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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 37

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. 37

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


Q. I have just replaced the vertical blinds in three bedrooms and would like to paint the walls a new colour. The blind colour is called 'tempest' a light to medium grey colour. All rooms get good amount of sun light.

A. The grey blinds allow you to have any colour at all - brights or pastels or neutrals or whites. This is a case of 'what do you like?' and any colour chosen must work with the carpet colour and the furniture colour as well. These are a few neutral options – some ideas to get you started – Resene White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
October 2015

Q. My living room walls are painted in a neutral colour. The carpet and curtains are also neutral. The furniture is dark brown. An interior decorator suggested a dark grey green colour for a feature wall. The room still looks a bit drab. I don't want to paper this feature wall. I have looked at your metallic and pearl finishes; however they require a spray painter. This feature wall just needs a very slight wow effect to lift the room.

A. One way of achieving a little wow factor is to use a beautiful metallic colour applied in a rough and random fashion with a fine brush to create a bird feather brushed look. Or alternatively - with masking tape applied in carefully measured stripes - you can roller the metallic paint colour in the spaces between the masking tape so that you get a pin striped look.

October 2015

Q. We are building a new home with the exterior plaster and LINEA®. The roof is going to be Ironsand. Because the house sits on a prominent hill I want it to blend into the surrounds. What darker earthy tones would you suggest for the exterior and windows? My husband wants a red front door.

A. You could do the window joinery in the same colour as the roof – Resene Ironsand. Deeper earthy colours to consider are these ones – Resene Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Pravda, Resene Half Stonewall or Resene Cobblestone.

There are a huge amount of reds available - these are a few your husband might like – Resene Shiraz, Resene Red Berry or Resene Pohutukawa.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Half Stonewall
Resene Half Stonewall
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Shiraz
Resene Shiraz
Resene Red Berry
Resene Red Berry
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
   
October 2015

Q. We have just moved into a new house, and all the trims are Resene Spanish White. We are looking at painting the bathrooms and hall, but don't wish to repaint the trims and doors. I've looked through the Resene colour suggestions and everything paired with Resene Spanish White seems to be darker. What would you suggest for a lighter colour to go with it as the hall is already dark as it is? White is too harsh. We were going for the natural tones and greyish look elsewhere in the house. Could you give some suggestions please?

A. Resene Spanish White is a strong colour and only looks like a lighter colour when much deeper colours are used with it.

If you want lighter colours - which will emphasise the depth of colour that Resene Spanish White already is and make the trims more of a 'standout feature' - probably your 'safe' option is to use a lighter variant of Resene Spanish White. Perhaps you might look at Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Another colour that works with the very definite tones of Resene Spanish White is Resene Quarter Stonehenge but it is a deeper neutral with a greyish tone to it. Your best options for change would be to repaint the trims to a much, much lighter (and possibly more flexible) neutral so that you could have any colour at all in the house - staying with the Resene Spanish White will limit your choices.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
October 2015

Q. What colour combination can we use to have pale mushroom?

A. Pale mushroom colours - mushrooms are grey/beige/pink tones so these are examples of that sort of colour - Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Joss or Resene Blanc.

Colours that work with pale mushroom colours are Resene Stonewashed, Resene Inside Back, Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Matakana.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
 
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Matakana
Resene Matakana
October 2015

Q. I have decided to paint our walls Resene Wan White; however I'm not sure what to use on the trims.

A. If you want to see a contrast between the walls and the trims then I suggest you use Resene White which will add a crisp detailing. But if you would prefer a far more subtle transition between walls and trims then you might use either Resene Half Wan White or Resene Quarter Wan White.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
October 2015

Q. We have a concrete house painted Resene Half White Pointer with COLORSTEEL® Stone roof and a mid brown fascia. We want a darkish grey for the deck floors but stronger versions of Resene White Pointer go brown rather than grey. What is suitable in the same family as Resene Half White Pointer?

A. As you have already found out the deeper family variants of your colour change colour - in your case looking browner - which may also be attributed to the brown roof and deeper brown fascia you have which may create a 'brown' influence.

If you want a warm mid/deep greyish tone for the deck you may try these colours - even though they are not directly related to Resene Half White Pointer they are sympathetic and harmonise reasonably well – Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Friar Greystone .

You may find if you use a much greyer colour for the deck it makes the Resene Half White Pointer look very beige/brown.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
October 2015

Q. We are building and I'm looking for a light neutral to paint all interior walls, upstairs and down. I'd rather stay away from cool shades like Resene Sea Fog and Resene Black White. Hoping for a warmer feel without a yellow base. Resene Pearl Lusta and Resene Spanish White are too yellow for me. Thinking bone whites, or with a slight green undertone but not obviously green! Resene Wan White, Resene Merino, Resene Rice Cake and Resene Titania all catch my eye on the charts. What would be suitable for a whole house with different lights? And ceilings?

A. The crux of the matter is that colours change - often radically - in different spaces with different natural light aspects so what may work well in some spaces may not in others. It pays to test and test again to get the colours (yes often more than one) to look wonderful in the rooms. You may need to lighten the main colour to compensate for small, narrow or dim rooms.

Of the colours you are drawn to I suggest painting up on large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) all of the testpot (two coats) of Resene Merino, Resene Titania and possibly Resene Half Thorndon Cream as they may be the bone/slightly green under toned colours that you are looking for. Generally ceilings are much lighter/crisper to reflect good light and enhance the wall colours - you might look at Resene Alabaster.

A word to the wise - choosing a paint colour before choosing flooring, kitchen cabinets and worktops, drapes, furniture and hard flooring isn't wise because you may find it really difficult and very limiting to find these elements when the colour on the wall stops your freedom of choice. They are more far more expensive and offer far less choices already without the paint colour reducing these options.

You may find that starting the ball rolling by obtaining samples of these things helps you decide what colour is best.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
October 2015

Q. We have rimu (or similar) ceilings in our lounge and dining rooms and white ceilings in all other rooms. I'm trying to find a paint colour to paint all walls. Something that flatters and brings out the best in the rimu ceilings but has enough colour to give a bit of colour in those rooms with white ceilings. I've done several testpots. The best so far are Resene Parchment and Resene Quarter Pavlova but I don't think I've got the right one yet.

A. Wood can be strong minded in regard what looks good with it. The colours you have found to be nice are definitely on the right track but you might also try these as well – Resene Quarter Sisal, Resene Double Villa White or Resene Half Caraway.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
October 2015

Q. We are going Resene Black White on our walls. What should we do for ceiling and doors?

A. You could use the same colour as the walls or lighter/whiter i.e. Resene Quarter Black White or even just real White - Resene White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene White
Resene White
October 2015

Q. We have an open plan kitchen dining living area with Resene Sandspit Brown on walls and Resene Quarter Albescent White on doors and ceilings. We are considering a Formica Cafe Crema bench top but what colour should we use for the cupboard fronts?

A. If the doors are a laminate you could check out Melteca Gentle Beige but if they are being painted then your best bet may be to paint them the same colour as the doors and other woodwork - Resene Quarter Albescent White. The Formica Cafe Crema seems to have a lot of green/brown based neutrals in it.

Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
October 2015

Q. We are renovating an old villa. The kitchen cabinetry is Resene Black and Resene Alabaster. The skirting and cornices/ceiling will also be Resene Alabaster. The benchtop and floors are matai. I would like the walls to be a warm neutral with something stronger but complementary in the lounge (which will also have a black feature wall). Can you help with colours that will work well together? I've been looking at colours like Resene Half Caraway, Resene Blanc and Resene Quarter Sisal but am not sure I'm on the right track.

A. The colours you have been looking at are on the right track. The lighter Resene Blanc palette may throw a little too much grey/pink tone - but the deeper versions - Resene Double Blanc and Resene Triple Blanc could pick up on the warmth of the matai flooring nicely. Resene Half Caraway (and the slightly deeper Resene Caraway) may look really good with Resene Black as a feature wall in the lounge. Another option for you to consider is Resene Half Fossil or Resene Fossil

Take your time to test colours carefully and watch what light, shade and different angles of walls do to the colours - colour is such chameleon and if it can change it will do so. I always suggest people paint all of the testpot onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so that your eye can focus on the reality of the colour and it can be pinned on different walls/different rooms. This way the tested colour isn't influenced by existing wall colours.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
October 2015

Q. I am renovating a very small place. The feature paper in the bedrooms is Habitat Collection 47539. I would like to pick up these colours and repaint the old wooden kitchen. I was thinking of a white colour for the walls and a brownish tone for the face of the kitchen cupboards, something like Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Tea. Please can I have some suggestions of what the best paint colour matches would be to use in a kitchen? The kitchen cupboards could be a bit darker than the brown/silver colour in the wallpaper but I don't want it to be too dark because I would like the place to look as light and bright as possible.

A. The wallpaper has a shiny surface that reflects the colours in it in completely different ways dependent upon what quality of light it is seen in. I would suggest that you look at these colours to see if they might suit – Resene Eighth Napa or Resene Quarter Tea, and a whiter colour for the walls might be – Resene Black White or Resene Double Alabaster.

It would pay you to check out the large A4 samples in the Colour Library at your nearest Resene ColorShop with a sample of your wallpaper (which is in an older Habitat Collection wallpaper book - not the latest one) so that you can see if these colours appeal.

Resene Habitat Collection 47539 wallpaper Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
October 2015

Q. I'm wanting to paint a bedroom a buttery yellow, with contrasting white (or off white) skirting and window frames. I'm having trouble working out the right shade from swatches. I'm currently looking at Resene Sweet Corn but worried it's too bright. Resene Melting Moment looks a little dull/orange. Resene Moonbeam possibly a little green?! There is a discontinued Resene colour called Resene Drover and it looks like it has potential. Also how do I choose which white to go with the yellow? The ceiling is already white.

A. Yellows - all of them - are much, much stronger and brighter than you may imagine - often doubling or tripling in their intensity and brightness. Certainly Resene Sweet Corn would look as bright as Resene Energy Yellow if a whole room was painted in it. Resene Melting Moment isn't dull - but it does have a little mellow warm orange working in the yellow which stops the colour from going 'sour' as most bright yellows can do in certain changing light aspects. Resene Moonbeam has a little sharp bite of green in it - the G in the colour code indicates that.

I suggest looking at yellows that are sweet and mellow rather than those that are sharp/clear or biting and given their great potential to be a little on the fluoro side of the colour spectrum these ones may be worth testing – Resene Mellow Yellow, Resene Hathaway, Resene Corn Field or Resene Drover. You can view A4 swatches of these in the Resene ColorShop's colour library.

Resene Sweet Corn
Resene Sweet Corn
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Moonbeam
Resene Moonbeam
Resene Drover
Resene Drover
Resene Energy Yellow
Resene Energy Yellow
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Hathaway
Resene Hathaway
Resene Corn Field
Resene Corn Field
October 2015

Q. Our new house is currently a baby boy blue and the roof a charcoal. I am really keen on painting it white, but my husband is worried about it being too bright. As it is a classic 1970s with the original silver aluminium windows, I was thinking a really light grey on the top and a slightly darker shade on the brick base.

A. Perhaps your husband and you will be able to come to an agreement after checking out these colours - not too grey/not too white but all kinds of lovely – Resene Quarter Surrender and slighter deeper - Resene Surrender, Resene Half Concrete and slightly deeper - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Barely There and slightly deeper - Resene Half Foggy Grey, or Resene Black White and slightly deeper - Resene Triple Black White.

Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
October 2015

Q. We have a blue kitchen and mid grey carpet. Our house is quite sunny and we are after the best 'white' to paint the walls that will tone well with these colours and still provide a feeling of warmth. Which colour should we paint the trimmings to contrast slightly with the white?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are the warm white you are looking for – Resene Bianca and much lighter for trims - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Half Thorndon Cream and lighter for trims - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, or Resene Sea Fog and lighter - Resene Quarter Sea Fog (aka Resene Double Alabaster).

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster

(aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog
   
October 2015

Q. What colour furnishings would go with Resene Half Tea paint and dark brown carpet please.?

A. You are lucky with your paint and carpet colours - they will work with a huge range of colours. Lighter blues, aquas, teals and navy colours look good and soft mossy greens and terracotta/golds also.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
October 2015

Q. We are currently painting the exterior of our weatherboard house in Resene Friar Greystone . What colour white would you go for on the windows and what colour for the roof?

A. One of these colours could be good as the 'white' to go with the warmer grey on the house – Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. For the roof you might check out these deeper colours – Resene Ironsand or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
October 2015

Q. We have a house built of Hinuera stone. The cladding above and below the windows is painted a tobacco brown colour. I wish to paint these areas a neutral colour that will blend with the stone rather than stand out. What colour would blend best with Hinuera stone colours?

A. Because Hinuera stone comes as several colours (not just one) and is variegated between lighter and darker colours it would be very difficult to match or blend exactly. Rather than 'match' perhaps you could use a flexible neutral that will work with any colour stone. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Spanish White, Resene Akaroa or Resene Double Pearl Lusta.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
October 2015

Q. I have a large panel fence painted with a textured look silver pearl colour and now want to paint the posts darker. I have been suggested Resene Double Stack.

A. If you like the colours together then why not use them? There isn't a strong contrast and in bright light at certain times of the day the colours may look remarkably similar. If you are concerned about that you might check out Resene Double Trojan to see if you prefer it.

Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Double Trojan
October 2015

Q. We have a large concrete deck which we wish to paint. The house walls are Resene Double Canterbury Clay - can you advise me a suitable match or contrasting colours to try in your decking/concrete paint?

A. The Resene Walk-on paving and deck paint can be made in a huge assortment of colours. An exact match to the house may be too much clay yellow to cope with. Perhaps look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Stonehenge, Resene Triple Napa, Resene Double Arrowtown or Resene Triple Friar Greystone . These medium deep earthy colours look good with the house colour so they are worth considering.

Resene Double Canterbury Clay
Resene Double
Canterbury Clay
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
October 2015

Q. Can you please advise which COLORBOND® colour would be closest to Resene Zeus?

A COLORBOND® Woodland Grey is slightly lighter but COLORBOND® Monument is slightly blacker.

Resene Zeus
Resene Zeus
October 2015

Q. What colours would you recommend for an ex state house (weatherboard) with a terracotta clay tile roof? I would really like to keep the window trim white or a light colour if possible.

A. I think soft silver greys or even blue/green influenced greys may look good - you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Iron, Resene Half Emerge or Resene Tiara.

You could use a cool crisp white - Resene Quarter Black White or a slightly warm white - Resene Quarter Bianca - either would work well with the colours listed.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
   
October 2015

Q. We are building a house which will have a Rockcote style finish and I am looking for a warm off-white for the exterior. We have a Grey Friars roof and aluminium joinery. We have a veranda, cedar fascia, and a view of the sea so we may incorporate some blue outdoor furniture or pots.

A. Warm off whites can throw all sorts of underlying colours but these are a few that you might look at to see if they are what appeal to you – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Eighth Wheatfield. All of these colours have deeper versions of them if you should think the ones listed are too 'white' in the bright natural light on the exterior.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
October 2015

Q. I am in the process of building a home and we have chosen to go with Resene Double Sea Fog throughout the house (doors/ceiling/walls/skirting). I am just worried that it might all look too monotone. Should have a slightly lighter colour on the doors/ceiling/skirting boards to offset?

A. I think that it may be a good idea to create some light and contrast to enhance your wall colour and make the house seem sharp and modern. Try Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We are planning to paint the exterior of our rental property (an old villa) Resene Gunsmoke with the trim in Resene Zeus. I want to paint the windows glossy white but my partner doesn't. What do you recommend?

A. Do you think your partner would prefer a semi-gloss enamel instead of a full gloss? I think a glossy white sounds lovely but I am a traditionalist in regard colours and appropriate paint systems for older houses and not everyone feels the same way. You might check out a slightly coloured 'white' like one of these to see if that is more appealing that pure white – Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster.

Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Zeus
Resene Zeus
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We are trying to choose a colour for our hallway where the walls are not perfect.

A. Any pale colour in a low sheen or matt acrylic may be good for hallways (not known for their light aspect) and low sheen or matt acrylic paints tend to disguise flaws and imperfections on walls. No one particular colour will solve the problem - perhaps a lighter version of a colour already used in your house may be a good way to go.

October 2015

Q. We are repainting our office exterior. We have a Lignite roof and joinery. What colour would you suggest for the wall colour?

A. You have a lot of options – some ideas to get you started – Resene Boulevard, Resene Double Drought, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Craigieburn or Resene Delta.

Resene Boulevard
Resene Boulevard
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
October 2015

Q. I have had it suggested that I should paint a dining area/end of large lounge with a feature wall of deep blue. I have no other blue in the room. The walls are beigy and the accessories deep pink. I quite like the idea as I know dark blue is on trend but want to check it would look ok and if so what colour do you suggest. There is a diagonal wall of ranchsliders.

A. A deep blue could look really stunning. It really depends on which beige main colour you have so a blue that works well with it might be chosen - it has to be really well balanced and harmonious. Some options to try – Resene True Blue, Resene Magnum, Resene Prussian Blue or Resene Biscay.

Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Magnum
Resene Magnum
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Biscay
Resene Biscay
October 2015

Q. I want to change the colour of my house as we are renovating and getting a new roof. I'm thinking about using Resene Silver Chalice with trim in Resene Black White and Resene Shark for the front door but I can't decide on the roof colour. COLORSTEEL® Ebony might be too dark and Grey Friars might not be dark enough.

A. As you have found out there are only a few colour options to choose from in the COLORSTEEL® range. You might look at using COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (this is a match to Resene Element) as it is not as dark as Resene Ebony but darker than Resene Grey Friars. Or as a complete change you might use a lighter grey like COLORSTEEL® Smokey (this is a match to Resene Lattitude) so it is deeper than the main colour of the house and quite well balanced and harmonious.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
Resene Ebony
Resene Ebony
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
October 2015

Q. We have Resene Sandspit Brown on the walls of our open plan kitchen, dining and living room and want a complementary colour for the kitchen cabinetry - possibly neutral? An adjoining lounge is painted Resene Double Joss.

A. You might possibly look at one of these neutrals to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Albescent White or lighter – Resene Quarter Albescent White, or a lighter version of the wall colour – Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown.

Resene Double Joss
Resene Double Joss
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit
Brown
October 2015

Q. I want to do a feature wall in a dark grey that will go with the other three walls which are in Resene Half Concrete. What do you suggest?

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Half Tuna, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Ebony Clay.

Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
October 2015

Q. The walls of my daughter's bedroom are Resene Double Villa White and the doors and trim are Resene Alabaster. I was wondering what colour to paint her furniture.

A. The colours that are in your daughter’s room allow almost any colour at all to be used to paint the furniture. Does she have any favourites? Let her choose at least two colours and have a bit of fun. That is what colour is all about and young people have an innate sense of personal taste when it comes to colour choices.

If for some reason she - and you - can't choose because there are too many gorgeous colours the following are a few who 'duet' well together – Resene Scrumptious and Resene Limerick, or Resene Dali and Resene Resolution Blue, and gently/sweetly/little girls dreams - Resene Dancing Girl and Resene Funtasia (this is a metallic sparkly delicious bit of glamour).

Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Dali
Resene Dali
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Dancing Girl
Resene Dancing Girl
Resene Funtasia
Resene Funtasia
October 2015

Q. I'm wanting a grey beige for an exterior house paint. It needs to go with New Denim Blue joinery.

A. Try Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Truffle or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
October 2015

Q. What Resene colour would be the closest to Messel Green (used by architect Oliver Messel)?

A. If it is the artist and stage designer Oliver Messel whose special green was used in Barbados on houses then the closest colour (and this of course depends on a general view of several photos all showing subtle variations of the green) then you might check out Resene Patina G64-038-176.

Some other colours to consider - one being deeper like a Messel Green coloured swimsuit worn in a photo of the actress Elizabeth Taylor as a young woman - and lighter greens - possibly seen in bright sunlight so appearing much paler - as these too may pique your interest - Resene Homegrown, Resene Summer Green or Resene Padua.

Resene Patina
Resene Patina
Resene Homegrown
Resene Homegrown
Resene Summer Green
Resene Summer Green
Resene Padua
Resene Padua
October 2015

Q. Our house has what I think is Resene Quarter Spanish White for all the trim, everywhere, and the kitchen/bathroom/laundry walls but our north facing living room is bright yellow. Our dining room is now Resene Half White Pointer which I’m not sure I like and our dark hallway is a dark red wallpaper. Seeing the Resene White Pointer on the walls I think it’s too cold. Can you recommend a warm neutral colour scheme for the walls of these three areas that would suit the Resene Quarter Spanish White trim?

A. You might look at these light/warm neutrals as they seem to work well with Resene Quarter Spanish White – Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Quarter Akaroa, Resene Fossil or Resene Half Tea.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
October 2015

Q. Can you suggest a colour for my bedroom walls? All our ceilings are Resene Half Spanish White with dark brown carpet and duck egg blue drapes.

A. If you want to emphasise the colour of the curtains (and possibly the duvet on the bed) then you could use the same colour as the ceiling. It is quite a definite colour (a bit more coloured than you might imagine it to be) and it isn't so neutral and pale that it would work with paler or whiter colours. You could use a deeper version of Resene Spanish White but that might end a bit too creamy/beige which may not work so well with the duck egg colour of the drapes. If you wanted to stay with a blue tone it would have to be really well related to the curtain colour .

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
October 2015

Q. I have used Resene Rice Cake in my living area and hallways but I would like more of a warm grey tone in my bedrooms as I love that fresh Hamptons look. I was thinking of Resene White Pointer but am not sure if it is grey enough as I don't want beige or taupe tones? Also do I do the architraves etc in Resene Rice Cake in these rooms if I use another colour on the walls?

A. I like your choice of Resene White Pointer but if you want to compare it with other grey toned colours you could look at Resene Quarter Foggy Grey and Resene Double Sea Fog. You might use a lighter version of Resene Rice Cake for the architraves etc in the bedrooms so that the grey colour looks slightly crisper - perhaps Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
October 2015

Q. I am looking at a grey for my interior walls. It has a white scotia, white skirtings and architrave and bamboo wood rimu grain looking floorboards with Rhino Grey carpet. I am looking at Resene Silver Chalice as I want a warm grey. Could you please suggest others option too? (I do not want green or yellow tones).

A. Try Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Half Atmosphere. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of colours in their Colour Library you will find it really helpful. Seeing bigger samples and comparing one with the other is a great aid to judging the differences between colours prior to testing them at your house.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
October 2015

Q. I have some outdoor furniture which has faded over time and the original colour was Pohutukawa and I would like to waterblast and repaint it at Xmas time. What is the colour nearest to what I had?

A. The nearest colour to Pohutukawa is Resene Pohutukawa. But if you want another red - similar but not exactly the same - you could look at Resene Salsa.

Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
October 2015

Q. We are painting the roof and exterior of our house. We are considering Grey Friars for the roof and bargeboards, white weatherboards (with Resene Half Merino) and a slightly lighter grey for the shingles and front porch trim (perhaps Resene Quarter Grey Friars). We are also thinking of the front door in high gloss Resene Grey Friars.

A. I think the colours you are considering are lovely. You could use a slightly deeper grey for the front door (but yes the slick gloss will enhance the colour a lot) and perhaps you could check out this option and compare it with Resene Grey Friars to see if your choice is still the preferred option – Resene Foundry. Colours on an exterior often look quite a bit lighter than you might imagine as the natural light diffuses colour. I am sure when it is completed it will be gorgeous.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
October 2015

Q. I have just received the latest Habitat magazine and love the colours of the featured house in Resene Half Tapa, which I am going to use. I have a concrete deck at the front of our house and am unsure which colour to paint it. I was going to do Resene Grey Friars but then decided on Resene Tapa. I have used testpots but am still unsure.

A. There is nothing wrong with using a deep traditional charcoal - Resene Grey Friars - for the concrete deck - but Resene Tapa is a slightly deeper version of the house colour and relates well as a softer green/grey look. If you feel it may be slightly too light - and exterior colours do look quite a bit lighter than you might expect them to look - you could consider Resene Double Tapa or (less green more grey) Resene Gravel.

Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
October 2015

Q. Would white painted architraves around gold aluminium window and doors work. or should they remain wood stained?

A. White won't look very nice with gold aluminium windows. I would keep the wood stained as it will look well balanced and harmonious.

October 2015

Q. Our house is a duck egg green with a red front door, white windows and the roof is New Denim Blue. It all looks great but what colour should we use on the timber fences?

A. Perhaps you could check out one of these charcoals - they may suit and tie in the roof colour as well – Resene Steel Grey, Resene Tuna, Resene Foundry or Resene New Denim Blue.

Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
October 2015

Q. I am wanting a new colour to freshen up my kitchen cupboards and drawers. They are finished in varnish, rimu coloured. The lino is a whitish cream so I'm wanting a colour that will blend.

A. If you plan to paint the rimu I suggest sanding the varnish back and sealing it with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer (promotes adhesion) and undercoating it so that any colour you consider can be seen to best advantage with the white undercoated cabinetry. Some colours that may appeal are Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Joanna or Resene Quarter Lemon Grass.

Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
October 2015

Q. What Resene colour matches Bestwood Cloud White joinery? We need a match for a large glass splashback.

A. It is similar to Resene Double Pearl Lusta - this isn't perfect but is good and if the surface gets a lot of direct sun it works well. Another - similar but slightly warmer - colour might be Resene Half Solitaire - any change of light or angle causes another option to look better. I suggest - for your own peace of mind - that you take a sample of the Cloud White into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library so that you can confirm the colour is right for you.

A word to the wise - there are two kinds of glass used on splash backs but only one shows the colour behind the glass true to reality - it is low iron oxide crystal clear glass - the other one is standard float glass and it has a green cast to the glass which makes all the colours seen behind it look 'dirtier'.

Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
October 2015

Q. I am painting the whole interior of our house and would like some advice on colours. We would like to go a warmish grey/white throughout with slightly darker warm greyish colour for the kitchen. We would like to go a darker grey for the lounge. The exterior is painted in Resene Half Parchment with Resene Eighth Black White trim.

A. A warmed grey/white for the main colour that might be worth checking out is Resene Sea Fog or slightly lighter - Resene Half Sea Fog, or darker Resene Double Sea Fog. This warm colour will work well with the trim colour - Resene Eighth Black White, which is cooler and crisper.

For the lounge a deeper grey like one of these may appeal to you – Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Half Friar Greystone .

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
     
October 2015

Q. We are thinking of painting our weatherboards/cladding Resene Triple Masala. Can you suggest complementary whites for windows and trims? We've been looking at Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream but wondered if there is anything more suitable?

A. I think the Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream would work well. You could look at these 'whites' also to see if you prefer them – Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Ecru White.

If you opt for Resene Triple Masala, I definitely recommend you get the CoolColour re-formulated formula in order to minimise the extreme heat factor and possible UV damage that can occur to timber when dark colours are used.

Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
October 2015

Q. I have painted our Cedar weatherboard in Resene Woodsman CoolColour Pitch Black. I want to now paint the garage door, gutters, downpipes and fence in a matching black, what black is recommended?

A. Resene Pitch Black is a Woodsman stain as well as being a re-formulated CoolColour. Unfortunately there is no exact match in paint that matches stain colours. I suggest you look at a warm toned black like one of these to see if they might work with the stain colour – Resene Blackjack or Resene All Black.

Are the gutters and downpipes metal or PVC? If the gutters and downpipes are PVC it isn't recommended to paint them any dark colour as heat attracted to the dark colour can cause them to twist, buckle or pop open at the joiners.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
October 2015

Q. We are renovating our house. I want to go Resene Half Foggy Grey or similar on the board and batten and plaster walls (the joinery is white). I am however stuck on the roof colour (we are putting up new corrugated iron). I don't want the roof to look too heavy (and dark). Can you suggest a corrugated iron colour that would work? Additionally, what whites work well with Resene Foggy Grey on internal walls?

A. For the roof you could look at one of these colours – COLORSTEEL® Smokey (this is matched to Resene Lattitude from the Resene Roof Systems chart), COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey (this is matched to Resene Gauntlet from the Resene Roof Systems chart) or COLORSTEEL® TernStyle (this is matched to Resene Windswept from the Resene Roof Systems chart). You might check out these 'whites' – Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We have a very small lounge. The curtains are a beige colour (yellow based). I am wanting a very light warm green to match. I was thinking maybe white with a hint of lime green like the pastels you used to make.

A. At Resene Paints we keep our colours indefinitely – even if it isn’t on a current chart it can normally still be made. These pale sharp green/off whites may suit – Resene Celeste, Resene Thistle, Resene Zen, Resene White Rock, Resene Stone Age or Resene Green Mist.

Resene Celeste
Resene Celeste
Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Zen
Resene Zen
Resene White Rock
Resene White Rock
Resene Stone AgeResene Stone Age
Resene Stone Age
Resene Green Mist
Resene Green Mist
October 2015

Q. I have Resene Quarter Napa on the outside walls of my house and brown aluminium window frames. What is the best colour for the roof?

A. You are fortunate - a huge amount of colours are able to be used with your main house colour. You could check out these colours to see if any might appeal to you – Resene Touchstone, Resene Windswept, Resene Ironsand, Resene High Tide or Resene Groundbreaker.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
October 2015

Q. We are building a new house in the country using Shadowclad® and have chosen Windsor Grey as the roof colour. The house is contemporary, single level, north facing. We will be using honed blocks and aluminium joinery in dark grey to complement the roof (monopitch). We prefer a dark or mid tone grey/blue for the exterior paint colour.

A. A word to the wise - Shadowclad has definite requirements in regards to preparation and the depth of paint colours that are recommended so it would pay to check this out so you know what can be used without having problems or voiding the build guarantee on the surface substrate. Please get independent advice from BRANZ about what the manufacturers recommend for Shadowclad and talk to your builder and painter.

You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Grey Chateau (LRV 45%), Resene Quarter Grey Friars (LRV 19%) or Resene Raven (LRV 26%). Whichever colour you do choose I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour re-formulated version of the paint colour to minimise heat absorption and possible U.V. damage that can occur with deeper colours.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
October 2015

Q. I have had my house roof done in COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey. Could you please advise a white with a hint of grey (boards) and white (windows and barge boards) that would look good with this grey roof?

A. You could check out these colours to see if they might appeal to you – Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Sea Fog (this is also known as Double Alabaster) or Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Quarter Black White.

COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster

(aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog)
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
October 2015

Q. I have a very small bedroom and the walls painted a soft bluish green except one wall facing clear louvres floor to almost ceiling and with a view of tropical plants. This one wall is a much brighter yellow green and a complete mismatch with the other three walls. My question is which white should I use for the ceiling - a soft white or a brighter white?

A. Because of the two (mismatched as you describe them) colours in the room already I suggest it may be wisest to use a brighter white. This will work with both colours whereas a soft toned white may look good with the soft bluish green but not with the brighter yellow green. You might use Resene White or Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and are wanting a grey but not too dark. The windows are Resene Alabaster, the roof is Ironsand. We also want to paint the front door a black colour. We were thinking Resene Surrender or Resene Half Surrender for the weatherboards or Resene Triple Sea Fog but this may be too light. I don't want the house to be too washed out.

A. Both Resene Surrender and Resene Half Surrender have a cool silvery (almost blue) undertone which is lovely with Resene Alabaster and Resene Black but may not look as good with Resene Ironsand on the roof which is a brown charcoal and much warmer in hue. These types of colours tend to look better with a cooler steel charcoal like Resene Grey Friars.

Resene Triple Sea Fog is lighter but warmer and looks lovely with Resene Alabaster and Resene Ironsand. A warmer toned black for the front door may be better also - to maintain that palette of slightly earthy neutrals - and you might look at using Resene Blackjack. Resene Triple Sea Fog is more pale stone grey and if you wanted a slightly deeper grey colour as an alternative you could check out Resene Half Foggy Grey.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
   
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
October 2015

Q. We are building a new house on a sunny north facing section. We have a New Denim Blue COLORSTEEL® roof and flashings and silver window frames. What is a good colour to paint the weatherboards in? I have heard Resene Triple Sea Fog is quite a nice colour.

A. Resene Triple Sea Fog is a nice colour - a pale warm stone grey (sometimes almost showing a little yellow/green) but you might check these other greys that look good with the New Denim Blue roof and silver window frames – Resene Triple Black White, Resene Concrete or Resene Half Surrender.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
October 2015

Q. We're planning to have our new build exterior done in Canterbury Clay Bricks Ohoka Cream. And as there are weatherboard features on the exterior also, I'm wondering what colour you would suggest we paint these? We are wanting quite a dark coloured roof. Can you recommend what colours would go with these bricks?

A. Perhaps a pale colour for the weatherboards to balance the rich cream/gold of the bricks and the dark roof that you favour?
You might look at these colours – Resene Clotted Cream or Resene Pearl Lusta. For the roof you might choose a traditional dark charcoal – Grey Friars or a warmer brown charcoal – Ironsand

Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
October 2015

Q. We are repainting the exterior of our flat-front villa. We have to stay with Resene Half Pearl Lusta weatherboards with Resene Alabaster windows/trim, but are looking to add interest with a dark, gloss front door. We are unsure of which colour to use - thinking either black, dark grey or deep blue? Should we then also use this colour elsewhere? We are also looking for a grey for the veranda floorboards.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Front door - Resene Double Cod Grey (black/charcoal) and veranda floor boards – Resene Quarter Grey Friars. Or front door - Resene Magnum (deep blue/black) and veranda floor boards – Resene Regent Grey.

I am unsure about using the front door colour somewhere else - perhaps the front face of the window sills? But I can imagine the roof being a bit deeper like the veranda floor colour to tie it all together nicely.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Magnum
Resene Magnum
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
October 2015

Q. We are using Resene Half Bianca for our nursery and were wanting a nice warm light grey as a feature wall. What Resene grey would you recommend that is warm and light which would go well with Resene Half Bianca?

A. These ones are worth checking out – Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Triple Black White.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
October 2015

Q. We are about to paint a south facing bedroom. We have just had double glazed white aluminium joinery put in and have painted the window frames in Resene Alabaster (but could change the colour if need be). There are two double rimu wardrobes on one wall of the bedroom and rimu skirting boards. We have painted the hall and lounge in Resene Eighth Colins Wicket but were thinking this might be a bit dark against the rimu wardrobes and maybe need to go for something a bit lighter for the walls like Resene Spanish White or Resene Pearl Lusta. Would either of these colours work and go with the Resene Colins Wicket in the hallway or what do you suggest?

A. I suggest using Resene Half Spanish White as it isn't as 'heavy' as the full strength Resene Spanish White and it sits well with Resene Eighth Colins Wicket. It has a lovely soft warm ambiance as well - very necessary in a south facing room.
Resene Pearl Lusta seems a little 'bright' (it might look sour in a south facing room) to use in close proximity to Resene Eighth Colins Wicket and a lighter version – Resene Half Pearl Lusta - seems too 'white'.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Colins Wicket
Resene Eighth Colins Wicket
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
   
October 2015

Q. We have a small 80s house with near black aluminium joinery. The garage is large and beside the house with brown joinery. There's a lot of concrete at the front and grassy area at the back with a raised deck. We're surrounded by 6ft high wooden fences - one will be covered by a hedge. We painted Resene Double Tea with charcoal fencing/decking at our last place. It would possibly work here too, but I’m tossing up the idea of a neutral alternative that isn't so ‘brown’. Do you have any suggestions? The roof is tin/silver at the moment.

A. An alternative neutral that isn't so brown might be one of these colours – Resene Eighth Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Quarter Craigieburn. Perhaps you could do a charcoal roof using Resene Nocturnal or Resene Grey Friars - either of these might be a smart look. They also come as slightly lighter versions which could be the fence colour.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
   
October 2015

Q. I have a guest bedroom painted in Resene Thorndon Cream and have put orange splashes in of a vase, two cushions on the bed and a testpot of Resene Rose Of Sharon on a picture frame which matches the cushions and vase brilliantly. I would like to know a complementary colour to bring in a second colour either in the cushions or sheets, curtains etc. Can you let me know if it is a green or a blue etc and then give me a colour(s) on the Multifinish chart that I could work from and take with me to choose other accessories?

A. I think there may be several colours that you might consider - these are warm and carry some green or yellow within them – Resene Blumine or slightly lighter Resene Astral, or much more subdued – Resene Seagull, or a bit clearer/brighter – Resene Pelorous.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Rose Of Sharon
Resene Rose Of Sharon
Resene Blumine
Resene Blumine
Resene Astral
Resene Astral
Resene Seagull
Resene Seagull
Resene Pelorous
Resene Pelorous
   
October 2015

Q. We have a 1930s red brick bungalow and are going to put another level on the top. The top level will be LINEA® weatherboard. The brick will stay at this point and will not be rendered or painted. We have chosen Grey Friars for the roof colour and were thinking of Resene Grey Friars for the weatherboards or a similar colour but I am now worried that Resene Grey Friars will be too dark.

A. If you like the idea of a grey that relates well to the roof colour then you might check out Resene Quarter Grey Friars which is a lighter version of the roof colour. In bright natural light it may appear a little lighter also. Alternatively you could use a much lighter type of grey like Resene Geyser or Resene Quarter Stack. These greys have a little bit of blue or green undertone but they do look good with bricks and dark charcoal. Or you might use a 'white' to enhance the colour of the bricks and the colour of the roof - i.e Resene Black White.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
October 2015

Q. We need to choose a new colour for the exterior of our house. It's currently being built and was painted prior to our bricks going up. Once the bricks went on we realised they are not as 'white' as we thought and now the brick and paint don't match at all! We are after a colour for the weatherboards that will match our brick, roof and garage (Grey Friars) and our joinery (Ironsand). We would like something in the 'greyish' family. We are okay with darker.

A. In order for the weatherboards and the brick to be more harmonious - especially important as the joinery is an earthy brown based charcoal and the roof and garage door are a deep steel coloured charcoal - I would suggest you move away from cool grey tones and move more toward warmer neutrals.

I strongly advise you to check out the large A4 real paint samples of the following colours at your local Resene ColorShop - in their Colour Library - to ensure you know exactly what they look like. Seeing large samples of colour is tremendously helpful.

Compare them with each other and look at them also with a sample of Ironsand (a metal sample from the window people would be helpful) and a brick or part brick (from the builders) so you can see the whole scenario. I am less worried about the roof and garage door colour as true charcoals (Grey Friars) tend to work well with most colours - unlike the bricks and the window joinery which must be considered more to create a balanced scheme.

These colours may appeal to you - and hopefully will work with the yellow toned bricks as well – Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Friar Greystone .

Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
October 2015

Q. I need advice on our kitchen splashback. Our walls are Resene Half White Pointer and our kitchen cabinetry is Warm White with Black overhead cabinets, and a white stone bench. The splashback is quite large - approx 2m wide so is quite a big feature. We want a neutral metallic colour so we can bring colour in with the furnishings. I have a vision of a light ash/pine colour to tie in a bit of the wood in our pendant lights. I have seen Resene Platinum metallic but am not sure if that will look a bit bland on such a large scale? I also had a testpot of Resene Pure Pewter metallic but am worried it is a bit dark.

A. Resene Platinum is a delicate warm metallic so yes it is very soft and not 'exciting'. Resene Pure Pewter may show as yellower than the paler grey/beige wall colour - Resene Half White Pointer. Would that be a problem?

The following are some other metallics that you might check out – Resene Bedrock - this is in the latest Resene Metallics colour chart and it is (very, very slightly) like a warm pale wood.

These are warm (but not yellow) toned silvers that look good with the wall colour – Resene Silver Fern, Resene Silver Streak or Resene Silver Aluminium.

A word to the wise - there is only one type of glass that shows the colour behind it true to reality - it is low iron oxide crystal clear glass. The other glass is called standard float glass and it has a decidedly green cast to it - which alters the colour behind it a lot. Have you thought of having the crystal clear glass over a thin veneer of the same type of wood that is in the lights?

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Platinum
Resene Platinum
Resene Pure Pewter
Resene Pure Pewter
Resene Bedrock
Resene Bedrock
Resene Silver Fern
Resene Silver Fern
Resene Silver Streak
Resene Silver Streak
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
 
October 2015

Q. We have just replaced our roof and aluminium windows in Ironsand. We have a painter ready to paint our weatherboards, and we need help choosing. We like the warm greys but don't want anything too yellow and can't decide! Can you give us a couple of options with the top of the house in a light tone and darker bottom, and then a medium tone for the top and the bottom? And what about the garage doors? We like the idea of a red front door. We also need a front fence stain colour. The house is currently a sandy beige with a pinky brown base - yuck!

A. In order to tie the new joinery and the roof into a new palette of colours it may be appropriate to paint the garage doors in a lighter version of the same colour - Resene Quarter Ironsand. Some options for you to consider – Resene Eighth Stonehenge and Resene Half Stonehenge, or Resene Truffle and Resene Triple Truffle, or Resene Atmosphere and Resene Quarter Gravel, or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone and Resene Half Friar Greystone . If your main house colours are too grey they will emphasise the yellow/brown undertones in the Ironsand roof and joinery

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
 
October 2015

Q. Our house is painted Resene Stack and although we tried Resene Triple Stack the contrast is not strong enough for the base of house and fence. The assistant in the shop showed us some samples and we decide on Resene Ebony Clay and Resene Baltic Sea. However, having just painted the base in Resene Baltic Sea it is too blue. I need a matt dark grey paint.

A. All blacks, charcoals and greys carry lots of undertones of colour in them. I would have thought if you had chosen the Resene Baltic Sea it would have been a good neutral (less undertones of colour) and at worst - and even then only on the east facing (this aspect emphasises green and blues even when there is none in the colour) side of the house - it might have flashed an earthy warm tone because of the two lesser colourants of red oxide and yellow ochre in it . The greater amount of colourant is black.

The Resene Ebony Clay has a great deal more black colourant in it (than Resene Baltic Sea) but it does also have red oxide and umber/green in it - so it can be warm from a slightly brown undertone. Did you apply two coats of the Resene Baltic Sea and completely cover any pre-existing colour so that it couldn't alter your perception of the colour?

Your main colour Resene Stack has equal amounts of black and yellow ochre colourant which makes a grey/green undertone.

When you say that Baltic Sea is too blue - do you mean as blue as Resene Tuna or Resene Grey Friars? Sometimes in comparing colours it helps the eye/brain judgement - 'that one is blacker/bluer/dirtier/redder etc than this other one'. Without comparing colours it is possible to judge a colour wrongly.

Because of the complexity of colours and their amazing chameleon-like potential to show colour changes (due to changing natural light or other colours seen close to them) they are easily 'mis-read' when tested. Just as a for instance I have seen pure black on the west side of a house look almost brown - due to the warmth of the sun low in the sky.

I always recommend that all of the testpot (two coats) be applied to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges - this helps to keep the colour away from any other colour that is close to it and is large enough (and at full depth/two coats) it helps your eye to judge the reality of the colour. The card when rolled into a cone shape with the colour innermost allows you to see the overall depth of the colour as it is magnified by close proximity. the card can be moved around all sides of the house (or interior walls) to show how it alters with different light. Bright natural light on an exterior 'robs' some of this depth and colours are often seen as lighter on an exterior compared to the same colour used in an interior.

Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Triple Stack
Resene Triple Stack
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
   
October 2015

Q. We have a 1950s rough cast and shiplap house. We have just had Titania joinery put in. I now have to choose a COLORSTEEL® roof, and although everyone seems to have it, I am leaning toward Grey Friars as it seem to go with everything. I am keen on introducing a bit of purple or blue grey into the walls as it looks nice with our brick wall. I tried Resene Neutral Bay on the shiplap above the windows, but it seemed really lavender (could be because the current roof is Resene Hammerhead). The roughcast I gave Resene Ash a go, but I am really unsure as the roof has not been ordered yet (still not completely sold on Grey Friars).

A. Grey Friars is a good choice for a roof. It does seem to work well with a lot of colours. An alternative if you are unsure about it you could check out COLORSTEEL® TernStyle which is a softer toned grey.

If your house is a half brick/half roughcast 1950s style of house and the ship lap is only above the windows, in the gable and in the porched back and front door entry then you do have a lot of different surfaces to think about.

I am unsure about blue or lavender on the house as it doesn't really work well with the Titania of your windows. On the rough cast surfaces you could go a little lighter than the Titania - perhaps Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Linen - this way the windows have a 'friend'. A colour that you might consider if you have your heart set on a grey/blue tone is Resene Revolution or paler - Resene Grey Chateau but it may make the Titania windows seem a little bit yellow/green/grey.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
October 2015

Q. We have a new build underway and are at the colour choice stage. So far we are thinking as follows: Exterior - Corrugated iron: Ironsand (with cedar mix), window joinery: silver, exterior doors: Resene Koru or Resene Crisp Green. Inside – Kitchen cabinetry: Resene Sambuca (benchtops are stainless), kitchen splashback wall: Resene Koru or Resene Crisp Green (Karen Walker range). The walls are Resene Half Spanish White and the floors are wood grain. We are not sure about ceilings and window frames/doors.

A. I like the colours you are considering. I do feel that the Resene Crisp Green may be slightly too sour/yellow toned as a green whereas the Resene Koru has a bit more freshness in the green and less sourness in the yellow undertone. For the ceilings and window frames/doors you could use the same colour as the walls (but in a semi-gloss enamel on the woodwork and a matt finish for the ceilings) for a sheen difference not a colour difference. This would let the wood floor, kitchen cabinets and splashback take all the attention. However a lighter colour could add a bit of contrast to the wall colour i.e Resene Quarter Spanish White or even lighter Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Crisp Green
Resene Crisp Green
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
October 2015

Q. What we are looking for is something that will have a bit of a wow factor. Possibly yellow or apple green. We don’t want anything pale but not too bright either.

A. I like the look of your bach and the following list of colours is embracing the 'wow' factor so I think I can safely say all the favourite neutrals like Resene Tea and Resene Spanish White aren't listed - A sun kissed yellow - Resene Oscar, an apple mint green - Resene Kandinsky, a sea foam green - Resene Unwind, or a zingy lemon sherbert - Resene First Light.

If you maintain the crisp clean white trims and use one of these delicious holiday inspired colours I think that your bach will cause a lot of 'oh wow!' comments. None of the colours are fluoro bright and they aren't too pale either - they are just the ticket for a holiday house.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
 
Resene Oscar
Resene Oscar
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene First Light
Resene First Light
October 2015

Q. We are having trouble choosing a suitable white for all our walls. Ideally we would like to use the same colour throughout the house to match with Resene Bokara Grey joinery (lots of doors and windows, so very light),brown/grey carpet on one floor, beech flooring on the other and silver/brown drapes on all floors. We want a modern apartment/townhouse look. For the open plan, white melamine kitchen we tried Resene Black White (too light and harsh), Resene Parchment and Resene Wheatfield (both too much colour, not white enough), Resene Double Pearl Lusta (too strong and yellowy) and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta (still too buttery and too light). Where do we go from here? We also want a ceiling colour (same or one shade lighter) and a darker feature colour for the textured concrete fireplace surround.

A. You might check out these 'whites' as they may respond well to the carpet colour, the beech flooring and the silver/brown drapes – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Merino. They are a lot more subtle/white than some of the colours you have tried and discarded as too coloured or too yellow. Most of them do come as deeper versions also.

For the ceiling I suggest you use white - Resene White - because it will create more clean crisp contrast and will make the subtle colours of these wall colour suggestions appear to be more developed in depth without losing the 'white' look. You have a white kitchen so that is another good reason to have a White ceiling.

For the textured concrete fireplace surround I think a light tone may be the right depth (it needs to sit between the whitest/lightest and darkest but still have a bit of personality) so you might check out these colours – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Foggy Grey, or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .

If you apply all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted (white) border all around the edge of the card it will help you a lot - seeing larger samples of colour is better. You should be easily able to achieve a one square metre size sample.

You can move it from wall to wall to see how it alters with light and shade. I see a lot of shadow across your walls so checking how this makes the colour look is really important. The unpainted white border helps your eye focus on the reality of the colour without the existing wall colour influencing it. When you compare colours with each other it helps your eye/brain judge their differences - not comparing means your impression of the colour is unbalanced. All colours in an interior appear deeper than you might imagine - so lighter is better.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
       
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple
White Pointer

Resene Triple Merino
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
October 2015

Q. We are doing a complete renovation and have installed a new roof and all new aluminium windows to match in the COLORSTEEL® colour FlaxPod. What would be a good colour for the walls of the house? It is a one storey home in the country and with loads of trees around so we would like it to blend more than stick out. We have rusticated cedar around the front door and floor to ceiling windows everywhere. We also have raw concrete block walls for the new carport and extension.

A. You are fortunate - with FlaxPod you could have just about any colour at all. You might check these out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Ash, Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Napa or Resene Triple White Pointer.

Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
October 2015

Q. I have just had our home’s interior painted painted Resene Sea Fog. The furniture in the lounge is brown leather and a Lazyboy with red leather (like Resene Tall Poppy). I am so unsure now what colour to use to give it some life without going over the top?

A. It can take time to put the finishing touches (and life) into a room or house. The best advice I can offer - because you have a 'white' on the walls - is to think about what will enhance the room and work well with the brown leather and poppy red Lazyboy chair.

If you like a open spacious look with nothing to detract from the view that is seen through the windows then you might consider curtains that are similar to the wall colour - to add eye interest and ambiance you might look at textured fabric - or if the room is more formal perhaps with a silky sheen. However if you prefer colour and pattern it really is a case of choosing fabric that attracts you in a way that is hard to ignore. Always choose cushions, throw rugs, mats, prints, accessories of any nature that are in colours that you have always adored.

Don't feel overwhelmed or fearful - this is your piece of heaven so all the lovely bits and pieces that are part of your life need to be seen - and any small gorgeous bits of colour also need to be seen - and you know in your bones what does it for you. Browns and reds look good with green and may be the best place to start considering what suits..

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Tall Poppy
October 2015

Q. We are building a new house and have colour problems. We would like a colour available in a melamine and are planning to match the ceiling and doors with a Resene paint. We have been taking samples of melamine into Resene to get colour matched but so far all the whites we get as matches for the melamine show up as pinkish. Our wall colour is going to be Resene Soft Mint. Do you have a file of melamine colours and their matching Resene colours? we don't want anything too white. So far we have tested Resene Bianca and Resene Pearl Lusta and others but all look pink against the soft mint, guess we really want a melamine to match a greenish white paint. are you able to help please?

A. If you are using Resene Soft Mint as a main wall colour it has a bit more depth to it than how you describe it - a greenish white. When I put something that is a true white next to my Resene Soft Mint sample (like a sheet of printer paper) it almost doubles in its intensity - as it would look when a whole room was painted. It does look best with a real white melamine - as any melamine with a tiny bit of colour looks a lot more 'coloured' than you might imagine it will.

So after looking at all my melamine samples I think this white looks best with your main colour – Warm White Naturalle.

The ceiling and doors could be painted Resene Quarter Bianca. This merges well with the melamine colour.

For freedom of choice when decorating, choose the melamine, the worktop laminate and all flooring first.

What you see as pinkish (or yellowish or brownish) is because the melamine colour carries elements of colourant in it and the Soft Mint draws that out and emphasises it. Greens reflect that which is opposite them in the colour spectrum - red. This potential is very obvious in a west facing room as the low sun toward sunset has the most red tone in it and whites look pink toned, creams look peachy, browns look almost salmon and reds and yellow are brighter richer and more scarlet toned and greens look more beige toned.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Soft Mint
Resene Soft Mint
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
October 2015

Q. I now need some further advice on my interior colour selection as I have picked a tile. I really don't know whether to stick with a shade of white or go with a really light grey, but a true grey. I hate it when greys look blue.

A. You could check out these 'whites' - none of them are blue - and see what you think – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We are building a new house which has an Ironsand roof, Fossil bricks and we want the rough sawn fascias to be painted a cedar colour (we will probably will use a couple of colours with a darker colour, brushed loosely to get it looking more natural). The aluminium windows etc are millennium silver. Any ideas for the LINEA® board and for the cedar simulation colours?

A. Because the aluminium windows might get lonely if they are only grey on the house you might look at using earthy brown/greys for the LINEA® - Resene Quarter Ironsand, or lighter Resene Gauntlet or browner Resene Stonehenge.

Is there any reason that you haven't considered staining the fascia boards? That way you might not have to strive so hard to replicate the cedar colours – e.g. you could use Resene Woodsman stain - colour Resene Oiled Cedar or Resene Dark Oak. Try some tests on some offcuts of wood with the Woodsman stain testpots.

If prefer to use a paint you might look at using Resene Scoria with a darker colour underneath such as Resene Mission Brown - this will always look heavier and more 'painted' so not as natural as a cedar effect. You may need to do samples on off-cuts to ensure you can achieve the look you have set your heart on. Testpots are your best friends in this regard.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
 
Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
October 2015

Q. We have a 1917 character cottage that we are about paint. I am going round in circles with the exterior colour. I don't like colours throwing to pink and lilacs nor green or brown! I am looking at Resene White Pointer or Resene Double White Pointer for the weatherboards, good old Resene Alabaster for the trims, Resene Bokara Grey for the front door and possibly Grey Friars or Ironsand for the roof. Would this work?

A. You may find Resene Ironsand a little too brown/green as it is really earthy. You may find Resene Grey Friars a little blue toned. Perhaps you could check out Resene Windswept - you indicate painting the roof but the COLORSTEEL® match colour is called TernStyle if it is a COLORSTEEL® steel roof you are considering.


I like the Resene Double White Pointer and Resene Alabaster - there is more definite contrast between these two colours and less between (normal) Resene White Pointer and Resene Alabaster and on an exterior you need to see definite contrast as natural light steals that away and makes colour merge into each other. Resene Bokara Grey is a good warm burnt charcoal but if you felt it had too much warmth you could check out Resene Double Foundry and compare them to see which you prefer.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
   
October 2015

Q. We are looking at repainting our lounge and kitchen. We will also be repainting our joinery. We are looking at changing the colour to may be an off-white for the walls and a warm grey or similar for the kitchen joinery to match the charcoal carpet and maroon curtains. We would appreciate your thoughts on colours for both the walls in the lounge and kitchens cabinets and type.

A. Try these suggestions to see if they appeal to you – Resene Sea Fog (walls) and Resene Triple Truffle (kitchen cabinets), or Resene Quarter White Pointer (walls) and Resene Half Stonehenge (kitchen cabinets), or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (walls) and Resene Half Gauntlet (kitchen cabinets).

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
October 2015

Q. I'm painting the exterior of our house. I want a warm grey green, I've tried Resene Delta but that is too light. Is there a similar mix but darker? How does Resene Innocence compare?

A. Resene Innocence is deeper than Resene Delta (and the lighter version Resene Half Innocence) are lovely colours but are more slate inspired greens compared to Resene Delta which is warm grey. The warmth comes from a yellow colourant. There is another colour worth investigating - Resene Lattitude. This is similar to Resene Delta but deeper and it maintains the greyness whereas Resene Innocence loses some of the grey and has more green.

If you were to see the real paint large A4 sheets of colour in your local Resene ColorShop's Colour Library it would be really helpful for you to see the differences in the colour. As you have found out colours always seem much lighter on an exterior whereas the opposite is true in an interior.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
October 2015

Q. I am painting the outside of a two storey house. It has a flat roof, which cannot be seen. The garage door and spouting are Lignite. The interior is Resene Linen. What would you suggest for the outside please?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Ash, Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Gargoyle, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Double Thorndon Cream. There are lighter and deeper variants of the colours I have suggested - you might check them out as well to see if they suit.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
October 2015

Q. Like the Lockwood house featured in the newsletter and we are about to renovate a loft apartment that has the wood panelling like a Lockwood on the walls and ceilings and we would like to go for an all white look. Would Resene Alabaster be a good choice for a white to use? Also what prep would be required? Would it need undercoating or just two coats? The joinery is white and some of the ceilings are quite low. The majority of the light comes from the north/west side of the building.

A. In regard preparation - if the wood panelling has been polyurethaned (like Lockwood house walls are) then apart from wash down, rinse well, sand lightly and apply Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer (this helps the topcoats hold onto the old varnish system) it would require two coats of the paint - Resene Alabaster - in the product/gloss level of your choice. Most people seem to prefer a low sheen or matt acrylic finish, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Another way of getting a 'white' look on wooden panelling is to use Resene Colorwood Whitewash - a semi opaque blonde/white look that still allows the wood look to be seen but in a soft aged whitewash way. It is easier on the preparation as well - after washing down and rinsing any cleaner off the pre-existing polyurethaned surface the product is applied directly. It isn't like paint - it doesn't cover/block out with a heavy film but is like a white tinted polyurethane. In all Resene ColorShops there is a display of wood finish products and this is depicted well so you can check it out to see if this look is what you might use. Either way it will change the look and make the spaces seem very light and bright

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
October 2015

Q. Which exterior colour is the best match for my new house with a Headland trimdek roof and fascia board?

A. If you want a match (same colour) it would be Resene Dawnbreaker. If you mean a colour that co-ordinates well with the bright roof colour then you may need to use a light to medium toned colour on the house. You might check out these colours to see if they suit you – Resene Caraway, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Half Canterbury Clay or Resene Half Hillary.

Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half
Canterbury Clay
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Half Hillary
October 2015

Q. I'd like some ideas for picking an exterior trim colour for soffits and also a front door. The house is set in a lush green garden. The weatherboards and roof are Resene Karaka. We think Resene Cararra works well on the roughcast exterior walls. The interior paint colours are to be Resene Quarter Malta with other trims and ceilings in Resene Half Black White. The master bedroom walls are in Resene Coastal Blue and the bathroom and toilet are Resene Half Coastal Blue. Any ideas on an exterior trim to tie the two together and a feature front door?

A. Your main exterior colours and main interior colours aren’t related so finding an exterior trim colour that ties both together is awkward. You have used Resene Half Black White already in the interior so that is an option for the exterior. It may need to be much lighter (Resene Quarter Black White) so as not to appear too grey toned with Resene Cararra. The exterior main colours work well together as do the interior main colours but only the white is a link colour. A feature front door colour is possibly a bright colour - to lift the deep earthiness of the Karaka - so you might look at one of these options – Resene Jalapeno, Resene Starstruck or earthier colours – Resene Howlin Wolf or Resene Scoria.

Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Quarter Malta
Resene Quarter Malta
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Coastal Blue
Resene Coastal Blue
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Starstruck
Resene Starstruck
Resene Howlin Wolf
Resene Howlin Wolf
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
October 2015

Q. I have a 1918 flat front workers' cottage and am refurbishing. It is a rectangular shape with an added on sunroom in the front. We are building a new white kitchen with white bench top and hardwood floor which opens to the deck. There is an adjoining lounge directly behind which used to be the old entrance and one bedroom opens from it. Behind that is the old kitchen and open plan dining room and behind that the toilet laundry and bathroom, then the back door and entrance way and one more bedroom. We have painted the entrance Resene Robin Egg Blue and Resene Alabaster and will have a hallway running from the back door through to the lounge. The old kitchen/dining will become a bedroom with ensuite. I need color advice please because I don't know how to connect it all with color. I like pastels and white. We have a new front door ordered and I need a colour for that too please. I favour red and orange

Resene Alabaster is a bit yellow but ok in the house. We need to choose a colour for the hallway, new bedroom, lounge and study as well as one wall in the new kitchen dining room. I need help choosing colors for internal doors as well and a lounge wall colour to tie all together.

A. Resene Alabaster is very white - I am unsure whether another white would be better as there isn't much that is 'whiter' apart from Resene Half Alabaster or (real white) Resene White. For the ceiling I think I would be inclined to use the same white as the trims - Resene Alabaster - to keep the look light and open. I like the colour you have used in the entrance - Resene Robin Egg Blue - this is a good start to the interior colours.

Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
October 2015

Q. I am building a new house in Firth Antique white straight edge brick (light coloured mortar) and am tossing up between a Ironsand roof and Resene Ironsand LINEA® paintwork. About a quarter of the house is LINEA.The other option is a black roof and black painted LINEA which is very fashionable at the moment with the antique white brick. I am really struggling between the two colour schemes and can't decide which will look the best with the Antique white brick. The joinery is Titania.

A. Resene Black is quite hard edged and optic which is really contemporary and stylish - however Resene Ironsand is warm, earthy and dark enough to be interesting and looks great with the Titania. Either could work. If you are going for a dark colour then choose the Resene CoolColour variant to reduce heat buildup.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Black
Resene Black
October 2015

Q. We're thinking about painting our bedroom in Resene Double Sea Fog with Resene Half Black White trim and the wall behind our bed in Resene Hammerhead. The room is about 3 x 4m and gets reasonable sun, but I'm wondering if the wall in Resene Hammerhead will make the room appear smaller or close it in too much?

A. Based on the colours that you are considering all I am say is that the Resene Hammerhead has enough soft muted blue/grey tone that it may not be too dark - but it really depends upon the natural light in the room. If the wall you were considering painting was bathed in bright sun light all day then it may not close in or appear smaller. But if the wall you are considering painting was a end wall of a oblong shaped room that got a lot of shadow in it as the direct sunlight passed then it may make the colour feel closer to you and alter to some extent the shape of the room.

Take your time and test the colour well - testpots are your best friend in this regard.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
October 2015

Q. I have a kitchen with dark green cupboards. I need to paint the walls and I am struggling to find inspiration. Most pictures I've come across of green kitchen cupboards show pale cream/custard coloured walls. I really feel like I want green walls. Its an open plan living/kitchen/dining, very bright with all day sun. White windows, lots of rimu furniture and black wrought iron touches, our lounge suite is rimu with leather in a colour close to Pantone Marsala.

Once the kitchen is painted we will be installing a full recycled rimu bench. The flooring is going to be upgraded in the near future but is currently Rimu and unfinished ply.

Could you suggest some pale greens? I'm inspired by deep and rich colours like you see on American TV shows (e.g. Modern Family) and earthy warm pale greens. Nothing too yellow.

A. I can suggest greens for the wall colour but whether or not they work with the existing deeper green of your existing cabinets is in the lap of the gods a bit because I don't know what green it is and it will have a very definite effect upon whether the green wall suggestions look good or not.

Earthy warm greens carry yellow and brown in them - this may not work at all well with your cabinets if they are a bluer based green. However these may be a start point and are worth investigating – Resene Green Spring, Resene Lemon Grass or Resene Linen

Resene Green Spring
Resene Green Spring

Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
October 2015

Q. We are using Resene colours in our new build; painting the entry, living, kitchen and lounge walls on the north side of the house with Resene Half Sea Fog and the walls on the south side (comprising the hall and bedrooms) Resene Eighth Tea. Window reveals, ceilings and doors throughout the house will be Resene Double Alabaster. Colour is coming from carpet, drapes, blinds and art pieces. We are looking for guidance please for a paint colour for the toilet, bathroom and ensuite. In the toilet and main bathroom the floor tiles are called polished grey but have some warmth in the way of a sandy fleck, the vanity will be dark oak with a white top and sink and the tiles and shower are white. We plan to add colour with plants, pictures and towels. The ensuite floor tiles are slate, vanity is dark oak with white top and the tiles in the walk in shower are white. Window reveals, doors and ceilings will be Resene Double Alabaster as mentioned above. Windows in these rooms are large, double glazed, frosted glass. Lighting will be provided by LED downlighting. Joinery throughout is silver pearl. While we are not adverse to a bit of colour in the bathrooms we think that something from your whites and neutrals palette would work. Our builder suggested full Resene Sea Fog in the bathroom and Resene Double Alabaster in the ensuite but we look forward to hearing your expert opinion.

A. There is only the slightest difference between Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Double Alabaster so if you were hoping to see more of a contrast you probably wouldn't. It’s not a problem as long as that is what you are expecting and wanting. I like the idea of using Resene Sea Fog in the bathroom and Resene Double Alabaster for the ensuite rather than using a random neutral not related to the overall palette that you have created. But if you were wanting a wee bit more warmth then Resene Eighth Tea could be used in the ensuite - this then would relate to the same colour used in the bedrooms and would nicely offset the white bathroom fittings, the slate flooring and the dark vanity.

Everything else that you mention - including the idea of using colour in carpets, drapes, blinds and art pieces - sounds really wonderful.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
October 2015

Q. We are renovating our 1912 bungalow/villa. We have original rimu floors in the hall, kitchen and dining and rimu doors and skirting boards throughout. We will have Cavalier Bremworth Chatreuse satin wood carpet in lounge and bedrooms. We are intending to paint the living spaces Resene Half Drought, the bedrooms Resene Fossil and hallways Resene Quarter Fossil. I think the ceilings are Resene Half Spanish White. We would welcome feedback on these paint choices, but the real question is what colour to paint the feature wall in the foyer? Options I'm considering are Resene Perfect Taupe or Resene Double Perfect Taupe, Resene Caraway or Resene Asteroid, but would also like some other options. The foyer doesn't get a lot of natural light and it is quite a small space. There will be a contemporary/classic chocolate stained wooden hall table and we're looking to get a large silver mirror as well.

A. I love the colours that you have and are considering - it makes me think of warm caramel sauce and whipped cream and all good and delicious things.

For your feature wall I suggest you paint your testpots onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and with the exception of Resene Caraway, which is a slightly green/beige earthy tone the others are velvety, dusky and warm and intimate. Resene Asteroid reminds me of milk chocolate mousse. Resene testpots are your best friend - take your time to get it right.

Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Double Perfect Taupe
Resene Double
Perfect Taupe
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Asteroid
Resene Asteroid
October 2015

Q. I am painting the interior of my home and was thinking of Resene Half Villa White. I want a white, not a cream - but don't want it to be as stark as Resene Black White. I'm also not fond of the green base of some other colours. My only concern us that Resene Half Villa White might look too yellow?

A. In east or south facing rooms this colour could take on more yellow and green tone - a lot of colours do in rooms that are east or south facing as the natural light draws out this potential. Colours in an interior often look twice the depth that you might imagine they will look so Resene Half Villa White (which is already a definite yellow/green toned cream) may look like Resene Villa White. I think that you are looking at too strong a colour if it is a white that you are after.

Perhaps you could look at these colours which are ' whiter' – Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Alabaster.

If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library it will be very worthwhile. If you compare these to a sheet of white printer paper it will help you see the very subtle colours that are in the sample (compared to the white paper) and help you to judge reality. Without the white paper test they may appear 'too white'. Remember also colour intensifies a bit in an interior.

Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
 
October 2015

Q. We are having our house exterior painted with Resene X-200. It is one of two townhouses painted Resene Quarter Fossil - I guess we must stick with that as otherwise the two would look too different unless there is a more modern less yellow close alternative. Also for the dark wood trim what colour complements?

A. I do think that staying with the colours on the other town house is wise if an overall cohesive look is required. It is always tricky if you change and then neither house (seen in close proximity) appear to like each other. Resene Quarter Fossil is a beige/green cream neutral - if you were to see a sample of one of these colours – Resene Pearl Lusta and Resene Villa White - close to it then your eye and brain would say 'Resene Quarter Fossil is not so yellow' - it is all about comparing in order for you to judge reality.

A colour that doesn't have the warmth of Resene Quarter Fossil but is modern is Resene Thorndon Cream but it is a subdued green/bone colour. When seen close to Resene Quarter Fossil it makes that colour look like a warm beige.

Dark wood looks good with greens - as in nature - hence the reason I indicated Resene Thorndon Cream as a complement - because even though it is a neutral of complex tones it has a greenish edge to it. Other colours that look good with dark wood are warm beige influenced creams like Resene Half Spanish White - but that may look very yellow toned compared to the more beige Resene Quarter Fossil.

Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
October 2015

Q. I would like suggestions for a splashback colour for our laundry. The paint is Resene Triple Merino with Resene Black White trims. The tiles are a concrete grey. The cupboards are designer white satin. We have Resene Emerge as the kitchen splashback. I would like suggestions for a more exciting/interesting/out there colour for the laundry splashback. We would like a beachy blue/green colour if that helps.

A. Exciting/interesting/out there may be brighter as well - would it worry you if the soft muted tones that you have now suddenly get a lot more vibrant? You could try Resene Paradiso, Resene Astral or Resene Niagara. Or if they are too bold after the gentle muted kitchen splashback colour perhaps you could look at one of these – Resene Ziggurat or Resene Horizon.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
   
Resene Paradiso
Resene Paradiso
Resene Astral
Resene Astral
Resene Niagara
Resene Niagara
Resene Ziggurat
Resene Ziggurat
Resene Horizon
Resene Horizon
October 2015

Q. We are currently building a new house, and the aluminium joinery and front door is Sandstone Grey and the garage door and roof are FlaxPod (a dark charcoal colour) what would be the best paint option on the outside? We really like Resene Stonehenge but the full is too dark and half is OK, would a quarter work?

A. Yes Resene Quarter Stonehenge would work but on an exterior colours appear much lighter so it may look like Resene Eighth Stonehenge - would that be ok? If you wanted a light colour that was more closely related to the door colour - Sandstone Grey - you might like to check out these colours also – Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Atmosphere.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
October 2015

Q. I am painting a bedroom which has three large windows with white/silver curtains. There is a long passageway leading to the room. I have been thinking of Resene Duck Egg Blue but what can you suggest for something with a little bit more blue in it, without being blue? I have thought of Resene Emerge, any other suggestions?

A. Resene Emerge is a little greener than Resene Duck Egg Blue which can look quite grey toned. For a colour with a bit more blue in it I suggest you check out these colours – Resene Casper or Resene Quarter Powder Blue.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
Resene Quarter
Powder Blue
October 2015

Q. My very sunny kitchen and living room have Resene Half Tea walls and Resene Alabaster trim/doors. The kitchen cabinetry is also Alabaster. I have no benchtop as yet. I don’t know whether to paint the ceiling Resene Alabaster as well or doesn't it really matter? It's currently plain white.

A. It is entirely up to you whether you use the Resene Alabaster or stay with the white it is now. They are very similar so it may not be noticeable. Sometimes when other surfaces are newly painted and the ceiling isn't to be included in the repaint schedule a few months later you decide that the ceiling doesn't look as 'fresh' and clean looking as the other surfaces. It can be a pain to do the ceiling later - disruptive even. So why not put another fresh coat of paint on the ceiling - whether it is Resene White or Resene Alabaster it is up to you - and then everything is newly painted and mint.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
October 2015

Q. We have clinker brick and also weatherboards painted Resene Stonehenge. What colour would you recommend for the roof, spouting and scotia?

A. You could have lighter, darker or a definite colour - try Resene Atmosphere, Resene Ironsand, Resene Canyon or Resene Scoria.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
October 2015

Q. We are intending to paint most of our interior walls in our new house Resene Half Rice Cake. One bedroom I intend to paint Resene Half Truffle and I may look at Resene Half Inside Back for the main bedroom and wardrobe. What white would be best for the ceilings, door frames, doors etc?The carpet is a dark grey, tiles in kitchen, entranceway and bathrooms are lightish and windows Titania. Should I just go a shade lighter in the Resene Rice Cake or look at another white?

A. I tend to agree with you - a lighter version of the main colour in the house would work well. So with that in mind you might consider using Resene Eighth Rice Cake. It will work as a brighter white than the wall colour and create clean contrast. If you didn't want the contrast you could use Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back

(as half)
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
October 2015

Q. Would you suggest Resene Triple Sea Fog for trims/doors? This being an opposite alternative to Resene Alabaster. And then Resene Black White on the walls and Resene Half Black White on the ceiling.

A. Some people like trims and doors to be darker and more interesting than the walls but in the case of Resene Triple Sea Fog - a warmer colour - and Resene Black White - a cooler greyer colour - they would not be my choice as co-ordinates. If you were intent on the walls being Resene Black White and the woodwork and door being darker I would suggest you use either Resene Double Black White or Resene Triple Black White because they are related to the wall colour.

Resene Half Black White for the ceiling may well look exactly the same as the wall colour because of the way light falls away from the ceiling leaving it in shadow and enhancing the depth of the colour. I would suggest using Resene Eighth Black White if you want to see a cleaner contrast to the wall colour.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
   
October 2015

Q. I have to repaint some exterior window frames but don’t have the paint that they were originally done with. How do I find the right paint colour?

A. You could do several things

  • Take a sample of the existing paint into a Resene ColorShop and ask for help to match it.
  • Match it yourself to a colour on a colour chart - even if it isn't absolutely perfect - use that colour and write down the name/type of paint as a record so that you can continue using that when the other windows need repainting.

Sometimes paint colours can be perfectly matched - but sometimes they can only be 'similar' - and this may be because the paint colour that is being matched has altered/faded as it aged so that is the colour that you may get but it may not exactly match paint that hasn't had the same level of aging.

October 2015

Q. We have a 1930s bungalow. The original south-facing lounge has rimu doors and features and is painted Resene Secrets. It has a black Yotul fire (with visible chimney) with terracotta tiles underneath which we intend to paint Resene Tuna. Behind the fire/chimney we have wallpapered a 1.5m wide strip in Anaglypta Turner Tile which we were going to paint in a lighter charcoal toning with Tuna, however the painter pointed out that this will make the Yotul and chimney disappear. We have tried a sample behind it and he’s right!

Originally we wanted to paint the Anaglypta in a warm orange like Resene Clementine Orange (which previously worked well with the fire at this end of the room). However the Resene Secrets is showing much more green in this room than anticipated so together with the orange it looks gaudy… hence the charcoal idea which looks striking next to Resene Secrets. But we don’t want to lose the definition of the fire so we're now at a loss as to what colour to paint the Anaglypta! We have tried lighter greys but they look insipid against Resene Secrets. Or do we use a deeper shade of Secrets? We have Half Robins Egg in a nearby bedroom which looks great.

A. The whole room will have several features to attract attention won't it? The fireplace, the Anaglypta wallpaper and the deep charcoal tiles- that is three without counting the new carpet, the existing furniture, drapes and your accessories and precious things. I guess what I am saying is this 'do you need another feature in a room full of features already?'

I would be inclined to paint the Anaglypta the same colour as the other walls and just let the very distinctive patterned texture of the paper speak for itself. So not a deeper version of Resene Secrets - because that would be a feature colour on a feature wallpaper behind a feature fireplace. In this case less may be more.

Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Clementine Orange
Resene Clementine Orange
October 2015

Q. We are doing a new build with charcoal joinery. We are planning Resene Triple Sea Fog on the trims/doors, Resene Black White on walls and Resene Half Black White on the ceilings.

The painter has purchased required paint, but I am thinking that Resene Half Black White may be too strong for the ceiling (should it be Resene Quarter Black White?), and that Resene Triple Sea Fog is too strong for trims etc?

A. Yes you do need a lighter more definite clean contrast for the ceilings - Resene Quarter Black White may still seem to be as deep as the Resene Half Black White - ceilings often look more shadowy/deeper as the light falls away. I suggest using Resene Eighth Black White - it may appear to be as the same colour as Resene Quarter Black White but would not be as deep as Resene Half Black White. I think you would be wiser sticking to a related colour palette for the deeper coloured trims - rather than the warmer Resene Triple Sea Fog used with the cooler Resene Black White I think using Resene Double Black White or even Resene Triple Black White would be more harmonious.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
     
October 2015

Page 37

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