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.
Q. I am looking for advice on choosing the right white. I am doing a feature wall in Resene Carousel Pink, and want to have pops of colour like Resene Panache and Resene Fringy Flower throughout my interior (not on walls, but furniture, picture frames etc). After doing a bit of research on the internet it seems that there is a lot of conflicting information. But I think I want to be choosing a crisp and cool white tone? Is this correct? Are you able to point me in the direction of some whites that will work with the colours I have chosen? A. Yes - I do think you are right - a cool crisp white without too much shadow in it. A shadowy white that has cream, brown or grey in it may rob the lovely colours of their clear brightness. You could try Resene Alabaster, Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.
June 2015
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Q. I’ve been given Resene Half Linen and Resene Black Haze paint to update my bungalow. The west side of the house includes bedrooms, the lounge is on the east side and a hallway runs through the centre of the house and is dark. Where could I put which colours? I plan to have white trims and a recommendation would be appreciated. A. Lucky you! They are such nice colours. I would be inclined to use the Resene Black Haze in the hallway (this is usually a dim space) and in the bedrooms (or some of the bedrooms) and the Resene Half Linen for the lounge. If you had enough of the Resene Half Linen you might use it in the main bedroom.
June 2015
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Q. I am thinking about painting over our wallpaper and will need to do the window frames and doors at the same time. I will probably pick a neutral beige colour but am wondering what colour to do the doors and window frames. We have brown aluminium joinery and sarked wooden ceilings throughout in a rimu stain. Do you go up a darker shade or a lighter shade than the walls? A. Generally woodwork is slightly lighter than the wall colour. This is a personal choice and some people choose to use the same as the wall colour but in a different product - walls in a low sheen acrylic and woodwork in a semi-gloss enamel - this merges the two elements with just a gloss level difference instead of a colour difference. |
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July below here Q. What would be the best colour to put on walls where the existing carpet and curtains are taupe and the sofas are chocolate brown? A. The best colour is the one you like the most, that looks divine with your carpet, curtains and sofa. There are hundreds of possibilities and you do need to check them out, pick a few and test them at your house, with your things in the everchanging qualities of light during the day and night at your home. The following colours are a few that you might start to investigate – Resene Quarter Akaroa, Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown, Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Truffle, Resene House White or Resene Eighth Spanish White. There are so many options open to you so do take your time to get it right.
July 2015
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Q. We have bronze aluminium joinery in our house. We are getting a new roof in COLORSTEEL® Maxx. Can you please advise on colours we could use for the roof and house please? A. There is a limited range of colours to choose from in the Maxx range. You might look at Lignite, Ironsand or Thunder Grey. For the house you do have lots of options – Resene Fossil, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Napa, Resene Eighth Pravda or Resene Quarter Bison Hide.
July 2015
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Q. We own a bach with a painted concrete basement bunkroom floor. It is not very well lit. One of the owners doesn't want a grey floor and the others don't want it too dark. What could you suggest? A. Luckily Resene Walk-On flooring and paving paint comes in a wide range of colours. You may need to discuss with the owners what colours they like and check out - firstly the 40 in the Resene Decks, Paths, Driveways and Recreational Areas chart - then if none of them suit you can look at all of the colour charts. I think soft warm taupes or beiges may suit but you and the other owners may have other ideas - you might fancy bright colours - especially if children use the bunk room - or even coloured whites from the Resene The Range Whites & Neutrals if a cooler seaside look is preferred. July 2015
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Q. We are about to get our house painted due to EQC repairs, and just wondering what you would recommend for a white ceiling colour. We are putting Resene Eighth Stack throughout the house. A. I think you could use Resene Half Sea Fog or as your main wall colour Resene Eighth Stack is a reasonable depth, you could use Resene Sea Fog.
July 2015
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Q. We are installing a new kitchen with white cabinets, white marble bench, stainless steel appliances and a wooden floor. It’s small with plenty of natural light. What colour do I use for the glass splashback and what colour do I get the walls painted? A. There are hundreds of colour choices available to you - both for splashback colours and wall colours. Ideally these are chosen because you like them, they enhance what you already have and they create a certain type of mood or ambiance. Here are some colours to get you started: Walls in Resene Black Haze with the splashback in Resene Crescent (this is a metallic) or walls in Resene Eighth Napa with the splashback in Resene Double Napa or walls in Resene Flotsam with the splashback in Resene Breakfree.
July 2015
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Q. We have had to go for Ironsand joinery for our house but we want the inside to be grey in colours. We want a very light airy colour for the walls (almost white) that is going to go with grey tones and have a dark grey with light grey fleck carpet. Is there a colour you would suggest that would tie these all in? We really don't want to go with browns but Ironsand is unfortunately the only colour we can find that suits for the outside. A. You could try: Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Concrete or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. They fall into the light airy (almost white) category but they can have all manner of grey tones added to them so they are really versatile and obliging. They do allow for you to use greys as feature walls and drapes, accessories and upholstered furniture as well as the carpet you are considering.
July 2015
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Q. We have a very long narrow staircase that is currently painted in cream. The stairway is very dark even in summer as there is very little natural light. We are repainting the interior of the house in Resene Quarter Merino but I am now wondering if I should paint the hallway in a standout rich warm colour. I have trialled Resene Sebedee and Resene La Luna but feel they are not quite right. The hallway is half concrete block. We will be laying a neutral carpet over the bottom stairs. Could you please suggest some other colours to warm and soften the cold concrete blocks? A. I think part of the problem is that you can't see enough of the colours to make a sound judgement about them. Might I suggest that you paint two coats of the testpot (that is all of the testpot) onto A2 card (from a Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the intensity of the colour and you can move it around - close to the floor and higher up on the blocks. I also think you need a bit more colour - perhaps Resene Cream Can or Resene April Sun.
July 2015
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Q. Our house is early 80s cement weatherboard. Decks, roof and fence are all Ironsand and the joinery is brown. Inside is all Resene Quarter Tea, black carpet and stainless steel, but we are stumped what colour to paint the outside cladding. We want a modern look so I was thinking light, off white? A. I think your idea of the light off white is a good idea - however I think it may pay to consider using a soft cloudy off white (not too stark or too creamy) as it will only draw attention to the other deeper colours and make them seem a lot darker by comparison. Check out these lovely colours – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Wan White, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Eighth Parchment.
July 2015
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Q. I have a lot of fence (wooden standard type) that needs painting/staining. It has never been stained and is just standard fencing. The house is painted in Resene Cougar and the roof is Ironsand. I have a smallish garden opposite a spa pool where I am starting and I thought a dark grey or black might be good. I am keen to stain not paint. A. A stained finish allows for a deep colour without it being oppressive - the semi-transparent nature of stain is very natural. You might look at these options in Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain – Resene Bleached Cedar, Resene Iroko, Resene Tiri, Resene Sheer Black or Resene Crowshead. The stains do come as testpots and it would pay you to do some samples on a board - two coats for maximum coverage.
July 2015
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Q. Will Resene Stonewashed go with light grey tiles? A. Resene Stonewashed is quite a dense warm brown and it might not be my first choice to go with light grey tiles - but if you like it you may decide to go with it. If you would like other (less brown) options you might look at Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Triple White Pointer.
July 2015
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Q. We are getting a splashback installed behind the stovetop and around the back of the sink and the glazier has said we can have any Resene colour we like. The walls are Resene Half Napa, the kitchen joinery is in Melteca Vienna and the benchtop is Formica (Wilson Art) Ebony Fusion. I would like some ideas on a colour for the splashback. The room is open plan with the living area which has dark blue pattern curtains so I was leaning towards a blue colour. A. You might look at these blues – Resene Seachange, Resene Awash, Resene Limitless, Resene Panorama or Resene Float.
July 2015
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Q. I'm looking for a colour to paint my two storey plastered home. I have a burnt orange terracotta roof. I would like to avoid using yellowy colours. I was looking at Resene Triple Spanish White but am afraid this will achieve the look I don't want. The aluminium joinery looks like a Resene Spanish White. The roof and joinery cannot be changed. Could you suggest a warm colour that could be used? A. Resene Triple Spanish White is a good colour - quite biscuity and dense - which will work well with the roof and the powdercoated windows. You might also look at these alternative options – Resene Eighth Nullarbor, Resene Half Doeskin and Resene Half Drought.
July 2015
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Q. I have just got a new white vanity and toilet in my small bathroom and the tiles are a medium dark grey. I want to paint the walls in a warm matching colour. A. A matching colour would either match the vanity or match the tiles - I am guessing you would like a colour that will work with the vanity and the tiles but not necessarily match. You say a warm colour so you could look at these options to see if they will work for you – Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Merino or Resene Half Flotsam.
July 2015
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Q. Looking for some inspiration for exterior LINEA® colours. We’re looking at painting the window frames in Resene Double Black White, but want an idea for a grey/blue colour for the LINEA® boards themselves. Currently I’m looking at Resene Regent Grey or Resene Half Regent Grey. I don't want it too dark, but I don't want it too light so it will just appear like it's blending in. Also I’m wanting an idea for the colour for the front door, perhaps a dark blue. A. If you lighten the window joinery to Resene Black White (not Resene Double Black White) then the contrast will be greater even if you use the lighter Resene Half Regent Grey. Another alternative option for the main colour that you might check out is Resene El Nino. A deep blue for the front door needs to relate well with the main house colour. You might check these colours to see if they work for you – Resene Avalanche, Resene True Blue, Resene Wanaka or Resene Nite Life.
July 2015
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Q. We would like to change our external house colour from the terracotta/peachy tones to a darker roof (perhaps Ironsand) and some natural stony type colours on the walls. The house has brown aluminium windows and overlooks a coastal inlet. We would probably replace the garage doors with modern tilt doors and perhaps put schist around the front door pillar supports. What would you suggest - one colour or break it with some darker tones where there is a join between the levels? A. I think the Ironsand colour for the roof is a good idea and I think the garage doors may need to be the same colour. Schist as a feature at the front entry is a natural but effective way to add a new look. One colour is ample for the exterior given the new colours/features and the existing window joinery colour. You might check these colours out to see if they will give you the natural stony palette that you favour – Resene Truffle, Resene Half Napa, Resene Quarter Cloudy or Resene Cloud.
July 2015
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Q. We have just had a new COLORSTEEL® roof in Ironsand put on our recently purchased villa. I'd like a neutral colour for the exterior boards and white window trims. I was thinking along the lines of Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Half Friar Greystone . The house faces north-east and sometimes the roof can look brownish and sometimes much more charcoal so I'm having trouble finding the right colour that isn't too browny or too cold and grey. Also I want there to be enough of a contrast with the white window frames but I don't want a 'dark' coloured house. A. You may find Resene Half Friar Greystone is a little bit grey compared to Resene Triple White Pointer. It might pay you to check out Resene Truffle and Resene Quarter Napa and compare them to see if they might be the 'not too brown/not too grey and cold' look you want. If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop - it would be incredibly helpful for you to do this - and check the A4 samples of real paint colours from their Colour Library with a Resene White (to replicate the windows) and Resene Ironsand (this is the match to your COLORSTEEL® roof colour) and see which colours make you feel good. A handy tip - remove the colours from the books and hold them up vertically as they would present on the house and show far less of the White (a strip between the roof colour and the main colour as this is how much is seen in comparison to the main and roof. Hold them to the right and to the left of you and check out how different they look from each angle. You might also place the main colour under the Resene Colour View slide of a villa to see the look you might achieve. The staff are there to assist you find the colours and explain how the Resene Colour View slide works. You probably will find once you do this you come to a decision about which colour may work for you - but it still pays to trial the testpot. By painting a testpot onto A2 card (from your local Resene ColorShop) and moving it around on each side of the house you can see how the colour changes and being huge (yes, you use all of the testpot) you will see the true colour which can be hard to judge on small samples.
July 2015
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Q. We are painting an L shaped office in our building. Only half of the room has windows and the rest is quite dark. The walls farthest from the windows are remaining white. The walls closest to the windows (which also border interior brick walls) have been painted Resene Grey Friars. The remaining walls are in the darkest parts of the room and have been done with one coat of Resene Witch Haze but I am concerned this colour is not strong enough. It looks more cream than yellow. Can you suggest a richer yellow colour, or even another colour that may suit? A. I note that the office space has a huge amount of shadow and the darkest colour being so close to the window sucks up the natural light. You may need to re-address the yellow and use a bolder/deeper tone in order for the colour to read as bright given the natural paucity of light. You might look at these – Resene Golden Dream, Resene Cream Can or Resene Broom.
July 2015
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Q. I have recently bought a house that is completely beige - walls, ceilings, windows door jambs etc, - and which is in need of a facelift to revive and refresh it. I have chosen to use Resene Half Wheatfield as the background colour for the walls and full Resene Wheatfield for the window/door surrounds to tie in with the carpets and window joinery, with feature walls in most of the rooms. At this stage I am considering Resene Pohutukawa for the dining room, Resene Submerge for the entertainment room, Resene Flourish for one of the bathrooms and have tried Resene Picasso for the kitchen/sunroom. As there is limited direct sunlight into the rooms during winter and most of the rooms are large, can you suggest any other colours that I could consider using with Resene Wheatfield that will have impact/wow factor without closing in the rooms too much? I prefer stronger colours rather than pastels. All the bedrooms are upstairs and get more light during the day during winter. A. It is lovely that you like stronger colours - a lot of people are scared of colour so it is always refreshing to explore more colourful options. Have fun looking at these options – Resene Artefact, Resene Black Sheep or Resene Toorak as a main bedroom feature, Resene Koru, Resene Seeker or Resene Ayers Rock. A few main bedroom feature possibilities and some other gorgeous colours if you decide the dark charcoal/chocolate colours aren't for you.
July 2015
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Q. I’m wanting to achieve a limewash style effect. How do I do this? A. The original concept was a dilute watery wash (made from lime) tinted and rough brushed or rubbed into a very porous plaster surface. It isn't what is recommended now because the expectation is that a paint on a house (no matter how rustic the effect might be) must last a very long time and the dilute coloured lime wash was re-applied annually as it weathered away because of the soft chalky nature of the product. I have achieved a somewhat similar effect using Resene Paint Effects medium mixed with acrylic paint - 75% effects medium to 25% paint - and applied (sometimes several coats is needed to get the finish required) over a very light sandy textured Resene/Rockcote surface and with varying degrees of success also over Resene AquaShield which is a soft mineral paint that replicates European plastered finishes. The larger the surface area to be coloured the harder it is to achieve any uniformity of effect. I have always described the effect as 'artistic/free form embracing imperfection' - at best it is gorgeous and at worst it looks like a child has been at play. See the Resene Paint Effects section on this website to find out more. Practice a lot before undertaking any large job. We always recommend creating a sample panel so you can use this as a reference panel for your project. July 2015
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Q. I am about to redecorate my 6 year old daughter’s bedroom. The room is very small with a pale lemon wardrobe - she can’t decide between turquoise or princess pink neither of which seem to match the yellow - maybe I should just go with magnolia! Worried that blue may be too boyish. A. Resene Magnolia is a lovely whisper of lilac so it wouldn't be a bad choice for a 6 year girl and would go with the pale lemon wardrobe too. There is nothing wrong with Resene Princess either but it may swamp the lemon as it is really warm in depth. But if you really wanted a turquoise then you might look at Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Reservoir - these aren't too blue based so they aren't boyish or cold.
July 2015
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Q. I have just installed a new COLORSTEEL® garage door in shade Titania and will have matching gutters and fascias. I had expected Titania to be a silvery grey, but in fact there is a strong green tinge. Can you recommend some colours for the walls of the house and garage (and the soffits) that would contrast with the Titania but that might possibly tone down the green shade? I have done some test patches with colours such as Resene Ash and Resene Quarter Grey Olive but wonder if they are just accentuating the green. I wondered about grey/brown shades? A. I have always described Titania as a bone/green neutral and I note that the house having red bricks on it may be one of the reasons that the green in Titania is making its presence more apparent. Red can do that. Yes, the colours that you have tested are very similar to Titania so seeing more green is all that would happen. Perhaps look at the following colours to see if they are better – Resene Eighth Friar Greystone , Resene Half Pravda, Resene Eighth Tapa or Resene Atmosphere. A word to the wise - don't put the testpotcolours onto an already coloured wall surface - paint two coats onto A2 card leaving an unpainted border of white card all around the edges and move it about on the garage and the house to see how it looks. It will help you see what changes of angles and light do to the colour and the existing wall colours won't unduly alter your perception of the testpot colour and make you see it 'wrong'. The large card also helps you focus on the reality of the colour - small patches don't let you judge it well. A2 card can be purchased from your Resene ColorShop for a minimal amount at the same time you buy the testpots.
July 2015
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Q. I need to choose a colour for my kitchen glass splashbacks. The benchtop is granite grey, black and white with quartz crystals. The kitchen cupboards are dark royal blue, with floor tiles in slate with small flicks of sand colour. A. There are thousands of colours that you might choose. One way that you can solve the problem without doing colour is a crystal clear glass splashback over the wall paint. Or a silvery metallic might be considered as there is usually some brushed or gloss chrome or stainless steel in the kitchen which a silvery metallic might pick up on - perhaps Resene Silver Aluminium or a deeper metallic like Resene Blast Grey 2. Alternatively you might do a bold colour (as long it is something you have always loved and have featured it in some way in the house) like a rich orange based red - Resene Bonfire or a saucy bright green like Resene Impromptu. Both of these like the dark royal blue kitchen cabinets but it really depends on what the kitchen wall colour is.
July 2015
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Q. We are staining our deck in Resene Kwila and are looking for a complementary coloured stain or paint for the retaining wall that is hard up against the deck. This colour will also be used for the back fence. We are conscious that we don't want to go too dark for fear of 'closing in' the property. A. A light/mid toned paint option that looks good alongside of the richness of the Resene Kwila is Resene Mongoose (warm brown) or Resene Identity (warm grey) and a light stain colour might be Resene Natural or Resene Smokey Ash.
July 2015
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Q. I'm looking for a nice neutral for our weatherboard (1960s built) home. The windows are white and wooden and the garage door is COLORSTEEL® Karaka green as is the spouting and deck railings which will be remaining as Karaka. I also need a colour for the base. My interior colour scheme is based on Resene Tea and Resene Quarter Tea. A. You have a lot of options and the following colours are a few that you might check out – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Caraway. All of these colours come as lighter and deeper variants in case you need to check them out also.
July 2015
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Q. We are in the middle of building our new house. We have chosen Grey Friars for the roof and want to do a very dark Resene exterior, maybe Resene Bokara Grey or similar black colour. I have to choose the joinery colour now and am not sure if I should go with an arctic white or with a warm white pearl matt? Which goes best with black? A. Resene Bokara Grey is a lovely warm burnt black and you might look at Warm White Pearl Matt to go with it. If you had a cooler black tone - like Resene Baltic Sea - you might choose Arctic White for the joinery. If you were unsure about the whole 'white' scenario for joinery you might also check out Silver Pearl metallic powdercoat as it is very light/silvery but seems to work with all types of black.
July 2015
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Q. Our roof and gutter are Dune, our fascia and garage door are Surfmist, and our render colour is Resene Eighth Stonehenge with columns in Resene Stonehenge with timber features. Will Resene Eighth Stonehenge be too light or do you have any other suggestions? A. My only worry is that Resene Eighth Stonehenge may throw a little warm grey/beige when it is seen with Dune and Surfmist. The full version of Resene Stonehenge and Resene Half Stonehenge seem to work but the lighter variants seem to lose the colour relationship. Perhaps if lighter in colour is what you want you might investigate Resene Truffle or Resene Quarter Craigieburn.
July 2015
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Q. Our house is Resene Taupe Grey with white trim/windows etc. Inside we have a mid brown carpet, black bathroom cabinets. The kitchen is black with white units and a walnut dark brown floor. I was thinking of using Resene Milk White on the walls, but my mother said it is cold to live with as she has it in her office. Can you suggest a warmer colour that would go with my other colour mixes? A. You might check out Resene Half Albescent or Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown as they are very slightly yellow based neutrals the same as Resene Taupe Grey is. I am inclined to agree with your mother in regard Resene Milk White - I have seen it look quite a cool mushroom/grey in some lights. Both of the colours I have recommended come as slightly deeper variants also.
July 2015
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Q. Can you recommend a baby/powder blue that would complement Resene Bay Leaf? It won't be on the same piece of furniture but on something else in the same room. A. Too pale a blue may not be the best idea as the Resene Bay Leaf is quite a strong clear hue and it might take all the attention away from the blue. You might check out these blues to see if they work for you – Resene Polo Blue, Resene Relax, Resene Tropical Blue or Resene Spindle. Or if you really don't want a definite blue then you might look at this paler blue - Resene Onahau.
July 2015
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Q. I need your advice and suggestions. What colour roof should I pick if I have Resene Dune render? I would prefer lighter colours. Also, if I use timber features door etc, what feature colour would complement Resene Dune? A. Resene Dune is quite a deep warm grey and probably a roof colour like Resene Gauntlet (match to Sandstone Grey powdercoat) or - if you want much lighter - Resene Titania (match to Titania powdercoat) would be ok. For timber features you might look at Resene Grey Nickel, Resene Delta Grey or Resene Friar Greystone .
July 2015
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Q. I am thinking of doing a feature wall with Resene Tapa, and the rest of the walls in Resene Half Thorndon Cream. I can't work out what colour accents to use for cushions, rugs, etc to brighten the room up. I also have to purchase a sofa which I think will need to be the same colour as Resene Thorndon Cream. A. Red tones will work - probably earthier reds rather than blue based reds - but a wild splash of a primary red would work also especially with lots of real white and black and possibly some bold teals.
July 2015
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Q. Is Resene Milk White a cold colour to live with or a warm colour? A. It is a bit cold - I have seen it look grey/mushroom mauve in a dim situation and if you compare it to Resene Albescent White, Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown or Resene Soapstone you will be better able to judge whether it is warm or not. Without comparing colours I have always found that we are 90% likely to misjudge colour.
July 2015
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Q. We have just renovated a unit using Resene Blanc throughout. We didn't realise the new kitchen countertop has a green tinge so now the kitchen walls look quite pink. Can you recommend a warm colour we can use to get a splashback made that will complement the white kitchen cabinetry, blend the green-tinged counter top and camouflage the pink in our walls? I wondered about a warm grey. The kitchen tiles are a warm light beige. A. Resene Blanc is a white that has a rosy beige undertone to it and yes it can look quite mushroom pink especially if there is any green around it. The only way to successfully remove the pinkness that you see in the colour is to change the colour completely. It is almost impossible to disguise a definite colour tone in a whole room by using a splashback colour. A warm grey may work or it may emphasise the warm tone in the Resene Blanc. You might try Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or even Resene Double Rakaia. Another thing that you need to know is that splashback glass comes as crystal clear (shows the colour behind absolutely true) or standard float glass (which has a green cast to it) and makes any colour seen behind it look totally unlike it is in reality.
July 2015
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Q. I have three rooms that have all been opened up by walls taken out. The kitchen is painted a warm cream, so is the family room with black high gloss furniture and white chairs. In the TV room there is the same warm cream on walls with a white high gloss TV cabinet on the wall and two black leather recliner chairs. I thought we could paint the TV room wall a warm grey or Resene Masala. Don't want to hem the room in though. The lounge, flowing through from the TV room, has bone wallpaper walls and black/silver down striped curtains. A. Because of the way the rooms open into each other I think you would be wiser to just paint one wall in the TV room (the wall with the TV on it). That way it will still add something interesting and not compete with all the other colours in the adjacent rooms or hem the room in.
July 2015
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Q. We are planning to paint our walls Resene Half Spanish White, the ceiling Resene Eighth Spanish White, doors Resene Lonestar with a wood floor and trim. The aluminium joinery is Grey Friars. We would like another opinion and another solution. A. I note that you want to do a strong feature colour for all your doors - this is relatively unusual and very exciting. It does mean that all the doors will be very attention seeking and no one will acknowledge what colour the walls are. Alternative options are – Resene Half Thorndon Cream on walls, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream on the ceiling and Resene Breakfree on doors.
July 2015
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Q. After much thought we have decided to paint our formal lounge Resene Sorrell Brown. The ceiling is Resene Black White. I want the wall colour to look golden caramel rather than brown to bring out the wooden glow of the piano and guitars, and want some advice about the best complementary colours to achieve this. The carpet is a mid brown/grey shade, popular at the moment. A. A complementary colour to Resene Sorrell Brown to emphasise the caramel tones would be muted (greyed) blue/green tones – Resene Thor and Resene Streetwise or slightly greener tones such as Resene Bluegrass, Resene Imprint or Resene Port Phillip. Because Resene Sorrell Brown is so dense it pays to steer away from any other brown tones as it can get quite heavy and muddy (masculine smoking room/library influenced) and very clean stark whites may over-emphasise the brown aspect of the colour. You could look for warmth in a 'white' so it sweetens the caramel/tan - something like Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Eighth Spanish White.
June 2015
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Q. We are updating our courtyard gardens. We would like to paint a different colour on the low wall under the garden beds as we feel there is too much of the same colour paint on both the house and garden walls. The house colour is Resene Double Canterbury Clay, roof and joinery is Permanent Green, the wooden fence and large pergola in front courtyard is Resene Karaka and the wooden doors and tops of garden beds is a deep reddish brown. We have concrete outdoor furniture and pots in both courtyards. We thought a greyish colour to tone in with the outdoor furniture but can't find the right grey. A. So you have quite lot of colours presenting already in the courtyard – 1. House colour, 2. Roof and joinery colour, 3. Fence and pergola colour, 4. Wooden doors and tops of garden beds, 5. Concrete garden furniture etc and 6. Paving. Perhaps try something darker between the concrete furniture colour and the Resene Karaka colour so they merge a little without creating another (possibly) random colour which might tip the balance and make the eye-catching and visibly complex collection of colours too fussy and discordant. You might look at one of these colours to see if they will link your elements together and harmonise – Resene Armadillo, Resene Gravel, Resene Double Tapa or Resene Half Gravel.
June 2015
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Q. We are currently painting the interior of our villa. The living areas are Resene Half Fossil. The hallway and stairway area are Resene Half Thorndon Cream. There are bedrooms leading off the hallway and we are a little unsure that the colours we have chosen for these bedrooms will actually go with the Resene Half Thorndon Cream. The colours are Resene Half Periglacial Blue, Resene Half Beryl Green and Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. A. If you are looking for colours that are all equally balanced tonally then Resene Half Beryl Green is the odd one out as it is so clean and fresh. But really does it matter? It is so lovely for a bedroom - especially a sunny room - it would be a shame to discount it because it didn't look totally right with the hallway colour. Hallways are often an artery of colour linking main spaces and bedrooms (because doors can be closed) and are sometimes quite unique in their ambient mood and colours. Go with your heart - indulge yourself - colour is to be enjoyed not controlled.
June 2015
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Q. We're part way through renovating our house and are after some advice for colours for our bedroom, lounge and hallway. The bedroom is very sunny, medium size. We plan to put dark (maybe blue?) roman blinds in this room. Thought maybe a qrey/blue colour but not sure. The lounge is very sunny. We are going to replace curtains and blinds but we’re not sure of the colour yet - probably a light linen colour. We quite like a mossy green in here but again, we’re not sure. The hallway is very dark so want a light colour. We like colours. Whites and beige would not suit us but we want some continuity throughout the house as we don't intend to stay here for ever and may sell in a few years. A. For the bedroom you might look at these to see if anything makes you smile – Resene El Nino, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Longitude or Resene Shinto. For the lounge perhaps check these out – Resene Rainee, Resene Mantle, Resene Robin Egg Blue, Resene Smoky Green or Resene Blue Smoke. Hallways are often difficult - if you have already used a soft light neutral in the house I often recommend a lighter version of that so there is a flow that links spaces. Better lighting and mirrors opposite doorways can increase the amount of natural light and the blessing of hallways is they do allow a gallery for precious family photos to be displayed and they are protected from direct sunlight and fading. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples of these colours in the Colour Library you will be better able to judge their unique qualities.
June 2015
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Q. We are in the midst of rejuvenating our late 90s home. We are changing from the current darker colour palette to a neutral white walled look (with bold feature wallpapers). My wife thinks we should be using Resene Alabaster on the walls. I've since started on my daughter’s bedroom and believe it is too white. Everyone says Resene Black White is a staple option. A. It appears to me that you wife has a decor scenario in her mind complete with colour as a wallpaper feature and you are fearful that the 'white' look may be too clinical. I suggest you investigate using Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog (Resene Triple Alabaster) - both of these are a little warmer and a little less grey than Resene Black White or Resene Sea Fog and just use the Resene Alabaster or even Resene Half Alabaster for ceilings and woodwork trims. All of the rooms in the house will respond differently to colour and while one room and its natural light and other co-ordinates will look fine another space may look stark or unpleasant. If you painted large A2 samples (on card from your Resene ColorShop) of these 'white' colours and moved them from room to room you would soon see how they altered and what was or wasn't appropriate. Decorating is tricky and all colours act as chameleons so take your time and work with the light and other coloured co-ordinates to find the 'right' look for the house. My best advice is 'don't listen to what other people say about what they used' - it may have worked for them at their house in their light with their things but that may not suit your home, your things or the look you are after.
June 2015
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Q. We are in the process of building a new home but I am unsure of which colours to use for the exterior. The cladding is rusticated weatherboard which I would like to be a dark charcoal or black colour but I am undecided which COLORSTEEL® roof colour to put with this and also whether the joinery colour should be white or dark charcoal/black also? We are after a modern look but it is in a rural type setting. A. There can be colour restraints on certain types of surface cladding, so it would be best to check this before deciding in a final colour for your weatherboards. Personally I think you might look to have lighter roof, window joinery and garage door to balance a really dark black tone on the house. This is where silvers and soft greys come into their own as neutrals that allow definition and contrast without it being really stark. White joinery might leap out visually from a very black background colour. You might investigate colours like COLORSTEEL® Smokey, Sandstone Grey or Thunder Grey.
June 2015
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Q. We have a Lockwood holiday home and would like to paint out some of the walls. I wanted to achieve a nice soft sage green colour that I have seen often so I tried a testpot of Resene Ottoman. I wanted to stay lighter as the area is a bit dark but the Resene Ottoman is too clinical/cool. I wondered whether Resene Eighth Lemon Grass may be a better option. Also, we need to paint the exterior of the house and I quite like Resene Saddle Brown but I'm after something that is twice the strength/darkness - can you recommend a colour for that also. It will need to be a CoolColour™. A. I think you will find that the Resene Eighth Lemon Grass is slightly deeper/cooler/greyer in tone than Resene Ottoman. If Resene Ottoman looks too cool and clinical, when it is warmer and sweeter than the Resene Lemon Grass palette, you may have a shadowy light creating this effect with the soft green. Perhaps look at colours that are yellower to begin with to try and minimise the coolness that you see happening. You might trial these to see how your rooms and natural light quality makes them look – Resene Green White, Resene Quarter Tana or Resene Half Secrets. If the prevailing colours in the house are Lockwood golden polyurethaned wood a lot of colours will look cool by comparison. Darker than Resene Saddle Brown is a bit difficult as there isn't a deeper version of this particular colour. Deeper browns do exist but they may be blacker, greener or redder. These ones are a little bit similar but not that much darker – try Resene Dark Rum and Resene Mission Brown.
June 2015
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Q. Can you suggest a colour for my walls in my lounge, dining and kitchen? The cupboards are cream and my drapes are cream, the carpet is light green and the lounge suite bottle green. I thought of Resene Merino but what colour should I use for the doors? Also would like a suggestion for a feature colour on the kitchen wall. A. Resene Merino would need to be tested very carefully as it isn't all that green. It can be grey, beige, pink or an ash green according to what is close to it and the quality of light, natural and artificial, during the night and during the day. When it is close to any yellow based creams it can look grey. The best way to test colour is to use all of the testpot (two coats) on an A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move it around all of the walls and place it close to existing drapes, carpet and furniture. Try Resene Eighth Tana or Resene Half Ecru White to see if they work with your existing elements. A feature colour for the kitchen also would need to be chosen carefully - once you have found the right wall colour that suits the lounge, dining and kitchen. Is it a tonal look, related to the main colour of the walls, or a bright cheeky statement that you are wanting to make?
June 2015
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Q. We are building a board and batten style one level home on 2.5 acres. Could you please help me with an exterior colour scheme? Initially I had in mind the black exterior and cream joinery, but there is already a house in the area with this colour scheme. I was thinking along the lines of roof, joinery and garage door in Ironsand and the exterior in Resene Night Rider, with a pop of colour on the front door using Resene Rusty Nail. A. Has the build company placed any restrictions on your colour choices? Usually any timber surface has certain requirements in order not to void the guarantee of the surface cladding. You might like to check this out so you don't lose your heart to a colour and then find it isn't recommended. BRANZ also has information about different types of cladding and the recommended depth of colour and LRV for each. This is important as it can mean problems with council consents and things like that if it is not adhered to. Resene Night Rider has an LRV of just 7%. If you chose it I would definitely recommend that you get the re-formulated CoolColour™ version to try and minimise extreme temperature absorption on the surface cladding. I really like the idea of a pop of colour at the front door - Resene Rusty Nail would work well.
June 2015
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Q. We need advice on a colour for the LINEA® cladding on our house. We have an Ironsand roof and white window frames. The house is on a lifestyle block with bare grass paddocks. I am thinking of semi-gloss finish. Do you think that is best? A. A semi-gloss paint finish will look good - not too shiny but looking newly painted and with a surface film that is easily cleaned down. If the window joinery is a true white then you may need a light to mid tone colour to let the window frames stand out a bit. You could check these colours out to see if they might suit you – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Tana or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.
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Q. I have painted my 1960s weatherboard home roof Resene Grey Friars, now I need to choose a paint colour for the weatherboards. I like the grey look but have no idea what shade. Any suggestions that go with Resene Grey Friars. I have tried Resene Quarter Stonehenge as I really like that but it doesn't go with the roof colour. A. One really good thing is that your roof colour – Resene Grey Friars - is a good charcoal which goes with everything. So if you did favour using Resene Quarter Stonehenge you could even though it isn't all that grey. Another similar type of colour is Resene Quarter Friar Greystone (don't get confused it is Friar Greystone not Grey Friars).
June 2015
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Q. We want to use Resene San Juan in our lounge room with white woodwork. In our hallway (which is off our lounge room through French doors) we want the end wall to be Resene San Juan and the others a more neutral 'off' white. The bedrooms which are off the hallway are already all painted and the woodwork and doors are cream. What woodwork colour would you recommend in the hallway to bring it all in together - bearing in mind the French doors are permanently open into the lounge room? A. I love the idea of Resene San Juan being used in the lounge and partly in the hallway. A lot of white tints can be used with Resene San Juan. But it is the main neutral 'off white' that must link all coloured elements together. You could try – Resene Rice Cake (main colour), Resene Quarter Rice Cake (‘white’) or Resene Black White (main colour – cool) and Resene Quarter Black White (‘white’).
June 2015
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Q. Ours is a Lockwood style house. Over time we have installed plasterboard over all the walls and painted them in a mixture of Resene Spanish White and Resene Half Spanish White. The ceilings, door surrounds, skirting boards and beam support posts running up the walls are all still in the original wood painted with satin clear and these have darkened over time. Would you advise painting them and if so, what colour would you suggest? A. The woodwork is a deeper 'feature' now - as opposed to the light warm neutral of the walls. By painting over it you will lighten and simplify the rooms - if you want to do this then by staying within theResene Spanish White palette or very similar, every room co-ordinates and the flow is uninterrupted and harmonious. You could try Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Eighth Spanish White or similar Resene Half Pearl Lusta (this is sharper/cleaner than the Resene Spanish White palette but works well). You will need to do a lot of prep work to change from polyurethane to paint - sanding all surfaces, dusting off thoroughly, sealing with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and at least two coats of a semi-gloss waterborne enamel, such as Resene Lustacryl.
June 2015
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Q. We are renovating our home from top to bottom. The majority of the flooring is going to be ply, so quite light. We are wanting a neutral colour that we can carry through the entire house with a feature wall in each of the five bedrooms and a really nice rich darker shade for kitchen and bathrooms. A. Generally a main colour has to sit really well with any other major colour component you already have - drapes, furniture, other flooring, kitchen cabinets and work tops. You could try Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Thorndon Cream. Feature wall colours are very personal. Once you start to look at feature wall colours you will be inspired and one of those - or possibly two colours - that don't end up in the bedrooms may well be the ones you really want for the kitchen and bathrooms. Inspiration for colours can be found in the Resene Habitat magazines or other decor magazines. Collect samples of what you fancy and start to enjoy the process of choosing. This is your time to individualise your home.
June 2015
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Q. I am selecting a colour for my garage door which sits on the pavement at the front of my house. Is there a ‘rule’ about garage door colours – e.g. lighter or darker than house? My house and garage exterior are Resene Napa, the roof New Denim Blue and the window sills Titania. I am considering using a half or quarter Resene New Denim Blue. What do you think of this idea? The door is facing south west and is exposed to afternoon sun and the prevailing winds, so might get a little weathered. I am concerned that a dark colour might fade over time. A. There isn't a 'rule' as such about garage doors - each situation needs to individually assessed for appropriateness. Often the garage door is the same as the roof colour or the joinery colour but not always. The fact that your garage door sits on the pavement does make me think it might be targeted for graffiti or get dirty by a lot of road film and dirt. I am inclined to think that Resene Half New Denim Blue may be a good idea. If you get the modified CoolColour™ version of the colour then heat/U.V. may not be as damaging as it could be if a darker or unmodified colour was used. It will fade over time anyway - it is the nature of any paint to undergo changes as time passes. Your alternative option is to use Resene Titania which will match the window joinery and be lighter (which may last longer with no visible fading) but being lighter it will show windblown dust, road film, exhaust fumes and possibly excite graffiti artists (pale surfaces sometimes do - like a blank canvas).
June 2015
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Q. We are in the process of a new build. We have chosen Sandstone Grey as our roof and windows and we are fairly certain on Resene Triple Sea Fog for our LINEA®. We would like to go for a darker colour for our garage doors and front door, thinking along the lines of Resene Gravel or Resene Double Gravel. Do you think it would be too much to do the garage doors as well? Is Resene Gravel the right shade? A. The Resene Gravel is definitely a good shade. If the garage doors are wooden and exposed to heat and direct sun the very deep colours that you indicate may cause some problems. With the other colours on the house and roof etc being reasonably light, and possibly looking much lighter again in a bright natural light situation, you could use a lighter variant of Resene Gravel - perhaps Resene Half Gravel as it will appear quite deep. Also it has a slightly more benevolent LRV which is of prime concern with dark colours painted on to real timber surfaces. I definitely would get the re-formulated CoolColour™ version of a deep colour to try and minimise heat related problems. If the doors are metal a deeper colour doesn't cause the same problems apart from possible oxidisation of the paint film on the surface.
June 2015
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Q. We have a 1970s house with exposed beams and a low pitched roof, and a lot of dark stained wood. We are keen to paint the walls white and the beams. We will keep the dark stained wood. We have pale silvery grey carpet that also has a bit of brown in it. It also has a bit of green in it in certain lights, which I am keen to counteract rather than encourage. We are thinking of a grey white, such as Resene Wan White. Would this work? We don't want to go with anything yellow or brown. We like a light and airy and spacious feel to the house. A. All colour is a chameleon and will change with the light and any other colours seen close to it - there is nothing that anyone can do to stop that so if you see a little of something that might be a shadow in the Resene Wan White that is because it is already in the colour. You need to compare several colours to identify and judge a colour - try looking at Resene Wan alongside Resene Sea Fog and Resene Half Merino and Resene Quarter White Pointer. If you pop into a Resene ColorShop and look at the real paint A4 samples of these colours with a sheet of white printer paper between them then you will see all sorts of coloured undertones - without doing that you can be seriously misled. Try several cool greyed whites this way also - Resene Quarter Concrete, Resene Double Black White or Resene Half Iron - when you see just what the colours are really like then you can choose which ones to trial at home. If the ceiling is painted Resene White it will go with anything at all. A word to the wise - never paint the testpot onto any wall surface that isn't truly white - all coloured walls (even sealed plaster and plasterboard are colours) will make you see the colour different from reality. I always recommend buying the A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and painting two coats of colour on that and leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. This helps you focus on the colour and you can move it from wall to wall to see how the colour changes according to light and angles.
June 2015
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Q. I am looking for a bedroom paint. I like the idea of a blue/silver colour - is there such a colour? I want it romantic fresh and bright. A. I am sure we can find colours that are romantic, fresh and bright - it is the blue/silver that may need clarification. Everyone describes colour differently because they see it or imagine differently. So you may need to check out a few colours - they may be your blue/silver – Resene Breathless, Resene Half Breathless, Resene Halcyon, Resene Oxygen, Resene Zircon or Resene Midwinter Mist.
June 2015
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Q. We are renovating our house and modernising the kitchen with high gloss white cabinetry. I'm putting down hard flooring in a grey colour and thinking of painting the walls, trim and ceiling in Resene Half White Pointer, which will be against the high gloss white of the kitchen. I'm also looking for a vivid blue/green for a splashback colour. What do you think of the colours please and would it be enough of a contrast to do the window frames and ceiling in a Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss finish for a bit of a contrast! Essentially I don't want them to be accentuated too much. A. Yes to using Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in the same colour as the walls for the ceiling and the window frames - a sheen level difference, not a colour difference, may be exactly right if you don't want to over-accentuate these surfaces. You might like to check these colours to see whether they are the vivid blue/green you are dreaming about for the splashback – Resene Surfie Green, Resene Origin, Resene Windfall, Resene Seeker, Resene Free Spirit or Resene Optimist. A word to the wise - there are two types of glass that is used for splashbacks - standard float glass and crystal clear low iron oxide glass. The first one shows the paint colour slightly altered to a dirtier cast and the last one shows the colour absolutely true to reality.
June 2015
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Q. We are planning on using Resene Truffle in our living areas and Resene Half Truffle in the bedrooms and bathrooms. We can't decide whether the best match is Resene Half Wan White or Resene Black White for the woodwork and doors. A. There is only a small difference between the two colours - if you check out their codes you will see what I mean. Personally I would be more inclined to use Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White as they are crisper and less grey so they tend to enhance the unique qualities of Resene Truffle and the Resene Half Truffle. However your options would work also and end up with less contrast.
June 2015
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Q. We are looking at repainting our house. It is wide weatherboard with aluminium windows. The roof is Karaka as is the baseboard all around the house. Currently it is a very yellowy cream. We would like to keep the Karaka but have a more modern colour. Also I have painted the front door Resene Super Gloss in Resene Limeade! A. If you want the Resene Limeade to be the most exciting part of the house (as it is!) you might look at these options as weatherboard colours – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White, Resene White Pointer or Resene Ecru White.
June 2015
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Q. We have a very long narrow hallway and I want to paint it two colours, with the colour broken with a dado rail. I was thinking Resene Biscotti on the bottom with a lighter tone on the top. We have a dark walnut hallstand and table with a kwila dark/reddish wooden floor. Can you please suggest a colour for the top? A. You could try Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Double Bianca. They all will work with Resene Biscotti but the brightest colour is Resene Double Bianca. Hallways aren't renowned for their lightness (unless all the doors are open and natural light comes into the hall from adjacent rooms) and this does need consideration especially if there are wooden floors which absorb a lot of light.
June 2015
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Q. We are renovating a room in our 1905 villa with high ceilings. It’s going to be a cosy second living room intended for adults. Two walls will be lined with bookcases floor to ceiling. The third wall will have fireplace and flat screen TV; the fourth wall is a tall double sash window. We want the room to have a warm, cosy 'gentleman's library' retreat feel. I think Resene Shiraz would be a good colour for the walls, and think I need a light colour for the ceiling and architraves/doors. Can you please suggest a light colour that will go well with Resene Shiraz? A. Too light or white a colour wouldn't do justice to Resene Shiraz or the concept you have of a 'gentleman’s library' retreat space. I suggest you check out the following colours which have character and a little depth to them that acts as a balance for the richness of the red – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Fossil or Resene White Pointer. All colour is influenced by changing qualities of light and all other colours seen close to it. Test the colours carefully within the space to see what happens to them and what will work best for you.
June 2015
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Q. We have chosen Storm Blue for all our aluminium joinery and COLORSTEEL® roofing on our holiday home near the sea. The outer cladding is wooden weatherboards. Can you suggest a neutral colour to suit the Storm Blue? A. COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue is a great colour and is deep enough in its blueness that a lot of colours will work with it really well. You could try Resene Quarter Napa (main colour), Resene Half Sea Fog (under soffits, barge boards, guttering fascias, window and door frames, window sashes) and Resene Legend - doors and/or window sills. If a contrast for doors etc isn't what you had in mind then you wouldn't go wrong with a deeper variant of the main house colour - Resene Double Napa.
June 2015
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Q. I have an Initial home with interior wooden walls throughout that have a golden syrup tone. The carpet is latte coloured. What colour would best suit the interior doors? I have 12 standard doors to paint, including the wardrobe. A. You probably would be wise to use a soft warm 'white' to lift the doors a bit seeing as all the walls are wood and the carpet is a latte colour. You could try Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Dutch White or Resene Bianca.
June 2015
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Q. I am looking for a complementary colour for the doors and trim for our house which is painted Resene Eighth Colins Wicket. A. Similar but lighter tonings may suit you as the wall colour is so definite a hue – Resene Half Parchment, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Pearl Lusta. Another alternative thought is that you might use the same colour as the walls - but in a semi-gloss enamel finish - this is often a good idea if the doors are without detailing and the frames and skirtings are small and not a big architectural feature in the house.
June 2015
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Q. We are wanting to paint our kitchen. It gets quite a bit of natural light but not direct sunlight except in the late summer. We have dark blue cupboards and wooden joinery. At the moment it’s a buttery cream. I would like a warm neutral with maybe a green base. There are lots of big trees in the distance, out the windows. Also what colour do you recommend for the ceiling and skirting boards? A. I suggest that you undercoat all of the surfaces in white. This will do several things - Allow you to see how the natural and artificial light affects the kitchen, allow you to test colours without your impression of them being unduly influenced by the greater amount of existing wall colour and allow you to gauge how strong the existing coloured cupboards, benchtop, woodwork and flooring are. I think you may still have to have a warm toned colour but the quality of natural light may make a green based colour appear much greener than it is. The ceilings and skirting boards may need to reflect a lot more light to compensate also. You could try Resene Rice Cake or Resene Pearl Lusta but if they green up too much you might need to test Resene Orchid White. Steer clear of any beige tones or grey taupe tones as the woodwork (yellow/orange/tan in hue) will make them seem dirty or muddy.
June 2015
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Q. We are currently making the final decisions on the internal and external colour schemes for our new house, and would very much appreciate some expert advice! We have chosen COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey for the roof, garage door, front door, guttering and fascia. Our house is brick and LINEA®. The brick is Firth 'Antique White', the LINEA® is Resene Half Fuscous Grey. What colour do you recommend for the soffits? Is this normally a standard 'white', or do you match it to the house colour scheme? Also, suggestions for the colours for the window joinery would be appreciated. Inside the wall colour is Resene White Pointer. What would your colour suggestions be for the internal door frames and/or doors? Is there a general rule about going lighter or darker for these? Also what would you suggest the internal ceiling colour be? Does this normally match the soffits? A.Sometimes the interior ceiling colour can be used on the exterior soffits - it is considered a nice tie in for inside and outside flow. And sometimes it is the same colour but in a semi-gloss enamel that is used on the interior doors and woodwork - it is all about simplicity. You could try Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter White Pointer. They are slightly coloured whites so they wouldn't look too stark. If you prefer slightly deeper coloured doors (because you get annoyed constantly wiping grubby fingerprints off the doors) then you might consider using the same colour as the walls or one shade deeper – Resene Double White Pointer - in a semi-gloss enamel finish for ease of cleaning.
June 2015
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Q. More than a few years ago my kitchen cabinets were lacquered with Resene Celeste, which is a very pale white green. My cabinets are still really good but I would like to change the wall colours which were all painted in the same colour. And have a white ceiling. A. Resene Celeste is a really pretty green and using white trims or ceiling close to it makes it look even nicer. For the walls you might look at these colours – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Ecru White, Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.
June 2015
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Q. I have a 1990 fibre-cement rusticated house. I don’t like the current colours. I have repainted the roof with Resene CoolColour™ Lignite. I want suggestions on what colours to paint the sides. I would like light browns to match the Resene Lignite, but not to heat up the house. A. There is a lighter version of Resene Lignite. You might like to try it and also these other slightly lighter options which are really sympathetic to the roof colour – Resene Quarter Lignite, Resene Quarter Mondo or Resene Eighth Mondo.
June 2015
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Q. I am renovating a 1970s brick and tile unit. The interior colours are Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Half Sisal with Resene Alabaster trims. The southern facing rooms (kitchen, laundry and small bedroom) are in Resene Half Sisal and look across approx two metres of black asphalt path, and then one metre of garden, to an old wooden board fence that finishes at about eye level. I'd like some colour suggestions for the fence. It is the dark and cold side of the house. I will be planting the garden strip in a subtropical and native style, so the fence will be partly obscured but still part of the scene. There is mixed planting over the fence in the neighbour’s garden. I'd like the colour to make the fence recede and create more space. A. Receding colours are often cooler blue or green based colours and appear deep although they aren't truly dark - others that are worth trying are earthy browns and grey/greens and possibly a distinct mid toned charcoal. You could try Resene Avalanche, Resene Jetsetter, Resene Cobblestone, Resene Nest Egg or Resene Half Fuscous Grey. Will the dark and cold aspect of the side of the house and fence be good for tropical plants which love heat and light? If they do prosper in this situation then their brighter colours and strong foliage should look really good.
June 2015
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Q. I usually have your Resene Black White however my consultant said to use Resene Eighth Spanish White. Is there much difference between the two? Some of my furniture is white. A. Yes there is quite a difference between Resene Black White (soft cool grey/white) and Resene Eighth Spanish White (a warm pale cream with a hint of beige) and you may need to ask the consultant about the colour choice. They may have chosen it to go with flooring, drapes and quality of light in the new house.
June 2015
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Q. Our house is a weatherboard home and I'm wanting to paint our lounge in a warm soft grey and like the colour Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. The lounge looks through to the dining room which I was thinking of painting in Resene Half Wan White. The ceiling is already white. Do you think the skirting boards and around the windows could be painted in Resene Quarter Wan White? For the kitchen I was thinking of keeping the Resene Half Wan White colour the same as the dining room. The ceilings throughout are white. Could you suggest any other warm greys that I could use and what colour would look best for the windows and skirting boards? A. I think the colours that you indicate are really lovely. If you want the Resene Half Wan White to look like a colour and not 'white' then I would recommend that the woodwork be Resene White. If you do use Resene Quarter Wan White it may look just the same as the wall colour as there is very little between them to distinguish them as different - it is up to you. Another warm grey (to be used instead of Resene Quarter Foggy Grey) might be Resene Double Barely There or Resene Triple Sea Fog. If you wanted an alternative to Resene Quarter Wan White you might consider Resene Sea Fog.
June 2015
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Q. I am getting a new kitchen and can't make a decision on the cabinets. It's a small kitchen so need to keep it neutral, but not boring. What neutral would you suggest? Do I go for Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Tea? A. I personally would use Resene Rice Cake so that I could have an exciting work top, accessorise with bold colour (or not so bold colour) freely without a dominant other colour stopping me. The palest neutral allows you freedom.
June 2015
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Q. I am looking for a lovely Scandinavian white for a villa living areas and hallway. We are getting our floorboards whitewashed and our new wood burner is a deep bronze colour. A. Any 'white' reflects light and any other colours that are close to it in a mutable and quixotic way. You may need to test the colours that I have suggested to see if the changes that occur (due to natural light/artificial light/different times of the day/different angles of walls) suit the look you are trying to create. Try Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Wan White or Resene Double Alabaster. Very large A2 size samples of colours (Resene BigColour) can be ordered through the nearest Resene ColorShop or you can buy A2 card and Resene testpots and you can paint up your own samples if you prefer. The large samples can be moved from wall to wall/room to room and placed vertically on the whitewashed floorboards to see how the different 'whites' look. This is the best way to test colour as applying any colour to an existing wall colour can mislead your eye and make you see it in a wrong way. This is because the greater expanse of colour influences the test sample and because you can't truly judge a colour from a small patch.
June 2015
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Q. Our floorboards are very warm and we want to cool the room down a little using a grey. We have also changed over to white venetians and painted the architraves a crisp white. We like the strength of Resene Double Concrete; however it is too blue/purple in some lights. We also tried Resene Quarter Rakaia and Resene Concrete; however these were too light. Could you suggest another colour to try? A. All colour changes - constantly - with natural and artificial light and when other colour is close to it so this is just to warn you that sometimes getting it right may take a little time and perhaps some compromise on your part Compromise isn't a word people are happy with but essentially it gets to the point where the colour may be fabulous for most of the time or even on some of the walls but not all of the time or not on all of the walls... and you may need to accept it as a compromise. You might try these greys to see if they work for you – Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Half Grey Chateau.
June 2015
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Q. We are renovating our 1940s house one room at a time as our mortgage allows. We would like to choose colours for the exterior and the roof. Our house sits slightly lower than the road and we have fantastic white steel gates with a geometric design that we are planning to repeat on a custom painted garage door. We are also on the water and so many of the tones are soft blues and greens in our neighbourhood. Could you recommend a roof colour that doesn't dominate and an exterior colour that is modern and works well with white window trim? Our front door is currently at the side of the house and so I'm looking forward to picking a colour for that too. A. I have come up with two schemes - they both have a light coloured roof and they favour the greys which are so classic and timeless:
June 2015
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Q. We’re in the process of building a fence and have used mahogany (same as kwila) as vertical slats. It’s a reddish colour now, but with time it greys up if not stained. A. Most stains leave a residue on the surface because they are busy desperately trying to maintain the colour and protect against the elements. They weather back and require coating every two summers to ensure timber protection from U.V. and moisture. To keep the reddish hue you could use Resene Jarrah Tree which is one of our Woodsman stains and Timber and Furniture Gel colours or perhaps try Resene Kwila Timber Stain. Personally I would trial the colour on some off cuts and do a 1 coat sample and a 2 coat sample patch to see whether you like it and whether there is too much surface residue. Do remember though some places overseas do manage to maintain that lovely rich wood colour by being very diligent in re-applying the oils to stop the 'sun bleach' look that occurs when it isn't done.
June 2015
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Q. If I am using Resene White Pointer on all walls in house with a feature wall in the kitchen of Resene Gravel, what colour white would you use for high gloss white cabinets throughout the kitchen? I was thinking Resene Half Black White? It is all open plan. A. I think that your idea of using Resene Half Black White on the kitchen cabinets will be great. The only other alternative option that springs to mind would be Resene Double Alabaster which is very similar but slightly warmer/less grey.
June 2015
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Q. We are planning to repaint our house, thinking Resene Half Rice Cake for the walls and Resene Half Alabaster for the ceiling, but don’t know which colour to choose for the doors and skirting. We have rimu floors. A. As you are having the 'white on white' look that is so popular now - with little or no difference seen between the colours - you might consider using a wee bit more depth in the skirting boards and doors to add a bit of contrast. Perhaps look at using Resene Rice Cake for the doors and woodwork or alternatively you might consider using the Resene Rice Cake for the walls and lighter (but not as white as the ceilings) Resene Quarter Rice Cake for the skirting boards and doors.
June 2015
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Q. We have a 60 year old weatherboard house which has brown aluminium windows (with no windowsills) and a concrete base. What would be a good colour for the weatherboards and the base to blend in with the brown aluminium? A. You could try Resene Triple Truffle - main colour and Resene Quarter Lignite for the base, or Resene Half Sisal - main colour and Resene Quarter Mondo for the base, or Resene Spanish White - main colour and Resene Half Pravda for the base. These colours are warm and will definitely work well with the brown aluminium windows.
June 2015
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Q. We are repainting the exterior of our Rockcote house in Resene X-200 and need to choose a colour. We have a COLORSTEEL® Karaka roof and need to choose a grey with green tones to blend in with the landscape. A. Try these colours which are grey with green tones – Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Delta, Resene Ash or Resene Triple Sea Fog.
June 2015
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Q. Does the colour Resene Grey Friars throw blue? I'm looking for a dark grey for some weatherboards on my new house (as well as roof and joinery colour) and I really don't want a grey that looks blue - just wondered if you could help? A. Yes, Resene Grey Friars can throw a blue undertone - often most noticeable on the east or south side of the house. It isn't as blue as Resene Tuna or Resene New Denim Blue but it is there. You might look at these options to see if they would work for you – Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Foundry. I definitely recommend the Resene CoolColour™ re-formulated colours (marked with CC on the colour charts) to try and minimise the often extreme temperature absorption on the weatherboards.
June 2015
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Q. We have a 1960s weatherboard house in Taupo and are currently painting the interior as we would like to lighten up the interior but also make it feel warm. We have chosen Resene Alabaster for the ceiling and are considering Resene Double Sea Fog for the walls (we like neutral colours). Would this combination work and achieve our goal? In addition we are installing a new kitchen. What colour should the cabinetry be - Resene Alabaster, Resene Double Sea Fog or some other colour? A. Yes the colour combination is lovely and will work really well - the look will be warmer and less white/stark because of the Resene Double Sea Fog wall colour. Personally I would look at using Resene Alabaster for the cabinets in the kitchen unless you plan to have a really white benchtop - this could be too much white in my opinion. I would look for a benchtop that had a little more colour/character and was obliging enough to disguise fingerprints, and other kitchen related detritus.
June 2015
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Q. I have a federation style house with a red/brown tiled roof, medium to dark green steel roofing, guttering and downpipes and light yellow/beige walls and some railings in red/brown. We are looking to repaint in something more modern while leaving the tiled and metal roofs and guttering as they are. Could you please advise on my options? I was wondering if I could make the red railings a matching green and change the light yellow/beige to a light green/grey for example. A. Yes to the fence being a matching green - great idea! You might look at these options for the walls – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Eighth Lemon Grass or less green more grey/stone – Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Truffle.
June 2015
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Q. I'm trying to identify the interior paint colour used in my house. I tried Resene Dutch White and Resene Pearl Lusta. I then took a flake of paint into Resene and the best match we came to was Resene Haystack. However the test area has come out slightly darker. The existing paint is a little more yellow. A. Are you just touching up damage? I do have to say it can be extremely hard even when you have a part used tin of the exact colour originally used as aging of the paint alters the colour so the same paint colour can appear wrong. If the colour is slightly darker perhaps you could look at Resene Half Haystack as it is lighter/yellower. You may need to compromise and repaint completely in order to get satisfaction - it can be tiresome but it does ensure all the walls are one colour and you could then note down the colour for the future.
June 2015
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Q. I have a small bathroom with pedestal sink and clawfoot bath and a timber floor. There are some white tiles which will have a black grout and also a thin line of black tiles through it. I want to use black and white paints. The black is not a problem. I am looking for an old time white which is warm, but still retains the white/light cream look. A. You may need to test several 'old time whites' to see how they respond to the elements in the bathroom and the natural and artificial light - colour alters considerably so be patient and spend the time and you will get the look you want. You could try Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca. I rather suspect the white tiles you have will control what 'white' will or won't work for you.
June 2015
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Q. We are doing up our bathroom. We're using oxley charcoal tiles for the floor and splashback and were wondering about a colour for the walls, windows and doors. We're not too keen on bright out-there colours. A. You could try Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Barely There or Resene Sea Fog.
June 2015
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Q. Have just installed a Quarter Napa kitchen in the east corner of our open plan lounge dining area of our 70/80s red brick house with dark bronze aluminium windows. We were going to paint the walls with Resene Double Rice Cake and same on the ceiling and doors but now feel it's going to look too drab. Perhaps we should have the ceiling and some walls lighter with a feature wall darker? A. Perhaps look at using a much lighter/fresher tint for ceiling and woodwork such as Resene Half Rice Cake. This light reflecting colour will enhance the depth of the cabinetry colour and add contrast. The walls could be either Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Eighth Napa. All colour in an interior appears deeper than one might imagine so it pays to take this into account. Keep it lighter, fresher, softer and warmer to ensure a well-balanced harmonious ambiance. If there was a wall without windows or doors on it that was appropriate to enhance as a feature colour you might look at using a gorgeous wallpaper - there are so many really wonderful ones to choose from and this will add excitement with colour, pattern and great decor style.
June 2015
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Q. We have a 1930s bungalow farmhouse with two cold south facing bedrooms. The new carpet is deep grey. We are looking for ceiling and wall paint colours to bring some warmth and cosiness into the rooms. A. Warm colours tend to favour reds, oranges and yellows and neutrals that have these undertones in them. As a start point you might look at the following colours to see if any of them will bring warmth and a cosy feel to the rooms – Resene Biscotti for the walls with Resene Eighth Spanish White for the ceiling, or Resene Half Haystack for walls with Resene Quarter Solitaire for the ceiling, or Resene Heirloom for walls with Resene Half Spanish White for the ceiling. As an alternative very deep colours make spaces seem enclosed and intimate also so you could opt for something much deeper.
June 2015
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Q. I’m needing some advice/recommendations for colours. We are building a LINEA® weatherboard house, and want a blue/grey colour for the weatherboards (more grey than blue). For the interior walls of the house I was thinking Resene Black White or Resene Wan White. Then I was also thinking of a subtle grey for the media room and master bedroom. A. I think that your idea of Resene Wan White or Resene Black White for the interior of the house is a lovely idea. As long as you use real Resene White on ceilings and woodwork to enhance the wall colour and give it more personality it will be a very smart look. If you were looking for a media room colour you might look at deeper colours - this is a space that often has a big screen and drawn curtains for the whole intimate mood thing. A more subtle grey for the main bedroom because of the need to co-ordinate with accents of bed covers and drapes may be better. Interior colours are often chosen after flooring - both soft and hard - and kitchen cabinets and work tops so you can carefully co-ordinate. Have you been looking at these options yet? It pays to as it is a shame to leave that to the last minute and then have to compromise these choices to work with the wall colour and have something that you might never have wanted because the paint colours control you.
June 2015
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Q. I want to change the light colour on my lounge walls. The dark colour is Resene Diesel and the carpet is Cavalier Bremworth Charmeuse Shadow. The light wall colour is Resene Double Spanish White currently but I want more of a 'white' to go with the grey carpet. The ceiling is off white painted in the 1980s, could be Resene Pearl Lusta. A. You could check out these 'whites' to see if one of them is right in your room – Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Wan White. If you look at the A4 drawdown samples in the nearest Resene ColorShop library and place a sheet of white printer paper between them you will see their underlying tints and tones clearly. I note that you refer to Resene Double Spanish White as a light colour - it is really quite a rich deep earthy cream so the new colour that you are contemplating will be a bit of a surprise as it will be considerably lighter than what you have now. Because it is always difficult (and often hopelessly misleading) to trial new colours on an already coloured wall surface might I suggest that you apply your testpots to A2 card from your nearest Resene ColorShop (all of the testpot - two coats) leaving an unpainted border of white card so that your eye focuses on the reality of the colour without the confusion of the greater wall colour altering your perception. You can move the card around onto different walls where it will change a lot according to natural and artificial light, existing colours and shadow lines within the room and you can stand it vertically on the carpet so you can judge whether it is working for you or not.
June 2015
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Q. I am planning an aqua and pink (with yellow accents) colour scheme for my three year old girl's bedroom. It is a reasonably large, light room with wooden floors. I will probably have one wall that is darker aqua or maybe wallpaper. I need a light aqua for the walls that is not too intense or cold. A warm, light aqua, erring towards very light. I want the colour palette to be clear and bright, not dusky or muted - candy pink, not peach pink, for example. I have had horrible luck with choosing paint in the past and don't want the room to look like a bottle of mouthwash! A. Have you got the curtain fabric and a duvet picked? Often colours happen almost miraculously when there is something to build the scheme upon. It can be a bit more difficult if one goes about it the other way - choices are more limited and compromises often need to be made to make the soft furnishings or wallpaper suit the already painted walls. Light warm aquas can be cold aquas really easily when a change of natural and artificial lighting occurs or when other coloured elements in the room alter how you see the colour so it would pay to test colour carefully especially if the room is east or south facing. You might look at these colours as a start point – Resene Reservoir, Resene Carefree, Resene Onepoto, Resene Aqua, Resene Scandal or Resene Mint Tulip. Some of these colours may suit better as a deeper feature colour (colour often appears so much stronger than expected) used with a sunny yellow/white like Resene Softly Softly or Resene Sing Song and hot pinks like Resene Hopskotch or Resene Colour Me Pink.
June 2015
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Q. Do you have a colour that is between Resene Shark and Resene Lynchpin for a blue grey we are wanting to paint the outside of the house. We have Silver Pearl joinery and a Grey Friars roof. A. Some blue/grey colours that you might consider are – Resene Clouded Blue, Resene Forecast, Resene El Nino, Resene Half New Denim Blue or Resene Quarter Tuna.
June 2015
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Q. We have a villa with high ceilings, low natural light. We have charcoal carpets in bedrooms and the rest is wooden floors. We are after a colour combination of a light grey (not purple) walls for the bedrooms with white trim for window bays, ceiling and skirting. Then for all other rooms a combination of whites, one for woodwork and one for the walls. We have been told to go Resene Alabaster (woodwork) and Resene Black White (walls) but have also been warned these are too cold for our house! Help please. Also what finishes should the paint be for walls versus woodwork? Is there one warm white (not cream/yellowy) that can do both walls and woodwork? A. First things first - refer for confirmation to Resene Recommended Paint Systems brochure for appropriate prep and paint systems for all surfaces - but this is a quick guide: Colour wise, some options for you – Option #1 - A white - Resene Quarter Bianca - for woodwork and ceilings, a light grey for bedrooms - Resene Half House White or (slightly deeper) Resene House White, and a 'white' for other room walls - Resene Wan White, All of these colours can be viewed as A4 real paint samples in a Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library and if you place a sheet of printer paper overlapping each colour you will be able to see then the subtle undertones of colour in them. Just in case you are worried that Resene Alabaster is too cold a white it would definitely pay to look at the printer paper and the A4 drawdown sample of colour and check out which white is colder/more optic and stark. Testing colour in your home is best achieved by ordering A4 samples or (even larger and possibly better A2 BigColour samples) and moving them from wall to wall/room to room and checking out what changes of light during day and night does to the colours.
June 2015
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Q. Can you recommend a soft white for our interior walls throughout that will go well inside a Queenslander home with black floorboards. The house gets a lot of light throughout; we want something that is classic and not too stark. Also we would like something that will contrast with a 'white white' trim and ceilings. A. You might check out these options – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Parchment, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Half Soapstone. They all have unique underlying soft tones and will work admirably with a 'white white' trim and ceilings.
June 2015
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Q. I have a feature wall of Resene Pohutukawa, which I love, and the walls in the house are beige. I was just wondering what other complementary colours you would suggest. A. A lot of greens will work well with Resene Pohutukawa (green being the natural complement of red) but may not suit the beige you have as a main colour. You don't indicate which beige so it is difficult for me to be definitive but you might start the exercise by looking at these colours – Resene Koru (bright), Resene Imprint (muted) or Resene City Limits (very deep/blue undertones).
June 2015
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Q. We have an existing concrete rendered fence around our property painted Resene Half Fuscous Grey. We want to paint our stucco house Resene Ash. Will this work and which strength of Resene Ash would you recommend? A. I would recommend that you use Resene Ash (normal strength) as long as you have a lighter, crisper white as well to enhance the colour. Exterior colours often appear much lighter due to the bright natural light making them look much more muted. So don't be surprised if a certain times of the day the Resene Ash looks like a half tone version and in corners and on the shady side of the house (because stucco is very textural) it may appear a bit deeper. Deeper variants of Resene Ash - Resene Double Ash and Resene Triple Ash - can also be utilised if desired for windows sills or barge boards to add more of a layered look to the house to create interest. Please be cautious if you feel you would like to use a deeper variant of the fence colour - Resene Fuscous Grey - and keep it as a very special feature - a front door perhaps?
June 2015
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Q. Could you please suggest a colour to complement a dark brown clinker brick? Our house seems very dark due to the brick. The mortar is a very dark grey. There is a small amount of cedar panels that have been painted dark brown. We would like to paint these in a lighter colour to reduce the overall darkness. We have tried Resene Double Bianca but think it’s too much of a contrast. The base of the house is concrete block (two-three blocks high and painted white) and we want to paint this too. A colour that would complement and blend would suit better than too much contrast. A. A lighter colour is good but it does need a bit of earthiness in it to 'befriend' the clinker brick and not contrast too much - which only draws more attention to the brick. What about looking at these two options to see if they might be a bit better – Resene Spanish White or Resene Fossil.
June 2015
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Q. I'm after a paint colour that is the same or very similar to the cherry red of espresso machines that I have found online. A. All colour seen in a print format or on a computer is seen as a representation of what it is in reality. Put simply it is deceptive and this is true of all colour seen in any other medium than a real wet paint and dry paint sample. That would be the only true way to get a match. If you were able to contact the manufacturer of the espresso machine and find out what lacquer colour/product/range it was then you might be able to get a match made for you. Cherry Red is a descriptive term - it may be the actual name of the lacquer or it may not. I suggest you pick up all the Resene red palette charts and find the red most similar to your eye. The machine is a very high gloss (this is often an extra clear gloss over a base colour which greatly enhances the richness of the colour) and looks like the sort of red often seen in automotive finishes. Most domestic paint colours wouldn't look like that on a chart - another reason that trying to match is very difficult. As a start point perhaps look at Resene Jalapeno or Resene Smashing.
June 2015
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Q. We want our walls to be a very light off-white colour. I was thinking about Resene Black White. Or maybe Resene Half Black White? We want to keep the house very light and airy inside and we have a 2.4m stud so would like something to make it seem more spacious. We are thinking of having a square stop finish rather than cornices to make the ceilings appear higher. We would like a grey look for the inside of the house with a very light (again off-white) kitchen and darker carpet. We want it very neutral so we can add colour with accessories. Do you have any ideas on a good colour for the walls - would Resene Black White suit? A. Resene Black White would work well for you to create the light, airy and slightly greyish look you want. The ceiling - if you use the same colour- may seem a little deeper than the walls because of the way light falls away casting more shadows on the ceiling. Is this a problem? If it is then using Resene Half Black White may minimise this. Your walls etc will look 'white' unless a real white is seen in the house in some context. Think about this for the kitchen cabinets. Not a 'off white' but real Resene White to give the cleanest, crispest contrast.
June 2015
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Q. We have a Spanish style house that we are painting. The exterior aluminium joinery is Desert Sand, the roof is a dull terracotta colour. What colour would complement Desert Sand? Interested in making it look funky and modern with a feature garage door/front door/outside block retaining walls (was thinking very dark steely grey/dark navy type blue or even maybe even splashes of a turquoise blue). A. When a house style or the roof and window joinery are very distinctive colours there isn't a lot that one can do to make changes. The existing house colour looks as though it has been chosen to blend with the joinery and roof. You might go that route again so the windows don't take over in a bossy coloured way. Perhaps look at using a slightly deeper colour to try and subdue the windows and make them seem more creamy – Resene Half Nullarbor or Resene Double Drought. The garage door etc colour could be Resene True Blue or Resene Avalanche. Block walls and possibly the timber pergola and a wooden deck fence could be a yummy pop of colour – try Resene Free Spirit or Resene Landmark.
June 2015
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Q. I have purchased a business building that is made from concrete blocks. It looks very dated. We plan on changing the louvered windows to bi-fold timber ones but I would like a nice modern colour to paint the exterior that won't make the blockwork stand out and look dirty and dated. A. When a building is long and low with a strong coloured base and roof line fascia, deep colours make the building look a lot shorter in height so I would suggest that the base of the building is painted to match the main colour and the roof line fascia is a much lighter colour to lift it up. Detailing - roof line fascia or window frames, ancillary doors (not the main entry) could be either of these options – Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Eighth Ash. For the main colour try Resene Truffle - a nice neutral that may be obliging enough to hide road film and dust or Resene Ash - a neutral that has a grey/green look to it. You don't say whether you are considering bi-fold painted windows or stained windows so my thought would be if a natural look is wanted perhaps stain the bi-fold timbers in a rich warm colour such as Resene Dark Oak or Resene Bark. Attract a bit of interest and create an exciting entry door - colour is great for this - and makes the building hard to ignore. Try Resene Ayers Rock or Resene Jalapeno.
June 2015
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Q. We have a heritage home which has pink paint over the bricks. It is too hard to remove so we are going to paint it. I am drawing from Resene Heritage palette. The house was Victorian Italianate 1888. I need a brickwork colour to paint over the yellow bricks, possibly Resene Zinc White, and a colour for the detail and render and fascia board. The fence is in Resene Buff currently. The original render colour was a brown. I am also considering a number of greens but the original scheme was brown render with ochre and maroon window frames and a manilla stripe on the verandas (now gone). A. I would be inclined to use Resene Coral as one of the main colours - this is from a very old chart called BS101 British Paint Standard, which is a very old colour. It relates really well to the Resene Buff, which you have on the fences and ties in nicely with Resene Zinc White. You might try co-ordinating it with Resene Ivy Green and Resene Mahogany or (if you aren't inclined toward deep red) then Resene Burnt Umber.
June 2015
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Q. We are about to have our kitchen done up. Our joiner soon wants to know colours! We currently have Resene Spanish White on doors and walls but wouldn't mind a change - so we can tell it is all new. We have a character house with rimu windows, heart rimu breakfast bar and matai floors. We are going to get a flecked stone creamish bench installed and were just after some colour ideas that won't date and are quite classic. Also any ideas for a splashback that will complement? A. If you are looking for a 'new' classic colour instead of the old favourite Resene Spanish White you might investigate these as they are a little lighter/cleaner and they do look rather splendid with wood – Resene Wheatfield, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Cararra. I think the new benchtop will exert control over what will look the best. Splashback colours are tricky - you don't say what you really love in the way of colours - so these are a few colours that you might check out to get you started – Resene Dynamite, Resene Globe or Resene Koru. The different types of glass that is used for splashbacks will alter how the colour is seen - standard float glass will dirty up the colour and low iron oxide will show the colours absolutely true. Take your time - test your colours well and check out how they change under different qualities of light.
June 2015
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Q. We are looking for a light 'beachy' colour for our new house near the beach. The garage walls and back are reddish/very dark brown brick and the window joinery and trim is Titania. We've tried about five testpots and are tending to a more brown than grey colour/ We quite like Resene Akaroa but wondering if it would be too dark and whether Resene Half Akaroa may be better. Would it be enough of a contrast to the Titania? A. Titania is a greenish/bone colour and coupled with the red brick on the house will look great. I am not so sure however about Resene Akaroa. Might I suggest you check out these options - they are a bit similar but seem to like the Titania a little more – Resene Double Tea, Resene Double Fossil or Resene Quarter Pravda. Lighter colours may look too similar in depth to the Titania and not harmonious with the colour of the windows. Test the colours by applying them to A2 card available from your Resene ColorShop (in two coats, all of the testpot) and moving them around so they catch the light in different ways/angles as they alter a lot when you do this.
June 2015
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Q. I have a 1950s rough cast house. The house is in close proximity to the garage and I'm looking for a colour scheme that won't clash with the colour of the garage (white with a dark blue/grey door which I think is called New Denim Blue). I like grey tones but don't want it to be too white or too dark either. Can you please suggest a colour scheme to paint the rough cast, ring foundation and eaves and guttering? The interior of the house is getting painted also. It is currently a cream colour and very open and sunny. I would like to find a warm greyish tone to paint the interior. I quite like Resene Thorndon Cream at the moment. I'm finding it hard to pick a grey that isn't too cool and doesn't have blue/lilac tones. A. Try these options to see if they will work on the rough cast – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey (or deeper variants – Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Taupe Grey), Resene Ash (or deeper variants – Resene Double Ash or Resene Triple Ash), Resene Delta Grey, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Atmosphere or Resene Titania – lighter on eaves and guttering. If you pick out a little something in Resene New Denim Blue on the house (front door or windowsills) or a slightly lighter variant - Resene Half New Denim Blue - then you will link garage and house together. I think Resene Thorndon Cream or lighter Resene Half Thorndon Cream would be lovely inside the house. You might consider doing the lightest version Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream on the woodwork or ceilings or even outside as the eaves etc. June 2015
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Q. What yellow would complement our Pohutukawa bedcover? I'm after a bolder colour than the present Resene Half Pearl Lusta. Also we would like advice on a carpet colour. A. You might like to check out these options – Resene Dutch White, Resene Double Dutch White or Resene Melting Moment. Always remember all colour in the interior looks much stronger than you think it will look so do test the colours - it would be sad if you choose without doing that and then find out it is too much colour for the room. For the carpet, the best option would be to get a carpet company to pop in to show you some options - seeing it on site in your light with the colours that are in the room makes all of the difference - so much easier to choose. Do you want it to match the carpet in the rest of the house? Or don't you mind if it is very different? I imagine a warm deep biscuit colour or a charcoal would work well.
June 2015
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Q. What is a suitable white for doors and ceilings that is compatible (but providing a slight contrast) with Resene Rice Cake as the wall colour? A. Had you thought perhaps of using one of the lighter variants of Resene Rice Cake? Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Rice Cake or even Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Any of them would work, they are very sympathetic and look rather gorgeous.
June 2015
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Q. We have a small 1950s weatherboard house with polished Tawa floors. We are in the process of renovating and are after a light neutral colour scheme which has a warm tone - because of the small size and lack of sunlight during winter. We quite like Resene Quarter Rice Cake as a ceiling/trim and Resene Quarter (or Half) Parchment on the walls. A. It all sounds lovely to me but please do be aware that colour in an interior can look deeper (or quite different) to what you think. So perhaps lighter versions may be better in south or east facing rooms or hallways where the quality of light isn't so flash. Very warm (north/west) rooms can possibly have that little bit more depth of colour.
June 2015
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Q. I am looking for a nice 'Canterbury wheatfields' yellow for a bedroom that gets morning sun but no afternoon sun. The colours I have in my house are mostly from the Karen Walker range: Resene Ecru White, Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Froth Green, and I also have Resene Aspiring green. Can you suggest a yellow that will suit? I want a warm mustardy feel but not an 'old pub cigarette smoke stain' yellow. A. East facing (morning sun) rooms can bring out a bit of green in a paint colour - any paint colour - so perhaps you could look at these colours that have a smidgen of orange or red in the under tones to stop that mustard turning sour on you. Try Resene Half Haystack, Resene Chamois, Resene Raffia or Resene Givry.
June 2015
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Q. We are doing a renovation and are wanting to go with a Resene Quarter Villa White colour on our walls and ceilings and we don't want our architraves to be a different colour; however people have said that we should go with a slightly different colour to make them stand out a bit. What is a good colour choice (another white) that will be very similar to Resene Quarter Villa white? A. Resene Quarter Villa White is very 'white' and I don't think there is anything I would recommend which would look right except Resene White. You don't have to listen to what other people suggest you do from their point of view which may not be yours. By changing the gloss level - low sheen or flat acrylic for walls and ceilings to semi-gloss or full gloss on the woodwork - it may be enough of a visual difference if you did prefer to stay with the Resene Quarter Villa White for all surfaces.
June 2015
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Q. I want some ideas for an interior wall paint colour and then a carpet colour. I have looked at Resene Black White but I think that is too cold and stark for our high ceilings and glassy house. We have a yellow kitchen that is about to be turned white. We have terracotta orange brown floor files with grey grout that are staying. We have beige doors that probably need to stay. I would like a light charcoal grey coloured carpet. I am thinking Resene Pearl Lusta could work and be a bit warmer than the Resene Black White. A fog/cloud grey colour could be good - in a white shade. What do you think? How can we tie in these colours? We also have green aluminium joinery. A. Resene Pearl Lusta would definitely be warmer than Resene Black White but it is very yellow. I am concerned because you do have a lot of other colours to co-ordinate with. If you choose what you fancy - with no thought as to whether they will work together - will you mind if nothing co-ordinates? If the beige doors aren't about to be repainted then if you could identify the colour and use a much lighter version of that then at least two things would be 'friends' with each other.
June 2015
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Q. I'm after an exterior slate/concrete grey for weatherboard that doesn't look blue when up. Our front door is cherry red, and the house and joinery are Titania with weatherboard ‘feature walls’. All our fences are black. A. It seems to me that you have to take into account the Titania which is a bone/grey/green neutral so any slate must look good with that. You could try Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Half Stack or Resene Kensington Grey.
June 2015
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Q. I am trying to put together a range of earthy colours that have a similar warmth and depth something like Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Hazard a burnt orange, Resene High Noon a mustard yellow, a black and a light coffee colour perhaps Resene Cement or Resene Sandcastle. Could you please suggest a scheme as I quite like African colours? We are using Resene Fuscous Grey for the exterior. A. So - please correct me if I am wrong - you want colours like the ones you mentioned but not them in particular? They are very nice colours so don't rule them out. If all the colours were the same depth they would wipe each other out - so some are brighter naturally and deeper also. Perhaps you might consider these ones also – Resene Blackout, Resene Vindaloo, Resene Zion, Resene Hot N Spicy, Resene Double Cougar, Resene Barely There or Resene Fossil. June 2015
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Q. We are having the blocks plastered and are trying to work out what to paint them. The weatherboards are cream and the joinery, roof and garage door is Karaka. The deck area is going to be composite timber, Outdure Walnut. A. I wouldn't consider a deeper olive green (like the Karaka) as I feel it may overpower the house and rather than use more cream (though you could if you wanted to) on the plastered blocks perhaps you could look at a greenish neutral or a bone grey, such as Resene Quarter Grey Olive, Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Titania, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or the rich cream Resene Double Wheatfield.
June 2015
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our two storey weatherboard villa Resene Chateau Grey with Resene Eighth Rice Cake sash windows, doors etc. We want to choose a white to lighten the interior but which follows through the warm tones of the exterior. Can you suggest a white for the walls and sash windows inside? The walls are currently Resene Half Drought and the windows Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream but the effect is too dark. A. Have you considered taking the Resene Eighth Rice Cake into the house for all woodwork and ceilings? That way the exterior of the windows and the interior would be the same colour. The walls could be brighter/crisper neutrals like these colours – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Parchment. And then if you felt a little 'grey mood' needing to be used you have curtains, carpets, tiles, soft furnishings, feature walls or accessories that might be exploited.
June 2015
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Q. We have chosen Resene Quarter Tea for our walls and Resene Black White for our ceilings. The kitchen cupboards are Resene Half Tea for the high cupboards and Resene Raven for the lower level and island (it is an open plan living/dining/kitchen). Do you have any advice for architraves and doors? A. It is really all about whether you want to merge/blend them or highlight them isn't it? Merge/blend uses the wall colour but in a semi-gloss enamel finish and highlight (but only if they are truly beautiful and architecturally designed) uses the same colour as the ceilings in semi-gloss enamel. Is there an alternate idea? Yes there is and sometimes when people tell me they have sticky/grubby fingered children, damp floppy tailed dogs and husbands whose hands are perpetually covered in grease or similar I suggest a little deeper (but related to the wall) colour as it may forgive the fingermarking a bit and not drive you crazy wiping the pale doors all of the time - perhaps Resene Half Tea or even Resene Tea.
June 2015
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Q. We have a customer who wants Resene Albescent White for their main wall colour, ceiling colour, door colour, door reveal colour, window reveal colour and skirting colour. Can you recommend a wall sheen and a sheen for the trims? A. Please do ask your customer if they will mind if the ceiling looks a little deeper (if it is the same colour as walls etc) because that's what the ceiling often looks like because of the shadows and light etc. If they look a little disturbed just smile and say 'what about a half tone?' - Resene Half Albescent White may solve the problem.
June 2015
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Q. We are currently redecorating our 1950s home. We are doing the kitchen and have chosen Resene Tea walls, Wilsonart black Alicante benchtop and Bestwood Feather White cupboards. The flooring is a loc laminate planking - rustic oak and the aluminum windows are Titania. How do you think this would look? Would you suggest a ceiling of Resene Eighth Tea? And we are thinking a splashback of Resene Double Tea to keep it neutral. We also need to choose curtains for our lounge and dining rooms and blinds for the kitchen. Do you have any suggestions? A. I think all of the colours you have mentioned look great except Resene Eighth Tea which looks quite grey/mushroom pink by comparison to the other colours. Perhaps look at substituting Resene Quarter Albescent White for the ceiling - it is really good with the other colours especially the Feather White cabinet colour.
June 2015
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Q. We have lived in Fiji for 12 years and are very familiar with wood from Oregon and Europe. We purchased walnut stain and after two coats of stain it looks very yellow. To us this is too yellow. Does walnut in this part of the world have yellow pigmentation? A. I need to clarify two things - What is the type of wood you are staining? Are you trying to match the wood colour either side of the sample plank?
June 2015
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