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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 11

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.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 11

Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.


Q. We are repainting our roof and house, including the trellis and stairway. We would appreciate any advice on possible colour combinations that would work. We were thinking of a grey/charcoal roof, but are open to any suggestions.

A. Because of the bronze window joinery I would recommend that you try to annexe that type of deep earthy tone instead of a silvery or blue toned charcoal for the roof so the windows aren't isolated from the scheme palette.

You might look at these options for the roof - Resene Ironsand or Resene Squall.

You could investigate the following light and deeper colours for the house and the trellis/balustrades and stairway:
Resene Half Taupe Grey and Resene Double Stonehenge or Resene Ash or Resene Quarter Lignite or Resene Triple Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Lignite or Resene Triple Sea Fog and Resene Pravda. Other combinations using these colours may create other palette options for you to consider.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
November 2013

Q. We have a little 1890s villa with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof and are looking at colours for the outside. We have a large Pohutukawa tree so I was wanting to take inspiration from the leaf colour for the under-sill colour, and go with perhaps Resene Quarter or Half Grey Olive for the weatherboards and Resene Quarter Villa White for the window surrounds and balcony etc.

A. The leaf colour of the Pohutukawa changes seasonally and may be hard to define exactly. I love the other colours you are considering but please do remember that colours often look lighter than you expect outside so a half tint instead of a quarter tint may give you the right amount of contrast and balance. A green trim will steal the green out of the Resene Grey Olive and make you see it in as a ochre/beige neutral - is this what you want to do?

You might investigate using one of these for the sill colour - Resene Bach, Resene Port Phillip or a darker/richer tone - Resene Forest Green.

COLORSTEEL Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Bach
Resene Bach
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Forest Green
Resene Forest Green
 
November 2013

Q. Our kitchen cabinets will be Resene Double Alabaster and the benchtops will be Caesarstone organic white. What colour would you recommend for the walls and for the various doors and architraves in the area? We would like a fairly light look without too much contrast. The glass splashack is grey and the window frame is black aluminium.

A. Perhaps you could investigate using the same colour on both walls and doors and architraves - a matt or low sheen for the walls and a semi-gloss for the painted woodwork. This will draw attention onto the kitchen benchtops and cabinets and minimise the rest of the room. I suggest looking at these colours – Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Half Concrete or Resene Merino.

These options are quite different from each other but you may not recognise this if you view them on a computer. If you pop into a Resene ColorShop and look at the large A4 samples in the Colour Library and place a sheet of printer paper between them you will be better able to see the subtle underlying undertones because of the contrast with the white printer paper.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
November 2013

Q. We are looking for a light and airy neutral with some warmth and character to it. It needs to be versatile so we can change our accent colours and decor etc as our family grows up. Any suggestions?

A. You have literally hundreds of options to choose from - and light/airy neutral as a description opens up another quandary - generally it is the diametrically opposite description of warmth and character. Some colours you might like to try are Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Or some warm/characterful neutrals - Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Quarter Akaroa or Resene Albescent White.

Perhaps 'warmth and character' might be the additional colours of flooring, soft furnishings, curtains or blinds that you layer into the colour palette after choosing a light airy neutral that is appealing to you for your space and light and is really versatile enough to allow you your choice of accent colours.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
November 2013

Q. Our last house was clinker brick and we painted over it in Resene Double Craigieburn and it looked good but for this house I am still struggling to decide how and what colour to paint it. It is 70s split level, green split stone brick, but with fibrolite on the side and back of the upper level, and it has a concrete block basement. I have tried dozens of testpots and tried matching in with the brick - the best one was Resene Lemon Grass, but it just doesn't work somehow.

A. If you favour earthy darker tones then these may be inspirational - Resene Quarter Evolution (brick and fibrolite), Resene Half Ash (basement and concrete retaining walls) and Resene Masala (garage doors). Or alternatively, softer earth tones - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Sea Fog and Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey Resene Quarter Taupe Grey Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
   
November 2013

Q. I am chasing a warm beige/grey to repaint my living areas. My home has a traditional feel to it, with off-white skirtings, windowsills, fireplace mantle, window seat and cabinetry. I would like a darkish colour to contrast with the off-white.

A. Warm beige/grey (sometimes referred to as 'greige') can be a little too grey or a little too brown dependent upon the light - natural and artificial - and the spatial aspect of the room, the colour of flooring and what type of off-white (grey, pink, yellow, brown etc) you have already. You might like to investigate these colours to see if they work for you - Resene Cloudy, Resene Cougar, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Half Perfect Taupe.

Only by comparing these colours with each other will you be able to ascertain what underlying tints and tones they have within them. Trial them carefully and watch what the changing qualities of light do to them.

Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
November 2013

Q. What colour would you suggest I paint my bathroom vanity doors and cabinet? The floor is Calcutta marble porcelain tiles, the walls are white tiles and the vanity top is a carrara quartz. I am looking at browny greys.

A. The really distinct quality of the Calcutta Marble floor tiles tends to relate well to certain colours better than others. Some browny/greys look a tiny bit dense and dirty. You might like to try Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Half Cloudy, Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Half Cloud. They come also as slightly deeper versions if you feel they aren't quite definite enough.

Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
November 2013

Q. We are looking for exterior colour ideas for our home which has terracotta Spanish style roof tiles and cream/beige powdercoated joinery and garage door.

A. With the terracotta Spanish style roof tiles and the cream/beige powdercoated garage door and window joinery you have slightly less 'free choice' but you might like to try Resene Drought, Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Double Tea, Resene Double Sisal or Resene Half Cougar.

Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
November 2013

Q. We are building a new home, and trying to decide on bedroom colours for our baby boy's room which is on the south side of the house and rather dark. The carpet is a medium brown colour with metallic silver blinds.

A. South facing rooms aren't known for their soft, sweet warm aspect and as you note this room in your new house is a bit dark also. Might I suggest that you look at light but warm neutrals and 'zoosh' things up with touches of bold colour to build up the general ambiance. You could try Resene Bianca, Resene Orchid White and Resene Eighth Drought for your neutral colour.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
November 2013

Q. We have an open plan living/dining and kitchen area which has just been painted Resene Quarter Akaroa. Our kitchen is white and I am trying to choose a colour for a long glass splashback. I am drawn to colours like Resene Powder Blue, Resene Coastal Blue and Resene Periglacial Blue. Do you think that these would work? Which one do you think is the most compatible? I don't want something too bright but just a bit of colour as everything else is neutral.

A. The colours you are considering are very nice - and with the exception of Resene Coastal Blue the others come as lighter versions also. Some other options you might like to consider are Resene Casper, Resene Bounty or Resene Longitude.

A word to the wise - there are two types of glass used as splashbacks - the low iron oxide crystal clear glass shows the colour behind absolutely 'true' whereas the standard float glass makes colour look greenish or dirty.

Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Coastal Blu
Resene Coastal Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene Bounty
Resene Bounty
Resene Longitude
Resene Longitude
 
November 2013

Q. We have a query re colour combination for barge board/guttering eaves etc. We're rebuilding our 1950s brick and tile. All windows will be replaced with matte black aluminium, and the extension and new detail will be clad in Resene Pitch Black vertical cedar. We're chosen Resene Baltic Sea to paint the bottom half of the house as it contrasts well with the pointing on the brick (which is being retained over the front half of house). Given windows will be framed black, we think the vertical timber between the top of windows and eave needs to be dark - would we use Resene Baltic Sea here as we have for bottom half of house? Guttering is new PVC so question is what would be most common approach to eave/barge board/guttering.

A. You say 'new PVC guttering' and at this point I may have to be a bit of a spoilsport - are you aware that the recommendation for PVC guttering is that it not be painted a dark colour?

This is because of heat attracted to the (dark painted) PVC which causes extreme stress movement of the dark colour and the guttering expands actively and pops open at each joiner - and thereby creating waterfalls each time it rains. You can't glue the joiners and guttering together because it needs to be able to expand and not twist and break open due to movement being denied because of (glue) rigidity.

Is it possible to have matt black powder coated guttering? or galvanised guttering that can be painted a dark colour? or real copper guttering? or PVC in a metallic finish (one of the three colours is a copper)? - this could look good and relate to the colours in the bricks.

In regard the horizontal bond beam around the top of the bricks before the eaves - yes by all means use the Resene Baltic Sea the same as the base/lower storey of the house - it needs to feature on the upper level and this is appropriate being close to the new matt black window joinery.

Eaves (also known as under soffits) are generally painted a light colour. This helps with light being reflected into the rooms. PVC guttering and the guttering fascia boards are often the same lighter colour - so at this point I think you may need to rethink the guttering issue in order to proceed.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
November 2013

Q. We have re-lined our pool and think the terracotta tiles don't look good with the new pool colour. We are thinking about painting them but need some advice as to what colour would look good.

A. I am feeling a bit hesitant in regard to the idea of painting the tiles - there is no tried and true recommendations for normal decorative paint on tiles next to chlorinated water. From a purely colour point of view terracotta (any form of deeper orange) has been used extensively with blues throughout the Mediterranean areas for centuries so they do work well together. If you were able to successfully paint the tiles I would probably recommend a similar but deeper blue to what you have on the pool lining now. Any other colour change could be simpler to achieve with new tiling.


Q. I have just purchased a villa with mostly kauri (some rimu) ceilings, floors, doors and architraves. I find all the timber a bit much, but have been told it I take a paintbrush to them I will end up in jail! The hall is very long with no natural light and currently a mid yellow but is looks very dull and boring. Can you suggest a white to brighten it up or maybe it needs a more intense yellow?

A. Wood everywhere can be oppressive and dark. Sometimes you have to make the call to paint some wood so that the remaining wood looks 'special' and gorgeous. Is it a possibility for you to paint just the ceilings? Lighter ceilings do lighten and brighten older houses a lot. In the meantime let me address your 'white' thought - yes it will lighten the walls but may make the woodwork look darker by comparison. I think if you do the 'white' down the hallway on the walls and ceilings to lighten the dim space I would also address the lighting itself - perhaps more lights bulbs or better types of light - LED perhaps if you have only incandescent bulbs - it may be lighter especially at night. Some 'white' suggestions for you to consider with a bit of yellow within them to brighten as much as possible – Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Dutch White or Resene Villa White.

And about the other idea you had - more intense yellow - this would work by overpowering the wood and relegating it to second place in the house. I have seen this done really well but the yellow has been very strong - are you brave? If you are then try Resene Spotlight or Resene Wild Thing.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Spotlight
Resene Spotlight
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
November 2013

Q. I have a dated 1970s Neil home. I am looking at getting it painted this year, but am stuck for colour options. The new roof and trim is Denim Blue, and the rest of it is an off-white. The modern interior of the house in Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Tea shades.

A. All the Denim Blue trim around the high base of the house and the 'eyebrows' above the windows tend to make the house squat and somewhat sandwiched. You could paint the base of the house and the weatherboards the same colour - or even two tones of the same colour to make the house appear taller and less ‘horizontal'? Colours you might like to try are Resene Tea (with the house base in Resene Napa or Resene Double Tea), Resene White Pointer (with the house base in Resene Triple White Pointer) or Resene Half Thorndon Cream (with the house base in Resene Double Thorndon Cream).

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
 
November 2013

Q. I have a Spanish Mission House which I wish to repaint. What colours would work well?

A. If you look at a three colour palette - mid tone being the house and palest being all the trim that is green now you might use some dark (black) on doors, shutters and possibly some other detailing. Try Resene Triple Sea Fog (mid tone) with Resene Black White (palest) and Resene Bokara Grey (warm 'black'). Or Resene Half Truffle (mid/light tone), Resene Quarter Merino (palest) and Resene Double Cod Grey (hard/charcoal black).

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
November 2013

Q. We have used Resene Fish N Chips as the main wall colour in lounge/kitchen area which goes nicely with our big bay windows and Rimu timber work. We have one feature wall in the lounge that is orange at the moment but we are keen for a change. What colours would you recommend for the feature wall? My thoughts were Resene Waratah. Our house has a warm feel because of the colours and decor and we would like to keep that.

A. If you like blues you may also like Resene Wavelength. A warmer blue with a little yellow/green in it that sits nicely with Rimu is Resene Sabbatical. There may be other things in the lounge - curtains, carpet, upholstered furniture that may influence how you see the colours and at the end of the day this will have a role in what you choose to have as a feature wall with the Resene Fixh N Chips. Trial the colours carefully and check them out in all types of light - day and night - to see what makes you happy.

Resene Fish N Chips
Resene Fish N Chips
Resene Waratah
Resene Waratah
Resene Wavelength
Resene Wavelength
Resene Sabbatical
Resene Sabbatical
November 2013

Q. I'm thinking to paint all our kitchen in Resene Buttery White with a red splashback. However, all the cabinets are a strong beige colour. I wonder if the cabinet colour is going to clash with my chosen colours.

A. You are right however in your thought that Resene Buttery White may look wrong with strong beige as it is quite yellow and may make the cabinets look dirty or browner. The red splashback isn't a problem however.

I suggest that you look at another 'white' that does work with the strong beige - perhaps you might look at lighter/whiter colours like Resene Bianca, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Half Orchid White.

Resene Buttery White
Resene Buttery White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
November 2013

Q. What colours go well on a garage door when the house is an orange brick colour? Attached to the house is a medium size white picket fence. The two garage doors are the most visible thing from the road.

A. Greys - mid toned rather than too heavy/dark - and some blue/greys look great with orange brick colours - perhaps have a look at these options first – Resene Half Chicago, Resene Half Baltic Sea and Resene Half New Denim Blue. And if you feel you would like a bit more colour then you might look at these complex green/greys that have a tiny bit of almost blue hiding in them as well - Resene Innocence and Resene Imprint.

Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Imprint
Resene Imprint
November 2013

Q. Have painted my house Resene Napa. It looks good with the white aluminium joinery. Can you suggest a colour for the base of the house?

A. The best advice I can offer you is to not go too light (when hosing any garden close to the house it splatters mud which makes it grubby) or too dark (for the same reason). If you have Resene Napa then using that on the base would be good as it could make the house seem taller as it adds more depth between the ground and roof line. If that doesn't appeal then these colours may be good as well - Resene Pravda (deep but not too brown), Resene Half Napa or Resene Tea.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
November 2013

Q. I am searching for an exterior colour that I have seen on a house in my neighbourhood. The homeowner couldn't remember the name of the colour, however she knew it was from Resene. It is a lovely soft grey with a slight green hue. I have tried Resene Ash, but my husband thinks it is too green. Can you suggest possible alternatives?

A. Colour looks so very different in all situations, so it can be hard to match without a sample. You might like to try Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Moon Mist and Resene Pumice. Please don't trial the testpot directly onto a coloured wall (unless it is pure white) as your judgement of the colour may be altered by the existing colour influencing your eye. Once you have tried some other colours you could trial Resene Ash again to see if it might work after your husband looks at the other colours - it may look quite different! Colours are mischievous that way!

Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
November 2013

Q. I am renovating a very small 1910 cottage. My idea is to have it a little funky (and fun) when it is finished. Interior - I would like it to have white painted floors and walls throughout. I would like funky yellow pops along with a very small pop of red in the kitchen, green and pink pops in one bedroom. Dark grey pops in a mostly white bathroom with a pop of colour in hand towels. Exterior - dark grey, white window surrounds with red doors. I am undecided about which whites to use for inside and which yellow, red, grey, green and pink to use so that I end up with the colours looking ok together and also that there is some continuity. My exterior question is which red is the best for doors, to go with the dark grey? I have good light throughout, but the kitchen where I would like some yellow, is very bright.

A. Colour and how we feel about it is a uniquely personal thing - what I might love you could hate.

But let us start - there are 100's of 'whites' and you may need to ascertain whether you want a cooler 'white' such as Resene Quarter Black White or a warmer 'white' such as Resene Quarter Rice Cake. These colours will respond quite differently depending upon light - natural and artificial - and what is used with them. You need to check this out first before finding the 'pops' of colour.

There are hundreds of yellows - they are often a bit problematical as they develop huge brightness - you may use it where you want to - the kitchen which you say is very bright - but you may find it sits better somewhere else where it is a bit dimmer and the yellow lights up the space. You could try Resene Hive or Resene Wild Thing. There are also many reds to choose from but you might like to try Resene Code Red or Resene Smashing.

For the pinks and green in the bedroom, you could opt for softer tones for sleep such as Resene Paper Doll and Resene Serenity or go bold and energetic with Resene Desire and Resene Mother Earth. For dark greys, popular options are Resene Foundry and Resene Fuscous Grey.

You need to choose by engaging your eye and heart - you will know what makes you happy - but these colours may start you off.

Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Hive
Resene Hive
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Code Red
Resene Code Red
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Paper Doll
Resene Paper Doll
Resene Serenity
Resene Serenity
Resene Desire
Resene Desire
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Mother Earth
Resene Mother Earth
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
November 2013

Q. Would like help with exterior paint colours for the block base of house, top storey of house, wooden joinery (variation of white), garage door colour, roof colour (dark) fences and front door colour. We could either leave the reddish brick and just paint the (currently cream) plaster and (currently green) vertical weatherboards to match the brick and leave it unpainted, or paint the entire top and bottom, red bricks included.

A. With a huge base on the house, it almost makes the upper storey bricks look skinny by comparison, doesn't it? This is probably one of the few times I do suggest you consider painting the bricks and basement the same colour. If you did do that - and it is a definite change from what you have now - then I would paint the windows, under soffits, barge boards, vertical weatherboards all the same 'white', the house a light to mid tone colour and the roof and garage the deeper colour and perhaps the front door a pop of colour. This is a 'for instance' to illustrate the gradations of hues to get you started: Main colour Resene Quarter Pravda (or could be lighter Resene Eighth Pravda) with Resene Rice Cake (or lighter Resene Half Rice Cake) for the 'white' colour and Resene Masala for the deeper colour. Or try Resene Half Taupe Grey for the main colour, Resene Quarter Wheatfield for the 'white' colour and Resene Innocence for the deeper colour.

Which just leaves the front door - which might be the colour that you have always yearned for in your heart - follow that thought!

Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice CakeResene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
November 2013

Q. I am wanting to paint the facings and trim of my golden/orange brick home. The facings are currently a dark red colour with the trim cream. Any ideas what colour would look nice against the brick?

A. It can be hard choosing a trim colour when you have really distinctive bricks and large front gables. I think earthy/warm tones may be best. You might like to try Resene Gondwana, Resene Double Tapa, Resene Legend, Resene Hibernate or Resene Desperado.

If the windows and doors are metal powder then cream always works in relationship with bricks. If they are painted wooden windows and doors then you might just use a slightly warmer cream neutral such as Resene Quarter Biscotti or Resene Solitaire.

Resene Gondwana
Resene Gondwana
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Legend
Resene Legend
Resene Hibernate
Resene Hibernate
Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
 
November 2013

Q. I'm using Resene Black White for all ceilings down to picture rails on my 1930s Queenslander house. I'm after a soft/light pink colour for the main bedroom to replace the current dusky pink. In one of the other rooms I've used Resene Cut Glass.

A. If you want to stay with pink you might like to try Resene Bambina, Resene Fair Pink, Resene Pippin, Resene Devoted, Resene Soft Pink and Resene Sentimental. All of these pinks will work with Resene Black White as ceilings and upper walls. The pinks coded in the 90s are the lightest and those in the 80s are slightly warmer/deeper but are pastels so as a follow on from Resene Cut Glass they will associate well.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Bambina
Resene Bambina
Resene Fair Pink
Resene Fair Pink
Resene Pippin
Resene Pippin
Resene Devoted
Resene Devoted
Resene Soft Pink
Resene Soft Pink
Resene Sentimental
Resene Sentimental
November 2013

Q. What type of products are available for ceiling finishes? I want the best surface to be able to clean. We have chosen Resene Half Alabaster for all trims. Would we do the ceiling in this as well, or just an off white? Also, are the doors typically a different finish to the walls? We are currently building and have had a colour consult, but just forgot a few things.

A. Ceilings finishes are usually a flat/matt paint and the standard is Resene Ceiling Paint which comes in 10L pails, but it doesn’t wash or wipe as well. Far superior in regards to being washable is Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel - Kitchen & Bathroom formula for service rooms and Resene SpaceCote Flat Fly Deterrent for other rooms. There is also Resene Ceiling Velvet which is a solventborne enamel product, but most home decorators do prefer the waterborne options.

Doors, skirting boards, door frames and window surrounds are usually painted in an enamel - either solventborne, such as Resene Lusta-Glo, or waterborne, such as Resene Lustacryl - in a semi gloss finish and walls are mostly a low sheen acrylic - either Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
November 2013

Q. We have a really ugly blue kitchen that we want to update but can really only afford to paint it at the moment. So we're stuck with the blue benchtop, and wondered if you have any advice for us on a colour for the cabinets? We are planning to paint the walls in the living area white.

A. If you intend to paint over the melamine cabinets you will need to do very specific prep work prior to topcoating them. Our Resene ColorShop staff can advise you on the best system.

If you favour a 'white' look for the living room you may need to find that first and then pursue a deeper version of that 'white' for the cabinets but in the meantime you might look at these colours to get started - Resene Half Rice Cake (walls) and Resene Double Rice Cake (kitchen cabinets) or Resene Quarter Spanish White (walls) and Resene Spanish White (kitchen cabinets). The reason behind me suggesting slightly deeper colours for the cabinets is so that dirt and fingermarking doesn't show too much but mainly to try and tie in the wood trims and flooring and not to make the bench look even bluer and stronger than it is now.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
November 2013

Q. My son has asked me to paint his room blue. However I can't find a colour that suits my house. It's an old character home with lots of Rimu. I would consider a feature wall. The colour is currently Resene Akaroa. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A. Children do like bright colours, don't they? If that is a worry to you because of the ambiance of the rest of the house then perhaps just one wall as a feature might suit you better and still please your son. Remember if it is only one wall in several years’ time he may want you to change the blue to something else - children grow and their taste changes - this can be a blessing. You might like to try Resene Bondi Blue, Resene Submerge or Resene Whale Tail.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Bondi Blue
Resene Bondi Blue
Resene Submerge
Resene Submerge
Resene Whale Tail
Resene Whale Tail
November 2013

Q. We are wanting to paint our living/dining room in our railway cottage. It is currently Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta with white doors/windows etc. but we are finding marks show up on it and wanting to go a bit different in a grey colour. Our carpet is a charcoal colour and we have roman blinds with various shades of grey and light brown. The location of the rooms are in the middle of the house and they don't get a lot of sun. There is a large south facing window in the lounge. Ideally we would like a grey but with warmer undertones.

A. If you have a warm grey tone in the south facing room it may not look good against the Roman blind material or because grey is like that, it may make the room feel sombre and not friendly. South facing rooms have the quality of natural light that 'greys' pure white and sours/sharpens other warmer tones. If you favour grey you might like to try Resene Rakaia, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene House White, Resene Merino or Resene White Pointer. They are quite different from each other but you would need to trial them very carefully in the room and check them out close to the blinds and at all times of the day and night - they will change radically! All paintwork and all colours show marks. Perhaps if you painted using a product that can be wiped easily you may find living with painted walls a little easier - I recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for ease of cleaning.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
November 2013

Q. I want to repaint the interior of my house, where new carpet was laid before I bought the place. It's a warm caramel/light beige colour, and there are dark brown curtains. I want light beige/neutral walls that don't come across as cream. I've tried several Testpots - Resene Half Thorndon Cream looks green, Resene Half Tea - pink. The Resene colourist suggested Resene Cararra, Resene Double Rice Cake (again a green tinge) or Resene Half Parchment.

A. Have you painted the testpot onto large A2 card (using two coats leaving an unpainted white border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the true depth/type of colour) and moved it from wall to wall and room to room to see at different times of the day (natural light) and night (artificial light) to see how radically the colours change? This is the best way to look at colours.

I am a bit concerned that Resene Half Tea looks pink and I wonder whether it was either applied onto the already coloured wall or seen in a room that gets north/west natural light or the colour of the carpet (caramel/light beige) may be yellower as all these things might throw Resene Half Tea toward a warmer pink undertone, which it isn't at all. You might like to try: Resene Quarter Napa (grey/beige), Resene Half Fossil (warm beige), Resene White Pointer (warmed grey/beige) or Resene Quarter Akaroa (sandy/beige).

It is only by testing the colours the way I have indicated and comparing them to each other that you start to be able to judge what they are truly like. The carpet will influence how you see all colour as it is the dominant factor in the house and the natural light will have a considerable bearing also.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
November 2013

Q. I am painting my walls Resene Tea and ceilings Resene Quarter Tea. I have cypress pine floorboards that have been sanded back to the bare wood and am looking for a stain to complement the Resene Tea walls. The room has big windows and a lot of natural light (west). Can you recommend a wood stain to complement the Resene Tea walls? I can go light, medium or dark as the room will support all three.

A. Colour in general is such a personal choice and staining floors is a big job so I can understand the need for you to consider your options. Any stained colour may look a lot deeper than you imagine it will be and a clear protective topcoat of polyurethane will enrich the colour even more. This is possibly why a great many people only use a clear polyurethane over the existing timbers and don't pre-colour the timber floors with a stain. If you have a very skillful applicator lined up to do the job and are keen for a 'new' look then you might like to try Resene Colorwood English Walnut interior timber stain. It is a deep rich colour, but not red or orange toned, and looks stunning with the Resene Tea palette of colours. It also looks great if you have beautiful wood furniture, which really stands out on a deep coloured floor or if you have pale lacquered furniture which also 'pops' when placed on a deep coloured floor.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
November 2013

Q. I'm looking for a clean, crisp very light grey paint. This would be for a hallway and living area. The house is a 1920s bungalow, with pure white door frames, skirting and ceiling. The bedrooms are done in Resene Half Cut Glass. I've tried about 20 testpots (and a couple of litres of different things), and they are all reading either very beige/yellow or very lavender. Resene Quarter Iron is the closest we've got so far, but it still leans very lavender in most lights, as does Resene Quarter Surrender. We've also tried Resene White Thunder, Resene Black White, Resene Zircon, Resene Hint Of Grey, Resene Half Barely There, Resene Designer White, Resene Seashell, Resene Solitude and a couple of others that I can't remember! Do you have any suggestions?

A. You do appear to have tested a lot of greys so you are getting a real awareness of what colour is like. Clean, crisp greys are often cooler in undertone and most of those you have tested are carrying a tiny bit of blue or purple in them, with the exception of Resene Hint Of Grey, Resene Half Barely There and Resene Black White, those ones have a little umber (brown) in them which can reflect an almost yellow tone. All colours change, radically in some cases, when the light alters, such as in natural and artificial light, at different times of the day and night, and they change again when they are close to any other colour. They can't be made to behave themselves and do what you want them to do - they are mysterious, complex and sometimes very frustrating.

I think - and you may come to this decision - that grey doesn't want to work for you. Compromise may be needed - have you thought of using a 'white', such as Resene Alabaster, everywhere so that the 'real white' of the painted woodwork adds a crisp clean contrast and perhaps using Resene Quarter Iron - the best of the greys that you have tested - on a wall in the living area that has less natural light on it.

The act of using a 'white' may force your eye to see the grey in a different way and if you placed charcoal or black [furniture, curtains, artwork etc] close to the grey wall it would complete the scenario of achromatic tints, tones and shades. The other alternative option is to use a mid toned grey instead of a very light grey - yes it is a stronger look than what you wanted but it may stay grey looking and not alter so much in changing lights. If the living room gets a lot of natural light in the late afternoon, this is a yellow/orange light that may be what is causing the beige/yellow tones in the colours you have tested. You might like to try Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Silver Sand or Resene Quill Grey.

Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Zircon
Resene Zircon
Resene Hint Of Grey
Resene Hint Of Grey
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene Seashell
Resene Seashell
Resene SolitudeResene Solitude
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
 
November 2013

Q. Could you advise a charcoal blue and a light grey that look good with Resene Half Blanc?

A. You might like to try Resene Rakaia and Resene Avalanche or Resene Half Grey Chateau and Resene Half New Denim Blue.

Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New Denim Blue
November 2013

Q. We need to repaint the outdoor area which flows from the kitchen. There will be a Caesarstone Organic White servers coming through the as yet uninstalled black framed window. We want to tie in the colours out here with the kitchen and living, but not necessarily have them the same. Also it needs to be something that does not show the dirt easily as this area gets very grimy. What would you recommend? As you can see there is a mountain blue water tank that cannot be changed and white shades on the peaked roof. I also want to change the colour of the decking. I had wanted to sand it back but have been told it would cost $1000 plus product to do this. So I am now considering repainting it using one of the Resene decking colours. Can you help us?

A. Perhaps you could do some detail on the posts or balustrades in Resene Black so that it matches the powdercoat black doors and windows on the house. In regards to the deck, if you are repainting it and you want something that doesn't show dirt easily you might consider Resene Double Mondo or Resene Stonehenge. The exterior house walls and other elements of the deck - balustrades, handrails and battens might use the Resene Parchment palette in varying tints, tones and shades. You might like to try Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Double Parchment and Resene Parchment.

You could paint the water tank if you found it really discordant - plastic paints up easily - but alternatively you might just match the colour and paint a few wooden deck chairs to match the tank seeing as it is so close to the side of the deck so it 'ties in' visually and doesn't stand around looking so blue compared to the other elements.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Double Parchment
Resene Double Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
November 2013

Q. I am looking to paint the exterior of my house. I would like white weatherboards black trim, grey roof and a raspberry front door. Please recommend Resene colours that I should use.

A. You might like to investigate these two palettes of colours - Resene Black White (main), Resene Nero (trim), Resene Steel Grey (roof) and Resene I C Red (front door) or Resene Alabaster (main), Resene Bokara Grey (trim), Resene Gauntlet (roof) and Resene Raspberry (front door).

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene I C Red
Resene I C Red
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Raspberry
Resene Raspberry
November 2013

Q. Can you suggest the best colour for a warm soft white for our bedroom please?

A. There is no absolutely perfect 'warm white' as colours change so radically in all situations, all lights change how colour is seen. You could investigate these to see if they will work for you - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

I suggest looking at them together to see how different they are. Certainly if you see the large A4 samples that are in the Resene ColorShops in the Colour Library and place a sheet of white print paper between them you will begin to appreciate their unique warm qualities.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
November 2013

Q. I have recently moved into a place and the decor is quite 80s so bronze coloured aluminium joinery and lots of brown doors! Was thinking of painting all the sills and doors in white and then maybe a light grey for all the walls or maybe something different for the bedrooms? Was thinking maybe Resene Iron as I think Resene Surrender might be a bit dark or something a bit warmer? The beige curtains and carpets will eventually be replaced. The couch will stay. I just want to give the place a lift.

A. The 1980s was woody and brown. Any new colour on walls may look a bit wrong until the carpet changes as the carpet is the most dominant colour throughout the house. As an alternative to the 'big decisions (later) and new wall colour (now)' have you thought about just undercoating the walls in white [removes any existing wall colour] as an interim step? You could prep the woodwork and seal/prime and undercoat that too in white. If you did do this you will achieve a perfect neutral for seeing how colour looks and just what your colour options are, you will see spaces and light quite differently too. Often in our haste to complete something we miss this opportunity to pause, reflect and consider our space and the ultimate look we want to achieve.

You could also start investigating what is available in carpets colours and fabric colours and then when you see something fabulous that you really love then the other aspects of choosing colours will happen in a much quicker/easier way as it will be the finish to the look linking existing things and possible new things together.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
November 2013

Q. I have been advised that Resene Eighth Masala is a close match to a grey for my bathroom. I have used a testpot and it looks a little brownish. After looking on the Habitat of the Week website at houses painted in Resene Masala it seems to be classified as a brown. The depth of Resene Eighth Masala is perfect for what I am after (not too light or dark) but will it look brownish when the whole room is painted?

A. You are correct in assuming that Resene Masala is listed in the brown palettes; it's grey/brown with almost green undertone and lighter and deeper versions still carry those tones in the colour. Resene Eighth Masala may be a little brown toned and not quite grey enough. You might look at Resene Jumbo as an alternative grey as it is the same depth but hasn't the brown edge.

Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
November 2013

Q. I'm looking for a lightish grey which can be used throughout an open plan area, split level house. I don't want it to be so light it looks dirty though. It needs to look good with pine and cedar which there is a lot of. Do you have a few suggestions for me to test? The biggest area is north facing but the dining space which it is linked to has less light.

A. A lot of grey tones don't sit well with the warmth of pine or cedar but you might try the following colours to see if they work in your house, in your light and with the existing wood and any other coloured elements - carpet, curtains, upholstered furniture etc - as they all influence how you see the colours you test - and you do have to test them carefully as they are very quixotic and changeable. Try Resene House White, Resene White Pointer or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. The first two colours come in lighter and deeper versions for you to try if the ones I have suggested aren't quite right and the last colour comes as deeper versions also.

Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
November 2013

Q. We're trying to confirm the colour palette for the exterior of our home. We are wanting to stay with lighter colours. The roof is the biggest sticking point for us. It really needs a paint but is currently unpainted. The previous owners have done a great job in creating a cohesive colour palette but it’s not quite to our taste. We definitely want to remove the green from the fence/garage door and potentially have the house colour more neutral as opposed to 'beige'. Our house is very hot during the summer so we're conscious of a dark roof but we keep finding ourselves gravitating towards darker roof colours. Do you think a colour like Resene White Pointer on the exterior would be too white? And then we do need to consider the interior too.

A. Perhaps you could investigate using a light/mid tone roof colour instead of a darker colour. You are right in regard dark roof colours being very smart - that is why you are drawn to then- but it is also true everyone uses them almost by default.

I have put together two complete (light/greyish) palettes for you to consider - Resene Lattitude (roof), Resene Half Delta (house), Resene Quarter Rice Cake (all 'white' elements) and Resene Half Gravel (garage door and fences etc) or Resene Gauntlet (roof), Resene Double Barely There (house), Resene Black White (all 'white' elements) and Resene Rampart (garage door and fences).

Don't be surprised if the existing colour on fences and garage door looks completely different when the house and roof are changed - so I suggest you leave it to the very end of the job - just in case it morphs into a new colour to your eye.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Double Barely There
Resene Double Barely There
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Rampart
Resene Rampart
November 2013

Q. I'm after a charcoal grey. Preferably not with blue tones, just a true dark grey. This is for trims and a rendered fence.

A. Charcoals all carry some colour tone within them and being dark they often need to be considered with care. If the area you are painting is exposed to UV light and heat then you certainly will need to consider Resene CoolColour technology to modify the heat absorption and the problems associated with dark colours. You might investigate these colours as they don't throw blue: Resene Foundry, Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Gumboot or Resene Fuscous Grey.

Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
November 2013

Q. My lounge walls are painted Resene Quarter Parchment. I have had the wall removed between the galley style kitchen and the lounge. The kitchen units will be painted in Resene Quarter Black White. The kitchen place suggested full Resene Black White for the walls. Would the Resene Quarter Parchment go with the cabinets?

A. Yes the Resene Quarter Parchment would work really well with the cabinet colour of Resene Quarter Black White. You could use Resene Quarter Black White also for any other 'white' painted element - ceilings or woodwork. I imagine the whole space looking crisp and stylish but slightly warmer because of the wall colour.

Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
November 2013

Q. I have a relatively new house which has a corrugated COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey ceiling in the kitchen/living/dining area - that is what is making the task tricky. All of the walls and other ceilings are painted grey. The house is cold and dark feeling (despite lots of glass). I want to warm the house up and lighten it up too but I just don't know what 'warm' direction to go in for the walls and ceilings when presented with that 'Gull Grey' as a starting point.

A. I suggest that you change the grey ceilings throughout to increase the light to a 'white' - but it is imperative that all colours including the 'white' relate to the Gull Grey - perhaps you might consider Resene Quarter Merino - no lighter as it could look too stark compared to the powder coat colour. You might also need to lighten the walls dependent upon what type of grey it is now - perhaps look at Resene Quarter Delta for any rooms that face north or west and reduce down to Resene Merino Y91-009-076 for rooms that face east or south. If it is possible in the kitchen/dining/living - and this is dependent upon the colour of the cabinetry and work tops and splashback - add a bold bright statement colour to draw the eye away from the dominance of the Gull Grey and to add visual warmth - perhaps try a rich gold like Resene Galliano or Resene Impromptu. You may need to strategically place several large mirrors to add more reflectance and certainly large colourful, attention seeking, art installations may also be needed to warm up and add more ambiance to the spaces. The use of real pure white and black in some format will also drag back the grey to its midpoint and stop the mood being serious/sombre and lacking in life and light.

COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Galliano
Resene Galliano
Resene Impromptu
Resene Impromptu
November 2013

Q. I am changing my kitchen cupboards. The colours offered only contain two Resene colours - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Fossil. Which of these two is made up of similar tints to Resene Blanc as that is what I am trying to match?

A. Resene Blanc Y88-015-078 and Resene Quarter Fossil Y89-015-082 are the most related colours - look at the codes for both colours to see the relationship between them. Resene Quarter Fossil isn't quite as subdued or mushroom pink toned as Resene Blanc so there is a subtle difference in the amount of the tinters used in the Resene Quarter Fossil but they are similar.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
November 2013

Q. The interior of my house is painted Resene Half Tea on the walls, Resene Quarter Tea on the ceiling and full Resene Tea on doors and woodwork. I want a feature wall in the main bedroom which has dark brown curtains and a light mocha or taupe coloured carpet. What colour would go with the existing tea walls?

A. The best advice I can give you is to look at a colour that likes the dark brown curtains and the light mocha or taupe carpet as well as looking good with the Resene Half Tea. All colour is so reactive and because those elements are there already they will strongly influence what type of colour you might use. But if you just want some ideas - somewhat randomly and without working closely with the existing carpet, the walls and the curtains - then you might investigate the following colours - Resene Seachange, Resene Imprint and Resene Limitless.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Imprint
Resene Imprint
Resene Limitless
Resene Limitless
November 2013

Q. We have aluminium window frames that match the colour Resene Half Sisal. We are repainting the interior of our house in neutrals. What colour would go the best on the walls if we choose Resene Half Sisal for the window frames and doors? We want to keep a natural light look.

A. If you have Resene Half Sisal, which is quite a definite colour, around the window frames and doors etc do you want that colour to look darker or lighter? If you want this colour to stand out (look deeper) then you might like to look at a lighter version of the Resene Sisal colour as the walls in the house - perhaps Resene Quarter Sisal or lighter again - Resene Eighth Sisal or even lighter/brighter like Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Wheatfield. These colours make the Resene Half Sisal seem deeper.

If you wanted the Resene Half Sisal to look the lightest colour then you might need to look at deeper colours like Resene Sisal or Resene Double Sisal. If there is a lot of shadow in the rooms then these two colours will look deeper again.

Essentially it is all about light and how the light plays on the colour as well as what other coloured things are in the rooms that will influence your eyes and make you see the colour in a certain way.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
 
November 2013

Q. We are installing organic white Caesarstone benchtops with Resene Double Alabaster cupboards. We would like a grey glass splashback but are not sure about a colour. We want a colour that will make the organic white look whiter rather than darker, so were thinking at least a mid-grey might do this? We like the greys with blue in them. Would Resene Tuna, Half Tuna or Quarter Tuna go with our colours? If not, what else would?

A. The greys you are considering are quite charcoal (black) based as well as having a little blue in their makeup. The Resene Tuna may look quite black. As you have a window above the end of the benchtop, the splashback area would be seen darker because of the natural light from the window making that part of the area fall into more shadow. I think the Resene Half Tuna may be a possibility and you might find Resene Quarter Tuna soft and a bit more muted. Your choice. Both will make the white look whiter.

Are you aware there are two types of glass used in splashbacks? There is standard float glass which has a greenish cast to it so colour can change a bit when seen through this and then there is crystal clear low iron oxide glass where any colour seen through it is absolutely 'true' and doesn't dirty off.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
November 2013

Q. We are repainting the exterior of our houses including the decking areas. I wish to change the existing colour which is yellow and to give my house a fresh and modern look. What colour combinations would you suggest that will work for this old house? I like Resene Half Gravel but am not sure it works for my light blue roof.

A. If the roof was painted a different colour then you would have a lot of colour options that were open to you. Not a lot wants to work with the existing roof apart from white and soft cream. Is re-painting the roof an option?

Here are a few ideas - including a new roof colour just in case - and incorporating your favourite colour from the Resene Gravel palette – Resene Triple Sea Fog (main and base of the house deck) with Resene Half Gravel (roof and deck balustrades, and carport timbers) or Resene Half Foggy Grey (main and base of house deck) with Resene Gauntlet (roof) with Resene Double Gravel (for deck balustrades and carport timbers).

Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
November 2013

Q. I am looking to a colour such as 'British Racing Green' or a bit lighter for the external of factory units in Glenfield. Any suggestions re colours for walls, rollers and gutters most welcome.

A. You might like the following greens - Resene Botanic, Resene Kaitoke Green or Resene Push Play. I would suggest doing the roller doors and roof line fascia in a different colour to highlight the green and add a bit of excitement at the front of the building, using a colour such as Resene High Noon or Resene Pohutukawa.

Resene Botanic
Resene Botanic
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Push Play
Resene Push Play
Resene High Noon
Resene High Noon
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
November 2013

Q. We are wanting to paint interior walls. I like Resene Tea with Resene White joinery but our middle lounge area is quite dark and our kitchen cupboards are a similar colour to Resene Quarter Sisal. Do you think this will work?

A. Resene Tea would definitely look greyer near to the kitchen cabinets and may look a bit dull in the dark middle lounge. Perhaps you could try the following colours to see if they work well with the kitchen cabinets and make the lounge look light and warm – Resene Caraway, Resene Fossil and Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
November 2013

Q. My house is a villa built in 1910. The outside is painted pumice with white trim. And my bedroom is painted green. The carpet is dark grey and I have light floorboards downstairs. Everyone likes the caramel paint colour I have but I would like a change. I like the sea fog grey but feel it's too cold for downstairs. Do you have any suggestions?

A. It is always difficult making a colour change that everyone feels good about - especially when the existing colour is a favourite, isn't it? Resene Sea Fog may be too cool and white as you have already noted. Perhaps you could look at the following colours to see if they create light/warmth and slightly relate to what you have already - Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Wheatfield, Resene Cararra and Resene Eighth Pavlova.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
November 2013

Q. I have painted my large 1920s romantic style bedroom with Resene Lily and was wanting to know what other colours I could use to complement that purple. I was leaning toward a soft lime, deep grape or sandy caramel.

A. Resene Lily is a dense Victorian mauve inspired colour so it responds well to colours like Resene Nirvana and lighter Resene First Light - these two colours freshen Resene Lily and add a sharp contrast or Resene Upstage - this is a boudoir inspired hue and quite tonally related to Resene Lily. Or slightly lighter/more rosy try Resene Barossa, which makes the Resene Lily look mellow and nostalgic.

I have been unable to find a sandy caramel that sits well with Resene Lily - that type of hue tends to muddy up the Resene Lily instead of enhancing it but strangely enough Resene Double Dutch White, because of its undertone of orange makes it look really lush and delicious like hokey pokey ice cream and loganberry sauce.

Resene Lily
Resene Lily
Resene NirvanaResene Nirvana Resene First Light
Resene First Light
Resene Upstage
Resene Upstage
Resene Barossa
Resene Barossa
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
November 2013

Q. I have matt canvas cloth colour for my aluminium joinery and want to do neutral walls to blend in but have a bit of warmth in them. Can you recommend a colour for the walls and a lighter colour for the internal doors?

A. You might like to try Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Quarter Grey Olive as the neutral to blend in with the Canvas Cloth joinery and Resene Half Thorndon Cream for the internal doors.

Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
November 2013

Q. We are building a new house. The roof is COLORBOND® Woodland Grey and we are thinking of using Resene Pravda or Resene Half Pravda as a feature external colour. Could you suggest a light colour for external use in either a grey tone or beige tone please? The external tiles are cream/beige.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they suit - Resene White Pointer (or deeper Resene Double White Pointer), Resene Half Foggy Grey (or lighter Resene Quarter Foggy Grey) or Resene Truffle. They all look quite smart with the either of the Resene Pravda palette of colours and the COLORBOND® Woodland Grey but the contrast is seen best when the darker colour is Resene Pravda.

COLORBOND® Woodland Grey
COLORBOND® Woodland Grey
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
November 2013

Q. What colour ceiling would you recommend in a villa hallway to complement Resene Quarter Hillary walls?

A. You might look at the following colours as they work well with Resene Quarter Hillary - Resene Half Cararra, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Quarter Hillary
Resene Quarter Hillary
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
November 2013

Q. We have a brick house we are wanting to paint. We have recently done our fencing in Resene Stonehenge and our trellis in Resene Grey Friars. The joinery is white. The interior of our house is black, white, grey and red, with dark charcoal grey carpet. The roof is green but will eventually get replaced to black. Should we keep same colours or would it look too much?

A. Have you considered looking into the possibility of a lighter version of the fence colour, such as Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Quarter Stonehenge or lighter than the trellis – Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
November 2013

Q. In the Resene Woodsman natural wood stain range what would be best match to Resene Ironsand? I have used Resene Tiri on a pine fence. The first coat fine but after the second it is far too grey. Our house exterior is Resene Double Napa with Ironside roof. The roof throws more brown in the sunlight. We have Alexandra Brown Schist (mix of greys and browns) as well.I was aiming for a smokey brown/grey look on our boundary fences to tie everything together. I have a testpot of Resene Treehouse and have done a 1-2 parts Resene Tiri mix which might work.

A. Have you considered doing a 50:50 intermix instead of a 25:75 intermix? It may still give you the darker/browner but slightly grey look you are trying to achieve but be a little easier to manage the difficulty associated with blending two colours in large containers?

I recommend you try using a standard colour like Resene Woodsman Banjul before you resort to the 'special colour' scenario. Our Resene ColorShop staff can assist you with a special colour if you decide you’d like to pursue that.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Treehouse
Resene Treehouse
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
November 2013

Q. I want my whole house interior painted. So far I have painted my open plan dining and kitchen to match a colourful crystal pendant that I bought (the majority of the crystals were clear, purple and pink in colour). I ended up painting all walls in that room a pale purple mauve colour. It's probably too cool to match the brown kitchen benchtop so I might change that small kitchen wall colour - not sure what to use though? Behind the kitchen wall you can see another hallway that leads to bedroom 2 and 3, the laundry and bathroom. I am also having trouble with a wall colour for the main entrance hallway and lounge (south facing). It has to flow with the purple wall you can see at the end of the hallway. I assume the lounge and entrance hallway colour would have to be the same neutral?

A. I am inclined to agree with you in regards to painting the wall behind the kitchen a different colour and as long as the main colour - entry, lounge, bedrooms, laundry - is related to the kitchen feature wall colour and is light and warm enough to associate well with the dining room colour I think that the 'flow through' all the rooms will work. I have thought about the types of colours you like and have put together this palette for your consideration - Resene Half Emerge (bathroom 'robin egg' type of colour), Resene Eighth Drought (main colour - pink/beige), Resene Quarter Gargoyle (or Resene Half Malta) for the kitchen back wall feature (a deep enough sandy taupe/brown to pick up the benchtop colour) and Resene Identity feature in lounge.

Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Half Malta
Resene Half Malta
Resene Identity
Resene Identity
November 2013

Q. Could you please suggest a ceiling colour to go with Resene Alabaster walls and Resene Black White doors (gloss). Seeking walls to be bright and ceilings to be softer.

A. You might investigate the following colours as they relate to what you have but still give a soft look - Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster. You may need to see them with a sample of pure White to note their underlying subtle tints.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
November 2013

Q. What colour white should I paint my bathroom? The vanity and bath are white. The rest of the house is colourful and linked by ceilings in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Should I use this throughout the bathroom - I don't want it to look dirty or cream but I don't want it to look sterile. Someone suggested Resene Alabaster?

A. You may find Resene Alabaster will look possibly a little too 'white' after using Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta in other rooms. You could look at these colours to see if they might be the right 'white' for the bathroom - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Barely There. Hopefully these will inspire you but not look dirty or cream.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
November 2013

Q. I have just bought a new house and have an open plan kitchen and living area. The kitchen is Sage/Minty green and the walls are an awful taupe colour that just looks dirty. The kitchen gets morning sun and is light and the lounge/living is darker. I was looking at Resene Mystic but It throws a blue/green/grey in the kitchen and looks white in the lounge. I need a colour to match the kitchen in the short term and lighten the whole space without feeling cold especially in the lounge area. I would like to use Resene Alabaster on the windowsills, skirting and ceiling. What would you recommend? To create a slight contrast and lighten the space? Or do you think Resene Mystic is a good choice? Should I go white instead?

A. Resene Mystic is a cool grey/white with blue/green undertones - morning sun from the east emphasises blue tones in any colour (creams can look greenish because of this aspect) so choosing something to accommodate the natural light and the green cabinets needs to take this into account. White may be too stark - and may look slightly bluish first thing in the morning and greyish in the living area because of the change of natural light. The secret to testing colours is to apply two coats onto A2 card (you can buy this from Resene) leaving an unpainted border of white card so your eye focuses on the depth of the colour and then move the card around onto different walls so you can better see what a change of light and angle does to the colour. I recommend this to everyone as too often the testpot is applied over the existing wall colour which alters your perception of the colour - you think it is the wrong colour again- and it all gets a bit frustrating.

You might like to try Resene Half Barely There, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Ecru White, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Mystic
Resene Mystic
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Quarter Alabscent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
 
November 2013

Q. We are trying to figure out a new colour scheme for the exterior of our house - it's a very ugly hodgepodge at the moment! We stained the house exterior Resene Crowshead about a year ago. We've just put a new railing around the deck, and the deck currently is stained a very worn out reddish brown. Plus there is existing green trim around the house. My main question is what to do with the deck and railing. We really don't like the current colour of the deck, and would like to redo it with something that won't be too dark, as the house is very dark, but that is still dark enough to cover the current colour (which is possibly Kwila?). Anything you could suggest? We'll most likely do the steps in the same colour as the deck etc, and undecided what to do with the green - considering a lightish grey, though also don't hate the green so could just refresh that. Very open to any suggestions you might have to tie it all together!

A. Any new stain needs to be able to block out the previous stain so that makes me think dense colours like these ones might be worth trying – Resene Limed Ash or Resene Smokey Ash (these two choices are a little bit greyish), Resene Grey Green (a little bit greenish) or Resene Nutmeg (a warm brown but not as red toned as existing stain).

On a traditional panelled front door and door surrounds, a white would look lovely/simple/elegant - against the backdrop of the black house stain. You might look at a slightly tinted white like these, just in case you fancy the idea of lovely/simple/elegant - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Wan White or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. If you really favoured green as you have now you might like to investigate a 'different' green like these ones - a little fresher/brighter/earthier - Resene Koru, Resene Cross Country or Resene Feverpitch.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Grey Green
Resene Grey Green
Resene Nutmeg Woodsman
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Cross Country
Resene Cross Country
Resene Feverpitch
Resene Feverpitch
 
November 2013

Q. Can you recommend exterior colours for our 100 year old Queenslander near the beach. We want a dark grey trim such as Resene Gravel and white (not sure which white) but need help with the main colour. I like sandy beachy tones (more brown than grey) so I was thinking something like Resene Parchment. The house gets lots of sun and light.

A. If you favour using Resene Parchment for its sandy beige tone you may also like to check out Resene Half Akaroa as it has that quality also. Both of these colours are equally nice. For a 'white' might I suggest you look at these options – Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Villa White. For a dark grey possibly one of these two may excite you - Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Fuscous Grey, or the Resene Gravel which you have in mind already (which is slightly greener in its greyness).

It does pay to check out the real colours at your local Resene ColorShop as sometimes the differences between colours that may appear similar and the unique qualities of each colour are somewhat lost in translation if you are reliant upon what you see on the computer. I think your Queenslander will look really smart in the new paint colours whichever of these you might choose.

Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
 Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
 
November 2013

Q. First time moving into my own house and I would just like to paint one wall one colour and the other three walls the same colour in my lounge but I’m not sure which two colours would go. I don't want anything bold but a colour that goes with any season or anything brown.

A. There are so many gorgeous colours out there there are almost too many to choose from so I have just put together some options for you to check out - Resene Quarter Truffle (main colour) with either of these two options for the feature wall - Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Half Innocence, or Resene Barely There (main colour) with either of these two options for the feature wall - Resene Bluegrass, Resene Waterfront, or Resene Rice Cake (main colour) with either of these two options for the feature wall - Resene Awash or Resene Tall Poppy.

I could go on and on putting together different ideas for colours but at the end of the day you will instinctively choose colours that appeal to you emotionally. This is your home + your choice. Have fun. Choose from your heart.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Bluegrass
Resene Bluegrass
Resene Waterfront
Resene Waterfront
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Tall Poppy
November 2013

Q. I need some suggestions for a nice pale bluish mint green colour for a small (and not particularly light) room. I want it to look a little bit retro but not too saturated/pure so it's not over the top. I've tried Resene Snowy Mint, which was too green, and Resene Peppermint, which was a bit too grey/blue and I think the perfect colour is somewhere between the two but can't find it!

A. Perhaps you could investigate Resene Carefree, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Periglacial Blue, Resene Nebula or Resene Cut Glass. All colours change radically in differing light situations so test these colours carefully - they look best close to white so they usually look fabulous in bathrooms. I hope this helps - it is a generous range of colours between the greener/blue tints to the bluer/green tints.

Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Peppermint
Resene Peppermint
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
 
November 2013

Q. Why would Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue turn bright blue on walls? Could it be the paint colour underneath?

A. Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue might look a brighter blue than you would expect for several reasons -

  • An east facing room (morning light) may make it appear bluer as the quality of light in the early morning emphasises any blue or green tones in a colour.
  • Painting the colour over a sharp pale yellow colour could also brighten the Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue as the yellow shines through like a beacon.
  • Other blue tones in the room (like curtains etc) may make you see the Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue in a 'bluer' way.
  • Lots of orange/red or orange/yellow (and this includes the natural colour of wood) in the room may enhance the blue in the colour.
  • Sometimes a lot of grey (carpet or upholstery) in the room makes Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue seem a lot bluer than you would expect it to look also.
  • If you have chosen a higher sheen it can look cleaner and brighter than the lower sheen colour chips on the colour chart or the lower sheen paint in the Resene testpot.
  • Have you checked that the paint is tinted correctly by comparing it to the Resene testpot? A tint error might have been made.
  • If the colour had been matched by another paint company they may have tried to match it and because their tinters are quite different from the Resene ones they may have made it to be bluer than it would be normally. Only Resene paints are tinted with Resene tinters. Resene tinters and colour formulations aren’t available in other paints.

I have tried to go through every possible scenario so that you get a better idea of why the colour appears to be different from what you thought it was going to be.

Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
November 2013

Q. We have an old villa with wooden floors. We are looking at painting our walls Resene Sea Fog - we like that colour. Our question is what ceiling and trim colours would suit? We have a very high stud so I was thinking we could do Resene Sea Fog on the ceiling too - any view on that? Also - should we do Resene Alabaster on the trim?

A. If you want Resene Sea Fog to look really 'white' then you could use it on all surfaces and just change the gloss level of the paint to accommodate each different surface i.e

But if you want to highlight certain surfaces and make the Resene Sea Fog look like a tiny bit more of a colour - a subtle tinted 'white' with grey in it - then you could use either Resene Quarter Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster for the ceilings and for all the woodwork. If this effect is used it creates visual interest and definition. It still is a classic and timeless look but the rooms don't look denuded of features.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
November 2013

Q. I am trying to choose a white to go throughout the whole of a two bedroom house. It needs to match fairly dark native wooden flooring throughout and white tiles in the bathroom. Any suggestions and do I need to paint the walls and ceiling a different colour?

A. Most whites will work with fairly dark native flooring colour but you may find the slightly warmer colours are better than the greyer or browner tinted whites. You might like to try Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Spanish White.

If you want to highlight the 'white' you have chosen for the walls and make it seem a little more 'coloured' then you could use Resene White for the ceilings and any painted woodwork. But if you prefer to remove any contrast and have the colour you choose look 'whiter' then you could use the same colour for ceilings etc. It is just a case of using a different paint for different surfaces but in the same colour. i.e

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
November 2013

Q. I have an east facing lounge that is 'cosy' in that it doesn't receive a lot of light and as it's a 60s bungalow it has low ceilings. I painted the walls Resene Half Ash with white trim (I'm now not so sure about this). I have an L shaped lounge room, part of which has a feature wall in Resene Tapa. I really want the space to come 'alive' but I'm not sure about what colour to use. I've been throwing around using Resene Periglacial Blue or maybe a red...

A. East facing rooms make all colours seem a little greener or bluer as the colour reacts to the sharp cool white light. If you LOVE your main colour - Resene Half Ash but find the Resene Tapa a little bit industrial and 'no nonsense' as a feature you may find a soft red might add a bit of ambiance. Check these reds out in the early morning and again under electric light – Resene Forbidden, Resene Bliss or Resene Aphrodisiac. You indicate that you are unsure of the white trim with the Resene Half Ash - perhaps you could look at a sweeter 'white' - still looking fresh and adding definition it would be a little warmer – Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Forbidden
Resene Forbidden
Resene Bliss
Resene Bliss
Resene Aphrodisiac
Resene Aphrodisiac
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
November 2013

Q. I am wondering about painting all my ceilings. At the moment, throughout the whole house, they are about the colour of a flooring) cork tile! Am concerned that this is creating too much of a 'dingy' or 'dark' look inside. But which colour would I be best to use and would this 'ruin' the look of the house interior?

A. By painting them a light colour it will increase the natural light by about 50% and make the rooms appear to have ceilings that are much higher than they are now. It may also make the wall colours appear stronger than you perceive them to be now. I don't suggest you do them real white as the 'colour shock' will make you feel it is very stark (after what you have now) but one of these following colours may work well for you – Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Black White or warmer ‘whites – Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. These are coloured whites - if you judge them next to real white you will see that. The ceilings may need to be sanded, sealed and undercoated prior to painting - yes it is a big job but it will radically change the look of your house. A new look will make you feel as though you have a new house.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
November 2013

Q. I want a colour to paint in a room with large doors facing a paddock, estuary and sand dunes. Another window in the room looks over farm land. It is a villa with ornate skirtings, but is used as a beach house. There is also an adjacent formal lounge with similar views.

A. If you want all the attention to be drawn out to the view then I would suggest a very simple light colour but if you want the emphasis to be in the room and not out the windows then a definite colour could be chosen as that will hold the eye on the walls.

If you are testing colours, they will always seem twice as deep around windows as the light throws them into shadow. If you are testing many colours it’s best to paint two coats (all of the testpot) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. This will do several things -

  • Make you focus on the reality of the colour. The unpainted border holds it away from the existing colour of the walls so it isn't unduly influenced by that colour.
  • It will allow you to move the card onto different walls to see how light changes the colour.
  • It will allow you to move it into different rooms to see how it responds to a change of space and light. Different angle/different room + same colour will be seen as a different colour.

You might investigate these 'white' colours – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Ash or Resene Quarter Albescent White or slightly more definite watery and calm colours – Resene Half Secrets, Resene Quarter Tasman or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue or warmer bleached sand and grass colours – Resene Half Wheatfield, Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Quarter Fossil.

You may need to think through the overall effect you are trying to achieve and what furnishings you will put into the rooms - a whole look starts with a picture in your head of mood and ambiance.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
November 2013

Q. I'm painting the interior of a house that has lots of shadows. I'm thinking Resene Spanish White to brighten the house up. What would you suggest ?

A. I personally would use a cleaner, sweeter 'white' than Resene Spanish White which is quite dense and almost beige toned.

You might like to try Resene Buttery White or Resene Bianca or the lightest of the Resene Spanish White palette – Resene Eighth Spanish White. If there is a lot of dimness and shadows in the rooms these colours may lift the light factor a bit.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Buttery White
Resene Buttery White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
November 2013

Q. I have a reasonably dark internal hallway which I was planning to paint white. Is there a shade of white which is good for darker areas or would you recommend a modern colour which is best for darker areas?

A. A modern colour may not be the way to go if the hallway is as dark as you indicate as these are often shaded greys or muddy beiges. Modern colours could be used in adjacent rooms that have a lot more natural light. Perhaps you could look at a clearer warmer 'white' such as Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Eighth Spanish White.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
November 2013

Q. We are painting inside our 15 year old house and we want to paint every room the same white, ceilings and walls, to brighten up all areas. We have some areas that are a little dark - which warm white can you suggest? We have had some suggestions of Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and Resene Bianca.

A. Any palest 'white' tint that is coded with a Y (that is a yellow which is almost always warm) or a G (this sometimes refers to the sharp slightly green/yellow edge to the colour) and generally the colours are referred to as a 'white' if the first two numbers of the code (after the letter) fall between 85-95. After that the colours have a lot more depth and often aren't close to real white at all. Other coloured elements in the house (flooring, upholstery, curtains etc) and the changing qualities of both natural and artificial light have a strong bearing also on how the colour looks - i.e south and east facing rooms often rob the warmth out of the colour and make it look cooler or greyer.

I personally think that it would be worth trying Resene Bianca - or if this looks too starkly 'white' then you might try Resene Double Bianca.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
November 2013

Q. I need to paint a concrete base. Was thinking garage doors one colour, the walls another.

A. You might choose to paint the concrete base of the wall to match the garage doors instead of the base of the house to create a boundary demarcation from the footpath. The following colours are able to be interchanged so keep your options open - Resene Quarter Pravda and Resene Pravda, Resene Ash and Resene Triple Ash, Resene Triple Truffle and Resene Evolution, Resene Double Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Lignite.

Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Evolution
Resene Evolution
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
November 2013

Q. We have a long narrow hallway in a 10-year old house. White doors and architraves, currently insipid flesh colour walls, white ceiling. Would like to use a duck egg blue for doors and possibly a light grey or black/white for walls. We don't want the hall to look cold or even narrower.

A. Painting all the doors a definite colour will break up the length of the hallway and make the doors a feature that is noticed.

A light grey on the walls may make it cool. The idea of a 'white' like Resene Black White is a good idea - if you like that type of colour you may also like the following options as alternatives – Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. A duck egg blue could be one of these colours – Resene Carefree, Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue or Resene Quarter Powder Blue. To break the length more you could use the walls as a gallery for family photos - staged artistically this is a very effective theme.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
 
November 2013

Q. I need help in choosing the right colour for my front door. I've had testpots in blue, black, brown green and orange! Help!

A. The elements of your house are classically lovely and sometimes this impedes colour choice for the multi-paned glass door and porch posts as the house has a way of controlling what might be used. The door looks reasonably sheltered from direct sunlight and because of this the first colour suggestion is very dark -

  • Resene Black (the #10 Downing Street look)
  • Resene Kombi (the 'far from ordinary' green - slightly OTT)
  • Resene St Kilda (probably quite conservative but a lovely different blue)
  • Resene Passion (a deep grape - conservative but rich)

I recommend a really shiny, slick gloss enamel for the door paint. Because the door is delicate in style you may need to paint another thing (such as a planter pot or Cape Cod chair) and place it to the side of the door so that you get more bang for your buck colour wise. These options are definite colours but there is no red (deep or otherwise) as you have a red flowering bush which might be jealous if there was another red near it. The house has a strong architectural ambiance and the door needs to be attention seeking and delicious - no neutrals or muted colours for you! Be brave - be bold - be colourful.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Kombi
Resene Kombi
Resene St Kilda
Resene St Kilda
Resene Passion
Resene Passion
November 2013

Q. I am doing walls in Resene Milk White and skirtings etc in Resene Quarter Milk White. What colour should the ceiling be?

A. If you want the woodwork and walls to look a little more coloured than 'white' then you could use either Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White on the ceiling but if you want the overall look to be 'white' then you might use Resene Quarter Milk White - same as the woodwork colour.

Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
November 2013

Q. We are painting our cupboards Resene Quarter Black White and our walls Resene Parchment. Any ideas for a splashback colour that would look stylish but not date? The splashback will run right along the kitchen bench wall so will be quite long.

A. Always remember that definite colours will date so it pays to think of this when contemplating splashback colours.

If your heart is set on a colour it needs to be something that you have always loved (therefore really great for you and seen in other aspects of the house) and not a 'trendy' colour that everyone has now. Two types of glass are used - standard float glass has a green cast to it so be careful as all colour seen through this glass will inherit a 'different' look than 'true' colour - even white looks minty green, low iron oxide star bright glass is a little more expensive but colour seen through it is 'true'. Here are some ideas for you to consider -

  • Plain star bright low iron oxide glass (crystal clear) over the wall colour - Resene Parchment - gives protection but doesn't rely on a different colour being a large part of the equation.
  • A silvery metallic colour may be used as often there are other metal elements in the kitchen - possibly the stove or refrigerator and definitely lovely metal handles on cabinets - Resene Silver Aluminium is a suggestion for you to look at.
  • Another metallic idea is a very dark one - Resene Blast Grey 1 - a charcoal black - this works as a neutral to enhance the cabinet colour Resene Quarter Black White.
  • A word to the wise, red splashbacks are trendy - people tend to copy each other - so there are a huge amount of kitchens with red splashbacks. If you choose a red splashback you may find many others have the same.
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
November 2013

Q. We have a cedar house in desperate need of a repaint. The house backs on to bush and we have repainted the roof recently so colours need to work with Resene Karaka. We also need to repaint our front door - inside and out. The interior wall colour will be Resene Quarter Parchment.

A. I am presuming that the cedar is already painted (not stained) and it is a relatively simple repaint. In the environment you are in - close to the bush - I rather suspect you may get sticky pollen and mould trying to live on the cedar so any colour might need to 'hide' this. You might like to try Resene Stonehenge, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Half Arrowtown or Resene Quarter Pravda.

The front door colour - exterior and interior - is a bit harder - I personally would emphasise the exterior in a colour that sets off the exterior - whichever colour you choose for the cedar and you could go similar but a bit deeper to your interior colour for the inside of the door - unless you favour making a statement. Try Resene Parchment (deeper than the wall colour which will help to hide fingermarks), Resene Armadillo (slightly like Resene Karaka but not as olive), Resene Red Earth (earthy deep red - looks rich with Resene Karaka and earthy tones) or Resene Zion (earthy ochre gold).

Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Red Earth
Resene Red Earth
Resene Zion
Resene Zion
   
October 2013

Q. We are painting our brick house Resene Foggy Grey. However we have areas of plaster board that we would like to paint in a complementary colour. Can you suggest a colour?

A. There are two ways to go I think - lighter than the Resene Foggy Grey - and slightly grey/green - you might investigate Resene Half Ash or you could go darker but not too dense - Resene Half Gravel. Or as a safe option you could try Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
October 2013

Q. Our house is painted with Resene Double Stonewall with dark green trim and doors are white. We have a three sided area by our entrance and we are going to get an awning but are not sure what colour to use. Our outside furniture is white, the seats are a taupe colour. It has a low roof line, single storey. We do not want the awning to overpower the light red oxide coloured paving and drive.

A. Is it a retractable awning with powder coated arms? If it is and they can be any colour at all then I would suggest you see if there is a colour as similar as possible to the house colour so it isn't too dark (like the green trim on the house) or too pale (white like the windows and doors) and alternatively if you could get a match to the taupe then that too is another option.

Essentially the awning (unless you are doing a traditional French colourful striped look or the black and white traditional English look) should have a minimal impact and be able to blend with the house or match existing elements, such as your taupe chairs.

Resene Double Stonewall
Resene Double Stonewall
October 2013

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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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