Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. We are getting a new COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof and want to paint the wood around our door and windows. We want to paint the wood near the door blue and the windows white. Do you think this would work with the new roof colour and the white brick facade too. We had been thinking Resene Midnight Express (wall), Resene Black White (windows) and Resene Turbo for some pot plant containers near the door. We want a darker blue and a nice white. Can you check this all works? A. Your colour combination will work well with a Grey Friars roof. Resene Midnight Express is a wonderful deep blue – however it can heat up the substrate being so dark, so you may want to consider using a CoolColour version of the colour. The colour will still look like Resene Midnight Express, but special pigment technology reduces the heat retention, therefore, protecting the life of the colour and substrate. I love the idea of the Resene Turbo pot planters too. April 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint my bedroom. It's in a villa in Northland. The ceiling is wood and there is a dark honey colour on timber board and batten. The flooring is wooden too, possibly kauri. Currently, the walls are light blue. I'd like to lighten it all up. There is a window to the east (small) and French doors face north. I am thinking of painting the walls Resene White. Which Resene White do you recommend? I was looking at Resene Quarter Tea, but am unsure. A. Yes Resene Quarter Tea will work with the honey tones of your wood. I would recommend using Resene White on French doors or windows that need a repaint. This will direct the sunlight into the windows. April 2022 |
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Q. I have a brick house with white window trim and will very soon be getting the concrete tile roof restored, as part of this process it will also be repainted. We are not a fan of the current terracotta roof colour and are thinking of going with Resene Grey Friars or Resene Ironsand. We would also paint the guttering and garage door to match the roof. A. My recommendation is to go with an Ironsand roof. Ironsand is a mixture of grey and brown and can lend towards an earthy green at times, therefore, it is a perfect co-ordinate for your bricks. March 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my mum’s house. It is small 120 sqm house and is currently white Hardiplank. The windows are bronze aluminium and roof is brown decramastic tile. What colours would suit the exterior including trim and deck? I’m thinking Resene White Pointer or Resene Truffe for walls. A. Yes Resene Truffle walls will look great with your joinery and roof! Resene White Pointer is a good option for the trims. The deck I suggest trying Resene Arrowtown or Resene Eighth Bokara Grey. Please note the darker the colour, the hotter underfoot, so I recommend using a Resene CoolColour to help reflect more of the sun’s energy. Check with your local Resene ColorShop staff to see if a CoolColour is right for your project. March 2022 |
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Q. I would like some advice on new colours for my young teenage son's bedroom. The bedroom is south facing and does not receive any warm coloured light until late evening. The walls are painted in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream with trims and ceiling in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. At the moment in daylight the room looks watery grey and cold. I would love to make his room cosy and inviting using dark paint colours. Can you suggest a dark colour for the walls (or maybe just a dark feature wall and the other walls an off white or lighter colour)? If you are able to suggest some complementary colours that I could paint his furniture and suggest a pop of colour for some accessories I could add. I have tested Resene Half Fuscous Grey and really like this colour for the wall(s). Your advice on whether to repaint the ceiling would be great too. A. Resene Half Fuscous Grey will look awesome in your son's bedroom. The ceiling can remain Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, as it will appear warmer being teamed with the Resene Half Fuscous Grey. Complementary colours are: Resene Nero and Resene Alabaster. For a pop of colour, I like reds with this combo so try Resene Poppy or Resene Dynamite. March 2022 |
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our Federation period weatherboard. The front facade faces south. It is currently white and we find it too high maintenance and also a bit drab in the southern shady aspect. My dad is an architect and has suggested that we use a silver grey or powdery grey/blue on the weatherboards and a really pale clean sky blue on the trims, which I would like to at least have a look at. Are you able to make some suggestions that would suit this colour scheme? Or give me another interesting (not pedestrian or Hampton) scheme that you think I could also try. A. I Love your dad’s ideas! I have put together some colours which you can mix and match in some cases or look at the combinations.
 Resene Helix March 2022 |
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Q. We are building a new house. It has a high raked ceiling. It overlooks mountains. I’m trying to bring elements from outside in. Inside we have as features, timber, large gardens in the inside entrance way, concrete etc. There are no bright colours or wallpaper – I just want it calm. We have very large windows. My question is does Resene Truffle go with Resene Double Lemon Grass? I have chosen Resene Kelp for the media room and Resene Double Lemon Grass for the lounge and hallway (which has mdf panelling on one side and a very long window on other side). The rest of the house will be Resene Truffle. When I look at Resene Truffle I worry it’s too grey. As I say I need everything earthy, should I choose a white with a more green tone? A. Your home sounds fabulous! Yes, Resene Truffle works with Resene Double Lemon Grass. Resene Truffle isn't too grey if you compare it to standard greys – such as Resene Stack for example. However, if you want to create more cosiness, then you could consider Resene Double Truffle in the bedrooms, and leave Resene Truffle to the kitchen. Resene Double Truffle is a lovely oyster and the depth gives it more warmth, even though it does have a grey edge. Alternatively Resene Quarter Truffle could be an option – it is a warm taupe – not too grey and not too beige. I wouldn't go for a green white, this isn't going to create a calming, warm space. March 2022 |
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Q. We are about to restain our wooden house with Resene Woodsman Pitch Black. We are trying to decide what colour to paint/stain the beams and posts on the veranda and in the carport. We are tending towards a light (white) colour and wondering about Resene Whitewash or whether we should use a paint a solid colour. A. In this instance I suggest painting the beams and posts. Try Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White or Resene Half Sea Fog. March 2022 |
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Q. Our lounge carpet is a blue/green colour. The room has not much light and I would like a colour that would help lighten the room and go with the carpet. I am thinking of Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White. A. Resene Triple Sea Fog could look lovely, and it is still a light colour or Resene Half Sea Fog. Alternatively, you could try a warmer white such as Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. March 2022 |
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Q. I am going to paint my Kwila deck and need some help to sort out a colour. I have looked at Resene Espresso but it is just too dark. The house is painted Resene Quarter Taupe Grey with Resene Alabaster around the windows. A. You could stay within the same colour range and try Resene Taupe Grey. Alternatively, Resene Double Stack or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey are good options to try. March 2022 |
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Q. I have a New Denim Blue roof and windows... what colour would you suggest I use to stain the house that is pine/cedar batten look and feel? I was thinking a dark black colour then maybe paint the windows off white? A. I recommend trying testpots of Resene Woodsman Crowshead or Resene Tiri. For the windows try Resene Double Black White or Resene Double Alabaster. These colours will appear brighter/lighter outside. March 2022 |
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Q. We are just in the process of updating our colours. Currently we have doors, door frames and skirting boards in Resene Half Napa and we are looking at painting the walls Resene Half White Pointer. What would you consider a good choice for the ceiling? I have my eye on Resene Half Alabaster but am not too sure it will all match. A. Try Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Black White. The Resene Alabaster family might be a bit too warm. March 2022 |
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Q. We are repainting our house and fence but have brass joinery which limits our options and would like some advice. A. I wouldn’t let your brass joinery dictate your scheme too much, but colours you could try for the main wall area are: Resene Napa, Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Schooner. For the railings and fence you could try Resene Ironsand or Resene Half Ironsand. March 2022 |
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Q. I have chosen Resene Sea Fog as my main wall colour throughout the house. I was thinking of painting the ceiling, windows and trims with Resene Alabaster. Would this work as opposed to plain white? We are also putting in a new kitchen and I was wondering if a soft grey would go with some of the cabinetry/bench tops. I am looking at a mid-brown vinyl planking but have not chosen carpet or drapes yet. A. Yes Resene Sea Fog will look great with Resene Alabaster – and with your mid brown plank floor. It will work well opposed to Resene Stark White. If you can choose a soft warm grey, for your cabinetry, then this will work well with your floor and walls. I recommend painting a testpot of Resene Sea Fog and taking it with you when choosing cabinetry colours and benchtops or showing it to your kitchen company. Also see if you can loan a sample of the flooring. March 2022 |
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Q. I have a 1960s weatherboard house with new Ironsand roof and white PVC windows. How would Resene Half Napa look for the weatherboards or would you recommend something else? A. Resene Half Napa will look awesome with your new roof and great on weatherboard – tends to go a little greyer. Because of the size of your house, you could also try Resene Napa. March 2022 |
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Q. I have painted the cedar on my house with Resene Black and love it. I have a tiled patio outside the bedroom which is currently a vile sea green. I was looking for advice on a good grey/concrete colour to paint the tiles. I was thinking perhaps Resene Traffic or Resene Grey Friars. A. I think Resene Traffic is a great colour and will work well! Not too hot under foot either. If it doesn't work for you, try Resene Triple Concrete or Resene Stack. March 2022 |
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Q. I want a smart grey-green for a feature wall. A. Resene have many smart grey greens! The ones I recommend to try are: Resene Inside Back, Resene Innocence, Resene Half Washed Green, Resene Ravine and Resene Haven. There are lighter and darker variants available also. March 2022 |
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Q. I am considering painting my walls in Resene Quarter Rice Cake and was wondering what would be a good colour for the doors and trims? A. I would use Resene White on your doors and trims, to keep it clean and fresh and contrast against the Resene Quarter Rice Cake. March 2022 |
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Q. What’s a nice, light green colour for a bathroom? Currently it’s Resene Quarter Malta on the walls and a lighter ceiling. It has good morning light but is dark in the afternoon, especially in the winter. A. Resene Secrets is a lovely green for a bathroom or you could try Resene Quarter Emerge. I also suggest painting the ceiling a warm white to take the edge off the green in winter – try Resene Elderflower or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. March 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our two storey house (upper level has sheet cladding with wooden battens and the lower level is bricks). We are painting the whole house Resene Half Napa, with trim and battens in Resene Eighth Napa. What fun colour could we paint the front door with? It currently has nine panes of yellow stained glass which we won't be replacing at this stage. These glass panels take up about half of the door, at a guess. I'm thinking maybe a dark/deep burnt orange, or a dark green or dark navy blue. Our window frames are currently all a dark brown aluminium and there are the criss cross grids in most of the windows. A. I think you are on the right track with your front door colour. I recommend you try Resene Moccasin, Resene Big Stone, Resene Indian Ink or Resene Black Forest. March 2022 |
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Q. I love the trend of black houses but it is too deep for my house so I'm thinking of a FlaxPod roof with Resene Bokara Grey walls. I like the warmth of the Resene Bokara Grey. Will it work with FlaxPod or is the tone too different. A. Yes, the Resene Bokara Grey family will sit well with FlaxPod. I recommend you try lighter Resene Half Bokara Grey and Resene Quarter Bokara Grey as these may suit even better. March 2022 |
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Q. I plan to paint all interior walls and bookcase off-white to create a fresh look for a beach house. I am thinking along the lines of Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster, etc and the halves/quarters/eighths of these. My main concern is getting a fresh look and having the wall colour work with the existing beige carpets (and possibly curtains) that we want to keep. I’m also not sure how light/dark to go. A. I would like to suggest that you stay away from true whites and grey/cool whites, although they can look fresh, they won't work as well with beige carpets and drapes. With the absence of white in the house, a warm off white will still look white and fresh, if you go lighter in shade, and complement the drapes and carpet. Try Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Half Milk White. March 2022 |
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Q. Garage and house has Resene Nocturnal for the roof, barge boards and garage doors. At the moment the main colour for house and garage is Resene Half Stonehenge. I love Resene Nocturnal. What would look fab as the main colour that will go with the wonderful Resene Nocturnal and blend in the Karaka doors and windows. I would like to put more Resene Nocturnal on the deck and base boards etc. A. Colours which are a mix of grey and slightly green will blend with both the Karaka and Resene Nocturnal. I recommend trying Resene Castle Rock. March 2022 |
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Q. We have decided to paint the exterior of our small 1950s bungalow in Resene Concrete. What white/s would you recommend for our trims? A. Try Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White. Both are greyed whites, however they do appear whiter outside. March 2022 |
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Q. I have a Gull Grey roof with matching spouting. I’m looking for a white that won’t have a lot of glare for the exterior colour. I need sufficient contrast to the roof. It’s a villa that is being modernised. A. I would look at the Resene Sea Fog family either Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog. Colours do appear lighter outside than you may expect, so it may pay to go with Resene Double Sea Fog. Pure white is 100% reflective and therefore can create glare, while Resene Sea Fog is 81% and Resene Double Sea Fog is 76%. Resene Triple Sea Fog is lovely on weatherboards, but it is heading towards a misty grey – it has a LRV of 71%. March 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint my interior walls in Resene Half Alabaster. Do I paint the baseboards, trim and doors in Resene Quarter Alabaster? What about the ceiling? A. It really depends on how low or high your ceiling is. If you have a standard 2.4 stud height then I would do the ceiling lighter as, colours, including whites can look darker on the ceiling. As for the trims, doors etc I would keep them all the same – Resene Half Alabaster, but do the walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, and the woodwork in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss. March 2022 |
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Q. You have two blacks and I would like to know which is the best to get a real black treated pine? A. I have used Resene Black on treated pine and it is a true deep black. March 2022 |
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Q. I’d like to paint a feature wall in a bedroom. I like the green called Resene Family Tree. What white would you suggest I use for the other walls? A. Green based whites would look good with Resene Family Tree. Try Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. March 2022 |
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Q. We have a terracotta coloured roof with Desert Sand capping around the edges. We'd like to paint the house slightly darker than the current colour of Resene Half Drought. I like Resene Triple Tea, Resene Cougar or Resene Half Craigieburn. We have new PVC windows upstairs and are unsure whether to paint to match Desert Sand downstairs or leave the white and paint downstairs white. We are also looking for a colour for garden walls. A. Since you are changing the colour of your house – and this is a great idea – I would have all the windows white. This will modernise your house immediately. Resene Triple Tea and Resene Cougar could work. I’m not so sure about Resene Craigieburn. I feel Resene Stonewall as an alternative could work well! March 2022 |
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Q. We are in the process of buying a new property with a very dated kitchen. Eventually we would like to completely renovate it but in the short term we would like to paint the kitchen cupboards. What colour would you suggest? We are not afraid to try something a bit different – it's a two storey red brick 1920s bungalow. A. You could do a modern 1920s theme or traditional – blue, greens, creams were the most popular kitchen colours in this era, more modern 1920s homes included darker colours. For a few ideas try Resene Cooled Green, Resene Bleach White or Resene Half Smalt Blue from the Karen Walker Paints collection. Or Resene Charcoal could also work. March 2022 |
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Q. I have an ex-Crown house with an orange tile roof. Suggestions please for a complete exterior paint. I think that darker colours would emphasise the roof. I intend to add some stained timber slats in front of the bathroom window and beside the front door. The front door opens on to varnished rimu flooring. Something white or grey tones would be good. A. I have two options which will work with your orange tiled roof for you to consider. Option 1: weatherboards in Resene Taupe Grey, windows, frames and sills in Resene Wan White and bargeboards and base in Resene Fuscous Grey, all colours from the Karen Walker Paints collection. Option 2: weatherboards in Resene Scarpa Flow, windows, frames and sills in Resene Sea Fog and bargeboards and base in Resene Bastille. March 2022 |
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Q. We have a beach house and would like a colour scheme plan for the front fence, corrugated iron fence (using COLORSTEEL®), deck balustrade, deck stairs and all exterior wooden green trims. Under the deck all the wooden posts are green. The garage door is wooden and the same stain colour as the deck balustrade. The main house exterior walls – corrugated iron and aluminium joinery will remain the same. We like Resene Grey Friars, Resene Stack and Resene Black White. A. I recommend considering COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey opposed to Grey Friars, it is less blue. For the stairs I recommend staining with Resene Tiri. The remaining timber including the green posts and balustrades, I recommend trying Resene Half Sea Fog. This is less stark and grey than Black White. March 2022 |
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Q. Our house is currently painted with shades of Resene Tea and Resene Napa, I like these colours however would like to change to more grey tones what would you recommend? A. For a grey version of the Resene Tea and Resene Napa shades, I suggest trying the Resene Truffle family or the Resene Pravda family. We have other greyer options available also if you want to go greyer. March 2022 |
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Q. What is the best way to choose dining chairs for a table when no one can agree? A. One option to keep everyone happy is to choose a plain table and then matching wooden chairs. Let each family member choose a chair paint colour and paint their chair that colour. It’s great fun at teatime when everyone gets to sit in their favourite chair. March 2022 |
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Q. How do I add interest to a bedroom without overwhelming it? A. Use the wall behind the headboard to indulge your favourite Resene colour or wallpaper. That way you’ll get to enjoy the look when you are in the room but it won’t keep you awake at night. March 2022 |
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Q. We are planning some hooks in our hallway but don’t want them to look ugly. Can you suggest any ideas? A. Who said hooks had to be ugly and boring? Dip old door knobs into paint and then hang in a pattern on your wall. Each colour can be used for a different family member and they’ll still look good when not in use. March 2022 |
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Q. Why does it seem hard to pick white paint colours? Where should I start with deciding on colours? A. Homeowners usually choose to use whites and off whites for two reasons – 1: because they love the feeling whites bring their home, or 2: they aren't confident to choose brighter colours so they choose whites and off whites thinking they are a safer option. There are many shades of whites available and the key is to identifying the undertone in the white and how it is influenced by the lighting and the other furniture, accessories and decorating elements you have in the area you are painting. More than any other colour, whites and off-whites are influenced by other elements in the room. If you have a room full of blue furnishings, expect your white wall to take on a blue tinted look. Darker colours tend to hold their own more so are less likely to reflect the colour of other furnishings around them. The more you work with colour, the better your eye gets at seeing the nuances in colour. For those new to colour, all whites can look alike at first glance. However if you compare them to each other, you can start to see colours with blue, green, red, black and yellow undertones. Slip a piece of plain white printer paper under a white that you are considering and this will help force your eyes to see the colour as it is. To help homeowners choose, Resene has grouped favourite whites into colour families. These are Resene's most popular whites and neutrals and have up to six strength variations of each colour – from Triple through to Eighth – in the Resene Whites and Neutrals collection. This makes it easy to choose whites that go together – choose a full or half strength for the walls, a quarter strength for the ceiling and double or triple strength for the doors. When choosing whites and neutrals, choices tend to differ around the regions. Aucklanders tend to favour whites like Resene Sea Fog and Resene Black White. These tend to feel a little cooler – ideal for humid areas. When you go further south, warmer whites become more popular, such as Resene Bianca. These are more naturally warmer, ideal for areas that tend to get much colder in winter. Newer homes tend to be finished in black or green tinted whites, such as Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster and Resene Thorndon Cream. More traditional homes, tend to opt for creamier whites, such as Resene Villa White and Resene Bianca. The first step in choosing any colour, whether it is white or bright, is to decide how you want your room to feel – warm, cool, modern, traditional, etc and which elements of the room are being kept. Then consider the lighting – both natural and artificial. Then start choosing your paint colours. You may find you need to vary the strength or tone of your white in some rooms because the light may help it look beautiful in some rooms and washed out in others. January 2022 |
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Q. I'm building new on a rural section in Central Otago. The house is long, all living and bedrooms are north-facing. The southern side is bathrooms, toilets, laundry and office. The windows are wooden and there's a birch ply roof and walls in some areas of the house, plus a wall of Japanese cedar in the living space. We are using Resene Clover for some doors and a bulkhead. I'm confused about what white/neutral to use. We need something that works with Resene Clover as well as moss green and beige tiles (two separate types of tiles) and the ply and cedar. We think we like the warm whites and have samples of Resene Half Villa White, Resene Merino (is this cool?) and Resene Half Thorndon Cream (green undertones but cool). We're finding it hard so know what effect each will have on a full scale. The house has a monopitch roof, a black exterior (mix of charred cedar and corrugate) and light wooden windows. Inside there is a polished concrete floor in most places with carpet in bedrooms. A. I agree you are on the right track with colours to go with every element you have selected. The best way to check your colours is painting large white cardboard samples so you can move the sample from room to room. I suggest you take a look at Resene Quarter Villa White and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream as potential wall colours too. Other elements I think you also need to look at are ceiling and trims colours. What have you tried for the window frames? Resene Clover is a stunning colour and works well with both the Resene Villa White family and the Resene Thorndon Cream family (not so much with the Resene Merino). November 2021 |
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Q. We have a kitchen/dining/living area with high ceilings and lots of windows facing north. We have painted the ceiling and trims in Resene Black White but are not sure whether to use Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog as contrast to the walls? Or will these be too white and another colour is better? A. Immediately I would consider continuing with Resene Black White on the walls! The reason is, Resene Black White has an umber tone in it, which will give a calming effect and coolness (not cold though) and won’t feel too bright. This is a very simple approach that often works well. You could consider a statement wall in these areas, perhaps a calming green such as Resene Smoky Green from the Karen Walker Paints collection or Resene Peace. Or, other neutral wall colour options to consider are Resene Double Merino or Resene Double White Pointer. November 2021 |
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Q. I am painting my house in Resene Blue Moon. I am looking for a pink or red that is complementary and could go around windows. Something like Resene Smashing or Resene Adrenalin Junkie. I noticed that Resene Adrenalin is deep orange but that's too much for my taste. A. Reds and pinks that work well with Resene Blue Moon are: Resene Quarter Pohutukawa (red/pinkish undertone), Resene Rouge (magenta pink tone) or Resene Geronimo (red/pink tone). November 2021 |
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Q. We have a white plaster exterior 1950s home with new Silver Pearl aluminium windows. Our roof is a dark charcoal tin roof. We want to add wooden architraves around each of the windows (as it currently looks plain and cheap) but are unsure what colour would best suit the silver window frames. A. For the new timber window architraves, my suggestion is to keep it simple. Consider a clean fresh white, such as Resene Alabaster or Resene White. This will give an understated elegant look. November 2021 |
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Q. I'm having my house painted in about a week and am conflicted about colours. The windows and trim will all be white. I'd like a medium-ish grey on the walls and a darker shade on the stairs. I have been looking at Resene Grey Friars or Resene Half Grey Friars for walls, maybe Resene Foundry for stairs? A. Here are a couple of other options for consideration:
November 2021 |
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Q. Please advise a neutral colour to paint walls to complement Resene Sakura or half strength Resene Sakura on a feature wall. I like the colour Resene Tea but am not sure if that would be the best choice. A. Other complementary colours worth considering that work with Resene Sakura are: Resene Half Cloud, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Half Foggy Grey. November 2021 |
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Q. I have a 1960s weatherboard house with an iron roof in Grey Friars and aluminium joinery in Titania. Could you please suggest some suitable colours for the weatherboards and base skirting? A. Colour options to consider for the weatherboard of your 1960s property that will work well with Grey Friars and Titania are: Resene Half Emerge and Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue. Both are blue with subtle green in colour, and a strong grey undertone so creates a chilled out relaxed look, but is smart and modern. For neutral options consider Resene Triple Thorndon Cream (warm beige with an earthy green undertone) and Resene Half Atmosphere (soft light misty/silver grey).  Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue November 2021 |
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Q. I've picked Resene Half Soothe (Resene Ethereal) for my bedroom and am looking for a light blue to go in all the other rooms that will co-ordinate. I looked at Resene Half Halcyon but it was too dark. Resene Cut Glass was a bit too bright. What other colours would be good? The skirting boards, door and window frames etc are white and my carpets are currently a charcoal grey (but will probably change carpets in the next couple years). A. The colour needs to be slightly earthy, not too clear. A touch of green will give it warmth as well. Have a look at Resene Breeze or Resene Slipstream. For a more subtle look (more greyed and slightly less green), try Resene Half Periglacial Blue or Resene Quarter Powder Blue.  Resene Slipstream  Resene Half Halcyon  Resene Ethereal November 2021 |
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Q. I am planning to repaint my house built in 1986. The garage door and fences are Resene Element. The front bottom half of our two storey house has rusty red coloured brick while the rest is in cedar which is stained. We want to paint the house in either a brown/grey tone that would complement the Resene Element colour or perhaps a green tone that would work as well. We would appreciate if you could offer suggestions for a colour scheme for the whole house plus roof (decramastic). The window frames are brown that is typical of that era. A. For the main colour, look at Resene Double Stonehenge (a soft grey/brown) or Resene Ironside Grey (similar, but more green toned). They will both look great with Resene Element and brown windows (possibly Ironsand). For the roof, you could repeat the dark colour like Resene Element or Resene Ironsand but it might be nice to look at a lighter shade as well such as Resene Napa. November 2021 |
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Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Karaka green roof. We are just painting the exterior walls with Resene Cedar paint. What red to you suggest for a trim? We also have Resene Karaka green veranda posts. Will this be okay or could you suggest another colour? A. I would look at Resene Lonestar for the trims. If you go too bright and clear, it will fade badly. The red tones are affected by the sun, slightly earthier tones will still fade over time but look better in my opinion. The brown Resene Cedar colour is quite dark, perhaps look at Resene Soya Bean or Resene Pine Cone as options. They have a green slant and will look a lot softer, complementing Resene Karaka better. November 2021 |
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Q. I am painting the interior of my home Resene Quarter Tea and would like advise on which white to use on ceilings and doors. A. Have a look at Resene Half Black White (quite light and fresh) or Resene Quarter White Pointer (a bit softer and slightly warmer). November 2021 |
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Q. I need to select a 'black' for a new Federation front door which has a large pane of bright turquoise glass. I have looked at many of the Resene blacks or double charcoals...so need your advice please? The bricks are painted white and tessellated tiles are a warm grey, terracotta, white and black. A. I would look at Resene Foundry (a slightly blue charcoal), Resene Double Foundry (nearly black with a hint of blue) or Resene Double Cod Grey (almost black with a blue/green undertone). They will all look smart on the door, especially in a semi-gloss or even full gloss finish. The more sheen, the sleeker they will appear. November 2021 |
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Q. We are completing extensive renovations and were hoping you could help with a ceiling colour to use throughout our house. Our hallway has been lengthened and now is quite dark/shadowy with a floor to ceiling window at the south end. I would appreciate it if you could suggest a warm white that would work through our whole house. I have tried Resene Alabaster but it takes on a greyish tone in the hall. It was previously Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta which was good but I am not confident it would work in on large kitchen/dining/lounge ceilings (too creamy). Any suggestions for a suitable colour that would wind back the yellow just a touch would be really helpful. A. It is quite tricky to find a colour that works everywhere as each area will have different light and proportions. Resene Alabaster is quite cold and will change a lot depending on the light, in the day and at night. When the sun bounces off a wooden floor, for example, it can make very light colours look very yellow, and then at night they can go stark and cold, depending on your lighting. Slightly more complex shades tend to hold their colour better. Also, it can be helpful to have two shades used wherever they work best. Have a look at: Resene Half Bianca (soft and slightly warm), Resene Quarter Rice Cake (in-between the grey and yellow undertones) or Resene Quarter Villa White (slightly earthier and mellow). All these colours are very light but also friendly and soft. November 2021 |
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Q. We currently have Resene Surrender in our bedroom. It’s always been a very cold room feeling not quite right and now our daughter is going into the room and we are looking for a slightly darker warmer colour but not too dark and moody for the room. I do like grey. Are there any warmer greys you can recommend please? A. Resene Surrender is quite clear making it very blue and cool. A slightly earthier tone would be better. Have a look at Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Half Cloud. They are all versatile and warm. November 2021 |
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Q. We’re using Resene Carrara for the entire exterior of a 1907 weatherboard house. We’d like to paint the front door in a shade of green or pink and are wondering which of your colours would best complement? A. I like your colour ideas with Resene Cararra. Have a look at Resene Paper Doll (a delicate soft pink), Resene Dawn Chorus (a sunset coral) or Resene Elixir (an interesting avocado green). November 2021 |
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Q. We are planning to put red bricks on the exterior of our house but there is lot of weatherboard to paint and need the best colour combination advice of what goes with red bricks. A. There are a lot of different red bricks but here are some options that should look good: Resene White Pointer (a soft mellow white), Resene Truffle (a modern shade in-between grey and brown) or Resene Quarter Stonehenge (a complex grey/brown with a hint of red). If you can bring a brick into one of the Resene ColorShops, you will be able to view it with the large colour sample to see how it works with these options. November 2021 |
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Q. I want to repaint the exterior of my fibre cement cladded house. The joinery is dark brown aluminium which I won't be changing as it comes with fitted flyscreens over all the windows and sliding doors. I want to repaint the house grey. I really like the darker grey with blue base look, but I also need to do the roof and baseboards, so am open to a lighter grey for the walls, and darker grey roof and baseboards. Do you have any greys you can recommend that would look ok against the brown aluminium joinery? A. Resene Stack or Resene Double Stack will work with brown windows. Another interesting blue/brown/grey is Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey from the Karen Walker Paints collection. These options would work with Resene Nocturnal for the roof and perhaps Resene Half Nocturnal for the foundations. November 2021 |
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Q. I am having the outside of my house painted in the new year. The current colour is Resene Sea Fog. Like the light colours, but wouldn't mind a little more grey as long as it has blue undertones. The joinery is Grey Friars. The place is coastal. A. Resene Sea Fog is nice but quite light and subtle. Have a look at Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Silver Chalice (both silver greys with a hint of blue). Resene Quarter Delta is also nice (soft and slightly warmer). November 2021 |
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Q. I am getting COLORSTEEL® put on my roof early next year and want colour advice. I have an orange brick 1960s house. The paint on the bottom/windows is Resene Half Tea. I was thinking either Desert Sand or Gull Grey for the roof. A. I wouldn't choose Desert Sand, as it's a bit too yellow and doesn't look great with Resene Half Tea or orange bricks. COLORSTEEL® is okay, although it's very light, a bit like an unpainted metal roof. I would look at COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey – it will sit nicely with the bricks and also with Resene Half Tea. November 2021 |
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Q. We have just replaced our 80s roughcast house roof with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. It has bronze aluminium joinery. We are thinking of using Resene Ironsand for gables but are unsure whether we should use this for window trim as well and what colour would work for the cladding that would tie everything in. A. Option 1: try the gable in Resene Stonehenge and walls in Resene White Pointer. Option 2: try the gable in Resene Half Ironsand and walls in Resene Half Friar Greystone. With both of these options, Resene Ironsand windows would look good if you choose to paint them.  Resene Half Friar Greystone November 2021 |
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Q. What would be a good neutral white/grey/black palette be with weatherboards in Resene Double Sea Fog. A. Try trims in Resene Half Sea Fog, door in Resene Noir or Resene Double Foundry (these are nearly black but with interesting undertones) and roof in Resene Grey Friars or Resene Half Baltic Sea.  Resene Noir November 2021 |
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Q. We are painting a new house FlaxPod (Resene Element) and I want a roof colour and a red shade for the front door please. A. FlaxPod (Resene Element) is a very stylish colour. It will be fine if your house has a wooden or Linea cladding but if it is plastered, check that it will comply as there are usually limits on how dark colours can be on plaster. I don't know how much of the roof you see. You could do it in FlaxPod as well or if you want a contrast, look at Resene Atmosphere. For the front door, there are lots of colours that would work. Have a look at Resene Pohutukawa (a rich red favourite), Resene Salsa (a slightly raspberry red) or Resene Smashing (punchy and vibrant). November 2021 |
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Q. We are building a traditional villa looking home in Christchurch using Titania for the garage door and windows. We don't want dark weatherboards. Please advise a nice colour for the boards and roof. A. For the weatherboards, I would go a bit darker than Titania to give a nice contrast. Have a look at Resene Truffle (a very delicate grey/beige), Resene Quarter Stonehenge (slightly earthy with grey/green/brown undertones) or for something different, try Resene Half Lemon Grass (interesting blue/green undertones). For the roof, you could do Titania but I think it might look too light on a villa. I'm thinking that Resene Half Nocturnal would look great with any of those colours. You could possibly repeat the roof colour on the windowsills as well. November 2021 |
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Q. I am looking to paint the outside of my 1930s bungalow. I have Arctic White aluminium windows and I am looking for a white paint to go round them that will match this, then a mid-grey for the weatherboards and charcoal for the trim. I like Resene Black White but am not sure this is an exterior colour? A. Any Resene colours can be used outside. Resene Black White is a popular trim colour but I think Resene Poured Milk or Resene Quarter Iron would sit better with Arctic White as it has a blue undertone. For the weatherboards, have a look at Resene Half Grey Chateau (an interesting blue/grey) or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice (slightly softer and warmer). For a charcoal, have a look at Resene Foundry (quite dark with a blue hint), Resene Shark (slightly softer) or Resene Half Shark (softened even more but still a nice contrast).  Resene Poured Milk November 2021 |
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Q. We have a plaster and cedar exterior cladded home we are currently doing a reno on. We have one wall left of the existing cedar stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman Charred Black. I want to go dark on the plaster. What would you recommend to go with Resene Charred Black? A. For darker plaster, look at Resene Ironsand (a darkish grey/brown but not severe), Resene Half Fuscous Grey (a softer smoky grey/brown) or Resene Bokara Grey (more intense but quite stunning). For all of these colours and stains, consider using the Resene CoolColour versions to reflect more of the sun’s heat. Check with Resene ColorShop staff if a CoolColour is right for your project. November 2021 |
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Q. We're building a new home through GJ Gardner and I want a really light and bright feeling. I've gone with Resene White but a few people I've spoken to have said not to go for a really harsh white. This would be for the whole house, inside. A. I have to agree, white is very stark. A tiny amount of tinter can soften the look, reduce glare and make it easier to cover. It will still look white but will feel a bit friendlier. Also, the lighter you go, the more the walls will be affected by changing light. They might look cream in the daytime with light bouncing off a floor, for example but then could go cold and stark at night-time depending on your lighting. I recommend you have a look at Resene Quarter White Pointer (a soft chalky white with a hint of warmth) or Resene Alabaster (almost white). Also, check that the white you choose goes with the flooring and kitchen cabinetry, as they need to complement each other. Don't underestimate the effect of a small amount of a contrast colour somewhere. It can really look dramatic and create a focal point. November 2021 |
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Q. I am repainting our house. The aluminium windows are Silver Pearl, which we will keep. We are looking for the best recommendation for a dark roof colour plus a trim colour for gables and also the main plaster sections (which we were thinking say Resene Half Black White). A. For a dark roof, have a look at Resene Element (which matches COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod). It's softer than black with a slight brown undertone. Another popular dark colour is Resene Noir (which matches COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey). This has a subtle blue/green undertone. For the lighter colour, I would look at Resene Double Black White, as the half strength would be quite bright outside. Resene Double Alabaster would work with this for the trims. Another soft white to look at is Resene Barely There. It would look great with Resene Half Black White trims. Resene Noir November 2021 |
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Q. Our home is 1950s brick and tile. The front porch/door area needs a change of colour, i.e. the door and adjacent window. I don't wish to change the ceiling as this colour continues on the soffit all around the house. The deck floor is grey tile. All other windows are white. There is a yellowish shrub beside the deck. The green seat under the window is that colour as it has associations with deceased family members (perhaps I could put it on the back deck!). The rails around the deck are black, the house roof is grey and the driveway is black/dark grey. I am inclined to have several pots of seasonal colour on the deck (currently a riot of orange, white, red and dark blue!). A. A green seat would suit a garden setting with flowers around it, (if you have the right spot). Potted plants would look great by the entrance. If you want a change for the door, try Resene Tarawera (an interesting blue/green), Resene Dark Side (a smoky dark blue) or Resene Noir (near black with a hint of blue/green). I don't think lighter colours would work as well. November 2021 |
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Q. We are looking for a front door colour to complement/tie in with a Hinuera Stone house. We have used Resene Pravda on the base of house and Resene Eighth Pravda for gables and above windows. I would love a pink on the front door! A. A pink door would be stunning! With the natural stone, I would look at colours that are slightly earthy with warm undertones. Try Resene Shilo (a slightly salmon pink), Resene Suzie Q (pretty and quirky) or Resene Turkish Delight (perhaps more stylish and muted). November 2021 |
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Q. We have just painted the outside of our house with Resene Grey Friars and need to choose a colour for the roof. We want it to be a dark colour that is darker than the house. A. For a darker roof, I would look at Resene Double Foundry or Resene Double Cod Grey. However you won't see a huge difference as roofs always look lighter because of the angle that the light hits them. I know you were thinking darker but also consider Resene Atmosphere (which matches COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey. It would look really nice with the white spouting and dark walls. November 2021 |
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Q. We have just recently painted our redbrick house in Resene Gull Grey. We have had a new roof put on which is COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey and we are getting a Windsor Grey garage door. The garage door is going on our new extension which is weatherboard. We are unsure what colour to paint the weatherboard. What would go with Resene Gull Grey and Windsor Grey? Or do you think we should keep the whole house the same colour (brick and weatherboard)? A. I think it would add interest to paint the weatherboards in a different colour, assuming you don't want to hide them. Try Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Half Mako to complement your other colours. November 2021 |
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Q. I am trying to find a light sage colour. I thought Resene Paris White would be a good option but it’s too yellow for my liking. I have painted a sample of Resene Pumice and like it but it’s a bit dark. Would it be possible to get it in half or quarter strength? I suppose I am wanting something closer to a white with a bit of sage in it. A. It depends if you want a clear, bright colour or something soft and slightly earthy. We can do a half strength of Resene Pumice although it is not a standard colour so it isn't available in a testpot. I would look at Resene Secrets (a subtle sage green also available in a half strength as Resene Half Secrets), Resene Eighth Lemon Grass (a delicate neutral with a green hint) or Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue (a beautiful pale blue/green shade that is restful and not overpowering). It does come down to the context of your place and the light, so trying samples painted on card in various places (against the trim and curtains etc) is the best way to be sure. November 2021 |
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Q. We are doing a new build of 408sqm with a front pavilion in reclaimed red brick and two back pavilions in black board and batten. A pergola of heavy timber will be on three sides of the house. Would the pergola look better in Resene Orchid White or Resene Black? A. That sounds like an amazing build. Out of the two options you are looking at, I would be inclined to choose Resene Black which always looks good with reclaimed bricks. I'm guessing your windows might be black as well. However, it sounds like a large pergola so I would also consider a stain in Resene Bushtrack or Resene English Walnut which would be softer and enhance the wood if it is going to be quite a feature. I'm visualising some vineyards in those materials and often the wood is in the old oak sort of colouring. November 2021 |
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Q. Our roof and window frames are Karaka. I want to paint the exterior walls next year and am looking for a green-grey that will complement Karaka and make the house seem to disappear into the surrounding vegetation a bit. A. There are some really nice colours that could work for you. Have a look at Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Half Gravel, both green/greys that are very stylish. For slightly warmer tones, try Resene Castle Rock or Resene Cobblestone. Moody tones will ground the house and help it to gel with the surroundings. November 2021 |
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Q. We are going to repaint our house to go onto the market. We have chosen to do all the exterior in Resene Half Concrete with Resene White ceilings. We want to do all the windows and door frame etc a white, what white would you recommend? We also have to repaint doors on an older kitchen, what colour would you recommend? Lastly we need to repaint all internal doors and don’t know whether to keep them the same white? A. Resene Alabaster would look good on the doors and trims. You could go a bit deeper on the kitchen cupboards perhaps, such as Resene Double Concrete, so long as it works with your benchtop. If your benchtop is light, a contrast colour on the cupboards could look amazing, like Resene Tuna or Resene High Tide. November 2021 |
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Q. I need a light grey to paint a house with white windows. A. The following are some lovely light greys for you to check out – Resene Surrender, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Double Concrete. November 2021 |
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Q. We recently began painting our open plan lounge kitchen Resene Grey Chateau. My husband was keen on a mid-dark grey as we have cream carpets, white ceilings, lots of rimu trim and rimu furniture plus a ruby coloured lounge suite and black lazyboy. The Resene Grey Chateau appears a lot bluer than we thought it would. We will be replacing the curtains with light grey ones which may help reduce the blue tone. Before we complete painting the whole room does Resene have a grey with less blue tone but similar in shade to Resene Grey Chateau... is that even possible? Anyhow after 30 years of apricot walls any new colour is a great improvement. A. Colours in an interior will always appear deeper in tone (or brighter depending upon the type of colour) often as much as double the intensity. Resene Grey Chateau is a silver grey with a lilac/blue undertone. Some light greys for you to check out are the following – Resene Half Surrender, Resene Flotsam and Resene Double Concrete. Comparing colours to each other is a very helpful thing to do. November 2021 |
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Q. We are hoping to change the colour of our small holiday unit complex. The roof will remain blue – COLORBOND® Deep Ocean. We are considering Resene Half Albescent White as the main wall colour, and would like some contrast. Possibly the stairs and some of the vertical poles and down pipes. Would you recommend the same blue as the roofs, or a darker neutral shade. A. All colours on an exterior look a lot lighter/brighter than you might imagine they will do. If you used Resene Half Albescent White it may look as light as Resene Quarter Albescent White. Would that be ok? If you want the finished effect to look like Resene Albescent White it may be wise to consider using Resene Albescent White. You could use the Resene match to the COLORBOND® Deep Ocean – Resene Coast – or you might use a slightly softer colour for stairs, poles and downpipes. Try Resene Safehaven, a bit brighter Resene Explorer or a darker option Resene Tangaroa.  Resene Safehaven November 2021 |
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Q. I'm after a white for a living/kitchen area that will go well with a feature wall in Resene Cumin. I have a stainless steel bench and possible Resene Grey Seal or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue cabinetry. I am thinking Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Half Black White? The floor will be engineered flooring in natural tones of wood on the darker side. A. I think Resene Sea Fog may suit the other colours that you have mentioned. It has a less stark/cool undertone than the Resene Black White palette of colours. But it is a personal choice. As long as you are really happy with your choice then all is well.  Resene Grey Seal November 2021 |
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Q. I’m painting our lounge in Resene Wanaka. I also want a nice warm colour in our bedroom that leads off from the lounge but am completely stuck as to what will work well with the room next door being Resene Wanaka. A. The following warm neutral colours are some that you might check out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Orchid White, Resene Quarter Sisal or Resene Eighth Malta. Alternatively, some more definite colours would also be worth considering – Resene Astra, Resene Dust Storm or Resene Green Spring. November 2021 |
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Q. We are going to paint our house in Resene Athens Grey with trims in Resene Alabaster gloss. Our goal is to get a nice white greyish colour? Do we need to go with maybe Resene Triple Athens Grey to see contrast? A. Sometimes in very bright natural light the differences between colours aren't seen as clearly. If you want a little more contrast, you could use a slightly deeper (but still pale) main colour – try Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. Alternatively, you could use a real standard white – Resene White – which is very clean and crisp – with Resene Athens Grey (same as Resene Eighth Chalice). November 2021 |
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Q. We have decided to use Resene Half White Pointer for the main house. But we can’t decide which colours to go with the concrete wall around the house. We also can’t decide the what colour to use with the wooden gates, we want a good colour that also protect the wood. A. Do you want the wall to be a deep but not too dark coloured feature? If so, then you might check out the following colours – Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. Or, alternatively, a light to mid tone colour – Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Stonewall. For the gate, perhaps a deeper version of the house colour could be considered – try Resene Triple White Pointer. November 2021 |
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Q. Could you please recommend a colour for exterior weatherboards? Ironsand is the roof colour and it will be repainted in this (is Resene Ironsand the same colour as the roof Ironsand would be?). The joinery is silver/grey aluminium, with lots of windows and large bifold doors. Currently the weatherboards are a coffee/beige colour. As we will be sticking with the Ironsand roof and existing grey joinery, the current weatherboard colour would be fine, however we are wondering if we could go to Resene Sea Fog for the weatherboards to brighten it up. We have also tried testpots of Resene Parchment and Resene Eighth Fossil (too fleshy), Resene Seashell and Resene Half House White (too pale/grey), Resene Titania and Resene Half Ash (too grey/green). Resene Sea Fog is the best so far but would this have too much glare? The house is surrounded by native bush and is north-facing on a sunny section. A. Resene Ironsand is a match to COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. If you like Resene Sea Fog but are unsure about the glare factor perhaps you could use a very slightly deeper toned variant – try Resene Double Sea Fog, or try Resene Barely There or Resene Double Black White. November 2021 |
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Q. I want help with a colour to paint my new front door as well as colour options for the exterior house. We will keep all the rails, posts, beams in Resene Diesel. The colour currently of our house would be close to Resene Double Napa we think. We also have a carport and the roof of that is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. We just have a long one levelled house with the carport at one end. A. You might check out the following colours for the exterior of the house – try Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Ash or Resene Fossil. Any of these colours would work with the very dark warm toned Resene Diesel. Some ideas for the new front door are Resene Sidewinder (relates well to Resene Diesel), Resene Double Tuna (a steely/blue toned charcoal) or Resene Hot Chile (a vibrant red/burgundy). November 2021 |
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Q. I have Resene Half Biscotti cupboards and trim and a dark forest green bench. Which colour shall I use for the walls? A.The following may offer you some options for the kitchen walls – Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Eighth Biscotti or Resene Half Sea Fog. Or a slightly deeper colour that is related to the kitchen cabinets – Resene Biscotti. November 2021 |
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Q. I have painted my Clyde cottage Resene Periglacial Blue which I love ( it’s now surrounded by pink roses). I now want to paint my old wooden outdoor furniture to complement. A. The following colours look very nice with Resene Periglacial Blue – try Resene Alabaster, Resene Grain Brown, Resene Clouded Blue, Resene Shadowy Blue or for something a little different – try Resene Beryl Green or Resene Irresistible. November 2021 |
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Q. I would like some advice on what colour paint to use for our exterior basement, the steps leading to the front entrance and the main door into our house. I have chosen Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster for the windows, windowsills and soffits. I'm unsure which Resene colours would best complement the choices we've made so far. A. If you want a tonal modern look for the house, you might use a deeper variant of your main house colour for the basement and steps – try Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Stack (same as Resene Triple Silver Chalice). Alternatively, if you prefer a deeper contrast the following colour has a very slight blue tint in it – try Resene Shuttle Grey. Your front door – ideally – can be a colour that is a personal favourite, what are you keen on? Or if you have no favourite colours then the following may inspire you – Resene Salsa, Resene Yowza of Resene Thumbs Up.  Resene Double Silver Chalice  Resene Thumbs Up  Resene Yowza November 2021 |
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Q. I have a cream roof and aluminium windows. I want to paint exterior which is rough cast. I also need a colour for the double internal garage door and front door. The house has a flat roof and two storeys and is approx 20 years old. I’m not sure what the cream is but it looks quite similar to Resene Quarter Spanish White. A. The following are some warm neutral colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you and work with the roof and joinery – Resene Triple Tea, Resene Half Craigieburn or Resene Double Akaroa. Colours that are a bit more 'colourful' might also be considered – try Resene Inside Back or Resene Half Raven. The doors – garage and house – might be a bit more of a statement – try Resene Moccaccino, Resene Balderdash or Resene Half Tuna. November 2021 |
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Q. We are using Resene Havelock Blue as a feature wall in a bedroom. What colour (white) do you recommend for the remaining walls? Would Resene Breathless work? And what colour for the ceiling? I'm using Resene Breathless in another bedroom. Will Resene Panorama work with that for a feature wall? The third bedroom will be just Resene Breathless. What should I use for the ceiling? A. Resene Breathless is a bit too coloured to be referred to as a 'white'. It may look a bit dull and greyish compared to the bright clear blue tone of Resene Havelock Blue and the lovely soft slightly lilac toned blue of Resene Panorama. Would that worry you? It is a personal choice and if you adore both the feature wall colours and the Resene Breathless together then all is good. A colour for the ceiling in the room that has Resene Breathless on the walls might be one of the following – Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster. November 2021 |
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Q. We are recladding a portion of our house that is currently HardiTex. The products used will be Axon Panel and Linea. The remainder of the home is clad in cedar, and we have decided to paint this. We will have a two tone house, with the Axon and Linea being able to take a darker colour. We have a dark decramastic tiled roof and Ironsand joinery, so brown/beige/grey/cream will be the sort of colour palettes we'll be looking at. A. A pale colour is usually recommended on timber weatherboards. Some colours you could consider are Resene Quarter Friar Greystone, Resene Cloudy, Resene Truffle, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Triple White Pointer. For the Linea and Axon panel you might check out Resene Dark Web (same as Resene Triple Ironsand) or Resene Bokara Grey.  Resene Quarter Friar Greystone November 2021 |
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Q. I have some rooms lined with a medium tone ply and think it may be too dark. Are there any washes available that would lighten it up while keeping the woodgrain look? A. There are two colours in a wash effect that may appeal to you – try Resene Whitewash or Resene Greywash. Both are a nice way to achieve a soft light look. You might also consider using a pale stain like Resene Colorwood Rock Salt. If you are experienced in applying stains you might prefer that look. November 2021 |
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Q. I am painting our lounge feature wall in Resene Tiki Tour –what would you suggest a good white would be ? Our carpet is medium grey. A. One of the following whites would work well with Resene Tiki Tour – try Resene House White, Resene Wan White or Resene Quarter Cararra. November 2021 |
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Q. We are upgrading a house to sell early next year. In 2017 we painted our own interior with Resene Wan White which we really like but have heard that more warmer tones are now coming back in rather than the grey based colours. We are wondering what colours are popular and current at the moment. A. Nothing in the way of whites usually goes out of fashion – a white must be chosen to work with existing colours (flooring/furniture/drapes etc) and the quality of natural light your rooms have. If you are happy with the white you chose, I see no reason to change it unless you have grown to dislike it. If you wanted something warmer you could go to something more like Resene Half Albescent White, but Resene Wan White is the more popular of the two colours. November 2021 |
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Q. I am just after a colour suggestion for our 22 year old daughter’s bedroom. She would love a soft sage green but hasn't found the right colour yet. The room is a standard bedroom size, not too big and will have a Resene Black White ceiling and window frames with white wooden shutters. A. The following are some soft greens that may appeal to your daughter – Resene Pumice, Resene Harp. Resene Tasman or a slightly deeper hue – Resene Haven. November 2021 |
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Q. I'm looking at painting our beach bach Resene Duck Egg Blue as the main colour with Resene Balderdash as the contrast. I am wondering what colour would work best for the fence. A. Resene Balderdash which – because you are already using it – is Option 1 for the fence. Deeper colours that might also be considered are these ones – Resene Big Stone, Resene Warrior or Resene Swamp. November 2021 |
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Q. We have clad the walls of house with Resene FlaxPod. We have a recessed area to the front doors and same out onto the deck which was to be clad in Cedar but has now changed to Weathertex Weathergroove 150 which has to be painted. I want a colour that has a natural warmth to it that maybe has the hue that natural timber would have given. I think if the Weathergroove was also FlaxPod, it might look like a massive cow pad. As the walls and soffits will reflect in through the large stacker slider, I thought the timber coloured hue would be a natural warmth. A. The following are warm colours that may fit your idea of a timber type colour – Resene Teak, Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Doeskin, Resene Rodeo Drive or Resene Brown Sugar. November 2021 |
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Q. I recently replaced my flooring with new natural oak flooring in my newly purchased house. The walls are a stark white which I think is too harsh and I would like to repaint the entire house. I still want a white but hoping to use a warmer white. This will also be used in a hallway that is tall, narrow and shadowy. A. You might check out the following warm whites to see if one appeals to you – Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Bianca. November 2021 |
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Q. We are painting the inside of our house in shades of Resene Sea Fog. We are now looking to paint the outside. We have a two storey house with cedar in the top storey and plaster in the bottom. Our window frames are Karaka and the roof is Ironsand. We have picked Resene Canopy as the stain for the cedar but have no idea in a colour for the bottom storey. A. The following may provide you with some options for the plastered lower storey – Resene Half Caraway, Resene Ash or Resene Triple Sea Fog. November 2021 |
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Q. We are currently getting a quote to have our house exterior painted. Can you please give some recommendations for grey with white options that would work well to get us started? A. Some ideas to try:
November 2021 |
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Q. Our roof and window joinery is Colorcote Ironsand. We are looking for a dark colour to go on the Linea exterior walls but perhaps not Ironsand? We want more of a grey (rather than brown) tone, but don't want it to look weird against the Ironsand joinery. The house is set in the country in Tararua. A. Perhaps one of the following may appeal to you – Resene Porter, Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Element. Otherwise, you might consider using one of the following darker variants of Ironsand – Resene Double Ironsand or Resene Dark Web (which is Resene Triple Ironsand).  Resene Porter  Resene Triple Ironsand  Resene Dark Web  Resene Double Ironsand November 2021 |
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Q. The exterior of our house is Resene White Pointer. The roof, bargeboards and one fence are Grey Friars. The trims exterior and interior are Resene Alabaster. We have timber pergolas adjoining the house. One is painted Resene Alabaster the other is stained with Resene Woodsman Tiri. We have two timber decks to paint with timber balustrades. One is north facing, the other is south facing (front entrance). I want to paint them as I think that will last longer than wood stain. I want a colour that is not cold visually that tones with everything else, without being too hot on the northern deck. I was wondering about a kind of sage green? Would you do balustrades and framing of the pergolas in the same colour as the deck or keep them in the Resene Tiri stain. A. Painted finishes will last much longer than stained ones. I have selected a few greenish colours that look good with the colours you have in the hopes that they are 'sage' enough for you – try Resene Yucca, Resene Xanadu, Resene Blue Smoke and Resene Spanish Green. Some other random thoughts of colour you could try, which are not sage but are related to the colours used on the house, are Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Quarter Grey Friars. You could use Resene Woodsman Tiri for the balustrades, pergola etc, or you could paint them in Resene Alabaster. November 2021 |
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Q. I’m struggling to find a grey for my weatherboards that works with both my COLORBOND® Paperbark aluminium window frames and a Pale Eucalyptus roof. I need to go lightish and prefer green greys. I’ll probably repaint the roof in the future to a lighter colour as the house is in Queensland. It’s a weatherboard cottage. A. The colours you mention that you have on the roof and window joinery do not make it easy to choose a grey tone to use with them. The beige window joinery colour is the hardest colour to use a grey close to. If you changed the window colour you would have a lot more options. The green roof colour works well with a lot more options. You might check out the following greyish greens to see if they appeal to you – try Resene Ravine or Resene Helix. Resene Helix November 2021 |
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Q. My partner is keen on painting the facade of our semi (and proposed first floor addition) a pale blue colour. Our roof tiles are red terracotta (currently covered with algae), which we plan on getting cleaned at the end of our renovations. Can you recommend a light or pale blue that will go with a terracotta roof? A. A pale blue – especially if it is something that makes you think of baby boys' rooms – may not sit well with the strong look of the house. But – possibly – one of the following colours might be suit – try Resene Halcyon, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, Resene Bali Hai or Resene Powder Blue. Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue  Resene Halcyon November 2021 |
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Q. We are painting over dated blue kitchen cupboards. The walls throughout the house are currently Resene Parchment but we will repaint them with Resene Quarter Parchment to brighten it up a bit. The doors are rimu and window surrounds are matching Resene Parchment in gloss. We are doing this in order to get the property ready to sell so want a neutral palette but also want a light colour in the kitchen and bathroom. I was thinking of a sage or stone age for the cupboards and would love your thoughts on this. It’s a 1960s ranch style home. A. Changing your main colour to Resene Quarter Parchment will lift and lighten the interior plus look good with the rimu. Apart from the colours you have mentioned (Resene Sage and Resene Stone Age) you might check out the following colours to see if they appeal for the kitchen and in the bathroom – Resene Linen, Resene Sugar Loaf, Resene Smoothie or Resene Half Rice Cake.  Resene Smoothie November 2021 |
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Q. We have recently replaced our roof with COLORSTEEL® Karaka. We want to know what other colours complement this. We have an old house which has been added on to over the decades. We have a mishmash of stone that has been plastered and weatherboard. Also the windows are aluminium and vary from brown to beige surround. The house itself is currently a light beige colour so we would be keen to keep it light A. The windows being two different colours may be more apparent when you change the look of the house. Will that worry you? Try these options: Option 1 – Resene Double Ash as the main colour with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for all trims that are a lighter colour and Resene Mangrove for any deeper trim colours. Option 2 – Resene Double Villa White as the main colour with Resene Quarter Villa White for all trims that are a lighter colour and Resene Squall for any deeper trim colours. Some earthy reds might also be used for areas such as doors to add a bit of punch colour! Try Resene Red Planet or Resene Dynamite. November 2021 |
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Q. I have chosen Resene Quarter Surrender for my bedroom. It’s a big bedroom but the ceiling is low. What colour would you advise for ceiling please? A. Your main wall colour is very pale – Resene Quarter Surrender – and I recommend one of the following whites for the ceiling – Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White. November 2021 |
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Q. We are currently painting our lounge. It’s a 50s house with rafters and quite high sloping ceilings. The curtains are a very neutral light grey off white weave. We are currently looking at Resene Double Sea Fog with one small wall painted in Resene Lemon Grass. It’s a room that is light but also has darker areas. A. The colours you mention look very nice together. You might consider a paler variant of Resene Double Sea Fog, such as Resene Double Alabaster (which is the same as Resene Quarter Sea Fog) for the ceilings and woodwork trims. This will add a crisp note to enhance the other two colours. November 2021 |
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Q. I am starting to paint the exterior of my 1905 weatherboard house and have chosen Resene Surrender. Can you suggest a window paint to complement this colour. I thought Resene Alabaster. I also need a complimentary dark grey or charcoal to paint a tilting metal garage door. A. A white like Resene Half Alabaster works well with Resene Surrender. So does Resene Half Black White. Some ideas for the garage door might be the following – Resene Steel Grey, Resene Grey Friars or Resene Cod Grey. November 2021 |
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Q. We are repainting our deck, front entrance deck/stairs and small back entrance deck. These were painted medium grey by the previous owner. We have repainted the house Resene House White. I have looked up complementary colours but am not sure if Resene Greywacke will be too light. I like the idea of a darker grey like Resene Grey Friars but again am not sure if that will be too much contrast. The deck gets full day sun so I want to make sure it’s cool to touch as we have a young baby. We are replacing the balustrade on the deck and thought we would paint that Resene House White to match the house. A. I am inclined to agree with you about Resene Grey Friars being too dark for the deck. The following are a few light greys that may appeal to you for the deck – Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Jumbo or Resene Mountain Mist. If you ask for the colour you choose to be made as the Resene CoolColour version it will reflect more of the sun’s heat from the wooden surface. It won't be cold – just less hot – and may be better for (tender skin) baby and (bare feet) you. You might consider using a slightly lighter variant of the house colour – Resene Half House White – or a slightly deeper variant – Resene Double House White or even a distinct contrast like Resene Grey Friars for the balustrades. November 2021 |
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Q. I’m choosing colours to paint the exterior of a 1969 Hinuera Stone house. I am thinking of Resene Eighth Arrowtown for the base and Resene Eighth Pravda for the gables and vertical facing of the house next to the windows. I’m just not 100% in the Resene Arrowtown choice if it is too cool. A. The two colours you mention are not different enough. They are too similar in depth and too different in tone to create a harmonious palette. If you want to see a difference between the two colours then perhaps check out the following – Resene Eighth Arrowtown (base) and Resene Half Arrowtown (gables etc ) or Resene Eighth Stonewall (base) and Resene Half Stonewall or Resene Eighth Pravda (base) and Resene Half Pravda (gables etc). November 2021 |
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Q. We are looking to paint our garden fence (on three sides). We are looking for a low maintenance colour. Initially we were thinking dark/almost black like Resene Bokara Grey. We have greenery on most sides. The house itself is a light grey villa so am a bit concerned the dark fence may look stark compared to the house. A. Perhaps you might consider a mid-toned colour rather than a very dark one. The following are a few that may appeal and are worth checking out – try Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Double Trojan. November 2021 |
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Q. I am after suggestions for a splashback colour. We have a white kitchen and benchtop with Resene Eighth Tea on the walls. We do not want to make a bold statement but want something to complement the Resene Eighth Tea. We were possibly thinking a medium/dark grey. A. Some greys that may appeal to you – listed from the lightest to the deepest shade – are Resene Pale Slate, Resene Shady Lady, Resene Zulu or a sparkly metallic warm grey – Resene Basalt. There are two types of glass that are used for splashbacks – standard float glass and starbright low iron oxide crystal clear glass. You need to ask for the crystal clear glass to ensure the colour behind it is true to reality. November 2021 |
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Q. We are in the process of painting our house Resene Half Lemon Grass. We also need to paint our garage doors. Can you give us suggestions of a darker colour that pairs well with Resene Half Lemon Grass? We are also using Resene Black White for our trim. A. The following deeper colours may be a start point in consideration for the garage door – Resene Porter, Resene Windswept, Resene Rivergum or Resene Climate. Resene Porter November 2021 |
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Q. 16 years ago we painted our two storeyed townhouse with Resene Akaroa (walls and ceilings). 10 years ago we repainted the ceilings with Resene Half Villa White as we felt the house was a little dark. I now wish to repaint the inside with a more modern and lighter colour. Can you please suggest a lighter colour but in the range of Resene Akaroa as all the furnishings suit that colour. Is there a colour which also has a light grey tint as that appears to be more the fashion now? A. You could try lighter versions in the Resene Akaroa family – try Resene Quarter Akaroa or paler Resene Eighth Akaroa. Or try colours with a light grey undertone – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene White Pointer or Resene Double Sea Fog. November 2021 |
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Q. I would really appreciate some colour ideas for our brick house and fence. The roof is new, Bristile terracotta tiles in the colour Baltic. It's a neutral grey, but on a clear blue-sky day it does show more blue-grey. The house and the fence are two different orange/red bricks. The house is original 1970s orange and the fence was done in the 1990s. They don't complement each other in my view and I would like to unify them by painting them to co-ordinate with the roof. The windows are original aluminium. If we have to replace them we would go for COLORBOND® Surfmist or anodised aluminium again. The blinds could be replaced with plantation shutters in white. The gutters are COLORBOND® Basalt, the eave trim is COLORBOND® Surfmist and there are timber pergolas around the house painted in Surfmist. The eave soffits are a stained timber, not sure of the era, about the colour of the timber slats on the fence. The soffits should probably also be painted. The overall look we want to get to is coastal, not bright beachy, but dunes and ocean etc. We live near the coast. A. You might consider one of the following for the bricks – Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Tuna or Resene Raven. If the under soffits and fence is to be painted instead of restaining there is a lot of preparation needed. This could be done in a paler version of Surfmist, such as Resene Quarter Titania. Another option is a reversal of the placement of colour, so you end up with a pale house and dark fence perhaps. Seeing as you already have Surfmist featured on the house I recommend that new windows be the same colour to keep the palette harmonious. November 2021 |
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Q. I’m looking for an external house colour to co-ordinate with our New Denim Blue roof and Desert Sand window trims. I was thinking of a darker brown. A. Desert Sand is yellow/brown/tan colour so ideally a darker brown would need a similar undertone. You might check out the following colours – Resene Groundbreaker, Resene Cement, Resene Saddle Brown, Resene Artisan, Resene Nullarbor or Resene Triple Rickshaw.  Resene Artisan November 2021 |
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Q. Our 1970s house at the beach is painted in Resene Half Lemon Grass with a Grey Friars iron roof. We feel it needs some sort of complementary or contrasting colour somewhere, perhaps on the vertical wooden strip at each side of the house. There is no front door to paint as such as we have ranch sliding doors. The windows have white aluminium frames. The front picket fence is Grey Friars. A.You could add some Resene White to various parts of the house to add more crisp definition, such as on the corner boards, the bargeboard around the roof line above the gable, the fascias and battens. You could use a lighter variant of the Grey Friars – i.e. , Resene Half Grey Friars or a deeper variant of the main house colour. Try Resene Double Lemon Grass on the horizontal boards facing the deck and the uprights of the steps and possibly the little bench that sits on the gravel if you wanted a bit more happening on the house in the way of colour. November 2021 |
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Q. We have painted our kitchen walls in Resene Pearl Lusta and are looking for some colour inspiration to paint the kitchen cupboards. It is an old home with timber floors. The bench has flecks of blue, pink and dark greys. If you could suggest a nice colour that's not too dark to paint all of the cupboards for this space and complements the Resene Pearl Lusta that would be appreciated. A. There are several options that you could consider – Resene Periglacial Blue (grey/green/blue) from the Karen Walker Paints collection, Resene Steam Roller (mid-toned blue/grey) or a slightly deeper variant of the wall colour which works as a sunny cream and has a love affair with the beautiful timber floorboards – try Resene Double Pearl Lusta. November 2021 |
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Q. We want to paint the inside of our house and are keen to paint rooms (apart from kitchen) the same colour. Our bedroom is painted Resene Orange White. Is that a good colour for the whole house? We are keen for a neutral warm colour. The lounge is north facing and gets lots of sun. One bedroom is east facing and the other two west facing. The hall way doesn't have windows. A. Yes of course you could continue using Resene Orange White. It is from an older colour chart but can still be tinted. Or perhaps a similar but newer colour like one of the following may suit you – Resene Orchid White or Resene Eighth Spanish White. November 2021 |
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Q. We are trying to decide between Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and Resene Eighth Tapa. We are considering Resene Alabaster for the trim. We are keeping the fence and roof colour (both grey). A. I think Resene Quarter Lemon Grass would work well with Resene Alabaster. All colours on an exterior look lighter than you might imagine so Resene Eighth Lemon Grass could look too pale. I wouldn't use Resene Eighth Tapa as it may clash with the fence and roof colour. November 2021 |
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