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 moving into a new house with a lot of dark timber. We want to lighten it – can we do that or do we need to paint over it in a white or similar? A. You could try Resene Colorwood Whitewash for a whitewashed stain finish over the dark. It will definitely help to lighten it. Or you could choose another stain colour, but the whitewash would have a much more noticeable effect. Resene Colorwood Whitewash comes in testpots so you could try it out on a small inconspicious area first to see if it suits. The other option is to paint it off white (most people tend to choose off white rather than straight white). The advantage of the Colorwood Whitewash is it may give you a more natural effect and you may be able to see the woodgrain (depending on how dark the existing finish is). The advantage of the paint is that it can completely cover what is there. It depends which of those looks you would prefer. I'd probably start with the testpot of the Resene Colorwood Whitewash first and if you don't like that then you could look at the painting option.
May 2015
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Q. A shop has recommended I buy a Resene wall paint for my ceiling as opposed to a standard Resene ‘Ceiling Paint’. Would you agree? A. Resene SpaceCote Flat is ideal as a ceiling finish, and it can be used on walls too and this may be the product they have recommended. Resene SpaceCote Flat is a waterborne enamel so it means it's a lot tougher than a normal acrylic ceiling paint so it's easier to wipe down if you want to remove fly spotting or similar. For bathrooms and wet areas we don't recommend standard acrylic paints as they don't perform as well in the humid/wet conditions. For those areas we would recommend Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom (which can be used on walls also) or you could use the standard Resene SpaceCote Flat version. May 2015
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Q. Is there a colour in the Resene range that is between Resene Nebula and Resene Periglacial Blue? A. You might check out these colours – Resene Half Periglacial Blue, Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Half Emerge.
May 2015
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Q. At this stage am wanting to restain the fence, repaint the front retaining wall and repaint the side metal gates. I would also like your opinion colours for the gable, front door, garage door and letterbox top (currently a gold colour). At this stage I wouldn't consider repainting the bricks, so we are stuck with brown roof, guttering etc. I see you have Resene Sheer Black in stain which may not be as heavy as plain black. A. I think the stain might need to have a little brown tone to it - so yes Resene Sheer Black is the darkest brown based nearly black stain. You might check out Resene Ironsand as a possibility for the front retaining wall and side metal gates. The reason I am suggesting this colour is because it is darker than the existing powdercoat browns but it looks as though it may tie them and the bricks together. You could look at colours like these for the front door, gable (possibly garage door) and letterbox top: Resene Triple Spanish White, Resene Triple Bison Hide, Resene Sandstone or Resene Quarter Ironsand.
May 2015
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Q. We are repainting the master bedroom in our 1926 family home. Last time we chose a rather bold turquoise and bright curtains which we have loved. The room has stained glass windows, wooden window frames and wardrobe doors. Can you suggest another colour scheme that would go with the curtains? A. You could try Resene Guggenheim, Resene Material Girl, Resene Dauntless, Resene Oscar or Resene Renew.
May 2015
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Q. The front of our house is south facing and gets some reflection from the house across the road (a blue/green colour). I have tried Resene Double Joanna and I like it in most lights although I am concerned it’s absorbing too much green. Would Resene Double Thorndon Cream be a better choice do you think? A. The south face of a house - exterior or interior - often gets a bad rap as the natural light picks up a sour or grey tone. Resene Double Thorndon Cream may look a little more earthy and slightly less yellow based compared to Resene Double Joanna but they are very, very similar. I recommend testing Resene Double Thorndon Cream and see if it works for you - the natural light will alter it and you will need to check it out when there is no direct sunlight on it. If the house next door is more than four metres away it may not be the colour on it that is making you see green but the southerly aspect of light.
May 2015
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Q. We have a 1910 basic villa which we have just replaced the roof with an Ironsand roof. We are looking to paint the door a deep red colour and have a white for the window and a grey with a warm red undertone for the weatherboards. Could you please suggest a colour combination or two that may suit from our ideas? A. There are some really lovely deep reds that you might check out – Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Red Letter, Resene Red Earth or Resene Breakfree. Greys with red undertones are a little scarce but you might look at these ones – Resene Suva Grey, Resene Triple Rakaia or Resene Pale Slate. If you use a white with a warm/grey undertone your palette of colours should work really well – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter White Pointer. May 2015
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Q. We are seeking advice regarding a ‘warm grey’ to paint our south facing bedrooms. The rooms are large at 4.5 x 4.5 metres with 13 foot ceilings in an old Victorian home. The rooms have a silver chandelier and white painted fireplaces and south facing large south facing sash windows. The carpet is a dark charcoal but we are looking at adding rugs to lighten the room. We have seen the colour Resene Sea Fog. We want to avoid any purple colourings to the grey and are considering painting the ceiling at about quarter of the strength of the wall colour. A. South facing rooms often maintain a cool, grey or sour look because of the type of natural light they get. A warm grey may need to have a bit of underlying depth to it to stop it looking like industrial concrete. You might look at Resene Sea Fog but if it looks too stark or cold you could look at these other options – Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Rakaia or Resene Double Sea Fog. A quarter strength version of Resene Sea Fog is Resene Double Alabaster. Or for the other colours you could use Resene Alabaster.
May 2015
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Q. I have a 1950 Fibro. The roof has already been sprayed COLORBOND® Surfmist. I have charcoal pavers out the back and a standard grey COLORBOND® fence running down one side. I was thinking a dark grey with white trim exterior and Surfmist gutters and fascias for a colour scheme. A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Double Friar Greystone or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey. They are a mix of mid toned stone greys and deep warm greys. If you use a slightly greyed white like Resene Half Sea Fog it should look 'white' but not too stark.
May 2015
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Q. I'm looking at converting an old formal lounge into a playroom for my small boy and girl and am looking for a warm colour that is gender neutral and will last with them as they get older! There are a couple of room items that will be remaining - drapes (colour between Resene Minnelli and Resene Pink Panther) and tiles round the old open fire (colour between Resene Kombi and Resene Koru). The skirting boards and mantelpiece are natural wood in colour. It is an old villa don't want to go too against its character! What colour would look best on the walls within these constraints? A. You might look at these neutrals to see if they appeal – Resene Half Whiteout, Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.
May 2015
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Q. Our 1950s house exterior is painted what I would describe as a white like Resene Alabaster. The trims however are a horrible dark green, with a softer light green for the window frames. This arrangement of three colours with the trims in a dark colour is very old fashioned. We need to repaint the windows as it is falling off (bought house two years ago, with fresh paint on it!). I don't want the same dark green and we are close to the sea. We don't want to change the main house colour as it will cost too much. The roof is concrete tile unpainted. Would love some suggestions of trim colours. A. You might consider using soft grey/blues or green/blues to go with the white on the house and to create a coastal palette of colours. Check these out and see if they appeal to you – Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Hermitage, Resene Ashanti or Resene Half Silver Chalice.
May 2015
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Q. We are repainting a small attic room that we fitted out as an extra bedroom when our son was a teenager and that I now use as my daytime office space. A staircase goes up to it from the kitchen and you can only stand in the middle of the room. I would like to paint the whole room a warm, strong colour, including the ceiling - but not too oppressive for the small space. There is only one window on the eastern wall and the floor is stained particle board. A. I acknowledge that you are wanting to use a warm strong colour - but both warm and strong will make the space appear smaller/walls and ceiling will appear closer to you visually. All colour in an interior appears to be much stronger than you might imagine and in a room like yours with ceilings turning into low walls this will be very accentuated. The window wall colour may appear twice as deep because of the shadow around a source of light creating a lot more depth to the colour. You could try these colours – Resene Half Malta, Resene Half Drought, Resene Half Kalgoorie Sands, Resene Moscato or Resene High Tea.
May 2015
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Q. I have a paint project that I have started. We have bought an old post office, renovated it and have made it into a gallery. I thought for ages about colours that were not used much commercially, were warm and inviting and a step away from a rich cream. I saw your Resene Sentimental pink and loved it so the building is largely sorted. I rushed to do the base and it’s not good. What do you suggest? A. My congratulations must go to you for allowing your eye and heart to lead in choosing the colour for your post office renovation. I think when you have chosen something as lovely, delicate and special as Resene Sentimental it is a hard act to follow when choosing another 'special' colour to work with it. I suggest that you use Resene Alabaster or whatever real white you may have already used on the building, so that it doesn’t complete with the Resene Sentimental. White trims will enhance the main colour and give it great appeal.
May 2015
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Q. I would like a dark grey please to go with a light olive green (similar colour to Resene Lemon Grass). A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Gravel, Resene Half Nocturnal or Resene Grey Friars. All of these dark greys throw a different colour undertone and you may need to see large - A4 size - real paint. These can be viewed in the Colour Library at any Resene ColorShop. Once you see more of a colour you will find judging what it really looks like much easier.
May 2015
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Q. I'm repainting our barn with Resene Almond Frost but I don't know what colour to use on the fascia. The colour of the roof and garage door is Permanent Green. A. I think you need some light relief to break the brown barn colour from the green roof. This colour would be under the eaves as well as the fascias and barge board. You might use a creamy/white - Resene Quarter Spanish White - or a browner light tone - Resene Quarter Drought - both of these will work well. But if you are hanging out for a dark colour it would not be under the eaves (use same as main colour house colour probably) and you could use a dark brown like Resene Woodburn.
May 2015
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Q. We have an open living and kitchen area. The walls are painted beige and in the living area we have a large dark blue feature wall. The flooring is timber, honey oak, while the kitchen cupboards are all white with stainless appliances. What colour splashback would you recommend? A. Features like splashback colours are such a personal taste thing, aren't they? Are you wanting a bold and vibrant statement or a soft and neutralised colour? Some ideas to get you started – Resene Blaze (bold touch of orange/red), Resene Koru (spicy fresh green), Resene Scotty Silver (sparkly blue metallic) or a deeper version of the wall colour.
May 2015
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Q. Our wooden panelled bathroom is quite dark with only two small windows. Our two options are to either paint only the walls white (please suggest a white colour - prefer a silver or grey undertone) and leave the wooden panels. Or to paint both the wall and wooden panels - can you suggest two white colours if we chose this options? I'm assuming that painting the wall and panels in the same white colour would be too much? The rest of the house is painted Resene Quarter Black White. A. I am inclined to think that after painting the wooden bathroom you will see it as tremendously light and very large. I suggest that you maintain the Resene Quarter Black White that you have used elsewhere in the house and use it on the wooden panels, ceilings, architraves, and skirting boards and window frames. For the wall I think a soft silvery grey or slightly blue/aqua influenced grey/white could make a lovely watery look. Perhaps look at these options – Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or Resene Half Concrete.
May 2015
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Q. I have decided to paint the interior of our home Resene Truffle. It is currently Resene Half Tea. Would Resene Half Truffle lighten up the home and should I go Resene Quarter Truffle in the bedrooms which get less sun? I am hoping to achieve a subtle grey/beige look, not too white. I am using Resene Double Alabaster for ceilings, doors and trims. In the bathroom I have soft grey/stone tiles on the floor and white wall tiles. Will Resene Double Alabaster walls be ok with this and should the trims be the same? I am hoping that Resene Half Truffle is not too dark? A. Going to a lighter colour (Resene Quarter Truffle) in dim bedroom areas or even hallways is often a good thing to do. Overall Resene Half Truffle isn't a dark colour but it does depend upon natural light and space. Resene Double Alabaster will give you a shadow of white in the bathroom and the white tiles and ceramic vanity and shower will seem a little whiter. Yes do the trims the same colour. I think you are on the right track for a subtle grey/beige look.
May 2015
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Q. I have two bathrooms being refitted. Both are quite large with large wet floor showers, bath, vanity and toilet. One is quite dark, one very light. Both have the same slightly warm vinyl flooring. I am thinking of a soft warm blue/ grey. The rest of the house is painted Resene Quarter Lemon Grass so I don't want too bold a contrast. A. You might look at these colours - Resene Duck Egg Blue or darker – Resene Dusted Blue and because there is a tiny bit of a warm colour in the vinyl this type of colour might be appropriate in the darker of the two rooms – Resene Solitaire or Resene Eighth Biscotti.
May 2015
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Q. We are renovating a house. I want a grey which isn’t blue toned, that will match darker greys and possibly brown toned carpet. Not too dark either. A. Have you considered using a grey based beige instead of a straight grey? A lot of grey colours can flash a little blue tone when seen close to wood and other brown coloured elements like carpet. You might like these colours - Resene Eighth Pravda, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Truffle.
May 2015
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Q. Our house is being rendered and I need to decide on an outside paint colour. I am looking at Resene Double Parchment (a bit brown) or Resene Tea (husband thinks it's a bit green). Is there something in between? A. You might look at lighter variants of the colours that you have tested - Resene Half Tea or Resene Parchment to see if it makes a difference. Alternative neutrals that you might look at are these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Fossil, Resene Akaroa, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Quarter Cougar. Pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library. By comparing them with each other it is easier to see the underlying tones hiding in them and to judge them in reality.
May 2015
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Q. What colour walls go with deep grey carpet? A. Lucky you - deep grey carpet allows you to have almost any colour at all. You may need to look at existing furniture, drapes, duvets etc to get a sense of what you already have (and presumably like) and then find that flexible neutral that works well with everything and allows you to have anything else in the way of colour that you favour. If you have nothing at all to base your thoughts and dreams for your home on - no furniture or personal possessions at all - then you might start by painting a 'white' everywhere to get a sense of light and space then keep adding colourful things into the house until you get the look that appeals to you. You might try this 'white' – Resene Sea Fog.
May 2015
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Q. I am looking at painting my walls in dining room/kitchen. The kitchen cupboards are either Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Triple Spanish White, the ceiling is Resene Spanish White. I want a neutral colour for the walls. It is a large room. A. With such definite earthy colours on the ceiling and the kitchen cabinets you are a little limited in what you might use on the walls. If the ceiling was a very pale version of the Resene Spanish White palette - i.e Resene Quarter Spanish White - you could have just about any wall colour. Some greens, some blue/greys and warm toffee creams and ochre/browns will work quite well, such as Resene Ash, Resene Half Regent Grey, Resene Moscato, Resene Double Drought, Resene Truffle or Resene Double Biscotti. May 2015
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Q. , I'm about to get the roof of my house repainted and I'd love some advice as to a colour that will go with the weatherboards which are a very faint pink. A. For a smart look using fundamental neutrals that will work with any other colours you might investigate these colours – Resene Windswept (soft edged warm charcoal), Resene Cave Rock (a rosy toned dark brown) or Resene Grey Friars (standard charcoal).
May 2015
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Q. We are building a new farmhouse and are choosing between Titania and Canvas Cloth for the interior aluminium joinery colour. Wanting a warm light, natural feel to the house and the particularly large, light open plan living area with pitched ceiling. Canvas Cloth looks darker and greyer - could this look a bit dreary on dull days and in the darker rooms in the house? We have tried these against testpots of Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene White Pointer and Resene Titania. A. I am inclined to favour Titania for the aluminium joinery but it is a personal choice. Titania joinery works well with Resene Thorndon Cream (and lighter and deeper variants of this colour) and Resene Merino (lighter and deeper variants of this colour) and a lighter version of the joinery colour - Resene Half Titania. If you wanted lighter window joinery one that works really well and allows a lot of other interior and exterior colours to co-ordinate well is Warm White Pearl.
May 2015
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Q. We have just replaced our garage door with a Grey Friars one. Now we are painting our weatherboard house and would like a colour for the base which will go with Grey Friars. I have used Resene Quarter Pravda on an exterior before but am looking for something a little different in the grey palette. A. You might look at these grey toned colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Stack, Resene Delta, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Atmosphere. Nearly all of the colours listed come as lighter variants also so there are other options to consider.
May 2015
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Q. We are looking at painting the interior of our house. Can you suggest some colours that will go with an arctic white kitchen (open plan living). I am looking for a warm white or even grey that does not go yellow. A. Try these colours – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Double Black White, Resene Black Haze or Resene Whiteout.
May 2015
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Q. Please suggest some colours to paint my kitchen cupboards and the large room doors in a small open plan wood walled house. A. Blues, green, creams and whites all work really well in a wooden walled environment. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Coriander, Resene Clotted Cream or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.
May 2015
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Q. We are painting the walls of our new home which has timber sarking ceiling. We like Resene Tea as a wall colour option, but wonder how it will go with the sarking ceiling. A. Resene Tea is a really nice colour. It may look slightly grey toned compared to the rich warmth of the sarked ceiling but apart from that I don't see it being too much of a problem. Other nice colours - with a little more warmth - that you might look at to compare with the Resene Tea are Resene Half Drought or Resene Parchment.
May 2015
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Q. What lighter colour would you recommend to go with Resene Double Napa on a commercial building exterior? Also what colour would you paint the soffits? A. It really depends what the lighter colour is being used on - how much of the building - and are you wanting it light so you can have signage on it? If this is the case then I suggest a lighter variant of Resene Napa - perhaps Resene Quarter Napa. Under the soffits you might use Resene Quarter Sea Fog.
May 2015
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Q. I would like advice about an interior ceiling colour. I intend to use Resene Friar Greystone and Resene Quarter Friar Greystone on exterior brick and weatherboards respectively and for the inside walls I thought Resene Eighth Friar Greystone . What would be good to use for the ceilings? I have purchased white feature light fittings and intend a whitish kitchen benchtop with grey doors. A. A good ceiling colour would be Resene Half Sea Fog. It will give a clean contrast but not too stark.
May 2015
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Q. We are painting our house Resene Ironsand with Resene Quarter Ironsand on the trim. We have built a block deck on the front in which there will be a cedar facade. We are looking at staining the cedar Resene Smokey Ash. Do you think this will work well? A. Yes. The colours are tonally related so nothing will 'pop' out and draw attention to itself. They blend well.
May 2015
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Q. My walls are painted Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. We are looking at a grey carpet from Harrisons. Is the Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream too green for a grey carpet? A. I wouldn't think that the wall colour would be too green to go with a grey carpet but you may need to place the sample of carpet near the paintwork to see how they like each other. You may have to change and find a grey carpet that looks best with the walls. Deeper greys may look better than silvery greys.
May 2015
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Q. I am doing a new kitchen with Resene Alabaster doors and blackbutt floors. I am looking for a complementary colour for the walls. The bench tops are a caramel/gold stone with white flecks in it. A. If the bench tops carry the most colour then it is that you need to co-ordinate with. Take your time looking at the colour charts close to the benchtops until you find a colour between the benchtops and the white of the kitchen cabinets. Test colours by painting large cardboard samples and place them in different parts of the room to see how the colours alter. You need to know this before you start painting the walls.
May 2015
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Q. We are painting our living/dining area and looking at going towards a green colour. I have a testpot of Resene Linen, but feel it is too green when the sun shines in. Which green is less green than Resene Linen? A. The sunlight shining on any colour will alter it - sometimes quite a lot - and change it in all rooms because of the way they face toward the sun - east, west, south and north. Easterly light (early morning light) is a quality of light that makes green appear in many colours. If you diffuse the bright sunlight with sheer curtains does it make the Resene Linen look less green? If you don't want a colour with too much green in it then you might try these colours - they can sometimes be a little green but they are browner and greyer – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Ash, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Grey Olive.
May 2015
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Q. We’re repainting the exterior of our 1980s weatherboard house. We have brown aluminium windows. We like the grey tones. What can you recommend? A. Unless you want to highlight the brown windows and make them stand out then I suggest using a brown based grey so the exterior colours like each other. You might check these colours out – Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Quarter Stonehenge.
May 2015
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Q. We are about to start painting the interior walls of our cottage (two bedrooms, lounge and small hallway in Resene Thorndon Cream). Your suggestions please on a colour to paint the door frames and doors, and around the windows etc - apart from white. A. Try Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Sea Fog.
May 2015
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Q. I am looking to have a feature wall in each of my children’s rooms. I don't want colour everywhere so decided I want a light grey in each room which will be the backdrop for their room stickers. What is the softest calming grey colour you can recommend? A. Soft, calm greys that you might like to try are – Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Concrete or Resene Half Surrender. These colours look best with much whiter contrasts - like Resene Half Sea Fog.
May 2015
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Q. I have gone through many samples trying to find the right grey for our bedroom. I want a soft grey where I can use pastel warm pinks on the bed. I did try Resene Grey Chateau... looked ok wet but dried to dark I think. A. Try these soft greys – Resene Iron (lighter than Resene Grey Chateau), Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Rakaia or Resene Half Surrender.
May 2015
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Q. Would you be able to give me a bunch of complementary colours/neutrals for your colour Resene Norwester. I’m thinking Resene Norwester for the doors and window sills. We are wanting two colours for the walls. I like the Resene Linen family. I am wanting a warm colour for the bottom half of the wall. A. Resene Norwester is quite a distinct colour and it likes being paired up with Resene Quarter Lemon Grass (a bit deeper than Resene Linen) and Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Ecru White and a deeper version of Resene Norwester - Resene Spinnaker. You might also use two related neutrals like Resene Quarter Biscotti and Resene Double Biscotti.
May 2015 |
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Q. Please help with paint colours for the exterior plaster of our remodelled 1970s architectural home. The roof which has a variety of pitches is Sandstone Grey, the aluminium joinery is silver pearl, the exterior cedar is stained Resene Smokey Ash. I have trialled Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle and Resene Double Truffle. The first two seem too light. Am I going in the wrong direction? A. It sounds as though it may be one of two things - either the bright natural light is 'stealing' the colour and making it appear much lighter or perhaps you are applying the testpots onto walls that are already painted a colour and it is making you see the test patches not as they are in reality. The Resene Double Truffle is a colour that may work but you might look a colour that is a bit deeper (to try and compensate for bright light stealing the depth from your colour) but still complies with the colour recommendations for plastered surfaces – Resene Quarter Stonehenge.
May 2015
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Q. I have painted the walls of our home with Resene Half Tea with white ceilings. Can you suggest a colour for the interior doors? A. I think your options are simple - either Resene White, Resene Half Tea (semi-gloss enamel will make it seem slightly lighter than the walls are) or deeper – Resene Tea.
May 2015
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Q. Please could you advise as to which white would work best with your colour Resene Warrior? A. You might look at using one of these cool 'whites' – Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Quarter Black White.
May 2015
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Q. We need advice on a dark grey colour that goes well with Resene Silver Chalice. Our house is an old villa that is newly painted in Resene Silver Chalice/Resene Double Alabaster and we are looking for a colour to paint the stone wall and steps at the front of the house. We tried Resene Condor - but it’s not dark enough. How about Resene Baltic Sea or something darker? A. Yes by all means look at Resene Baltic Sea but you might check out Resene Half Nocturnal, Resene Zeus or Resene Bokara Grey also. Of these Resene Bokara Grey is the blackest.
May 2015
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Q. I am painting the exterior of my home. I am tending towards Resene Tea (or something close to it) for the weatherboards. The roof has recently been replaced with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars and my fences are also painted in Resene Grey Friars. I am wondering about the windows - I was thinking of doing the windowsills and frames in Resene Grey Friars or Resene Half Grey Friars and the window joinery in Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. I think I would like the door to be black. Do you think these colours will work or do you have a better suggestion? A. I think the colours that you are considering are very nice. If you want to do a black front door might I suggest you look at using Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Blackjack. As an alternative main colour suggestion perhaps look at this colour - just to see how it compares with Resene Tea – Resene Eighth Pravda.
May 2015
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Q. We are in the process of extending and renovating our home (10 years old rendered). We are looking to repaint the exterior and are contemplating a move from beiges to greys. The roof, windows, garage door and front door are Woodland Grey. Paving around the house is Silver Travertine and there are to be elements of hardwood cladding in the facade (planter boxes) and fencing panels between rendered piers. What colours would you suggest we look at to complement the Woodland Grey? A. Because Woodland Grey has undertones of green in it I suggest that you check out these greys that carry that type of undertone or are stone greys rather than industrial silver or blue based greys – Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Double Stack, Resene Tapa, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Half Friar Greystone .
May 2015
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Q. Could you please send me the name of some of your most popular 'white' paints? Our house is getting built and we are getting charcoal carpet, black roller blinds and a glossy white kitchen so we are looking for a white paint to match this. A. There are a huge amount of 'whites' - all of them popular. Here’s a few to get you started – Resene Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Barely There, Resene Wan White or Resene Rice Cake. All of these suggestions come as lighter and deeper variants also.
May 2015
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Q. Our house is painted all over (two storeys) inside in Resene Ecru White. I am finding it too green and the ceilings downstairs too dark. I am looking at changing it to a slightly less green wall neutral with an almost white ceiling colour. It needs to complement existing feature walls of Resene Elephant in the lounge and Resene Roxy and Resene Robin Egg Blue in the hallway and landing. I am wary of going too 'yellow'. I have been looking at Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, or Resene Half Ecru White for walls, and Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Rice Cake for ceilings. A. Resene Half Thorndon Cream may still seem a little deep. Might I suggest you consider Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - all colours when seen in an interior appear deeper than you might imagine them to be so Resene Half Thorndon Cream may look like full strength Resene Thorndon Cream. If you also lightened the ceiling white a little bit - Resene Half Alabaster - to provide better clean contrast you may find you double the appearance of natural light and the brighter/whiter colours enhance the other colours you have. May 2015
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Q. We have renovated our bathroom. I have had a cupboard made from floor to ceiling which I was thinking of having painted a fresh white to complement the pedestal basin and toilet. The room is quite dim without the lights on so I wanted a white for the walls. I am having trouble deciding on the right whites for ceiling, wall, cupboard? I am trying to keep in with a French theme also. A. There is no 'white' that will match the pedestal basin and toilet ceramic exactly. Rather than strive to achieve the impossible I suggest you choose a coloured white that forces the eye to see the basin and toilet as 'whiter' - that way the whites don't have to match exactly. You might look at these cooler whites – Resene Wan White, Resene Black White or these whites that are a little warmer – Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Merino. If you use real White (Resene White) for the ceiling, the skirting boards and cupboard - you will create a subtle contrast - white on white- and use a semi-gloss Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel for them - and low sheen Resene SpaceCote Kitchen & Bathroom Low Sheen waterborne enamel - for the walls you will add sheen level differences that create eye interest. Ceramic toilets and vanities always look quite shiny by comparison to the sheen of the products I have mentioned.
May 2015
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Q. I am recladding my house and am keen on a Gull Grey roof and entry door to match my Silver Pearl joinery. Please advise of a colour for my new pine A3 Jenkins weatherboards? Does the LRV need to be above 40? A. Firstly yes the general recommendation for real timber weatherboards is that the LRV be between 45-100% in order to not void the guarantee. So that means usually lighter colours only. With both the roof, entry door and joinery being very pale colours it means that in order to have contrast and visual interest you may need to contemplate using a 'white' as a dark colour isn't an option for you. Is that what you thinking of? You might look at these colours - with LRV rating included – Resene Double Sea Fog (LRV 76%), Resene Wan White (LRV 82%), Resene Barely There (LRV 78%) or Resene Titania (LRV 67%). If you were hanging out for a deeper colour that you could have - within the constraints of the LRV % - then you might check out this colour which will work with the roof and joinery colours but because it is deeper there won't be much contrast so it will look all the same – Resene Half Atmosphere (LRV 59%).
May 2015
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Q. We are repainting our living and kitchen area. We have wooden (honey-coloured) floors. We've chosen Resene White Pointer for the walls, Resene Half Alabaster for trimmings (around windows etc) and Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceiling. We are having our kitchen cabinets repainted and have tried a testpot of Resene Triple White Pointer, but find that it looks slightly pink/peachy. Can you suggest an alternative for the kitchen cabinets that won’t look flesh coloured? A. Does the Resene Triple White Pointer look peachy all day and night or just in the late afternoon? It may be the quality of light that is turning a colour that isn't peachy into a warmer hue. Or it might be the colour around the testpot patch that is strongly influencing it and making you see it peachy instead of as a warm grey/beige. You might check these colours out – Resene Double Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Eighth Pravda. I suggest that you paint all of the Resene testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so you see as much of the tested colour as possible. The white unpainted border holds the colour away from any existing colour and helps you see what it is like in reality. If you move it around - high and low and at different angles - it may give you a better idea of what changes occur to the colour that you are testing.
May 2015
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Q. We are painting our house for the first time and need some advice. Our house has beautiful timber trimmings around the windows and timber venetian blinds the same colour timber. Our lounge room flows directly into dining kitchen and hallway so we need a colour that can flow in all areas. We are ripping up the carpet and putting in very woody looking timber floors. Our trouble is this... We both like medium greys and it looks good in pictures with white architraves and windowsills as well as white blinds. Will a dark colour look nice across such a large space of different rooms? Also another option is matching the windows to the same dark woody colour of the timber floors. What colours go nicest with wood? I love pale teals and greys, I'm just so worried it'll be too much over such a large space. We want a modern/country shabby chic look. A. In regard the window and your thought to paint them to match the timber floors - no paint colour will truly match wood. So it may pay not to do that unless you want the paint to look like a 'trying too hard but not succeeding' colour. Greys and teals are lovely - perhaps use two variants of the same type of colour - lighter in the hallway as they aren't usually blessed with sunlight and big windows - and a little deeper in the main rooms – you could try: Resene Half Kumutoto and Resene Reservoir, or greyish Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and Resene Silver Chalice, or some muted slightly teal/greys – Resene Half Duck Egg Blue and Resene Emerge. As long as you use plenty of crispy white to offset the colours and rely on the warmth of the wood to add the contrast you can end up with a really lovely look.
May 2015
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Q. I am painting my scrapbooking room and would like to know what colours should I paint it. Which are creative colours? A. Creative colours are colours that make you feel good, stimulate you and open up your two spheres of brain. I know what does it for me but you may be quite different in what you find appealing. Perhaps check these colours out to see if you like them – Resene Renew, Resene Teddy, Resene Irresistible or Resene Touche. If you are creative and inclined to want something a bit different then you might use all of these colours painted onto assorted sized block art frames and assembled on a plain off white wall. Or alternatively one as a main colour and the rest used for storage baskets, bins, book cases and boxes.
May 2015
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Q. I’m wanting to stain my wooden house a dark brown, such as Resene Shadow Match or possibly Resene Bushtrack, but am unsure which colour of COLORSTEEL® roof to choose, plus paint the spouting and the wooden deck that surrounds half the house. The deck is currently painted (rather than stained) a sage green to match the roof but looks rather old fashioned and very dirty. I have dark brown aluminium joinery, so thought I should steer away from blue grey. A. You might look at a bolder green – COLORSTEEL® Kelp - to offset the deep stain and dark windows or a traditional red oxide colour COLORSTEEL® Maple - to warm up the dark stain etc - or really dark COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod to make the roof and body of the house a big dark block - or earthy grey/green COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey to add a natural mid tone to offset the dark house stain etc.
May 2015
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Q. I am building a small garden studio that I plan to paint black with white windows. What roof colour would you recommend? A. Several thoughts flash through my mind in regard the garden studio roof - one is using a green (natural/garden/fresh look) and the other is using something surprising (different/quirky) or light reflecting (silvery/metallic) so the following colours explore those concepts – Resene Botanic, Resene Paddock, Resene Lush, Resene Pioneer Red, Resene Fiddlesticks or Resene Aluminium.
May 2015
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Q. I want to do a feature wall in Resene Bondi Blue or Resene Wet N Wild as they're the closest match to my business colours but I need to have the rest of the walls in a neutral pale colour that is easy to work in but don't really want white. A. Try Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Merino, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Quarter Surrender. Your blue feature wall likes being with crisp clean colours, warm toned neutrals and almost greys.
May 2015
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Q. Our 1950s home is being fully renovated, with a large addition to the front. We want a clean modern contemporary look. We have used COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars for roof, a feature block wall (colour Slate) to the downstairs front (east facing) elevation, and the balance of the exterior is timber weatherboards, including garage doors. Our window joinery is the new aluminium colour Matt Ghost Grey. I want to stay with a grey and thought a lighter shade than the window joinery. Initially we had thought to match weatherboard colour to the joinery, but now feel that would be heavy and sombre. On the large upstairs window above front entry (east elevation) there will be an aluminium louvre screen, the same colour as the joinery. This is a feature we want to stand out rather than just blend in to the wall. What colour would you suggest for weatherboards please? A. I suggest going lighter in the greys in order for the joinery etc to 'pop' out instead of merging in. You might look at Resene Iron, Resene Concrete or Resene Silver Sand - one of these may appeal to you. Colours seen on an exterior often look a lot lighter because of the bright natural light - in this case it would be a good thing as it makes every other element seem deeper. Apply all of the testpot to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a unpainted white border all around the edges and move it around the house you will get a far better idea of what the colours really look like.
May 2015
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Q. My mother has a plaster house with LINEA® near the door. The front door is Mist Green and the LINEA® is charcoal. The garage door is Gull Grey. At the moment the house plaster is Resene Merino - she would like the plaster to be a green. I actually like it as it is but wondered about Resene Quarter Lemon Grass? A. I think the Resene Quarter Lemon Grass may be slightly too cool toned (compared to the warmth of the Mist Green and the Gull Grey) so perhaps you could look at Resene Secrets as it is a similar type of colour with a little more yellow tone hiding in it.
May 2015
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Q. I have painted from a sample pot Resene Half Sisal in our bedroom and love the colour. The room gets heaps of natural light and has North, South and West facing windows. Any suggestions on a good colour to do skirtings and architraves? Also we have along one wall four standard sized panel wardrobe doors and then the actual door so wondering if we should funk up the doors with a different contrasting colour? A. A subtle colour for all of the woodwork - i.e. skirting boards, architraves etc - might be Resene Eighth Sisal or a whiter/brighter option Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. For the 'funked up feature' on the wardrobe doors you might look at these colours - Resene Dauntless or Resene Limerick for a fresh vibrant look or Resene Scrumptious or Resene Kudos for bold and beautiful appeal.
May 2015
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Q. I want to repaint a large Brownbuilt roof either Resene Grey Friars, Resene Ironsand and or Resene Black. The plaster covering and concrete block is currently yellow. I want to have a white contrast but don't want it too glary. A. I suggest Resene Ironsand may look more appropriate - and it will be less optically challenging than the Resene Black over the vast roof area you have. Exterior colours - exposed as they are to huge amounts of natural light - often appear much lighter or brighter so you might look at these 'non-glary' whites to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Merino, Resene Barely There, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Double Black White.
May 2015
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Q. I am thinking of painting the exterior upstairs LINEA® board Resene Blackjack and leaving downstairs in Resene White Pointer as it doesn't need painting. What do you think? I want a change from dull grey! A. Your idea for a very black top storey on your house is striking and unusual. Often the darkest colour is used on the lower floor area of a house - to ground it - and a lighter colour on the upper storey. If you want to do something different then why not? It will 'squash' the house visibly and make it seen not as tall - is this the look that you want? You might consider a dark - but not as black - upper storey colour as a slighter softer alternative - Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Ironsand.
May 2015
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Q. We have a cedar house that is being repainted. We have a COLORSTEEL® Karaka roof and dark brown aluminium joinery. What colour would look good on the walls? A. Try these colours to see if they appeal: Resene Stonewall, Resene Grey Olive, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Half Masala or Resene Sandstone.
May 2015
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Q. If you are going to paint your walls say Resene Half Truffle or Resene Half Tea what colour do you use to paint the ceilings and trims? A. You have a lot of options available to you but I have chosen a cool and a warm colour as they make the main colour look quite different - Resene Eighth Rice Cake (warm) or Resene Eighth Black White (cool). Or if you wanted a soft tonal look then you might look at the lightest variant of the wall colour - Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Eighth Tea.
May 2015
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Q. Please can you tell me the base colour tone of Resene Sea Fog and Resene Wan White. I have also been told that you could mix a colour called chalk white. If correct the base colour also please. A. The base colour of all these colours is white. Resene Sea Fog has a very small amount of umber which is a type of brown which shades the colour but doesn't cool it (black tinter would do that), Resene Wan White has very, very slightly more umber in it - very similar to Resene Sea Fog but just slightly deeper. Chalk white has two kinds of yellow tinter (one is a bright clear yellow and the other an earthy ochre yellow) in it as well as the umber - so it will always be yellowish and bright compared to the other two colours. It must be noted though that all whites will reflect any other colours around them and any changes of light - natural light and artificial - will change them again - so they are chameleons. If they can take on another colour they will.
May 2015
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Q. We have a two storey 1890 villa with some trees on either side. We are repainting and replacing gutterings and downpipes etc with copper. What will look better, Resene Black White or Resene Wan White? A. Resene Black White may look a little better as it has a tiny bit more shadowy depth to it. Colours on an exterior often look a lot lighter/brighter than one might expect - don't be surprised if people think you have used standard (ordinary) White on the house - it is often difficult to 'see' any colour in these 'almost' whites.
May 2015
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Q. I am interested in the bleached wood look. Are you able to suggest what do to after stripping and sanding the wood? I am doing a kitchen table. A. It depends on the wood that the kitchen table is made from but you could use Resene Colorwood Whitewash. It is a wash of white that isn't absorbed into the timber - it's not a stain - that can be applied to uncoated timber or it can be applied over aged, yellowed polyurethanes for a contemporary whitewashed look. You don't need to strip the existing polyurethane.
May 2015
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Q. We have recently installed a new kitchen and repainted the walls. The walls are Resene Quarter Napa and the cabinets very similar. The bench top is a dark grey/black with lighter speckled grey. We are tiling the splashback area with black and black/silver metallic tiles. We are going to carry the Resene Quarter Napa colour through the living areas. The ceilings will be painted in ceiling white paint. I am not sure what colour to paint the skirtings. A. You might check out these soft coloured 'whites' to see if they appeal to you with the main colour Resene Quarter Napa - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Quarter White Pointer. Alternatively you might use Resene Eighth Napa - a little lighter than the walls but related.
May 2015
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Q. I am looking for a soft chalky white colour from your white colour palette please. Can you please also recommend a slightly stronger neutral colour that would work in a bedroom with the chalky white on doors and window frames? The floor is a very pale timber - we are after the Scandinavian look. A. A white colour that resembles a stick of white chalk is Resene Quarter Black White or possibly Resene Alabaster. For a slightly stronger neutral colour that works with either of these two chalky whites try Resene Double Black White or Resene Sea Fog.
May 2015
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Q. We are considering Resene Double Black White for our lounge - would you recommend this? I'm nervous it will look too cold/sterile? A. It is all about light - if a room doesn't have good natural light and is always shady then a white or a grey white will look cold. Is your room a cool shady room? Or a bright sunny room? If you use other colours in the room (accessories, curtains, cushions, rugs, paintings etc) that are warm toned then even a cool shady room might look warmer even with white or grey white walls. You might use a deeper version of the colour that you favour if it does feel a little bit cool - i.e Resene Triple Black White.
May 2015
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Q. I am looking at painting the master bedroom Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and was wondering what colours would work as a feature wall colour in the room. A. A huge amount of colours will work with Resene Quarter Lemon Grass. Some ideas to get you started: Resene Double Lemon Grass, Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Chapta And Verse, Resene Madam M or Resene True Blue.
May 2015
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Q. We are renovating our small apartment with large floor to ceiling doors/windows. The kitchen will be white with Caeserstone Osprey counters and glass aqua splashback to be the feature of the apartment. The ceiling will be very low and white. What colour would be best for tiled flooring to give the ceiling height but not make the flooring and apartment small? A. A light grey/white or an aqua/white tile would make the floor look larger and not close in the rooms too much. May 2015
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Q. I would like to find a nice colour to fill the walls of our home to be built in Queenstown. The kitchen is black and white contemporary but trying to find a colour slightly warmer than the white whites. The joinery is Canvas Cloth. Ideas include Resene Parchment, Resene Bianca, Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and Resene Double Merino. Outside is painted brick in Resene Bison Hide. A. I am inclined to think that Resene Double Merino might be good followed by Resene Parchment. The very definite colour of the joinery does influence what will work well. If you were to use Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta you may overemphasise the colour of the joinery. You might consider Resene Half Thorndon Cream also.
April 2015
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Q. We have used Resene Rum Swizzle for doors, skirtings, ceilings etc and lovely Resene Ship Cove and Resene Sandwisp. It’s time to update but hubby wants to keep the Resene Rum Swizzle. I love Resene Coriander - do you think this goes? And what other colours could I consider to tone and to add punch? A. I think Resene Coriander will work for you but you might also look at these colours - they are lighter, softer and more modern – Resene Aspiring, Resene Kangaroo and a little bit of punch could be Resene Red Letter. For a lighter but related neutral – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. This might be your 'white' if you decided that the ceilings were too strongly yellow. Resene Rum Swizzle may have looked quite 'white' with Resene Sandwisp and Resene Ship Cove but it is a definite sharp yellow cream and that may be apparent once you change to different wall colours.
April 2015
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Q. We are building a new house and the roof and joinery are Grey Friars. For the LINEA® upstairs we are looking at Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Double Truffle or just Resene Truffle. The brick below is Monier Albany Cream. I don't want the top to look oppressive. A. I suggest using Resene Double Truffle. All paint colours used on an exterior look a little lighter than you might expect - and Resene Double Truffle may look more like the lighter Resene Truffle. This colour is almost midway between the very dark (Grey Friars) and the very light (Monier Albany) and if the mortar between the bricks was similar to the Resene Double Truffle (rather than too creamy) then they would tie together really well and be harmonious.
April 2015
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Q. I am building a new home and have chosen black carpet and black floor tiles. The kitchen is white gloss with white stone bench top. I want a white ceiling but can't decide on doors, skirting, walls etc. I want it to be in the white range but preferably not too grey. The lounge, kitchen and dining room will get plenty of sun, the bedrooms not so much. I am probably boring but I like the same colour throughout the house. A. You might check out these whites to see if they are appealing – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Barely There. They are quite different from each other in their subtle undertones though that may not be apparent until you see the colours with a real Resene White alongside them.
April 2015
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Q. I am looking at Resene Half Villa White for the walls and architraves. And Resene Alabaster for the ceilings. Are these colours good together? A. There isn't a huge difference between the colours - in some lights you may think they look the same - but they do work ok. If you wanted a little more contrast you might look at using Resene Half Alabaster.
April 2015
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Q. I have a 10 litre of Resene Zylone Sheen Black White and was wanting to know if it is possible to make it into Resene Half Black White. A. Resene Half Black White is a half strength of Resene Black White. The only way to make Black White into Half Black White is by adding more white. E.g. if you took your current bucket and mixed it with a 10L of White you would end up with the equivalent of Half Black White. The other option if you have multiple coats to do is to paint the first coat in the Black White you have and paint the next coat in the Half Black White (new paint) to get the precise colour you want. The colours are quite close so a Half Black White would go fine over normal Black White. While this isn’t the normal way you would do topcoats, it would be an option.
April 2015
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Q. Does Resene Clear Day come in half and quarter tones? A. Resene Clear Day is off a white tone. White tone colours can usually be reduced to a half or quarter mix by reducing the amount of tinter. The half and quarter colours are not standard colours though so the store wouldn't have a sample to show you. One good way to trial it is to get a testpot of Resene Clear Day and a Resene White testpot. Mix half the Resene Clear Day testpot with half the Resene White testpot - this will give you an idea of what Resene Half Clear Day would look like.
April 2015
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Q. We have painted the weatherboards in Resene Sea Fog and are trying to match the COLORSTEEL® handrail capping - can you tell me the closest colour match please? A. There isn't a direct colour match but the COLORSTEEL® colour called TuiTuft might be worth looking at to see if it suits you.
April 2015
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Q. We have just installed a COLORSTEEL® roof in Ironsand. We have a dark brown cedar weatherboards and are struggling to choose a weatherboard colour. We live in a greenery area and like the idea of a house that blends with the environment. We are thinking of replacing the wooden windows with aluminium. A. You might look at these modern neutrals that are similar to Resene Tea to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Half Grey Olive.
April 2015
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Q. We have a modern coastal property and have used Resene Quarter Truffle throughout most of our house for a little warmth and to reduce glare. We are just completing an extension and I would like our bedrooms and bathrooms to tie in with the rest of the house but be a little crisper, lighter and fresher. What would you suggest? I am thinking whiter with a touch of grey. Also, does Resene Hint of Grey work with Caesarstone Organic White? A. Resene Hint Of Grey will be deeper than the Organic White so the Caesarstone will look a little 'whiter/crisper'. If you were going to use this colour as ceilings and woodwork it does work really well with Resene Quarter Truffle but some of the time (according the light) it may look exactly the same. If you wanted a little more contrast then you could use Resene Half Sea Fog. A greyer white might be Resene Wan White or a bit deeper if rooms are very bright - Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Athens Grey.
April 2015
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Q. I am thinking of doing a feature wall of wallpaper ‘Diamonds are Forever 45621’. What colour do you suggest for the other three walls? A. You could use several colours - Resene Eighth Parchment, Resene Rakaia and Resene Scarpa Flow. There is a pearlescent creamy colour in the pattern which is why I have suggest Resene Eighth Parchment and the warm light and deeper greys look good with the soft charcoal black base colour of the wallpaper.
April 2015
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Q. We have a Resene colour spec for the roof to be painted using Resene Squall and need to know what is the equivalent of Resene Squall in COLORSTEEL®? A. The COLORSTEEL® match (to Resene Squall) is COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey.
April 2015
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Q. I have a 1982 pumice coloured brick house with brown aluminium joinery, green garage door and guttering, brown Decramastic tiled roof and white concrete block downstairs and a wooden deck. I want to paint the deck, gable ends and possibly the concrete block which is currently white. I prefer grey shades, like Resene Grey Friars and Resene Foundry, but am not sure they will go with the brown joinery and roof? Maybe something like Resene Diesel would be better? A. Are you planning on painting the garage door and guttering which are green now? If they are stay as they are then I suggest using a grey/green/brown colour to tie them in as well as the joinery and roof which are brown. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Gravel, Resene Double Masala, Resene Ironsand, Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Fuscous Grey.
April 2015
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Q. I have an old villa that we are renovating and I have chosen Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe for the walls but I don't know what to choose for the trims, doors and ceiling. Do I keep it all the same or choose different colours? A. It is entirely up to you what you choose to do as it is your house but if you want the wall colour to look a bit more developed and noticeable you might use a crisper/cleaner 'white' for ceilings and all woodwork as this is a traditional use of colours for a villa – Resene Alabaster, or alternatively you could use a softer warmer 'white' - Resene Soapstone. If you would prefer the woodwork and doors to be deeper then you might use Resene Half Perfect Taupe - this is deeper but not as dark as the full strength Resene Perfect Taupe.
April 2015
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Q. We are renovating. Our new roof is just going on in Sandstone Grey and new windows are in matt Titania. We are going to paint our brick white and I was thinking Resene Wan White. A. Resene Wan White is very nice. If you want other 'white' options you may like to check out these ones as they sit well with the roof and the window colours – Resene Half House White, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Merino.
April 2015
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Q. We have our lounge painted Resene Primrose. I would like the room lighter. As we still have a lot of paint left was wondering how it would go mixed with a something like Resene Clotted Cream. I was hoping this would keep a hint of the original colour, remain warm and, obviously, be a lot lighter. Do you have a computer program to see the colour at different percentages? A. Unfortunately paint colours aren't made this way. But if you can get a few medicine syringes from a pharmacy and draw up equal measured amounts of each colour and intermix them in a pottle and then paint them out you will get a good idea of what a half:half mix of the two colours combined would look like. I rather suspect seeing as the Primrose is so dominantly yellow it will take a lot of some other colour to alter it. You may be in for a lengthy trial and error process to see what you can achieve and it will be highly experimental with no guarantee that you will like the result. We would normally recommend choosing another colour that achieves the look you are after.
April 2015
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Q. We are having the exterior of our two level house repainted (painted cedar weatherboards on the second storey and a concrete block base with wooden joinery). The painter has suggested Resene Silver Chalice for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster white for the joinery. Do you think this will suit the style of the house (1960s)? What complementary colours would you recommend we paint the concrete block base, front door, garage door and front face of roof gutter? A. The concrete base and front face of the roof gutter could be a lighter variant of the house colour - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and the garage and front door could be darker - Resene Baltic Sea. I don't feel 100% happy about doing the block base a really dark colour as I feel it will make the house look segmented into layers - with a related but lighter colour the house appears well co-ordinated. A 1960s house can have any colours on it - it is your choice. If you are unsure about the greys you could consider a soft earthy grey/green like Resene Double Ash used with Resene Alabaster, Resene Quarter Ash for the block base and front face of the gutters and Resene Raven for the garage and front door.
April 2015
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Q. We are repainting the lounge and dining room of our 1926 home and need some advice on colours. The house has beautiful features including stained glass windows, a kauri fireplace, wooden window frames, oregon wood panelling and doors separating the lounge and dining room. The carpet is grey and the fireplace tiles are grey in the lounge and pink in the dining room. What colour would you recommend for the walls? And should we paint above and below the picture rail different colours? Also, do you have any suggestions for drapes? A. I suggest you might approach the repaint in this way: main colour in the dining room - Resene Quarter Lemon Grass, upper wall above the picture rail in the dining room - Resene Quarter Spanish White, ceiling - Resene Half Bianca and main colour in the lounge - Resene Double Blanc, upper wall above the picture rail in the lounge - Resene Quarter Spanish White with ceiling in Resene Half Bianca. Using the same upper wall colour in both rooms and same ceiling colour for both rooms links the co-joined rooms together but the individual colours for each room allows each space to have its own personality. Another idea is to use the same colour for the walls in both rooms but in varying strengths - i.e. Resene Quarter Foggy Grey and Resene Foggy Grey and the same colour (in both rooms) for upper walls and ceilings - Resene Half Sea Fog. I could go on endlessly suggesting colours (there are thousands available) but these are just a few ideas for you to mull over. The first suggestions are warmer colours that work well with the beautiful woodwork and the second range of ideas links grey toned neutrals (because of the grey carpet and grey tiles) and relies on cooler colours to balance the warmth of all the wood.
April 2015
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Q. I am renovating my old house and now it’s time for fresh paint. I've already bought tiles in Alpine Espresso colour. I want a nice warm colour for my kitchen, which is white gloss, and my sitting area. I also have a cement brick feature wall in the master bedroom and I don't know what colour it should be. My carpet is beige. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Eighth Drought. A feature wall in the master bedroom might be almost any colour, but you might look at these colours – Resene Lignite, Resene Timekeeper, Resene Wireless, Resene Red Earth or Resene Avalanche.
April 2015
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Q. I have chosen Resene Eighth Colins Wicket and Resene Quarter Ironsand as wall colours in an open family/dining area. We have large windows/French doors so there's not much wall space and these colours work well in a TV corner and the dining area wall. I now need a white for the adjoining kitchen walls. The kitchen joinery is all a Resene Double Stonehenge type of colour. The benchtop can be changed but we do have timber (cedar and rimu) sills, doors and floors which will stay. Resene Cararra or Resene Ragamuffin appeal but I am not sure why. Would they work with the other colours? The walls are currently all a variation of Resene Tea at present which looks great on sunny days but dingy otherwise. A. I suggest using Resene Half Cararra as your 'link' neutral to tie together you stronger contrasting colours. Colour always appears deeper than you may imagine - often doubling in depth - in an interior because of angles, close proximity of walls, changing qualities of light etc - so at worst the colour may look as strong as full strength Resene Cararra. In very bright areas it will perform as a 'white' and let you appreciate all of the feature colours (including the wood) without adding more heaviness of tone to the palette which may be the reason that the variations of Resene Tea are looking dingy. You might consider a lighter but not too white benchtop - something like Formica® Mineral Spa - as it ties in all of the colours.
April 2015
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Q. We are painting my 22 year old daughter’s room white but we would like something neutral with a hint of maybe duck egg blue. But don't really have any idea of which colours would be fresh and warm. We don’t want cream/beige tones. A. Duck egg blues are not usually referred to as warm colours and neutrals are usually not as coloured as duck egg blues. It really depends on the other colours in the room - flooring, curtains, duvets etc and the quality of natural light within the room as to whether a colour will look warm or cool. You might start looking at these colours and please do test them in the room as all colours change a lot and you need to know this in advance. – Resene Carefree, or lighter Resene Half Carefree or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, and some neutrals (not blue colours) Resene Half Athens Grey or Resene Quarter Surrender. If you paint A2 card, available from your Resene ColorShop, with a testpot (two coats/all of the testpot/leaving an unpainted border all around the edges) and move it from wall to wall you will see the reality of the colour and appreciate its unique qualities.
April 2015
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Q. We have recently purchased a commercial building which we are adapting to be a veterinary clinic. The existing windows, which we are keeping, are COLORBOND® Cottage Green. We will be repainting the interior and would like to modernise it. Can you please help me with suggestions of colours to do this, both light and dark if possible? A. Is it at all possible to hide the very definite strong green windows with blinds? This is one way to free yourself from the tyranny of the green and to be able to use other colours in the interior without compromising too much to accommodate the green. Stone beiges look very smart - you might check these out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Truffle or Resene Double Truffle. Alternatively sharp (slightly green edged) creams look good – Resene Rice Cake or Resene Triple Rice Cake. Or warm beiges are always popular – Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown or Resene Sandspit Brown. Please note interior colours often look quite a bit deeper than you might imagine and the opposite is true on the exterior. Exciting spots of colour can be added by use of colourful upholstery, flooring and wall art/posters.
April 2015
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Q. We are building a house by the beach. Upstairs is the kitchen, dining and living with sea views and lots of natural light. Floors both up and down are in oak flooring. The bedrooms have blue/grey carpet. The bathroom and ensuite have a gorgeous soft turquoise lino with sea glass splashback (same splashback in kitchen). I was thinking of Resene White Linen for the walls throughout the body of the house and the small amount of wall space in the bathrooms, Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue for bedrooms. There are lots of windows and natural light throughout. Is Resene White Linen too stark or cool ? Then what colour do I use for the kitchen and bathroom joinery? I have enjoyed much of the process up until this point but am now very indecisive and unsure of interior shades. A. Resene White Linen is a warm pink toned white so it will never be described as stark and cool. Please test the colour carefully and move the A2 card, available from your Resene ColorShop, with the testpot (two coats/all of the testpot/leaving an unpainted border all around the edges) around from wall to wall/room to room so that you can check out its tendency to 'pink' and decide whether it is right for you. I suggest leaving a unpainted white border all around the edge of the tested colour - apply two coats/all the testpot- so that you eye adjusts between 'white' card and coloured test patch and you will truly see the reality of the colour and not think it is whiter than what it is. For the joinery I suggest using Resene Alabaster as it will work with the Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue and the Resene White Linen. Please be aware though that the Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue may lose its 'pretty watery' tint and just look grey in a south facing bedroom or a north facing room. Certain qualities of natural light alter the colours a lot.
April 2015
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Q. We are building a new house and I am having trouble deciding on exterior colours. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Black, the window frames are also black. The cladding is LINEA® and Stria®. We had chosen Resene Chimney Sweep for the LINEA® however it looks very blue, and Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Half Gravel for the Stria®. I am wanting a very modern dark grey/almost black look but now I am worried it will look wrong. Also what colour would you suggest for soffits and fascia? A. I have a feeling that any 'black' may react on the exterior facade of the house when seen against the powdercoat real Black window joinery and the roof. Resene Chimney Sweep when seen close to Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Half Gravel - which are yellow/green based greys - will be inclined to 'flash' underlying colour and may look more 'coloured' again. Have you considered using a much deeper coloured charcoal that relates better to the colour you are considering for the Stria facade? That way the windows and roof will stay as the real black and nothing will challenge that. Your dark colour will be different enough to have its own colour personality and not be a 'wrong' black by comparison to the black powder coat. You might check out these dark colours – Resene Double Gravel, Resene Triple Masala, Resene Zeus or Resene Triple Dune.
April 2015
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Q. I have just painted a master bedroom in Resene Half Tana and a child's room (11 year old) in Resene Quarter Tana. For the master bedroom I am now looking at complementary colours or split complementary colours for curtains, lightshades and duvets. I was hoping to perhaps use a red and was wondering what type of red or if in fact red would work at all and if not what tones would work to give a warm mood. My son's room has the Resene Quarter Tana and is also in need of curtains, duvet etc but he'd prefer to complement with green tones. Do you have any suggestions on what tones to use? A. These are paint colours that sit well with both Resene Half Tana and Resene Quarter Tana. They may offer you options and a little inspiration for the rooms. Because Resene Tana carries yellow in its greenness it responds to reds that are slighter more blue or purple toned and greens that are olive based and blues that carry grey/purple undertones. Try Resene Broadway, Resene Chapta And Verse, Resene Breakfree, Resene Double Tana, Resene Quarter Evolution, Resene Birdcage, Resene Tiebreaker, Resene Night Moves or Resene Norwegian Blue. Whites that work well are green toned like Resene Rice Cake and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and neutrals are earthy toned like Resene Wireless, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Groundbreaker and Resene Quarter Lignite. Alternatively pure white and real black emphasise the green tones of any Resene Tana variants. April 2015
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Q. Which will look deeper – a paint finish or a paint effects finish? A. Paint effects can create a soft muted look. A standard paint will always look deeper/heavier/brighter than a paint effect which is often carried in a clear glaze and reapplied as multiple coats in a mottled or washed way to build layers of colour. April 2015
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Q. For a 1995 home with high cathedral/beam ceilings would you use one colour for ceiling and walls: for example Resene Eighth Tea on the ceiling and Resene Half Tea on the walls? A. Possibly. I do have to say that any colour may look a little deeper than you might imagine as the light falls away from the ceiling leaving shadow across it which makes ceilings look a bit deeper. Resene Eighth Tea is a little 'pinker' in its undertones than Resene Quarter Tea. A substitute colour for the ceiling that works well with Resene Quarter Tea is Resene Half Albescent White - they appear more sympathetically related.
April 2015
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Q. We are getting a new kitchen which is mainly Resene Designer White and Resene Parchment on two cupboards. The ceiling is Resene Alabaster so already you can see the neutral tones. Do you recommend a warm colour for the walls? A. I do recommend a warm colour for the walls - if you had a cool colour it would isolate the Resene Parchment and make it appear stronger/earthier and harder to integrate with the rest of the room. You might look at these options to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Merino.
April 2015
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Q. In my kitchen I am renovating a black bench top. The cupboards are Resene Pearl Lusta which I don't want to change. The higher ones have glass doors. The kitchen also has terracotta floor tiles and tiles behind hobs and under the window are slim white. I want suggestions for the wall colour keeping it very neutral. A. Perhaps you might look at these colours - one much lighter/crisper than the Resene Pearl Lusta and one is between Resene Pearl Lusta and the terracotta tiles – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Biscotti.
April 2015
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Q. Our house has a Permanent Green roof and guttering. Currently we are putting in a swimming pool fence which is black and a wooden fence on the boundary. The house is a creamy white and needs repainting. The joinery is Rice Cake. We are looking for a colour for the basement of the house and the fence (thinking something dark). A. Are you changing the house colour as well as the basement and fence? If that is the case then you may need three colours, not two. But if you are repainting the house the same colour again then only two colours will be needed. You might looks at these colours to see if they appeal to you: basement of the house Resene Triple Thorndon Cream, fence Resene Nocturnal and house colour Resene Thorndon Cream. This option uses an earthy green edged cream, a related deeper variant and a dark fence. Or you could try: basement of the house Resene Quarter Grey Friars, fence Resene Grey Friars and house colour Resene Secrets. This option uses a soft green for the house that links in the Permanent Green but still works with the joinery colour and uses varying charcoals for the basement and the fences.
April 2015
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Q. I am wanting to paint/stain my decking. I have renovated the house and painted it, but have the deck out the front of the house which has been painted in the past a brown colour, then out the back where planter boxes are it has had no paint on it. My parents have suggested a paint instead of a stain as they think there is less maintenance but I am open to ideas or thoughts. The house is light grey on top and a darker grey on the bottom with white trim. I also have brown clinker brick. I was thinking of something contrasting like a charcoal. A. If you painted the deck a charcoal you would have heat related problems. The paint may cause the deck timbers to expand and contract a lot or even cup slightly and pull where the nails are. It may be too hot to walk on during the summer. You may notice marking on the dark paint film where constant foot traffic walks. If you want a deep colour I definitely would recommend using Resene CoolColour™ technology to try and minimise the heat associated problems but it won't solve all problems. I really like the white hand rails, posts and pergola over the deck and step areas - it looks so nice and crisp. Have you thought of doing the seat edges around the deck and the planter boxes in white as well - this would tie in all the other white detailing. A deeper version of the basement of the house colour could be used on the floor of the deck - this would tie it back to the house colours. Stains do need recoating more frequently than paint but a stain does give a softer natural look - it is a matter of personal taste. A soft stain colour for the floor of the deck that ties both the house colours and the brown clinker brick together might be Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash or slightly deeper Resene Woodsman Iroko. Where a deck has been painted in the past I do suggest staying with a paint finish which may mean the two decks are different from each other - you might check out Resene Half Mondo - not too deep a colour - or slightly greyer Resene Double Friar Greystone .
April 2015
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