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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 33

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

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

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 33

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


Q. I am looking for whites to tie Resene Basalt, Resene Copperhead and Resene Blue Clouds together. I was thinking of Resene Double Alabaster. Would that be too cold?

A. I think Resene Double Alabaster would be fine but if you had any reservations you might look at Resene Half Sea Fog (also known as Resene Triple Alabaster) as it is slightly warmer.

Resene Basalt
Resene Basalt
Resene Copperhead
Resene Copperhead
Resene Blue Clouds
Resene Blue Clouds
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
June 2015

Q. We have Irish Cream kitchen joinery, our ceilings are Resene Bianca, architraves Resene Cararra, a Caesarstone bench in Snow Ice and curtains are Pegasus De Ville, colour Horizon. Our current wall colour is Resene Fossil in the living/kitchen and Resene Triple Fossil in the lounge. What I would like to do is brighten the colours a little by adding more contrast with the paint. We have been suggested Resene Quarter Ash but I'm finding this too grey. We have painted Resene Quarter Fossil in the hall but think it might be too white looking for the living areas. Any suggestions for a colour a few shades lighter than Resene Fossil that might suit? I thought maybe just taking it down a notch with Resene Half Fossil?

A. Resene Half Fossil would certainly lighten the living /kitchen area - you might also look at these colours to see if they might appeal to you – Resene Half Parchment, Resene Spanish White or Resene Quarter Sisal.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
 
June 2015

Q. I have done my house in Resene Thorndon Cream (lounge), Resene Half Thorndon Cream (three bedrooms), Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (hallways) and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream (ceilings). I now need to do some window frames/sills and also a couple of door frames. Do I use the Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for this purpose - or go for a plain white?

A. I would be inclined to use Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream (which is the 'white' you have chosen for ceilings) rather than introduce real white into the palette of colours. My thought would be that people may think you have only undercoated (in white) but not topcoated as it would look unrelated to the other colours.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
June 2015

Q. Selecting final colours for new home. We have a large open living area which is very light warm and bright. We have a white traditional kitchen with white or grey marble effect tops. There is wooden furniture, mainly rimu, and grey tiles and carpet (as we have pets). We are looking at Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the main wall colour, with some feature walls in rooms to the side but in view of the central area in full Resene Silver Chalice. For the trim am looking at Resene Half Barely There. Please advise if this sounds OK.

A. I think your colours are lovely. If you need to compare Resene Half Barely There to another 'white' to see if it is truly perfect as your white you might also check out Resene Quarter Black White which is slightly crisper.

Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
June 2015

Q. We are renovating our kitchen. The walls/lounge are Resene Sisal, kitchen cupboards are Resene Quarter Spanish White, the benches are light timber (beech). We are unsure of what colour to do the large glass splashback. We have a lovely water view from the kitchen so don't want a huge contrast, just a light blend.

A. I agree with you - don't go crazy with colour on the splashback - nothing is needed to zoosh up the kitchen if you have an excellent view. You might look at these two options – Resene Double Napa (a bit of earthy depth to rest the eyes from bright clear skies and reflective water) or Resene Half Arrowtown (this has a little depth but carries more sisal earthy tones without looking too mustard).

A word to the wise of the two types of glass used for splash backs only one shows the colour true to reality - it is low iron oxide crystal clear glass. The other glass - standard float glass - throws a distinctly green/almost mint cast and alters the colour seen behind it in a surprising - not always pleasing - way.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
June 2015

Q. We have a 5 year old girl’s bedroom and we are painting the walls Resene Surrender and ceiling Resene Alabaster. There is an old fireplace (covered with plasterboard) that we would like to paint with a black magnetic paint. Can you recommend a 'black' colour that would suit?

A. The Resene Magnetic Magic paint is applied (thickly) first of all and then when it is dry it is topcoated (twice) with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or your choice of Resene topcoat. You can choose from most Resene colours. Some blacks you may like to try are Resene Nero or Resene Double Cod Grey. Or you can use Resene Blackboard Paint over the top. The Resene Magnetic Magic works best with high quality magnets to ensure the magnets stick well. Heavy weak magnets won’t work well.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
June 2015

Q. I am wondering what the best neutral colour is to paint the walls in my room. They are currently painted a milk chocolate brown and timber clad. The carpet is being pulled up, and the floorboards sanded and polished. They are Cyprus pine, so will be a warm colour. There are exposed timber beams on the ceiling, and these are painted a dark brown but not exactly Resene Mission Brown. The room faces east, so although light, it doesn't get direct sunlight on the walls.

A. You might try these rich warm colours so that the room looks as though the sun is streaming in and making the walls glow – Resene Spanish White, Resene Nougat, Resene Quarter Drought or Resene Quarter Biscotti.

Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Nougat
Resene Nougat
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
June 2015

Q. I have an old weatherboard house and want to paint the roof. I have just painted the house Resene Ironstone with white trim and am not sure which colour goes with it.

A. If you wanted a dark neutral colour for the roof you could look at using Resene Nocturnal or a much lighter neutral colour like Resene Forecast. Choosing a definite colour is a little more difficult but you could look at these two to see if they appeal to you – Resene Red Oxide or Resene Paddock.

Resene Ironstone
Resene Ironstone
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Forecast
Resene Forecast
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
June 2015

Q. Please help! I need some paint colours for a new home. At the moment I am just looking at the open living area (kitchen dining casual lounge area of reasonable size) which will have light coloured timber floors and dark aluminium joinery. I want a warming white that isn't too yellow and isn't too grey. I am thinking of painting the walls/skirting/ceiling and architraves all the same colour but am eager to get your advice on this too. If I decide not to do this can you please suggest some contrast colours for these features? Also in the same living area I want to paint the wall behind the hearth/woodburner (hearth to ceiling, approx 3m width with light grey bricks on each side) a dark grey, almost black colour. Can you suggest a colour please?

A. A new build requires a lot of decisions, doesn't it? Firstly, because it is the simplest of your requests, a dark grey almost black colour. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Foundry, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Blackjack.

The warming white that isn't too yellow or grey is a little more difficult as colours change so radically in different qualities of light and when seen next to any other colour - floors etc. But you might check these ones out to see if they work – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Wan White.

Painting up very large samples of these colours onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a unpainted white border all around the edges and moving it around the house will give you a far better idea of what the colours really look like.

Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
June 2015

Q. I am painting a dark stair case Resene Half Ecru White and need a brighter white for the woodwork and ceilings. This is in a heritage building. What do you suggest?

A. Resene Half Ecru White has a subdued green undertone and if you wanted a brighter white to work with it you might look at these colours – Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Rice Cake, or even 'real white' – Resene White.

Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
July 2015

Q. We have an existing transitional bungalo with sash windows, TG&V soffits with exposed rafters and no fascia, with a rolled verandah. Exterior is in bad condition and we are currently replacing the weatherboards. We replaced the roof using COLORSTEEL® Maxx Smokey. We are located near the beach as well. Not wanting to use dark colours. What can you recommend for the weatherboard colour, box corners and exterior joinery, with maybe a highlight on the sill boards?

A. Using light colours is a very good option to consider in order to protect the timber on the bungalow from sun/heat damage and to give a restful sea side look to the house. You might check these palettes of colours out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Black White, Resene Lattitude, or Resene Ragamuffin, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Cape Cod, or Resene Tiara, Resene Half Wan White, Resene Charade. The last colour is the (possible) sills or even door colour.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Ragamuffin
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Charade
Resene Charade
July 2015

Q. We've just renovated our kitchen. We've got vinyl wrapped cabinets in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and have teamed those with Resene Half Thorndon Cream on the walls, with white trim and ceilings. The benchtop is a light grey flecked stone, with a light grey tile floor. We want to inject some colour with a glass splashback - what colours will match well? Something blue or turquoise? Or maybe even a metallic finish?

A. If you were wanting a splashback to match it might be exactly the same colour as either the walls or the cabinets or even a deeper version of the wall colour - but I think you are really wanting a colour that will coordinate with your main colours - is that correct?

You have many possible choices. If you like blues and turquoises then these may offer you a start point -
Resene Barometer, Resene Wanaka, Resene Norwester or Resene Lochinvar. Or a metallic colour -
Resene Traccia or Resene Crescent.

A word to the wise - of the two types of glass used for splashbacks only one shows the colour behind it true to reality. This is called low iron oxide crystal clear glass. The other glass - standard float glass - has a green cast to it and because of that all colour is seen in quite a different way - often not at all as you would want it to look.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Wanaka
Resene Wanaka
Resene Norwester
Resene Norwester
Resene Lochinvar
Resene Lochinvar
Resene Traccia
Resene Traccia
Resene Crescent
Resene Crescent
   
July 2015

Q. We are planning on painting our interior walls Resene Wan White and for the children's rooms adding a feature wall colour. For our son, I would like to use Resene Half Periglacial Blue. For our daughter's room, I would like to introduce a rose/dusky pink (basically the pink version of Resene Periglacial Blue if you get what I mean?) What would you suggest?

A. There are several rose/dusky pinks that are the same depth as the Resene Periglacial Blue - you might check out these to see if they appeal to you – Resene Devoted, Resene Bambina, Resene Blanched Pink, Resene Cest La Vie or Resene Pot Pourri.

It would pay to test the colours really well - paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges and move it around the room from wall to wall to see how the colours alter during the day and under electric light.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Devoted
Resene Devoted
Resene Bambina
Resene Bambina
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
 
July 2015

Q. I want to repaint my 7 year old daughter’s bedroom. I have some paint (Resene Swans Down) left over from my son’s room. She really wants a purple feature wall. Can you recommend any colours that would look good with Resene Swans Down or should I just buy some new paint?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they like the Resene Swans Down and your curtain fabric: Resene Biloba Flower, Resene Perfume, Resene Lilac Bush or Resene Fog.

Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Biloba Flower
Biloba Flower
Resene Perfume
Resene Perfume
Resene Lilac Bush
Resene Lilac Bush
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
July 2015

Q. I have a Queenslander that at the moment is in ‘traditional colours’ (not my taste). The roof is red and cannot be changed. I would like some ideas for the main weatherboard and the gutterings, fascias and trims.

A. You might check out these three completely different palettes of colours - there are three colours in each - mid tone for the main and lighter and much deeper for trims etc – Resene Pravda, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Masala, or Resene Delta, Resene Alabaster, Resene Zeus, or Resene Secrets, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Easy Rider.

Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Zeus
Resene Zeus
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Easy Rider
July 2015

Q. I have painted my walls in Resene Half Tea and the skirtings and window sills are in Resene Quarter Tea. The ceiling is in Resene Eighth Tea. I’m wanting to put a high gloss white kitchen in. Will the white look ok against these colours?

A. I think a high gloss white kitchen will look amazing with your colours. You don't mention what you are using as benchtops - that may need a bit of consideration as it will be seen closer to the wall colour.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
July 2015

Q. I am completely repainting a small unit at the moment. I am thinking of doing Resene Alabaster on the walls throughout (I want something neutral, and some of the rooms are quite dark so I want to stay very light). My question is - what might work well on the kitchen cupboards with Resene Alabaster as the background? The kitchen is quite dark so I want to stay quite light. The benchtop is dark blue/grey speckled.

A. I suggest doing the cabinets in a full gloss enamel (reflects more light/looks brighter) in Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Triple Alabaster. Either of these will achieve a subtle tonal shading which follows on from the Resene Alabaster walls and works well with everything.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog /
Resene Triple Alabaster
July 2015

Q. Our painters have just finished painting our house in Resene Linen. Now I need to decide on the trim for the French doors and windows. I need two colours that complement each other with a nice contrast to make it ‘pop’. We live in the bush and like the idea of a brown, green or terracotta. Are there any colours that are popular now to go with Resene Linen?

A. Try these colours – Resene Lignite (brown), Resene Triple Ash (green), Resene Dawnbreaker (terracotta), Resene Quarter Lignite (soft brown), Resene Quarter Evolution (soft olive) or Resene Apple Blossom (soft terracotta).

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Apple Blossom
 
July 2015

Q. We have used Resene Reservoir on three of the walls in one of the bedrooms. This will eventually be the room for our next child. We are wanting to do a feature wall on the last wall. We were going to do the feature wall using Resene Chill Out but I don't think it goes well with the Resene Reservoir. Could you suggest some other possible colours please?

A. Because of the quiet pastel tone of the Resene Reservoir it resists being with some colours and it may be that Resene Chill Out is one of these colours. If it is a yellow based sharp green that you have your heart set on I am unsure about how they will work together. Perhaps the feature wall colour may need to have more depth or be much lighter and with that in mind you could check these colours out – Resene Hypnotic or Resene First Light.

But these other colours look gorgeous with Resene Reservoir and you might like to consider them – Resene Ship Cove, Resene Port Gore, Resene Joie De Vivre, Resene Yabbadabbadoo or Resene Windfall.

Resene Reservoir
Resene Reservoir
Resene Chill Out
Resene Chill Out
Resene Hypnotic
Resene Hypnotic
Resene First Light
Resene First Light
 
Resene Ship Cove
Resene Ship Cove
Resene Port Gore
Resene Port Gore
Resene Joie De Vivre
Resene Joie De Vivre
Resene Yabbadabbadoo
Resene Yabbadabbadoo
Resene Windfall
Resene Windfall
July 2015

Q. We are doing a renovation and extension to our house. It has a tile roof and aluminium joinery in the colour Lichen. We are keeping the Lichen joinery and I would like to have a colour recommendation for the exterior of the house. It is a large two story stucco house. I was thinking of Resene Napa but it looks too similar to the joinery and wondered about Resene Tea? We have a large shed near to the house which is Ironsand and I will have the tiles on the house roof painted either Ironsand or another dark colour. I will paint the garage door and front door the same as the roof. Can you please recommend a colour for the exterior to complement the Lichen joinery and also a roof colour?

A. Resene Tea may look a little grey/beige compared to the yellow/green beige of the Lichen joinery. Would you mind that?

You might check out these options to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Parchment or Resene Eighth Stonewall.

Is there any reason that you wouldn't consider using Resene Ironsand for the roof? I would imagine that it would tie in the shed and make it appear as though it 'belonged' to the house. If you are unsure about Ironsand then you might check out Resene Squall as an alternative colour for the roof - it appears to be almost halfway between Ironsand and Lichen in hue which may help all of the colours relate to each other.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
 
July 2015

Q. I’m looking for a white for the walls of our new kitchen. The colour on the cabinetry is white with black under the island. The benchtops are a charcoal suede effect granite and we are using black subway tiles on the splashback. The flooring is a character caramel timber. The room is light with lots of windows/doors opening onto our garden but gets mostly morning sun (not a lot of direct afternoon sun). I’m thinking we need a warm white but it will need to go with our black/white scheme. I am thinking of Resene Rice Cake, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Half Bianca. Which white would you recommend?

A. You may need to paint up testpots onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white border all around the edges and place them around the walls in the kitchen to watch how changing qualities of natural light alter the colours before you may a final choice. I think Resene Sea Fog may be OK - but I would still advise testing it over 24 hours to see if it is. Take your time. Testpots are your best friend.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
July 2015

Q. We are building four beach houses for holiday accommodation using James Hardie LINEA® and Hardiflex®. We like would like to use orange, grey and white with some walls being a very dark blackish colour so that they are not noticed by the neighbouring beach houses. Do you have any inspired colour ideas for us?

A. You could try Resene Nocturnal, Resene Windswept or Resene Ironsand. Several bold oranges to consider are – Resene Blaze, Resene Flashback or Resene Shirley Temple. And some softer greys and whites to consider are – Resene Triple Black White and Resene Quarter Black White, or Resene Triple Merino and Resene Quarter Merino, or Resene Triple Concrete and Resene Half Concrete.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
   
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
Resene Flashback
Resene Flashback
Resene Shirley Temple
Resene Shirley Temple
   
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
July 2015

Q. I have a lounge painted in Resene Half Tea. I like the colour but it doesn't go well with the rimu trim in our room and it doesn't show off our artwork. I am not prepared to paint the trim and would like a blue/green colour to paint the room. The celling needs to be the same colour. I have had Resene Inside Back before in another house and loved it but wondered if there was another option instead of going for the same thing a second time! The room is big (5m by 5m) and with the ceiling painted too it won't be able to be too dark.

A. If you have used Resene Inside Back in the past and like that type of colour then you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you also. They are lighter and would need to be if the ceiling was the same colour as it will double the strength of the colour if it is used on both the walls and the ceiling. Try Resene Emerge, Resene Edward, Resene Harp, Resene Ashanti or Resene Nebula.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
     
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Edward
Resene Edward
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
July 2015

Q. We have just had our exterior planter box plastered and looking for a paint colour to match. Have bought seven testpots so far using the colour charts but when they go on the colour doesn't look right. I've tried Resene Rakaia, Resene Cloud, Resene Truffle, Resene Concrete and Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Half Cloud and Resene Half Truffle). Is there a colour you can recommend that resembles a warmish concrete colour?

A. I have been wandering around outside looking at concrete with my colour charts in my hand and it seems to me that you may be looking at colours that aren't deep enough. All colours look a lot lighter outside in the bright natural light so going for a bit more depth is sometimes a good thing.

Even my new (paler) stretch of concrete path alongside the existing concrete base of the house looks much more like these types of colours – Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Friar Grey or Resene Half Mountain Mist.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
July 2015

Q. I would like to paint three bedrooms in my house (that are currently a horrific shade of lilac) and I would like a neutral colour so that can keep the ceilings and trim white. I am planning to paint my deck rails outside the house Resene Matterhorn as it matches the grout in my bricks and will help to modernise the house a bit! I also had flooding a couple of weeks ago so will be painting my basement which is currently plain white with grey trim. This room is usually quite dark and cold so I would really like a colour to help warm it up but also keep it bright. I would like the interior colour to tie in with the Resene Matterhorn as that side of my house is basically one giant window. I am leaning towards Resene Quarter Sisal, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Merino for the basement but I think the top floor of the house can handle a slightly darker shade. The carpet that normally goes in the basement is a navy blue.

A. If the basement is dark and cold then I suggest you use a lighter colour – Resene Eighth Sisal or lighter/brighter – Resene Villa White. The bedrooms could definitely be a little deeper – Resene Quarter Sisal or Resene Double Villa White. These colours relate really well to Resene Matterhorn.

Resene Matterhorn
Resene Matterhorn
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
 
July 2015

Q. We are building a new house. The kitchen, dining and lounge are in Resene Half Blanc and the bedrooms are in Resene Blanc. The kitchen splashback is in Resene Spring Green and feature wall in the lounge is Resene Cha Cha. The long corridor is south facing. We would like advice on a feature wall colour for the corridor. We are thinking of using Resene Zeppelin, but I’m not sure if I will be able to hang paintings on such a dark wall. We also need advice on a feature wall colour for the north facing master bedroom. Would Resene Kina Brown or Resene Oilskin suit this room?

A. Hallways are not usually blessed with lots of light so even quite pale colours take on more depth. If you were keen on a deep colour I suggest it be lit well with spotlights highlighting the paintings to compensate for the depth of colour absorbing normal levels of light.

Resene Zeppelin is a blackened purple and it may work for you but I suspect - even with directional lighting - you may see it as black. Perhaps it would pay you to test several other colours and compare them. If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted margin all around the edges so your eye focuses on the reality of the colour in this large format you may get a better idea of what may work well for you.

These options are warmer and less black shaded so they are worthy of consideration – Resene Spitfire, Resene Aubergine, Resene Conundrum or Resene Chocolate Lounge.

Some options for a north facing room that you might consider that enhance the mushroom undertone in Resene Blanc that you might check out are Resene Woody Brown, Resene Falcon or Resene Double Buffalo.

Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Spring Green
Resene Spring Green
Resene Cha Cha
Resene Cha Cha
Resene Zeppelin
Resene Zeppelin
Resene Kina Brown
Resene Kina Brown
Resene Oilskin
Resene Oilskin
Resene Spitfire
Resene Spitfire
Resene Aubergine
Resene Aubergine
Resene Conundrum
Resene Conundrum
Resene Chocolate Lounge
Resene Chocolate Lounge
Resene Woody Brown
Resene Woody Brown
Resene Double Buffalo
Double Buffalo
   
July 2015

Q. I am wanting to repaint our holiday home on the West Coast. We have rimu dining table and chairs, plus rimu under the breakfast bar and trim around the fireplace. The open plan lounge, dining and kitchen face west. I am looking for a colour to work with rimu, and also complementary colours that could be used in the remainder of the property. Also looking for advice on which exterior paint colour to use. We have Karaka long run iron roof and garage doors. We are surrounded by beautiful West Coast bush so the colour needs to be in harmony with this environment.

A. For a west facing interior where the low arc of the sun may flood the room with a warm glow you could look at using one of these colours – Resene Half Parchment, Resene Spanish White, Resene Linen or Resene Villa White.

An exterior colour to work with Karaka and a bush backdrop could be one of these – Resene Double Fossil, Resene Half Grey Olive or Resene Double Ash. Nothing can truly compete with the colours of the bush but these colours create earthy leaf mould tones and the sunlight shadows of bark and leaf.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
 
July 2015

Q. We are wanting to paint our (very) small kitchen. It can be dark at the end of the day so we need to keep tones light. We have gloss white cupboards with stainless steel handles, stainless steel oven etc. We will have white glossy subway tiles and medium grey grouting. So basically... we would like a soft very light grey wall... not blue based and cool. It needs to stay warm but work with grey grout and stainless accents. We were thinking of Resene Half House White for walls and Resene Quarter Black White for the trims. Do these tones have enough contrast to work together or are they too close?

A. I do feel the colours that you are looking at may be a little too closely related so in order to create a contrast it may be better if you lighten the 'white' to Resene Eighth Black White and possibly deepen the grey - Resene House White.

Test the colours carefully - testpots are your best friends - and if you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move the card around the walls to check out how light and shade affect it.

Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene House White
Resene House White
July 2015

Q. We are building a new house and are probably going to use Resene Quarter Tea on the walls with internal doors being Resene Quarter Pravda. Can you provide any suggestions for feature wall colours - we have a few accessories in various teals and blues?

A. You don't mention what you are having in the way of flooring and what colours you are having as kitchen cabinets and work tops.

If I suggest colours that work with the walls - Resene Quarter Tea and the doors - Resene Quarter Pravda but they don't allow you freedom of choice with flooring, upholstered furniture, drapes and blinds, kitchen cabinets and work tops will you mind? Usually feature walls are chosen after all of the above mentioned elements so that you can have what you like and then to embellish the look with 'feature' colours.

Without knowing the exact shades of teal and blue coloured accessories you have, some colours to try are Resene Double Pravda, Resene Dauntless, Resene True Blue or Resene Blaze.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
 
July 2015

Q. Would Resene Gunsmoke be nice as a feature wall with Resene Quarter Rakaia walls and Resene Quarter Black White trims? Also, can you suggest a pale purple for a feature wall in our daughter’s room that will also go well with Resene Quarter Rakaia?

A. Resene Gunsmoke is quite a hard edged yellow/green based grey and it would not be my first choice of a feature wall to go with the very pretty delicate Resene Quarter Rakaia. Perhaps you might look at these greys - and then compare them with Resene Gunsmoke to see which you prefer – Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Scarpa Flow.

A pale purple feature wall for your daughter’s room may need to take on subtle grey undertones in order to work with Resene Quarter Rakaia - you might look at these colours to see if they appeal – Resene Effortless, Resene Lola or Resene Grey Suit.

If too pretty a purple or too pale a colour is chosen all it will do is make the main wall colour – Resene Quarter Rakaia - look grey and dingy. Strangely enough if a soft yellow based white is used as a main wall colour (check out Resene Orchid White) it enhances the purple that is in Resene Quarter Rakaia and it takes on a delicate mother of pearl tint. Colours are chameleons and alter when other colours are seen close to them.

Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Effortless
Resene Effortless
Resene Lola
Resene Lola
Resene Grey Suit
Resene Grey Suit
July 2015

Q. I am looking for a warm light greyish colour to go with a polished concrete floor in an open plan kitchen, living area. The kitchen cabinets are white lacquer. I also want to know which white to use for the ceiling, doors and window trims. I am currently thinking of Resene Double Sea Fog on the walls with Resene Half Alabaster for the ceilings and doors. Will this be too cold with the concrete floor?

A. You may need to paint the testpot colours (two coats/all the testpot) onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move them around from wall to wall/room to room and place the paler sample horizontally on a ceiling surface to see how they look - not only with the concrete floors - but with changing natural and artificial light. That is the best way to judge what is right in your environment.

I can see nothing wrong with the colours that you mention but it all depends on what the colours look like in the house. If they appear too white/cold then by going to slightly deeper versions of both you may get the 'right' colours – i.e. Resene Alabaster and Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
July 2015

Q. I am wanting to paint our subfloor in the kitchen and living room which is ply floor. Can you advise me on the best Resene paint to use that is hard-wearing and water-resistant? Preferably the easiest option (i.e. we don't want to be using rags and stain or several layers of polyurethane). I would love to do something like the floor from Habitat magazine but it appears to be a mixture of paint and polyurethane? I would need to be able to give exact instructions to our decorators. Also, If my walls are Resene Periglacial Blue and the trims and doors are Resene Half Rice Cake, what white should I use for the floor? Should it be lighter or darker than the trims and doors?

A. If you want a really simple solution the I suggest you use Resene Walk On which is a hard wearing paving paint. It can be tinted into a wide range of colours.

It can be applied to wooden decks/porches and concrete surfaces but if there is a lot of hard shoe foot traffic it will show wear patterns. It is like any painted floor surface in this regard - some areas will be perfect forever and some areas will need recoating periodically to maintain the 'good looks'. Resene Walk On paving paint is easy to apply.

I would be inclined to use a lighter version of the trim and door colour - perhaps look at Resene Eighth Rice Cake if you want a 'white/pale' look but if you want more warmth/colour then you could use the same colour as the trim - Resene Half Rice Cake or very slightly lighter Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
July 2015

Q. We are modernising our house render to a smooth surface and then painting both the house and roof. You will see that the high pitched roof can dominate from some aspects. I was thinking about Resene New Denim Blue but will that go okay with our cedar accents? Resene Grey Friars instead? For the house we are thinking a muddy natural colour e.g Resene Pavlova? Resene Half Napa? Joinery is white.

A. Resene New Denim Blue may be a softer toned colour for the roof - not as demanding to the eye - than Resene Grey Friars. If you have cedar accents (red/brown tones) you may find that it draws out a little more blue in both of the roof greys - is that a problem? If you don't want the roof to look bluish then you might check out an earthy stone greys like COLORSTEEL® TernStyle or COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase.

Your idea of using Resene Half Napa is a good call - I am not so sure about Resene Pavlova as it is so yellow and clay toned but taste in regards to colours is personal - if we all liked the same colours we would be boring wouldn't we?

Other colours - between the clay colours and the earthy stone hues - that you might look at are Resene Double Tea or Resene Bison Hide.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
 
July 2015

Q. We are about to paint our house exterior. It's a Cape Cod style bungalow with terracotta roof tiles and a red brick chimney at the front and side of the house, while the back is two storey weatherboards only. We are leaning towards Resene Delta for the weatherboards and Resene Double Alabaster for windows/fascias.

A. I think the colours you are considering look really nice. Alternative colours might be Resene Pumice and Resene Half Sea Fog, or Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Wan White. Large A4 real paint samples of all of the colours can be viewed at a Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library. Seeing samples this large does help a lot in making decisions.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
   
July 2015

Q. We are planning to paint the interior of our house. I have tested a few colours and found that Resene Rice Cake is perfect for our back south facing bedrooms, but too yellow in the brighter north facing dining/sitting area. I would like to use the same colour throughout and would prefer a warmish white. We live in Queenstown so it gets pretty cold. We have a large garden and lawn that reflects green into the dining/sitting area. Whatever colour you recommend are you also able to recommend a complementary colour that we could use on the doors. Also, I love Resene Clouded Blue from the Karen Walker collection for our bedroom but am worried it will look cold. Would you consider this colour cold?

A. I am pleased that you have found Resene Rice Cake works well for you in the south facing bedrooms which are not generally known for their 'sweet' quality of natural light. Warm whites carry undertones of yellow or red in them so a warmish white (not too yellow toned) for the north facing dining/sitting area might be one of these colours - please do test them very carefully as colour is such a chameleon and if it can alter (with variations of light or colours seen close to by) it will do so – Resene Half Villa White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Merino.

A complementary colour for doors (that would work well with any of the colours mentioned) might be Resene Quarter Rice Cake if a lighter/brighter colour was required or if a deeper warmer colour was preferred then possibly Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Clouded Blue might pick up greyness or a shadowy look if it is seen at any time on a wall that receives no direct sunlight and because of that it might take on a cooler look. A lighter blue with a tiny amount of yellow in it that you might also check out is Resene Dusted Blue as it may look a little warmer.

It is a fine line between what our heart desires and what looks best in the space you want to use it in. Colour is (always) a lot deeper also in an interior than we might imagine it will be so taking the time to test it is the only way to ascertain what works and what doesn't. I always suggest that testpots be applied to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) using all of the testpot (two coat application) leaving an unpainted margin all around the edges of the card. Moving the card from wall to wall/room to room allows you to see large amounts of colour, in all natural and artificial light, on different angles reflecting light and shade and in rooms of different aspects - north, south, east and west. The unpainted margin allows the colour to be kept away from existing wall colours (even unsealed plasterboard is a colour) and allows the eye to focus on the reality of the colour so you get a true judgement. If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look at it this way you get a good representation of what four walls of colour will look like as the colour intensifies.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Clouded Blue
Resene Clouded Blue
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
July 2015

Q. What colour do you have that would be similar to Resene Double Regent Grey? We are looking for a colour for a formal living space.

A. Resene Regent Grey was originally in the GR palette of the Multifinish Range. Deeper versions of Resene Regent Grey are Resene Pale Sky and Resene Abbey. If you enquire at your nearest Resene ColorShop they may be able to show you this (archived) chart and could order some testpots for you from Resene H/O. Resene colours are usually still available even when the original colour chart isn’t.

Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Pale Sky
Resene Pale Sky
Resene Abbey
Resene Abbey
July 2015

Q. I have used Resene Half Truffle throughout our house with full Resene Truffle doors. I am looking for a complementary colour for a kitchen and bathroom in turquoise tones.

A. You might check out these colours as they do look really gorgeous with any Resene Truffle family colours – Resene Ming, Resene Blue Chill, Resene Paradiso, Resene Fountain Blue or Resene Gulf Stream.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
     
Resene Ming
Resene Ming
Resene Blue Chill
Resene Blue Chill
Resene Paradiso
Resene Paradiso
Resene Fountain Blue
Resene Fountain Blue
Resene Gulf Stream
Resene Gulf Stream
July 2015

Q. We would like a light grey that has a brightness to it to paint our fence. We have a lot of greenery and brown deck and an old red brick courtyard which the fence surrounds. I was thinking Resene Iron, but am stumped now. Maybe it could have a lilac undertone. The house is white.

A. A bright grey can be 'whiter' – Resene Iron is a cool blue/silver - but you might also use a light grey with an undertone of green or yellow in it to brighten it. It will be stony rather than silver or blue/lilac toned.

You might look at these warm toned colours to see if they appeal to you and tie in the white house, brown deck and red brick courtyard and greenery - Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Half Atmosphere.

As an alternative - if you have a grey on the house – e.g. on the trims perhaps - you might use exactly the same colour for the fence if you can remember which particular grey you used previously.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
July 2015

Q. Is the colour Resene Cargo a warm or cool colour? We wanted to repaint a room and found the original colour no longer exists and thought this colour looked similar but it appears quite grey. I am worried it won't go with the warm dark grey carpet that has a brownish tinge that we have ordered. The room is a lounge and can be seen from the dining room that is painted a definite cream. All my furnishings in the house are in a definite warm autumn toning although there are no curtains in this room yet.

A. Resene Cargo can be either warm or cool dependent upon what other colours are close to it and according the quality of natural and artificial light that it being viewed in. It is an light olive tone so in corners of rooms and in shadow it will appear dense and earthy.

Are you able to get a sample of the carpet you are having and take it with you to your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of all the Resene colours in their Colour Library - it would make choosing a colour so much easier for you if you could.

If the carpet is placed horizontally and the sample is stood up vertically against it then it would be as it was in a house situation. Don't lay a sample flat on the carpet as that is not as it would be seen in the house. If you can find a sample of the exact cream that you used in the dining room and look at the colours and carpet all together it will help you get a better idea of what works and what doesn't.

The colour that you are referring to that you had previously - if it is a Resene colour - will still be around so if you can remember its name you could check it out and see just how similar it is to Resene Cargo. Resene colours are usually still available even when the original colour chart isn’t - they are just 'resting' quietly in our archives and can still be purchased.

Resene Cargo
Resene Cargo
July 2015

Q. I have a large feature wall in Resene Bulgarian Rose. It runs down from the entrance hallway round a curved wall into the lounge living area. What lighter colour would be complementary on the other walls? I have fossil coloured floor tiles throughout the house. There is lots of light through windows.

A. There are probably hundreds of possibilities but you might check out these lighter colours as a start point – Resene Half Blanc, Resene Half Biscotti, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Milk White or Resene Half Albescent White.

These colours are all quite different from each other and it would definitely pay to test them carefully in your environment with the changing qualities of natural and artificial light. Take your time - paint up the testpot colours on A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) so that you can move it from wall to wall to see how the colour changes - and it will.

Resene Bulgarian RoseResene Bulgarian Rose
Resene Bulgarian Rose
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
July 2015

Q. We are building a replica villa and trying to pick an exterior colour. The joinery is powdercoated in Metropolis Warm White Pearl. We want to find a nice white that makes the house look crisp and fresh, but not grey/cold. Our roof is Grey Friars. My search has led to Resene Rice Cake. It seems to complement the joinery and not make it look too yellow in comparison. Do you agree? Then I need help with a front door colour! Thinking charcoal...

A. Resene Rice Cake is very good as a main colour but please do check out Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and compare the two colours - just so you can be certain of the 'rightness' of your choice.

For the front door - are you wanting darker than the roof? or softer/slightly lighter? You might check these two colours out – Resene Foundry (darker) or Resene Steel Grey (lighter).

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
July 2015

Q. Our kitchen cupboards are what I think would be Resene Pavlova. Our kitchen is open plan with dining and lounge and doesn’t get much sun. What would be a light neutral colour that would go with Resene Pavlova?

A. I agree with you that a light neutral is the best way to go in order to make the space seem brighter.

You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Villa White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Wheatfield or Resene Half Pearl Lusta.

Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
July 2015

Q. I really love the colour Resene Onahau, but we think it's just a bit too strong for our lounge walls. Is there a colour a shade or two lighter? Resene Tranquil is too light.

A. Resene Tranquil is a shade or two lighter than Resene Onahau. Colours do tend to look quite a bit deeper in an interior than you might expect them to look so perhaps a whole room of Resene Tranquil may be exactly what you are looking for.

To test colours I suggest you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted margin all around the edge of the card. If you move the card from wall to wall it gives you a better idea of what the colour is truly like as it is large enough to make a good judgement about. If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it this gives a good replication of how deep the colour will look when four walls are painted.

If after doing this you are still unsure then you might repeat the test procedure with a modified version of Resene Onahau - by using 1 testpot of Resene Onahau and 1 testpot of Resene White mixed together you will get another blue variation to see if it suits you better. There may be only a subtle difference between this variation and Resene Tranquil but at least you will know for sure and it is a colour that can be replicated in a larger quantity.

Resene Onahau
Resene Onahau
Resene Tranquil
Resene Tranquil
Resene White
Resene White
July 2015

Q. I'm looking for an inky/graphite matt black colour to use in my new kitchen for some overhead cupboards. The rest of the kitchen is high gloss Arctic White. The benchtops are Prime Stone Aoraki and the floors are polished concrete (with exposed aggregate). The wall colours in the room are Resene Black White (in kitchen area) and Resene Half Taupe Grey in the lounge and dining (open plan space).

Can you recommend any matt blacks to use for the cupboards? I don't want the black to be ‘too black’ but I don't want a charcoal grey either. I quite like the look of Resene Jaguar - would that work?

A. I am presuming that the cabinets will be spraypainted in a two pot product and that the person doing the work for you will do a final coat of a matt clear over top of the matt black so that fingers won't leave greasy spots on the surface of the paint - matt paint is notorious for absorbing body grease and other more kitchen related cooking fumes and steam.

These colours may be worth considering but I must impress upon you that you need to ensure a genuine Resene 2 pot lacquer is being used to ensure the colour is correct – Resene Double Cod Grey, Resene Nero or Resene All Black.

The reason I haven't included Resene Jaguar is because it has a definite blue/indigo undertone but it may be that this is what you want instead of a inky black and if you were to check out these colours in the A4 real paint samples in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop and compare them it would definitely help you judge better the reality of the colours.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
July 2015

Q. We have a hundred plus year old home which we are restoring. We are working on a west facing bedroom with a rural outlook, 3.6m x 3.6m with 3.2m high stud which we are intending to paint. The floor is polished matai; the skirting, window and architraves are shellac finished rimu. There will be a rimu picture rail at approx 2.1m above floor level. Our initial thoughts on colours were to replicate pg 62 from issue 21 habitat magazine, however this seems to be a little dark and overpowering, so are looking for guidance on a more suitable colour scheme still keeping the green/cream colour scheme.

A. In the article mentioned the deeper colour only occupies the area of walls below the dado and the lighter colour is the predominant colour. By trying to use these colours with the green colour occupying 3/4 of the walls it does make it appear overpowering. Colours seen in an interior often appear much deeper than one might imagine they will be and need to be tested carefully to see what the overall effect will be.

Perhaps you could use much lighter versions of the colours so that the overall look remains softer and less dark. The following colours are some that you might check out to see if they appeal to you, They look lovely in a westerly facing room which has more yellow/red warmth in the natural quality of light - Main colour - Resene Emerge and upper portion of walls and ceilings - Resene Half Spanish White, or main colour - Resene Half Robin Egg Blue and the upper portion of walls and ceilings - Resene Half Orchid White, or main colour - Resene Harp and the upper portion of wall and ceilings - Resene Bianca.

Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
   
July 2015

Q. We have painted our house interior Resene Black White. At the moment I am stripping the doors to get ready to paint. Do I paint them Resene Black White semi-gloss?

A. Semi-gloss is a good finish for doors – we normally recommend a product like Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel. The sheen level is a nice contrast to normally low sheen walls and is also easier to clean than most lower sheen finishes.

Colour wise, you could paint the doors the same colour, but most people going for a single type of colour on a colour scheme will use a darker or lighter version on the doors, just to get a little more contrast. E.g. if the walls are Resene Black White, they might use Resene Double Black White or Resene Half Black White on the doors to provide a little extra contrast. Or you could opt for a completely different colour. Generally decorators going for all neutrals do though tend to stick to the same colour family and then just go darker and lighter on different areas to get a bit of contrast while still keeping it neutral.

Colours painted in a semi-gloss finish will generally appear cleaner and brighter than the same colour in low sheen. The lower sheen version will seem muddier.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
July 2015

Q. Is it possible to get the metallic special effects paints made up in other colours than the ones on the colour chart?

A. Yes custom colours can be made. However the metallic flake does affect the clarity of the tinter so some colours are not achievable in a metallic finish.

July 2015

Q. I was just wondering who names the colours? I've always been curious...

A. We have a huge master list of colour name ideas. Each year we run a staff competition and they add names to it, and when customers suggest ideas we add them also.

Then when we come to name colours we refer back to the master list and see if any of the colour names match up with the colours we have. Some colours we brainstorm a colour name idea at the time. Some colours almost name themselves – as soon as you look at them they remind you of something and then get given that as a colour name.

If you have any good colour name suggestions you’d like to send us we’d be happy to add them to our ideas list. Just email to update@resene.co.nz, subject colour name suggestions.

July 2015

Q. Do Resene colours match Pantone® colours?

A. Generally Pantone colours don’t match exactly to standard paint colours. Our ColorShops have colour matches on file for many Pantone colours and you can request a colour match from our Colour Lab if your colour has not been matched previously – there is no charge for this service. If a match isn’t in the system already it can cause a short delay while our Colour Lab matches it.

Some people prefer to go for a similar Resene colour so they can use a normal testpot, some prefer to go for the colour match option.

Pantone colours are printed very differently to paint colours, so some paint colours are close to Pantone colours. Some Pantone colours are impossible to achieve in paints without affecting the product quality (e.g. coverage).

July 2015

Q. I am trying to match a Resene paint colour to another colour using the CMYK or RGB value. Is that possible?

A. Our Find A Colour tool lets you type in CMYK and RGB values to find the nearest paint colours – go to www.resene.co.nz/findacolour

The only issue is that RGB and CMYK aren’t necessarily precise and it depends somewhat on how they have been measured. If you have a physical sample of the colour/s then you could also take them into a Resene ColorShop and get them colour matched (this is a free service that we provide).

Or you could try the Resene Find-A-Colour and see which colours you think may be similar and then view A4 swatches of them at your local Resene ColorShop to see if they suit.

CMYK is generally used to define printing colours and the colour process used for printing inks is very different to paint. This means that sometimes a precise match is not possible but you can get very similar colours.

July 2015

Q. Do you have large floor stencils as I want to paint my floor?

A. We have a stencil library on our website – focused on mainly basic shapes/kid’s shapes. We don’t stock other stencils. Generally from customers we have heard those doing larger scale stencils are usually just creating them themselves by drawing the shape onto thin plastic and cutting it out and then using that.

Most of the stencils you can buy readymade tend to be more cake (small scale) stencils.

Depending on the shape you are looking for, low tack masking tape can also be used.

July 2015

Q. I am looking for a render colour to go with a COLORBOND® Dune roof and garage door with white front door and window trimming and feature cladding.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Truffle, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Fossil or Resene Quarter Akaroa.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
July 2015

Q. We are renovating our house and are looking at painting the walls Resene Double Black White and Resene Alabaster on the ceiling and skirting. Our house is quite dark so we are hoping to brighten it up without it looking too sterile. Do these two colours work together?

A. These colours should work really well. Do use testpots to make sure. If the Resene Double Black White looks a little too cool/grey in dim rooms you might check out Resene Sea Fog which is slightly lighter/warmer.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
July 2015

Q. Our house is Resene Half Surrender - could you recommend some greys we could use for feature walls?

A. You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you and look good with your Resene Half Surrender – Resene Half Tuna, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Revolution or Resene Quarter Foundry.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
July 2015

Q. I was hoping you could suggest two exterior colours for our new home? We have Ironsand COLORSTEEL® roofing and silver pearl joinery. Our exterior is half LINEA® and half plaster.

A. The LINEA® can have a much deeper colour than the plaster can according to standard recommendations for both these surfaces. The following colours - dark and light - allow several options to consider – Resene Quarter Ironsand and Resene Quarter Friar Grey, or Resene Gauntlet and Resene Half Foggy Grey, or Resene Half Gravel and Resene Atmosphere.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
July 2015

Q. I want to paint a section of wall with your black blackboard paint and paint the rest of the wall with a 'normal' black paint - which black should I be matching to the blackboard paint?

A. If you are painting inside we would normally recommend using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Black for the complete area. This can be used as normal wall paint and also as a blackboard paint and will give you a consistent interior look.

Resene Black
Resene Black
July 2015

Q. I would really love to get some advice on what exterior paint should I use on my rental property in Auckland, including the exterior windows and the house base. The roof will be the same, no paint required for the roof.

A. Try Resene Half Whiteout (main colour), Resene Alabaster (windows), Resene Rakaia (house base) and Resene Chocolate (doors/window sills), or Resene Delta (main colour), Resene Wan White (windows), Resene Quarter Delta (house base) and Resene Madam M (doors/window sills).

Resene Half Whiteout
Resene Half Whiteout
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Chocolate
Resene Chocolate
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Madam M
Resene Madam M
July 2015

Q. We have a three storey solid plaster house painted in Plateau Grey. Windows are Duraloy Matt Bone White. The house is well above the road so we are painting the undersides of the soffits with Resene Bokara Grey. The house looks very dark when the sun goes off it. What colour would you suggest to complement the Bone White windows and lighten up the house?

A. Grey colours may always look dark when the sun isn't directly on the house. If the undersides of the soffits (where there is the most shadow) are painted Resene Bokara Grey - which is quite striking - and you want to create a lighter/brighter looking house then you might check out these colours – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Helium or Resene Quarter Linen. They are lighter/brighter than the windows but relate really well to the green based Bone White colour.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Helium
Resene Helium
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
July 2015

Q. We have just bought a house painted in Resene Half Joanna. I find it too green at night in the family room and wondered if I painted just that room in Resene Quarter Joanna will it be too different. Will it solve my green problem?

A. All of the Resene Joanna colours are green toned. Going to a lighter variant will only make the room a lighter green. You might consider changing it completely to a non green influenced colour, such as Resene Merino, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Parchment.

Resene Half Joanna
Resene Half Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
July 2015

Q. My kitchen cabinetry is Makara and I currently have Resene Double Sisal on walls. I want to change the wall colour to something lighter and fresher. The area is open plan kitchen/dining.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and look good with the kitchen cabinets – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Merino.

Resene Double Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
July 2015

Q. We have an old Lockwood house, the walls are quite dark inside now so we were wanting a way to lighten without doing too much work or painting a colour over them as we like the timber look. We came across a blonding product but I was just wondering if you had anything that would work?

A. Resene has a product called Resene Colorwood Whitewash which can be seen on a wood product display in all Resene ColorShops applied over old varnished Lockwood pine timbers. It is very easy to apply and very popular to lighten the look of Lockwood interiors.

July 2015

Q. We are planning on painting our newly built house in Resene Ziggurat. The aluminium joinery is silver star kinetic. There is also some zin alume cladding, but this does not come in close contact to the deck. The building soffits and verandah structure is also in Resene Ziggurat. We are looking for ideas for deck colours as we have decided we would like painted decks.

A. Resene Ziggurat looks good with these types of colours – Resene Streetwise, Resene Afficionado, Resene Zulu, Resene Compass or Resene Mondo. You might also investigate a white look for a bit of coastal ambiance - Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Ziggurat
Resene Ziggurat
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Afficionado
Resene Afficionado
Resene Zulu
Resene Zulu
Resene Compass
Resene Compass
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
 
July 2015

Q. We have a 1980s home with a lounge and dining room with a stained timber beamed ceiling. The doors and architraves are also stained rimu. Some walls are of recycled brick with grey cement mortar. What colours would suit the remaining plasterboard wall. We wish to lighten up the room which is currently painted Resene Spanish White.

A. You might check out these colours - they are lighter/brighter than Resene Spanish White – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Villa White, Resene Ecru White or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
July 2015

Q. Could you please suggest a dark grey feature wall for behind our bed to go with Resene Triple Merino walls and Resene Black White trims? We have had Resene Half Masala suggested to us, which we don't mind, but it does seem a little brown to us.

A. You might check out these dark greys to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Half Baltic Sea.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
July 2015

Q. I have a little two bedroom cottage quite close to the beach. Unfortunately the gutters have rusted and need replacing. The roof is long run in a medium grey shade, which matches the single garage door, and the weatherboards are painted white. The gutters and fascia is currently postbox red, which is now a little dated and it has been recommended to replace the metal gutters with white plastic. Could you suggest a more modern colour to repaint the fascia as it is quite deep and visible?

A. Almost any definite strong contrast could work - as the red has done in the past. You could look at one of these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Glade Green, Resene Rhino, Resene Streetwise, Resene Fuel Yellow or Resene Foundry.

Resene Glade Green
Resene Glade Green
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Fuel Yellow
Resene Fuel Yellow
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
July 2015

Q. I have newly painted white architraves and a ceiling in oil based paint. I wanted a white that would make a small contrast or tone with them without looking cream - would Resene Alabaster work?

A. Resene Alabaster may work for you - in some lights it may look exactly the same as the White. Is that what you want to achieve? If you feel a little more 'tone' would be better then you might consider Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
July 2015

Q. We are renovating our home and our roof is COLORBOND® Woodland Grey and our windows are black. Our next step is rendering our home and we were hoping you could advise a colour I could use. I love the natural earthy colours - I was hoping to stay away from colours that are too light.

A. Try Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Half Masala, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Double Friar Grey.

Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
July 2015

Q. We are painting our house which we think is about 100 years old (Victorian I think). We are looking for an exterior paint colour to match our Woodland Grey COLORBOND®. We plan to paint the window trims and wrought iron white and the door will be Woodland Grey to match the roof. Can you suggest a suitable grey or stone colour for the weatherboards? I was thinking of COLORBOND® Shale Grey as I have seen this on a house in my street but not sure it will match the house.

A. The COLORBOND® Shale Grey that you mention is nice. The Resene colour match to that colour is called Resene Atmosphere. Other options that you might check out which relate really well to the roof colour are Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Half Taupe Grey - both these look smart and are more stone coloured.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
July 2015

Q. We are putting in a new gas fire with TV over it. It's a very large room and the walls are Resene Quarter Napa. I want paint the fire/TV wall in a feature colour. I found a couple of contenders on the website - but foolishly did not write down the names. Can you please suggest some blue options?

A. I think it may be wise for you to view real paint samples rather than make colour choices purely from the computer. Computer colours can be deceptive vs actual paint colours.

If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you will get a much better idea of what will work for you. Plus seeing the larger samples close to a sample of the Resene Quarter Napa will help you make good judgements. Grey blues that you might check out are – Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Rhino, Resene Hammerhead, Resene Astronaut or Resene Licorice.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Astronaut
Resene Astronaut
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
July 2015

Q. We have a late 1940s house where the previous owners had taken the floors and skirting back to original rimu. We are about to paint our bedroom walls Resene Reservoir and I know it is most popular to paint the skirting white. Would it 'work' (look OK) to leave the windows natural wood and paint the skirting, or be best to have all the wood trims painted?

A. It is a personal choice - if you decide after the walls are painted that you don't like the natural rimu then you could paint it. The warmth of the wood can look really mellow with colours like Resene Reservoir.

Resene Reservoir
Resene Reservoir
July 2015

Q. I am wanting to confirm the best colour from the Resene range. I am creating a feature wall in a living room mostly a warm white (undertone in red range so at night throws a kind of tangerine, so I'm considering a feature to offset that in pink (I know this may seem a bit 'out there') or in the blue red toning).

A. It is nice when someone asks for 'out there' colours - so here goes - the first two are pinks that flash orange tones and the others are blue reds – Resene Glorious, Resene Rapture, Resene Centre Stage or Resene Pompadour.

Resene Glorious
Resene Glorious
Resene Rapture
Resene Rapture
Resene Centre Stage
Resene Centre Stage
Resene Pompadour
Resene Pompadour
July 2015

Q. We are renovating our kitchen. We have blue carpet in living area and it is open plan. There are grey tiles on the kitchen floor and we are getting a grey quartz benchtop. The house has a Quarter Spanish white shade wallpaper and doors. I would like to know what colour the kitchen cabinetry and walls in the living area and kitchen should be.

A. Is your kitchen cabinets to be a laminate finish or are they wooden cabinets that will be painted? If they are to be a laminate you could look at Melteca Willuna White or if it is a paint colour that you need you might look at a deeper version of the wall colour - Resene Spanish White. You might check out some greys also to go with the quartz benchtop and the grey in the floor tiles.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
July 2015

Q. I am renovating a villa and want to paint the walls of the kitchen and living areas in Resene Black White and the bedrooms in Resene Merino - can you tell me what I should be painting the skirtings and architraves etc for these colours and will these colours all flow seamlessly?

A. You might look at using Resene Quarter Black White as it is such a good colour with both Resene Merino and Resene Black White or as an alternative Resene Alabaster.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2015

Q. Do you make a colour darker than Resene Perfect Taupe? I see it is a brown tint. Is it similar to Resene Bronco?

A. Resene Perfect Taupe and Resene Bronco are quite different from each other. Resene Perfect Taupe has more red undertone and Resene Bronco has far more yellow undertone. You might look at these two to see if they appear like deeper variants of Resene Perfect Taupe – Resene Americano or Resene Hurricane.

If your Resene Perfect Taupe was nowhere near the Resene Bronco then of course they could be used within the same house if that is what you want to do.

Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Americano
Resene Americano
Resene Hurricane
Resene Hurricane
July 2015

Q. What colour should I match to a Grey Friars COLORSTEEL® roof and joinery, and a silver pearl front door? The cladding is plastered polystyrene panels.

A. I think there may be some lovely cool tones that could appeal to you – try Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Barely There or Resene Double Black White.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
July 2015

Q. We have a textured home, with a weatherboard extension and a weatherboard standalone garage. The roof and garage door is Gauntlet, the windows are tinted with the joinery silver pearl. I am thinking I would like one colour rather than separate colours for the weatherboard and texture. What colours would you suggest? We previously had Sandstone with an Ironsand roof and would like a change from the brown. I am thinking light grey or off white.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene House White or Resene Wan White.

Colours tend to look quite a bit lighter on an exterior so you may need to test them carefully to see if they suit.

Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
July 2015

Q. I am building a home with a COLORBOND® Windspray roof (which has been ordered). I am looking for ideas for the walls, fascia and gutters. I'm thinking I will match the gutters and fascia to the roof but am not 100% convinced on that.

A. You don't mention what colour your window joinery will be - if you had the same as the roof it would all tie in nicely but you might also consider using Titania or Silver Pearl. I like the idea of the roof and gutters matching. The fascias might be lighter to enhance the colour of the roof and guttering with the main house colour being a mid tone. This creates a balanced palette of colours.

These are worthy of consideration – Resene Delta (main colour) and Resene Half Titania (fascias and any other trim). This is a start to your project and the colours relate really well with the roof colour. There are other options but I would need to know more from you about what you favour to be able to suggest alternative colours.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
July 2015

Q. I am looking at grey tones for a medical consulting room for the wall and built in study and desk. I have narrowed it down to Resene Half Tapa or Resene Half Friar Grey. Do you suggest lighter walls and darker cupboards or vice versa, or should they both be the same colour? Do you recommend a flat or semi-gloss finish for the cupboard to cater to high usage and be less prone to scratches and fingermarks? Are the two colours quite dark for an internal room? Should consider Resene Eighth Tapa or Resene Friar Grey. It is not a big room.

A. In an interior paint colours often look twice as deep as you might expect them to look so yes I do suggest you consider the lighter variants of the colour. If both the walls and the cupboards were the same colour it wouldn't make the space seem smaller or too busy. If the walls were a low sheen acrylic and the built in study and desk were a full gloss it would create visual interest without colour changing and the full gloss enamel for the work area is tougher and would tolerate a lot of hard use.

Please be aware that greys can be de-motivating colours so contrast colours for flooring, chairs, curtains or blinds and (perhaps) some artwork may 'lift' the mood and create a much nicer workspace.

Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
July 2015

Q. We are slowly painting our home and I have a cream bathroom I want to paint a white. The trims around the house are getting painted Resene Quarter Rice Cake and the other colours used are Resene Nebula, Resene Swans Down and Resene Ebony Clay so far. Can you recommend some whites to try that won't make the old white cast iron bath and ceramic basin look cream?

A. A colour like Resene Nebula will make the bathroom basin and bath look white whereas your trim colour is quite yellowish compared to the bath and basin. This colour wouldn't appear this way when used with your other colours because in the absence of any other 'white' you eye would see it as 'white' not slightly yellow toned.

If you were wanting to do a 'white' bathroom then it may pay to paint up several white sample cards and place them right up against the bath and basin to judge what is an OK white. I say 'OK' because ceramic and cast iron white bathroom fittings will always challenge any other white and make you see the differences between them and that is annoying but true. You might look at Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Eighth Black White to see if either of them would work with the bathroom fittings. Or you might go slightly greyer so the eye is forced to see the bathroom fittings as 'white' not old white i.e Resene Black Haze or Resene Athens Grey.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
July 2015

Q. We have a plaster house with bits of LINEA® features. We are painting the LINEA® Resene Baltic Sea but was wondering what you would recommend for the plaster. We are wanting a mid grey ideally. Our roof colour is slate and our joinery and garage door are charcoal.

A. Try these mid range of greys – Resene Mountain Mist, Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Transmission, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Triple Concrete.

I am unsure about what type of plaster system you have on the house but generally there are some constraints in regard the depth of colour that is recommended on plastered surfaces so the colours I have suggested fall approximately within the 'safe' zone. It would pay to get some information in that regard - BRANZ is a good resource - to ensure you don't void your substrate guarantee by using too deep a colour.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
July 2015

Q. How would Resene Half Smalt Blue halve? I like the colour but it’s just a bit too dark for the area in the corner behind the fireplace. Also do you have a warm off white that would go with it?

A. Are you are asking whether Resene Half Smalt Blue can be made as a quarter formula (Resene Quarter Smalt Blue)? You may need to enquire at your nearest Resene ColorShop. It could be that you are still not totally happy with the lightened formula especially if you do really like the Resene Half Smart Blue and it is only in one part of the room that it looks too dark.

Any colour may look too deep in that corner because it is a dark corner compared to the rest of the room.
A lighter brighter colour - similar to Resene Half Smalt Blue - that you might check out is Resene Gothic.

These warm off whites may appeal to you – Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Gothic
Resene Gothic
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
July 2015

Q. We are currently building a new home. I have chosen a Grey Friars roof and Resene Quarter Masala for the exterior with silver pearl windows. I am wanting a nice neutral grey for the interior. The living, dining kitchen is all open plan. The kitchen will have dark charcoal cabinets with a white bench. I am after a nice neutral grey and a white type colour for the trims. What would you recommend?

A. You don't mention what type of flooring that you plan to have - this will have a major effect upon what works well and what doesn't. Changing qualities of natural and artificial light will also alter your perception of what these colours look like too.

Some greys to try – Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Half Surrender, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Black Haze. Some whites to check out – Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Quarter Wan White.

Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
July 2015

Q. I have a new kitchen with joinery in Resene Eighth Parchment. The rest of my house including the kitchen/living area and ceiling is Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Quarter Spanish White. I have a terracotta tile floor. I like the warmth of Resene Spanish White but now have to choose paint colours for the ceiling and walls of the kitchen/living area. Thoughts?

A. Because of your new cabinet colour being so pale - Resene Eighth Parchment - your new colour -especially for the ceilings and trims - may have to be much, much lighter. You might check out these colours – Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

If you aren't keen on the walls being as light as the ceilings and trims then you could use the same colour as the cabinets or a slightly deeper variant like Resene Quarter Parchment or even Resene Half Parchment. Yes they do look a little earthier than the rich warmth of the Resene Spanish White palette of colours. Can I ask - when you were planning the new kitchen cabinet colours what did you imagine it would look like and did you have ideas about what would work to bring it all together? Choosing any new element is always difficult if it means that you have to change everything else in order to make it work well.

Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
July 2015

Q. I have a large open plan kitchen, lounge and dining area. The walls, ceilings and kitchen cupboards are all painted Resene Half Colonial White, except for two feature walls, one Resene Gimblet and one Resene Winter Hazel. The walls all need repainting, but the kitchen is still fine. I would like to repaint in a more up to date palette, but am not sure what to use with the yellow of the Resene Half Colonial White kitchen cupboards.

A. It looks more yellow in real life because it is. Resene Half Colonial White is a warm buttery cream that glows like liquid sunlight. Using colours with it to make it seem less yellow is a tricky exercise. Lighter wall colours will make it seem more yellow - not less yellow- and using deeper complex neutrals that may make it seem less yellow need to be approached with care. If you were to repaint the ceilings in a white it would help a lot - have you considered that option?

For the walls I do know that some warmer greys work well so this is a start point that you might consider.

Resene Titania (with Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta for the ceiling), Resene Triple Sea Fog (with Resene Eighth Sea Fog for the ceiling), Resene Eighth Tapa (with Resene Quarter Rice Cake for the ceiling) or Resene Double White Pointer (with Resene Quarter White Pointer for the ceiling).

If you want to make a really good change to the spaces removing all of the Resene Half Colonial White would allow you total freedom of choice. While that remains you may be compromised in colour choices to comply with the butter yellow of the cabinets.

Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Gimblet
Resene Gimblet
Resene Winter Hazel
Resene Winter Hazel
   
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
July 2015

Q. Could you please recommend a white for the trims that will match 'Arctic White' joinery?

A. I really wish I could but over the years I have found this particular cool (grey/blue tinged0 optic white extremely difficult to match a paint colour to. If you choose a cool grey colour (instead of trying to match the powdercoat) it forces the eye to accept Arctic White as a 'white' but using any other 'white' close to it makes most seem warmer/creamier (even pure White) and slightly blackened whites look dingy and brown by comparison.

I would be inclined to paint the trims a lighter version of the main wall/house colour so there are no 'other whites' to confuse the issue.

July 2015

Q. We have just decorated our renovated bathroom using Resene Quarter Truffle on the walls with a white ceiling, skirting and window sills. The vanity is charcoal and the tiles are slate grey and textured. The floor is dark with a warm grey fleck to it. All porcelain pieces are white. So I want to put an accent colour in there but can't figure out what will work, Lime green was my first choice but it doesn't work with the Resene Truffle... so what is Resene Quarter Truffle made up of? Does it have to be a warm colour perhaps? Red doesn't seem to work either. It's too strong.

A. Resene Quarter Truffle is a delicate mushroom beige and the colours that look good with it are softer, muted colours like these – Resene Tax Break, Resene Emerge, Resene Wishlist, Resene Quickstep, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Envy, Resene Patina or Resene Mulberry.

It looks lovely with all crisp whites and deeper versions of the Resene Truffle palette. Perhaps look at the colours listed and see how they make you feel.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Tax Break
Resene Tax Break
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
Resene Quickstep
Resene Quickstep
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Envy
Resene Envy
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Patina
Resene Patina
Resene Mulberry
Resene Mulberry
   
July 2015

Q. I'm organising for the block of flats I live in to be repainted. I'd really like to freshen the place up and make it look more modern, but use a tonal scheme that ties in with the greenery around and doesn't make the asphalt look too awful - I'm thinking muddy greens/browney greys/even aubergine?! I think a cold grey would look too harsh, as would white - but would value your opinion.

I was also thinking about the bottom three flats being a darker tone than the upper three, and whether that would look quite good - or incohesive. If it's tonal, it should be subtle?

A. Tonal colour - deeper to the bottom and lighter to the top storey may work well for you. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Tapa and Resene Quarter Tapa, or Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Titania (this isn't totally related but is sympathetic to the other colour) or Resene Stonehenge and Resene Quarter Stonehenge.

Doors and concrete dividing walls and handrails and balustrades could be highlighted in a warm dark colour to add a bit of 'oomph' to the overall look – Resene Chocolate Lounge (deep aubergine) or Resene Half Bokara Grey (rich warm charcoal).

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Chocolate Lounge
Resene Chocolate Lounge
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
July 2015

Q. We want to freshen up the kids’ rooms with new paint. My nine year old daughter wants to paint her whole room Resene Sports Star, but I (Mum) am not so keen on the whole room in this colour! Her room is an average size, on the warm side of house, with one medium-large window and one smaller window, but I'm worried it will be too much/bright and might be too cold for a bedroom? Also, I'd like a warm blue (vs cold blue) - is this a warm or cold blue? And could you do a half or quarter strength for two or tree walls?

A. Your daughter is nine - so you are still in charge! Resene Sports Star is a warm blue but I still would recommend that you only paint one wall - the wall that gets all the sunshine - and use another colour - no not a blue - for the other walls. This way it is only a small task to change it when she decides she doesn't want it any more - and she will and it could be next year or the year after - children like change and it coincides with growth and their emotional development. So - for the other walls - you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and your daughter - explain to her that they need to be plainer so that the blue can be seen better and because it is the 'most special' colour. Try Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

If she voices an opinion that it might look 'boring' then I suggest you take her shopping for a bright and bold noticeboard, a cheap but trendy rug for the floor and a new duvet - from a shop that is red.

Resene Sports Star
Resene Sports Star
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
July 2015

Q. We are building a house on a lifestyle block with a shed sitting approximately 10m away. The shed will be Ironsand.

We were originally going to do a Resene Half Ironsand house with an Ironsand roof and Titania joinery. We have since seen a very attractive house in Resene Triple Dune and Titania joinery. I am not sure what the colour of the roof was but would it look silly doing an Ironsand roof with those colours?

The shed needs to match the house as close as possible. Will the colour difference be quite noticeable between an Ironsand shed and a Resene Triple Dune house? Previously it was going to be just a different shade (house Resene Half Ironsand and shed full Resene Ironsand).

A. I do think it may be wiser for you to stay a little more related to the Ironsand shed and the Ironsand roof of the house. Resene Triple Dune has a bit more olive green in it than the Ironsand colour.

I strongly recommend that you use the Resene CoolColour™ versions of the colours to reflect more heat.

You don't say what the house is being built from - i.e real timber, LINEA®, Hardiplank®, corrugated iron etc but there are definite recommendations in regard the depth of colour considered appropriate - especially for timber. Perhaps talk to your builder and painter about this and if you want more information you can contact BRANZ.

If you are using real timber weatherboards then I suggest you choose paler colours as the guarantee on the timber cladding may be voided if you choose a dark colour. If however you are using LINEA® or some other non real weatherboard look alike product then you certainly can go deeper in colour.

So some pale colours (to use with black joinery- Ebony) to try are: Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Titania or Resene Thorndon Cream. Or darker colours if you do have LINEA® - Resene Gauntlet (this is a match to the powdercoat colour Sandstone Grey), Resene Half Baltic Sea (this looks good with FlaxPod powdercoat), or Resene Quarter Ironsand (this is a lighter version of the powdercoat colour Ironsand).

Calm greys and whites for the interior that might be worth investigating are Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Surrender, and as a white – Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Wan White.

Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
 
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
 
July 2015

Q. After buying numerous testpots, and visiting in store, I'm still struggling to find the right shade of black for our exterior. Ideally we want a mix between Resene Blackout and Resene Bokara Grey?

A. Have you intermixed these two together - as testpots - and painted up large samples to see what the colour really looks like?

If you have and are really happy with this 'new' colour then the easiest way for you to achieve this is to buy equal amounts of each colour and manually intermix them in a much larger container. This is because one colour is made from an Ultra deep Base and the other is from a Ochre base there is no way of adjusting the colour formulas to reflect this new colour on a chemically correct basis.

Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
July 2015

Q. We are about to repaint our tanalised pine shiplap weatherboard house due to an extension (in the open space to the left of the attached house). It gets good sun on two sides, reasonable sun on the third and no sun at all on the fourth (where the extension is going). The existing colour is a rather nasty brown and we'd like to go darker. We have been told that we need to go to an LRV of 40, but the colour we like has LRV% 15. Is there any way we can achieve this without compromising the weatherboard?

A. Generally lighter colours are recommended on weatherboards to reduce the amount of heat that is absorbed. Resene do have Resene CoolColour™ technology which reflects more heat than a standard colour. What this means is that you can use a Resene CoolColour variant that will have a better heat reflectance than the normal version, so you can choose a darker colour than you might normally. However you would probably need to still opt for a lighter colour than the one you are looking at.

July 2015

Q. Does Resene do a colour match? If I have a colour’s RGB values, can I get a Resene shop to mix me that colour?

A. If you can get access to a sample – e.g. a colour chip – then we can get an exact match done – either in store or our staff can send it to our Colour Lab. There is no charge for a colour match.

If you have RGB values only, we can match to the nearest Resene colour however because RGBs vary screen to screen and don’t generally print accurately, it would likely be a similar colour not a match.

One option is to take in a phone or similar with the colour you have in mind and show it to staff – they can then show you the nearest Resene colour/s as a startpoint.

July 2015

Q. I have a downstairs hallway that receives only dim indirect light and am wondering what colour to paint the walls. The floor is tan and brown tiles, and there are multiple reddish brown doors leading to cupboards or rooms. I want a change from Resene Pearl Lusta and lime greens. I have chosen Resene Alabaster white for the ceilings throughout, so I could use that on the door trims to make everything look crisp and smart.

A. My first thought is that the door colour could change (because there are so many of them as well as the walls) so that the space seems much lighter/brighter - is this a possibility? Resene Alabaster is a good choice for the ceilings and for the door trims. If the walls were painted Resene Oscar and the doors were Resene Clockwork Orange to create a really warm sunny look, it could be good. Alternatively you could paint the walls Resene First Light (which is brighter than you might imagine) and use more of the Resene Alabaster for the doors and the door trims.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Oscar
Resene Oscar
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene First Light
Resene First Light
July 2015

Q. I am looking for the perfect white to go with my Western Red Cedar ceilings and silver painted steel which run throughout the house and ceiling.

A. You might check out these colours to see whether they are 'perfect' – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Black White, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
July 2015

Q. I am using Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Half Thorndon Cream throughout the home, with Resene Alabaster trimmings. Does this work together? I also like Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue or a similar pastel green tone. Could this work as an ensuite or bedroom colour/feature somewhere?

A. If you were wanting to use Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue as a feature then I suggest it be used with the lightest version of the Resene Thorndon Cream family so it can be seen to best advantage. Because it is so light and delicate it would be swamped by Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Thorndon Cream but it could be used as a main colour with the Resene Alabaster trims in an ensuite. Another delicate colour -used in the same way - that you might consider is Resene Half Tasman.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
July 2015

Q. I have a light coloured house with a dark blue roof and trim. I'm looking for a bright front door. Yellow is the obvious go to but I think it might look a bit too primary. I was thinking a purple or lilac. I like Resene Birdcage, Resene Perfume, Resene Zappo and Resene Abbey Road. I'm wondering which of these would best complement dark navy blue.

A. A purple that has an undertone of blue in it may work best so Resene Birdcage might be considered. Another option - not one you have listed - that may be worth checking out is Resene Logan.

Resene Birdcage
Resene Birdcage
Resene Perfume
Resene Perfume
Resene Zappo
Resene Zappo
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Logan
Resene Logan
July 2015

Q. I have silver-ish tiles in my laundry and small powder room and every grey I have tried is coming up blue. It is a small area so cannot go too dark. I am at a loss of what colour to try.

A. The colours showing up as blue toned may be because of the quality of light that you have in the rooms - very early morning light from the east often does that or it may be that they have blue in them. You don't mention which colours you have tried so I can't offer you an opinion about whether they are blue toned or not. Because I don't know what colours you have tested already I am possibly going to suggest exactly the same ones again but hopefully not.

Handy hint - never test colours directly onto a painted wall surface because that too can alter how you see the test patch - if you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 (available from Resene ColorShops) card leaving an unpainted white perimeter all around the edges you will get the best idea of what the colour truly looks like plus it is very large which is always a good call when testing colours.

Try these colours – Resene Black Haze, Resene Double Black White, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Grey Nickel or Resene Whiteout.

Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
July 2015

Q. We need to repaint our home - it is 6 years old - we live by the sea in very harsh conditions. We painted Resene Half Napa on the rendered brick which is fine but the dark brown colour is very faded. What do you suggest we use on the LINEA® - how would a white go with the Resene Half Napa?

A. Because of the fierceness of our sun a lot of deeper colours do fade. A lighter/whiter colour is always a good call and with the rendered brick being Resene Half Napa you might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Sea Fog - or lighter versions of this colour, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Merino - or lighter versions of this colour.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
July 2015

Q. My kitchen cabinets are painted in Resene Rice Cake in semi-gloss and I am intending to paint the kitchen/dining room walls in Resene Coriander. There are three doors leading out of the room: French doors to a deck, a laundry door and the back door and I would like suggestions for a paint colour for them. I had thought of using either Resene Rice Cake or Resene Coriander or a similar but deeper green, but am open to any suggestions for any colour. There is also an old dresser that I would like to repaint in the same colour as the doors.

A. I like the idea of relating the kitchen cabinet colour to the woodwork. But my thought is this - if it was lighter than the cabinets then it will work with cabinets, walls and any other colours in the whole of the house if necessary.

So - perhaps you could look at Resene Half Rice Cake or even lighter - Resene Quarter Rice Cake. I think you may need to be a bit cautious if you choose to use a deeper green as it will be the main eye interest instead of the versatile - goes with anything - trim colour - and may be noticed far more than the walls or kitchen cabinets. It depends whether or not you consider the doors and other trims more gorgeous and worthy of attention than everything else as deeper may be then considered a 'feature'. The old dresser however could be the deeper green if that was what you wanted to draw attention. Try these colours – Resene Finch or Resene Woodland.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Finch
Resene Finch
Resene Woodland
Resene Woodland
July 2015

Q. We have a weatherboard house 1960s and have painted all the weatherboards in Resene Delta. We would like to paint the base, which is plaster, a dark charcoal colour, what colour would you recommend that would match the house? The windows are white aluminium. Our roof is currently a light red corrugated iron, but in time our plan is to replace the roof.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you for the base – Resene Half Nocturnal, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Half Gravel or Resene Steel Grey.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
July 2015

Q. I'm looking for a warm light blue colour for my 15 year old daughter’s room. What would you suggest? We have bought a house recently and her room has a hideous bright orange colour in it. She really would like a soft, peaceful blue colour.

A. For a bit of relief prior to the 'new' look occurring I suggest you quickly undercoat that orange colour into oblivion so you can see what the room feels like with light and no colour. It will help a lot also when testing colours as you will see them in reality against a white undercoated backdrop whereas you could be totally confused trialing them on a coloured surface. It would influence detrimentally your judgement of the tested colour and you would see it 'wrong'.

Warm light blues often carry a little green in their composition so the following are colours worthy of consideration – Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Escape, Resene Anakiwa or Resene French Pass.

Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Escape
Resene Escape
Resene Anakiwa
Resene Anakiwa
Resene French Pass
Resene French Pass

July 2015

Q. We are looking at doing Resene Truffle as the main paint on our walls. Do you think Resene Eighth Truffle is a good option for the ceiling or is it best to go with something like Resene Alabaster? We also have Grey Friars on our aluminium joinery so you can see this from the inside around window frames and sliding doors. Would it be best to paint one colour (say Resene Truffle) on interior walls and trim right up to the edge of the window?

A. A coloured ceiling will give a softer look but it is possibly a little more 'coloured' than you might imagine and will visibly lower the height of the ceiling. This is great if the ceiling is too high and makes the room look unbalanced. If it is the standard height - and you don't want it looking as though it is sitting on your forehead - then a white might be a better colour choice.

I think you may have answered your own question in regard the trims around the powder coated joinery. It keeps the look simple and uncomplicated if the wall colour is used. If the wood trims are huge, ornate architecturally (as in old villas) and worthy of being highlighted then you might consider using a lighter colour but otherwise perhaps not.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2015

Q. As an exterior render, does Resene Half Stonehenge look a grey tone and Resene Cloudy look a lighter grey tone?

A. If the render is heavily textured then it tends to deepen how a colour looks. The best way to see how a colour looks is to paint up all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move it around each face of the house to see how natural light alters your perception of the colour.

Both Resene Half Stonehenge and Resene Cloudy are beige and grey/brown tones but if there is a lot of trees casting their shadows onto the house then you might see the colours as being more shadowy/greyer. If you compare another colour that is greyer (like Resene Friar Grey) then it helps the eye to compare and judge colours. Take the time to test colour so that you know how it will look - testpots are your best friend.

Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
July 2015

Q. I have chosen a colour for my business logo and uniform and now want an exact match in the paint.

A. The best idea is to take your colour into your local Resene ColorShop so they can compare it to Resene colours.

Most printing inks and embroidery use the same sort of colour system which is why you can get a matching colour in each. Many printing inks are transparent and achieve their final colour effect by incorporating the light reflected by the base stock. This would apply for your business cards and embroidery dye. This transparency helps achieve a brighter colour, but it also means that some more subtler colours are harder to achieve and the colour can change depending what you are printing onto.

Paints work differently by absorbing and reflecting light from its own surface and as an opaque surface the reflection effect is quite different. A paint colour applied correctly is the same colour regardless of what it is painted onto. Printing inks are very different to paint tinters and there are some colours that cannot be achieved accurately from one to the other. While you can add in more and more tinter, it starts to affect the product quality and if used outside it can have a major impact on how well the colour will weather.

In many cases paint can be tinted and look just like a business colour that someone has selected. For some very bright and clean colours, a similar colour can be provided.

July 2015

Q. I’m wanting to see if you can assist me with colours for my walls in my apartment. I am looking at grey colours. I was thinking Resene Transmission or a half would be a good colour?

A. I think Resene Transmission may be too deep a grey to use everywhere in your apartment and there is no definite lighter variation of it but you might look at these greys as they may suit – Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Surrender or Resene Eighth Friar Grey.

Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
July 2015

Q. We have Resene Quarter Sisal on our walls and Resene Half Pearl Lusta on the doors, frames and windows. It is too cream against the Resene Quarter Sisal and I would like a whiter look. What would be a good colour to use that's not cream?

A. I think you may need to test several colours to see how they respond from being close to the Resene Quarter Sisal which is very yellow/brown toned. You might try these ones – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Eighth Parchment. Compared to Resene Half Pearl Lusta they are far less yellow/cream.

Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
July 2015

Q. I am doing up a house and am looking for a very neutral colour for the walls and ceilings. So I wanted to go for a white but see that there is a lot of choice. Can you let me know what a popular white is at the moment?

A. There are many that are really popular whites but the following three are ones that people seem to like - it does pay to test them in the environment as they pick up on any other colours seen close to the 'white' and alter - often radically - in changing qualities of natural and artificial light – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Rice Cake or Resene Black White.

If you paint the testpots onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) using all of the testpot (two coats) and move the card from wall to wall/room to room and watch it as it alters during the day and night light you will get a better judgement on what the colours are like in your home.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
July 2015

Q. We would like to have a colour scheme that works with polished concrete yet is a coastal scheme. We feel the colours need to be warm.

A. Warm colours may emphasise the grey of the concrete - will that be ok? You don't mention what your kitchen cabinets and kitchen work tops will be or whether you have furniture or soft furnishing that are definite colours - will you mind if the suggestions I offer don't look good with them?

You don't mention also what the exterior colours are - this may have some flow on effect in regards to the interior.

These suggestions may be a little random but they will allow a lot of co-ordinating colours to be used with the main colours – Resene Bianca, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Bison Hide. I hope these marram grass, pumice and seafoam colours offer you options and inspiration.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
July 2015

Q. I am trying to work out an almost white colour I can paint the whole inside of my house. The couch is a light taupe and two little chairs are charcoal. The floorboards are a golden colour - pine. I tried white with just a hint of black but it looked too muddy, then I tried white with a hint of black and ochre and it was too yellow. A friend suggested white with a hint of black and green.

A. Colours alter like a chameleon with any other colour seen close to them and in changing qualities of light - both natural and artificial. You may need to test a lot of colours and watch how they alter at different times of the day and night before you find the 'right' colour.

You don't mention by name which particular colours you have trialled so I am unable to hazard a guess about why they are the way they are and what effect that might have upon the overall look you are trying to create.

However these colours may be worth trying as a start point – Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Eighth Fossil.

Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
July 2015

Q. I am renovating my home now and want a neutral colour on the walls but with a bit warmth (and a darker feature wall). My ceilings are Resene Double Alabaster and the kitchen will be white with a neutral benchtop (off white with very light beige colouring in it). I am looking at the Resene Tea range but it says it is on the Y – Yellow palette. I’m not sure I want to have another colour come through in different lights or with certain accessories if that makes sense?

A. Unfortunately the very nature of all colour means that it changes a lot in different qualities of light - natural and artificial- and when seen on different angles and most of all when seen close to any other colour. That is what colour does.

It really means that you need to test colour very carefully in your environment, checking it out at different times of the day and night and seeing how it looks with those elements that you have already and are not changing and what it looks like with the new things - like the kitchen.

There may be some compromise needed on your part - a colour may look good most of the time but not all of the time due to the changes that occur.

So - is it Resene Tea or something else? Resene Tea can be described as beige - though some people describe it as grey - but because of the colour combination of tinters that make up the colour it is warmed with a type of yellow - hence the Y in the colour code. Perhaps you could compare it with these other colours to see which you prefer and then test carefully so you are aware of what it looks like at your house – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Joss or Resene Eighth Pravda.

Darker colours that might be considered for a feature and splashback might be the deepest version of whichever main colour you use or you could try Resene Quarter Felix, Resene Quarter Mondo or definite colours like these – Resene Red Letter or Resene Tiki Tour.

Alternatively a feature colour may be related to something you already have to help tie things together – that is a cushion colour, a colour featured in your drapes or seen in a favourite ornament or painting.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Quarter Felix
Resene Quarter Felix
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Red Letter
Resene Red Letter
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
 
July 2015

Q. I am hoping to get some advice on colour matching. We have a renovated 60s bungalow but the bedrooms had wallpaper over wallpaper. I've finally built up the courage to peel off the wallpaper in one of the bedrooms and painted it! I am not 100% sure if the colours we've used are working. The trim is Resene Quarter Spanish White and the walls are Resene Triple Sea Fog. I think the Resene Spanish White is making Resene Triple Sea Fog look a little blue? I wanted the room to have a green hue and dress it with a dark olive green accent colour, but am not sure if it is still achievable with the colours we've used. If not, what other colour coordinates should I be considering i.e. curtains and cushions?

A. I should imagine the complex warm tints in Resene Quarter Spanish White may well be making the Resene Triple Sea Fog look cooler and greyer (that could seem a little blue toned to you) as they don't really 'play nice' together. If the trims were sharper and cleaner in tone like Resene Quarter Rice Cake it might work better for you and enhance the unusual underlying hint of grey/green in Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Using contrast colours for curtains and cushions like Resene Seaweed, Resene White and Resene Intrepid (these Resene colours are a guide only for you to find fabrics) you may discover an amazing colour scheme evolving.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Intrepid
Resene Intrepid
July 2015

Q. We are installing a new country kitchen with painted cupboards and have chosen a Caesarstone linen bench. I'm needing help with the painted kitchen cupboards and kitchen walls. We will also be using this colour to continue through to our open dining lounge area.

We have high exposed douglas fir ceilings that run through all of the house and feel our house doesn't have enough light so the walls need to be lighter in colour? We currently have Resene Half Spanish White on the walls which I feel pulls too much of the colour yellow. We have used Resene Quarter Blanc in a bedroom and I now see it as a hint of pink which I'm not quite sure about either.

A. I think what you have - Resene Half Spanish White - is lovely as it has yellow, brown, orange and brown tones in it. But these following suggestions may appeal to you – Resene Bianca (fleecy off white/cream undertones), Resene Rice Cake (yellow/green undertones), Resene Quarter White Pointer (grey/stone undertones), Resene Half Thorndon Cream (grey/green undertones), Resene Eighth Akaroa (yellow/brown undertones), Resene Half Albescent White (similar to Resene Half Spanish White but not as warm), Resene Quarter Tea (warm beige undertones) or Resene Eighth Tana (green/yellow undertones).

I am inclined to think that you may find some of these colours look shadowy, sharp or yellowish - compared to Resene Half Spanish White - but you may need to carefully test them to see how they respond to the quality of light you have.

The rich warm wood influence does suck up a lot of natural light but that is the style and ambiance of the house. If you test the colours and decide to stick with Resene Half Spanish White it wouldn't be wrong - you just need to compare colours to make really good judgements about them and without comparing colour to colour your perception about colours isn't based on reality.

You are right about Resene Quarter Blanc - it has a cool mushroom pink undertone and in some qualities of light it can look almost grey/mauve.

If you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view A4 real paint samples of all the colours from their Colour Library and you place a sheet of printer paper partially over and between the samples you will better see the colours hiding in them.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Eighth Tana
July 2015

Q. My partner and I are building a new house, we have chosen Grey Friars for the roof and a darker steel blue colour for the exterior. Could you please advise which White would best suit our joinery? We are going between Arctic White and Pearl White.

A. I think Pearl White may be an easier white to co-ordinate with. Arctic White has a cold grey edge to it which is often awkward to work well with especially if you want to paint (real) White close to it

July 2015

Q. We have a new home with Millennium Silver aluminium joinery. We want a warm feel to the home. We are thinking of Resene Quarter Napa throughout with Resene Eighth Napa on the south side of the home for bedrooms. Would that work well and would Resene Alabaster or Resene Double Alabaster be the right choice for the ceiling, doors and architraves? Hoping that it wouldn't be too much? I also need bathroom colour suggestion to complement, and a colour for the kitchen cupboards.

A. The colours sound really nice but a point for you to consider is that colours in an interior often look deeper than you might imagine so it does pay to test them and see how the natural light in the spaces alters your perception of the colour. The other thing that alters how the wall colours are seen is the carpet which is a dominant factor in the house. Often there is a lot less choice in regard carpet colours than there is paint colours so it is advisable to sort that out first and then co-ordinate wall colours last.

If you want the ceilings, doors and architraves to show a strong contrast then Resene Alabaster will do that but a softer look (not less white just softer toned) is Resene Double Alabaster.

If the kitchen cabinets are being sprayed then you have a huge amount of colour options but this may be reduced by the work top that you choose, Again there is less of these to choose from so if you sort that first and co-ordinate the cabinet colour taking into account the flooring. flooring etc.

There is a tendency to use a white for cabinets so that they cleanly contrast with the main wall colour. If this is the case then using the same colour but glossier as the ceilings etc is a good call.

The bathroom often has tiles - either on the floor or around the bath and vanity - and these may need to be chosen first and then the wall colour last to tie it all together. There is a tendency to use a white in bathrooms but again this is a personal choice - I like a bit of wall colour used with white tiles around the splashback area but we are all different in this regard. Using grey colours for the floor may be a possibility to link in the window joinery.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
July 2015

Q. We are painting our 100 year old weatherboard house however I am unsure about the trim colour (for windows etc). I tried Resene Alabaster however felt it was too white. I am thinking perhaps a white with a bit more cream in it? I want something a little softer, but still a nice contrast...

A. Try these whites – Resene Half Bianca, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
July 2015

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

 

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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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