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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 21

Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.

If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 21

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


Q. We originally painted our ceiling, doors, trims and walls Resene Half Napa (with a feature wall to brighten it up). We like it but find on a dark wet day the house is too dark. Instead of painting everything all over again I wondered if we repaint ceilings, trims and doors and leave the walls Resene Half Napa? What do you suggest for the ceilings, trims and doors? Would this be the best solution?

A. I agree with you - lighter trims and (especially) ceilings will make a tremendous difference to your quality of light. You might look at these two options - light and much lighter but still coloured - not too white or stark – Resene Eighth Napa or Resene Albescent White.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
September 2014

Q. I need help choosing a colour for my new kitchen cabinets. My walls are Resene Double Sea Fog and all my timber window trims/skirting boards etc are 'classic white'. I would like a deeper colour of Resene Double Sea Fog, but don't think Resene Triple Sea Fog will be contrasting enough? I'm getting a Tasmanian Oak timber benchtop.

A. You might look at Resene Quarter Foggy Grey - this colour is sympathetic to Resene Double Sea Fog but deeper than Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
September 2014

Q. I want to do up an old 1940s oak manrobe. I'd like to paint it a duck egg blue and wallpaper the inside of the cupboard and drawers with a funky paper. Could you please suggest a paint colour, paint type and wallpaper?

A. I had a quick look at the local Resene ColorShop at the hundreds of gorgeous wallpaper patterns and not being absolutely certain what 'funky' is to you the following are a few that you might like to check out – Resene WallTrends III pattern BN47243 - looks lovely with Resene Half Periglacial Blue and Resene Habitat pattern 47536 - looks lovely with Resene Ashanti.

I strongly suggest you take the time to investigate the wallpaper books - there are some amazing new ones that the shops have just received that may be 'funky' enough for you and after seeing them you may well want to use more wallpaper in your house.

Resene wallpaper
Resene walltrends III BN47243
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene wallpaper
Resene Habitat 47536
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
September 2014

Q. I am after colours for a house for resale. What are popular and good colours? I need a warm white for inside and a neutral for the exterior.

A. Usually I try for co-ordination of all the exterior colours so that I know that it will look balanced. But as long as you are happy to look at these popular neutrals as they are definitely popular colours but are better seen with appropriate window joinery and roof colours:
Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Truffle or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .

There are several popular warm whites – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Bianca or Resene Eighth Truffle. You do need to check out what colour flooring, tiles, kitchen cabinetry and work tops are chosen first and then see if one of these is appropriate.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
September 2014

Q. I am just trying to decide on a ceiling/door/door frame and windowsill colour. I would like to keep it the same or vary it by half a shade perhaps. I have chosen Resene Truffle for main living/kitchen areas and Resene Half Truffle for the bathrooms, but can’t decide whether to go for Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Truffle for the ceilings etc. The vanities in the bathrooms are gloss white and the tiles are a dark grey including shower walls. I know they are quite similar but was thinking they are the best match for the vanities as these are a white vitreous china with a gloss white cabinetry front.

A. I am inclined to suggest that you look at using Resene Alabaster if you want a cleaner/crisper contrast to emphasise the wall colours. If you don't want contrast to be seen as much then by using Resene Eighth Truffle (which is softer/paler) than the walls the woodwork and ceilings will meld into the walls and be less distinct. The white vitreous enamel and gloss vanity in the bathroom will stand out nicely with the soft wall colour and any choice – Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Truffle - for the woodwork and ceilings.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
September 2014

Q. I have a Resene Thorndon Cream kitchen unit wanting a suitable green as a focal point. What colour would you suggest?

A. Resene Thorndon Cream can be a difficult colour to place with a green but those that have a subtle olive, blue or grey undertone seem to work well.

You might check these colours out – Resene Double Ash, Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Innocence or Resene Gondwana.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Gondwana
Resene Gondwana
September 2014

Q. I love dark interior doors and have done this before using Resene Double Stonehenge with Resene Tea walls. This next house I am looking at Resene Double White Pointer walls with Resene Half Masala interior doors. These are full stud height so have quite a presence. Will these be ok together?

A. I think the colours work beautifully together. The strength/depth of colour of Resene Half Masala isn't so hard edged and aggressive that full height doors will be too dark. I love the fact that you are adventurous enough to do something different from what everyone else does. Good on you!

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
September 2014

Q. Our kitchen cabinets are Resene Streetwise and the benchtop is stainless steel. Please could you recommend suitable wall colours that will bring life to the kitchen?

A. You need to consider what colour the floor is, what types of colours you favour, whether or not you have adjacent rooms that open into the kitchen and may have some influence and most importantly whether the room is blasted with bright light all day or if it is a bit more shaded. Some colours you might like to try are: Resene Barely There, Resene Orchid White, Resene Secrets, Resene Half Parchment or Resene Double Rice Cake.

Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. The kitchen walls are painted Resene Rice Cake and the kitchen cabinets are white with a re-engineered stone benchtop of Caesarstone. The kitchen gets lots of light and has a view out to the bush. My question is what colour can I use on the wall coming into the kitchen that has some element of blue? The accessories in my kitchen are blue.

A. In a world full of beautiful blues, and your distinct coloured blue accessories, the exact blue of those accessories will impact the blue you can choose. Some blues you might like to try are Resene Awash, Resene Panorama, Resene Smokescreen or Resene Limitless.

They will all work with Resene Rice Cake but they do need to be carefully checked out to see if they enhance the space, look great in your natural and artificial light and look good with your other blue accessories.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene Panorama
Resene Panorama
Resene Smokescreen
Resene Smokescreen
Resene Limitless
Resene Limitless
September 2014

Q. We have Resene Half Truffle walls, Resene Quarter Truffle ceilings, Resene Alabaster window trims, skirting and doors. I am looking for an accent colour to lift the colour. The carpets are grey so the whole look is very dull.

A. Accent colours are usually those colours that you fancy and may relate to some other accessory that you have already. You don't indicate what types of colours you favour so I will suggest a few that may work for you. A red will always work – Resene X Factor or Resene I C Red or sometimes blues may suit better - Resene Calypso, or Resene Limitless or greens may work – Resene Globe or Resene Green Room.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene X Factor
Resene X Factor
Resene I C Red
Resene I C Red
Resene Calypso
Resene Calypso
Resene Limitless
Resene Limitless
Resene Globe
Resene Globe
Resene Green Room
Resene Green Room
September 2014

Q. I am considering painting the basement of my house dark slate, and staining the cedar on the top floor and fascias with Resene Iroko. The aluminium joinery is matt black and the roof is Resene Ironsand. What colour would you suggest for the soffits?

A. I think you need to keep it simple so that it goes with all of your other colours. You could use either of these colours – Resene Half Merino or Resene Black White.

Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
September 2014

Q. I’m renovating a house in a heritage area and need some tips on one colour. The roof is shale grey by council request and I’d like white to be either on the windows or weatherboards. I just need another light colour to go with the two. Any suggestions?

A. I think your idea of having a Resene white for the windows is a great idea - it is such a classic/timeless look isn't it? You might look at these three light colours to see if one of them is right for the house – Resene Half Ash, Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Villa White.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
September 2014

Q. We are recladding a leaky two level home with timber weatherboards. We are pretty locked in to having a Grey Friars COLORSTEEL® roof and the aluminium joinery will be matt Titania. We are looking for a suitable warm neutral colour that would work with the roof and joinery colours.

A. Almost any colour will work with the Grey Friars as it is a nice charcoal - a fundamental obliging neutral but the Titania isn't quite so flexible. Perhaps look at these colours and see if they work well with the Titania – Resene Bone White, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Half Grey Olive or Resene Double Truffle.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
September 2014

Q. Could you please advise what wall colour would suit both duck egg blue and black. I am wallpapering one wall in my bedroom with a wallpaper with duck egg blue tones and have chocolate brown curtains. The lounge has one wall with a black base wallpaper. I think we were looking at Resene Half Tana. Is there another colour that would complement these two colours better? We want to paint the whole house the same colour.

A. Does the definite yellow green of Resene Half Tana suit the duck egg, the brown and the black wallpaper? It is always difficult trying to imagine - from a distance - what shade of duck egg blue, brown curtains or black wallpaper you might have. You could try Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Half Albescent White. Take your time checking out colours as they do change quite radically alongside other colours and at all times of the day and night according to the light.

Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
September 2014

Q. I am putting in a kitchen that has plain white matt cabinetry, a white bench with flecks and brushed chrome handles. The floor is natural cork and there are three large windows overlooking the garden. I was looking at Resene Quarter Rice Cake for the walls. Do you have any ideas please?

A. If you are very keen on the 'white on white' look with no contrast or accents to detract from the overall look then Resene Quarter Rice Cake works really well. You might check out these other 'whites' as well – Resene Half Merino, Resene Black White or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
September 2014

Q. The interior of our townhouse is Resene Spanish White. To update this we wish to keep the ceiling, skirting and architraves Resene Spanish White and are looking for a darker complementary colour for the walls. What colour would you suggest?

A. Because the Resene Spanish White is such a definite colour any other colours to work with it must be quite a bit deeper. You might look at these colours to see if they will suit you – Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Half Canterbury Clay, Resene Drought or Resene Double Fossil.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half
Canterbury Clay
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
September 2014

Q. I am building a new house and have chosen a brown brick with Resene Half Bison Hide LINEA® board and matt Titania aluminium joinery. The roof and doors are Ironsand. Can you please recommend a colour to use for the soffits?

A. You might look at using the same colour as the joinery - Resene Titania - or lighter/more neutral - Resene Quarter Ecru White. Alternatively as a safe option - Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
COLORSTEEL Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2014

Q. We are going to paint our house with Resene paint. We are thinking of painting the walls Resene Burgundy. The house has a feature with shingle between stucco and we thought we would paint the shingle area a different colour. What other reds would you suggest to give the traditional look?

A. Resene Burgundy certainly is a traditional looking red but you might also check out these other reds also so you can compare them – Resene Scoria, Resene Red Planet, Resene Rustic Red, Resene Red Oxide or Resene Pioneer Red.

Are you considering painting the shingle area the same colour as the roof or the windows? That does seem to be a traditional way to go. You might check this idea out to see if it works for you.

Resene Burgundy
Resene Burgundy
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
Resene Rustic Red
Resene Rustic Red
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
September 2014

Q. We're replacing our plaster cladding with LINEA® as part of EQC repairs. We need a colour for the LINEA® and soffits that will go well with the existing Grey Friars roof and rivergum beige windows.

A. With such definite coloured windows it might pay to check these colours out as they will 'befriend' the windows and not leave them looking too dark – Resene Sandcastle, Resene Quarter Nullarbor, Resene Drought or Resene Double Tea. But if you did want the windows to look deeper than the main colour (or as a lighter colour for under the soffits) you could look at these options – Resene Solitaire or Resene Eighth Drought.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Sandcastle
Resene Sandcastle
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
     
September 2014

Q. We live in a red brick block of units. What colour would look good for the block's entrance doors? Also for the masonry that trims the red bricks on individual balconies?

A. Try Resene Rivergum, Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Delta or Resene Triple Rice Cake.

Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We have a stucco house with dark brown roof and window trimmings. The walls are off white. What colour should I use for the decking?

A. You could paint or stain the deck. For stain you could try Resene Woodsman stain – colour Resene Bark or Resene Iroko. Or for paint try Resene Oilskin or for a lighter option, Resene Stonehenge.

Resene Bark
Resene Bark
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Oilskin
Resene Oilskin
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
September 2014

Q. My painter has painted Resene Black White on our ceiling and trims. What colour do you recommend for walls? I prefer a light colour.

A. You are fortunate - most colours will work well with Resene Black White. There is no 'best colour' and as there are so many to choose from I have listed a few for you to look at – Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Eighth Truffle.

The choice is yours. You will need to see larger samples - A4 real paint samples - at your nearest Resene ColorShop. Once you have seen them it will be relatively easy to see which colour you like best.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
September 2014

Q. We have a small 1970s era house on a concrete slab floor with a brown decramastic roof, faded brown aluminium windows and vertical cladding. It is also surrounded by bush. The interior has neutral walls and carpet. Could you please suggest some exterior colours that would work with the brown roof and windows?

A. You might check these colours out - they are neutrals that are warm but not brown - but they will suit the house and the site – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Fossil or Resene Half Spanish White.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
September 2014

Q. I have to sell my house as a doer upper. How could I modernise the exterior with a good paint colour combination and with a small budget?

A. Keep it all very simple. Newly painted houses always give a positive vibe. Your house has a very deep soffit which has been highlighted in a definite colour. To make a radical difference make the house a soft green and the under soffits a 'white'. This will do two things - before and after painting photos will look impressive and it will seem less dated. Try Resene Linen as the main colour and Resene Half Rice Cake for all other trims and under the soffits, or use Resene Half Lemon Grass as the main colour and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for all other trims and under the soffits.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. We have a 70s house with a partly beige brick exterior. We want to use a dark charcoal/black for the trim, and we have white window frames. My question is what light colour could we use for the walls and garage door that would go with the charcoal and the brick? We would prefer a light blue grey rather than a brown grey, but we're not sure if that would go?

A. If you choose a dark charcoal that has a slight blue undertone i.e Resene Cinder and relate the lighter grey to it then you will have a nice relationship i.e Resene Oslo Grey.

These are other examples of very dark and lighter colours that suit each other well - Resene Bunker (darker) and Resene Boulder, or Resene Double Foundry (darker) and Resene Quarter Tuna.

Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
Resene Oslo Grey
Resene Oslo Grey
Resene Bunker
Resene Bunker
Resene Boulder
Resene Boulder
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
September 2014

Q. We are renovating our bathroom, toilet, laundry and ensuite with all white cabinets. Can you please suggest a neutral colour that would complement the areas? The rest of the interior needs to be painted so it could be used right through the house, or complemented by a darker tone of the same colour. They are all very light areas.

A. In the world of neutral colours there are hundreds to choose from. The following are some suggestions that I really hope might get you starting in making decisions – try Resene Half Tea, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Half White Pointer.

If you were able to pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their colour library it would be really helpful for judging what the colours really look like - especially if you place a sheet of printer paper between the samples. This helps you identify the underlying tints and tones in the colours. All of the colours have deeper and lighter variants so you can vary the tone in different rooms if you wanted to.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
September 2014

Q. We are looking to paint some of the exterior of our house. The weatherboards are currently a standard neutral (think it's Resene Tea) and the windows are white. We'd like to paint our front door and garage doors a glossy black, the deck railings white and we have a section underneath the main part of the house that we'd like to paint a contrast colour (may be grey).

A. For the front door and garage door to be a glossy black is an 'on trend' idea and if you went ahead with this I would definitely recommend that you use CoolColour™ technology to try to modify the intense heat caused by the UV.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
September 2014

Q. I have chosen Resene Soapstone to repaint the interior of our house. What colour should I do the trims, doors etc? Also what colour would you recommend to do the kitchen cupboards?

A. Seeing as Resene Soapstone has a distinctly pink look to it I suggest you do all the trims and doors in either Resene Alabaster to crisp it all up or Resene Half Soapstone if you want to blend in the trims and make the look slightly warmer/pinker. Kitchen cabinets could be the same as the trims (sophisticated) or darker (dramatic) or brighter (funky) - and that really depends on you and how you feel about colour. As an example a dark colour and bright colour follow – Resene Quarter Foundry (dark) and Resene Red Letter (bright).

Resene Soapstone
Resene Soapstone
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Red Letter
Resene Red Letter
September 2014

Q. I am planning to repaint the outside of my 1912 transitional villa. I am thinking of a dark colour like Resene Half Stonehenge for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster for the windows. Do you have any other suggestions with great street appeal?

A. I like your choice of colours. I do think that fences and gates need to have as much appeal and look as smart as a house does and often these elements are not considered or thought worthy. I do think the front door being a definite, sometimes surprising, colour adds great street appeal to a villa.

Side and back fences etc could be a deeper version of the house colour - Resene Triple Stonehenge. If there are picket fences across the front - closest to the road - they could be the same as the window colour - Resene Alabaster but a gate might be the same as the side and back fences. Front door suggestions – Resene Blackout, Resene Tiki Tour or Resene Scoria.

Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
September 2014

Q. We want to repaint our 1910 bungalow and are looking for a colour that will contrast nicely with trims in Resene Half Black White. We are after a fresh, sophisticated, warm/earthy look. Walls will be in Resene Napa or Resene Double Napa, garage door and accents in Resene Triple Masala. We like the classy look of Resene Triple Thorndon Cream for the house, but it's slightly too light. What colour has the same look but is one strength darker to provide a better contrast to the white trims?

A. If you have a colour slightly deeper than Resene Triple Thorndon Cream it will be greener/yellower - is this what you want?

For deeper variants you could try Resene Half Grey Olive or Resene Double Ash. But if you didn't want more green/yellow then you might consider using Resene Foggy Grey.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
   
September 2014

Q. We have an embossed wallpaper down a stairwell that we would like to paint in a metallic to give it a look of pressed metal from afar. The surrounding walls are painted in Resene Eighth Tea. We want to add some WOW. What colour metallic would you suggest? Or should we just stick to a colour? Also our master is a bit dark and we want to do a feature wall. The surrounding walls are Resene Eighth Tea as well. A friend suggested Resene Biscotti or would Resene Half Biscotti be better? The curtain has brown/cream tones and we have raisin/brown colour carpet.

A. Firstly Resene Eighth Tea can look quite pink/grey shaded in tone. Any of the Resene Biscotti palette of colours are sweeter/warmer than Resene Eighth Tea. Do you want to use them together? They aren't the most compatible of hues and I personally wouldn't put them together but of course we are all different in what looks good to our eye.

An alternate suggestion is to use Resene Eighth Biscotti on all walls - it is lighter than Resene Eighth Tea and warmer but if the room is very dim it may well look like Resene Quarter Biscotti when all walls are painted - colours always look deeper in an interior.

A metallic paint colour on embossed wallpaper sounds an exciting idea. I suggest that you get a better idea of what colours are available in the metallic range by checking out the A4 real paint samples at your nearest Resene ColorShop - they really are luscious! You may need to test several colours before you decide which colour creates the best look - both for the stairwell and in conjunction with the existing Resene Eighth Tea on the other walls.

Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
September 2014

Q. This is for a rental property. I'm planning to use the following two colours for the entire house interior. We are looking to use Resene Alabaster for ceilings, trim and door and Resene Half Spanish White on walls. However, for the kitchen and laundry room cupboards I'm thinking of using an off-white colour to provide some difference to the celling colour. Also, we stripped our wallpaper in our kitchen and laundry room and some other rooms. What is the best undercoat we should apply on these walls?

A. If you have old plasterboard and plaster they will need to be sealed with Resene Sureseal pigmented sealer first. For walls that haven't been stripped of the wallpaper you may need to apply Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat if it is an uncoated paper. But if the wallpaper is a vinyl wallpaper you may need to use Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer. If you use a main wall colour with a bit of depth to the colour it may be more practical for a rental property as too pale a colour will be inclined to show marks and dirt. I suggest you look at using either of these colours – Resene Spanish White or Resene Quarter Drought.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
September 2014

Q. We have used Resene on our exterior and initial reno. Inside we have used different strengths of Resene Tea. Do Resene Tea and Resene Napa go together and if so what strengths?

We want to use Resene Quarter Napa in our well lit entry (east and west light with a large amount of ironbark (deep red) recycled timber) or Resene Tea (not sure what strength). Also we may look to do the same in our east facing bedroom (upstairs) with little south light but a fair bit of east and north light. We have a skillion roof in both the bedroom and lounge (towards the north with high windows). Which neutral would be better in the lounge, dining, kitchen area off entry with similar light to the bedroom, and do we use the fuller strength on the south wall or north?

A. Yes Resene Tea and Resene Napa go together. If you want to use Resene Quarter Napa in a large or well lit space it won't be too dark. I suggest using it with Resene Quarter Tea to ensure a good level of contrast. You could deepen the entry colour to Resene Half Napa and it will still work well with Resene Quarter Tea. If you want to create a feature using a full strength version of a colour it might be better on a wall that faces toward the light so that you notice it - but the other walls must be quite a bit lighter. It is all about contrast. No contrast = no visual interest and less harmony.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
September 2014

Q. I am looking for glitter paint or wallpaper as I would like to put a vertical strip of glitter down one of my daughter's bedroom walls. Tried searching but couldn't find anything.

A. Have you looked at the Resene Metallic paints? This would definitely allow you (with the help of low tack masking tape and a brush or small roller) to have a sparkly paint on the wall. I have investigated wallpaper also - there are three books that have beautiful papers with shimmery/sparkly effects through them - Glamour 2014, Esquisse and Seduction 2014.

September 2014

Q. I want to know what white to use in three bedrooms. One is on the south corner so I was thinking a warm white, but I am putting a silver/white stripe wallpaper in that room. I was thinking of Resene Parchment for the hallway. What do you think?

A. You may find Resene Parchment looks a bit dark in the hallway unless there are windows letting lots of light into the space. If you really love the colour and don't mind it looking twice as strong as you might imagine then go for it but if you don't want it to be too dark then perhaps use a lighter version - Resene Quarter Parchment will possibly look like Resene Half Parchment. With the wallpaper in the south facing room you might need to use something like Resene Sea Fog and then compensate with curtains, duvets and lampshades in warmer tones to stop the greyness that can occur with pale white toned colours in south facing rooms. A warm white - for the bedrooms that don't have wallpaper - might be related to the hallway colour - you could check out Resene Eighth Parchment.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
September 2014

Q. I have a weathered cedar house. I need to repaint the roof and fibrolite. Have just stained the pergola black from forest green. I have a lime front door, and have just put white around the windows. We are on the beachfront. The paint work has been cream and unfortunately the window frames are cream.

A. I personally would use a cream on the fibrolite and around the windows to integrate what is there already. You might look at these options for the roof – Resene Gauntlet - lighter option or Resene Squall - deeper option. A selection of creams for the fibrolite – Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Rice Cake. I love the black pergola and lime green front door and the colours I have suggested will work with those colours.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. Our living room in our old villa gets no direct sun and is a bit gloomy. For 20 years it has been Resene Marzipan, a buttery yellow which is wonderful with the natural rimu fire surround and doors and windows stripped back kauri. But it’s time for a change. We are looking for another warm colour in the same tone as Resene Marzipan but we’re not really into too neutral colours for the old house.

A. I do understand completely about the 'right colour' to love in your living room but it is a hard task after beautiful, rich, golden, glowing Resene Marzipan. Some colours to try are Resene Porsche, Resene Essential Cream, Resene Cream Can or Resene Coyote. And then a bolder colour for you to consider – Resene Hazard.

Resene Marzipan
Resene Marzipan
Resene Porsche
Resene Porsche
Resene Essential Cream
Resene Essential Cream
Resene Cream Can
Resene Cream Can
Resene Coyote
Resene Coyote
Resene Hazard
Resene Hazard
September 2014

Q. We have just finished a renovation and extended our family room which is currently Resene Half Dutch White (painted 10 years ago). Can you please offer suggestions for a similar shade? We may install coffee coloured bamboo flooring. Also, we have added an ensuite to the main bedroom which was Resene Half Dutch White. Most of the ensuite will be tiled. Again we are looking for a similar shade - should we carry this through to the ensuite? I also need a ceiling colour suggestion for the family room, main bedroom and ensuite.

A. It seems to me that a similar colour to Resene Half Dutch White is exactly that – Resene Half Dutch White. But if you want another warm golden cream then you might check out these two colours – Resene Double Pearl Lusta or Resene Milk Punch. Yes I would be inclined to use it in the ensuite - a simple look is always the best way to go but if you felt you wanted a lighter colour then the ensuite walls could be painted to match the ceiling. You might consider using one of these colours for the ceilings – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Milk Punch
Resene Milk Punch
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
September 2014

Q. We have painted all of the walls in our house Resene Alabaster. We have very high ceilings in timber (exposed rafters and panelling) and brush box polished timber floor. Could you recommend a suitable colour or combination for our kitchen which is in the centre of the open plan living area? The benchtops are black granite and we are redoing only the cupboard doors (currently select beech laminate). The aubergine will stay.

A. You are very fortunate in that Resene Alabaster will allow you to have almost any colours. If you are re-laminating the cupboard doors (not painting them) then your choices are only limited by the laminate selection and what will work with the existing aubergine. I suggest you look at taupes or warm greys but not a wood veneer as you have the ceilings and floors in wood already.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2014

Q. Our house was built in the 1960s and has trees and wildlife behind. We have just repainted our roof with a gull grey colour and we're planning to repaint the house. The interior of the house has matai floors. We are aiming for a light contemporary colour that looks homey and warm. We are thinking Resene Double Wheatfield, Resene Wheatfield or Resene Half Ash, with Resene Bianca for the trimmings, and maybe a darker grey like Resene Gauntlet for the chimney? We are more inclined to choose Resene Double Wheatfield or Resene Wheatfield because it has more warmth than Resene Ash but then we don't want to lose the contemporary feel. What would you suggest? Do we also need to paint the basement that is currently bare red bricks? We will paint the fence white.

A. The roof colour is very light and because of the angle to the natural light it will appear lighter again. I think that you may need to lighten your 'white' to Resene Half Bianca and use it also on the fence to ensure you have the right contrast between the lightest colour and the main colour.

I am unsure about your idea of Resene Double Wheatfield (or Resene Wheatfield) as they are both very yellow/green and appear a bit unbalanced compared to the roof etc. If you are keen on a warm colour might I suggest one of these – Resene Ecru White, Resene Triple Rice Cake or Resene Thorndon Cream. If you wanted a darker grey for the chimney or any other detailing you could try Resene Gunsmoke.

Resene Double Wheatfield
Resene Double Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
   
September 2014

Q. I am building a house and have Quantum Quartz benchtops in the kitchen. I went to my Resene shop and they colour matched the stone top to Resene Half Rice Cake and so the cabinets are being painted in Resene Half Rice Cake to match the stone top. My question is should I go with Resene Half Rice Cake to paint my walls with ceilings in Resene White? Or should I go lighter or darker on the walls, that is use either Resene Eighth or Quarter Rice Cake or full Resene Rice Cake on walls? I would like to definitely do Resene White for ceilings and trims. The room, which is kitchen/dining/living, is a good size but does not get a lot of light.

A. Do you want the kitchen cabinets to look a lot 'whiter' than the walls? If this is the case then the walls might need to be Resene Rice Cake so that the cabinetry 'pops' out. If you want the cabinets to look more coloured than the walls then you might need to consider using Resene Eighth Rice Cake but if you do it may merge with the Resene White and all look the same colour.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We have just been told that our cedar house can't be stained and we have to paint. It's a huge job and we can't risk getting it wrong, so need help. The bronze anodised windows have to stay, so too the concrete tile roof. We need a colour that will make the house look 'grand' but have no idea what we can choose that will work. The selection of browns does nothing for us - so we are in need of an expert to help us.

A. Are you definitely wanting a brown colour? If they do nothing for you perhaps you could consider a green bronze type of colour. You could try Resene Double Tapa, Resene Evolution, Resene Nest Egg, Resene Schooner or Resene El Paso.

Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Evolution
Resene Evolution
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene El Paso
Resene El Paso
September 2014

Q. We have a bedroom that faces west. It has a large window on the west side, and it gets afternoon sunshine, but it is cold and dark the rest of the day. The room is currently papered in a light blue. Do you have any suggestions re colours to lighten the room? The woodwork is painted white.

A. You might need to change from a light blue (cold) to a cream or beige (warm) to sweeten the room up a bit so that you feel it is sunnier and warmer when it isn't. Are you planning on using wallpaper again? If so then now is the perfect time to check out all the amazing wallpaper books that your Resene ColorShop has just received. If you are thinking of painting this time around then might I suggest that you trial your colours using Resene testpots by painting onto A2 card (available from your Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so that your eye focuses on the reality of the colour and you can move it from wall to wall to see how the natural light alters the colour.

September 2014

Q. We are renovating our home that we painted three years ago with Resene Tea on the walls and Resene Quarter Tea on the windowsills. Our kitchen is quite drab at the moment and I want to take the opportunity while it’s just been replastered in places to add a bit of colour on two of the walls. We have restored the kitchen floors to polished pine and it is now open plan with the dining and living area. I want to create a country feel and love blues but just don't know what to go with.

A. You might check out these lovely blues to see if they are suitable – Resene Powder Blue, Resene Bermuda Grey, Resene Wedgewood, Resene Jasper or Resene Limitless.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
     
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Wedgewood
Resene Wedgewood
Resene Jasper
Resene Jasper
Resene Limitless
Resene Limitless
September 2014

Q. We have a new build that is clad with Smartclad weatherboards. The roof is Grey Friars, the joinery is Warm White Pearl and the garage door and front door are COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue. I would love to paint the boards Resene Grey Friars, but have heard it might be to dark to use on weatherboards. If I can't use Resene Grey Friars, what other colours would achieve a bold effect?

A. Real timber has constraints in regards to the depth of colour that can be painted on it. Have you checked out what types of colours are recommended for wooden weatherboards? It might pay to ask the builder, the painter and double check what BRANZ indicate. They will talk about LRV - light reflective values - and it is to do with protecting the surface from UV and heat related damage. From experience it is light colours all the way so no dark or bold. You may need to rethink and compromise a little bit for the exterior colour.

COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
September 2014

Q. I have painted my lounge room Resene Pavlova with trims/ceiling in Resene Rice Cake. The room faces south and has one feature window. The house is Edwardian and has 14 foot ceilings. I am not happy with the colour scheme and am after a softer look. I find the Resene Pavlova in this room green at times. I still want to stay with a warm neutral.

A. South facing rooms often need warmth to offset the sour light. Resene Pavlova is quite a green toned ochre. If this isn't what you want then perhaps it might be wise to steer clear of yellows with earthy green undertones. You could check out these colours to see whether these warm neutrals might work for you – Resene Akaroa, Resene Half Drought, Resene Fossil or Resene Parchment.

Please don't trial the testpot on the coloured walls as it will be affected by the existing colour. Paint A2 card (all of the Resene testpot in two coats) which is available at a modest cost from your Resene ColorShop. If you leave an unpainted border on the card all around the edges so you can really see what the tested colour looks like - and you can move it from wall to wall to see how it alters in the angles and in the light.

Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
   
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
September 2014

Q. We want to change our exterior colour scheme. Currently our weatherboards are Resene Thistle, with Resene Teak and Resene Bronzetone accents. I'd like something a bit more neutral and am leaning towards Resene Ash or Resene Half Ash for the weatherboards and Resene Triple Masala for the trims. I'm not sure how this will look with the existing iron roof and whether I should include a third accent colour (in particular for the door). I'm also worried that it will end up looking too grey.

A. After the type of colours that you have now the ones you are considering will look subdued and greyish. This is a very beautiful cottage and the colours that you have used are era appropriate and the new ones are modern neutrals by comparison. I suggest you relook at colours similar to your ideas - Resene Double Thorndon Cream - main colour not as grey as Resene Ash and not as yellow as Resene Thistle, Resene Triple Masala trim #1, Resene Rice Cake trim #2 and Resene Scoria – door.

If you pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to check out the A4 samples in their Colour Library by playing around with the colours you can probably tweak the colours a bit to suit your unique property.

Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Teak
Resene Teak
Resene Bronzetone
Resene Bronzetone
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
September 2014

Q. I have just acquired space (a booth 7.5 metres x 3 metres) at a vintage/collectables mall. I will be selling 20s, 30s - 60s and 70s collectables including interesting and quirky French and English items. My booth has three walls (no ceilling to paint) and I want to create an interesting vintage/retro theme. The wooden floor boards and skirting have just been installed and the paint is the next project. I am having difficulty in deciding which colours (and on which walls) to use as I want the booth to stand out but be tastefully done.

Any suggestions on wall colours in line with a vintage/retro them would be very appreciated. Could there be a different paint colour on all three walls to create an interesting effect?

A. If you were to use an interesting blue on the back wall and a white on the two side walls it would do this for you:
- Make the (blue) back wall seem further away (space looks bigger) and provide a backdrop for metal, wooden and white objects.
- Whiter (lighter) side walls will make very colourful things (retro/vintage items) stand out.

It will keep the look as simple as possible so that all the items seem far more exciting that the walls. Themed looks can be changed easily without clashing with the wall colour.

Colours to try: Resene Into The Blue for the back wall and Resene Rice Cake side walls or Resene Bellbottom Blue for the back wall and Resene Half Pearl Lusta.

Resene Into The Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene  Bellbottom Blue
Resene Bellbottom Blue
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
September 2014

Q. I have a modern home and am looking to paint the whole interior white. Possibly the walls and ceilings the same colour so as not to make a feature of some of the areas with bulkheads. Louvre windows, bi-folds etc are ultra silver. Floors are Tasmanian Oak and the bedroom carpets are Cavalier Bremwoth Dry Martini - Swizzle. I would like suggestions for a neutral toned white. Something adaptable and bright.

A. You may need to check out several 'whites' because they are all carrying small amounts of tints that add various undertones. This is especially noticeable on wall angles, alongside existing coloured elements (carpet being the main one) and in different qualities of light - both natural and artificial.

If it is at all possible to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the real paint A4 samples of colours in their Colour Library and to compare them to a sheet of printer paper so you can get a better idea of what they are really like it would help you a lot. It doesn't preclude testing the colour in the environment but does mean you trial fewer possible options and have a better idea of what the 'white' is likelyto look like overall.

Try Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Wan White or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
September 2014

Q. I have just started painting our dining room in Resene Casal because I have always wanted a deep teal room and this seems like the house to do it. The room is relatively large with high ceilings and gets tonnes of light. There is a bank of four windows, all north west facing, and there is a lot of painted woodwork, a built bookcase, dado rails and a fireplace etc so there isn't a great deal of wall. So far I like it. My questions are - should I continue the Resene Casal above the dado rail or should I choose a variant of the colour I eventually choose for all the painted timber and window frames? These are all painted a hard bright white at the moment, which is kind of okay and crisp with the Resene Casal, but I need to find something that I can also carry through into the adjoining lounge. Is there a wall colour and trim colours that you could suggest for the lounge that would also work with Resene Casal? The lounge has a feature fireplace (with green tiles that works ok with the teal) and the carpet is being changed to a warmer honey tone. The floors in the dining room are going to stay timber. We also have a very pale couch in a cool grey but I was wondering about a warmer neutral for the walls. I have looked at colours like Resene Eighth Stonewall, or something in the Resene Foggy Grey range - but don't want it too grey or too dark - so should I consider layers of different tones of off whites or paler stony greys - or something else all together?

A. I love Resene Casal - good choice. I do think as you have really beautiful woodwork that it does need to be highlighted as it enhances both the main wall colour and the architectural features in a lovely way. However I do think it does need to be a coloured white not pure white as that is slightly too stark.

You might look at one of these colours - both of which will work well. They are warm and sweet and yet still look 'white' enough with the Resene Casal – try Resene Rice Cake or Resene Bianca.

For the lounge (because of the pale grey couch and the new carpet) you need to proceed with caution. The carpet colour choice will greatly influence what will or won't work. So I suggest you choose your carpet first (it must look great with the couch etc) then wall colour (which must look great with carpet and couch) not the other way around as it limits already limited choices.

Resene Casal
Resene Casal
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
September 2014

Q. I have finally decided on Resene Half Beryl Green to paint the inside of my house. It matches the cream curtains we currently have. However we have a very green kitchen so it doesn't look right there. Also I would like to paint the skirting boards, doors and possibly bathrooms a different but matching colour. The complementary colours listed are Resene Wan White (which we are painting the ceiling with) and Resene Periglacial Blue which is too blue. Can you suggest any other fairly neutral colours to go with the Resene Half Beryl Green?

A. I would suggest that you do all the woodwork the same colour as the ceilings to keep it simple - Resene Wan White. Another random colour just confuses the colour scheme - it essentially indicates that the woodwork is the colour that people should pay attention to - not the walls. If you did want to paint the bathrooms or the kitchen a different colour (still using the Resene Wan White as a ceiling and woodwork colour) then you might look at Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Double Merino or Resene Half Whiteout. These colours go nicely with Resene Wan White and allow Resene Half Beryl Green to be the prettiest colour.

Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Half Whiteout
Resene Half Whiteout
September 2014

Q. Our weatherboard house is currently painted in Resene Bermuda Grey. We are looking to update the colour to something a bit more timeless. We initially liked the idea of a charcoal like Resene Baltic Sea but understand the implications of such dark colours on weatherboards. As a result we are now looking at a lighter grey. We have tried Resene Geyser but the house looks quite washed out and we are stuck!

A. I think after having such distinct exterior colour on the house any other colour would seem washed out - the polarity is too extreme. Instead of a pale colour your original idea of a deep colour may be worth consideration - at least it wouldn't look lacklustre and without personality compared to what you have now - Resene Bermuda Grey. If the depth of your new colour is similar to what you have now and if you take advantage of CoolColour™ technology to modify heat absorption and UV fading etc could you embrace the idea? Resene Bermuda Grey is off a White base and the light reflectance value (LRV) is 33% - White is 100 LRV and Black is 0 LRV - so this may help you understand which colours are hotter or cooler - perhaps you might look at the following soft grey/charcoal colours to see if they pique your interest – Resene Quarter Tuna off Pastel Base LRV 23%, Resene Half Baltic Sea off Light Base LRV 15 %, Resene Quarter Gravel off Light Base LRV 24 % or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey off Pastel Base LRV 18%.

Lighter but not pale greys you could try are: Resene Archive Grey off White Base LRV 41%, Resene Inside Back with Pastel Base LRV 36%, Resene Triple Rakaia or Resene Eighth Tuna off White Base LRV 30%.

Testing colours directly onto a coloured surface will always stop you from seeing what the colour is really like. The greater expanse of colour alters the reality of what your eye sees. I suggest you trial colour (two coats/all of the testpot) onto A2 card (available from your Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the real depth of the colour and you can move the painted sample around to see how it responds to a change of angle and light. The unpainted border holds the colour far enough away from the existing paint colour so that it doesn't unduly influence it.

Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
 
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Eighth Tuna
Resene Eighth Tuna
September 2014

Q. I am looking for advice re painting a very dark dining room/kitchen. The trim and doors are wood, the room has very high ceilings and they are very decorative. I am going to keep these bright white but am at a loss for the walls.

A. You are hard up against it aren't you - and not just with the dim light being a major factor. I think if you are keen I would suggest that you undercoat all the walls with lots of white to wipe out the colourful multi patterned wallpaper. This will do several things for you:

  • You will see the spaces in quite a different way.
  • The spaces will seem really light.
  • The overriding bossiness of the coloured/patterned wallpaper will disappear. That could be a blessing.

When this has been done you will be able to test some colours and see the reality of them, unobscured by the other coloured elements in the room. Please don't test them until the room is 'white' everywhere! I think a soft green or cream colour may work for you. Take your time and be patient and try these ones first to see if they might do it for you – Resene Linen, Resene Ecru White, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Pearl Lusta.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
September 2014

Q. We are looking for a new paint colour for the exterior of our home. The roof is COLORBOND® Wheat and the windows and garage door are Smooth Cream. We would like it to look more modern but unfortunately many of the newer colours look wrong with the roof and window colours. We have just painted some walls a colour similar to the Resene Half Napa but it looks terrible. A lovely colour but all wrong with the house. We are leaving the timber slats on the roof stained, also the front door. Any suggestions please?

A. I see what the problem is - and you have already realised too - the existing roof, windows and garage door are refusing to play the 'colour game' and stopping most of your options.

You might use a very pale/whiter colour on the house - white may not seem like a modern look for a house but it is very trendy at the moment - or a warm grey - being a fundamental neutral it will work with the yellow/cream tones you already have. You have already found out that a lot of earthy neutrals don't look good at all so no brown tones. Try these colours - Resene Orchid White, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Delta.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
     
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
September 2014

Q. We are painting the interior of our house Resene Sea Fog and was wondering if we should go Resene Half Sea Fog on the ceiling and trims and double on the interior doors. Do you usually paint the walls lighter than the interior doors or the other way round? We have square stop plasterboard to wall transitions so I want the walls to be slightly different to the ceiling. I was thinking of painting the lounge a slightly different neutral. What would you recommend as we also have a feature wallpaper in the space. Perhaps Resene Linen?

A. There is no hard and fast rule. It is very much a personal thing. Deciding what you want to do may be based upon not wanting mucky fingerprints to show up too much which would make you favour deeper colours for doors rather than paler colours. Or having so many doors that you prefer them to be the same colour as the walls, but in a semi-gloss enamel finish, so that they don't 'take over' the rooms, especially hallways. Skirting boards, window reveals and door frames are only architecturally gorgeous in colonial villas or stately homes when they are highlighted a lot and sometimes in modern houses they don't have much merit and a lot of people paint them the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel paint finish. Ceilings, generally speaking, are the palest/whitest colour to increase the light reflection within the interiors. A different colour for the lounge does go with the thought that it is the 'best room' and needs a bit of extra ambiance. If you have a wallpaper as a feature whatever you use must make the room look wonderful, make the wallpaper look gorgeous and co-ordinate well to create harmony and balance. Does Resene Linen look fabulous with the wallpaper? if it doesn't then another slightly different neutral may be better.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
September 2014

Q. I have Tea colour embossed kitchen cabinets. My benchtop is charcoal with some black specks and most of my kitchen furniture is in white. It's just a small tiny kitchen, open plan, usual aluminium windows in arctic white and it’s north facing. Could you please suggest a paint colour that will match the cabinets. I'm thinking of mosaic/plain tiles for the splashback for the kitchen sink wall and a glass splashback for the oven wall but don't know which colour to choose.

A. If your kitchen cabinets really are Resene Tea then you might look at using a lighter version of Resene Tea - perhaps Resene Quarter Tea on the wall with real Resene White for ceilings and woodwork around the window and door, skirting boards etc. This way the cabinets and benchtops look a little bit deeper and the lightness of the wall colour allows colour in the mosaic tiles and/or splashback to be a 'feature'.

If you decide that the mosaic tiles should be the only exciting feature and the splashback shouldn't really try to compete for attention then you could just use starlight crystal clear glass (the only glass that shows the real/true colour behind it) over the wall colour so there is no extra 'feature' colour which may help the kitchen seem larger and less broken into small spots of colour.

Mosaic tiles are variations of neutral colour/clear or whiter glass and metallic which creates quite a bit of gorgeousness. If you do decide you want two features in the kitchen (tiles and splashback) then I suggest you look at a metallic silvery or sparkly aluminium colour to go behind the crystal clear glass.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene White
Resene White
September 2014

Q. I am in a quandary about the main colour for our walls in living areas/kitchen/hallways. We are using Resene Clouded Blue or Resene Periglacial Blue on our kitchen cabinets with Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue on the interior of glass cabinets to match with a glass tile splashback. I am looking for a pale grey which will both tone with these colours and also tone with the upstairs carpet, which is visible on the stairs from the living area. The carpet is Godfrey Hirst Eco carpet in misty blue (botanicals) range. I would like to use the same colour on all walls (a pale grey, maybe with a hint of blue) except for the bedrooms downstairs.

A. I think you may find it difficult to find the right pale grey with a hint of blue because of the carpet (definite colour), the kitchen cabinets (different distinct colour) and inside the glass cabinets (another distinct colour) so in order to allow these other blues to have their own place in the scheme without another main colour squabbling with them for precedence you may need to rethink your original idea. Perhaps look at one of these colours as they at least allow your other elements to be seen in their true beauty – Resene Wan White, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Clouded Blue
Resene Clouded Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
September 2014

Q. I have an open plan living room/kitchen/dining room that I am painting. The whole area is quite dark with not much sun coming in so my goal is to lighten the room up and make it modern instead of lime green. So far we are leaning towards Resene Triple Rice Cake, as I love that warm fresh look. However I’m a little bit worried that if I paint the whole area it will look too plain. I was considering a feature wall as at night Resene Triple Rice Cake looks a totaly different colour (almost a blue grey). Could you please give me some advice on whether I should add a feature wall and if so, what goes well with Resene Triple Rice Cake? I thought about Resene Quarter Friar Greystone .

A. When I hold the sample of Resene Triple Rice Cake vertically away from a source of light I too can see how 'greyer' it looks. Are you sure that you want this depth of colour? A lighter and warmer colour could help make the room seem lighter. You have very dark coloured doors also that suck up light. Is it possible to paint these a lighter colour? A feature wall is a lovely idea in theory, but unless it was a really light colour it will also suck up light and make the wall space seem closer to you - not further away - and possibly quite a bit darker. So, the question is do you want a darker space? Judging from the query you have sent to me the answer is No.

You could lighten your main colour to Resene Rice Cake to create as much light as possible. When the kitchen cabinets are painted then perhaps they could be Resene Triple Rice Cake - you get the colour you like in a smaller more manageable format (perhaps in a really slick gloss paint finish to reflect as much light as possible) and on the wall behind the nice wooden buffet you could hang a very large ornate silver framed mirror to reflect as much light as possible and on the narrow wall with the clock you could hang a print as a feature. Because of the constraints of the space and the multi use you have to be careful about overendowing the busy room with other busy details. That includes the feature wall as it makes a busy space seem smaller and busier. Keep it simple, keep it light and all will work to your advantage. In case you are thinking it all sounds a bit boring contemplate drapes or blinds in a mid tone colour like Resene Friar Greystone which could be a really smart modern way to go.

Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
September 2014

Q. We are having Grey Friars for our roof and Silver Pearl aluminium joinery. I want a grey exterior colour (for Rockcote) but am having trouble deciding which grey. I want a true grey (not brownish) and don't want it too light nor too dark.

A. Most greys carry underlying tints of colour with in them but you might look at these ones – Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Mountain Mist.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
September 2014

Q. We are having a new roof put on our weatherboard house and the colour is Ironsand. We are looking at doing the trims and garage doors in Resene Quarter Ironsand. We have cream aluminium doors and windows and are looking for a colour that will go with the roof and windows. We have looked at Resene Half Akaroa, Resene Tea, Resene Half Sisal and Resene Half Napa but we can't decide. We want it to be warmer rather than a cool colour.

A. Of the colours that you have mentioned Resene Half Sisal is the warmer/yellower option. Resene Half Napa is greyer but still warm and the other two colours fall between. A colour you might also consider is Resene Bison Hide which is not as yellow toned as Resene Half Sisal but it has a mellowness about it that looks lovely with cream windows and Ironsand.

COLORSTEEL Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
 
September 2014

Q. I am painting the exterior of my house and am thinking of changing the main colour, which is Resene Gin Fizz. The fences railings etc are white. The grey in the courtyard area is Resene Spun Pearl which I would like to keep the same as it follows through from the adjoining room. The garage door is black.

A. The following are some colour ideas that you might check out. Keeping the Resene Spun Pearl on the walls does limit your options a bit as it is so purple toned but these colours may suit: Soft co-ordinating greys – Resene Athens Grey or Resene White Thunder, or sharp clear creams – Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Half Thorndon Cream, or soft taupe – Resene Half White Pointer.

Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Spun Pearl
Resene Spun Pearl
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
 
September 2014

Q. We are in the process of repainting the interior of our house and are trying to decide on some new colours to introduce. Our home is 1950s weatherboard with a low-light and cold kitchen/dining area and a warm/sunny living/bathroom/main bedroom. We have chosen Resene Rice Cake for our ceilings and trim, which we love and works well with our polished matai floorboards. Our second bedroom has been repainted Resene Quarter Sisal. I'd like to introduce a soft blue/green for the bathroom walls to tie in the Resene Rice Cake ceiling with the likely white vanity/shower. I am unsure about using Resene Quarter Sisal in the kitchen/dining and am thinking of keeping it for the bedrooms only. Any guidance or ideas appreciated.

A. Perhaps if you lightened the kitchen to Resene Eighth Sisal - this will relate to the Resene Quarter Sisal already used in the house - and be warm/light enough to address the cold aspect of the room. Have you checked out lovely blue/greens like Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or slightly greener Resene Nebula for the bathroom? If you use Resene Rice Cake as trims and ceilings (or even as a wall colour in its own right) to tie all the rooms together you may have a really lovely palette for the house.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
September 2014

Q. My daughter loves green and wants to paint her bedroom in Resene Mantis green. The carpets are like Donkey Brown and the ceilings are Resene Alabaster. The hallway leading to her room is Resene Half Tea which I need to change to a lighter Resene Tea. Will the green go ok with the Resene Half Tea? And is Resene Mantis going to be too much for a small bedroom? She has pretty floral curtains in a light sky blue and pink with a baby pink chandelier.

A. I think you may already know the answer to this. None of the colours will work well together and the Resene Mantis may double in depth and brightness over four walls. If you get rid of the curtains and chandelier and use the Resene Mantis only on one wall and use lots of Resene Alabaster on the other walls and in the hallway then you may get a happy vibrant look in your daughter’s room. If you wanted more accent colours to work with the Resene Mantis you could look at colours like Resene Optimist and Resene Scrumptious in much smaller amounts for a zingy teenage bit of fun.

Resene Mantis
Resene Mantis
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Optimist
Resene Optimist
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Scrumptious
   
September 2014

Q. Could you please advise what yellow would work with Resene Half Tea as I'd like to do stripes in my son's room? He has mid sky blue curtains and donkey brown carpet. The room is a bit on the dark side but has high ceilings.

A. You might try one of these - they will work with well with Resene Half Tea – Resene Melting Moment, Resene Sidecar or Resene Beeswax. You will need to check how they go with the curtains and carpet.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Beeswax
Resene Beeswax
September 2014

Q. We are doing a big renovation of a 1920s double storey character home. We have decided on Ironsand for the roofing and gutters and are struggling to decide on the colour for the weatherboards, shingles in the gables and joinery. We don't want stark white because we think that it's uninviting. The interior of the house will be Resene Alabaster throughout upstairs with Resene Half White Pointer for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the woodwork downstairs.

A. You could check these 'white' colours out – Resene Sea Fog, Resene White Pointer, Resene Double Black White or Resene Whiteout. They all look smart (but not stark) and suit being with Ironsand and real White trims - a true classical look.

COLORSTEEL Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
 
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
September 2014

Q. I want to paint my bathroom white. It's a decent size as it's currently a bedroom in a 1920s railway cottage, with high ceilings and a large sash window on the west side of the house so it gets a lot of sun. I am using travertine mosaic tiles as the bath surround and vanity splashback but am struggling to find the right white... I was thinking Resene Quarter Rice Cake?

A. If the room gets a lot of sun, Resene Quarter Rice Cake may be a bit bright/glary but it is a lovely white. An alternative suggestion might be Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, which has a bit of depth to it and not so stark.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. We are painting over Onduline and need to nominate a colour to our painter. We have heard Ebony is a reasonable match, but we wish to use a paint system from this range. Can you please advise a colour please?

A. Resene All Black from the Resene Roof Colour Systems, which is a match to COLORSTEEL® Ebony, may be the way to go.

COLORSTEEL Ebopny
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
September 2014

Q. We have recently purchased a house and are repainting it and would like your opinion on colour choice. Our aluminium window frames are a peachy colour with rimu trim, our current carpet is a peachy colour and the walls have a tinge of peach too so as you could imagine we are trying to change the colour scheme to be more neutral! Eventually we are going to recarpet also probably a grey/blue. Could you recommend a colour for the walls that would still go with the window trim colour but tone down the peach?

A. I think this may be one of those situations where any suggestions I might make won't make the peachy windows look less peachy. I have had this sort of situation before and no amount of new paint or carpet made the windows look more neutral. It is a case of embracing the window colour and using a warm cream like Resene Quarter Spanish White and covering as much of the windows with drapes and blinds while you wait for new carpet.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
September 2014

Q. Our roof, garage door and front door are Friar Greystone , the joinery is Titania. We also have Augusta Limestone Brick as feature corners. We chose Resene Whiteout for the plaster colour unaware of the purple undertones. We need this changed to a medium depth black/true grey.

A. Because of the brick, the window joinery and the roof/doors presenting as three colours on the house I would be careful about choosing another fourth random colour. The simple option is a warmed grey colour similar to the joinery as this lets the bricks be a feature – try Resene Atmosphere or, slightly denser but not too dark because of the plaster, Resene Half Taupe Grey. If you did want darker grey you could try Resene Revolution but you would need to check if the LRV meets the criteria for a colour over the plaster work.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
September 2014

Q. We are getting our house repaired. We have chosen Resene Quarter Ash as a wall colour. Just wondering what colour would you put on the doors and door frames and what colour for the ceilings?

A. You might like a crisp white like Resene Alabaster or a slightly warmer, but still crisp, white like Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Both of these enhance Resene Quarter Ash and bring out the lovely soft grey/green tones. If you felt a deeper tone, not too white, would suit you for the woodwork and doors then you might use the same as the wall colour but in a semi-gloss enamel finish so it is just a gloss level change not a colour change. Simple and elegant.

Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We want to repaint our plaster house. It is currently painted Resene Akaroa and the aluminium joinery is Karaka. We would like to change to a more modern, fresher look that will still work with the joinery. Was thinking of perhaps a soft grey or stone? Trying to move away from the yellow tones.

A. You might look at these suggestions to see if they might work for you – Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Double Truffle. There are lighter versions of these colours also that you might look at.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
September 2014

Q. The project I am working on is a north facing kitchen/dining room. We have chosen Resene Merino for the wall, Resene Quarter Truffle for the kitchen cabinets (shaker style) and Resene White for the trims. Do you think this colour palette will work? My thoughts are perhaps we should use Resene Half Truffle for the cabinets since the room is north facing and it will create more depth.

A. I strongly suggest you do either of these things - use Resene Half Truffle with Resene Merino to increase the contrast as the Resene Quarter Truffle is too similar but has an underlying discordance which will become apparent when they are seen together and more so if natural and artificial light changes. Or you might consider using a slightly lighter wall colour - Resene Half Merino - as another way to increase contrast.

Please do check out large A4 samples of these colours at your Resene ColorShop or trial testpots (two coats) onto large white A2 card (from your Resene ColorShop) and tilt them at a 45 degree angle to each other so that you can check that the contrast is still apparent.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
September 2014

Q. We have a plaster clad house that is due for repainting. It is currently painted in Resene X-200 Beeswax. The joinery colour is Karaka, the roof is Ironsand and the barge boards and decks are Resene English Walnut. We wish to repaint the cladding in a light colour to minimise heat expansion. The Resene Beeswax is very cream and we would rather something that tied in better with the Karaka, the brown and the surrounding trees.

A. You might like to check these colours out - they are light, neutral, light reflecting and with green, brown or grey tints in them – Resene Triple Merino, Resene White Pointer, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Stonewall or Resene Tea. Most of the colours also come as lighter variants should you need those options.

Resene Beeswax
Resene Beeswax
COLORSTEEL Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut

Resene Triple Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
 
September 2014

Q. We are decorating our small bathroom and laundry and are getting the area tiled and the walls and ceilings repainted. The shower, hand basin and laundry machines are white. The basin vanity is a grey basalt. What cool shiny white hues would you recommend for the walls as we are likely to get light grey floor tiles - only the floor and skirting will be tiles? Thank you.

A. You are spoiled for choice but all 'whites' carry colour within them and it depends how much 'colour' in your white you want? Perhaps you could check out these to see if they may be ok for you – Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Half Concrete or Resene White Thunder.

If you were able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples with a sample of the floor tile you might be better able to see what wall colour could work for you. When looking at very pale 'whites', place a sheet of printer paper between the colours and suddenly you will see all the underlying tints and tones within the colour.

Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
September 2014

Q. We have painted our walls in our bathroom Resene Half Sea Fog and have Resene White for our door and door frames. Our tiles are Twilight (slate grey with a pattern). We have a white basin and would like advice on a colour to finish our vanity?

A. You are fortunate - you can have anything at all. Perhaps look at these ideas - the default choice is Resene Half Sea Fog same as the walls in a gloss finish, or deeper than the walls Resene Double Sea Fog, or stunning and special metallic Resene Meridian.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Meridian
Resene Meridian
September 2014

Q. We are renovating our first home we've just bought and it is a 1970s townhouse with a rimu staircase. We are wanting to do a feature wallpaper on the largest wall which goes up behind the stairwell, then paint the other walls something neutral. It is a warm lounge with a lot of natural light. What paint colour would you suggest, and what kind of colour would you suggest bringing into the wall paper?

A. The wallpaper comes before the paint colour. That way you get to pick something that is totally 'you', totally divine and appropriate to your house and lifestyle and then once that is done it is very easy to choose the right paint colour. There are a new selection of wallpaper books that have arrived at Resene ColorShops – start with the Resene WallTrends III and see if you are inspired.

September 2014

Q. We have a 1969 weatherboard home with an amazing urban/sea/bush view. We have put a new roof on in Thunder Grey and are now putting in some new windows/ranch sliders and a glass balustrade. We also intend to paint the interior walls and polish the wooden floors in the dining/kitchen which in the bathroom have come up a warm, medium light sort of tone. We need to choose a colour for the aluminium joinery and balustrade rails now, then will later paint inside. The outside of the house is some sort of slightly off white and our furnishings are in warm brown, beige tones with some red and turquoise.

What colours do you think would work for the joinery and balustrade rails that would interrupt the view the least and still go with our furnishings?

A. You might look at using Silver Pearl powdercoat for the joinery. This will give you a 'goes with anything but no definite personality colourwise' option.

A definite colour in powdercoat can hold you to ransom somewhat - it allows very little changes to be made at a later date and can be a 'dated' option if you choose unwisely. White can be stark, cream is always creamier than you might imagine, and some people don't favour darker (matching the roof colour) as it intrudes too much and can limit a lot of exterior and interior colour options.

September 2014

Q. We are doing a full renovation of a 1950s weatherboard house. The main living area is polished rimu, the bedrooms have a darker grey carpet. The biggest space is 16 square metres, so it’s not a huge house. I really wanted to do the interior light silver grey with Resene Alabaster trims/doors. I tested Resene Surrender and the Half too but it looked too cold and blue. What greys do you suggest that are warmer but not too dark? I was thinking maybe Resene Rakaia? We are also having a feature wall in my son's room of Resene Limerick. What light colour goes with that for the rest of the walls?

A. You might check out these soft greys – Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Triple Black White. If you have the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them (and the Resene Rakaia) with a sample of Resene Alabaster and Resene Limerick you will be better able to judge what underlying tints and tones are in each colour. Without comparing the real paint samples it is really difficult to know what might work for you.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Rakaia Resene Rakaia  
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
September 2014

Q. I have a two storeyed barn roof modern plaster house. I am looking to repaint the tired exterior. It has Cedar garage doors and fascia boards with Resene Half or Resene Quarter Sisal plaster walls. It also has a Willow Green COLORSTEEL® roof and trim around the windows with large moulded frames also in Willow Green. The aluminium joinery is Sisal. Thinking of grey shades with lighter Resene Sisal. Painter says the COLORSTEEL® roof is in good condition and does not need painting.

A. Will you mind if the greyish colour looks good with either the Sisal or the Willow Green - but not with both colours? You may need to embrace a compromise in regard colour. You could try these colours – Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Double Truffle.

If you use a lighter tint of Resene Sisal as the trim and frames around the window – e.g. Resene Eighth Sisal - your window joinery will have a 'friend' and not be totally isolated on the house.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
September 2014

Q. I have dark brownish carpet and a brown leather lounge suite. I would like warm neutral colours for the walls and a darker feature wall behind the fire and TV. I like colours like Resene Akaroa and Resene Stonehenge.

A. There are hundreds of warm neutrals to choose from. It is really important to test your colour choices, in the room and with any existing coloured element - carpet is a major - as they alter so much when seen in the light of the room. Of the two colours you have mentioned Resene Akaroa is the warmer/yellower colour and Resene Stonehenge is greyer.

It would be good if you could to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library. There is absolutely nothing so enlightening as seeing large samples and if you were able to take a piece of your carpet with you then you may be better able to judge what might work for you.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't still use a testpot or two to get the best take on how the colour looks at your place. I always suggest that people paint the testpot onto large A2 card (available from your local Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. Your eye focuses better on the reality of the colour that way. Move it from wall to wall to see how it alters is the best way to test colour. A word to the wise – interior colour always looks twice as strong as you might expect so slightly lighter may be better than too dark.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
September 2014

Q. We are building a new home. The roof is long run Grey Friars, and the cladding is Shadowclad®. Could you please suggest a colour to stain the cladding?

A. It depends what type of colour stain you like. Because of Grey Friars roof being such a fundamental charcoal any colour will go with it. If you are close to a Resene ColorShop I would strongly recommend that you pop in to see the Wood Product display stand as it has wonderful examples of exterior stain colours on pine (and on cedar) which are much better to judge colour. Stain colours come as testpots also. This is where you can trial colours on off cuts of Shadowclad and get the best idea of what the colour looks like. Test with two coats - which makes colour look more developed - this is what the coating recommendation is. Stain needs recoating every few years to maintain the protective factor so there is a bit more maintenance involved but it is such a lovely look especially on Shadowclad.

Very dark colours are trendy at the moment. Choose carefully for a timeless look that sits well within the environment and makes you feel wonderful.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
September 2014

Q. We have just renovated a small bathroom which has a shower, vanity and bath, all in white. We are putting down a timber flooring. Tiling around the bath and vanity is white. Is there a neutral colour I could paint, other than white?

A. You are totally spoiled for choice. You might check out these suggestions to see if one of these might be right for you – Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Merino. All of these colours come as deeper variants also in case you fancy a bit more depth.

Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
   
September 2014

Q. I'm building a single storey, timber weatherboard house. My roof is Storm Blue, and the windows are matt Charcoal. I need to find a colour for the cladding that will work with these.

A. You could try these colours: Resene Grey Chateau (classical grey), Resene Triple White Pointer (warm beige/grey) or Resene Quarter Stonehenge (warm stone/grey). They all look really smart with the roof and joinery colour. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you will get the best idea of what they truly look like and I am sure it will make choosing a lot easier.

COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
September 2014

Q. We are in the process of beginning to paint the entire inside of our house. I am trying to decide whether to go for Resene Double Alabaster or just Resene Alabaster. To me I can't seem to see much difference between the two but I am sure there is. Can you please explain what you would say the difference is between the two?

A. The difference between the two is in the shadow - Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog) in a large, very, very light room is less stark/glary and in smaller/dimmer rooms has a subtle grey shadow hiding in it which would be noticeable in corners and angles. Just for the record there is a Resene Triple Alabaster (aka Resene Half Sea Fog) so you can better understand the colour/shadow of grey change as it turns into the Resene Sea Fog palette of colours. The latest version The Range Whites & Neutrals fandeck - page #1 - shows this beautifully.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster/Resene Quarter Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog/Resene Triple Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2014

Q. We are struggling to pick colours for the exterior of our house. This is our first home. We bought it almost a year ago and have been saving up to do the much needed work. We are surrounded by a lot of bush and the house is quite unique architecturally - not quite colonial but not modern. We don't like the forest green and 'sick' green I call it but I like the idea of blending in with the greenery around us. We quite like Resene Squall but not really sure what else to put with it!

A. Because of the dark bronze/brown window joinery I think I would be inclined to suggest a similar type of colour for the roof so that it all ties together. You might look at Resene Ironsand - brown based charcoal - instead of Resene Squall which carries green olive in it. The choice is yours - but the windows do need a 'friend'. The house itself needs a natural earthy look and you might look at these colours to see if they blend in enough for you – Resene Double Tana, Resene Grey Olive, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Peat, Resene Quarter Evolution or Resene Schooner.

Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Double Tana
Resene Double Tana
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Peat
Resene Peat
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
September 2014

Q. I want to paint a large shed I have in my back garden. The shed is old corrugated iron that has not previously been painted. What primer/paint systems am I best to use for this? Additionally I wonder if you could suggest some colours to use please. I am going to stain a new fence which runs alongside the shed in Resene Crowshead. What are a couple of black paint options that are complementary to that colour, and in turn what would you suggest as a complementary colour to use for the trim?

A. Old corrugated iron that has never been painted needs a thorough wash down as it will be powdery on the surface – this is oxidisation, and it needs a good coat of Resene Galvo One primer. This is an oil based galvanised iron primer for aged iron. After that it is simple - two coats of the colour of your choice in either a gloss acrylic – Resene Hi-Glo – or a semi-gloss acrylic – Resene Summit Roof. Black colours can be seen on the Resene Roof Colour Systems chart. You might like one of these colours – Resene All Black, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Nero. Whites of any kind always work with black and so do bright bolder greens and electric yellows – Resene Wimbledon or Resene Starstruck.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Starstruck
Resene Starstruck
   
September 2014

Q. I'm about to renovate our beach house. We live here permanently. Can you give me some beachy colour ideas for kitchen, lounge, bathroom, hall and bedrooms? It will be a total repaint inside, soft colours rather than loud colours.

A. These are really lovely new colours from The Range fashion colours 16, the latest fan deck – Resene Half Tasman, Resene Rolling Fog, Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Emerge or Resene Ragamuffin.

Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Rolling Fog
Resene Rolling Fog
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Ragamuffin
September 2014

Q. The whole interior of my house is in a cream colour similar to Resene China Ivory. I want to repaint my bedroom and would like to use Resene Celeste. Would this go with the cream colour as I don’t want to repaint the ceiling? And what colours could I use for the other rooms and hallway? I have cream carpet and terracotta tiles in the kitchen.

A. It might not be my recommendation as the delicate calm quality of the Resene Celeste may well be swamped by the warmth/yellowness of the cream.

Resene Celeste always looks so gorgeous when it is used with Resene White - it enhances the soft green tints - and the cream you have (if it is Resene China Ivory or similar) is such a definite colour in its own right. Perhaps - and this is just a thought - you might look at using Resene Kangaroo or Resene Moon Mist as they are just that little bit deeper and may look really lovely with your cream. In other rooms you might look at using sweet soft tones like Resene Moscato or watery cool tones like Resene Emerge or more cream/slightly greener like Resene Arrowroot.

Resene China Ivory
Resene China Ivory
Resene Celeste
Resene Celeste
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Moscato
Resene Moscato
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Arrowroot
Resene Arrowroot
September 2014

Q. We are building a new place with smooth plaster as the exterior. We have black spouting etc and black windows. They are in the middle of painting it Resene Double White Pointer but I don't like the fawny look to it. Some people told me that Resene White Pointer would be too white but the look I want is a whitey/very light grey, not fawn when it’s cloudy.

A. Resene Double White Pointer is a warmed up neutral tending toward beige so that is what you will see in the colour. Colours on an exterior often look lighter than you might imagine because natural sunlight tends to bleach them out a bit so the depth of the colour is possibly ok but not the actual colour - am I right? Can I ask - did you test it before buying the paint? You would have definitely seen the beige in it at that stage and you may have 'self corrected' and tried another greyer toned colour.

If you want no beige tone or warmth coming through in a colour then consider those that are colour coded N (neutral toward grey) not Y (warmed with a yellow ochre) or BR (warmed with a brown tone). Each colour has a code with it and the first letter or letters tells you which colour group it is.

When you test the colour, try it on A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) using two coats/all of the testpot leaving a unpainted white border, so your eye is able to focus on the reality of the colour and it isn't unduly influenced by the existing colour or primer, and move it around onto different sides of the house to check out how it alters.

You might look at some of these colours – Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Silver Sand, Resene Double Barely There (lighter/whiter*) or Resene Triple Black White (lighter/whiter*). *Lighter/whiter colours may look 'whiter' in bright natural light.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Double Barely There
Resene Double Barely There
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
     
September 2014

Q. We have an old bungalow and renovated it five years ago. The colour on the walls is Resene Quarter Sisal, the window frames are Resene Black White. We had a beige leather lounge suit and now we want to change it to fabric. The room is small and less light. What colour fabric should I use?

A. Fabric is such a personal choice. My suggestion to you is to bring fabric samples into your home and check out how they look with your existing colours and in your quality of light. Choose fabric that has a very good resistance to wear (this is called the 'rub factor' and is able to cope with sunlight (fade resistant)) and suits the room and your lifestyle. Most of all make sure it is a fabric you really love it because you will be living with it for a long time.

Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
September 2014

Q. I am hoping to paint our bungalow with Resene Half Delta, with accents in Resene Double Delta (bay window) and possibly Resene Seachange. We have a COLORSTEEL® Azure roof. Will this scheme work?

A. The main problems as I see it are -

  • Any of the Resene Delta palette of colours will throw more yellow/greens when seen with the slate blue green of the roof colour.
  • Using Resene Seachange for a trim with the Resene Delta palette of colours isn't a good call. Though it is similar to the Azure roof it isn't quite close enough - if you needed a trim it would pay to match the roof colour using a colour such as Resene Undercurrent.

It is all about personal choices and how your eye sees the colours. If you would like other palettes of greys to look at in relation to the roof colour then perhaps look at Resene Pumice, Resene Boulder, or darker Resene Cape Cod. Alternatively use Resene Hit Grey, Resene Nevada or darker Resene Trout. These are blue/green greys from BS5252 colour chart.


COLORSTEEL® Azure
     
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Double Delta
Double Delta
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange

Resene Undercurent
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Boulder
Resene Boulder
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Cape Cod
 
Resene Hit Grey
Resene Hit Grey
Resene Nevada
Resene Nevada
Resene Trout
Resene Trout
 
September 2014

Q. I have a three bedroom, two bathroom house that we are going to repaint and recarpet. Our curtains are a cream colour and are perfectly fine so we need to match the paint to the curtains. So far the best colour that appears to match the curtains is Resene Half Beryl Green. However I am a bit reluctant to paint the entire house green. Also the Resene Half Beryl Green does not look right in the kitchen.

So I am looking for a fairly neutral colour to put on the back kitchen wall that will go with the Beryl Green but also match the green of the kitchen. I do not want white in any form. The ceilings will be painted in Resene Wan White at this stage. Further I would like to paint the doors and trims etc in another colour that goes with Resene Beryl Green, is fairly neutral but not white. Also could you recommend some colours for the two bathrooms (same colour) that would match the tiles, as well as a colour for the bedrooms (all three same colour)? Lastly recommendations for the hallway.

A. I think you may need a cream as a main colour so that you can use it in the kitchen. The one thing that worries me is that the Resene Wan White is quite grey and I am unsure how it will work with either a cream or the Resene Half Beryl Green. If you used a colour like Resene Half Thorndon Cream - especially in the kitchen and hallway - and changed the ceilings and any painted woodwork to Resene Half Rice Cake (so it was lighter/brighter less grey than Resene Wan White) then Resene Half Beryl Green would have slightly cream/green toned colours to work with. This also would allow you to use deeper Resene Thorndon Cream and deeper Resene Rice Cake variants to co-ordinate with your existing furnishings.

Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cak
September 2014

Q. I want to paint my 100 year old floorboards. I want a limewash look but want it fresh, creamy - not white, not butter cream. What paint type and any ideas on colour? Would I get a floor sander to finish it with sealer or DIY? I need a very hardwearing sealer – i.e. permanent.

A. Very old timber floorboards need very careful preparation and sanding - a professional may be able to do it quicker than you can. If you want a creamy wash effect perhaps you could use a diluted matt enamel paint (colour of your choice) rubbed into the surface of the boards. It sounds awkward, messy and time consuming and it is but it can be done. The hardest part is getting it looking perfectly even all over the floor and not patchy and mottled. Before specific products became available I did this several times to get the look I wanted then I clear coated it several times for a tough finish.

Another and possibly easier way to do this is to use an interior wood stain – Resene Colorwood Rock Salt. This may look whitish on pale pine but most old floorboards are native timbers and are quite richly coloured. Stain is a semi-transparent finish so you inherit the underlying colour of the wood with the stain which creates a more coloured look.

Certain clear coats add a yellowish hue - solventbased polyurethanes make white limewashed floors go creamy/yellowish. Resene Qristal ClearFloor 2K is one of the toughest finishes if you need to add a hard finish.

If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop and pick up some sample pots (Resene Color wood Whitewash stain and Resene Colorwood Rock Salt stain and test them on an area of your floorboards that isn't seen (inside a cupboard) you may get a better idea of what you want and what it will look like.

Resene Rock Salt
Resene Rock Salt
September 2014

Q. We are about to paint our bedroom Resene Emerge with Resene Half White Pointer trim and wooden floors. We would love some advice which curtain colours we should look at.

A. As you probably know Resene has a lovely boutique range of curtain fabrics. If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop you might like to look at these samples: Resene Waltz – Blonde, Resene Artiste – Stone, Resene Metaphor – Bud or Resene Meander Voile – Blonde.

Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
   
Resene Waltz – Blonde
Resene Waltz – Blonde
Resene Artiste – Stone
Resene Artiste – Stone
Resene Metaphor – Bud
Resene Metaphor – Bud

Resene Meander Voile – Blonde
Resene Meander Voile – Blonde
September 2014

Q. I have painted my fence in Resene Triple Dune and need a colour for the exterior of house. The current colour does not match the window frames (primrose) or the beige tiles. I need an exterior colour to match.

A. You have a very real problem in that the windows are such a distinctive colour as are the tiles. You may need to compromise in order to accommodate those elements. Try these colours: Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Triple Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Friar Greystone or Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Triple Dune
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
September 2014

Q. I am buying a splashback for my hob and want to have a colour which goes with the wall which is Resene Half Fossil.

A. You might do tonal but deeper – Resene Triple Fossil, or glamorous metallic – Resene Alcatraz, or bold statement Resene Pohutukawa or Resene Koru. What you may need to know though is that of the two types of glass that are used for splashbacks only the low iron oxide crystal clear glass shows the colour behind it absolutely true to reality. The standard float glass has a greenish cast and makes the colour look 'off'.

Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Alcatraz
Resene Alcatraz
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
September 2014

Q. We are repainting a 1970s house that we are looking to rent out so we would like a neutral colour to put through the whole house. We have light caramel colour carpet throughout the house which is staying. I was thinking Resene Half Merino or Resene Half Rice Cake? The interior can be a bit dark and it is hard to get something to match with the strange coloured carpet.

A. The colours that you mention may work but you might also check these colours out as well – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Quarter Fossil.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
September 2014

Q. We are having our earthquake repairs done and we have decided to change the outside colours of the house and also change the colour of the foundation. Can you help me choose colours?

A. You might look at these options. I have included a deeper colour for the base of the house if you wish to continue this theme – Resene Gin Fizz with Resene New Denim Blue for the roof and Resene Quarter Tuna for the base, or Resene Quarter Lemon Grass with Resene Paddock for the roof and Resene Quarter Tapa for the base, and Resene Quarter Bison Hide with Resene Ironsand for the roof and Resene Bison Hide for the base. If you aren't keen on highlighting the base of the house you might carry the main colour right the way down to the ground as this will make the house seem taller and quite modern

Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
September 2014

Q. We have bought a modern monopitch home which has been painted throughout with variants of Resene Tea - mostly Resene Half Tea and Resene Quarter Tea. It looks quite grey in our home. The interior chimney panel is likely to be Resene Triple Tea (they didn't give us precise details) and is actually a nice rich olive/brown. We would like to brighten up some walls as we find it quite dreary. What would you suggest, particularly for the lounge area which is darker than the rest of the house? The ceiling is white.

A. If your house has a light issue (dim rooms with lots of shadow in them) as well as existing coloured elements - carpets, curtains and furniture - you may need to trial colour very carefully. Don't paint samples onto the walls - they are already a colour which will alter the test patch colour and make you see it quite different to reality. If you paint colour samples onto A2 card, available from Resene ColorShops, (all of the testpot as two coats) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges, it will help you focus on the reality of the colour. Move the large card from wall to wall and room to room so that you can see how it alters with light, space and angles, and the unpainted border holds the tested colour well away from the existing wall colour so it can't unduly influence the tested colour. To start to check out what might look better, in your light and space, with your coloured elements, perhaps look at one of these colours – Resene Half Parchment and Resene Half Fossil. They are slightly brighter neutrals with more yellow or green in them so I am hoping one of them might work.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
September 2014

Q. We want to paint the exterior of our 1965 suburban weatherboard home but I am having trouble coming up with a pleasant looking scheme. The roof is painted in Ironsand grey, which we are leaving and the windows are wooden.

A. You could try Resene Quarter Arrowtown with Resene Bianca as trims and windows, Resene Double Fossil with Resene Double Alabaster as trims and windows, Resene White Pointer with Resene Black White as trims and windows, or Resene Ragamuffin used with Resene Quarter Rice Cake as trims and windows.

Most of the colours I have suggested come as lighter and deeper variants so you can see a colour you like and adjust it to suit the bright natural light. Colours on an exterior tend to look lighter because of the brightness of the sun but you can steer clear of really dark, dark colours or really bright light colours and find nice colours in the mid tones that will work for you.

Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. I am looking for a 'warm grey' contemporary mid tone colour to go in a bedroom with white linen curtains, white painted trims and window frames, and with accents of lime green and grape. I also need the same warm grey to complement a room with rimu trims and yellow accents. Can you suggest a few testpots to try?

A. You might like to check these colours out as they are warmed greys – Resene Rakaia, Resene Flotsam, Resene Shady Lady, Resene Pale Slate, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Suva Grey.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Suva Grey
Resene Suva Grey
September 2014

Q. We are in the process of painting our baby's nursery. We have painted two of the walls Resene Kingfisher Daisy, but are now very undecided what colour to do the other two walls. I don't want to paint the whole room purple as I think it would be too much for a such a small room.

A. Resene Kingfisher Daisy is a very bold vibrant/effervescent colour. It has enough red undertone in it to make spaces painted in this colour seem closer to you. I think you may need to use a warm sweet cream or alternatively a slightly green toned warm white on the other walls to bring light into the room and to add a bit of neutrality. Perhaps look at these colours to see if they will work on the narrow ends of the room – Resene Gin Fizz or Resene Ragamuffin.

Resene Kingfisher Daisy
Resene Kingfisher Daisy
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Ragamuffin
September 2014

Q. I am renovating a beach house going for the cottage theme and would like to paint the bathroom a soft light blue. We have tongue and groove covering half the wall in Resene Alabaster white. Can you recommend a blue that would suit?

A. There are several that might suit you – Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Breathless or Resene Frozen. You may need to test paint them onto large A2 cards (available from your Resene ColorShop) and move them around to see which one 'likes' your bathroom.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Breathless
Resene Breathless
Resene Frozen
Resene Frozen
September 2014

Q. I am building a new house and need to decide on the colour. I have Resene Alabaster on my ceiling, trims and doors. I would like a white to match with the Resene Alabaster. I would like to have a white interior so that when we interior decorate we work on a white canvas. I had originally chosen Resene Half White Pointer but it looks more like a light grey, so I am not going with it. Can't figure out the white to go with the Resene Alabaster.

A. Try Resene Half Sea Fog or possibly Resene Sea Fog. Resene Half Sea Fog is equivalent to Resene Triple Alabaster so Resene Sea Fog is a beautiful shaded form of Resene Alabaster.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2014

Q. We painted our living room Resene Rock Blue which we love. Now we are planning to paint the kitchen and dining areas (they are kind of linked with the living room). Which colours for the kitchen and dining areas do you suggest will go nicely with Resene Rock Blue?

A. Beautiful blues love being with coloured whites, soft aquas, warmed yellows and soft browns and beige and much deeper blues. If you find a nice 'white' it enhances the blueness of the blue so perhaps look at these colours – Resene Double Alabaster or a warmer 'white' - Resene Quarter Rice Cake and then check these colours out to see if there is something that you really like that works well with any other colours you may have - Resene Kumutoto, Resene Melting Moment, Resene Rough N Tumble, Resene Quarter Gargoyle or Resene True Blue.

Resene Rock Blue
Resene Rock Blue
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Kumutoto
Resene Kumutoto
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
September 2014

Q. We would like to update our small townhouse walls and ceilings from their original 80s look. Most rooms face north and have all day sun and we live near the sea. We like a soft beachy look that's a bit contemporary (like Resene Quarter Ash and Resene Alabaster (greeny whites and warm greys etc)). Our rooms are all very small. What are some great 'go-to' colours we should be looking at?

A. The colours that you have mentioned sound lovely and if that is what you favour perhaps you might look at these ones also – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Tasman. I think you might also go lighter on the 'white' as it could help you see your wall colours better – Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene QuarterRakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2014

Q. We are replacing some of our cedar with a Hardiflex® look weatherboard. Our roof and window frames are a slate grey colour and we also have cedar planks. Can you suggest what colour to paint the weatherboard/Hardiflex®?

A. You might look at these colours as they may work with your roof and window joinery - Resene Double Truffle - a greyed stone colour, Resene Double Bison Hide - a green edged beige, Resene Drought - a warm dusty beige and Resene Double Ash - a smoky green.

Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Bison Hide
Resene Double Bison Hide
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
September 2014

Q. I want to paint the interior of our medical centre in Resene Rakaia and Resene Quarter Rakaia. To add a splash of colour I would like to use a warm orange in parts and was thinking of Resene Flashback. Would that work? Is Resene Alabaster a good trim paint to use. And lastly, with this combination, what colour should I paint the doors? Should they be the darker or lighter colour?

A. If you have your heart set on an orange to balance the warm purple undertone in the Resene Rakaia palette of colours that you are having as a main theme I suggest you look at an orange with a tiny more depth not sharp brightness to it or even a little red tone. Try Resene Clockwork Orange or Resene Ayers Rock.

Yes, Resene Alabaster will work as ceilings and some of the trims. But so will Resene Black White which may seem less stark as a trim colour. If you want a deeper colour for the doors (very forgiving of constant finger marking!) you might keep within the Resene Rakaia palette using something like Resene Double Rakaia.

If you are at all unsure what effect these colours will create you can order A4 sheets of colour called drawdowns through your nearest Resene ColorShop or you can order on our website. It is incredibly important that you can present a concept board where the colour is seen in large enough format so that you can best judge its reality and how it will work with the other elements in the schematic.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene QuarterRakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Flashback
Resene Flashback
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Rakaia
Resene Double Rakaia
September 2014

Q. We are building a new house and need to pick a white paint for our interior. We want a white that is clean and crisp, that has a warm undertone, but that is not yellow or grey in any way. It's hard to tell from the paint charts which colour would best suit our requirements and we would appreciate some advice. The white also has to tone in with our kitchen colours. The kitchen is high gloss white with oak benches.

A. I suspect that the wall colour will need to enhance the white of the kitchen cabinets, and make it seem really 'white', and any coloured flooring as well as look good with the oak benches. If that is the case and you want no yellow or grey in the 'white' then you might look at these ones to see if they are clean, crisp and warm enough to suit your kitchen – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half House White or Resene Half White Pointer.

It really does depend on the other colours in the kitchen and natural and artificial light as to whether these colours looks clean or 'not clean' - i.e more coloured.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
September 2014

Q. I have painted all walls Resene Alabaster and now wish to paint cork tiles in some of the rooms white so they tone but have a slightly different look. I have used Resene White Pointer and quite like it. Do you have any other suggestions?

A. You might check out these colours also – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Quarter Cloud, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Concrete.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
   
September 2014

Q. Can you tell me please what grey Resene colour matches, or closely matches, aluminium joinery 'Silver Pearl'?

A. Because of the shimmer in the Silver Pearl it changes constantly with angles and light. Any metallic colour will do that which makes it interesting to look at and annoying to match.

Today is a stormy grey day and my Silver Pearl looks like Resene Delta. Yesterday was very sunny and my Silver Pearl looked warmer like Resene Half Taupe Grey. On other days at different times it doesn't look anything like those colours. It is known as metameric - a constantly changing mystery.

For colours like this rather than trying to do an exact match choose a colour that complements the Silver Pearl in different lighting.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
September 2014

Q. I am looking for a navy blue wood stain. Do you think combining black and blue from Resene's range would achieve this effect?

A. In theory mixing Black and Blue will give you very dark but the blue content may be swamped by the black and you may just get another type of black not navy blue. There is a deep blue called Resene Woody Bay which is dark and it may pay to trial it on offcuts of wood to see whether it is navy enough for you. One coat may look lighter than two coats and two coats is the standard recommendation for exterior timbers.

Resene Woody Bay
Resene Woody Bay
September 2014

Q. I'm looking for an external house colour to be painted over rendered brick to go with a COLORBOND® Woodland Grey roof and garage door. I was looking for something with greige tonings.

A. Try these colours to see if they are your type of greige – Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Cloud.

COLORSTEEL® Woodland Grey
COLORSTEEL® Woodland Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
September 2014

Q. My cedar and brick home is being painted a mid brown. I would like to have my front door painted in a dark red colour.

A. You might look at these dark reds to see if they are what you have in mind – Resene Jumpstart, Resene Zibibbo or Resene Lonestar.

Resene Jumpstart
Resene Jumpstart
Resene Zibibbo
Resene Zibibbo
Resene Lonestar
Resene Lonestar
September 2014

Q. Can you tell me the colour properties for Resene White. I want a clean, fresh, white paint colour for the inside of a house which doesn't throw any grey or cream but I also don't want it to look stark and sterile. There's timber flooring and lots of timber furniture going into the house. Do you think this is a good choice?

A. All colour, even pure white, will alter according to light, shade and colour seen close to it. Resene White is as cool, crisp and clear as you can go in 'whites' - it will reflect what colours are in the rooms (wood for instance or curtains) and because of changes of natural and artificial light it will alter itself to accommodate this. People often think 'white' will stay 'white' but in west facing rooms with late afternoon sun it can look almost creamy; south facing rooms it can look grey'; east facing rooms with early morning/first light it can look almost green. In north facing rooms it will look shaded the most as the natural light (unless this room has a glass roof) only penetrates so far into the room as it is too high in the sky to flood rooms with light hence the walls look shadowy.

If you want a less stark/cool 'white' I suggest you look at Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White. It will still do all I have mentioned above as pure Resene White would but in very bright rooms you won't feel the need to wear sunglasses inside because of the glare.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2014

Q. We're having trouble finding the right colour for our kitchen. We would ideally like something to complement the grey cupboards as the blue splashback will eventually be replaced (most likely with a tile to match the dark bench top). The kitchen joins onto the dining/living area which has just been painted Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. We would like something a bit different in the kitchen though to break up the white.

A. I think it may be hard for you to 'see' what the existing colours are truly like because the blue you don’t like is influencing any other colour that you might look at for the kitchen. It doesn't help that the tiles, which may be replaced but are there now, are such a blue colour. It is a bit like when you get all dressed up to go somewhere and your new outfit looks 'off ' because the only shoes you have to wear are 5 year old joggers - it is hard to see past it. Perhaps you could undercoat the blue walls in white and then start to check out what colours may look best.

I suspect it may be another grey colour as similar to the cabinets as possible or a darker version of the Resene Thorndon Cream palette - perhaps Resene Double Thorndon Cream.

Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. I am a teenage boy living in a room with creamy yellow walls and hideous dark red curtains. My parents have agreed to take down the curtains, but refuse to repaint the room. I am therefore seeking advice on how to turn this gross creamy yellow room into something modern and stylish, without plastering the walls in posters and making it look untidy. I am struggling to find colours/textures that would match the walls so any advice on colour schemes would be much appreciated. I am leaning towards colours like orange and green to really give it a modern vibe but they don't seem to go with the walls.

A. The colour in your room is far more yellow toned than white toned. Cream is usually between yellow and white - closer sometimes to white. If it was like that it would be far easier to find colours to work with it as it would be far more flexible and obliging. If you look into the corners of the room and around the walls where the windows are you will see the yellow.

Modern and stylish may be more like a grey based blue or a blue based green in order to work with what you have. Any orange may well make the room seem yellower. This of course may not be what you have in mind but because colour is tricky and refuses to 'play the game' and alters itself constantly in all lights, and with all other colours, you can see why people get confused or frustrated.

Be patient and test colours well so there are no surprises waiting for you. Testpots cover around 1 square metre. Don't put them on the existing wall colour as you will be confused, annoyed and misled about what the tested colour really looks like. Paint it onto A2 card, available from Resene ColorShops, applying two coats (all of the testpot) and leave a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card. Move it from wall to wall and check out how the light alters it. Reality is a powerful help when choosing colours.

At the Resene ColorShop all colours can be viewed in A4 swatches called drawdowns in the store’s Colour Library. This will help you to see enough colour to judge which ones you might like enough to test and look at in your home. As a start point you might like to look at these colours - Resene Timekeeper, Resene Explorer, Resene Middle Earth or possibly Resene Clockwork Orange.

Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
September 2014

Q. We are renovating and redecorating our house in the near future. Our house is a cottage built in 1909 with high ceilings and beautiful cornices but we want it to feel more modern. We've installed large picture windows to maximise the views and let in lots of natural light. These windows, as well as the new bi-folds doors that will be installed, are all Rimu. The floors are polished timber. We really like the Scandinavian style of decorating with walls painted white but we are concerned that a colour like Resene Alabaster will just be too bright white and harsh. What are the most popular whites for a style we want to achieve? And is it common practice to paint the walls and the ceiling the same shade?

A. If extreme brightness of light in your rooms has you reaching for your sunglasses then perhaps look at slightly muted whites – Resene Wan White or Resene Sea Fog. But if the axis of natural light comes from the south and you would prefer a little warmth in your 'white' you might look at these popular 'whites' - Resene Half Bianca or Resene Half Merino.

These 'whites' can be used on ceilings as well as walls but if you want the walls to seem to have a tiny colour edge then you might use Resene Half Alabaster. This is so near to pure white - without the starkness - but it lifts a little colour out of the other 'whites' to make it seem a little bit more soft and gentle. It can enhance the beautiful ceilings and cornices and door and window frames.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
September 2014

Q. We are putting a new kitchen into our 1926 bungalow. The cabinetry is antique white, the benchtop is Franz Josef engineered stone (has flecks of bluey-grey). We have wooden rimu floors and trims. We need to paint the walls and ceilings of the kitchen and adjoining family room. The kitchen faces west but is quite dark. The family room faces north and gets a lot of sun. We thought about a greyed white. Someone recommended Resene White Pointer - what do you think? And any suggestions for ceilings/trims?

A. Resene White Pointer is nice and it may work for you but it may be too deep - especially if the kitchen has a bit of shadow in it until later in the afternoon - is it like that? You may need to start checking out really light colours to increase the natural light in the kitchen and then when the sunlight does get into the room check out just how much they change in that quality of light - and whether or not you still like the colour.

So perhaps if you start with these colours – Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Quarter Concrete.

Take your time and please do test them carefully - not painted directly onto a coloured wall (even unpainted plasterboard is a colour) but painted onto white A2 card, available from Resene ColorShops, and move the card around from wall to wall so that you can see how the colour changes at each angle and at all times of the day. It is so helpful to be able to see the reality of colour in a large enough format to judge what it really looks like.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
September 2014

Q. We are repainting the interior of our house. There are tongue and groove sarked unpainted Douglas Fir ceilings throughout. The floors in the kitchen/dining/living area are varnished Kauri and the bedrooms are carpeted (to be replaced). Some areas get a lot of light through ranch sliders and windows, other areas are quite shadowy. We want to use a clean, fresh, light cream on the walls throughout. Which Resene colour would you recommend that will go with the golden tones of the wood and not look too white or too yellow? We've tried Resene Half Thorndon Cream in one bedroom and find it too cold and grey.

A. Unfortunately most creams are by their very nature yellow or white - as you can see from trialling Resene Half Thorndon Cream it is easy to drift into green tones or grey/beige tones with these very pale whiter tones but they aren't true cream. I suggest you look at these light creams – Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Merino. Pop into a Resene ColorShop to check out the A4 real paint samples in the in-store colour library – this should help you judge the colours better. If you slip a sheet of white printer paper between the colours you will be able to identify what underlying tints and tones are in each colour.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
September 2014

Q. We are renovating a 1950s bungalow. I really like Resene Ravine for the weatherboard colour and was thinking of a dark colour for the door and roof. What are your thoughts regarding Resene Ironsand? For the sills I was thinking along the lines of Resene Black White?

A. I like the idea of using Resene Ironsand for the roof and the door and Resene Black White for the windows with Resene Ravine which is such a great stony green. Your choices are excellent.

Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
September 2014

Q. I have a cedar and brick house being painted Resene Mission Brown. As we are in a bush setting I thought perhaps painting the front door green to tone in with the greenery?

A. There are hundreds of greens in nature so these are a few for you to check out to see if one of them is the ideal one for you – Resene Lush, Resene Kermadec, Resene Koru, Resene Paddock, Resene Tiki Tour or Resene Easy Rider.

Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Lush
Resene Lush
Resene Kermadec
Resene Kermadec
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Easy Rider
 
September 2014

Q. We are painting the interior of our 1950s house Resene Grey Chateau throughout. We have Rimu skirtings and doors, our carpet is a dark grey. What colour should we paint our ceiling?

A. If you want the ceiling 'white' to reflect a bit of warmth (like the wood does) then you might look at Resene Eighth Rice Cake but if you want a cooler/starker white you might look at Resene Alabaster which will work just as well but differently.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2014

Q. We are building a new house and have chosen a light brick (Ohoka Cream) with Grey Friars as the roof colour and Desert Sand for the joinery/garage door. What would you recommend for our weatherboard gable and front door? We fancy adding a little splash of colour.

A. Have you seen a (real) sample of the brick and the powder coat colour that you have chosen for the house? They are colourful. I think you may need to use blues, greens or reds as your splash of (more) colour. Because of the roof colour I suggest the blue may be the way to go but I have included some options for you to check out – Resene Bellbottom Blue, Resene Half Denim Blue, Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Timekeeper or Resene Pioneer Red.

Resene  Bellbottom Blue
Resene Bellbottom Blue
Resene Half Denim Blue
Resene Half Denim Blue
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
September 2014

Q. We are going to paint the living areas Resene Tana and Resene Half Tana. Would you please tell me a good colour ceiling paint to use?

A. There are several 'whites' that may work for you – Resene Alabaster - cool/fresh or Resene Quarter Rice Cake - sharp/fresh/warm.

Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We have just installed a new kitchen and are really stuck on a wall colour. We have a dark marble effect laminate top and Irish Creme cabinets. We tried a grey but it looks terrible! Any ideas would be much appreciated.

A. Irish Creme has a lot of black/yellow/green in its undertone so you might look at these complex neutral colours to see if they are ok – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Napa or Resene Triple Rice Cake.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We are getting a new kitchen put in and taking out a wall so it is all open with the lounge area. The walls are Resene Tea and I think the window frames are Resene Spanish White. Our kitchen cabinetry is going to be gloss white and granite white benchtop and waterfall island. What colour splashback would you recommend? Perhaps a red or lime green colour, keeping in mind the main bathroom is red walls with black floor tiles and white wall tiles. Should we keep the kitchen/lounge accent colour different from the bathroom?

A. It might be nice to make the kitchen/lounge accent colour different to the bathroom so it has its own unique ambiance. You might check out these colours to see if they are 'lime' enough for you – Resene Koru, Resene Impromptu, Resene Flourish or Resene Limerick. They are all 'lime' but quite different to each other. If you have the opportunity please pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in the in-store colour library to get a better idea of how they look.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
   
Resene Flourish
Resene Flourish
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Impromptu
Resene Impromptu
September 2014

Q. We are building a new home and are having Resene Milk White throughout with some feature walls papered. What is the best white for the ceiling and what do we do the internal doors, skirtings and architraves etc. in?

A. Because Resene Milk White has a cool slightly mushroom undertone I suggest using Resene Quarter Black White for the ceiling and a subtle tint of Resene Milk White - Resene Quarter Milk White - for all the doors, architraves etc. This keeps the palette cool and well related with enough contrast to pick up the delicate tints.

Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
September 2014

Q. I will be moving into my house soon, but I really do need expert advice on wall colour. In our lounge room I have two separate green sofas that I will be putting as an L shape, the coffee table is white, the large TV stand is white and the surround sound is black. What colour should my walls be?

A. There are thousands of colours to choose from. Here are a few for you to look at to see if they suit you – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene White Pointer. They are popular light colours but you do need to see what they are really like so I suggest it may be wise to pop into a Resene ColorShop to look at the large A4 real paint samples that they have in their colour library to get a better idea of what they look like.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
September 2014

Q. I would like a wall colour for my dining room. The only thing I will have there is a black TV that I will hang on the wall and my dining table. The chair will be a black colour.

A. Here are a couple of popular neutrals to get you started – Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. I want to paint my toilet/bathroom/laundry in a soft beige colour. I originally used Resene Quarter Tea but it was too pink/grey. I then used Resene Eighth Malta but that is too dark and too red brown. I like the swatch of Resene Eighth Drought. Do you think this would be better or any ideas please? The toilet and bathroom have only one window each so rooms are on the dark side.

A. Resene Eight Drought is lovely - light, warm but not too pinky. If however the light in those rooms makes it look too coloured then you might check out Resene Albescent White which is slightly lighter.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
September 2014

Q. I want to paint my shop French 1940s colours shabby chic/industrial style. Could you suggest colour ideas for inside and out?

A. The colours vary for these different styles. Some palettes to choose from are: French colours - faded, worn romantic soft pastels - duck egg blues, sunshine creams, misty greys, mauves and dusty warm whites, cottons and damask, toile printed fabrics, natural peasant style pottery in ochre and terracotta; 1940s colours - the end of the war and the advent of plastics and bolder clear pastel to mid toned colours - soft oranges, lemons, aquas, grassy greens, sailor boy blues, red and white gingham, khaki drab uniforms; or Industrial style colours - bare wood, metal, concrete, tubular furniture - gun metal grey, whites, charcoals and blacks and pops of bright colours, recycled floorboards, steel cabinets, hessian and linen weaves.

September 2014

Q. We have just purchased a bach, which is cedar stained in Resene Dark Oak with white fascias and guttering. We would like to repaint the COLORSTEEL® roof which is presently painted in Resene Undercover and is very faded. Can you suggest a more modern roof colour which is light grey and would go with the Resene Dark Oak stain?

A. You could try Resene Gauntlet, Resene Lattitude, or much lighter greys – Resene Atmosphere or Resene Eighth Tapa. I definitely recommend that you use CoolColour™ formulated colours to modify heat and UV damage on the roof - it doesn't remove the problem but it does minimise the stresses that heat causes to roof iron.

Resene Woodsman Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Undercover
Resene Undercover
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
September 2014

Q. We have a Lockwood ceiling that is polyurethaned (mid wood colour). I am looking to paint all the walls Resene Black White. Would Resene Black White work well and look good with a wooden ceiling?

A. As long as you don't mind the Resene Black White looking cool/greyish in comparison to the warmth of the polyurethaned wood it should be ok. If however you don't want a cool/greyish colour on the walls that might make the ceilings look quite yellowish by association you might look at other warmer whites, such as Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
September 2014

Q. We have mid brown carpets, cream doors and trim and want to repaint the ceiling and all walls in the living areas. Can you recommend a ceiling and wall colour?

A. Some colours you might like to try are Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cougar. For the ceiling colour it may be difficult to use a definite colour as it might not work with the cream on the doors, so this warm tint of white may suit – Resene Quarter Bianca. Generally speaking new colour choices have to compromise to fit in with existing paint colours and any other coloured elements - carpet etc.

Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
September 2014

Q. We have an Ironsand roof. I was hoping for Resene Half Friar Greystone on the exterior but looks too close to the Resene Half Tapa next door. Any other suggestions as the kitchen is going to be white and polished grey concrete benchtop? Currently we have Resene Half Tea on our walls so might go with this internally as I do like it. I’m thinking off-white for wooden joinery or Resene Alabaster.

A. I am inclined to agree with you in regard to using Resene Alabaster for the wooden joinery - it is nice and clean looking. Resene Half Tea is a good colour for an interior. If you do still like it then it wouldn't pay to change it. For the exterior have you thought of one of these colours - they are different from the next door house but they do go well with the Ironsand roof colour – Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Half Cougar.

Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
   
September 2014

Q. I have a 3 year old girl and 14 month old boy. I am going to paint their bedrooms in Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. What colour feature wall could I use to bring in maybe a lilac or mauve for the girl and a cool turquoise blue or the latest modern colour for the boy?

A. Because the main colour in the children’s rooms is quite grey a lot of paler colours don't work very well with it. You may need stronger colours to balance the sophisticated grownup neutral Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. Perhaps look at these colours for your little girl – Resene Boogie Wonderland or Resene Blue Marguerite. And for your little boy – Resene Freefall or Resene Aquarius. If the main colour was lighter and less of a mid toned ash grey you may have a better range of colours that would work with it.

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Boogie Wonderland
Resene Boogie Wonderland
Resene Blue Marguerite
Resene Blue Marguerite
Resene Freefall
Resene Freefall
Resene Aquarius
Resene Aquarius
September 2014

Q. We are painting our interior walls and skirtings Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe and want to paint our ceiling, doors and architraves white. Which white would you suggest and should the ceiling be the same white as the doors?

A. I suggest you check these lovely whites out to see if they are 'you' – Resene Half Soapstone (warm option) or Resene Double Alabaster (cooler option). And, yes, I would be inclined to do the ceiling to match the woodwork but that is because I am a 'simple is best' kind of person. If you don't want to do that then standard Resene White will always work but may make the wall colour seem to have more depth.

Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2014

Q. We would like to paint the white exterior blockwork on our home to make it more contemporary but it needs to go with all the other exterior colours - stained board and batten and reddish brown trims.

A. You might like to check these colours out as they will work well with what you have – Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Half Ash, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle

Resene Triple Merino
September 2014

Q. Our home’s trims are in COLORBOND® Woodland Grey and we are thinking of changing the garage doors to the same colour. What colour could we paint our large house to suit? We are thinking of a beige, something like COLORBOND® Dune.

A. As your house is quite large with a high frontage to the street I would suggest soft muted colours – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Truffle or Resene Double White Pointer.

COLORSTEEL® Woodland Grey
COLORSTEEL® Woodland Grey
COLORSTEEL® Dune
COLORSTEEL® Dune
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
September 2014

Q. Our new house will have Resene Half Napa on the walls with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for the ceiling, doors and trims. I would like to use a different colour in the bathrooms/toilets/laundry that would keep the areas nice and light but something different from the rest of the home. What would you suggest to complement the current colours?

A. Would you also need a ceiling colour for these rooms? A new lighter wall colour might have trouble working with the existing ceiling colour. It might look darker than the walls otherwise. You could look at these colours – Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Merino or - another thought – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - yes the existing ceiling colour from the other rooms with a new colour for ceilings and woodwork – Resene Quarter Rice Cake. The lighter/brighter ceiling colour in these rooms will increase the light factor as well as enhance the wall colour.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. I have four units with Denim Blue joinery, roof and corrugated iron feature walls. What colour do you suggest for the exterior remaining walls that are currently creamy yellow?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are at all what you favour – Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Cloud or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. They are complex neutrals, smart and contemporary but not too brown. If you are going to use testpots - and I do recommend them - you might find it easier to paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card, (available from Resene ColorShops), leaving an unpainted border all around the edges, so that your eye focuses on the reality of the colour and move it around from wall to wall to see what changes occur with sun and shadow.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
September 2014

Q. Is Resene Pavlova similar to a Resene Silver Chalice colour? And would Resene Pavlova and Resene Pravda go well for exterior colours? I have weatherboards that I am thinking of doing Resene Pavlova, with a black/white around windows, then the Resene Pravda on the base (which is concrete). Will this look good, and what colour should I go with on the roof?

A. Resene Pavlova is a strong ochre yellow and Resene Silver Chalice is a pewter grey - they are as different as night and day. Resene Pavlova, Resene Black White and Resene Pravda look really good together. A nice roof colour to go with them might be Resene Ironsand or Resene Triple Friar Greystone .

Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
September 2014

Q. I'm planning to paint my house for the first time since I bought it. While white is a safe option, I would like a new colour to modernise the look of the house. I'm tending towards a grey with white trim that should go well with the roof colour. I've used Resene Grey Chateau with Resene Alabaster in a room inside and really like it. What would you recommend for the exterior that would go with the roof? I would also like to paint the fence... I was thinking a charcoal grey?

A. These lovely timeless fundamental neutrals will always look smart. If you like greys and charcoals perhaps look at these colours – Resene Triple Concrete with Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Tuna, or Resene Silver Sand, Resene Alabaster and Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
 
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
September 2014

Q. I am in the process of refreshing a school reception area. We are having one feature wall in navy and the rest of the walls in white. There are a lot of windows and blue aluminium joinery, navy carpet and light oak accents. It needs to be fresh but not stark. What would be your suggestion for white to use?

A. So the look is very blue and white, unrelieved by any warmth of accented colour with only the light oak to lift it a bit? If this is the case then I do suggest that the 'white' have a little sweetness and warmth. Perhaps you could look at these colours – Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Merino.

All of these 'whites' have unique undertones of colour so they aren't stark. It may pay you to look at the large A4 real paint samples in the nearest Resene ColorShop Colour Library. If you place a sheet of white printer paper between the coloured samples it will help you judge the reality of the colours.

Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
September 2014

Q. We are painting the whole interior of our house. We are keeping the existing door and trim colour – Resene Half Spanish White. The ceiling is currently also Resene Half Spanish White, but we’d like to go a little bit lighter to Resene Quarter Spanish White. We have mid brown carpet. I have tested Resene Tea, which appears a little grey and then Resene Akaroa that appears a little too tan. Are you able to recommend another colour/s that are a mid tone? I was thinking either Resene Drought, Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Sisal (or Resene Half Sisal). Our furniture is dark wood. Most of the rooms are large and open plan. The hall however is a little darker and two of the bedrooms are only 3m x 3m.

A. Where there is a very definite colour (Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Quarter Spanish White) and a definite coloured carpet (mid brown) any changes have to work with them. This means options that you like may not work as well as you though they might. It can be, sadly, about compromise. Both Resene Tea and Resene Akaroa have been ruled out because of how they look with the existing colours and the quality of light in the house. Resene Sisal or Resene Half Sisal may throw a yellow/greenish colour. Is this what you want? Resene Drought may be ok but it is quite muddy and may look twice as deep in the hallway and the bedrooms. Resene Double Spanish White is a good strong ochre yellow/tan cream. It may be ok but it may look deeper and more yellow than you want it to be.

When you test the colours, apply two coats (all of the testpot) to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges of the card. It will help you see the reality of the colour/and depth and it can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how it changes in all spaces and whether it will work and whether or not it needs to be lighter in some rooms. The unpainted border on the card (when pinned up on the wall) means that the tested colour isn't unduly influenced by close proximity to an existing wall colour. Colour is a chameleon and any change of light or definite colour seen close to it will cause it to change - sometimes a lot.

I am not sure which other colours you have tested but you might look at these ones – Resene Half Malta, Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Bison Hide, Resene Nougat or Resene Half Drought.

These colours may seem light (I realise you want a mid tone) but as all colour in an interior doubles in depth I think slightly less colour rather than too strong a colour may be the way to go.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Half Malta
Resene Half Malta
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Nougat
Resene Nougat
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
   
September 2014

Q. Can you please advise a colour for the exterior of our 1920s bungalow? We are looking for a nice neutral colour. The roof is a colour similar to Resene New Denim Blue. The colours I have been looking at are Resene Cloud, Resene Truffle, Resene Grey Chateau and Resene Silver Chalice. Which of these or any others do you recommend? I'm unsure if the Resene Silver Chalice will look too silver/blue and will the Resene Cloud and Resene Truffle colours be too brown for the roof?

A. Blue loves beiges, taupes and browns. Even though the colours you mention - Resene Cloud and Resene Truffle - aren't real brown/beige they are (both of them) warmer grey colours. I personally think they are more appealing than the cooler greys you have mentioned (Resene Grey Chateau and Resene Silver Chalice) but colour is such a personal choice, isn't it? So - warmer and more harmonious or cooler and slightly subdued - which is it to be?

Whichever way you choose to go I do suggest that you need contrast, so what about doing something lighter/whiter to create a crisp fresh look and that in turn will enhance the main colour. Window frames/sashes, under soffits, bargeboards, posts and handrails leading to the entry?

Here are some ‘white’ options to consider – Resene Alabaster (cool white) or Resene Half Rice Cake (warmer white).

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
September 2014

Q. We are replacing our roof with COLORSTEEL® and also repainting the exterior. The terracotta is there to stay so wondering which roof, exterior and window colour to choose?

A. COLORSTEEL® colours are a bit limited in variety but I have found several that you might like – option 1 – Roof Grey Friars, main house Resene Half Spanish White, trim Resene Quarter Tuna; option 2 – Roof New Denim Blue, main house Resene Clotted Cream, trim Resene Wrangler, or option 3 – Roof Ironsand, main house Resene Triple Merino, trim Resene Half Taupe Grey.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Wrangler
Resene Wrangler
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
September 2014

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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.