don't want too dark a colour as the house is small and I'm afraid of making it look smaller with a dark feature wall. The entry way is quite dark in the mornings but the afternoon and evening has full sunshine throughout. I like greens and my backsplash in kitchen, which is open plan to other rooms is a dark sparkly blue. A. For the entry I would actually find wallpaper and put it on one of those walls. Something that is either textured or white on white with some gloss. That way you get interest when you enter the house but you don’t need to have a bright colour in your face. As for your TV wall, here are some options: Resene Unwind, Resene Vanquish, Resene Tall Poppy, Resene Kamikaze or Resene Zinzan. I have a colour very similar to Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream on my walls at home and have accented with blues and charcoals and it looks fantastic. You can actually get away with almost any colour with your main colour. The easiest thing to do is either decide which colours you really don’t want or take a colour from one of your paintings/prints on the wall.
November 2017
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Q. My garage door colour is Windsor Grey and the paint people are asking for samples which I don't have but I want to paint my garage door. Could you please help so I can get the right colour? A. If you are having your powder coated garage door repainted and want it to be the same colour - Windsor Grey - then all you need to do is let the painters know that a formula to match this colour is at the Resene ColorShop. November 2017
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Q. We have built a 1.8m high, 45 metre long fence. I want to stain it with Resene Waterborne Woodsman. We have a 30 year old two storey house. The bottom storey is painted in Resene Double Napa, the top storey is Oamaru Stone, the roof is Ironsand, the joinery is dark brown, the deck is Resene Double Napa, and the downpipes and garage door are Ironsand. Would you stain the fence Resene Bark or Resene Tiri? A. Resene Woodsman Bark is a warm dark brown and Resene Woodsman Tiri is a grey/black/brown. Either would work but Resene Tiri looks good with your colours and relates visibly as being closer to Ironsand in hue. Have you checked out the Wood product display stand at your nearest Resene ColorShop? They have all the Woodsman stains in a display and seeing the actual colour on wood is often helpful. You could hold up the A4 real painted colour samples from their Colour Library of all your house colours close up to the stain samples to see which one you like best.
November 2017
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Q. I need to paint our house foundation. I'm considering painting it the same grey colour as the roof, trim, and doors. Is that standard, or would a different colour be more complementary? A. It probably is the simplest thing to do - rather than introducing another random colour, which then indicates the base of the house is a 'look at me' feature. If you were seriously keen on using another colour, you might check as to whether there is a half or quarter toned version of the powder coat colour you have on the roof, trims and doors, as that would be a tonally related and a softer and co-ordinated look. November 2017
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Q. We have chosen Gull Grey for our roof and surrounds. We are looking at white - maybe Resene Sea Fog for the house (Linea®) and we need a contrasting colour for the Linea® down boards. We are thinking of a woody look, using a brown grey darker colour. I think we are going with Appliance White joinery. I am not sure what the garage and front door should be, I thought of using Gull Grey? A. I am inclined to agree with you in regard using the same colour Gull Grey on the garage door and front door. It keeps the exterior palette of colours well balanced. I also like your thoughts about the Appliance White joinery - it is a lovely white. You could check out these colours for the Linea® - they are somewhat greyer in tone because a woody look (that you have mentioned) would introduce a lot more brown tones, which might not work as well with the Gull Grey - Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Gauntlet or Resene Half Masala.
November 2017
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Q. I have an orange tile roof with blue aluminium windows and a wooden door. The house was built 20 years ago and has Stucco walls. I want to repaint the house in a light colour. What would you suggest? A. You might check out these colours - Resene Biscotti, Resene Spanish White, Resene Solitaire, Resene Albescent White or Resene Half Fossil. Or quite a different type of colour - Resene Geyser.
November 2017
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Q. I am painting my small 1980s railway cottage. The floors are T & G Beechwood and I'll do a test coat of polyurethane (satin) on a test piece of the flooring. Ideally, I'd like one wall colour throughout, preferably in a cream type colour. Although I am flexible, I don't want greys. Given it’s a small cottage, should all the skirting be the same colour? Can you suggest any colour schemes that I could have a look at? The only given colours are the Beechwood flooring and there is an old dark red/cream ceramic woodstove in the kitchen (5 x 3 metre kitchen). I also have an existing Formica kitchen which is a cream colour, with specks of brown. I'm going to repaint the kitchen unit that sits under the worktop so I am looking for colour ideas for this too. There is one main 'feature' which is an old painted fireplace (currently roof red/rust colour). There is also a concrete 'hearth' in front of the fireplace and that butts up to the Beechwood flooring. Then there's a lounge which is also around 5 x 3 metres, also with the Beechwood floors. There are two bedrooms but they are both very small, each less than 3 x 3 metres. They aren't exactly dark but they are filled with light, so the overall wall colour scheme needs to cater for this too. Would you advise one colour scheme throughout and then add the colour to the rooms with items/cushions etc? Or would you try and vary the colours throughout? A. Using the same colour throughout the interior will give a light, open look to the cottage. The Beechwood has a warm look and the following colours might be checked out to see if they appeal to you. They will work well with the wood and go with the bench, red/cream ceramic wood stove etc but it is all about how you feel about the colour. Try Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Solitaire, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Half Orchid White. I recommend that you use the same colour as the walls (but in semi-gloss enamel such as Resene Lustacryl) for the skirting etc. If you are painting the kitchen cabinet, you could stay with the same colour as the painted skirting. Because of the mix of colours in the Formica this is a good idea - rather than challenging the bench top by introducing another random colour for the cabinet, it is a simple option to consider. Creating an individual look for each of the rooms with colourful accessories and soft furnishings is a good idea, rather than making the walls in the room different. This way, you can alter the accessories etc when you tire of them without repainting all the walls.
November 2017
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Q. My living room is currently painted Resene Golden Glow. I am planning to have a few renovations done and will need to repaint the walls after the GIB® is replaced. While I still like the Resene Golden Glow, sometimes it looks very bright in my living room, which gets a lot of sun, especially in summer. Could you recommend a similar yellow, that’s a more toned-down version of Resene Golden Glow? A. Colours in an interior, can look a lot stronger (almost double their intensity) and very bright rooms that are flooded with sunlight, can definitely make a bright warm colour look much brighter and warmer. These colours may be worth checking out - Resene Buttermilk, Resene Melting Moment, Resene Half Melting Moment or Resene Double Dutch White.
November 2017
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Q. We need to pick a colour for our glass splashback from the Resene range. We really like the look of metallic paint. We have a Rock Grey tap, matching sink, a similar colour end piece and will be installing black overhead pendant lights. The cabinets are Resene Sea Fog and the walls are Resene White Pointer, with the ceiling in Resene Alabaster. A. Apart from indicating that you like metallic paint, you don't mention any colour preferences - i.e. light, dark or a definite colour - so I have included all three types of colour options for you to consider - Resene Silver Aluminium, Resene Meridian, Resene Blast Grey, Resene Deep Space, Resene Dalek or Resene Go Go Go. There are two types of glass used for splashbacks but only one shows the colour behind it absolutely, totally true. It is called Crystal Clear low iron oxide glass. The other - standard float glass - shows the colour behind it, as a dirtier version of the colour because it has a definite mint/green cast to it. This type of glass even makes pure white take on a green look.
November 2017
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Q. What paint colour would you suggest for a small shower room? There is a lot of light entering the area. A. You don't mention what types of colours you favour, or whether you want a colour to co-ordinate with other colours you have in the house. These suggestions are a start point to help you on your way to making a decision. For light to mid toned neutrals – try Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene White Pointer or Resene Double Black White. For more definite colours – try Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Secrets or Resene Always.
November 2017
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Q. I am looking for a colour to be used on the exterior of my villa. The main house, which is two storeys, is Resene Black White. The doors, fence, roof and window trim will be Grey Friars. We are looking for an accent colour to complement the white and grey. We are afraid of the house looking like a marshmallow if it is just white and Grey Friars. A. I don't think it will look like a marshmallow. White and charcoal greys are quite classic and elegant. A lighter soft toned blue/grey might look nice with the deeper steel blue charcoal (Grey Friars) and the white - you could check out these options to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Tuna, Resene Raven, Resene Revolution or Resene Grey Chateau.
November 2017
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Q. The exterior colour of my house is Resene Parchment. I am looking for a colour to paint the base of the house (currently also Resene Parchment but I thought I'd change it to a complementary colour). Also the vertical railings of the deck also currently Resene Parchment need painting. A. I am not sure which type of contrast you want to achieve so the following are some colour suggestions to check out - Resene Eighth Parchment (pale tonal contrast), Resene Triple Parchment (deep tonal contrast) or Resene Arrowtown (deeper tonal contrast). Or more definite colours – Resene Seaweed, Resene Ruck N Maul or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.
November 2017
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Q. Which white would you suggest for ceiling and windows with Resene Black White on the walls? A. I think either of these are good options - Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Black White. The first colour is crisper and cleaner and the second has a soft shadow in it - so not quite as crisp.
November 2017
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Q. We have a biggish room in a converted barn that has only one source of natural light and it only gets sun late in the day. We have decided on a feature wall of Resene Periglacial Blue. We have done the ceiling in a 'straight from the can' white. What colour/shade of white should we do the remaining walls? A. Because of the lack of bright natural light in the room - apart from late in the day - and the beautiful feature wall colour you have chosen being a cooler colour I think you may need to look at using a warm light reflecting white. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if one of them appeals to you - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.
December 2017
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Q. I like Resene Pohutukawa for trims of my house. I have a red roof. Just wondering about the weatherboards, I was thinking of Resene Black White or any other colours you can suggest. I have bronze windows. A. Does the Resene Pohutukawa match the roof colour? Sometimes different types of reds don't like each other so it is important that there be a nice co-ordination when there are very strong colours used on an exterior. Resene Black White is a white that works with just about any other colour. My only concern is that it will make the bronze windows appear deeper and they will pop out as a definite feature colour. Is this ok with you? If this isn't what you want then a slightly warmer neutral might help by disguising the bronze of the windows - you might check out one of these colours to see if either might work in a slightly more harmonious way - Resene House White or Resene White Pointer.
December 2017
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Q. I am looking for a colour to paint our house - the roof will be Karaka green. I was thinking a very light olive colour with white windows. Can you please steer me towards a few colour schemes? A. You might look at these options to see if one of them appeals to you - Resene Quarter Coriander, Resene Aspiring, Resene Thistle, If you use a true white with any of these colours it crisps up the colour scheme making it look really fresh - Resene White
December 2017
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Q. We are building a new house. We want to paint the ceilings and walls the same neutral colour. The kitchen is going to be white with black handles and tapware. The stove and bench tops will also be black. Can you advise us on colours please? In addition to this, we want a bluey grey exterior that will match the Sandstone grey roof and white joinery. A. For your exterior colours you may want to consider these options: Resene Bluff, Resene Bounty, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Iron. Depending on whether you want to have a blue looking house or a grey looking house, there are options for both among those colours. As for the interior, because you want to have the ceilings and walls the same colour, an off white is the best option. When we see colours above us i.e. on a ceiling, the colour actually appears darker, so you might want to consider using a half version of the wall colour which will give you the look of everything being the same. These colours have different undertones, so be sure to view samples of them in store before deciding: Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Concrete. Resene stores keep A4 sizes of each of our colours, so I’d suggest you pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask one of the staff to show you these colours before buying testpots or confirming with your builder. The best thing to do would be to take all your samples into the store at the same time and view everything together.
December 2017
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Q. I am looking for a bathroom colour in blue tones. The trim and ceiling is Resene Black White and the vanity has charred oak panels. Our bedroom has a feature wall in Resene Escape. I quite like Resene Moby but I am open to suggestions. A. Resene Moby is a lovely colour and if you wanted to use a deeper version of Resene Escape, it would definitely relate very well. Alternatively, you might continue with Resene Escape which may look a little deeper than it does in the bedroom, because a smaller room makes colours seem deeper.
December 2017
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Q. I have a railway cottage and I have painted the weatherboards Resene Anemone Green, the corner boards and sills Resene Panzano, and the window frames Resene Spellbound. I started painting the window sashes Resene White Pointer but it is too different, stark and just doesn't look right. I was thinking maybe a charcoal grey or custard colour but I am stuck! A. When choosing a definitely different/random colour to go with the greens and musky deep rose that you have used already, it is really important that it be well balanced and harmonious. It is not enough that you like the colours - they must like each other. If you are into brighter accents, then the yellow option might be considered - perhaps one of these might be considered - Resene Half Colonial White or Resene Triple Pearl Lusta. But a charcoal grey may need to be earthy and warm rather than too cool or dark - perhaps like one of these colours - Resene Gravel or Resene Squall.
December 2017
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Q. We have recently finished building an extension on to our property and had all new Titania coloured joinery to replace the old. We are painting the window surrounds in Titania also, but we are at a crossroads with the weatherboard colour. I want to go black or 'New Denim Blue' but my husband wants a 'light' colour or to stick with the original house colour which is Resene Stonehenge as he is worried the house will look 'gothic'. I have a brand new, bright sunflower yellow front door and a Karaka roof. What colour/s would you recommend painting on our weatherboards? A. I think I am inclined to agree with your husband. Certainly using a lighter colour (compared to the very dark ones you mention) would help by co-ordinating with the rest of the house, and would go some way towards protecting the timber from the extreme heat, that would occur from the sun on the surface of the timber. I really like the bright Sunflower yellow front door and the Karaka roof and the Titania joinery. I think Resene Stonehenge is lovely with these other colours but if you did want a deeper colour, then you might consider using Resene Double Stonehenge or (slightly earthier) Resene Double Friar Grey. I strongly recommend you use the CoolColour™ version of either of these deeper colours, in order to modify the detrimental effects of a darker colour on the exterior weatherboards. Alternatively, had you considered using a paler colour, so that the roof and the door colour were the 'features' that attract the most attention on the house? You might check out Resene Overland - it looks lovely with Titania, Karaka and your gorgeous door.
December 2017
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Q. We have a garden wall painted in Resene High Tide. We'd like advice on colours that will complement three outside jobs: 1. Concrete roof tiles (Roof Colour System) Currently our house is terracotta/orange - it's got to go. A. Have you considered using Resene High Tide on the roof? That way it would tie in with the garden wall colour - the fence would have a 'friend'. Or alternatively, a classical steel blue edged dark charcoal - Resene Grey Friars - might be considered. There isn't a huge selection of concrete stain colours available. Resene Concrete Stain - Deep Grey would be neutral enough to work with either Resene High Tide or Resene Grey Friars and the existing coloured bricks on the house. Composite decking may need to painted a very light colour to stop the longitudinal splits that can appear if a deep colour is applied to it. You mention Resene Walk-on, which is a paving and decking paint - this will make the 'real' look of the timber decking [natural colour/grain etc] disappear. Is this what you are looking to achieve?
December 2017
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Q. We have decided to paint our walls Resene Double Sea Fog, but cannot decide on a ceiling white. We have a vaulted ceiling with beams, and we intend to completely ‘white out’ the ceiling. We would like the walls to ‘pop’ compared with the ceiling, and we are not averse to a stark look to the beams. A. You could check out either of these options - Resene Quarter Alabaster, or 'real white' - Resene White. You would definitely see the colour of the walls in a much more definite way compared to the ceilings using either of these colours.
December 2017
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Q. I would like some suggestions on what colour to paint my front door. The brick veneer has a grey streak through it and I would probably use the same colour on the garage door. I was thinking of maybe grey or black. Also, the fence on top of the garage needs painting. Do I keep it white or go dark? What do you think? The house is a warm beige colour. A. If the grey that is in the bricks is a warm colour the following colours might be possibilities - Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Baltic Sea or slightly deeper tones like these colours - Resene Kilamanjaro or Resene Half Bokara Grey. Or blacker colours - Resene Blackout or Resene Blackjack.
December 2017
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Q. We are painting a Queenslander house with Resene Double Fossil on the weatherboards and Resene Quarter Villa White on the trims. I wanted another colour for the gutters, handrails and gable rolls. A. You might look at these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Double Friar Grey, Resene Tapa, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Flintstone, Resene Seaweed or Resene Coast.
December 2017
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Q. All the walls in my house are Resene Half Joss, all the doors and surrounds are Resene Joss. My couch dominates in black and the furniture is either dark or light woods, with brown carpets. I want to try and pull the colours together and was thinking deep reds and vintage, deep greens. The kitchen is the old pink/orange salmon of 20 years ago, that is not being replaced at present. A. Below are some reds and green for you to try. I’ve also included some darker browns (charcoals) which will modernise too: Resene Port Phillip, Resene Casal, Resene Green Meets Blue, Resene Half Forest Green, or Resene Cab Sav, Resene Spitfire, Resene Volcano, or Resene Kilamanjaro or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.
December 2017
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Q. Our new (old) fibro house is currently a blue/grey with creamy white trim and COLORBOND® gutters/downpipe in what looks like the equivalent of Resene Pioneer Red, and an old red tile roof that is covered in lichen. The gutters etc are in OK condition so I don't want to change their colour if I can get away with it. I am not painting the roof. We have installed white plantation shutters. I want to repaint the trim and the walls. I want to use the CoolColour™ technology paint. The back of the house is untreated/painted/stained rough sawn Western Red cedar. Do you have a product that would liven up old cedar? A. Resene Bokara Grey is a great options for a brown based charcoal, it will definitely be darker than your existing house colour. A few other options for the main colour would be Resene Element, Resene Squall and Resene Ironsand. As for your trim colour, I would just match the white of your new shutters and either use that, or use a darker version. Just ensure that you use the same undertone as the shutters. So if they look like a grey white, use a grey white, such as Resene Triple Sea Fog for instance. If they are a warm white, use a warm white, such as Resene Pearl Lusta etc. The timber at the back of your property could be stained to liven it up and I would use Resene Woodsman Oil Stain for this. You could use a charcoal or warm mid-tone grey for the cedar or choose something warmer, one of our ‘cedar’ looking colours such as Resene Dark Oak or Resene Cedar. Rhink about your spouting and if you’ll ever be painting it. If you end up painting it a dark colour – like the cladding, it could look really nice to have a warmer colour similar to cedar on the back. If the spouting stays as it is now, use a stain like Resene Tiri, Resene Iroko or Resene Banjul to contrast the house and spouting. If you want the house to look the same everywhere you’ll want to use colours such as Resene Shadow Match or Resene Sheer Black. December 2017
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Q. I want to paint my house exterior with new colour. I like greys, neutrals or maybe a bit of both dark and light and have one part feature colour and the rest neutral. A. You don't mention whether the roof is to stay the same colour - which may limit your options - or whether you want a new colour option provided for that as well. The following options includes a roof colour to provide the dark colour in each palette - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey (main) and
December 2017
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Q. Could we please have some advice on paint colours for the exterior of our cedar weatherboard/plasterboard home? We want to paint the cedar a darker colour and have a nice contrasting light colour for the plasterboard. We've been told about the risks of painting cedar dark and have opted for a something lighter than we had originally wanted. We quite like Resene Half Masala or Resene Quarter Masala; we prefer half but also open to suggestions. What light colour will go well with this? Our house has a lot of imperfections so we'd like a colour/s that will help hide these as much as possible. Our roof will be painted in Resene Grey Friars and we have brown/slightly bronze glazing. A. The Resene Masala family is a great mix of brown and grey and will definitely work with your existing features such as window joinery and your creamier bricks. As for your lighter colour, here are some options to consider: Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. Each of these colours has different undertones which I’ve done so you can easily work out which direction you prefer to head in. All of these colours can either be made lighter or darker too, so if you like the type of colour it is but want it darker or lighter that is a possibility. I suggest you head into your local Resene ColorShop and ask one of the staff to show you A4 samples of each of these colours before grabbing your favourite two to test at home using Resene testpots. While viewing the colours be sure to see Resene Grey Friars and Resene Half Masala samples so you get an idea of how the whole scheme will look. December 2017
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Q. We are currently building. Our cladding and roof is COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. Please give me an idea of what colour we could use on the soffits of the house that would be a light contrast to the dark FlaxPod. A. With such a lot of deep colour on the house it is wise to consider a contrast that isn't too stark and optic. Usually a white (often Resene White) is used on the soffits but I feel that one of these light coloured off whites may be better to use - Resene House White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Double Black White.
December 2017
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Q. We need some help deciding on exterior paint colours. We purchased Resene Gauntlet for the stone base colour and Resene Eighth Friar Grey for the house, Resene White for windows and eaves, and Resene Black for the trim on the window sills. The house has just been re-roofed in Grey Friars and will have white spouting. We are now thinking the stone base should be a lot darker? And are unsure if the eaves should be white or the house colour (Resene Eighth Friar Grey)? A. There’s a reasonable amount of different between the Resene Gauntlet and Resene Eighth Friar Grey and they are both warm hues that like each other so I wouldn't worry about using a darker colour on the stone base. If you did my main worry would be that the house would look layered - each time a deeper horizontal colour is added the overall look makes the house appear squat. The house appears to be sandwiched between the base, the main and the roof colours like a licorice allsort. I like the idea of lots of real white (on the windows and eaves, the barge boards and fascias around the roof line) as it helps to define the features and makes each other colour (roof/main and base) appear more definite and then those colours are visibly enhanced. Are you really keen on using a true black on the window sills? The reason I ask about that is real black will be a lot harder and more optic than your other deeper colour - Resene Grey Friars - on the roof. Had you considered using a blacker version of Resene Grey Friars so the roof colour has a ‘friend’ to relate to? Perhaps you might look at Resene Double Cod Grey to use as your black.
December 2017
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Q. Could you please suggest a white colour for our traditional style kitchen with Shaker cabinets? Our benchtop is pure white Caesarstone® and our walls are Resene Buttery White. Our floors are matai and we have lots of natural light. A. You probably need a white that sits neatly between the benchtop colour and the wall colour. You might look at the following colours to see if any of them suit - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster.
December 2017
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Q. We have shifted to a new modernish house, which is multi-levelled. We are currently looking at new paint colours for the interiors to neutralise a terrible mix of yellow, lavender, turquoise and blue and terracotta. We have been recommended Resene White Pointer (I was keen on Resene Black White but was told it would be a bit clinical all through the house) - however I feel that Resene White Pointer is too ‘beige’ whereas I need more of a soft grey with a slight earthy undertone perhaps. The kitchen is going to be white with a soft grey stone benchtop and house has light charcoal (brownish) carpet and beigey tiles with grey flecks and charcoal grey grouting, grey aluminium joinery, so ideally wanting something that is a very soft happy medium between beige and grey. A. You may need to carefully test several colours to see how they respond to the rooms and all the many colours you have in the house. You might check out these neutrals - they are all kinds of grey, beige and taupe so perhaps one may be just perfect for you - Resene House White, Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Whiteout or Resene Half Cloud. In an interior all colours can appear twice the depth that you might imagine they will be. Taking the time to paint up large samples and moving them from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how they respond to changing natural and artificial light is the best way to see what may work for you.
December 2017
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Q. I have a house with quite variable orange-brown-yellow bricks. I am thinking of an Ironsand roof and spouting. Would you tend more towards off white Titania joinery or Ironsand window joinery? What Resene colour would you pair with each for fascia, boards and soffits? A. Some of the bricks have a warm burnt oxide colour through them which adds to the overall multi-coloured shading. I am inclined to think that using the same colour for the joinery as the roof might be the easy option. It will be similar but darker colour wise to what is already on the window colour, which appears to be a bronze aluminium. Some colour options for the woodwork above the windows might be a lighter version of the roof colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand. The fascia boards and soffits might need to be paler neutral - Resene Half Sandstone. If you were to change to a lighter more neutral window joinery colour then Resene Titania may be a better choice than a definite white, which may look very optically challenging against the deep tones of the bricks. So then the following colours may work well if you did use Titania for the joinery as they link in the light joinery and add a mid-tone between that and the Ironsand for the woodwork - Resene Friar Grey for the woodwork above the windows and Resene Titania for the fascia boards and under soffits.
December 2017
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Q. I am planning a weatherboard home and am keen on either, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or Resene Zumthor for the weatherboards. The window trims are Resene Double Alabaster. What do you suggest for the COLORSTEEL® roof? I am considering New Denim Blue and which aluminium white joinery would work? I am considering Appliance White. A. I am inclined to agree with you - Appliance White is a good white for joinery and would work well with either of the soft watery colours, you are considering using. The roof could be New Denim Blue or slightly deeper – COLORSTEEL® Indigo Blue - either would work.
December 2017
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Q. I have been advised by our painter, that these colours would work on a 1960s weatherboard house. Interior walls and skirting – Resene Quarter Truffle, ceilings, windows, door jams, doors – Resene Half Sea Fog, exterior walls, gable, soffits – Resene Truffle and roof, fascia, guttering, base and door – Resene Ironsand. Would this look attractive to a potential buyer? A. It is a very nice colour combination for the interior - and apart from recommending Resene Half Sea Fog be used for under the soffits on the exterior (because this is traditionally much whiter than the main house colour) I do think that the colours would appeal to a large amount of potential buyers.
December 2017
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Q. In our courtyard, the walls are Resene Drought, with panels in between of COLORSTEEL® Karaka. The area is paved in grey. The garden has green plantings with white iceberg roses. What colour would you suggest for contrast touches (pots etc) as I would like a ‘wow’ colour? A. Perhaps one of these might be the 'wow' colour to add some nice contrast - Resene Pukeko, Resene Scrumptious, Resene Resolution Blue, Resene Avocado, or Resene White – yes it can look stunning and enhances all other colours.
December 2017
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Q. I am having Alabaster shutters installed, with Resene Alabaster window trim. I have black carpet and high pitched, stained pine ceiling beams. What colour would you recommend for the walls? I was thinking of Resene Half Inside Back or another soft and warm, white based colour. My bedding colour is Royal Blue, as this is a beach house. A. If you like Resene Half Inside Back (a soft moody grey green) you might check out these other colours, to see if they appeal to you - Resene Emerge, Resene Longitude, Resene Half Eskimo, Resene Harp or Resene Haven.
December 2017
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Q. I am doing up an apartment. For the kitchen/living and bedroom, I have chosen Resene Merino with Resene Alabaster trim. In the laundry and bathrooms, there are no windows. I want them to be a bit whiter. I was thinking either Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White with Resene Alabaster trim. Which do you think would look best with the Resene Merino in the other areas? A. Resene Black White or Resene Sea Fog may pick up a little grey undertone, in rooms where there are no windows. If you lighten both Resene Merino and Resene Alabaster to half versions, you may find they look lighter/brighter in these rooms - have you considered doing that? Try Resene Half Merino and Resene Half Alabaster.
December 2017
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Q. We have just bought an 1890s cottage, which is painted Resene Double Fossil on the exterior with Resene Black White trims and Resene Indian Ink on the accents, fretwork and front door. Can you suggest a good, dark roof colour and also a red for the door that will go with the Resene Indian Ink accent and exterior colour? A. A dark roof colour might be one of these colours - Resene High Tide, Resene All Black or Resene Karaka. The following are some lovely reds for you to check out - Resene Trouble, Resene Pohutukawa or Resene Jalapeno. If you want the red front door to pop out in an amazing way, then might I suggest you use the slickest, most shiny enamel gloss (Resene Super Glossenamel) to emphasise the lusciousness of the colour?
December 2017
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Q. I have read this Resene Habitat magazine article, 'The right white' and I have learnt about the difference between two main types, warm and cold whites. I would like your assistance, to better understand more detail within the main type of ‘cold white’: 1. What is the difference between greyish white and blueish white? When would one use them? What sort of mood or style? 2. Does blackish white belong to warm or cold? When would this colour be recommended for use? A. Because colour is part of the light spectrum, any change of light alters how you see colour. And any colours seen close to a colour alter how it is seen again. So colour is totally quixotic and a chameleon and doesn't play by the rules of what we might understand to be logic. Any white that has a blue undertone, would appear cooler than some greyish whites - i.e. Resene Quarter Iron looks bluish. A greyish white might have subtle undertones of umber in it i.e. Resene Sea Fog to grey it, but umber colourant doesn't make it look cool - just creates a muted grey shadow. Other whites may appear cooler by comparison (and all colours must be compared otherwise you have nothing to judge them against) and in order to 'see' the unique undertones they must be compared to pure white. A cool (or blue toned) white might be used in a space that gets unrelieved bright sunlight - a space that always feels slightly too warm - and because each aspect (N/S/E/W) has a different type of natural light the space that gets unrelieved bright hot light could be the West facing room. A blackish white may be either warm or cool. Because most whites that are coloured, use more than just one colourant to make it take on a coloured look. A white may have combination of black and yellow ochre in it. This may make it take on a very, very subtle greenish undertone - i.e. Resene Half Barely There. Everyone looking at a colour sees it according to how their individual eye/brain picks up on the colour. What is warm to one person may appear cool to another. The best way to 'see' the colours within a white, is to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 coloured samples in their Colour Library and to compare them with each other and against a pure white - I recommend that you use a sheet of white printer paper as the pure white - then your eyes would judge what appeared cooler and what appeared warmer.
December 2017
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Q. We have a cottage that we are repainting. Currently it is something like Resene Half Pearl Lusta and an off white on the trim/windows. A friend suggested Resene Sea Fog and Resene Black White for the trim. Do you have any other colour combo suggestions? I quite like Resene Half Tapa, Resene Half Truffle and Resene Half Ash. I am aiming for a warm grey, with not too much contrast with weatherboards and trims - similar to current contrast. A. Some of the colours that you have mentioned are green or taupe based greys. They are warmer than blue based greys. Other warm very pale greys that you might check out are these ones - the bracketed white is for the trims: Resene Triple Black White (Resene Black White), Resene Barely There (Resene Alabaster), Resene House White (Resene Half Black White) or Resene Athens Grey (Resene Quarter Wan White). December 2017
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Q. We have a house being planned, some 4km from the coast. It is a total blank canvas. I really love the style of French Breton houses, with their slate tiled roof and white walls with some pale natural wood. The house will have both gable and hip roof line. The roof will be composed of metal tiles. Which of the colours from the COLORSTEEL® palette, is closest to the favoured slate colour. I thought New Denim Blue but having seen it in full sunlight it looks quite blue, which I don't dislike but it is important to get colours that complement, so will white be too stark? The house front faces North West. The window frames will be white UPVC but I do have an option to colour coat them. I also have a bay window to the front, so cladding the gable with the wood is not possible. Maybe this will have to be limited to the front door? Or could some of the other construction elements use this? Exterior walls will be rendered with a fine but not smooth textured finish. I want the house to look different to others on the subdivision, many being shades of grey, but not for it stand out overmuch, as the vendors have many covenants about fencing and decorative elements in gardens. A. You might consider using Grey Friars for the roof, if you feel New Denim Blue is too blue. I do have to warn you though that Grey Friars can also look a little blue in certain lights/angles of roof but because it is blacker to begin with, it is not as definite a blue statement. You may find the metal tile colour options is a little more constrained choice wise, than standard COLORSTEEL® roofing iron. I really like the traditional factor of using real white window joinery - it adds a nice crisp contrast and does work well with most anything. The secret to not ending up with a look that is fearfully stark, is to shade up the white that you use for the main body of the house - perhaps you might look at one of these colours - Resene House White, Resene Barely There, Resene Double Black White, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Athens Grey. The north/west aspect of the front of the house will make you see your colours in a unique way - each aspect (N/S/E/W) makes colours take on a different look. I do recommend that you paint up very large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with your testpots (two coats) and move the sample around each facade of the house, so you can see this happening so there will be no surprises when it is too late to make adjustments. If a door provides you with the only option to add a little colour, are you able to use mock shutters on the exterior to extend the possibility of adding colour?
December 2017
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Q. I plan to put a new black kitchen in place. Would Resene Half Merino be a good choice of wall colour to match? A. If you are keen on using a warmed white to lift, lighten and balance the room, with all the black in the kitchen then, yes it is a good choice.
December 2017
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Q. I want to do one wall in my bathroom Resene Half Fuscous Grey. What is a warm white that would go with it? Would Resene Wan White go with it? The bathroom is on the south side and quite dark. A. Resene Wan White could work for you but you might also look at slightly warmer/brighter whites like one of these - Resene Sea Fog, or Resene Half Merino.
December 2017
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Q. I am trying to find a nice, neutral tone for my home. I like off whites but need some help please. A. There are a huge amount of possible options for you to choose from. You could start by checking out these `off whites' to see if they appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Barely There, Resene Eighth Tea or Resene Half Albescent White.
December 2017
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Q. I’m looking for a grey for our bedroom that doesn’t have a blue tone to it - wanting it to look neutral. I’m thinking two walls grey and two walls Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White. A. You don't mention whether you want a light, mid or deep toned grey so the ones I have suggested do have deeper and much lighter variants so you can check them out as well – Resene Half Delta, Resene Quarter Tapa, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Grey or Resene Quarter Stonehenge.
December 2017
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Q. We are doing a new build. It is a one level home with high stud ceilings in the open lounge/dining/kitchen and master bedroom. The rest of the home has the regular ceiling height. I have chosen a high gloss kitchen cabinet colour of Resene Half Black White as it is themed with a large black granite island bench. Could you advise me if the Resene Half Alabaster walls and ceilings with Resene Half Black White doors and jambs would look effective? A. The white on white look is very popular. I think your colour choices are lovely. Resene Half Black White on the doors and door frames will provide a very subtle toned difference to Resene Half Alabaster on the walls. Some people with less discerning eyesight may not notice any difference at all. If the doors and door frames are painted in a shinier type of paint compared to a matt or low sheen wall paint that would help.
December 2017
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Q. I am looking to paint our 1910 villa. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Karaka. The current colour is lightish mint green with dark green windows. I am struggling to know what colour to paint the house, windows, trims and so on that will freshen up the look and make it more contemporary. A. You might check out these contemporary colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple Sea Fog (main house colour), Resene Half Sea Fog (windows) and Resene Dune (trims), or Resene Triple White Pointer (main house colour), Resene Quarter White Pointer (windows) and Resene Greige (trims), or Resene Double Rice Cake (main house colour), Resene Quarter Rice Cake (windows) and Resene Double Ash (trims). You might also consider choosing a favourite colour to make a feature of the front entry door as this adds that personalised 'wow' factor.
December 2017
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Q. Our roof and front door will be Grey Friars. The windows are white. I'm looking for a mushroom colour for the weatherboards. Can you recommend a paint colour to go with the roof etc? A. You might check out these colours to see if one of them appeals to you – Resene Cloud, Resene Half Perfect Taupe, Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Pale Slate.
December 2017
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Q. We're painting our small, moderately lit bathroom. We would like to change the wall colour from what is currently, a sage green to a warm grey. Can you please advise which greys would best complement the varnished wooden trim and a Resene Pearl Lusta ceiling? The rest of our house is painted Resene Bianca and Resene Half Bianca. A. Both the varnished wood and the yellow/cream Resene Pearl Lusta are strong but natural colours - the sage green was well balanced against them and a warm grey is a more difficult colour to use. The following warm toned greys may be worth checking out to see if they appeal to you and - most importantly - if they work with the wood and the ceiling colour. The overall effect will be heavier in mood and darker than when you had the sage green so you may have to adjust the quality of artificial lighting you have – Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Transmission or Resene Half Jumbo. You may also need to repaint the ceiling to a much lighter colour like Resene Half Bianca if the bathroom appears to be too dim or oppressive because of the grey walls.
December 2017
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Q. We are currently planning a large scale renovation of a Queenslander and I wanted to check if my proposed colour choices work together. Exterior: weatherboards in Resene Athens Grey, windows and balustrading in Resene Alabaster, front door and various trims in Resene Black and COLORBOND® roof - not sure what colour yet. I'm having problems with the interior. I was initially leaning towards Resene Eighth Ash for the VJ walls, with Resene Alabaster trims, doors and ceilings. However, I wonder if Resene Black Haze may be a better option for the VJs? I'm considering having a charcoal kitchen island in either Resene Zeus or Resene Tuna, with Resene Alabaster cabinetry and a marble bench top. A. If you wanted a very dark COLORBOND® roof you might use Monument. If you wanted a softer earthier colour you might use Woodland Grey. For the interior if you wanted a subtle warm green undertone then Resene Eighth Ash used with Resene Alabaster and Resene Zeus. Resene Zeus has a warm olive green undertone in the charcoal. Resene Black Haze is slightly cooler (in comparison to Resene Eighth Ash) and looks lovely with Resene Alabaster and the cooler blue edged charcoal - Resene Tuna. You could choose between slightly warmer with a green edge or slightly cooler with a blue edge in the interior.
December 2017
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