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. We have a one storey 1970s dark brown brick house and would like to stain our fence around two sides of the section. What colour would you suggest? A. You could try Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Sheer Black, Resene Grey Green, Resene Bark or Resene Oiled Cedar.
August 2014
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Q. We are about to repaint our house and want to retain all the secondary colours but would like a change to the primary weatherboard colour. Something without yellow. Can you suggest something? The interior walls are Resene Thorndon Cream and we like this. How would this look with the existing trim and window colours? A. If you did favour using Resene Thorndon Cream on the exterior I would suggest using a much paler version - perhaps Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - so that the unique quality of the trim colours are still seen to best advantage. Alternatively you might look at these colours – Resene Barely There, Resene Wan White, Resene Double Sea Fog or lighter Resene Sea Fog or Resene Merino.
August 2014
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Q. I have a 1950s home with polished timber floors. The house is sunny but quite dark in some bedrooms and hallways. I want to paint the interior wall some type of white. I like Resene Black White but wondered if it would make the room feel too cold? However I am not a fan of yellow based white/creams. I also want to paint the exterior a light grey with some type of white window trims and a red front door. Any recommendations are very appreciated! A. You might look at these 'whites' – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Wan White and Resene Half Merino. They are slightly less cool/grey based than Resene Black White. Seeing and judging what underlying tints and tones are in each of the 'whites' will become apparent if you look at the larger A4 colour samples at your nearest Resene ColorShop when you lay them part over a sheet of white printer paper. The same colour (whichever you choose) will look quite different in all the rooms according to the natural light, wall angles and shadow lines.
August 2014
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Q. We want to use Resene Eighth Tea in our bathroom. What is a nice white that will work well with Resene Eighth Tea for the door frames etc? A. You could check out Resene Alabaster or possibly Resene Quarter Black White.
August 2014
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and have decided on the Resene Tea colour. The windows on one side of the house are oak timber and the other side of the house the windows are white. What would be a good darker trim colour for hand rails, steps, fascia etc that would go with Resene Tea? A. Try Resene Stonewall, Resene Triple Napa or Resene Double Friar Greystone .
August 2014
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Q. We have decided to paint the exterior of our 1920s bungalow in Resene Longitude. Can you suggest colour palettes that would work with this? What white would you suggest for windows/trims? There is some aluminium joinery at the rear of the house which is quite creamy, similar to Resene Half Bianca, but is this too yellow to use on other windows? We need colours for the front door and porch too (on the side of the house) - maybe something dark like Resene Grey Friars for the door. A. Resene Half Bianca will work for the windows but Resene Quarter Bianca may be a little better (warm/whiter - more of a contrast) and could be used under the soffits, on the bargeboards and any other areas that you want a crispness contrast and a 'white'. For the front door you could have Resene Grey Friars (door frames in Resene Quarter Bianca) and the floor of the porch could be Resene Quarter Tuna which is a bit more of a softer/grey toned blue than a lighter (but greyer) variant of Resene Grey Friars but still looks really good. All of the colours really look good with Resene Longitude.
August 2014
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Q. We are building a new home, we have chosen white kitchen cabinets and bench, dark brushed oak floors and silver joinery. Thinking of a white ceiling and we are wanting a warm colour for the walls that will match the white kitchen but provides a contrast. This colour will also be the same in our hallway and bathrooms so can't be too dark. A. Try these warm neutrals and see if they are the sort of colour you imagine will work well – Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Half Joanna, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Quarter White Pointer.
August 2014
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Q. I am wanting to confirm a colour for my kitchen cupboards. One option is to have a darker colour on the breakfast bar and pantry. There is a lot of light and the cupboards will be satin with a Corian Antarctica benchtop. One suggestion is Resene Cougar. A. Breaking up the mass of cabinetry with a different colour on part of it is a popular idea. Kitchens are undergoing a renaissance in regards to colours used for the cabinetry - often they are really pale or 'white'. Possibly because people perceive that it is a look that will not date too much and will allow for changes of colour (complete new look) on the walls because very pale or 'white' is flexible, very obliging and non-contentious. Do you love Resene Cougar - is that why you have mentioned it? If you went for this colour you could do the remaining cabinets in Resene Quarter Cougar but of course it does rely on the walls and floor being compatible. You don't indicate what colours they are - will the Resene Cougar palette work with the existing colours or are you redoing them as well - and if this is the case what have you chosen? No colour should be chosen in isolation but always in relationship to other new or existing colours so there is a balance and harmony created.
August 2014
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Q. Our living room is quite small. It has wooden wall panelling and a red brick fireplace. We are thinking either white, sky blue or a dusty blue. And the kitchen we are thinking of lemon yellow. A. I would suggest you check these colours out to see if they are appealing to you – Resene Quarter Dutch White - a soft warm creamy white may look good with the furniture, the carpet and the brick fireplace, Resene Spindle - a soft dreamy blue or Resene Rock Blue - a dusty blue and a possibility for the kitchen – Resene Splash or Resene Honeymoon.
August 2014
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Q. The drapes I want are cream with a vague stripe, the walls are stark white with light oak styled flooring. Are you able to recommend a Resene colour palette to bring warmth to the walls while not taking away the light? I was thinking Resene Half Tea but would like to try something else. A. Resene Half Tea is a medium toned beige colour and you might like these options as they are lighter/brighter and not as brown toned -
August 2014
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Q. I have a 1930 Spanish mission house. I want to paint the lounge, dining and hallway that all have dark timber wall paneling three quarters of the way up the walls, what colors would you suggest? A. If you choose really light colours the dark panelling may look darker so I have suggested warm mid toned colours – try Resene Rickshaw, Resene Haystack or Resene Double Spanish White.
August 2014
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Q. I have just bought this house, which has brown aluminium including on the conservatory at the front. I want to try and make the brown disappear as much as possible. Which colours can you suggest for exterior and also interior to try to calm down the brown? It drives me to thinking that I should change the colour of the aluminium but I know that is a hard job. A. It is always difficult when there is an element of the house that is that dominant and can't easily be changed or disguised. The simple answer is 'more brown to hide the brown aluminium' - not always what you want though is it? Perhaps you could investigate warm earthy dense colours for the exterior that are definite enough to absorb the dominant brown aluminium joinery colour – Resene Napa, Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Half Pravda. For the interior, curtains and blinds can hide a lot of the brown aluminium joinery and if the wall colours aren't too pale then the dark brown of the joinery might be less noticeable. You might look at these colours – Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Half Tea or Resene Eighth Napa.
August 2014
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Q. I am about to paint my house and am reroofing at the same time. At the moment I am not sure what colour to paint the house and would like some advice. The roof will be COLORSTEEL® Ironsand and the aluminium joinery is bronze/brown. These things I cannot change. When the house is reroofed the arches above the windows will be removed and I would like to keep the batons the same colour as the house to minimise complexity when painting. All the houses in the surrounding area are light hues of greens and beiges so do not want to be the house that sticks out from the rest either. A. Try Resene Tea, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Emerge or Resene Pumice. The last two colours are soft washy greenish colours - and the other two are soft modern beige/stone colours.
August 2014
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Q. We have started painting exterior cladding, barge boards and fascias with Resene Foggy Grey. The guttering is COLORBOND® Wallaby. We want to paint the brickwork. Can you please suggest some complementary colours to Resene Foggy Grey for this application? We don't want it to look ‘white’ but we don't want too much grey. We will be painting the eaves Resene Double Sea Fog. A. You might look at using a lighter colour - darker than Resene Double Sea Fog but lighter than Resene Foggy Grey - perhaps Resene Half Foggy Grey. Alternatively you might look at using a strong dark colour - Resene Triple Tapa - this colour has an earthy green edge to its grey tone.
August 2014
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Q. We have a 1960s block and brick home and are about to have all the interior walls 'square stopped' with the intention of painting walls and ceilings the same light colour. What are the best colours to use? A. The best colours to use are possibly a little lighter than you might first consider. The ceiling can often look a little deeper than the same colour on the walls because of the way the light makes walls look lighter than the ceiling. The best colours to consider are those that make your (coloured) carpets, drapes, furniture and kitchen cabinets and work tops look wonderful. Some colour ideas to get you started – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Pop into a Resene ColorShop to view A4 real paint samples and if they all start to look the same place a sheet of white printer paper between the samples. This will help your eye to judge the depth of the colour and the underlying tints that are in each colour.
August 2014
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Q. We have a Resene Karaka house and garage roof with white aluminium windows on the house that is currently red. The garage is titanium. We want to paint the bricks to match above but want a colour with depth. Looking at Resene Double Napa, do you have other ideas? A. You might check out colours that are less brown/more stone also – Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Half Friar Greystone or Resene Taupe Grey.
August 2014
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Q. We are in the process of having our leaky home fixed. We are going from textured house to LINEA® board. We would like advice on which exterior colour would go well on the LINEA® board with our Grey Friars joinery and roof. I have seen a few houses in a medium grey colour that looks nice and not too dark. A. There are so many colours - greys included - that look lovely with a Grey Friars roof and joinery. You could try – Resene Regent Grey, Resene Stack, Resene Delta, Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Gull Grey.
August 2014
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Q. I really like Resene Koru and am planning to use it as a feature wall in the kitchen. I am wanting a cream neutral colour to go with it. My first thought was Resene Thorndon Cream which we plan to use for the majority of the house. But after trying some testpots, I'm not sure they quite work together. The cream colour goes more grey than I would like. Have you any other suggestions as to what could work with Koru? A. I suspect you may need a sharp clean colour to work with the Resene Koru. You might look at the following colours - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Cararra or Resene Half Pearl Lusta.
August 2014
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Q. We are cladding our house in Firth Antique White concrete block; as well we have Titania COLORSTEEL® corrugated siding on the house as a feature. Our joinery is clear anodized aluminum and our roof and a small amount of feature corrugated siding around the front door is matt Sandstone Grey. Is Matt Sandstone Grey a good colour for a mainly Titania house? A. It is a good choice as it has the warmth that the Titania has but in stone/grey base - so yes I would definitely be inclined to use Sandstone Grey on a mainly Titania house.
August 2014
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Q. We have an unusual character home with a lot of warm timber ceilings and light chocolate textured carpet. Most of the interior is painted in Resene Cararra which looks very warm and fresh. However we have one room that gets a lot of light and has no timber in it and the Resene Cararra looks dull, almost grey/green. Would Resene Pearl Lusta with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta on the ceiling be a good choice? We would prefer a soft fresh French type cream rather than anything too yellow. A. You are right in your thinking about Resene Pearl Lusta - it will be a sweeter cream to use. However I am slightly worried about the Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta - it may be a bit greenish in the room. Perhaps look at using Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta for the ceiling as it has less yellow in it so it shouldn't 'shade off' too much.
August 2014
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Q. My roof has been done in Resene Ironsand and the brickwork is a cream colour. Do you have any colour suggestions for the block work and gable ends? A. Some colours to try are: Resene Spanish White on the concrete blocks, Resene Quarter Ironsand on the gable ends, or Resene Eighth Nullarbor on the concrete blocks and Resene Nullarbor on the gable ends.
August 2014
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Q. We have painted our 1920s Queenslander inside using Resene Villa White on the walls and Resene Quarter Villa White on the woodwork and are very happy with the result. Now we need to choose colours for the exterior. We are thinking of using the Resene Quarter Villa White for the window frames and railings etc but are not sure what to choose for the weatherboard. We are thinking a light colour but with enough contrast against the Resene Quarter Villa White. What do you suggest? A. You could try Resene Wheatfield, Resene Ecru White or Resene Half Linen.
August 2014
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Q. What would a good exterior door colour be paired with Resene Baltic Sea and Resene Black White for our house? We would like to have something vibrant and have a bit of fun with the colour. Not really keen on orange. We wondered about a pink or raspberry colour, or maybe yellow, but any suggestions are welcome. A. You might look at these colours - they are all full of life and vivacity - Resene Knock Out, Resene Smitten, Resene Wild Thing or slightly lighter colours – Resene Raspberry, Resene Material Girl or Resene Mellow Yellow. Have some fun - colour is like flowers - so many to choose from and all lovely.
August 2014
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Q. We're nearing the end of a major renovation which includes new ceiling and wall colours throughout. We'd like a colour scheme based on a whites palette that adapts to different rooms (of varying natural light). Our external weatherboard colour is Resene Silver Chalice and the ceiling colour is likely to be Resene Alabaster. Which other 'warm, greyish whites' would you recommend for walls? We'll have warm mid brown stained matai flooring/charcoal carpet throughout. A. You might like to check out Resene Sea Fog or even slightly deeper (but not dark) Resene Double Sea Fog or slightly lighter (but not as 'white' as Resene Alabaster) Resene Half Sea Fog. Resene Sea Fog is very versatile but it may need the different variations to work in rooms because of the way natural light alters it. Sometimes a single colour may work well in all rooms but often adjustment may be needed to compensate for the space, angles and natural light. There is a Resene Double Sea Fog and a triple formulation also if you decide to go darker.
August 2014
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Q. We have our living room painted in Resene Rockbottom. We have one feature wall painted a dark colour. We want to paint it out to make the room lighter and neutral. What is the colour one shade lighter than Resene Rockbottom in the same colourway? Or something that would tone in with Resene Rockbottom? A. There is no definite lighter version of Resene Rockbottom but you might check these following colours out – Resene Half Perfect Taupe, Resene Eighth Pravda or Resene Cloud. Alternatively you could request an official Resene Half Rockbottom formula – however as there isn’t an official testpot it’s harder to test to ensure the colour is exactly what you want whereas you can test the other colours to see if you favour them or not.
August 2014
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Q. Please could you suggest some additional complementary colours to go alongside Resene Paradise and Resene Kumutoto? We are wanting something lighter with a beachy feel for the master bedroom. We will be using one of the above as a feature wall, other walls have large windows. A. You might look at one of these neutrals as an wisp of white – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog or slightly warmer – Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Small touches of the following colours as accessories/fabrics etc will embrace that beachy look you are trying to create – Resene St Kilda and Resene Red Red Red.
August 2014
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Q. I am building a house and have a COLORBOND® roof in Basalt with black gutters and fascia. I am thinking that Resene Eighth Mondo goes well with this or even Resene Half Sandstone. I don't like colours that throw pink or purples, more grey browns. Am I on the right track? I would be painting the cladding in this colour and it will be offset with Merbeau timber chamfer board. A. I like the colours that you are considering using. I think it might pay to check out Resene Stonehenge and Resene Pravda as they are slightly less brown than Resene Eighth Mondo and Resene Half Sandstone just to compare and judge which hues are best for you. If it is real timber cladding that is used on the exterior it would definitely pay to use the CoolColour™ version of the colour to minimise heat/UV absorption and the associated problems that can occur with deeper colours.
August 2014
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Q. What warm white can be used for bedrooms facing west? I would want it to complement rest of our house which has brick cedar cathedral ceilings and an industrial look. We are thinking of Resene Foggy Grey as a feature walls or Resene Wan White, Resene Black White or Resene Foggy Grey in light strength. I don’t like creams. I do like white or grey. What strength do you recommend for walls and ceilings? A. I like the colours that you have indicated and I can imagine the Resene Wan White as a main colour. Resene Quarter Wan White is a colour that could be used for woodwork/and or ceilings (or Resene Quarter Black White as it similar) and Resene Foggy Grey as a feature wall and possibly (lighter variant) Resene Quarter Foggy Grey as a main colour in a cooler/dimmer room to give a warmer ambiance. The colours are soft but not too stark and warmer than silver greys.
August 2014
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Q. I have quite a large open plan lounge, dining area which lacks natural lighting even during the summer. Do you have any suggestions for a neutral colour I could paint this large space? A. Spaces that aren't blessed with natural light often have a lot of shadow in them so suggesting a very light/white colour often only makes this type of space seem cool and slightly grey and sometimes not that warm and intimate. Colour choices must work with existing coloured elements - carpet, upholstery and drapes - as well as with the space and light. Other colours in your house also have some bearing because a lot of people want 'good flow through and co-ordinatiion' which is even more important when spaces are open plan. As a little general indication you might check some of these colours out – Resene Double Merino, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Half Parchment or Resene Quarter Drought. These warm toned neutrals are all quite different from each other and allow for a lot of flexibility in regards to other colours in the space. Colour generally looks a bit deeper than expected in an interior but if, after testing these colours. they look paler than you would like and not very appealing or attractive in the natural light then it may be necessary to look at deeper variants of these colours and - possibly - if you have large very plain walls a strong feature colour or wallpaper may be needed to fill the space and give an exciting focal point to the room.
August 2014
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Q. I am trying to find the right colour to paint a child's bed/playroom. I am thinking of a warm green colour. The room is big with tall ceilings and quite dark. Our hall is painted Resene Pearl Lusta and lounge Resene Quarter Tea. I went into our local Resene ColorShop and was recommended Resene Eucalyptus - this is a really nice colour but too bright and strong. I am looking for a more gentle colour - not the typical strong kids room shades. Would Resene Silver Tree be the next colour to try or is this still very bright? I have also tried Resene Padua and Resene Summer Green but they don’t suit. The skirtings are white and the floors are dark wood. A. If you are wanting slightly lighter similar tones you might check these ones out – Resene Bay Leaf, Resene Gulf Stream, Resene Vista Blue (a bit lighter than Resene Silver Tree), Resene Riptide or Resene Bounce.
August 2014
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Q. We're planning to use Resene Half Sisal as the main colour in our home. And Resene Avocado in the ensuite and bathroom. We'd like to use Resene Half Pearl Lusta for the trims. Would this trim colour look okay? We are trying to go for soft/earthy colours. We have floor to ceiling 2.4m doors and would like to paint them a soft/earthy colour too but in contrast to the Resene Half Pearl Lusta. A. Yes the Resene Half Pearl Lusta will work really well with your colours. Your doors are a huge feature and it really depends whether you want to make them more of a feature so that they are really dominant. If you don't want them to be the only thing noticed then I would suggest you paint them the same as the walls but in a semi-gloss waterborne enamel finish so it is only a gloss level change not a colour change. If you do want them to be the main feature of the house then you might use Resene Sisal or a slightly earthier (brown) toned colour like Resene Bison Hide.
August 2014
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Q. We have recently put a Grey Friars roof on our house and have the painters starting this week on stripping the exterior of the house. We want a grey exterior paint with white window frames but are having difficulty finding a grey without any blue tones. A. You might look at these colours as they are colour coded N which indicates more grey/neutral. The greys listed with B in the colour code are bluish as that is what B stands for - Resene Quarter Stack N77-002-152, Resene Surrender N80-002-228, Resene Silver Sand N80-006-102, Resene Mountain Mist N71-003-088, Resene Jumbo N64-001-095 or Resene Concord N62-007-087. You do need to check out the large A4 samples of these colours at your local Resene ColorShop - they are real paint and can be viewed and compared with each other in the Resene in-store colour library.
August 2014
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Q. Can you suggest a colour for painting concrete floors? The walls are Resene Half Napa and Resene Half Tea throughout so looking for a colour to go with these. The ceilings are white. A. If you want to tie in the floors with the existing colours you might look at these colours – Resene Double Napa, Resene Stonehenge or Resene Double Friar Greystone .
August 2014
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Q. I am wanting to paint my hallway walls a neutral colour. It has a dado rail. There are at least six doors all painted Resene Quarter Spanish White. The scotia and dado are also painted Resene Quarter Spanish White. The carpet is medium brown. Can you suggest a colour for the walls and dado? A. Try these colours to see if they work with the carpet - I know they will be okay with the doors and scotia and dado – Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Biscotti or Resene Eighth Pravda. They are quite light colours as I have invariably found that colour in an interior often looks a lot deeper than expected and hallways are more inclined to do that than large open rooms. In regard the dado rail - I would not highlight it in another distinctive colour but would be inclined to stay with the main wall colour or the door colour. If you mean the wall below the dado rail then again no I wouldn't do it a different colour. But if a distinct difference is desired then the same colour over a textured wall paper will create a new look without being another colour.
August 2014
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Q. I have Resene Rice Cake on my window sills and skirting boards, which white should I use on the walls to give the walls a contrast so that it is not the same white everywhere? A. With such a definite 'coloured white' on the woodwork it is a little difficult to find something that will work well - as a 'white' - but you might look at these colours – Resene Villa White, Resene Half White Rock, Resene Half Wheatfield, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Triple Rice Cake.
August 2014
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Q. We will be painting a child's bedroom next week (gender not yet known) and are looking for some colour advice. We want a light, warm, mint colour for the walls that will be easily adaptable to suit a boy’s (match pale blue, yellow, grey) or girl’s (match pale pink, purple, coral) room. Any suggestions on a suitable colour or colour matches would be greatly appreciated. A. Try Resene Peppermint, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Ottoman, Resene Apple Green or Resene Pixie Green. They are gorgeous, fresh and appealing to children (even the big child inside all of us) and will work really well for either gender.
August 2014
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Q. We are repainting our weatherboard house and we are having new joinery everywhere which is a powdercoated silver colour. I am looking for a light mid grey for the walls and a nice crisp white to be used on wide flat boards which will surround the windows. I like a pure grey not too much blue or brown. I have looked at Resene Gull Grey, Resene Surrender etc - any combinations you can suggest would be excellent. A. You might look at these greys as they are more neutral toned – Resene Quill Grey, Resene Silver Sand, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Silver Chalice. The only way to really judge colour well is to compare them as A4 samples - comparison helps your eye to see the depth and undertones. Your local Resene ColorShop Shop will have these A4 samples in their Colour Library for viewing purposes. I do suggest you take the time to check them out with the greys that you are been considering.
August 2014
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Q. I am trying to find the blue colour that featured in Sex & the City 2 in Carrie Bradshaw's new apartment. Could you please tell me what Resene colour would be your closest match to this? A. With the changes of natural light. changes of wall angles, and the general brightening effect of artificial light it creates about six blue colours... but if you start with investigating some of these colours it will help to refine and find a totally gorgeous 'Carrie' type of blue. Try Resene Norwester, Resene Calypso, Resene Spinnaker, Resene Waterfront or Resene Optimist.
August 2014
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Q. We have a 70s house with Rimu doors and joinery, oatmeal carpet and brown aluminium windows. We are looking for colour suggestions for the interior walls. We are keen on some neutrals that will suit and some subtle colours for bedrooms and the living room. A. You might check these lovely neutrals to see if they are what you have in mind – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Sisal, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Biscotti, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Sandspit Brown or Resene Albescent White.
August 2014
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Q. We have a 1945 house that is plaster over brick. Our tile roof is a medium grey and spouting Grey Friars. We intend to paint soffits and windows in white possibly Resene Alabaster and want a modern grey without blue overtones for the plaster. We wondered about Resene Raven, Resene Shuttle Grey or Resene Stack. A. Resene Raven and Resene Shuttle Grey both have a little undertone of blue in them that is what the B in the colour code for these colours indicates. Resene Stack doesn't but it does have a warmer almost yellow undercast to the colour. You might investigate these colours - Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Tuna or darker Resene Half Baltic Sea.
August 2014
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Q. I am thinking of putting Resene Rice Cake on my lounge kitchen and dining room walls. Can you suggest a colour for the doors? I was thinking that maybe Resene Quarter Linen would be a good contrast but then it may be a bit out there. I have lovely pale cream curtains and am thinking of a feature wall at the back of the stove. It’s not a big space so perhaps something like Half Shiraz. A. I really like your idea of Resene Quarter Linen for the doors with Resene Rice Cake for the walls. Very delicate and subtle. If you want a slightly lighter version of Resene Shiraz (there isn't a Half Shiraz) you couold try Resene Pirate. If you asked for a Half Shiraz you might end up with more of a mid toned pink.
August 2014
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Q. I would like to repaint the interior walls in my house. They are currently Resene Golden Glow. The ceilings and trims are Resene Beeswax and are in great condition so I do not wish to change these. Could you please recommend a neutral, warm colour? I have polished pine floors through most of the house and neutral carpet in the lounge. A. Resene Beeswax is a really definite yellow colour which you may not see that way at the moment because of the Resene Golden Glow which is much stronger and more vibrant. Keeping the Resene Beeswax will limit the wall colour options that are open to you. In order for it to look paler/less definite you need a strong colour on the walls. The following warm neutral colours look good with Resene Beeswax so you might investigate them to see whether they inspire you – Resene Pavlova, Resene Double Akaroa, Resene Napa or Resene Half Taupe Grey. Resene Beeswax looks stunning with rich red, blues, greens and purples also.
August 2014
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Q. What colour walls and window trim would look good with a COLORBOND® Manor Red roof? A. Try these colours to see if they look good close to the multi coloured bricks, window joinery and roof colours – Resene Dutch White or Resene Half Haystack.
August 2014
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Q. I have a blue grey carpet and not a lot of light in my large open plan lounge kitchen dining area. Currently I have Resene Half Sisal but want a change. It’s a country theme with wooden beams and a brick fireplace. A. Try checking out some warm beiges - Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Quarter Drought or Resene Sandspit Brown. They look lovely - really toasty and intimate - with blue/greys and wooden beams and a roaring fire in the brick fireplace.
August 2014
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Q. I’m considering painting stripes on my walls. Have you got any advice? A. Vertical stripes have been popular to date but we are seeing a growing number of people opting for horizontal and some also trying diagonal stripes or panels. Traditionally most people chose 2 colours and did a set stripe width. These days people are tending to choose more than 2 colours and to vary the stripe width – so it almost ends up looking more like wallpaper. It can look quite nice to have an anchoring colour, such as the one attached where they have used white as the colour to anchor everything and then painted various widths of stripes on top. The white provides differentiation between the colours. The key of course is low tack masking tape and making sure you remove it before the paint is cured otherwise it can damage the paint as it comes off. For a more subtle effect you can use whites and neutrals or else vary the sheen levels and tones just a little – e.g. if you had a wall of say Resene Half Tea low sheen you could do a stripe effect in Resene Tea full strength in a semi-gloss or gloss which would make it stand out more. You can also use the same colour in low sheen and semi-gloss or gloss versions and the sheen difference will create an interesting stripe effect without having to have lots of colours. This is because colours in higher sheens look brighter and cleaner than when they are in a lower sheen. For many stripe effects the person has done the entire wall one colour and then done the stripes they want on top. Some people prefer to paint stripe by stripe.
August 2014
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Q. I’m planning to choose white. Do you have any suggestions for me as to which white is right? A. Everything thinks choosing white is easy, but it’s actually one of the harder colour choices. Whites tend to have a hint of another colour in them which can be hard to see on small chips. Often it’s not until you see a larger piece of the colour that you see the undertone come through. When you are selecting ‘whites’ and trying to compare between options, a good idea is to get a piece of white printer paper and place it under the sample you are viewing. That will force your eye to compare the sample with a ‘true’ white and you’ll be able to get a better idea of the true colour. Resene ColorShops have A4 swatches of Resene paint colours that you can look through that help you see the colour on a larger scale. When you compare and contrast ‘white’ swatches, you can then start to see which are warm and which are cooler. The trend at present is towards greyed whites and blackened whites, such Resene Alabaster and Resene Sea Fog, and whites with a touch of green cream such as Resene Thorndon Cream rather than biscuit beige whites. When you are choosing a white consider how much light is in the room. A white can really lighten a dark room, but in a sunlit sunroom it can be painfully dazzling. When you’re painting your whole house it’s unlikely that one white will look perfect in every room, because each room has different lighting and accessorising. You can either choose the best white based on the rooms you spend most time in and accept that in some of the other rooms it won’t look quite so perfect, or vary the whites space by space to get the best look for each room. Generally we see cooler whites being used on the sunnier side of a home and warmer whites on the cooler side of the home. As you head further Ssouth, the whites tend to be warmer, particularly in areas that have cold winters. In areas such as Auckland where the weather is milder, the whites tend to be cooler. If you’re using all white, use different sheen levels of paint for different areas to add visual interest and subtle highlights. You might use a low sheen on walls, semi-gloss on trim and a flat finish on the ceiling. White in a bathroom has a lovely fresh feel and evokes a feeling of cleanliness. Consider accessorising with duck egg blue towels or soft pastel green towels for a luxury spa feel or add some punch with a striking hot red towel and mat. If your bathroom is too cold in winter and too hot in summer, consider having a summer set of accessories (think cool blues and greens) and a winter set of accessories (think warm deep reds and oranges). They will help to cool down or warm up the room for you. White tiles in a bathroom are lovely to look but difficult to keep clean on a floor as they tend to show up all marks and dust. Consider using a tile with a lightly textured or pattern effect or choose a darker colour and save the white tiles for the walls. If you prefer a minimalist modern look, team white in a bathroom with sleek metallic finishes and accessories and grey or white towels. A white bedroom is a luxury that many with children or pets can only dream of. When there’s children or pets in in the house, it can be tricky to keep a white bedroom looking it’s best as marks and pet hairs are particularly noticeable on white. But if your bedroom is a child and pet free zone then going all white is a great option. In the bedroom when you’re decorating with white, texture and fabric are your friend. Use the various textures of the duvet, linen, pillows and headboard for a subtle contrast. It’s best to opt for a soft white which will be more relaxing than a starker white. You can carry your white theme into artworks, canvases and furniture. The Scandanavian whitewash inspired look is a growing trend and we see more and more white rooms, especially for dining rooms and kitchens. This look isn’t just confined to your walls though. Take a fresh look at wooden flooring and consider a whitewash effect with Resene Colorwood Whitewash which will give you a wonderful whitewashed effect underfoot and is much easier to clean than the alternative white rug might be. Team with metallic finishes and glass for a modern look or a touch of natural timber finishes, blues and greens for a nature inspired look. White chairs are wonderful around the table, but may not be the most practical option for young families. If you’re planning on white chairs make sure they are easy to wipe down so you can keep them looking good. Red is well known for its ability to stimulate the appetite so if you want to add a pop of colour look to a red table runner and settings and touches of red in flowers and artwork. The living room tends to be a busy space. White can work well but most team it with other colours to lift the space. In a formal lounge, white teamed with black furnishings can be striking. If you’re looking for a more casual ambiance, team your white with more playful furnishings and colours so your guests feel more relaxed. The thick luxurious rug, comfortable cushions and couch will all help your family and guests feel happy lounging in this space. If you decide to opt for white furniture, make sure it’s very easy to wipe clean, or focus on having a few white statement pieces of furniture that are artistic or sculptural but can still be used as furniture. The attention will focus on them and you can then be a little more relaxed on some of the other furnishings.
August 2014
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Q. If I email you a colour, can you match it to the exact Resene colour? A. You can use the Resene colour match online to find the nearest Resene colour. Electronic colours can look quite different from actual physical colours also, and greens tend to be one of the worst colours for this. If you took a printout into a Resene ColorShop they could also show you similar colours. August 2014 |
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Q. I am repainting our house interior and may repaint our kitchen cupboards. I would like to use Resene Double Wheatfield for the interior walls (which is on walls at the moment) but would like to change the kitchen cupboard colour. I would like a reasonably neutral but not white look in the kitchen so it complements rather than detracts from the amazing coastal views we have from the lounge, kitchen and dining room areas. A. You might check out the lightest version of the Resene Wheatfield palette - Resene Quarter Wheatfield - this will keep it all tonally related. Alternatively you might go warmer - Resene Villa White or earthier Resene Half Grey Olive or greener Resene Lemon Grass. Or you could do the same as the walls (but in a semi-gloss enamel) so that the cabinets visually disappear.
August 2014
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Q. We have built a new house. The kitchen cabinetry is going to be prime oak noir, and the island is going to be Resene Sea Fog. What colour would you suggest for the walls and ceilings? I would like to keep it neutral into a grey tone if possible. A. To marry up with the Resene Sea Fog that you are using on the kitchen island you might look at using Resene Double Sea Fog or (warmer) Resene Half Flotsam or Resene Half House White. These 'greys' are all subtly different from each other - it would pay you to check out the A4 samples of real paint in the Resene Colour Library at your nearest closest Resene ColorShop - and if you place a sheet of white printer paper between the samples all of their underlying tints and tones will become apparent so you can judge which may be a good options. You don't mention your flooring at all - this will have a direct bearing on how you see (and what looks good) on the walls.
August 2014
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Q. We are building a new home and have lots of wood - cedar exterior, matai floors and wooden cabinetry in the kitchen (with crisp white stone top). Our carpet in the bedrooms is a taupe colour. We want a crisp white to balance all the warm colours. I don't want it to look cold, but simply white, without looking grey and cold. What would you suggest? And what about ceiling, skirtings and architraves/doors? A. In a world of white things - white benchtop and (usually) white bath, shower, vanity and (often) white tiles as a splashback in the bathrooms you will notice that they are all white but completely different 'whites'. Because of the emphasis on the wood in your new house might I suggest you look at these 'whites' - they are slightly warmed and will allow you to either use exactly the same on woodwork and ceilings (simple option) or you can default and use real Resene White to draw a very subtle contrast. Either way will work. Colours to try are: Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca.
August 2014
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Q. We are currently building a new house. We have chosen COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars for our roof, windows and garage with an exterior house colour of Resene Double Sea Fog. The interior is Resene Quarter Alabaster. Will the Grey Friars suit these colours inside and out? A. The Grey Friars colour is very popular as a classic charcoal. It works really well with whites and also other lighter greys. It is a achromatic smart look that is in favour at this point in time and even though it is a 'trend' it is one that never seems to date. The contrast on the interior between white and charcoal is sharp and optic - very modern.
August 2014
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Q. We can't decide what exterior colours to paint our new house. It's in the country with views of the harbour and we want to get away from greys. We used to live in the Cook Islands and the interior will have a Pacific theme. A. You could warm up the house with creams and spicy green – Resene Spanish White and Resene Planter, or lighter yellow/green colours – Resene Cararra and Resene Hillary or sunnier seaside inspired colours – Resene Half Dutch White and Resene Seachange. There are hundreds of possibilities and you may need to start thinking of what makes you feel really good and how it might work for you.
August 2014
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Q. We are going to paint this summer. I am interested in a blue/grey colour. We live rural. Generally I’m ok with colour but I just need someone to get me started with this. A. I think as long as you pick the right blue/grey you will be fine. Keep to colours that are soft toned and chalky looking rather than too clear. You might look at the following to see if they may suit your idea of grey/blue – Resene Clouded Blue, Resene El Nino, Resene Powder Blue or Resene Longitude. Take the time to trial the colours and check them out at different times of the day as colour changes so much with light.
August 2014
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Q. I am painting my bathroom Resene Wine Berry. The rest of the room is white and the trim is rimu and the fittings are chrome. Could you please advise on what would be good accent colours to complement Resene Wine Berry for decoration e.g. pots for plants or china? A. You could look at deep teal, soft aqua and white - they all look stunning against Resene Wine Berry.
August 2014
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Q. I have painted our kitchen cupboards Resene Quarter Truffle and am wondering what white to do the walls and woodwork. The bench is white/grey. A. You might consider using one of these 'whites' – Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Wan White. All of these suggestions come as deeper and lighter variants of these colours.
August 2014
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Q. My son’s room is Resene Quarter Tea and I would like to paint a stripe around the middle in his favourite colours blue and orange. I like the Resene Refresh blue. Could you let me know if this would work with Resene Quarter Tea and what orange you would recommend? The room is fairly dark but has a high stud. The carpet is a donkey brown grey. A. Yes the blue will definitely work with the main colour of your son's room. You could look at one of these oranges - they are bold and bright but if the orange stripe is narrower (either side of the blue?) it will have maximum impact – Resene California, Resene Flashback or Resene Clockwork Orange.
August 2014
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Q. At the moment my lounge and kitchen are a mixture of Resene Tea and Resene Double Tea. The colours do still look good; however I am lightening up my interior walls throughout the home and looking at Resene Half and Quarter Truffle. I am after a warm beige grey. I am also looking at a warm white for my bathrooms and laundry. The laundry top has grey specks. I will have stone/grey tiles and the vanities are white. Will these colours all tie in? A. I love the new colours you are considering. They are definitely warm grey/beiges. If you haven't made up your mind in regards to a warm white perhaps you could consider one of these colours as they work well flowing on from the Resene Truffle palette of colours and the bathroom and laundry tiles etc – Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Albescent White. The best way to judge these 'whites' is to pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop and look at the A4 real paint samples from their Colour Library alongside a sheet of printer paper which will allow you to see the underlying tints and tones in the coloured whites and compare how they look with the lighter version of the Resene Truffle colours. This is always a good thing to do - colours are quixotic and changeable and never what they seem so it’s best to view the large samples before you make your final choice.
August 2014
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Q. I'm doing a picket fence in several colours and need a dirty pink that will work with Resene Bright Red and Resene Blackjack, Resene Eighth Tuna and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. Do you have any ideas please? A. You amaze me - what a radical concept! I rather think that a mix of all of the colours you are using on the house with Resene Bright Red being the dominant colour (but not using too much of the Resene Blackjack) would give you a dirty pink - have you thought of making your own dirty pink like this? Unfortunately most dirty pinks look like paint primer - is this the look you want to achieve? Personally I think with the house having such an interesting and eyecatching mix the picket fence would look better as one colour - perhaps Resene Blackjack which in itself will be radical as most people paint the picket fence in a traditional 'white' colour.
August 2014
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Q. My walls will be in Resene Sisal and flooring in aged oak vinyl. What curtain fabric colour would suit? I'm thinking of teal, yellow or a spice colour. I want the room to feel vibrant because the sofa is black leather. How about cushion fabric? A. There are thousands of fabric options for curtains. You might start your search by looking at the Resene Curtain Fabric range to see if there is anything that excites you. Perhaps check these ones – Resene Decode – colour Spring, Resene Swivel – colour Blaze, Resene Artiste – colour Flame or Resene Abstraction – colour Nautilus. Cushions can be made to match with a few random plain bright colour ones thrown into the mix.
August 2014
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Q. We are looking at changing the colour scheme of a block of seven townhouses. At present they are Resene Charade on the block and Resene Spanish White on the weatherboard. What would be another light grey colour to complement the Resene Charade? A.Another grey that will work with Resene Charade might be Resene Nevada or a lighter grey might be Resene Oslo Grey. I hope these greys offer you options for change whichever way you want to go.
August 2014
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Q. Help for the 'right white' please. We have a high ceiling apartment with natural wooden ceilings. There are more windows and doors than walls and the frames are thick black aluminium with numerous panes in places (Loft style). The apartment doesn't get a lot of afternoon sun. We have a lot of art and have wooden/neutral furniture and decor. The carpet is a grey/brown. The outlook is the Wellington harbour - which can often be bleak. It is imperative we have a warm feeling - especially when it is grey and rough seas - i.e. doesn't reflect the outside grey/greens). What would your advice be? A. You might check out these 'whites'. They are slightly warmer and less grey than a lot of the more popular whites that are being requested at this point in time: Resene Bianca, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Wheatfield or Resene Quarter Albescent White. These colours also come as deeper variants if you should feel they are too white and not warm enough.
August 2014
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Q. We have used large (60x60) dark brown tiles for our bathroom floor and which also extend up the walls in our walk in shower. There is a window but not much light streams through. Floating vanity and toilet are white. My question is what neutral would work best with the tiles? We have used Resene Half Rice Cake on the walls throughout the rest of the house, but we thought the contrast between Resene Half Rice Cake and the dark brown tiles in the bathroom might look too harsh? A. I am inclined to agree with you - the Resene Half Rice Cake will look a little stark. You could use a deeper variant of Resene Rice Cake but the colour shifts to a greenish hue - is that what you like about this palette of colour? I would possibly consider a denser colour with a bit more warmth in it - it really does depend upon the colour of the dark brown tiles.
August 2014
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Q. We have an open plan kitchen, dining room and living room setup - the living room area gets sun but the kitchen and dining areas don't get much sun. The floor flowing between all three areas is a light ash brown. We've just had a new kitchen installed: all the cabinetry is Resene Half Rice Cake, the splashback is a white gloss subway tile (dark grey grout) and benchtops are a white/grey engineered stone with mirror flecks. We were thinking of using Resene Half Rice Cake on the walls in all three areas, and white on ceilings/architraves. Because the dining room is the middle area we were thinking of breaking up the Resene Half Rice Cake by painting one of the dining room walls Resene Cut Glass. Do you think the colours above will work for the three areas? A. I do think your idea of continuing with the Resene Half Rice Cake (with White) throughout will flow nicely. The idea of Resene Cut Glass as a feature in the dining room with Resene Half Rice Cake is great - it all has a dreamy cool seaside influence. I do suggest that you take the time however to test the Resene Cut Glass colour - if you paint all of a testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from your local Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges and move it around on the wall to catch the light it will give you a better chance of seeing the reality of the colour uninfluenced by any existing wall colour. It is large enough too so that you aren't confused about the depth of the colour. It is important if the room doesn't get a huge amount of natural sunlight that you are pleased with the colour and don't feel the natural quality of light alters it and makes it too cool for the space.
August 2014
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Q. The house was built approximately eight years ago. It’s quite dark inside with mid/dark grey tiles/carpet. Walls are a light grey. We need a colour for the walls to lighten the house. A. The grey flooring may well go with anything at all but colour choices are personal and are often chosen to co-ordinate with other elements in the house. You could try Resene Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Bianca. All colour changes with natural and artificial light and in association with existing colours so you need to test colours very carefully so what will work or what won't.
August 2014
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Q. All the walls in our new apartment are being painted Resene Eighth Pravda. What colours should I put with it? The apartment is west/south facing. The bedroom has a mahogany Queen Anne bedhead, two tall boys and a winged mirror dressing table. The lounge has a kauri early 1900s dresser, 3 piece black leather 3 seater and 2 lazyboy chairs, a new highly polished round kauri table and upholstered striped narrow fawns/creamy/yellow seat and back chairs. Please suggest curtains, sun shade blinds, cushions etc A. If you are getting sunshade blinds I suggest a warm grey/off white or silvery colour. You might check out the Resene curtain fabric range as a start point - these few may inspire you – Resene Artiste – Flame, Resene Garden Party – Flame, Resene Haven – Naturalle or Resene Captivate – Stone or Charcoal.
August 2014
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Q. Can you please help with some coloured glass splashback options to go with a grey bench top, white cupboards and Resene White Pointer on the walls. I have wooden floorboards. I was thinking colour but now thinking maybe neutral. A. You could check out a deeper version of the wall colour – Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Blast Grey 3 or Resene Exponent. There are two types of glass used in splashbacks - the one that shows the colour beneath it absolutely true to type is low iron oxide crystal clear glass and the other is called float glass which has a greenish cast.
August 2014
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Q. We have a new arctic white melamine compact kitchen with stainless appliances. What bench top and paints should we use that are not too dark? A. You could try Formica bench tops – Italico Nero AR Plus Finish - this is a glossy finish and Resene Sea Fog (walls), or Formica Elemental Concrete Velour Finish - this is a matt finish and Resene Half Rakaia (walls).
August 2014
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Q. I've just painted my bathroom Resene Sea Fog. I've used Resene White for the windows - but this looks harsh and cold. Could you suggest a warmer white/cream that would work in with the white/cream vanity and create a retro beach bach style look? Other house walls are Resene Half Tea. A. Have you thought of using a softer white like Resene Quarter Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster so that it works well with Resene Sea Fog? I personally wouldn't choose a cream unless you wanted to make the Resene Sea Fog look cooler/greyer. If your heart is set on a cream then perhaps you might try Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Bianca.
August 2014
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Q. Could you please suggest a good gloss warm paint colour for my kitchen cabinets? A. You might check these colours out to see if they might suit you – Resene Orchid White, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Half Solitaire.
August 2014
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Q. We moved into our home three years ago where the previous owner had painted the walls throughout the entirety of the house in a colour similar to Resene Spanish White. I would like to add some subtle variation to the wall colours used throughout our home and we were about to paint the study in Resene Half Secrets. However, due to a plumbing catastrophe a makeover of the small guest toilet directly next to the study has become the priority. Where should I start with selecting a wall colour for this guest toilet? We quite like blue for a bathroom (e.g. Resene Carefree), but I’m not sure if it goes with the Resene Spanish White and Resene Half Secrets or whether to go for the full-strength version of Resene Secrets. Both the study and guest toilet do not get a lot of natural light, particularly in the winter months. Would really appreciate some advice! A. Both Resene Carefree and Resene Half Secrets are pale delicate colours that work really well with real white or much, much paler colours than Resene Spanish White. Resene Secrets may be the better colour to go for - both in the study and guest toilet - as it is warmer and sits better in association with Resene Spanish White. Even though it may appear a bit deeper in dim rooms it may still have more ambiance and charm.
August 2014
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Q. We are in the process of refurbishing our kitchen. We have Resene Tea on all walls etc throughout the house and now bringing it into the kitchen area. We have quite a large wall & door area which we thought to do in the Resene Tea. The flooring is terracotta tiles. We are wondering could you give us some colour ideas for new cupboard faces and the Formica area? The door frames and architraves are Resene Half Tea. A. Are you keeping the terracotta tiles and the wallpaper? They might not work so well with the Resene Tea palette - will that worry you? I have found a lovely Formica - Provenance velour finish - that looks lovely with Resene Tea. Rather than introduce another neutral which may definitely 'fight' with the tiles and the Resene Tea might I suggest that you stay in the Resene Tea palette - perhaps check out Resene Quarter Tea as the kitchen cabinet colour. It is always a concern of mine that an existing element that isn't going to be changed (tiles or the deep terracotta wallpaper) may cause a definite discord in the refurbishment.
August 2014
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Q. I have recently built a ply and batten house that is approximately 120 square metres, on piles, with decking in a natural wood colour. The windows are silver and roof is dark. What colours would you suggest for the exterior please? Preference is to go with a dark colour. A. You might look at deep colours that are re-formulated to Resene CoolColour™ technology in order to minimise heat/UV problems. These colours (coded CC) won't stop the problem but they will modify heat absorption. Colours to try are: Resene Quarter Ironsand (this is a lighter version of a COLORSTEEL® colour – Ironsand), Resene Half Tuna - this is a grey that sits well with the COLORSTEEL® colour - Grey Friars or Resene Masala. Or for stain suggestions, try Resene Woodsman in Resene Sheer Black or Resene Iroko.
August 2014
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Q. I'm having trouble finding a neutral colour that will suit our kitchen/living room area which has rimu floors and grey cabinets. The living area gets morning sun but the kitchen is on the southern side of the house. Of all the testpots we've tried I kind of like Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and Resene Wan White (although I'm not 100% sure on either). We've also tried Resene Alabaster, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Sisal, Resene Sea Fog, Resene White Pointer, Resene Black White, Resene Villa White and Resene Rice Cake. Some were too grey and others too yellow. A. You also have a coloured tiled splashback and a coloured benchtop to contend with, don't you? I wonder whether you might have tested your colours onto the already coloured walls - is that what you have done? If that was the case then all of the colours seen like this might be really off and not at like they really are. I always suggest that testpots be painted onto A2 card, available from your local Resene ColorShop, (two coats using all of the testpot) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. What this achieves is -
I rather think that if you tried Resene Alabaster, Resene Wan White, Resene Black White, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream again this way you would see them as clean, crisp and whiter (not greyer) whereas some of the other colours may look 'off' with the grey cabinets.
August 2014
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Q. I am trying to decide on a white interior paint colour for our new house on the lakefront. I have seen Resene Black White used in magazines but am worried after using a testpot that it will all look too stark!. I like the Scandinavian look, so warm light coloured wood floors, charcoals, greys and linen. We don’t want it to look too cold either (especially in rooms on the southern side), but Resene Rice Cake was too yellow. Could Resene Half Milk White on the walls with Resene Quarter Milk White ceilings and trim work for what we are after? A. It is all about trialling colour really carefully - testpots are your best friend. If you use all of a testpot (two coats) on to A2 card (Resene ColorShops have this for a modest cost) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges it will help you focus the reality of the colour. When you place the card on an already painted wall the existing colour won't unduly influence the test colour and make you see it 'wrong'. You can move it from wall to wall and room to room to see how changes of space and light alter the colour. Doing it this way will help you a lot! Be careful of Resene Milk White or any of the lighter variants of this colour as they can turn grey/mushroom really easily. It always pays to check out the larger A4 samples of all the colours in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop - it is only by comparing these subtle tinted whites that you can better see what they are really like - especially if you pop a sheet of white printer paper between the samples. A sweet slightly warmed 'white' that you might check out is Resene Bianca or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.
August 2014
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Q. I am looking for curtain colours. I have Resene Double Spanish White walls, dark brown leather couch and dining chairs and outback wood furniture. Can't decide whether to go light neutral or a shade lighter than the couch in a brown tone. There just seems to be a lot of different browns. A. The huge world of curtain fabric options is really scary - why not either look at the Curtain Library on the Resene website or pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop to check out the small but really versatile range of curtain fabrics that they have. They are colour related to certain types of Resene colours but I have found from personal experience that if you pop a sample of the paint colours you have already in your house next to the fabrics you find a lot of other ones that will work for you. You don't have to have brown - some blues, charcoals and greens will also work but you might need the colours to be secondary to the main colour (lighter) of the curtain so that the curtains work with walls, furniture and flooring.
August 2014
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Q. We are building a new house and have had to change to weatherboard from brick. We had selected a Graphite roof with Ironsand gutter/fascia, silver pearl joinery and a Sandstone Grey garage door. I quite like the idea of Resene Edward for the weatherboards and would like to know if you think this ties in with the other choices. A. You have chosen random (not related) powder coat colours and this makes co-ordination a little difficult. Have you considered having the gutters and the garage door the same colour - instead of unrelated? I like your idea of using Resene Edward which is a lovely greyed green but it doesn't look so good against Sandstone Grey powdercoat which is a sludgy yellow brown based grey. If you have the option of changing the gutters and garage door colour perhaps look at using COLORSTEEL® Smokey which has a slight green grey edge to it which does like the Resene Edward. If you can't change both the gutters and the garage if you use Ironsand for the garage as well then those two elements will be matching.
August 2014
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Q. We are thinking of painting our interior walls Resene Half Tea and our interior doors Resene Tea. The ceilings will be Resene Black White. We are also thinking of doing some feature walls. What colours would be the best match for the feature walls and what colour carpet would you suggest? We are thinking of a bold colour for the carpet to make a statement. The carpet will only be in the lounge, main bedroom and stairs going up to the main bedroom. The rest of the flooring is oak timber - lightly stained and the kitchen cupboards are Denim Blue. A. I suggest if you are thinking of a bold statement colour for the carpet that you find that first. In a world full of neutral tones in carpet you will probably find there isn't a huge amount of bold coloured carpets available and it is important to choose what you really adore. You may find you are happy to have only one bold feature colour- i.e the carpet - and don't want any other colours competing for attention. Resene Half Tea for the walls and Resene Tea for the doors sounds really good - especially with the other features - carpet, oak timber flooring and Denim Blue kitchen cabinets. If you want more 'feature' in the house have you considered an amazing, fabulous wallpaper wall or two? Check out the latest Resene Walltrends III wallpaper book - I feel something like these papers could be the ticket - so exciting! Alternatively wonderful drapes can add a huge amount of colour, pattern, texture and make a fabulous feature too. See the Resene Curtain Collection.
August 2014
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Q. I would love some advice on a nice warm white to paint my daughters’ (4 years and 20 months) new bedrooms. The carpet is a grey/brown colour and any advice on a neutral curtain colour would be much appreciated. A. You might check these warm white colours out – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Bianca. Curtains depend so much on personal taste. I like a little cheeky pattern in curtains in a child's room as opposed to absolutely plain but you may not agree. As a starting point the Resene Curtain Collection is great - one patternway that could suit well is the Abstraction range which comes in three colourways.
August 2014
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Q. We are building our new home and are struggling to decide on the interior colour scheme. We want it to look light and airy, without yellow/creamy tones. Our carpet we have chosen is Early Frost, from Carpet Court. We are having vinyl planking in kitchen, dining, laundry and bathroom, which is called Rose Washed Oak. The kitchen is high gloss and white. We originally thought we would go with Resene Quarter Spanish White throughout the kitchen, living area and hallway. We wanted something slightly darker in the formal lounge. And maybe Resene Quarter Biscotti in the bedrooms. For the skirtings we thought Resene Half Bianca. The ceilings we would like to be lighter than the walls. The house exterior is a limestone brick. A. For the ceilings you might consider Resene Quarter Bianca - lighter but related to the woodwork colour. I think the other colour options you have mentioned are lovely - but if you felt the Resene Quarter Spanish White was slightly too creamy then an alternative option that you might consider is Resene Half Albescent White which still works really well with your other colours. If you had Resene Quarter Biscotti for the bedrooms (which is lovely and mellow) you could use Resene Sandspit Brown (slightly darker) for the lounge.
August 2014
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Q. I have a large living area, three parts using white – Resene Alabaster. For the first area I have chosen Resene Thorndon Cream for the dining/kitchen, Resene Linen and Resene Alabaster in the lounge and then through to a separate lounge room which at present is deep yellow so I want to update it. The curtains are a cream and I want to keep them, the carpet will be grey with a fleck of white. The connecting hallway will have Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Do you have any suggestions. A. You don't say what the separate lounge is used for - formal? adults only? TV room? Because it is west and south facing you could use a deeper colour in there. It all hinges upon the carpet colour and the cream drapes - they will control your choices - a lot! You could try Resene Double Ash (relates well to Resene Alabaster, Resene Linen, Resene Thorndon Cream] or Resene Washed Green (which looks almost like a deeper version of Resene Linen) or another type of yellow based colour. Resene Double Pearl Lusta is a yellow based cream that does look lovely in relation to the Resene Thorndon Cream family.
August 2014
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Q. What are the important aspects to consider when choosing new window coverings for your rental and why? Different types of curtains for different rooms of the house? Sun direction/wear etc? Colour? Warmth? Maintenance? Cost? A. Some choose to have the same window furnishings throughout a home and some choose to change them room by room. For a rental it is probably easier to keep the window furnishings relatively consistent room to room and perhaps just switch between curtains and blinds where there is an area that suits blinds better – such as in a kitchen bay window. The more south you go, the more important thermal lined or blockout lined curtains are for keeping in the heat. Ideally this should be a separate piece of fabric, not just a coating on the original fabric. This is because the extra piece of fabric will help insulate the window much better than the coating on the patterned fabric will. Where possible you should invest in thermal lined or blockout lined curtains – the extra cost is minimal vs the cost of the curtains. August 2014 |
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Q. How do I choose the colour of window coverings for my rental? Am I better to go for ready-made curtains versus custom-made curtains? A. Picking out a curtain style, cut and colour can make or break a room, so it is important to get this aspect of an interior design plan right the first time. Here are two things you will need consider when making this choice. Tie-ins Generally for rentals it’s best to opt for more neutral curtains so that they will work with a wide range of furniture. ‘Neutral’ doesn’t have to mean completely plain though – consider a patterned neutral curtain which will add more of a design edge. The pattern can also help to hide marks compared to a completely plain fabric. If the rental is fully furnished then you can opt for stronger curtain patterns and colours and choose furniture and other furnishings to complement. The Resene Curtain Collection makes it easy to match curtains and paint – each curtain is designed to go with Resene colours and comes complete with recommended paint colour co-ordinates that will work well with the curtain fabric. See the Resene curtain collection online. Generally, readymade curtains are cheaper and use lower quality fabrics and there is a smaller choice of colours and designs. Readymade curtains are handy if you need to quickly install curtains or expect them to get damaged quickly. However they generally won’t fit the windows as well (as they are just made for ‘average’ windows) and the fabric won’t wear as well so the curtains may start to lose their shape. For a small relatively low rent home, readymade curtains will generally be adequate. For a more upmarket rental, custom made curtains will generally better suit the quality of the rental. To get the best performance out of curtains they need to fit your window properly. For optimal performance (e.g. keeping the heat in during cold winter months), the curtains should be floor length and amply cover the window and overlap onto the wall on each side. This will help keep the warmth in. See instructions for measuring. Getting the correct measurements is a key part of getting the best out of your curtains. Choose the wrong size and they can look odd once installed or won’t work as well as they could. So always measure with care and check your measurements to make sure they’re correct before placing your order. August 2014 |
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Q. Can you please give me some advice on colours? Our house is badly in need of a paint but we can't decide on colours. The blockwork is Resene Tea and the vertical boards are charcoal. Would you recommend a colour for our powdercoated windows and a contrast for doors? A. Most people don’t repaint powdercoated windows but if you did wish to I would recommend Resene Half Tea so they relate well to the colour on the concrete block and still stand out against the charcoal vertical weatherboards. I am inclined to think the doors might look good in a bold exciting colour - the coloured tile by the entry looks fabulous against the dark wood – you could try Resene Kaitoke Green, Resene Submerge, Resene Bonfire or Resene Galliano.
August 2014
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Q. I have lived in houses for the last 30 years with beige/brown paint and am thinking of going grey in our new home. I am having floorboards in all the main living areas with blue/cream large rugs and runners for the hallways and dark grey carpet in the bedrooms. My furniture is on the old/antique spectrum. I looked at your paint guide and liked Resene Half Tea. Am I on the right track or could you recommend another colour that would suit my home? A. You could check these colours out as they are greyer – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone or Resene Flotsam. If you are able to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them it may make your decision making easier. Colours colour coded as N are greyer than those colour coded Y (which often denotes yellow/beige/stone colours).
August 2014
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Q. We have a new house with weatherboards and white trims, white aluminium windows, ebony roof and ebony garage doors. The darkest grey that we can get for KLC weatherboard must have a LRV of 45% or higher. Please advise as all dark greys we have seen have a low LRV. A. There are no dark greys that will meet the criteria. Protecting the weatherboards from heat absorption caused by dark colours is obviously a requirement to meet the product guarantee on the substrate so it is really important that you go with the LRV recommendation. Use the CoolColour™ version of your chosen colour to minimise any possible UV related problems. You might look at these greys - they do meet the LRV% criteria – Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Tapa, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Double Rakaia. If you had used LINEA® or Hardiplank® you may have been able to use darker colours but for real wood timber boards it is always recommended to use very light colours.
August 2014
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Q. I would really appreciate some colour suggestions for our internal flooring. We are getting our pine floors sanded. We wish to change the colour as we want to move away from the yellow it has become. Our internal walls and ceilings are all white and we wish to create a look in keeping with a coastal cottage; a French look, something classic, understated, refined? We have considered staining the floor to Resene Limed Oak and would like your opinion as to whether this would give us the effect we are looking for and match in with our furniture. We would also like any other suggestions, including even how to get a limewashed look for the floors. We would like the internal floor stain to somehow fit in with the external colour scheme as well. Externally we have painted the house using Resene Half Ash, trimmings in Resene Alabaster and fences in Resene Smokey Ash. A. Resene Limed Oak should be trialled on some pine offcuts. It can look quite grey. Resene Colorwood Whitewash will give you that soft aged white look so I suggest you trial that too on some pine offcuts. Without seeing what each colour looks like on pine you might not judge them fairly. Yes, both colours/products are available in testpots for trialling purposes. Perhaps use the lightest version of Resene Ash (Resene Eighth Ash) as the interior palette for feature walls or drapes and blinds so that you relate to what you have on the exterior and the ambiance is tranquil and timeless and allows full exploitation of the French theme you are keen on.
August 2014
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Q. I have an open plan lounge/kitchen area. The new kitchen will be high gloss Resene Half Black White and I had contemplated creating more warmth in the lounge area (the existing colour is Resene Orchid White) by using Resene Quarter Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cougar. However, I am stuck with the ceiling colour, which I assume would need to be lighter in colour. It will need to go in the lounge ceiling and complement either Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cougar and complement the Resene Half Black White of the cabinetry of the kitchen. A. Have you considered using the Resene Half Black White on the ceiling in the lounge to tie in the new kitchen cabinetry colour? It would lift and lighten the lounge and will work with any wall colour at all. Or if you are using either Resene Half Bison Hide on the walls in the lounge you could use Resene Eighth Bison Hide on the ceiling so it relates but doesn't feel too dark and heavy - it would work also if you used Resene Quarter Cougar on the walls as the lighter colour looks good with it too.
August 2014
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Q. Wondering what colour to repaint our main bedroom. It is at the south end of the house with a good amount of windows but some are close to the bush/fences. The ceiling is quite low (it's an extension). Curtains are 100% linen natural shade. Bedroom floors are Cavalier Bremworth tuscan brown. It has Rimu trims, doors and windows in keeping with those throughout the rest of the house, which is 1920s character with high stud, bay windows and matai floors (except carpeted bedrooms). The house interior is painted Resene Bianca with a range of colours in three other bedrooms and two bathrooms. We loved the dado line with Resene Rice Cake on top and Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue bottom in the guest room, so we thought we’d try Resene Beryl Green in the main bedroom. It's just way too much green and makes the curtains look a bit brown and dowdy (they're brand new). I suppose some kind of brown would possibly go but I'm not a huge fan of the beige look! I’m wondering about repainting with Resene Quarter Linen? Is this going to be too grey? I thought Resene Rice Cake would possibly be safe option but a bit boring on its own? I guess I'm after a sophisticated look but not too cold. A. It may a combination of the southerly light, the carpet colour and the rimu trims that make the curtains look a bit brown. Beige or brown may not be right for you and yes I agree with you - Resene Beryl Green is very bright! If you are tending to favour the green (Resene Quarter Linen) I am inclined to think you may need a bit more depth to it - perhaps Resene Half Linen - as it would be a bit warmer/less greyed but not bright. It looks so lovely following on from Resene Rice Cake and/or Resene Bianca. The default is to use Resene Rice Cake but you could decide on a slightly richer version such as Resene Double Rice Cake. The south facing room may pull out the green in the colour and make you see it as a green not a cream.
August 2014
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Q. I have Resene Rice Cake on my walls, skirting and windowsills and would love to know what to use on my skirting boards to break it up a little before I do the rest of the house. Also what to do on the bedroom doors while keeping the flow throughout the house and also incorporating a feature colour for an entrance wall and fireplace which are both very high (approximately six metre stud). I like Resene Stonewashed and earthy tones but they still have to work with terracotta tiles and beige carpet. I would like to achieve contemporary look but am struggling to link it all together. A. You have two colours (features) on the floor - beige carpet and terracotta tiles and predominantly light neutral walls and some woodwork and you want to highlight the skirting boards and bedroom doors but still have them flow with what you have already in the house and also have a definite feature colour on the entrance wall and fireplace. In order to flow with what you already have I think you may need to stay with a deeper version of Resene Rice Cake or a similar colour because anything else won't flow. You know exactly what tone of beige your carpet is and also exactly what tones and shades are in the terracotta tiles. I think that Resene Half Stonewashed looks really nice with Resene Rice Cake and it might be considered as a feature in the entry and/or the fireplace. But - and only you know this - does it work with the beige carpet really well and with the terracotta tiles really well? I personally wouldn't highlight skirting boards or doors unless they are going to be a special feature colour because they are architecturally stunning and absolutely deserve to be featured as something special.
August 2014
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Q. We are painting our house and have chosen Resene Destiny for the weatherboards. We like Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta for the white colour on the windows, the fascia, and the eaves. We like also Resene Ivanhoe on the window sills and horizontals on the front deck. We got a testpot of Resene Ivanhoe and it is a nice colour but it can be too dark sometimes in the shade. We also thinking of Resene Triple Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Beeswax on the window hoods and the house bottom battens. We are not sure what colour to use for the gutters. The roof is Colorbond® Shale Grey. A. I think you would be wise to use the matching colour (as the roof) for the guttering as it keeps it really simple - the Resene paint colour match is called Resene Atmosphere. I think that your idea of Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta is a great choice for the windows, the fascia, front deck posts and all door trims and the eaves. The window hoods and the house bottom battens were awarded to Resene Triple Spanish White. For the window sills and horizontals perhaps if you are worried about the Resene Ivanhoe for the back wall of the front deck and main door being a bit too dark you might like to check out Resene Balderdash or Resene Tax Break - slightly lighter and less blue toned than the Resene Ivanhoe but still looking really good with your main colour Resene Destiny.
August 2014
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Q. I need new curtains and also to paint my window joinery. What should I do first? A. If your window joinery needs work, it’s best to undertake all painting well before new curtains are installed. When it comes to choosing colours though, always aim to choose the curtain colour first then the paint colour. It’s much easier to get a paint colour to match curtains than curtains to match a specific paint colour. Resene also has a video online to show you how to paint your window joinery – see our videos page. August 2014 |
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Q. I am painting a 1940s ex state duplex. Chosen colours are Resene Silver Chalice with Resene Alabaster trims. My front door is stained glass with blue and orangey amber colour in it. I am thinking of painting the door Resene Cod Grey and that would be the only place that colour used. Does that sound ok? The house is very small – two bedrooms, around 80 square metres. A. I think your colour idea for the front door is lovely. If the steps to the front door are concrete you might consider painting them a lighter grey - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice - so that the main colour and the front door colour have a relationship. You could paint a 'something else' in Resene Cod Grey - a wooden garden seat, letter box or planter box?
August 2014
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Q. We are going to paint the outside of our house Resene Ironsand and wondered if you could suggest colours that would go with that for the windows and fascia boards? A. You are very fortunate - a huge amount of colours will work with Resene Ironsand. Lighter 'whites' that will work are Resene Double Sea Fog, light neutrals such as Resene Fossil, mid toned neutral colours such as Resene Quarter Pravda or Resene Eighth Pravda, deeper related colours such as Resene Quarter Ironsand or bolder colours such as Resene Gondwana.
August 2014
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Q. What colour wall do you recommend for white linen drapes? I have a New York loft style wall next to it, mainly brick with a flat black wall around the fire place. I was thinking Resene Seashell, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White. I have wooden floors, a red persian rug and a teak kitchen. A. I suggest Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White may be better than Resene Seashell which has a little grey/purple in it. Sometimes these 'whites' only show their underlying tints and tones when you can compare large enough samples together and look at something really pure white alongside of them - like a sheet of printer paper for instance. Large real paint samples of all Resene colours can be viewed at your local Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library.
August 2014
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Q. I want to paint my living room area. It’s quite a small room with a dark featured wooden wall panel. I'm thinking of a grey blue colour. What do you suggest? Do you think it will make a room cold? If I want to go for a warm blue, what is your recommendation? A. Grey blues could be on the cooler side - especially if the room isn't flooded by bright sunlight all day but they are appealing in a restful way. You could try Resene Half Regent Grey or Resene Powder Blue. But if you wanted warmer blue tones you could try Resene Beyond or Resene Smokescreen.
August 2014
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Q. I want to get a new garage door, and want to change the colour of it and the matching gutters, the creamy colour which is under the eaves and above the lounge windows. What colour/colours would complement my terracotta brick house? A. If the new garage door is a COLORSTEEL® or COLORBOND ® there is a limited range of colours available. With your existing roof, bricks and window joinery you are somewhat compromised. You might look at these colours – Ironsand, Woodland Grey, Thunder Grey, Loft, Pale Eucalypt or Sandstone Grey. For the colour above the windows and under the eaves try Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Cararra. These types of colours will work with any garage door and guttering colour.
August 2014
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Q. We are hoping to change our colour scheme to grey with white trim. Before I start picking the right grey I am not sure whether to leave the bottom level white or to paint it the same as the chamferboard or even use a contrasting dark grey which I'd imagine the gutters would be painted. I am drawn to houses that mainly use two colours rather than the third for hand rails and window sills and other trim. The besser brick is not legal height but is completely built in downstairs so our house currently has the top heavy look which is why I can't picture it. A. As you say, the upper part of the house feels top heavy compared to the bottom level. Do you want to continue to highlight the besser brick (either lighter or darker) and to emphasis the upper storey as larger/heavier in structure? I am inclined to think that the house may need to be one colour only. If you chose a soft toned grey (whole house) with lots of real crisp white on everything else and maintained just two colours (not three as highlight trims) then it may be simpler, it will draw less attention to the differences between the board and brick. I can imagine the fences, gates and the slatted side walls of the carport in a deep colour. There is a huge amount of greys to choose from but perhaps start by looking at these ones – Resene Half Stack, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Half Regent Grey or Resene Triple Rakaia. Using a real white - Resene White - will make a distinct difference. Windows for instance will look larger when sills are included as a white and the attractive stairs and balustrades to the entry will stand out.
August 2014
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Q. We are currently renovating our house and putting in a new kitchen and bathroom and repainting all the walls in the house the same colour. We have chosen Resene Half Powder Blue, but my husband wants to paint around the door frames, window frames and bottom skirting with full strength Resene Powder Blue which I think is too much and will be too dark. I would rather go with just white but he hates white. Can you suggest any other colour or do you think this may look okay? We are keeping the doors white though. A. If you use a soft 'off white' you will get the look you want. Real white will be too harsh against the lighter/reduced strength Resene Powder Blue and using a deeper version of the wall colour for all the woodwork is a somewhat dated look that was in favour for colonial villas in the 1980-1990s with freizes, mini floral prints and wide stripes. The reason behind using a strong 'feature colour' on the woodwork in this style of house was to highlight the beautiful architectural features of the unique woodwork. Do you have a colonial villa with beautiful architectural features that you want to 'feature'? Perhaps look at using one of these colours for all the woodwork – Resene Half Wan White or Resene Double Alabaster. You and your husband may like the idea of using (full strength) Resene Powder Blue for a very plain wall in a lounge or master bedroom as a special accent colour.
August 2014
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Q. We have a main house and a cottage on our property. We are about to paint the exterior of the cottage. Do we try and blend with the main house or keep them quite different? The cottage came multi-coloured. We have to take into consideration the garage is attached to the cottage too. I want it to be interesting. But still classical. Not boring Titania and New Denim Blue like the sheds. But complementary. A. Personally I would keep it all the same - otherwise it could end up looking fussy or discordant. You do have part walls that could be picked out in a different but sympathetic colour - had you thought of that? Are the doors wooden? I hope so because you can create interesting colour themes with doors. August 2014 |
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Q. We are near the end of prepping a large 3 bedroom house and are stuck on light greens. We need some advice and clarity on three colours. What do Resene Beryl Green and Resene Half Beryl Green look like in comparison to Resene Secrets? I know Resene Beryl Green is darker from the images online but is Resene Half Beryl similar and more olive yet same darkness as Resene Secrets? One of these three options will be our final choice. Can you go three-quarter strength Resene Beryl Green? Is there something else very close? A. If the only way that you are looking at and judging these colours is off the computer or a small chip on a colour chart, it can trick your eye so you aren’t seeing the real colour. If it is at all possible to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to look at the real paint A4 samples in the Colour Library and compare the colours and then to look at them alongside a sheet of white printer paper this will help you a lot. Colour always looks lighter on an exterior due to bright natural light muting out colours - all colours are like this. Ask the staff if you can take the samples to the entry to check them out in normal light situations. Hold them vertically not horizontally (that is how they will be on the house) and look at the colours in close association to any other colours that you propose to use on the house. Colour is a chameleon - it changes with light and with any other colours seen close to it - you need to know this in advance to make good colour choices. Testpots need to be applied but not on an existing wall colour (colour is a chameleon and will alter and look different to reality if seen like this) but if it is painted onto A2 card (available from your local Resene ColorShop) and moved from wall to wall/each side of the house then you will see what it really is like. Paint the A2 card with all of the Resene testpot (two coats) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the true reality and depth of the colour without the existing house colour being seen right against/around it. In answer to your query about Resene Secrets it has a subdued undertone in it making it seen as softer/shadowy than Resene Beryl Green or Resene Half Beryl Green (much lighter than Resene Secrets) both of which are brighter and more fresh/yellow green. Neither of these colours are olive or mint at all. I recommend you view larger swatches of these colours at your local Resene ColorShop and then please do test the larger samples at your house. The light and shade as reflected off a house plays the colour in a different way to just your impression of the colour when seen in an isolated situation.
August 2014
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Q. I would like to repaint a house. The roof of the house is terracotta brown. I was wondering if you had any advice on a correct colour choice and paint type for this region and for this type of house. A. There are many colours that you might choose. You might check these colours out to see if one of them looks good to you - Resene Joss, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Haystack, Resene Biscotti or Resene Akaroa. The best type of paint is, again, somewhat personal - either Resene X-200 acrylic weathertight membrane or Resene AquaShield mineral finish or Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss acrylic. I suggest that you ask at your local Resene ColorShop for data sheets on these products and to look at the samples of the paint finishes so you can better imagine what they may look like. A painting specification can be asked for also. This is usually something that incurs no cost but does ensure attention to detail and appropriate prep and painting procedure is in place, whether a tradesman paints the house or whether you do.
August 2014
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Q. We are painting the outside of our house and the roof. We are using a ‘Black’ CoolColour™ matched to COLORSTEEL® (roughly Resene All Black) for the roof and a lot of the cladding (Shadowclad) and we are using Resene Firefly on the weatherboards. Can you suggest a complementary white/off-white for the soffits? They are less than perfect as we are leaving the asbestos soffits in place and they can't be sanded. We would also like a retro orange for some external trims. By way of comparison we have a lot of Resene Quarter Tapa with Resene Quarter Wan White on the inside of the house. A. The white needs to be not too stark and seeing as you have already embraced Resene Quarter Wan White I would suggest you use that also outside. You might look at some of these colours to see if they are retro enough for your external trims – Resene Crusta, Resene Tango, Resene Red Damask or Resene Rock Spray.
August 2014
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Q. We are currently looking at staining our boundary fences but would love some help with colour suggestions. Our roof and LINEA® board is in Resene Lignite, window frames are Resene Bronco and we also have a beige brick with flecks of brown/red and white. A. Seeing as you have a lot of browns and beige tones on the house you might look at these stain colours to see if they will suit the property – Resene Woodsman in Resene Oiled Cedar, Resene Grey Green, Resene English Walnut or Resene Nutmeg.
August 2014
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Q. We have a red brick feature wallpaper in our bar room and parquet wooden flooring in our gym (same room). What colour would look good to paint out all the walls? They have timber battening which I’m keeping. A. You could try Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Half Haystack, Resene Parchment or Resene Quarter Craigieburn. They also come as lighter and deeper variants in case you find one that you like but it is the wrong depth of colour for the room.
August 2014
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Q. Our 1970s dark brown brick house needs attention. We are painting the inside Resene Thorndon Cream walls with Resene Alabaster trim and ceilings with Resene Half Thorndon Cream in the hallways. The outside entrance has new silver joinery and a dark cedar colour door. The new boards need a colour to tie in with the house but not make the entrance darker inside. I am looking at Resene Oilskin or Resene Mondo. Probably looking for the same colour as the boards on the house. The roof is grey. Also need a colour for eaves and carport. A. Is the reason you are looking at either Resene Mondo or Resene Oilskin so that you can match the darkness of the bricks? I am not sure that it won't make the entrance darker as both colours are dark. Perhaps look at lighter versions of these colours if you are keen on the browns to see if they might work for you and perhaps deeper versions of the Resene Thorndon Cream (like Resene Triple Thorndon Cream) for under the eaves and carport so there is a flow between interior and exterior colours.
August 2014
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Q. We are currently doing up our kitchen and are looking for a bold colour to use on the kitchen wall that will contrast with the white cabinetry and Resene Eighth Drought on the adjoining lounge and dining walls. A. You might check out these colours to see if they are good for you – Resene Marathon, Resene Chocolate Lounge, Resene Hot N Spicy, Resene Push Play or Resene Jalapeno.
August 2014
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Q. We are building a new house but are having trouble with picking colours for windows and roof. The house will be plaster and we have chosen this colour which is Resene Canterbury Clay. We also have a small amount of LINEA® board that we are stuck on colours (we like the idea of cedar). We are thinking creamy coloured windows and maybe a brown roof? A. With such a definite strong ochre yellow on the plaster you need to balance that with a strong roof colour. I presume it will be a COLORSTEEL® roof and powdercoated window/door joinery and there is a certain amount of limitation in regards the colours available. If you favour brown for the roof perhaps check out these options – Lignite, Sorrell or Ironsand - and for the windows you might look at this option - Off White. If you want to do a strong 'feature' on the LINEA® you might look at these options (similar to Cedar) – Resene Coco, Resene Hot N Spicy or lighter warm browns - Resene Quarter Lignite or Resene Quarter Ironsand which may co-ordinate with one of the roof colours.
August 2014
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Q. I have used Resene Blanc for our dining wall colour. It is very cold. We need to add a complementary colour. The wall has a window, we just need to anchor it. We have light cabinetry – Melteca Gentle Beige. A. Compared to the Melteca Gentle Beige, which is a warm tone, the Resene Blanc would definitely be showing its cool mushroom undertones. Any early morning light and shadows in the room would emphasise this. I would be careful about placing another colour on a window wall (it will appear darker) and my first thought is not more colour but less colour – perhaps as light as the cabinets? You might look at a Resene colour match to your Melteca colour - yes they can do it - this would allow you to use a curtain or blind on the window that may inject bolder/warmer colour and pattern into the kitchen. From personal experience with Resene Blanc I know that warm chocolate browns, deep dusky pinks and aubergine/taupes will work (similar to Resene Oilskin, Resene Dry Creek or Resene Matakana) as I had to buy towels for my bathroom in these types of colours but I wouldn't have had to if not for the Imprint which may bring forth a little pink tone in the Resene Blanc.
August 2014
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Q. I have an older home with high ceilings. I was thinking of painting the whole house Resene Mischka. I thought it was grey but in one of your notes you say it is lilac blue. Will it be too dark for areas without large windows? A. Lighter colours that are similar in composition to Resene Mischka are Resene Ghost and Resene Athens Grey. Most greys have underlying tints and tones in them. If you have the opportunity to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you will be able to compare and judge what they really look like. If you want a warm grey that is lighter but has less blue/lilac tone in it you might investigate Resene Flotsam, lighter Resene Half Flotsam or Resene Concrete. The testpots are your best friends - without testing the colours in the spaces you want to put them in you won't know until it is too late what the reality of the colour is and how deep it may be in dim rooms. Take your time.
August 2014
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Q. I’m looking for a good colour to paint my railway cottage lounge, dining and kitchen (open plan). The floors are varnished wood. I want a country-cottage type yellow or cream. It’s so hard as there are so many colours! A. You might look at these colours as they have glowing warmth to them not a sharp sourness – Resene Half Dutch White, Resene Milk Punch or Resene Double Pearl Lusta.
August 2014
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