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. I have white kitchen appliances and some tiles all different shades of white and I don't know what colours to paint the cabinetry and walls to help this situation. Will more white help? I have a lot of Rimu/matai wood panelling and low light in the kitchen. I want the kitchen to be warm and bright. A. I suggest breaking away from the white and using a neutral which complements the timber and benchtop – try Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Ecru White – there are paler and darker variants of these colours. January 2025 |
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Q. We are planning a lot of painting. Our next bit to paint is the house which at the moment is a creamy yellow colour. Part of the house is summit stone, and it has colour panels. I would like to paint the house in colours that match the summit stone, and the adjoining buildings. The colour Ironsand is I think is on the outer buildings. A. Try Resene Cloudy for the base colour of the house. January 2025 |
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Q. I would like a popular green for bedroom walls with white windowsills, doors etc. I prefer a pretty sage type colour. A. Resene Green Spring is a soft sage green, or you might like Resene Beryl Green (a bit more yellow), Resene Bud or Resene Contour (a bit bolder). January 2025 |
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Q. We want to paint our roof Resene Ironsand and then paint the exterior of the house in Resene Alabaster. Our windows are dark aluminium. We have a California hot tub on a wooden deck, so I'm thinking of painting these in Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Taupe Grey. What do you think of my combination? A. I think your scheme sounds great! Resene Alabaster will appear much brighter outside so perhaps also check out Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Black White. Also test Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Triple Truffle – I like both, although Resene Triple Truffle is a bit warmer, where Resene Taupe Grey can appear a bit greener. January 2025 |
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Q. We have just had our house repainted in the colour Resene Kensington Grey. Our joinery is a charcoal colour. Our house also has schist rock as a feature. We are trying to decide on a colour to paint our deck. A. Have you considered painting the deck Resene Kensington Grey – it is a nice colour for decks as well and not too hot underfoot, plus you have the schist stone as a break. Alternatively, you might like to try Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea to link in the charcoal – however, darker colours will be hotter underfoot. If you do want to go this way I suggest you use a CoolColour version to help reflect more heat. January 2025 |
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Q. I have painted our feature wall Resene Double Napa and am trying to choose a light wall colour for our entire house. We have wooden look flooring and brown/beige curtaining and cream kitchen cabinets to tie in with and the house has lots of windows but they have a slight tint and the hallway is very dark so I’m trying to find something with a high light reflective value. At present I’m looking at Resene Quarter Tea, Resene White Pointer or even Resene Merino. A. Try Resene Milk White, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Half Tea, but it all depends on the tinted windows and how the colours appear upon reflection. January 2025 |
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Q. I want help choosing a colour to paint kitchen cabinets. The walls and ceilings are being painted Resene Half Villa White, the tiles on the floor look similar to Resene Half Parchment, but motley with white and peachy beige tones. The kitchen counter top is black and there are wooden Rimu features. The kitchen is a dark space, and we are wanting to lighten it up. The cabinets are currently painted Resene Pohutukawa. A. I suggest keeping it simple and painting the cabinets Resene Villa White or paler Resene Rice Cake. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a Mist Green decramastic roof and lively orange red brick and want to paint the monolithic cladding a light grey and the soffits white. But we’re not sure what will match the roof and brick. We get a lot of sun. A. Try Resene Titania or for more absorption of light Resene Tana or Resene Foggy Grey. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a 1928 bungalow that has a rather shaded interior and a lot of Rimu/matai panels on the bottom-half of walls and some trims. I'm looking for a really warm off white or cream for the walls that will go with the native timber and brighten the space (nothing too beige or pink). I also have Resene Half Rice Cake on the bathroom ceiling which I like because it's soft – but which can be changed, and a Resene Rice Cake stone wall around the fireplace in the lounge which I find quite stark. Can you please suggest a light very warm off-white or cream wall colour to match the native timber and shade inside and a lot of greenery outside, and an off-white ceiling/trim colour to match for most rooms in the house? Also I’m hoping to whitewash the timber floor and perhaps put a cream or light beige carpet in the lounge. A. Rich creams which work with native timbers like Rimu/matai are typically Resene Spanish White and Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay. Slightly muted colours work better at counteracting the greenery – so try deeper variants such as Resene Double Spanish White and Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay or use a deeper variant of Resene Rice Cake such as Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Triple Rice Cake – which may work with the whitewashed floors and cream carpet better. The ceilings will appear better if they are of the similar family to the new wall colour – but this needs to be decided once the wall colour is chosen. If you use a deeper variant of Resene Rice Cake, then Resene Half Rice Cake can work. My advice is to get the hard surfaces chosen first, such as the floor colour then you will see whether a rich light cream is going to work – rather than choosing the wall colour first and then not being able to match to it. January 2025 |
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Q. I have moved into a house that has Resene Truffle trims/doors and walls in Resene Half Akaroa. I think it looks OK in the brighter rooms, but the living room (West facing, minimal windows) I thought it looked a bit dark/dated. I’m aiming for a lighter/fresher look. I repainted the living room and bedroom walls in Resene White Pointer. It looks tidy but colder in the living room – is this what you would expect? I'd like to paint an accent wall in the bedroom a lovely zen green – I like Resene Xanadu. Do you think this will go with the Resene White Pointer walls and Resene Truffle trims? Can you give me some other colour suggestions for other rooms that would work with Resene Truffle – how about Resene Time Traveller or another similar blue? And finally what to do with the ceilings. I think they are currently Resene Eighth Akaroa and I think it looks a bit funny against the Resene White Pointer walls. A. I suggest Resene Quarter White Pointer for the ceilings or if you want them brighter – Resene Black White. Yes, Resene Xanadu will work – perhaps for another feature wall try a muted blue such as Resene Cello or Resene San Juan. January 2025 |
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Q. I will be painting all areas of my two bedroom unit and I am having trouble deciding on a neutral colour to do the walls and ceiling. I had an idea to do the doors and trim in Resene Alabaster, is that a good colour for those? I would like a neutral that is warm, cosy and relaxing. The kitchen and bathroom are at the end of unit away from the sun so can be darker but they do have windows in each area. This area is 2.1m height, the rest of the unit is 2.4m. The unit has pink accessories and I did the front door in Resene Rouge which I love. I have found Resene Half Rice Cake too yellow and Resene Eighth Rice Cake too white. I don't like yellow, brown or orange so hopefully no undertones of those as I don't think even an undertone would make me happy. A. If you don't want an undertone – then I suggest testing Resene Half Milk White or Resene Quarter Milk White from the Karen Walker Paints collection which are warm but don’t really throw too much tint, or Resene Half Sea Fog – not too cool but needs to be tested. Yes, Resene Alabaster is good for trims and doors – or if you want an open spacious look you could consider painting the doors and trims in the same colour as the walls but in a contrasting sheen. January 2025 |
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Q. I used the Resene Palette Generator to create a colour palette based on the curtains I have in my living room, and I'm really happy with the colours that came through – a neutral, Resene Half Merino, and two darker colours. Are you able to give me some advice as to how I can use them in my home? The area I am looking to paint is an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area. A. It all depends on whether you want to define spaces or leave one colour for paint – and then use up to three accent colours. You might like to use Resene Half Merino for trims, ceilings and doors if appropriate and then one of the colours for walls with two accents for soft furnishings, perhaps a feature wall or painting objects or furniture. January 2025 |
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Q. We are looking at repainting our kitchen, dining and living open plan area as well as the hallway and need some advice. We are thinking of something that is lighter but warm in colour. The hallway can get a bit dark so that might help lighten up that area. Currently this is in a green colour – I think Resene Bud. I’m not sure whether to do the hallway in a separate colour to that of the living/dining/kitchen area or keep it one colour like it is now. My thinking was that if the hallway was done in a lighter colour it would standout more. A. Try Resene Half Linen – this will lighten the entire home. January 2025 |
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Q. I just got my house painted with weatherboards in Resene Sea Fog and the windows and trim in Resene Alabaster. The main front of my house is facing north with a lot of sun. I am finding the Resene Alabaster windows a bit glaring, stark and white? Do you recommend another white that will contrast with Resene Sea Fog but be softer and not so glaring. I was looking at Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Black White and Resene Eighth Black White but am unsure. I understand lighting changes but when the sun is shining on the windows my eyes squint. A. Try Resene Half Sea Fog – there will be less contrast, but it will be less reflective than Resene Alabaster. If you want more contrast then Resene Double Alabaster – however, it could still be a bit glary but better. January 2025 |
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Q. We have Resene Double Rice Cake on the back end of the house. We want a contrasting colour on the two storey part of the house. We have a grey roof which can’t be seen. We don’t want dark colours, but will have white trim on the corners. What would you recommend please? A. I wouldn't split the colour too much – the white will create another contrast, and this is good. I suggest keeping it light and fresh – try a paler variant such as Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Rice Cake – there will be less contrast with the white with half strength. January 2025 |
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Q. I am painting my daughter's small bedroom at the back of the house. She wants Resene Biloba Flower as a feature wall and I was wondering what a good white would be to go with it. The room doesn't get any sun but has some natural light from a large window. The room is currently painted in Resene Quarter Tea. A. Resene Biloba Flower is a fabulous violet to use as a feature for a girl's bedroom! Try Resene Half Sea Fog – it is not too stark and will bring a bit of warmth without being cream. January 2025 |
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Q. We are thinking of painting the exterior of the house. The house cladding is painted in three quarter strength Resene Napa, the bargeboards are in Resene Fahrenheit (to match the terracotta tiled roof) and the garage door is in Resene Tuna to match the New Denim Blue window frames. The front door is in Resene Jaguar. I like the blue paints we've used. Just wondering what other colours might work for the cladding? A. Try Resene Truffle, Resene Cloudy or Resene White Pointer. January 2025 |
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Q. We need help with a wooden fence. It used to be stained and now is painted brown. We are looking to either find a rich brown colour not too heavy in red/orange or else to consider whether to change back to a stain. A. You may find now the fence is painted it is going to be very difficult to remove all of the paint to then stain, which needs to penetrate the surface. For paint colours consider Resene Hairy Heath or Resene Half Hairy Heath. January 2025 |
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Q. We are looking at painting our Grasmere complex which comprises two large sheds and two houses. We were wondering about using Resene Black Rock as the highlight colour for shed doors etc, and also as a highlight colour on the houses. We also wondered about perhaps doing the houses Resene Feta as the base colour, and the sheds a matching paler shade of blue? What would be an alternative base house or shed colour. Keen to stick in a blue colourway. A. Try Resene Ottoman as an alternative to Resene Feta, with Resene Avalanche as an alternative to Resene Black Rock which has quite a violet undertone. For the sheds try Resene Nebula which is a light blue. January 2025 |
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Q. We have just bought a house with a Sandbar roof and are looking for a paint for the exterior walls that will complement this. We prefer a darker colour. A. I suggest you look at Resene Half Truffle, Resene Truffle, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Triple Black White. The colours suggested are for the wall cladding – if you would like a darker option try Resene Fuscous Grey – Sandbar is quite a warm colour so anything too grey won’t work. January 2025 |
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Q. I am looking for advice on what colours to use for our exterior. The windows are warm white and the roof is Karaka. We live across the road from the beach. A. Try Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Terrain or Resene Half Lemon Grass. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a 1905 villa which I want to repaint. I am painting the weatherboards Resene Parchment and around the windows/doors, fretwork, balustrades etc creamy/white Resene Rice Cake and want to know if I can keep the current Resene Rainee as the roof colour, use Resene Blue Smoke for the skirting and windowsills or what colours would you suggest for these trims? A. Yes you can keep Resene Rainee for the roof – for the skirting and trims try the softer Resene Pewter, although colours do appear paler in natural light. For the front door consider Resene Dark Slate, Resene Woodsmoke or Resene Dark Knight. January 2025 |
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Q. I’d like some suggestions of external paint colours for the walls, roof and some window frames that will complement Resene Half Wan White which I’ve used on the wooden window frames. I am looking at shades of white or shades of light blue greens for the walls. Our house looks onto the sea and the sun is very bright during the day. I want a light colour but not one that will make the house look like a shiny white beacon from the beach. Colours that I have been drawn to (but have not yet tested) are Resene Wan White, Resene Half Periglacial Blue, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, Resene Sea Fog and for the roof Resene Stack. We also have some black aluminium windows that have an additional wooden frame around them (currently painted red). I tested Resene Sandspit Brown and like the colour against the black but am open to other colour options to complement the entire external colouring. Also, any colour suggestions for the external door would also be appreciated. A. I suggest full strength Resene Duck Egg Blue (colours lighten outside) with Resene Sandspit Brown and Resene Half Wan White – for the front door you might like to try a navy like Resene Shadowy Blue, a blue green like Resene Tarawera or Resene Half Smalt Blue. Alternatively, you could opt for Resene Double Sea Fog for the walls, with Resene Half Wan White for the door and window trim and a blue like Resene Coast for the front door or a blue green such as Resene Deep Teal or Resene Teal Blue. A gloss finish, such as Resene Enamacryl, will enhance the colour of the front door. January 2025 |
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Q. I need something other than white for my house main colour. I’m looking at the green and blue range and am planning to use Resene Raven for the base around the concrete areas of the house and not changing the roof. A. I suggest you look at Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Haven or Resene Half Beryl Green. January 2025 |
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Q. We are about to double glaze our house with new windows and repair some of the cedar. With that we need to pick what colour window frames, what colour front door and to have that match a new stain/paint colour for the cedar (as we hate the red brown), and we are not a fan of the bright-ish green trims either, and would look to change the roof colour too long-term (it’s currently a greeny colour). The house is surrounded by gardens and trees and a pond. So we want to keep the house looking natural to its surroundings. The house is quite dark on the inside due to trees blocking light, so we are keen to get rid of the bronze 80s window frame colour, and replace perhaps with a medium grey? I would like to keep the window frames inside white. However, that leads on to what colour should we do the front door, cedar, trims and eventually roof to go with that medium grey of the windows. For the cedar, we were thinking a natural wood looking colour, not too dark though, but due to the colour of the brick, aware it can't be too light either? And we liked the idea of a forest green perhaps for the front door and trims, only if that matched everything else. I think it's making sure everything matches the dated bricks which I really hate which is what is tripping me up. But we will never have the funds to have that re-surfaced. A. I suggest it will probably be better to paint the cedar for a better effect – I suggest Resene Tapa for the cedar boards. For the trims and front door, a sage green will pair such as Resene Rivergum. For the window joinery Resene Atmosphere is a silvery neutral grey that will work with white trims inside – you can get this in Resene Powder Coating. Try Resene Double Gravel or Resene Element for the roof, however the suggested colours should work in the meantime ok with the existing roof colour. January 2025 |
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Q. We want to choose a white to paint the exterior of our new build. We have a Titania roof Titania and wood accents. A. Try Resene Whitewater, Resene Wan White or Resene Quarter Ash. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a pink Summerhill house with a Grey Friars roof and white aluminium window frames. I want to paint the foundation too and maybe the windowsills – maybe both in Resene Grey Friars. What do you recommend? A. Some colours do appear better on certain substrates, but generally with the correct sealer for the stone most colours can be achieved to a similar effect – if anything they can appear brighter on a smoother surface like dressed pine. In saying that with Summerhill stone homes, it is more about the architectural style so to give character I find darker blue greys work better – these can still be paired with Grey Friars. Try Resene Half Tuna, Resene Raven, Resene Baring Head, Resene Neutral Bay or Resene Dusted Blue. January 2025 |
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Q. Could you please help me pick out a colour for my kitchen splashback? I am painting over brownish tiles. The kitchen cabinets are sort of olive green and I have cork flooring. On the bench I have a light aqua blender. I would prefer a lighter tone than the current tiles. A. You could opt for a metallic finish to complement your bench and trim such as Resene Pure Pewter or bring in your accent colour that is the colour of your mixer, or more of an aqua tint like Resene Breeze or Resene Paris White. January 2025 |
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Q. Could you please suggest a colour lighter than Resene Haven. I have tried Resene Pumice and Resene Tasman but feel they are too light. This is for our dining living area. The carpet is blue and we have timber window frames, doors and skirting boards. A. Try Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue or Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, these are in the same family as Resene Haven but are paler. They are also beautiful colours and are very well liked. January 2025 |
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Q. I’m painting the interior walls of my house and have just tried Resene Rice Cake for doors, ceilings and trim. And Resene Quarter Ash for the walls. However, the Resene Quarter Ash is looking quite dark and blue/greenish rather than a putty colour I had in mind. What are good pairings for Resene Rice Cake? A. Try Resene Half Linen, Resene Ecru White or Resene Thorndon Cream. January 2025 |
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Q. My husband and I are really stuck for ideas for our house. We have just redone majority of the framing to a Silver Pearl colour. We want a coastal, fresh and beachy colour and were looking at the blues. have a dark roof and wondering if you had any great ideas or options we could look at? Our house is smaller and we are building a pergola coming over two thirds of the deck as well. A. With Silver Pearl blue greens sit better – try Resene Jet Stream, Resene Sea Nymph or Resene Cut Glass – the softer tones might blend a bit better. January 2025 |
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Q. I really want to enjoy my two living areas but find them far too dark. I'd like to paint the ceiling, what colour do you suggest will brighten the rooms? Should I paint the navy walls in the room with the leather lounge suite the same as the other room? A. I suggest you try Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta – which isn't too white and warm enough to tone with the walls. I would paint the ceiling first – then assess the navy wall as generally you paint ceilings first anyway – and the navy might be able to stay as a contrast once the ceiling is lighter. January 2025 |
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Q. We live in an older Lockwood where the wood has more of that golden yellowish stain. The carpeting is dark grey. The linoleum has various greys, creamy yellow, and light browns. And the drapes are a dark navy/denim blue. Currently the walls are a creamy yellow, and the aluminium windows, doors and door frames are all a medium mint green. (I hate any version of mint but darker greens are ok). We want to brighten the walls, and change the colour of the doors and door frames, but don't know what will work well with the carpet, linoleum, drapes and Lockwood walls. A. I quite like Resene Black White for the interior of Lockwood Homes, then you could opt to have the joinery Resene Half Black White – Resene have powder coat colours as well. You just need to specify Resene Powder Coating in Resene Half Black White N94-004-096, or you could opt for a soft charcoal such as Resene Half Baltic Sea N46-002-259. Preferably I would keep the windows neutral so if you make changes in the future you don’t have to repaint. January 2025 |
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Q. I have Rimu cupboards in my kitchen. What whites would go well with these? A. Paint colours which pair with Rimu are whites like Resene Double Alabaster if you want to tone the timber colour down or warmer soft whites to enhance the timber like Resene Bianca – soft greens also naturally sit well with timber. January 2025 |
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Q. We need to paint the board and batten house we have just purchased and I like Resene Bokara Grey and wondered if we paint the entire house in that colour with cedar cladding around the doors from the living and entrance and leave the lower block level white? Or is there another colour/s you would suggest. A. Resene Bokara Grey will look good on the board and batten and I would paint all the board and batten the same (including any on the lower level) and keep the block walls a softer grey/white so it blends with the grey joinery and is not such a contrast – such as Resene Double Sea Fog. You could always start with the Resene Bokara Grey on the top level and see how the contrast appears before making the decision. I recommend using Resene CoolColour paints for the board and batten which will help reflect more heat. January 2025 |
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Q. I don’t understand the difference between the different golds. A. Golds have different undertones – so if you browse the Resene Metallics and Special Effects colour chart you will see the different variances of gold – some are more yellow than others – ranging from a rose gold to bright gold. January 2025 |
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Q. What is the best exterior colour for a farmhouse that complements black aluminium window frames. The roof is COLORBOND® Monument. I have looked at Resene Linen but think you may know better what suits? This is a large sprawling double storey home approximately 30 years old and rendered concrete. A. I feel the colour needs to be a bit more earthy so that it links with the charcoal roof and black windows. Try Resene Terrain, Resene Half Copyrite or Resene Double Linen. January 2025 |
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Q. I’m looking to paint our black house beige – I’m keen on Resene Half Malta. It is board and batten with light grey aluminium window frames. A. Try Resene Cloudy or Resene Bison Hide. Resene Half Malta might have a pink undertone on your home. January 2025 |
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Q. Would a palette of Resene Dutch White, Resene Apache and Resene Grey Friars work ok on a heritage brick home? Or if we were going for something completely different, could you recommend something that doesn’t include Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Silver Chalice, as that is what all our neighbours have, which does look smart, but I would like our home to look different. I’m also thinking of changing the front porch floor colour to be the same as the weatherboards to make the porch feel lighter and more welcoming. Does that sound sensible? A. I do love the scheme. Bring Resene Grey Friars onto the window surrounds and bargeboards. The only thing I would change is the porch colour. Colours appear brighter/lighter on porches. You might want to try a soft pebble grey such as Resene Kensington Grey. If you wanted to try something different you could swap out the Resene Dutch White for a more natural cream like Resene Double Villa White with a softer ochre cream for the window inners with Resene Pavlova. These colours will pair with Resene Grey Friars and Resene Kensington Grey. Or try Resene Half Lemon Grass, a vintage grey green, on the walls with Resene Pavlova, Resene Grey Friars and Resene Kensington Grey. Or for a more simple classic scheme, you could try Resene Triple Pearl Lusta with lighter window inners to bring out the windows, using Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, with the Resene Grey Friars. January 2025 |
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Q. We are looking at having the colour Lichen for our roof and windows. What would be a great exterior colour that would go with this? I don't want the Lichen to look overly green in colour. A. Try Resene Half Arrowtown – a colour close in tone with the green and not too pale should help keep Lichen neutral. January 2025 |
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Q. Looking for assistance to help find the right colour to paint the exterior of our recently purchased home which has a 1990 brick exterior. The aluminium frames are a close to Resene Half Spanish White so need something to work with them. A. I recommend Resene Half Bokara Grey – it is a warm burnt charcoal and will lighten a bit on mass. Darker colours onto your home will modernise the overall appearance. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a house with a dark green roof. Originally we were going to paint the roof and a colour consultant recommended Resene Ironsand for the roof, Resene Half Stack for the exterior, Resene Sea Fog trims and Resene Charcoal for the gate and garage doors. A. Since then, we have decided not to change the colour of the roof and to keep the exterior colour beige (although I would love a recommendation for a more updated beige or greige but are also happy to keep it the same). Would Resene Sea Fog still work as a trim? Would Resene Charcoal / Resene Ironsand work on the garage doors since we plan to paint a small landscape wall that colour? What colour would we paint the gutters if the roof stays the same? With retaining the green roof – either retain the weatherboard colour or modernise it with Resene Greige. The gutters and garage doors can be Resene Ironsand either way, and yes Resene Sea Fog will still work. January 2025 |
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Q. We have painted the walls in our stairwell Resene Mulberry. Can you please advise what colour the trim should be? The top part of the stairwell gets lots of light, but not the bottom part. The carpet colour is light grey. A. Trims in an open plan area look best if matched to any other trims visible – however, if this is not the case or you are painting all the trims within the area (as any existing trim colour might not work) consider Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog. January 2025 |
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Q. Please give us some inspiration for our seaside bach near a black sand beach. We’re thinking of greys/teals/blues/greens? We are happy with white joinery surrounds but open to any suggestions. A. Try Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Eau De Nil or Resene Cut Glass. January 2025 |
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Q. I am looking at re-roofing my property and need to decide on COLORSTEEL® and future exterior paint colours. I’m quite keen on a duck egg blue door with a white exterior and a grey roof. What do you recommend? A. Try Resene Atmosphere for the roof, Resene Milk White for the weatherboards, Resene Quarter Milk White for the trims, windows, posts etc, Resene Double Duck Egg Blue for the front door and Resene Mondo or Resene Half Masala for the deck. January 2025 |
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Q. I would love some advice on changing the colour of our home’s exterior. It’s currently painted in Resene Pearl Lusta. We’re wanting to update to a modern colour in keeping with the villa style. We’re looking at the whites and neutrals so far. I was looking at a light grey. The colours I have tried are Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Eighth Pravda and Resene Quarter Pravda. I'm going to re-stain the deck the same colour from Resene Woodsman range. I want the front door to be a bold colour. The French doors are currently white. I'm happy to change the sill colour also. The garage I also want to paint to match the house. A. Try Resene Eighth Stonewall, the other two may be a bit brown, also try Resene Cloud and Resene Quarter Taupe Grey. For the windowsills and ledges I suggest painting them white – this is the modern look with villas, and the trims (posts, fascia etc). For the front door you could consider a teal blue like Resene Tarawera with Resene Eighth Stonewall, a red like Resene Aroha with Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or a blue like Resene Ocean Waves with Resene Cloud. January 2025 |
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Q. I want a soft light grey/French grey to paint the exterior of a wooden bungalow. The window frames are painted in Resene Alabaster. I have looked at Resene Seashell and Resene Silver Chalice/Athens Grey but wondered if you had any other suggestions? A. Try Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and Resene Rakaia. Note that colours do appear lighter outside in bright light. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a 1930s cottage (bach) in a bush setting with coastal views. We have used Resene Half Thorndon Cream in the two bedrooms, with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream on the ceilings and have carried these colours into the kitchen, with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream on all the ceilings in the house. We are trying to decide on a green for the living room. It is currently painted in a colour close to Resene Smoky Green – a fairly deep blue green. We'd like to keep this toning, but go a bit lighter. I have tried testpots of Resene Emerge (a bit too grey), Resene Paris White (a bit too light and no blue-grey tones) and Resene Robin Egg Blue (too grey). I am a bit stumped. What would you suggest? We definitely want it to look green rather than blue or grey, but with blue/grey undertones. A. Try Resene Edward, Resene Pewter or Resene Eau De Nil. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a 100sqm 1950s weatherboard house with a COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof. For the exterior we are wanting to have light/mid grey on the weatherboards and white for the window and door frames. For the front door we are thinking of going with a dark blue. We are considering Resene Half Silver Chalice for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster for the frames. And are wondering about something like Resene Bunting for the front door. Do you think this seems like a good combination? Any other suggestions for the front door? A. Your scheme is great! For the door try Resene Blue Night – a little deeper than Resene Bunting. January 2025 |
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Q. My bedroom has Resene Sea Fog trim (doorframes, skirtings). Could you suggest warm green or yellow tones that go with this? I have several green and yellow Resene testpots, but I don’t think they go with Resene Sea Fog. A. Try Resene Half Linen for a warmish neutral with green undertones or a sage green such as Resene Secrets or Resene Green Spring. For a colour with more warmth try Resene Fossil. January 2025 |
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Q. We are trying to choose paint for our son’s room. We really like the colour Resene Time Out but we would like it lighter. Can you suggest something similar but lighter? A. Although not exactly have strength Resene Time Out for a similar feel, try Resene Spindle, Resene Half Spindle or Resene Pattens Blue. Resene Pattens Blue is more like quarter strength Resene Time Out, but blue does intensify when on all walls depending on light. January 2025 |
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Q. We’ve painted our front door in Resene Daredevil and now are deliberating what colour to paint the architraves. We were thinking of painting it in Resene Karaka to match our roof. Then again we could paint it in Resene Daredevil or simply white. A. I love the Resene Daredevil front door! I recommend you paint the frame to match the white of the windows – these look like a semi-gloss finish? Resene Karaka could work if the white window isn’t too close. If it is close then it will be quite a few colours in one smaller area. I feel doing the architraves in Resene Daredevil will be overpowering and detract from the door. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a plaster house with large areas of plaster, an Ironsand roof and window surrounds, and wooden eaves, railway sleeper inserts and large wooden deck and pergola at back. Also a grey tiled entrance porch. The current colour is Resene Go Ben. I'm looking at the top 20 neutrals/whites. I'm not overly fond of Resene Half Spanish White but wondered if we might be better with a warm tone – rather than a grey tone. I’m also looking at Resene Gull Grey, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone or Resene Quarter Delta. I’m also thinking of Resene White Pointer and any of the neutral top 20 and we are completely open to ideas. A. Colours also brighten and lighten up to 30% outside – so quite often we suggest choosing a slightly deeper shade than what you are envisaging outside. For your home try Resene Gull Grey and Resene Eighth Friar Greystone also try Resene Truffle, Resene Triple White Pointer and Resene Half Taupe Grey. January 2025 |
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Q. I'm looking for a warm beige exterior house paint and can't quite put my finger on it. I'm looking at Resene Half Tea, Resene Half Akaroa, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Half Bison Hide and Resene Half Fossil. I don't want any green tints in it. My house is one level Hardiplank with an Ironsand roof. It can't be too dark as it will look cold in winter but I don't want it looking too washed out as it gets sun on three sides. A. Colours lighten up to 30% outside – especially in bright light. Try the Resene Truffle family with Resene Ironsand – the deeper variants look better on Hardiplank such as Resene Triple Truffle. If you want a much warmer beige, try Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Cougar. January 2025 |
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Q. We are on Waiheke Island. Our house is cedar clad with a forest/dark green trim from the 1994/95. What exterior paint colours would you suggest? We have a Resene Grey Friars base but could paint over it. A. Resene Armadillo is a lovely slightly green toned deep grey, which will look lovely with a white soffit. I recommend a Resene CoolColour version of the colour, as it reflects heat away from the substrate, protecting the colour and wood. If you are retaining the Resene Grey Friars on the base, you could try Resene Tapa or Resene Half Stonehenge for the walls with white soffit – as a CoolColour version. January 2025 |
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Q. We are looking to paint our back fence from black to a more soothing colour. We love Resene Nest Egg but it’s a bit too light for our liking. What would you recommend that is deeper in colour but similar? Our house is a villa that is Resene Half Atmosphere with a white picket fence at the front. A. Colours do tend to appear lighter outside – try Resene Monkey. January 2025 |
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Q. I’m painting the roof and painted areas of a 1970s brick house. I want advice on a roof colour and painted areas. I’m thinking Resene Coast for the roof and white for everything else. I’m also keen to get advice for the interior. I’d like to keep it very neutral throughout as it’s a small house. I like Resene Quarter Rice Cake for trim as it’s warm – would Resene Rice Cake work for walls? A. You can try Resene Coast for the roof, and you might also like to try Resene High Tide and New Denim Blue. For the painted areas, a white like Resene Black White will pair or you could go for a light blue/grey such as Resene Surrender, Resene Half Raven, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Neutral Bay or Resene Quarter Regent Grey. For the interior, the Resene Rice Cake family may appear quite warm next to your aluminium windows – try Resene Half Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster trims – neither are too cold. January 2025 |
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Q. I need to paint my house (exterior) and I'm really struggling with what colour to paint it. It has a terracotta roof, so I'm thinking just a fairly neutral (greenish) grey. Also, maybe I should paint the roof as well? I’m looking for suggestions on what might work well for this ex-state 1940s house that is neutral and desirable. A. Try Resene Linen for the main body of the house and steps. I suggest you do paint the roof as it will modernise the overall look, while maintaining the character. Try a charcoal such as Resene Nocturnal which will also link better to the fences. If possible, If you have a main front gate, paint that to match the timber fences. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a timber carport which we have painted Resene Porter. We are replacing the pitched roof with COLORSTEEL®. Which COLORSTEEL® product would complement Resene Porter? A. I suggest using the same colour for the roof – COLORSTEEL® Slate is the equivalent to Resene Porter. January 2025 |
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Q. We need an exterior colour for plaster house – what is the latest trend? A. It is not recommended to use darker colours on plaster and the colour range depends on what elements you must work with such as the roof and window colour and location/setting i.e. rural, coastal, urban etc. Exterior colour trends are generally warm greys (brown edged greys), beiges, green greys and earth tones. January 2025 |
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Q. We're trying to choose a colour scheme for the walls of our master bedroom. The furniture is wooden and we have several paintings which are nature & earthy tones. There are also a lot of green trees seen through the windows. I think greens could work well but am feeling very unsure if we should just stick with white and let the paintings stand out. A. I suggest you use a warm white with a slight umber/ochre tone, to counteract the green reflection outside and to enhance the paintings – try Resene Rice Cake. You don’t need to try to match the paintings – your background colour can support your artwork and not blend into it. January 2025 |
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Q. We have Resene Thorndon Cream on our walls, terracotta floor tiles and white trims. Would it be best to use white for the ceilings or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream do you think? A. Unless your ceilings are particularly high, I suggest you paint them white to match the trims, so there aren't too many different features. January 2025 |
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Q. I have painted my stairway walls in Resene Quarter Truffle. The stairs are polyurethaned particle board and butt up to a faux wooden floor. I would like to paint the risers a colour and leave the tread polyurethaned. Do you have any suggestions for the colour. A. Try Resene Truffle. January 2025 |
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Q. We want to modernise (increase curb appeal) our house. We do like modern dark tones however I think we would need to paint the roof of the house as well. At the moment it has a Resene Masala contrast with possibly Resene Grey Friars. We have hard sun where we live. A. I suggest Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for all the main body – one colour will modernise the appearance, with Resene Half Athens Grey for the eaves. It will make a huge difference to curb side appeal if you paint the roof, gutters and garage door a current colour such as Resene All Black CoolColour – a CoolColour paint will help reflect more heat. For the timber posts I suggest Resene English Walnut wood stain to revive them. January 2025 |
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Q. We want to repaint the exterior of our property (dislike the red!) and will eventually re-do the aluminium joinery too, so the brown colour of that can be changed. What colours could we use to match the downstairs Oamaru stone (yellowish neutral currently) – preferably leaving that colour and removing the red accents and red deck, and repainting the roof. Alternatively we could repaint the yellow too eventually, so would want a final vision, and part way interim jobs that would help the look quickly! A. Warmer whites do pair well with Oamaru stone; however, you could opt for more of a modern bone white like Resene Sea Fog. I suggest as there are so many different features/elements to keep the house light and simple. Consider Resene Atmosphere for the roof and joinery, and I would paint the red window trim to match the walls – Resene Sea Fog to modernise the design. For the deck it appears to be stained. This will need to be determined before we can suggest a new stain colour as Resene stains are penetrating which means they may not work over this coating and it will need to be removed first – alternatively you could opt for a painted deck in a soft grey like Resene Foggy Grey which could look modern and fresh, complementing the new scheme. January 2025 |
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Q. We are replacing some sections of flashing with COLORSTEEL® and repainting the rest of the main roofing, so we need to decide on a colour. We are considering a light colour and want to stick to the Resene versions of COLORSTEEL® colours to ensure a match with new COLORSTEEL® flashing. We plan to paint the roof in Resene Summit Roof and I was wondering if the sheen would be a similar match to precoated COLORSTEEL®. We are also unsure whether to go with Cloud, TuiTuft, Titania or Sandscape? Some of our house is in brick. A. I recommend you match the roof to the flashing as Resene have matches to most COLORSTEEL® colours. Resene Summit Roof is close in sheen to precoated COLORSTEEL® – of course you are still comparing a paint finish to a precoated finish, so there will be a difference. I suggest Sandstone Grey (Resene Gauntlet) – this is not an overly dark colour. I feel the whites might not sit so well with the brick. January 2025 |
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our house. The aluminium window colour is New Denim Blue, as are the wooden joinery of the pergola and balcony rails. We are planning to retain these all in New Denim Blue. We want to change the colour of our house from its existing colour, which is a neutral with yellow hues, to something in the grey family. Our favourite so far for the house and wall around it is Resene Triple Sea Fog, however we are concerned that it may look too bright and too white, when in full sun. Our house faces west and is elevated looking out to the sea, with full sun all afternoon until sunset. A. I don't believe Resene Triple Sea Fog is too pale, but given the size of your house and exposure of sunlight – colours will appear lighter, as well as exposing underlying tints and tones of colour – so there will be times of during the day when you see these – greyer in the case of Resene Triple Sea Fog. Texture also plays a part in how pale a colour appears – smoother textures are where colour lightens quite a bit outside. Resene Quill Grey is probably the next deeper shade of Resene Triple Sea Fog – it is slightly deeper so greyer. Resene Quarter Silver Chalice is another colour you could investigate but it is more blue in harsh sunlight. January 2025 |
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Q. I'm painting my stucco house Resene Quarter Linen, but would appreciate some ideas/suggestions on colour options for the windowsills and base of the house and possibly a third bold colour for a statement front door. A. I suggest you paint the base, steps and windowsills Resene Tuna. A high gloss finish for the front door with less glass will be a great feature – try Resene Shiraz or Resene Spotlight. January 2025 |
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Q. What colour would be best on the main part of my house to modernise it? I would not paint the stone/brick feature on the house. The guttering and COLORSTEEL® trim by the guttering will not be altered so what colour would work best? A. I suggest you try Resene Triple Truffle for the plaster walls – I wouldn’t recommend a very dark colour for your cladding. If you are repainting the soffit and fascia I suggest Resene Quarter White Pointer. January 2025 |
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Q. I have a 1977 Trailer home El Monte, about 15' single axle. The paint outside is in pretty good shape, white with a mid-grey accent stripe. Inside I'm basically stripping and rebuilding it. The inside plywood is all had it due to water leaks and so is part of the wall structure and floor. My wife is thinking of a light/dark grey combo inside with red things like cushions. A. Yes – I must agree with bringing in the red – it sits well with greys. I feel you are on the right track – I would suggest Resene Quarter Black White on the ceiling with Resene Black White on the walls and a lilac grey like Resene Mischka on the cabinetry. It does depend on the material of the seats if that is more cream than white. It might be nice also to bring in curtains over blinds – with a bit of red in as well. January 2025 |
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Q. The National Construction Code (NCC) and the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 mandate specific luminance contrast requirements to enhance accessibility in public buildings. For doorways, a minimum luminance contrast of 30% must be provided. Would the use of Resene Eighth Napa (walls) and Resene Napa (door jambs/architraves) meet this requirement? A. I have heard back from the Resene colour lab, and the luminance contrast is 25.6%. You could increase the depth of the door colour to provide more contrast. January 2025 |
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Q. We have booked someone to paint the exterior of house in a few weeks. At present it is a Tuscan yellow. The roof tiles are terracotta. We want something more neutral (grey/brown/biscuit) but are having trouble with finding the right colour. We have thought about Resene Malta, Resene Quarter Pravda, Resene Fossil, Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Triple Resene Blanc but none of them look great when held up against a roof tile. Shutters/garage door we are thinking a much darker brown, almost black. A. Try Resene Cloud, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Half Napa. January 2025 |
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Q. I have an Ironsand roof, Resene Napa walls and would like a paint colour for my deck. At the moment it is black bean type colour. I was thinking a colour in Resene Lumbersider CoolColour. A. Try Resene Double Mondo or for lighter options that might appeal Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Stonewall, use a CoolColour option. Please check with ColorShop staff on the preparation required – any moss and mould needs to be removed, and the deck cleaned with Resene Timber and Deck Wash prior to painting. January 2025 |
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Q. I am looking for a bronze or gold bronze colour. A. Check out the Resene Metallics and Special Effects chart as there are bronze and gold colours available. January 2025 |
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Q. We are wanting a dark moody colour to paint in a nursery that will match Resene Quarter Ash. We don’t want it to be a dark black colour, but something slightly more pared back but still moody, if that makes sense. We are wanting to do the top half of the walls in the dark colour and the bottom half on Resene Quarter Ash. Do you have any suggestions that would match? A. Try Resene Forest Green, Resene Raptor or Resene Warrior. For a softer/lighter colour try Resene Tasman, Resene Green Spring, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Frontier or Resene Bud. January 2025 |
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Q. I am redecorating my two bedroom flat, built in the 70s. My painter said an off-white is a popular, timeless, colour to go with. Is this right and what about the trims, skirtings and doors? Should they all be the same? A. Yes, that is correct but which off-white you go for really depends on the colours that exist – so the hard and fixed surfaces – cool toned off whites suit cool toned hard finishes like stone benches, grey carpets etc, while warmer off whites suit timber and warmer accents. In a two bedroom apartment I suggest you do paint the ceiling whiter than the walls as due to the way light falls on a ceiling, colours tend to appear in shadow so can darken the area – for the trims doors etc the same colour will visually open the space – but generally a semi-gloss finish such as Resene Lustacryl is the preferred finish, as it is a durable, washable waterborne enamel for trims, where a low sheen finish like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is suitable for walls and can be taken through to wet areas. It is more durable than a standard waterborne finish, which is important for whites so that the colour and finish remains looking great for longer. Some popular whites (cool and warm toned) to try for a 1970s flat are: Resene Black White with Resene Quarter Black White on the ceilings for a cool toned white or Resene Half Rice Cake with Resene Eighth Rice Cake for the ceilings for a warmer feel. January 2025 |
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Q. We are repainting a 1970s house with new bronze aluminium joinery and a light grey roof. The house is currently a light pink. What could we paint it instead? A. I feel you should keep it soft with a bit more depth – colours to try are Resene Triple Black White, Resene Half Ash, Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Kensington Grey or Resene Half Silver Chalice – one of these will marry better with the roof and joinery. January 2025 |
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Q. We live in a rural exposed position in an older house which we are renovating. All the window joinery is being replaced with matt black joinery. What external house colours would suit this as I am not so keen on a black exterior paint. The external walls are ply and batten. A. It really depends on what your roof colour is but with black joinery and in your setting, a soft grey neutral with a hint of green hiding in it could look stunning on board and batten. Try Resene Ash, Resene Tana or Resene Foggy Grey – there are deeper variants of the first two suggestions – Resene Double Ash and Resene Double Tana, as colours can appear lighter outside – if you prefer more depth, but I would try the first three colours as a starting point. January 2025 |
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Q. We are looking to repaint our place as the paint has faded in multiple places, but I am struggling to pick a colour. The joinery is brown aluminium, and the garage to the side is also brown and the roof is Ironsand. We have ferns growing in the front retaining wall up the drive. The house gets a lot of sun in summer. A. Colours that will pair and blend the joinery are: Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Triple Truffle – none are too dark for a sunny position. If you want to really modernise the overall appearance and create longevity with the sun – a pale colour like Resene Triple White Pointer could be painted from the fascia to the base and steps. With Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Triple Truffle – I suggest pairing these with Resene Titania for the fascia, soffit, base, and steps – or just for the base Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Half Ironsand. January 2025 |
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Q. My house is Resene Half Iron. The block wall beside it and the house roof is Grey Friars. Our deck is very worse for wear and had been stained previously a reddy brown similar to Resene Mission Brown. We want to paint it to freshen it up. We were thinking a dark chocolate? Or should we go light? It’s a large deck. A. A chocolate brown will suit the house colour but not so much the block wall. Try a softer colour – mid toned grey, brown such as Resene Gauntlet – I suggest a CoolColour version – this will help with heat underfoot. January 2025 |
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Q. Are beige and white together on red brick background art deco colours? I’m not sure what colour to paint my window frames. I’m going to be purchasing flyscreens soon and I’m not quite sure what colour to get them in. A. Beige, red and off whites are an Art Deco colour palette – window frames and sashes would generally be a light colour. Try an off white such as Resene Half Merino which is a bit softer than pure white. Check out more information on the Resene website regarding period homes – www.resene.com/heritage. January 2025 |
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Q. Hoping you can help – we have a darkish stairwell which we are hoping to make more of a feature with your Resene FX Paint Effects Medium over two coats of an existing white. We’d like to go a bit earthier/darker but still neutral. A. Colours appear lighter in Resene FX Paint Effects Medium so I always suggest deeper tones – it is best to practice your technique and colourways on a piece of A2 card first. I suggest you try a green neutral beige like Resene Triple Thorndon Cream, Resene Parchment or Resene Double Parchment – depending on how deep you want the neutral to be – it is a dark area, so you don't want the topcoat to be too heavy. January 2025 |
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Q. We replaced a toilet in our bach and now need to paint the room. We have chosen Resene Sunbeam for the walls. The floors are cork. I don't know what colour to use on the ceiling, window frames and trim. The door into the bathroom will also need painting. The inside of the bach is painted a lemon colour with Resene Pearl Lusta trims. We put a floral wallpaper on a wall in one of the bedrooms and want to paint those walls Resene Sorrento. Can you help me choose a colour that we can use for the ceilings and trims? A. I suggest you try Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta depending on how much contrast you want and how they appear in the two rooms – I am thinking Resene Half Pearl Lusta, as Resene Sunbeam is quite a strong colour so Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta might be a bit too white – unless that is what you are after. As you have Resene Pearl Lusta already – it creates consistency even if using a different strength of colour – and they should work well also! January 2025 |
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Q. I am the owner of a townhouse which is one of three in a row. We are having our roofs and garage doors painted next month. Can you recommend a grey that would give the townhouses a more modern look? Out timber cladding is currently grey. A. I would match the same colour as the timber cladding – rather than bring in another grey that will highlight the brown brick – greys and brown brick don't always sit well together – but going darker will. Alternatively, you could try a smoky grey/brown to tie in the brick such as Resene Gauntlet. January 2025 |
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Q. We have rebuilt a 1930s bungalow from the floor up and are trying to stay relatively period-authentic. The floor is mostly rimu and will be polished. We are installing a kitchen with cabinetry that is closest in colour to Resene Forty Six and the benchtops will be stained macrocarpa and stainless steel. We are looking for a complementary wall colour. We've ruled out colours in the yellow palette but definitely want warm. The colour will extend into the lounge and hall but we're prepared to go different or darker in the bedrooms. All I can come up with at the moment is perhaps Resene Hindsight. Is there another colour(s) that we could consider? A. You might also consider Resene Ash or Resene Double Ash with Resene Double Lemon Grass or Resene Hindsight in the bedrooms. A beige could be quite nice too – as they have the warmth but don't appear yellow so to speak – investigate Resene Bison Hide or Resene Awaroa Bay – or one of these could be an option for the bedrooms for a softer, inviting feel. Also check out warmer greens – Resene Flax, Resene Siam or Resene Vantage Point for the bedrooms. Resene Fossil or Resene Double Fossil will work well in the kitchen, hall and lounge but it is on the warm side and paler – not too yellow however, I have seen it in a bungalow with green and Rimu. January 2025 |
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Q. I have fitted aluminium windows to my 1940s weatherboard house. The windows are New Denim Blue. What is a good white shade to paint the weatherboards and what is a good colour to paint the trim around the window? Our area is quite dusty so I’m thinking an off white colour would be better than a stark white. The back half of the house is a white cladding. I won’t be painting this so the front weatherboard colour will need to complement this. I’m open to ideas. A. You could try Resene Sea Fog – but how this looks next to the white cladding is not something I can determine online, as I don't have a sample to match to, plus colours will look different on each elevation due to the aspect of sun. My advice would be to take home a palette range of cool toned whites, from a Resene ColorShop – staff will be able to assist with finding the white palettes and match to the existing white cladding. Try cool toned whites such as Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White, Resene Black White and the slightly warmer Resene Wan White work with Resene New Denim Blue. January 2025 |
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Q. We have an old weatherboard bungalow that we are doing up. I’d like to go for a white on white exterior. I quite like Resene Sea Fog, thinking Resene Alabaster for the trims, but not sure what white to put on the roof? Do you have other white on white combinations? I’m not a fan of yellowy whites, much prefer the greyish-beige white. The interior is Resene Half White Pointer with black white trims. A. Consider Resene White for the windows with Resene Sea Fog – it is a lovely white and will give a bit more of a white-on-white contrast. For the roof try Resene Atmosphere and Resene Dusky Sound.  Resene Dusky Sound January 2025 |
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Q. How can I get a neutral colour without going cold or grey or yellow? A. You will need to go to a beige or warm white that is not too yellow – how they appear depends on the aspect of the rooms you are painting – for example, the yellow in a colour can be enhanced in a very sunny space, where the red in some beiges can be highlighted in a south facing room. Warm colours to consider are Resene Half Carrara, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Parchment or even a green based beige which isn't as cold as grey such as Resene Ecru White or Resene Half Linen. January 2025 |
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Q. What's the best colour to paint my fireplace and armoire? The walls will be Resene Swiss Coffee, trim in Resene Chantilly semi-gloss, ceiling in white. Should I stay with trim or go with softer white? A. Yes, I suggest you go with a softer colour – a paler version or slight change in tone to Resene Swiss Coffee. Try Resene Dover White or a half strength – you could test this by mixing a testpot of Resene White with Resene Dover White to see how a half strength would look. January 2025 |
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Q. What colours are 'in' for the 2025/2026 season? A. Earthy colours with pops of jewel tones – so rich burgundy and wine tones, warm browns and beiges, warm whites to ochre tones, soft blues, sage and olive greens – with pops of purple, turquoise, vibrant yellow greens and metallic accents like gold. These trends are driven by the desire for comfort and warmth in an ever-changing world and to balance the sterile high-tech solutions in our homes. The biggest trend is the way we apply colour – lots of texture is in from neutral painted textured walls in products like Resene Sandtex, to metallic paint finishes on recycled pots and vases, photo frames and mirrors. Browse the Resene The Range fashion fandeck 2024 for pops of colour that will continue through to 2025/ and the Resene multi finish palettes. Trends generally continue for two years and then changes or the application of colour changes – sometimes depending on what is happening in our climate things change a bit quicker – but for trendy colours – it is best to opt for smaller projects or one room so it can be swapped out easily enough – the base colour such as a warm neutral or white will work generally with in coming trends. January 2025 |
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Q. We have matched Resene Space Cadet with Resene Ecstasy, but it does not quite look right. Should we have matched it with slightly different tones/shades? A. It is not quite the right balance – the orange needs a bit more of a lift – so a bit more yellow in the orange might help – try Resene Clockwork Orange or you could opt for a red like Resene Havoc. You could also try Resene Tangerine. January 2025 |
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Q. I have used Resene Blue Stone as the primary colour in my kitchen and a bedroom. I want to add some pops of bright contrasting colours – perhaps pinks, coral, yellow or red. I’d love to know what you’d recommend will look good. I’m aiming for a dopamine decor feel. I have had plain white and grey for years and want joy instead of boredom. I will probably stick with a quite light grey for the ceiling though – what grey would you recommend? A. Resene Blue Stone is a fabulous blue green – it must look stunning. I suggest bringing in variants of accents, including a lighter blue so there is harmony – I am suggesting berry reds, coral pinks and lighter green blues – such as Resene Very Berry, Resene New York Pink and Resene Fountain Blue – you could also bring in a pop of golden yellow with a colour like Resene Daylight, or swap the coral pink for a flamingo pink like Resene Sunglo or Resene Tropical. You could also bring in metallic finishes for a pop of glam. Balance is key and less is more – so small amounts of these colours will be effective – when using a multiple palette, perhaps pick up a Resene Colour Wheel, which is a great tool to show how colours work together – but most of all have fun! From there you can look for fabrics, accessories, art with your combination or upcycle existing pieces with Resene products. While instore pick up a few habitat booklets on decorating to further help you. January 2025 |
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Q. I'm looking for a dark cool green exterior paint, and hopefully you could help me with the colour. I don't want anything that looks almost black or some kind of turquoise colour or warm earthy colour. I'd like to have a deep cool dark green that would still look quite dark in the sun. Many greens seem to look nice in the shade, but the sunlight sometimes changes the colour completely. I chose the wrong paint, and the wall facing the sun looks bright green (reminds me of the cheap green garden hose colour). I'm trying to get the colour finally right. Do you think Palm Green might be ok? Or could you please recommend something else? Resene Madagascar and Resene Ivy Green also look quite nice, but I'm not sure if they're too dark. A. Unfortunately, in the bright light undertones will be enhanced and going darker and earthier will counteract this, but this does mean a blacker green on the low light elevations – but there is the compromise. The greens you have been leaning towards may have too much blue in them or yellow so they feel brighter – Resene Palm Green is lovely, but the green will be enhanced, and it is a bit warmer. I suggest you go darker and see how surprisingly they appear in the sunlight – try Resene Black Forest and Resene Holly for a cooler tone. Resene Exactly is a nice green but may be a bit warm for you. Resene Cod Grey is a popular green based charcoal – for something different – the green may show in the light. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a 1920s stucco house with weatherboards up the top. It is currently painted in Resene Sea Fog which we find a bit cream against our Resene Alabaster fence. We would like to paint the windows Resene Alabaster. Can you suggest some other lightish colours for the stucco. Also, the previous owners painted the weatherboards double strength. Is this because stucco doesn't reflect light as much as weatherboards? A. Yes, correct – due to the texture of stucco colour doesn't appear lighter as much as it does on a smooth surface. I like the Resene Double Sea Fog – you could try putting it with a cooler white such as Resene Black White on the stucco – it pairs with Resene Alabaster, or you could change the weatherboards to Resene Double Black White. Using varying shades of white creates interest. January 2025 |
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Q. I want to paint our sixties weatherboard home with a block base black and a creamy white. I really like Resene Bokara Grey for the weatherboards, but finding the creamy white a bit tricky. It will be the whole bottom section of the house so there is quite a lot of the white in places. We also have a dark grey roof. So far we have seen Resene Sea Fog, but wondering if this is a bit grey? I would also like to paint the front door a dusky blue/grey. It’s within a carport with natural wood panelling. Do you have any suggestions on the creamy white we could use (so it looks slightly cream rather than white) and any suggestions of a dusky blue/grey for the front door? A. Resene Bokara Grey is going to look great! Resene Sea Fog works well with Resene Bokara Grey and will not be grey outside – colours tend to whiten and brighten, perhaps in some lights you may see a bit of grey – but mostly Resene Sea Fog is a bone white, so it can also appear warmer depending on the light. You might like to try Resene Merino. For the dusky blue grey try Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Bounty or Resene Bluff. We recommend a CoolColour paint for Resene Bokara Grey to help reflect more heat. January 2025 |
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Q. We plan to DIY the exterior of our house. We're looking onto limewashing the brick to allow breathability, and painting the concrete trim and the garage doors a green colour. Our other plans are to add a white picket fence to the front and to replace the green fence you can see between our house and the house on the right, with the same. The roof is a grey/green colour which we will be keeping the same. I'm thinking a sage green colour for the trim and the garage doors might complement well, in a semi-gloss finish? A. Fences generally should relate to the house, so if you are introducing white via a fence, then I suggest painting the window trim and base white with the green garage doors to match the roof – try Resene Siam, Resene Kelp, Resene Scrub, Resene Paddock or Resene Cabbage Pont – whichever looks good with the roof. Resene Sage might be too bright for the roof – but try it. You don’t have to use the same white as the fence and windows – you could tone it down with a grey white like Resene Double Sea Fog which would pair well with the greens. January 2025 |
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Q. Could you please advise the closest colour to 200% Resene Wan White? A. 200% is double strength Resene Double Wan White. You might like to check out Resene Double Sea Fog, which is nearly the same – just slightly paler. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod roof, guttering and downpipes. The aluminium joinery colour is Appliance White. We want to paint our triclad wall cladding a dark charcoal – which colours would work best please? A. Try Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Triple Dune or Resene Nocturnal – any darker and it could look like you have tried to match FlaxPod unsuccessfully. January 2025 |
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Q. I need some suggestions for a bathroom, separate toilet and ensuite, ideally all the same. And some choices for the master bedroom, base colour and feature wall. The base colour used in the house is Resene Grey Chateau and I am thinking of a plum colour for the feature wall in the lounge. The ceilings are Resene Alabaster and trim is Resene Double Alabaster and the doors are Resene Nero. A. Try Resene Staccato for the feature wall – Resene SpaceCote Flat will create added drama with a flat, washable velvet appearance. Resene Rakaia or Resene Tenor could work well for the wet areas. Resene Strikemaster is another option but perhaps only for the ensuite. January 2025 |
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Q. I am using Resene Half Alabaster on trim, Resene Sea Fog on walls and Resene Alabaster on the ceiling. Please recommend a colour for the exposed trusses. A friend suggested making them the same colour as the ceiling for ease of painting. They are stained dark brown at the moment but I’m thinking of painting a colour that will be in keeping with Resene Sea Fog and Resene Alabaster maybe darker. The exterior walls are Resene Foundry but that seems a bit dark. Lighter would be almost white. A. I would paint them the same colour as the ceiling if you want to be in keeping with the other colours, otherwise they are just going to look a bit muddy next to the ceiling – unless you go for a much darker colour. If you want to go darker, you could try Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Midwinter Mist or Resene Triple Sea Fog (the latter might appear a bit muddy, but it depends on your lighting). January 2025 |
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Q. I am about to have my living room painted. It is currently Resene Quarter Akaroa on the walls and Resene Eighth Akaroa on the ceiling. I have a ULEB wood burner and on occasion I have had a bit of smoke coming into the room when I am refuelling it. I think it is unavoidable at times with a wood burner no matter how careful you are. The problem is that the ceiling is quite ‘dirty’ from the smoke, which I have made the mistake of trying to clean unsuccessfully, hence the need to repaint. My quandary is that I would like to stay with a neutral colour, but don't know whether I am asking for trouble if I move to a lighter neutral but with the same colour base as Resene Akaroa. A. To work with Akaroa – I suggest you use a chalky white like Resene Black White. January 2025 |
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Q. What paint colour for internal walls would go with Magnolia aluminium joinery. A. Try Resene Bianca it is a lovely warm light off white. January 2025 |
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Q. I'm intending to paint my 60s stucco house Resene Periglacial Blue. What do you recommend for the roof colour? They're white aluminium windows so doing sills white as well. A. Resene Grey Friars, Resene Half Tuna or Resene High Tide – the blue in the last two will be enhanced in sunlight. January 2025 |
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Q. We have a cute little brick and stucco house. I want to retain the unpainted brick elements but also want to modernise the underside of the eaves/soffits, the bargeboards, doors, sills and the stucco inlay areas of the house with interesting/more modern colours and am struggling! Those areas are currently all in the white and off-white of the era and need a boost. And the new fascia and gutter have just been painted Sandstone Grey which we are happy with. The wider area is bounded by rocks, tussock and high desert, so thinking earthy/natural colours might work well with both the bricks and the landscape – slates, browns, mustard, khaki, greys etc. We would love your ideas for doors, sills, stucco inlay areas, soffits and the whole front facade really. Also thoughts on the garage door would be great. A. I suggest a deep, warm charcoal for the bargeboards and stucco base – try Resene Half Bokara Grey. For the soffit, a white which complements the windows (close enough) Resene Half Black White. The remaining (upper) stucco substrates I suggest a stone grey like Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Kensington Grey. The timber deck and stairs could look nice stained in Resene English Walnut wood stain which is penetrating giving a natural appearance but also added protection. January 2025 |
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Q. I want a light grey bedroom for my teenage son. I have tried Resene Concrete but it is a little too blue. Any suggestions of colours in bedding, skirting boards or other tricks to minimise the blue? A. Sunlight will enhance undertones of colour – when testing colours ensure you do not test directly onto a coloured wall as this will not give a true indication of the new colour – Resene sell A2 card which you can paint two coats of a testpot onto and then move around the room – having a white edge all the way around the card will counteract any adjacent colours. Whites, charcoals and neutral greys will help to soften the effect of blue – but to entirely get rid of any blue you will need to choose a slightly warmer grey – most light greys have a green, blue or brown undertone (greige) – totally neutral greys can be tricky as you can risk a battleship effect – try a grey such as Resene Quill Grey which is a feather grey – not blue and not brown. Resene Triple Sea Fog could also look nice – but it is only on the edge of grey. January 2025 |
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Q. We've just bought our first home! It's a small 64sqm unit. We get a good amount of natural light in the house. We are looking at painting the entire house – interior as well as the porch, deck and fence. We would like the lounge/kitchen to look bright and seem more open. With the bedrooms and tiny hallway we are looking for something that'll not only make the rooms look bigger but also cosy and contribute to sleep hygiene. We want the skirtings/doorways to be a slightly different colour to give more depth to the room as well as a feature wall in the second bedroom. A. You are lucky having lots of light in the living area and I recommend you take advantage of that by using a lovely, chalky white like Resene Black White with Resene Alabaster for trims etc for contrast. Generally walls are a low sheen – Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is a durable, waterborne enamel which gives a lovely subtle sheen to the walls and is easily cleaned. Trims are generally a semi-gloss version – Resene Lustacryl – which further adds interest. For the hallway and bedrooms, you can choose a warmer white which will bounce borrowed light around the spaces – try Resene Bianca – for trims I suggest Resene Alabaster. White, blues and greens are advised for sleep health – for a feature wall you might like to try Resene Robin Egg Blue, Resene Washed Green or Resene Powder Blue. |
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Q. I want to paint my south-facing sitting room a very dark brown or black. In the same room I have a glossy black piano and a teak cabinet. Adjacent to the room (and visible) is a hallway and living area, the living area walls are Resene Sea Fog grey. The hallway timber panelling is Resene Alabaster, above the panelling will be a navy wallpaper with an earthy leaf colour. Since everything is visible from this room (it can't be closed off), I would like the dark colour to go with Resene Sea Fog and the navy wallpaper, and also sit well with teak cabinetry. I have tried Resene Double Tuna, Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Suits and Resene Double Masala. I don't feel confident these colours work. A. South facing rooms if used during the day especially, suit warmer neutrals – you can use deep tones but charcoals will probably feel a bit dull in this room and get lost in the gloss black piano – sheen levels have a great impact on south facing rooms – hence why the reflective gloss of the black piano works as it is giving a lift to the black. My suggestion is to pick up the earthy neutral from the wallpaper. Take a piece of the wallpaper into your local Resene ColorShop and they can help you pull out colours from the wallpaper to use as you Resene paint colours. What you are doing is fabulous and a colour will make a difference to your sitting room – but there are a few features already, so it doesn’t need to be dramatic. January 2025 |
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Q. I would like a colour similar to Resene Double Ash, but a smidge lighter (higher LRV). A. Try these colours – Resene Eagle (LRV 49%) – might be a bit too olive, but lovely colour, Resene Double Linen (LRV 46%), Resene Tana (LRV 53%) might be a bit pale or you could try one and a half times Resene Ash – you could test that by mixing a testpot of Resene Ash and Resene Double Ash to see how it looks. January 2025 |
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Q. I am painting the outside of my house and am thinking of choosing out of the following colours – Resene Frozen, Resene Breeze, Resene Escape and Resene Halcyon. I would like a suggestion of whites that would work with these colours. A. Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White will pair with those blues/green. January 2025 |
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Q. What colour stain is the closest to our Ironsand roof please? A. Resene Treehouse or Resene Charred Black are the preferred stains to pair with Resene Ironsand. January 2025 |
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