Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. We are painting the exterior of our house Resene Taupe Grey with Resene Fuscous Grey trims and would like to know what colour/stain we should use for our wooden deck? A. You might look at these stain colours to see if they suit you – Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Smokey Ash, Resene Bleached Cedar or Resene Banjul.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have just painted our master bedroom in Resene Tuna and are now want to paint the ensuite to complement it but are unsure what colour to use. It's only a small space with black floor tiles, dark vanity and white tiled shower. A. If the bedroom has the 'wow factor' then I suggest that you keep it really simple in the ensuite. If you look for towels that are in several shades of grey - soft pale grey and more of a charcoal - coupled with the black floor tiles and dark vanity - then you could use one of these 'greyed whites' - Resene Black White, Resene Quarter Iron or Resene White Thunder. They will still look a bit coloured compared to the white tiled shower etc but the look will be serene and subtle.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I want to paint the walls of my kitchen, dining room and the kitchen cabinetry white. The white I like is the one which you often see on French style furniture. It needs to match with my rimu floor and bench, my curtains shot silk look in red/black and white, and black and silver appliances. A. The right 'white' is the one that looks best in your house, in your light and with your things. Because of the coloured curtains etc and the rimu floor you may need to test several to find the one that suits you. I suggest you test these ones out and watch how they alter with changing light and at different times of the day – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Wan White.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I'm looking at painting the interior of a retail shop and looking for the right white but don't understand about cooler and warmer colours and which is best to bring out good skin tone colours for a clothing shop? I love Resene Wan White and Resene Black White for our house but don't want to wash people out. A. Most retail outlets use a standard fluorescent lighting system which isn't a warm source of light. Coupled with stark, cool or grey toned whites all this achieves is a good brightness for reading but not a kind light to see one’s self reflected in the mirrors. If you investigated using large A2 samples of colours that could be seen in close proximity to the customer and the mirrors you may get a better idea of what works well. These large samples, called Resene BigColour, can be ordered from any Resene ColorShop - they are worthwhile because they are large enough to make good judgements about colour and they save money because you don't end up purchasing large amounts of the wrong colour. Please look at these types of warm whites, which cast a sweeter reflection and enhance skin tones – Resene Half Bianca, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Quarter Albescent White.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We would like to use the colour Resene Voodoo on kitchen cabinets under our rimu worktop. We have one overhead cabinet that we need to paint plus one wall and would very much appreciate your suggestions for a complementary colour. A. You don't indicate what colour the floor is, as this can have a major bearing on what might be chosen for walls, or what type of colours you favour and what is in the adjacent rooms. The following colours could be checked out as they look fabulous with deep aubergine toned reds and the warmth of rimu – Resene Cararra, Resene Eighth Pavlova, Resene Half Lemon Grass or Resene First Light. I would be inclined to paint the overhead cupboard the same colour as the walls so it doesn't create a colour blob on the wall and just melds into the space leaving all the emphasis on the lower cabinets. If the cupboard is handled a lot or has food stored in it then it will need to be painted in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enanel version of the wall colour, which might be the same paint finish, or it could be a low sheen waterborne enamel Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom enamel which is washable but not shiny.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am painting the exterior of my clawfoot bath in a black tone but want a softer looking black to go with darkish charcoal and sandy beige shiny tiles. I was thinking Resene Double Foundry as Resene Bokara Grey looks a bit brownish. The inside of the bath is white. A. For the exterior of the bath all colours will be seen close to the floor tiles so they have to look wonderful in close proximity. With dark charcoal and sandy beige I think you may be right in regards to the Resene Double Foundry but it may pay to check out Resene Fuscous Grey as a warm soft charcoal - it isn't as 'black' but is really nice.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have a colonial cottage with a Permanent Green roof. I am keen to use Resene Lemon Grass on the trim and am trying to find a good neutral colour which won’t look too pink, green or yellow for the weatherboards. A. Perhaps you could look at using grey/white based neutrals - they may work well with the blue green Permanent Green and the yellow green Resene Lemon Grass and not add extra colour – Resene Black White, Resene Half House White or Resene Quarter Concrete.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I love Resene Half Sea Fog however I am not sure if this colour is suitable for my house which is surrounded by many trees. My house is old with very high ceilings. A. Natural light filtered through trees often makes interiors look a little greenish or shadowy. Using a white like Resene Half Sea Fog shouldn't cause too many problems. If you love it then by all means use it. But I do suggest that you test it - paint all of the testpot - 2 coats - onto A2 card (available from your Resene ColorShop) leaving an unpainted border of white all around the edges and move it around from wall to wall and room to room - this will help you judge what it looks like at all times of the day and in changing light situations. When you can see how colour responds it helps with decisions.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. On a new build we are having Slate as the roof colour and cannot have it for the window/slider surrounds. We have chosen Silver Pearl for these and wish to match the Rockcote as closely to Silver Pearl as we can. The house is large and will have 'natural' vertical cedar. Is this a good combination? A. It is always difficult to absolutely match a metallic powder coat colour. Silver Pearl is no exception to the rule. I have found several colours that look a little similar and then the light changes and so do the colours and they often look quite 'off' - but if you wish to pursue this idea then you might look at these colours – Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Transmission. The 'natural' cedar will, if it is totally uncoated, develop many colours on the surface of the wood as it ages. If you want it to look the same colour all of the time you might consider staining it with one of the Resene Woodsman stain colours so it is protected and looks immaculate. Weathered cedar is much harder to prepare for a stain or paint at a later date if you should not like how it has altered as it ages and want to change it.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am looking for a light brown wall colour to make my duplex appear larger inside than it is. The ceiling and trim will be in a white on white colour scheme. I just can't find a nice light brown that isn't too dark. Any suggestions on the right colour that won’t make my place look smaller than it is? A. If you don't want the light brown to make your spaces seen smaller than they are then you might need quite a pale colour. You could try Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Quarter Joss or Resene Half Sandcastle. Also it depends on what the quality of light is like in the rooms and what other colours - furniture, curtains and carpets - that you have as to how the light brown will look.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am about to paint my clothing store and need some inspiration for a good wall colour which would help sell my clothes which is stock from other stores. I was looking at the black and white theme, although I could have a feature wall colour. Something warm and inviting. There are plenty of windows and light and I will need to consider painting the concrete floor a colour also. The large counter is white already. The ceiling is low and the shop has a very cosy feeling already. A. If you want a feature wall colour perhaps think about how colour makes people feel good - a rich yellow gold or a hot pink based red or a fresh yellow based green may do it - especially if the other areas are painted in whites and blacks. Bold colour really adds pizazz to a white, black and grey palette. You mention painting the floor - that is where a charcoal grey would look really good. Check out these colours – Resene Starstruck, Resene Memphis Belle or Resene Kakapo.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have just recently bought our first home, an old 1960s Summerhill Stone house. It has never been renovated, so we are currently renovating the entire interior, including painting walls and ceilings and polishing the old floor boards. We would like to include a bit of colour and I'd love to use a vintage colour palette that refers to the style of the house while still looking modern. A. These colours must co-ordinate with your existing elements (curtains, soft furnishings, kitchen cabinets and bench tops) unless you are able to replace all these. As I was a young chick in the 1960's - these were the colours that were 'hot' then – Resene Solitaire - almond ivory type colour for bathroom suites was the 'go to' neutral, Resene Locust - avocado bathroom suites were top of the pops, Resene Hot Curry - second most popular feature colour, Resene Brown Bramble - kitchen tiles and even stoves were this sort of colour, Resene Melon Orange - the most popular feature colour, Resene Amazon - these colours were part of the psychedelic spectrum, Resene Old Brick, Resene Bondi Blue, Resene Jacarta, Resene Limeade or Resene Sunflower.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are looking for a new exterior colour to go with COLORBOND® Deep Ocean steel cladding on some of the walls. I'm looking to change what is currently a red on them, similar to Manor Red, which is fast becoming dated and chalky. I'd prefer to go a bit of a grey. We live on the coast so would like to have more of a coastal feel. A. I think this could look really lovely - you might check out these colours to see if they are the sort of colour you had in mind – Resene Hermitage, Resene Half Regent Grey, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene White Thunder or Resene Half Concrete. These are paler greys that wander between blue tones to silver tones and they always look wonderful with pure white trims etc to enhance the unique qualities of the colours.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am renovating a 1970s house. I have painted the roughcast in Resene Fossil with Resene Triple Fossil on the window sills and bargeboard/soffit. What colours would you suggest for the corrugated iron roof? The house looks quite modern with large aluminium windows. A. You might check these colours out to see if they suit you – Resene Squall - earthy olive/charcoal, Resene Grey Friars – classic charcoal or Resene Gauntlet - warm light stone/grey.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are painting our place near the beach and were looking at beachy greys, but we have brown joinery. What kind of beachy grey would go with the brown for the exterior? A. Because of the existing brown windows you may need to compromise and just have a nice greyed/brown. It may not be the 'beachy grey' that you want but if it works with the windows and makes the house look really smart it may be the right colour. Please check these colours out – Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Quarter Sandstone or Resene Cloudy.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. What colour goes best with a Grey Friars roof and matt black aluminium windows? Half the house is weatherboards, the other half is shiplap boards. A. Luckily almost any colour at all will work with what you have on the roof and windows. Perhaps you might check these colours out to see if you like them – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Quarter Tuna or Resene Stonehenge.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a vertical cedar batten home currently in a fast fading dark green paint. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey and the joinery is silver aluminium. We are after an earthy black or black/brown that would match these colours and fit with our bush setting. The house gets full sun all day on one side so a CoolColour™ option would probably be necessary. A. You might check these colours out as they have the earthy blackish brown quality that may suit you – Resene Ironsand, Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Monkey or Resene Double Masala.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have a tiny fibrolite house with a Colonial Red roof. The main exterior is cream at present, and I'm thinking of painting the windows cream, with Resene Holly for the window frames. I would also like to put wooden shutters at the sides of the windows painted in Resene Jazz, with the front door in Resene Jazz also. Should I paint windows white? My house is only 25 feet long, and 11 feet wide... with 11 windows! A. It all sounds really cute but my main worry is that by using the Resene Holly for the window frames you will make them seem much smaller and it will make the house seem smaller again as it breaks up the space into tiny blocks. If the window sashes and surrounds were White the windows would appear larger and if you did the sills only in the Resene Holly (and possibly small window boxes attached to the bottom of the sills) and instead of shutters which will make spaces seem smaller and broken up you could do shingled window hoods above the windows in Resene Jazz with white undersides and supports that will attach to the outer window surrounds.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. My house has dark green roof and windows. What external colour choices do I have to brighten it up? It’s currently a terracotta colour. A. You are lucky - almost any colour will go with the dark green roof and windows. Here are a few colours that you might check out – Resene Double Merino, Resene Secrets, Resene Gin Fizz, Resene Nougat or Resene Half Bison Hide.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have just had my texture coated house painted in Resene Eighth Malta and wood trimmings including balcony and deck in Castlecliff. I now want to paint inside where the walls are also texture coated. The ceiling is wood. What colour do you suggest for the walls, skirting boards, doors and door frames? There are ranch sliders between the house and balcony. A. The colour may have to be very light so that it has a chance of co-ordinating with your existing curtains, carpets, kitchen cabinet/bench top and any other soft furnishings that are a definite colour. You might look at these colours as a start point – Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown or Resene Eighth Fossil.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I'm painting a wall in our baby’s room Resene Half Escape and want to warm it by painting some shelves yellow. Can you advise a yellow that would work with the blue? A. You might look at these sweet yellows – Resene La Luna or lighter – Resene Double Dutch White. Or these sharper yellows – Resene Shalimar or Resene Milan. A word to the wise - all yellows look far stronger/brighter than you might imagine they could so it pays to test them carefully.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. Which white should I use in a hallway that has one side panelled in rimu wood? I need it to look as bright as possible. A. You might check these whites out. They range from light/mellow to light/sharp – Resene Bianca (also comes in half and quarter tone version), Resene Orchid White (also comes in half tone version), Resene Half Rice Cake (comes as quarter and eighth tone versions) or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (also comes in eighth tone version). November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are currently looking at updating our kitchen. The walls are currently painted Resene Cararra, and the floor tiles are called silk mocha. They are in brown and green tones. I would like to keep the kitchen cabinetry and counter tops quite neutral. Do you have any recommendations? A. It may pay to find the counter top first and then investigate what colours will work with it and tie in the walls and floor. If you choose the cabinet colour first it may limit what you can use for counter tops. But if you want a few ideas then perhaps you might look at these colours – Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Bison Hide.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I want to stain a board and batten house with Resene Pitch Black or Resene Crowshead. What COLORSTEL® roof is best for these stains? I would like to use the colour Resene Double Alabaster on the windows. A. It really does depend on the profile of the roof and how much colour will be seen in relationship to the main body of the house. Most importantly - it is about what you like. If you don't want the roof to not be all that noticeable you could use Ebony or Grey Friars. If you would prefer a lighter roof (dark colours can make for a hot roof surface) you might look at Sandstone Grey.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have painted the walls of my house charcoal. What colour can I paint the window frames? A. For a very smart/crisp look you could use Resene Alabaster or if you want a soft greyed off look to blend a little more with the charcoal main colour you might look at using Resene Half Concrete.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I've picked a couple of colours that match a fabric swatch I have for cushions. The colours are Resene Navarone and Resene Wood Bark. I'm looking for an off-white to match these two. A. For an off white to co-ordinate with these colours you might check these colours out – Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Double Bianca.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have chosen Resene Eighth Sisal for my walls - what colour would you recommend for doors/trims? A. You have a lot of options to choose from but you might start checking these colours out – Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Bianca, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White. Or alternatively you might use a slightly deeper variant of your wall colour - Resene Quarter Sisal - if you want a definite colour. It would pay you to check the A4 samples of all these colours at your nearest Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library so you can better judge what the unique qualities of each colour has.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We need to replace some of the fascia and gutters on our house. The weatherboards are stained in Resene Woodsman Tiri. I am unsure whether to select Colorcote in Grey Friars or Ironsand or something else completely as a best match. A. You might look at using Ironsand Colourcote for the roof as it has the same warmth that Resene Tiri normally has. I say 'normally has' because the stain will fade over time so you may need to restain the weatherboards.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a bright sunny lounge with a cream couch. Two walls are Resene Half Thorndon Cream with Resene Alabaster ceiling with a kauri timber floor and a green grey carpet. I have looked at Resene Periglacial Blue and Resene Emerge which are close but one seems a bit grey and Resene Emerge a bit green. I'm after some depth and contrast. Resene Cloudy, Resene Half Linen, Resene Half Hilary and Resene Cougar were all too grey or green or pale. The exterior is Resene Eagle and Resene High Tide. A. I think the problem you are having is because the Resene Half Thorndon Cream is such a definite colour and only likes certain types of co-ordinates and also the grey/green carpet which would control what looked good with it. The question I have to ask is - if you don't want grey, green, pale or light, it leaves beige, blue, deep and warm so the following colours fall into these categories and look good with Resene Half Thorndon Cream. It is always difficult to get a perfect feature colour unless you are matching to something in particular. You might try these colours – Resene Tea, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Inside Back or Resene Half Perfect Taupe. It pays to test them carefully as they will alter a lot with changes of light and if they were being placed on walls with windows on them then they would look a lot more shadowy/deep. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I wish to change the colour of our bedroom mirror from its current orangey undertones to a more antique bronze/silvery colour. The bedroom has several large dark antique pieces and lots of windows and light. A linen bedhead and drapes are currently being made in natural greyish undertones. A. If your mirror is wood, then thoroughly sand to remove as much of the coating as possible prior to using a undercoat/primer – Resene Quick Dry - and a basecoat of a colour like Resene Chicago warm grey or Resene Mondo bronze/brown. Follow with a colour like Resene Pure Pewter (this is a metallic so it sparkles) lightly brushed or 'peckled' (light pouncing application) with a small damp sponge onto the basecoat once it is dry will give you an elegant bronze/silvery look. When it is dry and it looks as gorgeous as you can make it, then it can be clear coated.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. All our interior walls are low sheen white and the window frames, door frames and skirtings are all gloss white. Which should a picture rail match? One room only has three grey walls plus one orange wall again with all timber trims in gloss white. A. Generally I would say to you to keep it the same as the as the other wood trims - windows, doors, skirting etc - but this will highlight the picture rail and make it very noticeable. Is this what you want to do? If you don't want all eyes drawn to the glossy white picture rail then use the low sheen in white. For the grey/orange room perhaps paint it to match whichever wall colour it is on in a low sheen. Every person views picture rails in their own way - but it must be noted that the days when one highlighted (and with colour) all wooden trims boldly have gone - they tend to have a more minimal impact these days. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. Any suggestions for painting the exterior of my front door? The house colour is Resene Lemon Grass with Resene Half Spanish White door frame and the panel above door is Resene Tapa. It is currently Resene Tapa but I was thinking of a red colour? A. Are you wanting to change - also - the Resene Tapa on the panel above the door? If not, will it be the only place that Resene Tapa features on the house? It may seem odd to have one panel of an unrelated colour above the new colour of the front door - or does that not worry you? You might look at these reds to see if you like them – Resene Red Letter or Resene Pohutukawa.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a 1950s weatherboard low pitched roof house. It is painted in Resene Caraway. The house has brown aluminium windows. It has an extension which is clad in vertical PVC. This has been painted in Resene Eighth Mondo. I was wondering what we could paint the back door to the kitchen which goes onto a deck. We prefer not to have a dark colour as it is wooden and in full sun. Also what colour would you recommend to paint the foundation around house - was thinking Resene Caraway? A. Your idea of painting the foundation around the house to match the main colour - Resene Caraway - is a good idea as it will add extra height to the house and is a simple uncomplicated way to go. The door leading to the deck (wooden and in full sun) does really need a light colour. You might look at these colours – Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Pearl Lusta. Both of these colours will enhance the main colour and the feature colour on the extension - Resene Eighth Mondo.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I'm seriously in need of help. My house is still stuck in the 70s with its original wallpaper (various browns and patterns). My house has an extra problem - it's an A-Frame so has walls and no ceiling in the bedrooms. A. A-frame houses have their unique problems - ceilings and walls are one and the same. I usually advise that dark colours or bold patterned wallpapers not be used because as the angle of the walls narrows to the point (in this case where a ceiling should be but isn't) spaces feel as though they are sitting on top of your head. I often recommend that the paint colours or wallpaper be light to medium in depth and have minimal pattern (wallpaper) to lighten and open up the spaces. If colours and patterns feature on floors, furniture, bedding and curtains and blinds - and not on the walls - our impression of the space changes. Have you thought of hanging LED party lights strung across between the upper wall spaces (where you might expect a ceiling to be) to alter the upper areas? This can be quite magical especially if they are colour changing lights or another alternative is to add a tent across the upper walls with something radical like beautiful Indian sari material with sparkly trims or shimmery voile so it billows and hangs like an exotic boudoir. Have you thought of using funky wallpaper on the wardrobe doors (you don't need a lot of it to make the room really interesting) or a bold funky colour on them so that they are an amazing feature ? I think once you remove the existing wallpapers and start with a clean, light new colour you will start to see what wonderful options are available to you. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I would like to change our house colour to Resene Duck Egg Blue on the weatherboards with Resene Half Duck Egg Blue for the roof tiles. The deck will be redone with glass and the pergola is being redone and will be white with the windows and all trim. What white would you recommend? A. Because your main colours are very pale in order to get contrast I suggest you look at these whites – Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Because they are similar I suggest you pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 samples of all the colours in their Colour Library. If you place a sheet of printer paper between the colours you will be better able to judge their unique qualities.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am painting the walls of a small cottage in Resene Thorndon Cream - what would a good colour be to paint the kitchen cupboards. A. If you want the walls to look lighter then it follows that the cupboards will need to be deeper - perhaps Resene Triple Thorndon Cream (or if this is too yellowish) then you might look at Resene Half Taupe Grey. But if you really liked the idea of brighter/lighter cupboards then you might look at Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Rice Cake. Neither of these colours are real white but they may appear that way until you see real white close to them.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a bay villa that we are repainting. We are looking at painting it white. We quite like Resene Wan White or the Resene Black White. We are not wanting it to be stark white but we do not want any pink or yellow tones either. What else would you suggest? We are wanting to pair this with a grey roof, which does not throw blue. Can you recommend a suitable grey? We are undecided as to how dark a grey we want but appreciate not wanting blue will limit our options. A. Most 'whites' brighten/lighten a lot on an exterior so I suggest that Resene Black White may be less glary. Or alternatively Resene Quarter Iron. For the roof you might look at these greys – Resene Tuna, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Nocturnal - but you need to know that if your view of the roof is on an angle to the sun it may appear lighter or bluer. When looking at A4 samples of roof colour, at your local Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library, hold the sample at a 45 degree angle to the light so you will see what it could look like. People often look a sample on a horizontal/flat surface which is misleading unless it is the floor that you are painting.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I want a quick update to our master bedroom which is painted in Resene Half Tana. The wardrobe doors are also this colour. The window frames and furniture are white, curtains are sage, the carpet is greeny grey. The room feels cold despite lots of afternoon sun. I want to paint one wall a contrasting colour to update it without splashing out on carpet and curtains or a full repaint. A. I suspect if the window walls are Resene Half Tana they might look quite earthy and shaded - do you think this could be what makes the room feel cold? All colours on a window wall fall into shadow and look deeper. Resene Half Tana is a yellowy green and if it is seen on a light or sunny wall it looks lovely so there may be two ways of dealing with this problem: Leave the Resene Half Tana on the walls where it looks the deepest and paint one wall only Resene Red Red Red (a red is the opposite of green so naturally well associated) to add more warmth and drama to the room.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. Can you please recommend a cool white on white and also a sharp white on white? We have Resene Alabaster on the ceilings and light grey floor coverings. A. For cool try Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Black White. For sharp try Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Rice Cake.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are in the process of renovating and the builder has painted our house Titania. The gutters and roof are also the same colour. I am in desperate need of a window trim colour and a colour for the garage doors. The builder wants to use a bright white but I don't think it complements. A. Please check these colours out to see if they will enhance the house – Resene Double Ash looks gorgeous as a main colour - when you get 'over' the Titania as the main colour on the house - and want a change; Resene Quarter Rice Cake could be used instead of pure white around the windows and for the front/back door/frames/under the soffits or Resene Half Tapa could be used for the garage doors/fences etc.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. My walls are going to be Resene Rice Cake. Should my window reveals and skirting boards be lighter or darker? My floors are Tasmanian Oak which is light. A. If you want the walls to look a more distinct colour then you might look at using Resene Quarter Rice Cake so the timber work is highlighted. If you want the walls and woodwork to be the same colour then using a semi-gloss enamel on the woodwork in the same colour as the low sheen Resene Rice Cake on the walls will make it seem slightly brighter/lighter but essentially the same. If you want to make the woodwork seen darker and stand out leaving the wall colour appearing to be much paler you might need to use Resene Double Rice Cake.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I'm doing a house extension with a walkway connects between the existing and new house. Currently my existing house exterior weatherboards are in semi-gloss Resene White and I'll be painting the house extension weatherboard in semi-gloss Resene White too. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Endura Storm Blue and the aluminium joinery is Lignite Matt, the fascia and soffit are white. I need advice on what paint colour to go for on the walkway over the Axon cladding and baseboard. I prefer dark colours. A. You might do the walkway Axon panel cladding and the baseboards the same colour to keep everything simple and tie both houses together. There is a lovely colour that is a lighter version of the window joinery colour that you might check out - Resene Quarter Lignite or alternatively a blue like the roof colour – Resene Coast or a blue/grey colour - Resene Half New Denim Blue.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have recently renovated my kitchen with a white benchtop, cupboards and tiles. I am thinking of doing a black splashback. Which black is good for kitchen splashbacks? A. Perhaps you could check out these blacks to see if they suit you – Resene Nero, Resene Blackjack, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Black.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We've got a house that is currently yellow (yuck!) with a red tile roof and off-white joinery. We're about to get new carpet and paint the interior but want to make sure it will tie in with what we want to do with the exterior in a few months. My dilemma is we really want to move away from brown/beige and into a more grey colour scheme inside but I'm concerned we'll be restricted by the red roof outside. If we do a mid-dark grey carpet and light grey/white walls with some darker grey accents do you think a brown/grey would look ok on the outside with the red roof or should we stick to browner colours inside as well? When we do the outside we'll replace the garage door with a cedar one too. A. If you look at warm stone greys, warm grey/whites and warm stone charcoals it may work better for you than using a cool industrial steel grey and icy grey/white. If you try these colours they will help you find that obliging and flexible grey palette – Resene Eighth Friar Greystone (perhaps as the exterior main colour), Resene Friar Greystone (feature colour inside or carpet colour option/or trim colour outside), Resene Sea Fog (interior main colour) - to make it look a bit more 'coloured' put it close to real White so there is contrast and Resene Quarter Ironsand (exterior trim or fence colour).
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am wanting to paint the exterior of my 1950s home over the summer. We have a Forest Green roof and matching aluminium joinery. Are you able to suggest some colour combos for walls and trim? We would like something more interesting than the current boring white. A. You might look at these combos – Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Eighth Parchment for trims, Resene Triple Sea Fog and Resene Double Alabaster for trims, Resene Quarter Bison Hide with Resene Quarter Rice Cake for trims or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice with Resene Half Black White for trims. There are many other colour combinations that would work also. Doors can also be enhanced with pops of colour too - and this is where you personalise your home.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I intend on selecting one neutral warm white to paint the entire interior of our house. I am unsure if a warm white would go with a bathrooms which is predominately charcoal tiles and white tiles. I am wondering if I should just paint the bathrooms in a cool neutral i.e. Resene Alabaster or Resene Sea Fog or whether some warm whites may complement the white vanity, bath, shower and tiles. A. I am inclined to agree with you - Resene Sea Fog may be slightly warmer (more coloured) than Resene Alabaster but either will allow any true white - i.e white vanity, shower and tiles to be 'whiter'. You might also check out Resene Half Barely There and Resene Double Alabaster and carefully compare all of the 'whites' to see which one appeals to you the most and enhances your space.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We plan to paint all of our interior with Resene Eighth Bison Hide with maybe Resene Alabaster on the ceiling and architraves. We wondered what to do as occasional feature wall in the dining room and bedrooms and what colour for the internal doors. A. For the internal doors you need to think through whether you want them to be deeper and stand out - lots of doors will make a definite colour on them seem more dominant - or whether you want them to merge in – use the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel finish - or blend into the major trim colour - so door frames and doors would be the same white - these three options need to be thought through carefully. If you do want them a deeper colour than the walls then I suggest you don't go too deep - perhaps Resene Quarter Bison Hide but not deeper than that. For feature walls you may need to think whether there are colours that you favour and would like to use or are related to other colours you have already - in the curtains, in artwork, in upholstery or flooring - and use that as a co-ordinated approach to special wall colours. But if you don't want to closely tie your colour palette together in order to co-ordinate then you might look at these colours for some initial ideas – Resene Red Letter, Resene Timekeeper, Resene Bellbottom Blue or Resene Double Malta.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am painting out the interior of a relative’s house. It is presently painted with lilac walls and very bold purple/blue doors and trims. The kitchen cupboards are a blue colour. We are wanting to paint the house so that it looks neutral and appealing to buyers. We have thought of doing it in Resene Tea - possibly Resene Quarter Tea on walls and Resene Half Tea on doors and trim. Will this work? It will be easier to repaint the doors in a colour that has some pigment to help us cover the strong purple. We want the rooms to look light and neutral. Or should we do the walls the Resene Half Tea and the doors Resene Quarter Tea? Will this colour go with the existing blue kitchen cabinets and the blue curtains? What colour should we paint the ceilings which are an average height? A. I would be inclined to use Resene Tea or Resene Quarter Napa for the doors as they are deeper colours that won't show finger marking as much and may be better at covering the existing purple colour. Resene Quarter Tea is a popular choice for walls. If the doors and window frames/sashes/sills were all painted Double Alabaster it will increase the light and look nice as a contrast to the wall colour. This isn't too stark a white but is good for coverage and still looks fresh.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have completely gutted our house and are renovating it. We have lots of pails of Resene Half Tea that I have to use up, so I am putting this in the bedrooms, but I want a different complementary grey colour in the open plan kitchen/lounge. I have got ‘greige’ coloured carpet, flooring and silvery (soft grey) teal curtains. I want a soft grey and quite like Resene Half Cloudy but am worried it will be a bit pinky. Any other suggestions that aren't too dark? I also want a door colour that would work with both of these colours, something other than Resene Alabaster. A. All colours undergo colour changes according to natural and artificial light so it does pay to test them very carefully in order to see how they will look. I always recommend that the whole testpot (two coats) be applied to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so that you focus on the reality of the colour, and it is large enough to make a good judgement call about. You can move it from wall to wall to see how it alters and if you roll it into a cone shape with the colour innermost when you look in to the cone this way you get a good representation of how deep it will look when all four walls are painted. If you are a bit worried about Resene Half Cloudy you may need to look at several similar types of colours to compare them and to test them to see which colour works the best. You might look at these ones – Resene Cloud (not as grey as Resene Half Cloudy), Resene Eighth Pravda or Resene Quarter Napa. For the doors you might look at these ones – Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Wan White or Resene Sea Fog.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are wanting to paint a sleepout tucked in tussocks and rock. We would like to paint the wood walls Resene Grey Friars. Am wondering what white or other option to paint the window sills, frames and surrounds. And also, if we decide to paint the barge boards, gutters and long run roof a different colour, what colour would go well with the Resene Grey Friars walls?. A. You might consider using Resene Black White or Resene Double Alabaster for all the trim - including the barge boards, gutters and under the eaves. For the roof you can look at a lighter variant of the main colour - Resene Quarter Grey Friars - this will link the whitest colour and the darkest colour together in an achromatic palette. Alternatively a traditional roof red - Resene Pioneer Red - creates warmth or bold green like Resene Kaitoke Green lifts the palette of 'non colours' and adds fresh appeal.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am trying to pick a colour out online, and like Resene Moody Lavender. Can you please tell me what screen settings on my computer I should have to get a truer colour? The colour looks different for different brightness. A. Looking at colours online can be a good idea to see the sorts of colours you might like, but we always recommend viewing actual colour charts and swatches before making final choices. This is because electronic colour does not reproduce paint colours perfectly – some paint colours are easier to represent online than others. For your setting, the best idea is normally to view on a computer with the highest number of colours setting. A vertical screen is usually better than a horizontal one, as the lighting on the screen will also affect the way you view the colour. Unfortunately it’s an imperfect area. There is a lot of information online about improving the colour accuracy of a computer, but generally while you improve it for some colours, it can make other colours seem less accurate. E.g. if you adjust the screen darker or lighter, then some colours will look better and some worse. We’d recommend using online colours to decide the sorts of colours and looks you like and then view actual colour charts and swatches to narrow down your choices.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. Is having a small blackboard in the kitchen on the wall, for lists or other ideas, still in or now not cool? A. I am still seeing this used a lot - and strangely enough it is taking on many amazing formats. I saw a wood panelled wall painted as a blackboard in a child's room, blackboard paint painted onto glass jam jars and storage canisters, blackboard paint used as complete kitchen wall paint, in a coffee bar as a chalk art menu and also in a garage work shop (man cave) where the clever creative male of the house was drawing up dimensions for making a metal weather vane. It has been in and out of favour for years - about forty years ago I saw it in a utility room for the (very forward thinking) lady of the house to write her To Do chores down on and just recently on one side of a garage wall facing the street to advertise the corner dairy milk shake and ice cream flavours - a changing menu obviously! I love it! I say 'Go for it!' and if you only do a large board to hang on the wall if it isn't in favour as a statement in several years’ time it can be popped away until children or grandchildren appear on the scene. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I really need some help with choosing the right temperature of white. We have terracotta floors and stained pine vaulted ceilings which are very warm colours. The windows and architraves are also a dark timber. The majority of the house receives good light due to the large windows and French doors and being on acreage we are surrounded by greenery. I am not sure whether I should use a cool based white to balance out the warmth of the timber and terracotta or go for a warmer hue. A. You may find that cooler 'whites' take on a greyish cast when seen with warmer elements in your house. But these 'whites' may need to be tested carefully to see how they respond to the (natural and artificial) light, angles of the room spaces and the wood and terracotta – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Wan White or Resene Half Sea Fog. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 colour samples in their Colour Library the large samples may help you judge warmth and coolness - especially if you place a sheet of white printer paper between the samples. The pure white paper helps your eye to adjust and see the colours that hide within the 'whites' - and then testing the colours at your place will confirm how the colour will look at your home. All of the aforementioned 'whites' come as deeper and lighter variants if you should need to adjust the tones.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have a basic rectangle house, white aluminium windows which has no character and I want to give it some. I am thinking of using Resene Half Gravel on the walls (textured Hardiplank®) and want a dark charcoal to go around the baseboards, deck and fence (and maybe the fascia boards). I can't find the right tone and would be interested in your suggestions. A. You might look at these colours to use on the house and fence to go with Resene Half Gravel – Resene Squall, Resene Zeus, Resene Triple Masala, Resene Double Gravel or Resene Armadillo. If these aren't 'black' enough then you might use Resene All Black.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a green COLORSTEEL® roof with brown alloy window frames. We would like to use an ivy green on the roof and close to the window frame colour as possible. My question is, what colour should we use for the weatherboards? A. I am hoping that the ivy green that you are referring to as a new roof paint colour is Resene Ivy Green. There are several brown colours that have been used over the years as alloy windows so because I am unsure about which one in particular you have, but try these colours as a start point… Resene Napa, Resene Rockbottom or Resene Double Tea. These colours may be obliging and work well with the window joinery. Brown tones always like greens so I have no concerns that they will work with the Resene Ivy Green. Both the Resene Napa and the Resene Tea suggestions have lighter variants that may also be investigated as options also.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I'm looking for a fresh neutral that will work with chocolate wood furniture, white, blue and greys. I really don't like any paint that throws a yellow undertone when put against white. I would like a colour scheme with an option for trim work and doors also please. A. You could try Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Half Napa - main colour #2 - for larger brighter rooms or for small cool rooms where lighter colours make it look cold and unappealing, Resene Arrowtown - feature colour or Resene White - ceilings, woodwork. A word to the wise - any west facing room may throw some warmth into a wall colour - yellow, orange or red tones - because that is what the natural low sun light has in it. This would be the room also where a lovely blue might look grey. The reason I have suggested Resene White as a ceiling and wood trim colour is because of the pure white shutters. Any slightly coloured 'white' may look creamy or greyish by comparison to those. Resene Quarter Truffle may take on a greyish look in south facing rooms or if there were browns or beiges in soft furnishings that were warmer in tone.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am looking for a subtle splashback with a little colour included. My walls are Resene Truffle and my kitchen bench and cupboards are in a white colour. My carpet is a chocolate colour. HELP I am lost in the world of colour. A. A subtle splash back with a little colour to go with Resene Truffle and white kitchen cabinets and work top might be one of these neutral types of colours – Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Cougar. Or for some real (but soft and muted) colours try Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Inside Back. Or if terror leaves you pale and shaking in your boots when any colour is mentioned then low iron oxide crystal clear glass over the existing wall colour will give you protection but not a 'coloured' splashback. A word to the wise - there are two types of glass used for splashbacks and only one of them shows the colour behind the glass true to reality - it is the one I have mentioned not the standard float glass which has a definite green cast to it and even turns white walls to a mint green colour.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am decorating a small bedroom (4x3m), which needs a split colour palette due to the wall divider. I am thinking a dark inky colour for the lower wall and a lighter colour for the upper wall. It is for a young boy, however I don't want it to be gender specific or childish as it may be used for other purposes in the future. The room has matai flooring. It gets very bright morning sun, but is relatively dark for the rest of the day. It has a plain white ceiling and trims. A. If the room is for a young boy it may be wise to use bright colours/patterns in a duvet, drapes and rugs to make the space feel friendly and 'young at heart'. Is the 'dark ink' that you are thinking of a blue or black hue? As long as you don't mind the lower wall absorbing more of the natural light during that part of the day when no sun is in the room then you might look at these colours – Resene True Blue or Resene Foundry. For the upper walls you might look at these types of colours – Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Linen. They are light/neutral colours that would suit any age or gender.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have an all white den. I am thinking about painting one wall Resene Salsa. We are buying a new Salsa Sectional and I thought olive accessories would be nice. What do you recommend? A. As long as you have very carefully matched the Salsa sectional furniture fabric to the exact same red in the Resene colours I think it could be dynamic and exciting. As a cautionary procedure I think I would be inclined to purchase a Resene testpot and paint all of it (two coats) onto A2 card leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so you focus on the true depth of the colour and see how well it works with the furniture. I like the idea of olive accessories - that is a nice touch.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a 1970s orange two storey brick house with cream basement. What colour would be good for garage doors and front door? A. You might look at dense greys, blue based greens and unusual blues – Resene Tuna, Resene Tiki Tour or Resene Explorer.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have recently painted our house with Resene Tapa on the weatherboards and the entrance Shadowclad in Resene Double Foundry. We are the process of building a small deck with Kwila but disagree over what colour we should paint the exterior baseboards. A. I think you should paint the baseboards the same as the main house colour otherwise by choosing a different colour you highlight the baseboards - do you want then to be a feature? If not then I think you should keep it simple but also the same colour will add visual height to the house. The kwila deck is a nice feature and if you are intent on keeping it the rich kwila colour (instead of letting it weather off to a sort of grey over the years) then I suggest you coat it with Resene Kwila Timber Stain. Alternatively - if you favoured a dark grey to associate well with the Resene Double Foundry you could stain it Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I want to use Resene Double Rice Cake on walls. What is a nice white to use on trims. Will Resene Alabaster work? My floor tiles are a polished white porcelain. A. Resene Alabaster will certainly work and probably will tie in the polished white porcelain tiles. An alternative would be to use Resene Eighth Rice Cake which looks very nice also.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are building a new 'old villa' and have chosen a COLORSTEEL®, the colour is Sandstone Grey. What would you recommend I paint the weatherboards, windows, posts, fretwork and sills? A. If you want the traditional crisp/light detailing and soft medium colours with a little dark for special features (front door or window sills) then you might check these lovely colours out – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Black White, Resene Squall, Resene Truffle, Resene Half Black White and Resene Gumboot. These are just a few ideas of possibly hundreds of options and they may not be what you had in mind but they will start you thinking and dreaming.
December 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a cottage which we have painted Resene Double Spanish White. Could you please suggest a couple of options for the colour of the windows and glass doors? A. You might look at these colours as they work nicely with Resene Double Spanish White - soft coloured whites: Resene Eighth Pavlova or Resene Quarter Spanish White. Or crisp/clean/traditional but nice – Resene Alabaster.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I am looking at painting my south facing bedroom in my railway cottage Resene Half Merino with Resene Half Alabaster trim. I would like to go quite dramatic and paint my doors black (they are standard craftsman doors) but I am unsure what black and what paint. I would prefer something that didn't show fingerprints too much! A. Just as white doors show grimy finger marks easily a really dark or black door will show the greasy aspect of fingers touching the door. One way around this is to use a glossy paint (not a low sheen or matt finish) as it is a harder type of paint that withstands constant touching without marks showing. You might look at these 'blacks' to see if one of them is what you have in mind – Resene Double Foundry, Resene Nero, Resene Blackjack or Resene Black. Because these can all look the same in a small chip if you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples and compare them it might make choosing a little easier. If you place a piece of clear acetate over the edge of the colour sample it will replicate what a gloss finish will look like. The clear acetate sheet is an integral part of The Range fandecks and this is what it helps you to see - colour looks so different between a low sheen or matt finish and a glossy finish.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have restained our house with Resene Equilibrium over brown stain. The posts and under eaves will be Resene Half Thorndon Cream and French doors Resene Thorndon Cream. The windows are bronze/brown. I was thinking Resene Ironsand for the roof but wondered if it would look too dark/dull, I'd rather a cottagey look than modern. A. Your house looks like a rural cottage and if you think the Resene Ironsand roof would make it look too dark you could look at these alternative options – Resene Squall, Resene Half Gravel or Resene Groundbreaker. These colours work well with all of those you are using.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have a Resene Alabaster kitchen and Resene Eighth Napa on the walls. I am looking for a nice neutral grey for the splashback. What would you suggest? A. You could try Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Half Gauntlet. Or a metallic – Resene Aluminium. A word to the wise - there are two types of glass that is used for splashbacks but only one shows the colour absolutely correctly. It is the low iron oxide crystal clear glass. The standard float glass has a green cast to it and alters how the colours look considerably which can be a nasty surprise for the unwary and then it can be too late to change.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I need help to choose exterior colours for our new house. I am looking at greys, stones, but not brown. The roof gutter, fascia and windows are COLORBOND® Surfmist (white). I really just need two colours for the render and cladding. A. COLORBOND® Surfmist is exactly the same colour as Resene Titania and the types of colours that will work well often have a little ash or green in them. You might check these out to see if they are what you have in mind – Resene Half Titania, Resene Ash, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Foggy Grey.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We would like to paint a darker contrast to Resene Blank Canvas below our dado. We do not want to go away from cream shades. A. A deeper contrast that works with Resene Blank Canvas (which is quite a deep colour) will take on more gold/brown biscuit tones. Is that what you had in mind? You could check out these colours to see if they suit – Resene Calico, Resene Double Haystack or Resene Sand - this is only very slightly deeper - it may not be noticeable.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are painting the exterior of a concrete house. Our roof is COLORSTEEL® Stone and the fascia is a darker version of stone. We are looking for a neutral light colour but do not like creams, yellows or pinks. Is there a neutral or white leaning towards grey or brown that would look good against the stone and fascia? For heat reasons, the lighter the better, but true white is too harsh on the eye. A. You might look at these colours - they are light but have a little character to them and may be what you are looking for -
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I would like to know if you could suggest some colours for the plaster to the exterior of our house we are going to restain the weatherboards Resene Pitch Black and most likely paint the fascias and roof Resene Scoria as the roof is a red faded COLORSTEEL®. I'm looking at something like Resene Triple White Pointer or something slightly darker. A. I can imagine the Resene Woodsman Pitch Black and Resene Scoria roof working really well. Apart from Resene Triple White Pointer you might check these colours out to see if they are the sort of thing you are looking for – Resene Double Truffle, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Eighth Stonehenge. These options are slightly deeper than the Resene Triple White Pointer.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have a range of exterior cladding on our house including matrix cladding, Linea® boards, stone cladding and rendered concrete. We would like to paint the Linea® boards in Resene Tuna and the rendered concrete areas in Resene Concrete. Can you please advise of a colour that would match in with Resene Concrete and Resene Tuna as I am not sure what to paint the matrix cladding exterior areas? A. Matrix cladding can be painted in either light or dark colours. Because you have four different types of cladding on the house I would be inclined to paint the Matrix to match one of the existing colours rather than another colour. Unless of course you do want to draw attention to each type of cladding with different colours - do you? If you do it Resene Concrete then it will match the rendered concrete areas (both are smooth surfaces) and the Linea® will be the dark feature. But if you do it Resene Tuna you will have two different types of surfaces as features. The choice is yours.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I want to paint my worker’s cottage yellow/grey/white - Resene Moonbeam or Resene Pale Prim with crisp white windows – maybe Resene Alabaster or Resene Merino and Resene Gull Grey, Resene Tuna or Resene Grey Chateau on the roof and window sill line. However the new roof is now COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue - so yellow won't work. The house is very close to a busy road and gets lots of road dirt. Is there a warm buttery cream (a clean cream, not green or brown) for weatherboards? And what white/contrast would I then use? Do I paint the side verticals in wall or trim colour? What would be a good mid grey (not too blue) I can paint the fences at the back? A. With the New Denim Blue roof colour you might look at these yellows – Resene Sidecar, Resene Hathaway or Resene Mellow Yellow. A word to the wise - all yellows look two or three times brighter than you could ever imagine. If you use a really crisp white like Resene Half Alabaster and Resene Half New Denim Blue (to tie in the roof colour) or Resene Tuna (deeper/greyer than the roof) for trims and fences it will look amazing. The side verticals if painted to match the house will make it seem wider - if white then the front of the house will look narrower in overall width. Unfortunately the only colours that will hide the road dirt is 'road dirt coloured neutrals' but if you have a glossy paint (dirt doesn't stick to it so readily) and wash it down every three months it won't look so grubby. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. My walls will be Resene Rice Cake and trims Resene Eighth Rice Cake. The floor will be Tasmanian Oak and ceiling grooved ply. What is a nice warm grey that can be used as a feature wall? Something not too dark but that will contrast nicely with both the floor and walls. A. There are probably a lot of nice warm greys that you might use as a feature wall colour. Perhaps you could check these ones out to see if they suit you – Resene Revolution, Resene Gunsmoke, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Double Stack, Resene Wireless or Resene Half Baltic Sea.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. I have a feature wall painted a dark brown. I want to lighten the room with a lighter, brighter colour. The carpet is dark, the kitchen cabinets are dark. I'm thinking a fresh mint or light sky blue but these may make the room too cool. Alternatively, a light warm orange. Finally, I want to match the exact colour with a splashback glass panel that will run under the kitchen cabinets the full length of the stainless benchtop. A. A fresh green may be a little warmer than light sky blue. Whichever Resene colour you want to use under the splashback glass will match exactly provided the glass is low iron oxide crystal clear glass and not the standard float glass which has a green cast to it and alters considerably what the colour looks like behind it. You could check out these colours to see if they are the sort of colour you favour – Resene Caper or lighter – Resene Soft Apple. Alternatively - blues that are less cool – Resene Kumutoto, or lighter – Resene Aqua, or cheeky warm oranges - Resene Hero or softer – Resene Consuela or totally random suggestion – Resene Starstruck.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. My house is painted Resene Gull Grey with an Resene Ironsand base, barge board and guttering. What colour red would be the best to paint my front door? A. You could try these reds – Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Pioneer Red, Resene Tall Poppy or Resene Dynamite.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We're looking for a lightish warm neutral similar to Resene Thorndon Cream but without the green undertone. What can you suggest? A. You might check these colours out to see if they are what you have in mind – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene White Pointer or Resene Eighth Bison Hide. If you are able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them to each other and to Resene Thorndon Cream it will help you a lot to judge the underlying tints and tones within the colours. Then choosing a Resene testpot to trial at your house won't seem so difficult either.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We have lived with and loved our Resene Tea walls but our new home at the beach also has Resene Tea living areas. While I love the muted undertones of Resene Tea, it's time for a change. Can you recommend something in the warm greys that would have that same depth of colour as Resene Tea and reflect the atmosphere and openness of the beach environment? A. You might check out these warm greys to see if they are the sort of colour you might envisage working for you at the beach – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. Used with a crisp clear white as trims they will have masses of character and depth and will reflect acres of windblown clouds and light.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We're getting our house painted Resene Foggy Grey - but the paint on the weatherboards seems a lot greener than the testpots. Is Resene Foggy Grey compatible with Lumbersider (which the contractor is using)? A. Foggy Grey can be tinted into Resene Lumbersider. Resene testpots also have Resene Lumbersider in them. The best idea is to take a colour chart or testpot and compare to the paint colour to ensure it is correct. Also check the tinting label to make sure it has been tinted to the colour you expected. If the colour doesn’t match the testpot/swatch then the contractor may need to take it back to Resene for our staff to check it. Sometimes colours can seem different when you are painting a much larger area or if they are reflecting the colours of other things in the environment close to them.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. Our house is currently painted Resene Napa, our front door is Resene Bokara Grey. Can you suggest a colour to paint our pine steps, which lead to the front house? There are retaining walls and fences around the rest of the property, which has been stained black. A. Perhaps if it is a painted colour that you are looking for (the other option is a stain colour) you might consider a much lighter variant of the main house colour. This will co-ordinate but not detract from the front door feature colour - Resene Quarter Napa or even a deeper variant of the house colour - Resene Double Napa. Alternatively you might use a slightly lighter variant of the door colour - this will have the effect of minimising the impact of the door colour – Resene Half Bokara Grey. If you want a tougher paint for the pine steps you might consider using Resene Walk-on as it will withstand constant foot traffic a little better than a standard acrylic finish.
November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are looking at repainting our house, which is a Gray Young design. We cannot decide on colours and whether we should highlight the panels or have them the same colour as the house. What would you advise? We are looking at colours similar to Resene Tea for the main part of the house, with white and dark grey/charcoal accents around the windows. All the other houses around us are painted the standard white and light grey so we wanted to have something different! A. You are right about most houses of this type being white - it has been a traditional look for a long time and possibly because the terracotta roof tiles are so distinctive. If you would like a different look for the house perhaps you could check out these combos – Resene Half Truffle/Resene Quarter Sea Fog/Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Quarter Cougar/Resene Eighth Black White/Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey/Resene Alabaster/Resene Double Gravel. November 2014
|
||||||||||||
Q. We are currently in the process of building a new home and selecting interior paint colours. We have fallen in love with Resene Foggy Grey for our interior walls. Does this colour read too dark for interior walls? I have painted a big sample of it and think it looks great but would value a second opinion. What ceiling and trim colour would you recommend pairing with this? It might help to know a couple of extra details: Our kitchen is all white. Our open plan living has oak vinyl plank flooring. The rest of the house has mid-dark grey carpet (darker than Foggy Grey). Our joinery is Titania. A. Resene Foggy Grey is a lovely colour but in an interior, colour often looks deeper than you might expect it to look and quite different (and sometimes unrecognisable) in different rooms. Testing it carefully is the key - if you paint up an A2 card using all of the testpot (two coats) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges this will help you - you will then see a large enough sample to judge what it really looks like.
Some rooms may benefit by the lighter variants of the colour instead of the full strength version. A ceiling and trim colour can be either cool/crisp or soft/mellow and again it pays to check out what works best for you and with the main colour/s. If you have a real cold white for the kitchen cabinets, warm but pale wooden floors, deep carpet and coloured window joinery then it may pay to check these 'whites' out to see if one of them works for you and with the other elements in the house – Resene Wan White, Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca. These are all 'coloured' in a subtle way and respond to other colours seen close them and changes of light. If you place a sheet of white printer paper close to them the underlying cool or warm tones may become apparent.
November 2014
|