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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 38

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. 38

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


Q. I'm wanting to paint a renovated villa bathroom in a fresh cream with white architraves, skirting, ceiling, bath and vanity. It has a dark wooden floor. It has wainscoting with a dado rail halfway up the walls with plasterboard above that. I want to paint all walls a fresh soft cream with Resene Alabaster for skirting boards etc. I am thinking of doing a gloss black dado rail to match the same tile trim theme in the kitchen and black and white tile floor in the conservatory. I also want to do the conservatory all white. It has a glass ceiling with wooden beams and French doors on two sides. I don't want a stark white. I was thinking Resene Wan White?

A. For the bathroom fresh cream you could check out Resene Orchid White or Resene Bianca. These colours look lovely with Resene Alabaster. Resene Black trims on the dado rail sound really great.

For an all white conservatory I am unsure about Resene Wan White. Perhaps check out Resene Half Sea Fog (this relates well to the Resene Alabaster) and see if it appeals to you.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
   
October 2015

Q. Our 4 bed 2 bath 10 year old house is very modern on the outside. However, the inside is painted Resene Double Thorndon Cream on every wall and Resene Thorndon Cream on every ceiling, trim and door. Financially if the Resene Thorndon Cream could stay for the doors, both painted wood and sliding, that would be ideal. We need to change the ceilings and walls to a 'white'. We would be keen for the master along with a girl's room and two boys' rooms to have a colour option also. Is this recommended? The aluminium windows are grey. The kitchen cream is very similar to that of Resene Double Thorndon Cream.

A. Resene Thorndon Cream is a definite colour so anything 'whiter' for ceilings may make it seem a bit deeper - is that alright? To keep it looking cohesive and balanced you could look at using Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for the ceilings and trims and perhaps you might check out these colours for walls – Resene Half Titania, Resene Cararra or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Children's rooms could have a 'feature' colour or a wallpaper on one wall to create a bit of 'wow' - used with the same colour on the walls as on the ceilings etc. It allows you to venture out colour wise.

Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
   
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
October 2015

Q. I have Ironsand on my roof and fences. I want to change the weatherboards to a light grey or green toned paint so it flows with my inside colours of Resene Merino on the walls and a light grey/silver carpet. At the moment the weatherboards are a beige brown and it doesn't flow from outside to inside. The windows outside are Resene Alabaster.

A. Try these colours to see if they appeal: Resene Triple Merino, Resene Ash, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
October 2015

Q. Please suggest a warm white for a cold lounge and dining room with no sunshine and wooden floors. We would like a contrast with white skirting boards.

A. One of these colours may make you feel as though there is lots of sunshine in the lounge and dining room – Resene Orchid White, Resene Clotted Cream, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Half Solitaire. They work with Resene White for the trims and ceilings etc.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene White
Resene White
October 2015

Q. We are seeking assistance to choose an interior paint colour for our new house. We have white tiles with a fleck of pink through them and a maroon kitchen benchtop. We are thinking of light grey walls with white skirting and ceiling. What colour do you suggest would be the best, modern look?

A. You might check out these greys - they are warm and look lovely with white trims - Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Whiteout or Resene Black Haze.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
October 2015

Q. I have a passage painted Resene Limerick green. Would the bedroom at the end of the passage look okay in Resene Weathered Yellow?

A. I suggest you paint up a Resene testpot (all of it/two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and place it on the door leading into the bedroom so you can see the two colours in close proximity. If you like the Resene Weathered Yellow (which does have some green undertone in it) and Resene Limerick then by all means go ahead. If you like the Resene Weathered Yellow but don't like seeing the two colours close to each other you can solve the problem by shutting the bedroom door.

It isn't unusual to have rooms that have definite colour in them as a strong feature - like the hallway in your case - that may be different from the rest of the house - it is exciting and different - and truly individual.

Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Weathered YellowResene Weathered Yellow
Resene Weathered Yellow
October 2015

Q. I want to paint external walls Resene Double Napa. The tile roof is light terracotta, the gutter/fascia blue, the window frames are light blue. Any ideas about door and trims?

A. Because of all the other colours on the house (roof, gutters, fascia, window frames) I would be inclined to try for a match to the blue of the gutters/fascia and failing that then perhaps a lighter version of the house colour - i.e Resene Half Napa. Try to keep it simple and unfussy by not introducing another colour.

Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
October 2015

Q. I am looking for a colour scheme for my 1930s California bungalow, which is currently mostly exposed brick. I would like to paint the bricks and am thinking about using Resene Half Stack for these, the stucco and in between the battens, and possibly Resene Baltic Sea (or maybe something darker?) for the guttering and fascia boards. I would also like to find a complementary white for the window trim and battens. The roof is terracotta tile.

A. You could use Resene Black White or Resene Double Alabaster as your 'white' and you might consider Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Nocturnal as your darkest colour.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
   
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
October 2015

Q. Could you please offer some ideas on a wall colour for a small toilet and a main bathroom with a floor tile with definite colours. The bathroom will have a glass shower, white vanity, bath and shower floor with perhaps white tiles on the shower walls and dark tiles on the wall of the vanity and bath surrounds. A splash of timber somewhere in the bathroom would be good.

A. The floor tile has very definite colours in it - I would think those colours could be picked out for towels and other accessories. If you choose a white toned neutral for the walls this will highlight the (real) white vanity and other white bathroom fittings and maintain lots of light. You could look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Black Haze or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

You mention a 'splash of wood' and in truth that may be difficult to incorporate - perhaps wooden louvre blinds or wooden framed mirror?

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
October 2015

Q. We've got a 1980s home that we are repainting. I need help with the master bedroom. I've got aluminium joinery that is a colour similar to Resene Astra. However I've ignored it and painted colours I like which are Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Half/Quarter Cloud for the walls. We've used Resene Double Alabaster for the hallway walls. I'd like to give the master bedroom a little bit of personality. Not too much - just a point of difference from the rest of the house. Styling = Hamptons/Coastal. Any suggestions? The room is quite light with a big window facing the entrance. We will keep Resene Double Alabaster on trims and skirting.

We also need a new front door colour. Our roof tile is light beige and every house with the same colour roof has anaemic looking exterior colour schemes. We want to repaint the trims and front door as well as re-tile the entrance and pool area. We are considering a dark grey/green natural stone tile. I need to paint the door to clean up the entrance ASAP. I'm so confused on dark versus light, matching a brick colour vs inside colours... Arrgghhh... No idea.

A. Perhaps if you are replacing the stone tiles to a dark grey sort of colour then you might follow that route for the front door colour. That would work to 'control' all the other colours vying for attention - perhaps check these colours out – Resene Half Gravel, Resene Double Tapa or Resene Possessed.

For the interior - if you want a colour to work with the white trims (Resene Double Alabaster) and the floor colour and window joinery colour and still appear light with the 'Hamptons ambiance' then you could check out these colours – Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Thorndon Cream.

For the window joinery have you thought of etch priming the powder coat and painting (the interior of the frames) to match the trims? Just a thought - it would solve the yellow problem.

Resene Astra
Resene Astra
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Possessed
Resene Possessed
 
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
October 2015

Q. I am painting my kitchen Resene Half Merino and am thinking of doing a contrasting colour for my laundry area which is tucked away behind bifold doors at the end of the kitchen. I was thinking Resene Gunsmoke or Resene Kensington Grey but am grateful for any recommendations!

A. I like the idea of a grey in the laundry and certainly Resene Gunsmoke relates well to the kitchen colour. Not so sure about Resene Kensington Grey but some alternatives worth considering might be these ones – Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Half Tapa. Colours in an interior often looks almost twice the depth so these will look stronger.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
October 2015

Q. We are about to paint the exterior of our home and I am so confused with such a massive colour selection! We'd like to paint in a cooler colour than we have. I did a testpot of Resene Half Napa but I think this is not enough of a contrast with both of our neighbours (one is white and the other a slightly creamy white). I like an earthy colour, not green, grey, pink or too yellow. The house is currently painted in Resene Pale Oyster but we would like to go a cooler colour. Don't mind if it's lighter but do want the contrast with neighbours as mentioned.

A. If Resene Half Napa is not enough contrast have you considered Resene Napa which is a bit deeper? Alternatively you might check out these options – Resene Craigieburn, Resene Rockbottom or Resene Pravda.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Pale Oyster
Resene Pale Oyster
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda

 

October 2015

Q. We have painted our new kitchen cabinetry in Resene Double Alabaster. Our island is in Resene Escape. What white would you suggest for walls, doors etc.? We hope to go with a wooden-look floor to warm it up?

A. The colours you have already chosen do make a crisp cool look so warmer coloured floors in wood may be a good idea. I think you need to think through the wall options carefully - a slightly deeper version of the cabinets colour maintains the open light white look – Resene Sea Fog or a creamy colour may work - with the wooden floor - to make the space seem warmer. Resene Pearl Lusta or a much paler blue will be a 'friend' for the kitchen island colour - Resene Onahau or possibly a pale beige may work - Resene Quarter Bison Hide or a sunnier but slightly radical option - to frighten you or excite you - Resene Consuela.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Escape
Resene Escape
     
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Onahau
Resene Onahau
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Consuela
Resene Consuela
October 2015

Q. We have a 60s pole house with lots of dark stained beams and stained large poles. We have decided not to paint beams and poles. The house faces north east and is situated in a bush setting. Please can you suggest a colour or colours we could paint walls, doors and skirting?

A. Some colour ideas to get you started – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Bianca, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown.

I suggest you do the same colour as the wall for the skirtings and doors etc. but in a semi-gloss enamel paint.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit
Brown
October 2015

Q. We are looking for an exterior colour for our very plain house with flat roof and Hardiplank® timber look cladding, which is currently painted white. The house is in a bush setting with a westerly aspect. The fascias and barge flashing are COLORBOND® Ironstone. We are thinking of a greige or light grey.

A. You might look at greys that are warm with a little green edge like these ones – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Delta.

Or grey/beiges that are a little earthy – Resene Truffle, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Cloudy.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
 
October 2015

Q. We have a 1970s weatherboard home with white wooden windows. We have just replaced the roof with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. We are thinking about updating and repainting the exterior of the house. Could you recommend some paint choices?

A. You might look at some of these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Cloudy or Resene Double Truffle.

They have more warm grey/beige/stone undertones and they all look good with Ironsand and white.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
October 2015

Q. I have a brown wooden beam ceiling that is approx 4.5 metres at the highest point. I want to update from the horrible brown that makes the room dark. I would like to paint them a shade of white. It is a country style house and I'm thinking about painting the walls a taupe/ish colour. Our windows are a horrible brown colour. Can you recommend a shade of white for the ceiling?

A. A white (apart from real white) needs to relate well to other colours - and even though you say you are painting the walls a taupe-ish colour that could be one of a lot of different types of taupe. You might look at either of these 'whites' and - fingers crossed - they may be ok with the type of taupe you choose for the walls - Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Black White

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
October 2015

Q. I have 12 hours to select the COLORSTEEL® roof colour for a new house we are buying that is already in the process of being built. The house colour will likely be Resene Half Truffle. I can't decide whether to go with a light roof or dark. I am leaning towards either COLORSTEEL® in Ironsand or Slate. I don't want a blue tinged grey roof. Can you make a suggestion as to which would be best or should I go for something lighter like Smokey or Sandstone? The other option is Resene Half Foggy Grey for the walls but I have no idea which colour for the roof?

A. You need to be aware than Ironsand does have a earthy brown undertone and Slate is more charcoal - that may make a difference to your thoughts on the roof colour. If you were using Resene Half Foggy Grey (instead of the slightly warmer Resene Half Truffle) it goes well with Slate and (lighter/softer) Smokey whereas Resene Half Truffle looks better with either Slate or (lighter/softer) Sandstone Grey.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
October 2015

Q. We have just painted our lounge in Resene Rhino and are looking for a neutral to paint our living room (which has doors opening through to lounge). Would either Resene Quarter Sisal or Resene Quarter Spanish White be alright for the living area?

A. Either would work even though they are completely different colours. You may need to test the colours carefully - and to ensure that the influencing qualities of natural light and shade and all the other coloured elements in the living room work well with the wall colour. Resene Quarter Sisal is much deeper than Resene Quarter Spanish White and all colours appear much deeper in an interior than you might expect them to look - testpots are your best friend when you need to truly judge the reality of colour. I always suggest painting all of the testpot/two coats onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edge of the card and moving it from wall to wall to see how it responds to changes of light and angles.

Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
October 2015

Q. I want to paint the walls of my new house in Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Eighth Tea. What colour can be used for ceiling and windows?

A. You could use Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Alabaster - the second option is slightly less cool/grey toned.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
October 2015

Q. We are looking at painting our house exterior and are looking for some colour suggestions. We need to paint all areas including the roof, baseboards, gutters, soffits and cladding. We are leaning to the bottom of the house cladding being a very light grey similar to a concrete colour and then a deep dark grey for the top of house cladding. Not too sure on other colours apart from maybe white on the soffits. Any colour suggestions would be great. We have painted our retaining walls and fence black.

A. These greys may be worth consideration: Resene Eighth Tapa - bottom of the house – and Resene Double Tapa - main colour, or Resene Eighth Stack - bottom of the house – and Resene Double Stack - main colour, or Resene Quarter Friar Grey - bottom of the house and Resene Double Friar Grey - main colour.

You could do the balustrades around the deck in White to add a little crisp contrast between the two levels. This then picks up on the soffits being White as well.

Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Eighth Stack
Resene Eighth Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
October 2015

Q. We are building a new house but trying to give it a bit more of a traditional farmhouse feel throughout. It has oak flooring in the living and kitchen area and in the kitchen wood tops with custom made cabinets which will need to be painted. The cabinets will be white but we would love some advice for the type of white that would work for the cabinets. We haven't got any of the wall colours for walls and dining room yet either so any suggestions for colours that would tie in would be great.

A. There is not only one type of white available. Do you want cool/crisp or soft/warm white? Either would work but it really rests on your furniture (unless you are totally replacing everything), carpet (because it is the main colour element in three quarters of the house), drapes, bedspreads and so many other things - not least the wall colour or colours. It isn't just the kitchen cabinets - this white may also be used for ceilings and trim work throughout the house to link all the rooms in a cohesive fashion.

You need to get photos and samples of everything including possible wall colours and build up from the floor (carpet and oak flooring) and then look at how well (or not well) the 'white' for the cabinets works.

To start you off you might look at these two options - Resene Black White and Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
November 2015

Q. We are looking at painting our living areas Resene Concrete and the bedrooms Resene Triple Concrete. Do you have any photos of rooms in these colours so we can get an idea of whether it will OK? Do you think there will be enough of a contrast between these two colours for a noticeable difference, but still colours that look great together?

A. If there were photos I wouldn't be basing my judgement upon how they looked as colour doesn't represent well in photos or in a digital format. Every photo of every room (even every different wall in the same room) will show the colour differently according to light, shade, angles and any other colours seen close to it.

There should definitely be good contrast between the two colours that you are considering - but the very best way to judge for yourself what the colours will look like is to test them very carefully.

If you paint large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with all of the Resene testpot as two coats leaving a narrow unpainted (white card) border all around the edges it will help in these ways:

  • It will be large enough to see the reality of the colour.
  • The unpainted border will help your eye focus on the colour and when pinned on a wall that border will help keep the existing wall colour away from the test patch and will not influence (negatively) how you see the colour.
  • The card can be moved from wall to wall or room to room to see how the colour alters in changing natural and artificial light.
  • The card can be rolled into a cone with the colour innermost and when you look into the cone you will see the colour stronger, as if four walls were painted in the colour. This may help you decide whether the colour is the right strength for the room.

The colours will be seen in your rooms, in your light, and with all other coloured things like flooring, drapes, furniture etc at your place where it is the best place to make right colour decisions.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
November 2015

Q. We want to lighten our living spaces by using Resene Alabaster on our walls. Our ceilings are a standard 2.4m so I am wondering if we can use Resene Alabaster on the ceiling also or if this would appear darker.

A. Any colour - even pure White - can look deeper on a ceiling as the light falls away leaving shadow. The same ceiling colour - as the wall colour - can look deeper so with that in mind I suggest you paint the ceiling Resene Half Alabaster so it doesn't look too dissimilar to the wall colour Resene Alabaster.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
November 2015

Q. I wish to paint a dark Z-shaped hallway with seven doorways leading off it. One end leads to the front door which is the brighter part - it faces north. I have seen, in one of the Habitat magazines, a yellow hallway which I thought was great. At the moment it is Resene Pearl Lusta. The flooring is rimu and the home is a circa 1926 Bungalow.

A. As a rule colour in an interior looks a lot stronger than you might imagine it to be, and the fact that yellows are very bright (even when they are pale) plus that you mention you have a dark hallway I think you may need to be cautious and take your time to find the best yellow for your hallway. Testpots are your best friend in this regard. Hallways (unlike lounges or bedrooms) can have quite distinctive colour as you are passing through the space not sitting looking at it so it can create a 'statement'.

You might test these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene La Luna, Resene Melting Moment, Resene Sidecar and deeper options - Resene Marzipan or Resene Sunkissed. And a much brighter option - but not for the faint hearted – Resene Wild Thing.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene La Luna
Resene La Luna
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Marzipan
Resene Marzipan
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
 
November 2015

Q. We are building a new timber fence on the boundary with our neighbour. They want to paint all of their side a dark colour and we are considering having the posts and rails the same dark colour but our side of the palings a light colour (e.g. Resene Tea) which will be similar to other fences on our property. Our query is 'what colour should we paint the edges of the palings – dark or light? There will be minimal space between the palings but this will increase as the timber dries out. We want to paint the paling edges before they are nailed on.

A. This may be one of those situations where no one wins. Either side will see the alternate colour some of the time. I think if it is painted the light colour it may be slightly better. It is the view of the palings from a 45 degree angle (side on view) that will highlight the 'other' colour from either side.

Boundary fences and neighbours can often lead to bad relations. A compromise might be posts and rails in Resene Tea - on your side - and both sides of the fence palings in the dark colour.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
November 2015

Q. I want to know what pink you would recommend for a little girl's room and a matching off white for a built in wardrobe and dresser unit. I was thinking maybe your colour Resene Princess?

A. Resene Princess is a beautiful pink but if you were wanting a pink that wasn't quite as strong you might look at Resene Pretty In Pink. Because colours in an interior can double in strength when all four walls are painted it might be wise to go a little bit lighter rather than a little bit deeper - but if your daughter wants an 'all out pink' then definitely Resene Princess will do well.

A good white for the furniture may be one of these ones - Resene Alabaster or slightly warmer - Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Princess
Resene Princess
Resene Pretty In Pink
Resene Pretty In Pink
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
November 2015

Q. I am looking for a pale to mid grey for the master bedroom in a modern house. The living areas and hallway are Resene Half Napa, which I am happy with and the ceilings and doors are Resene Half Spanish White.

A. Your ceilings and doors are quite a heavy rich coloured cream (definitely not sharp and 'white)' and if you were to choose too pale a grey your Resene Half Spanish White would double in strength and look earthier/yellower. Is this what you want to achieve?

These mid toned greys allow for that definite trim and ceiling colour and hopefully may offer you a little inspiration - Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Half Gauntlet, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Transmission

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
     
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
November 2015

Q. Could you suggest a true medium to dark grey for my living room and bathroom? I have tried six different testpots but they all appear to have purple or blue tones in them.

A. No greys are 'true' as they all carry undertones of colour within them. These colours intensify (colour in an interior can double in depth) when more than one wall is painted and they alter in different qualities of natural and artificial light. Testing them as small patches of colour on coloured walls also alters how they are seen compared to testing them (not on a wall) by painting all of the testpot/two coats onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges of the card. This holds the colour away from any existing wall colour and helps your eyes discern the reality of the colour. Larger is better for testing. The card can be moved from wall to wall to see how changing angles and light alter the colour also.

Try these colours – Resene Concord, Resene Suva Grey, Resene Jumbo, Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Tundora or Resene Gauntlet.

Resene Concord
Resene Concord
Resene Suva Grey
Resene Suva Grey
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Tundora
Resene Tundora
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
November 2015

Q. I would like a green for my son's south facing room. On the colour charts I liked the colour of Resene Half Beryl Green but have found that it looks a bit 'dirty' on the wall from the testpot, and I suspect it has too much grey in it?. And the Resene Quarter Beryl Green is a bit too light, (not enough green in it). We have not carpeted yet but will be going for a charcoal/greyish colour. His furniture is white and it is quite a small room. Are there any other greens that are similar to these?

A. The natural light aspect in any south facing room makes pure white look very grim and grey. Soft yellow looks sharp and sour. I suspect it is the light that is making the greens that you have tested look dirty or too light. Also testing paint colours directly onto existing coloured walls makes you see the colour 'wrong'. I always recommend that all of the testpot/two coats be painted onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted (white card) border all around the edges.

This helps you in these ways

  • You see more of the colour. Bigger is better.
  • The white unpainted border helps you judge the colour correctly. It keeps the colour away from existing wall colours which influence how the colour is seen - even unpainted plasterbboard is a colour.
  • Rolling the large card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and looking into this cone will show the colour deeper as if all 4 walls are painted- this is very helpful to see what the overall depth of colour will look like - before painting all the walls.
  • The large card can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how the colour alters on different angles and in different qualities of light and shade and it does - quite a lot.

Because colours look deeper in an interior than you might expect them to look (doubling in intensity) I think that Resene Quarter Beryl Green is the right depth of colour. Please do try it again - the way I have suggested - I think you will be very amazed at how different it is. Sometimes seeing another colour helps too by helping you see the differences in each colour - without comparing it is hard to judge. An alternative colour to try – Resene Half Secrets.

Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Quarter Beryl Green
Resene Quarter Beryl Green
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Half Secrets
November 2015

Q. I have a very outdated kitchen with cupboards a similar colour to Resene Pearl Lusta and white tiles. The ceiling has been painted white. I was going to use Resene Alabaster on the walls but realise that this crisp colour makes the cupboards look dirty. What wall colour would you recommend?

A. It would pay to be very careful. I suggest you look at a grey white so that the 'whites' you do have look whiter/brighter and the very creamy yellow cabinets look a little more balanced and not so bright. Try Resene Triple Black White or Resene Quarter Surrender.

The White ceiling will add clean crispness and make you see the wall colour as a 'little bit more'.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
November 2015

Q. I'm building a new house. If the roof and garage door are Ironsand and the aluminium joinery is matt Ghost Grey or Silver Pearl, what colours would you recommend for the plaster exterior and feature weatherboards above the garage door and just by the front door? I like a soft look, more beige/sand than grey. I want the interior walls to be a shade of white which is why I think the light grey joinery is a good idea, unless you can advise me otherwise

A. Be careful if you use Ghost Grey for the joinery - it can throw a warm mauve undertone which makes finding colours to work with it a bit awkward. Silver Pearl seems to be a popular choice as grey joinery - also Gull Grey which is very nice.

You might check out these grey/beige sand colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Taupe Grey or lighter - Resene Half Taupe Grey , Resene Quarter Friar Grey or deeper - Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Double Truffle or with a little more brown in it - Resene Half Pravda.

Are the weatherboards real timber? The reason I ask is that very light colours are recommended on wood. You might use a much lighter version of the plaster colour - whichever one you choose - as most of the colours go as light as eighth formula. If however the weatherboards are LINEA® or Hardiplank® (cement type boards) then you could go to a much deeper feature colour - perhaps Resene Quarter Ironsand - a lighter (but still deep) version of the roof colour. Whiter colours for the interior may require you choosing flooring, kitchen cabinetry and work tops first - so that you have plenty of choices - before you choose the wall colour.

Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
 
November 2015

Q. We have a wee house which faces south east. We want the interior, which is shady most of the day, to be light, warm and welcoming and are wondering would Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Bianca do the trick? The roof, which is currently white, throws grey and we would like a suggestion for an alternate colour. We have a very green and leafy outlook. Also, our son would like a calm green room, but it is also rather dim during the day (excluding first thing in the morning) – any ideas? The joinery is Wedgewood blue.

A. I think you need the warmth of Resene Half Bianca to balance the 'blue' you have in the house - carpet, window joinery, kitchen cabinets, furniture etc. If when testing the Resene Half Bianca it looks very white then that would indicate that you could use Resene Bianca - the full strength version which will look sunnier. I feel that Resene Quarter Bianca will just look white if it is used on the walls but it may be a consideration for the ceiling instead of a standard white.

For your son's room (east facing rooms can look cool/shadowy once the sunlight moves past this space) he may need to have just one wall (bed wall) in the green and the rest of the room in the main house colour. This will increase the light and not create too much shadow and it won't clash with the distinctive coloured windows whereas the green might do so.

You might get him to check out these calm greens to see if he likes them – Resene Norway, Resene Pale Leaf, Resene Spring Rain, Resene Kandinsky or Resene Rainee.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
   
Resene Norway
Resene Norway
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
November 2015

Q. We are currently extending and renovating our house. We have COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod on the roof and most of the extension and we need to tie this into the existing stucco cladding and vertical shiplap but we are really stuck as to what to stain the shiplap and what to paint the stucco. Oh, and we have a bright green door.

A. You might look at these stains and paint colours. They are tonally related so your house comes together as a whole rather than being segmented into blocks of randomly different colours - Resene Woodsman Stain in Resene Sheer Black and Resene Triple Sea Fog, or Resene Woodsman Stain in Resene Banjul and Resene Triple White Pointer, or Resene Woodsman in Resene Nutmeg with Resene Double Malta.

Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Double Malta
Resene Double Malta
November 2015

Q. Could you please give me some suggestions for colours for my childrens' bedrooms. I have two boys and one girl. I would like colours that would go well with the rest of our interior colours – Resene Triple Merino with Resene Black White trims. We have a dark grey carpet. I would like the kids' rooms to be quite light and warm feeling. I am happy to paint the whole room as opposed to a feature wall (but I am open to suggestions too with this if you have colours that would look awesome as a feature wall with the Resene Triple Merino). I like beachy blues/greens, and I know my girl would love some form of purple.

A. Resene Triple Merino is quite a strong dirty stone type of colour. Using pastels and 'pretty' colours as a feature with this colour could be quite difficult as they don't sit well together. Darker colours and very bold bright colours work better. It may be that you need to do all the walls in the feature colours and not have any of the Resene Triple Merino in these rooms in order to make it work. Alternatively if you have Resene Black White as the main colour in the children's rooms that then would allow you to use much softer/lighter colours.

Bolder beachy colours to try – Resene Dauntless, Resene Dali or Resene Such Fun. Bolder purple colours – Resene Gypsy Queen, Resene Scampi or Resene Ce Soir.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
 
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dali
Resene Dali
Resene Such Fun
Resene Such Fun
Resene Gypsy Queen
Resene Gypsy Queen
Resene Scampi
Resene Scampi
Resene Ce Soir
Resene Ce Soir
November 2015

Q. I'm renovating a small 2 bed unit, painting throughout and putting in a new kitchen and bathroom. I'm painting Resene Black White throughout except the bathroom where I'd like to add colour. The testpots I've tried so far haven't worked (Resene Botticelli, Resene Escape, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue). The floor will be black and white chequered vinyl with new white fixtures. The bathroom is small (depth is as long as a standard bath) x 3m wide. I want a subtle blue/grey colour, nothing too dark as it's a small room and nothing that feels too cold. There's also a large window in the room, so it receives natural light.

A. You seem to have tried all the grey/blue colours that I might have suggested but perhaps you could investigate these ones to see if they appeal to you – Resene Casper, Resene Zumthor or Resene Tiara.

Colours always look deeper in an interior than you might expect them to look and grey/blues are often quite cool in ambiance.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Botticelli
Resene Botticelli
Resene Escape
Resene Escape
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
November 2015

Q. I have a wooden bench seat that needs painting. It will sit under the veranda in front of a window of our single fronted weatherboard home which has the standard bottle green trims. I want to paint the chair in a pop of colour, something bright to give the house a little more personality. Suggestions?

You have all the options in the world but these few may get you started – Resene Red Letter, Resene Sunkissed, Resene Limerick or Resene Irresistible.

Resene Red Letter
Resene Red Letter
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Irresistible
Resene Irresistible
November 2015

Q. I want to colour a wall a different colour but the blinds are a gold yellow with green. They are in stripes.

A. You don't say what the wall colour is now so these options may not be different enough for you but are worth looking at - Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Tana or Resene Colonial White.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Colonial White
Resene Colonial White
November 2015

Q. We have a very sunny north/west living/dining/kitchen open plan area. When it is sunny it is very sunny! It has lots of windows and bifold doors onto a deck. I want to paint it white, but am also worried it will be too bright. Currently it is Resene Quarter Sisal, which was recommended to me, but I find it too brown/sandy. I really do want a white. The outlook is mostly our neighbours' houses, sky and not much garden. The other rooms in the house are Resene Bianca. They are more south/east facing rooms. I mainly need to paint the living areas now. Can you recommend anything?

A. You could look at using Resene Quarter Bianca (yes relating to the interior) but if this still looks too bright then you might need to contemplate using a greyer white like Resene Black White as it absorbs a little brightness without bouncing it back at you as glare.

Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
November 2015

Q. What colours would you suggest to paint the verandas on an old Queenslander?

A. It does depend upon what other colours you have on the house but you can't go wrong with Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta as they are so fresh and clean and make all other colours look gorgeous.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
November 2015

Q. We have a two storey plaster house with cedar weatherboard deck and garage door. The joinery is Lichen. Currently it is painted in Resene Triple Wheatfield and I am tossing up between either Resene Pavlova or a lighter variant for repaint. Have you any other ideas? What about Resene Bone White?

A. Resene Pavlova looks good but Resene Half Pavlova is good too. Resene Bone White may look a little greyish and make the Lichen look a little too olive/yellow by comparison so they wouldn't be my first choice as co-ordinates. You might look at Resene Half Hillary and Resene Caraway also.

Resene Triple Wheatfield
Resene Triple Wheatfield
Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
November 2015

Q. I have an open plan kitchen area. The walls are painted Resene Half Tea. The kitchen has a black granite benchtop, white cabinetry and silver hardware. What colour splashback would suit? I'm too afraid to go bold, prefer something neutral, but beautiful!

A. Try these colours - Resene Double Tea (deeper than the walls, Resene Blast Grey (metallic a little bit deep and sparkly) or Resene Wishlist (a touch of fresh blue/green - not neutral but so gorgeous).

Only one type of glass used in splashbacks shows the colour true to reality - it is low iron oxide crystal clear glass.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
November 2015

Q. We want to paint the exterior of our holiday home. Currently it is a green but we want it to look more modern and fresh.

A. Perhaps the fences could be a 'white' to add a bit of crispness and contrast and the weatherboards a nice warm modern neutral to harmonise with the multi coloured bricks. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Stonewashed and Resene Sea Fog, or Resene Quarter Stonehenge and Resene Alabaster, or Resene Triple Blanc and Resene Eighth Spanish White.

The colours are quite different from each other but with the roof, windows and bricks may offer you options.

Resene Stonewashed
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
November 2015

Q. I have chosen to paint the exterior of my Queenslander house Resene Double Linen. Could you please advise me on a complementary trim colour for a veranda, windows and architraves? I would like a shade of white but am not sure which one to choose.

A. Either of these 'whites' would work really well with Resene Double Linen: Resene Black White (cooler white) or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream (slightly warmer white).

Resene Double Linen
Resene Double Linen
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
November 2015

Q. We have a beach house with white weatherboards and Transformer grey aluminium joinery. The deck that surrounds the house is a light grey. We are changing the COLORSTEEL® roof which is Titania. We need to find a better colour match for the roof and so far have the option of CS Maxx Thunder Grey to provide a contrast. We feel this has a darker green/grey colour to contrast with the lighter green/grey of the joinery. What do you think the options are? Also, what would be the options for repainting the deck?

A. Your window joinery colour - Transformer Grey - is a green based grey with a slight blue edge to it, compared to COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey, which has an earthy olive grey tone to it. If your main roof which is flat isn't seen close to the window joinery this wouldn't be a problem but if you have a lower roof that does show it may be slightly discordant. I would suggest that rather than try to match harmoniously with the window joinery (which you can't because it is a unique colour) you could choose a standard charcoal - i.e COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars - as it would work with anything.

If you were painting the roof instead of getting another COLORSTEEL® roof you may have more luck in getting a colour closer to the window joinery - i.e Resene Innocence or (lighter) Resene Inside Back or deeper Resene Dark Slate. As a random but not unworthy idea you might only paint that lower portion of roof that is seen so it looks better co-ordinated - the flat roof that isn't seen might be any other colour that you choose.

COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Thunder Grey
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
November 2015

Q. I have been asked to come up with an analogous colour scheme for a whole ground floor renovation which includes open plan kitchen/dining/living room, separate laundry and powder room, entry/corridor and separate study. I really like Resene Bluegrass so would like to use that as the secondary colour, maybe as a feature wall? But I would love it in the kitchen too. What other colours should I be using with Resene Bluegrass in an analogous scheme? I was thinking Resene Rice Cake for the walls perhaps?

A. An analogous palette might be a blue based green, a yellow based green and a green (green being the key colour) so with that in mind then you might look at Resene Thor as the blue based green and Resene Secrets as the yellow based green and Resene Bluegrass as the key colour.

Are you sure it is analogous palette of colours that you want? Perhaps monochromatic (tonally similar versions of the main colour - in this case Resene Bluegrass) might be much easier to create?

Resene Yucca (as deeper) and Resene Rainee (as lighter) may be worth considering. Resene Yucca could then be used as a feature colour (splashback in the kitchen perhaps) and Resene Rice Cake or a whiter version - Resene Quarter Rice Cake - might be a main 'white' colour and repeat throughout the house on walls, woodwork or ceilings. Resene Rainee is soft and light and might be considered for bedrooms so it could offset the Resene Rice Cake in the kitchen and Resene Bluegrass might be a main colour in a large or sunniest room.

Resene Bluegrass
Resene Bluegrass
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Thor
Resene Thor
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Yucca
Resene Yucca
Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
 
November 2015

Q. We are painting the exterior of our 1920s villa and have decided on Resene Hermitage for the weatherboards. Could you suggest a white for the windows and colour for the shingles under the eaves?

A. A soft toned white like Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White may suit but if you felt that they were too stark (bright natural light can make them appear so) then there slightly deeper versions of each colour. It does pay to test them carefully.

The shingles could be a 'feature colour' like Resene Atomic, Resene Quarter Foundry or Resene Nevada or (because they are shingles and already a feature element on the house) they could be the same as the windows.

Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Nevada
Resene Nevada
November 2015

Q. We are looking for a white colour to go with our Resene Iroko cedar on the exterior of our new house. We tried Resene Black White but it looks too white. We don't want anything with pinkish tones. Maybe Resene Sea Fog to take the harshness out of the White?

A. You are thinking along the right channel for your 'white' - apart from Resene Sea Fog or even Resene Double Sea Fog you could even check out Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Any of these look really nice close to Resene Iroko.

Whites often look brighter/whiter on an exterior because of natural light enhancing the 'whiteness' of the colour so a toned (shaded up) white colour is often better to get the 'natural' look you may be seeking.

Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
November 2015

Q. What would be the best white to go for in the bathroom that will match the White vanity and bath?

A. There may be no white colour that truly matches the vanity and bath. Different manufacturers' white vanities and baths can often be slightly different in their type of (ceramic or plastic) whiteness. The same is true of white tiles - some have a slightly grey cast to them. This is not noticeable until you place something very white next to them - like a sheet of printer paper for instance. I suggest you paint up large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) samples of these whites and put them in the bathroom right alongside the bath or vanity to see which suits it better - Resene Alabaster (this matches my bath), Resene Double Alabaster (this matches my vanity top), Resene Black White (this matches the white melamine cabinet under my vanity top) and Resene White (this matches the white china bowls that my soaps live in).

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White
Resene White
November 2015

Q. We recently renewed all the interior doors in our house. I have painted them and the frames and skirtings in Resene Tea. I am having trouble matching a colour for the walls. I have testpots for Resene Napa, Resene Double Napa, Resene Quarter Tea and Resene Triple Tea but haven't settled on any of them. Can you please give me any suggestions on what to try? I love the middle earth tones but can't seem to find a match for my Resene Tea doors.

A. Have you tried Resene Double Tea or Resene Half Tea which are closely associated either side (slightly lighter and slightly deeper) of the colour you have for the woodwork?

Because you have such a definite colour on the woodwork I do have to ask 'do you want that colour to stand out as a feature?' which would indicate that you need a lighter colour on the walls so that all the eye attention is drawn to the woodwork. But if you wanted the woodwork colour to look lighter then it indicates that you should be considering a much deeper colour on the walls. Most of the colours that you have tested are deeper - so are you still intent on deeper wall colours?

Perhaps check these colours out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Cougar, Resene Half Gargoyle, Resene Half Napa or Resene Quarter Craigieburn.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Half Gargoyle
Resene Half Gargoyle
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
       
November 2015

Q. We have Resene Black White walls with dark grey Pearl Bay Paua carpet and a predominantly black with white textured wallpaper feature wall. We are having a tilt away bed installed and wondering which colour to choose for the melamine out of the options available. Do you think Resene Sea Fog will blend in ok?

A. I think it is a good option. Are you having the tilt away bed made from Prime Melamine? This range does have a Resene Sea Fog match but you might use their white which may be better, as it works with any wall colour whereas the Resene Sea Fog may look a little warmer compared to the cool crispness of the Resene Black White. It is your choice.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. Our house, a weatherboard 1880s cottage, is painted Resene Hermitage. We are going to paint the iron roof. What colour would you recommend? We were thinking of Resene Grey Friars or an old fashioned rusty red.

A. Resene Grey Friars is the modern 'go to' charcoal colour that a lot of people are choosing but because your house is circa 1880s I think an old fashioned rusty red like Resene Scoria, Resene Red Planet or Resene Pioneer Red might be a traditional colour choice for the roof.

Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
November 2015

Q. We are renovating our 1900s bungalow and I'm trying to decide on paint colours. The hallway and lounge room are both quite dark and don't get a lot of sun so I was thinking Resene Alabaster would lighten them up. Is this a sensible choice and can you recommend a colour for the skirting boards? The bedrooms get more sun and I want something with more contrast so thought Resene Double Sea Fog might look good. We are putting in old detailed skirting boards throughout the house so can you recommend a white that will contrast well with the Resene Double Sea Fog and make the skirting stand out?

A. Any clean crisp white may look greyer in a dark space. Is this what you want? If you were to check out a warmer/sunnier 'white' like Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta you may find that these types of colour add lightness but not greyness to the hallway. If you really favour the greyer influence that a cooler white would give you in a dark area then you could consider using Resene Half Sea Fog. I like your idea of using Resene Double Sea Fog - it has a lovely slightly green edged grey to it. If you want a lighter/brighter white for all woodwork trims then you might look at using Resene Alabaster - this would work with the bedroom colour and the hallway colour.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. We have a 1930s weatherboard bungalow and want to paint the house and roof in a grey scheme. We like Resene Silver Chalice for the weatherboards and would like a dark roof. What colours would you suggest for the roof?

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Windswept, Resene Steel Grey, Resene Grey Friars or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
November 2015

Q. We have a 100 year old weatherboard villa which we will be repainting in the next four weeks. We are stuck on exterior colours as we cannot change the roof colour and aluminium window colour which are both Denim Blue. At the moment the exterior is white with a red door. We would love a colour other than white, but are not averse to a white door or porch or whatever.

A. You might look at these options for a new main colour - Resene Surrender - this could be used with Resene White for under the soffits, guttering, fascias, lace work trim, inner porch walls and window and door frames and Resene Red Earth (a deep mysterious red) for the front door. Or Resene Truffle - using the Resene White in the same format as above and the doors as well. Or Resene Thorndon Cream - using the Resene White in the same format and Resene Half New Denim Blue for the front door.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
   
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Red Earth
Resene Red Earth
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New
Denim Blue
November 2015

Q. We will be painting our bedroom in Resene Half Pearl Lusta. I want a subtle complementary colour for the wall behind the bed. Do you think Resene Eighth Napa or Resene Half Cloud will be too subtle? A strong contrast will make the room look too narrow I think and I want a soft warm look overall.

A. Resene Half Cloud and Resene Eighth Napa are both very subtle. I think you may need either less colour for the main walls - i.e Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or slightly more for the feature wall colour - i.e Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Cloud.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
November 2015

Q. We are painting our 1929 home and are wondering about our colour choice so far. The brick will remain but we were thinking of a very soft grey and then a very bright white around the windows. We are replacing the roof with a pressed steel tile called Oberon which is a dark grey. The colour we were thinking about for the wooden exterior is Resene Geyser.

A. Oberon will work with any colour as it is a true neutral. I think Resene Geyser is lovely - soft and silvery blue toned. But I do suggest you look at several soft greys as they all carry undertones of colour in them and it isn't until you can compare them with each other that you see this and can judge better what the colour is truly like. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you will find it really helpful.

Perhaps you could check these other soft greys also – Resene Iron, Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Whiteout or Resene Athens Grey. If you use a 'true white' - Resene White - it will add the crisp clean contrast and emphasise the lovely grey on the house.

Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene White
Resene White
 
November 2015

Q. What is the coolest brightest whitest white Resene has?

A. There is only one 'white' that isn't 'coloured' - it is Resene White. I suggest that it could be helpful if you could pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare these 'whites' and then you will have a better idea of what 'whites' are like in comparison to real Resene White – Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster or Resene Wan White.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
November 2015

Q. I'm looking for a clean-looking interior wall colour to 'neutralise' a sunny 1970s open-plan house that has very 'dominant' blue-based green coloured carpet. The house has original dark brown aluminium windows/sliding doors, and will have some wooden flooring installed (most likely teak or oak).

A. These colours may be worth checking out. They range over pale grey/beige to stone/white types of colours and they are neutral enough that they might work with your definite coloured carpet and most wood flooring – Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Black Haze, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Merino.

Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
November 2015

Q. I like Resene Gotham for the exterior colour of our new house. I am trying to find a similar colour for our long-run steel roof from the COLORSTEEL® range. Can you please guide me to which of their dark blues would complement our chosen colour?

A. There aren't a lot of COLORSTEEL® colours to choose from - but you might look at COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue. They are not the same colour but as long as the Resene Gotham and Storm Blue aren't seen close to each other than the difference may not be noticeable. If you were wanting another option then you might use a much blacker colour - COLORSTEEL® Monument - as it is a dark neutral that works with most colours.

I would definitely recommend you using the reformulated Cool Colour™ version of the colour in order to minimise extreme temperatures that dark colours cause to the surfaces being painted.

Resene Gotham
Resene Gotham
COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
COLORSTEEL®
Storm Blue
November 2015

Q. I have bought a beach house which I am getting painted throughout. It was neutral tones and I want a white beach look. I want a warm white on the walls with white woodwork, a slight contrast but nothing strong. I had thought Resene Double Alabaster on the walls with a Resene Alabaster ceiling and either Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Alabaster on the woodwork. My painter thinks it will come out very clinical.

A. I think you may need just a little more colour for the main colour - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Sea Fog. These options are just 1 or 2 levels deeper than what you have been considering. I think Resene Alabaster for both ceilings and all woodwork trims is great. It won't be clinical because there will be a little more contrast between walls and ceilings/woodwork - this creates visual interest - and sofa fabric and carpet can add the warmth.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. We have a large two storey weatherboard house with a COLORBOND® Eucalyptus roof (yuck!). We are about to paint the outside of the house and would love a light colour scheme that is not too cream or yellow. I have a very green garden and a very blue pool. The roof is quite dominant so I would even consider something slightly darker.

A. You probably do need lighter/whiter as a colour - this will force the eye to see the roof colour (not really yuck) to be seen as a deeper green. You might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you – Resene Black White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Eighth Ash or Resene Black Haze.

They are cool/classical and timeless and I think any of these will make a bigger statement than trying to go darker in order to try (but possibly not succeed) in absorbing or hiding the green that you don't altogether like. The colours suggested don't use any creamy yellow tones so the roof may appear to be a deeper colour and will create more contrast. To emphasise this I suggest using Resene White for all windows frames/sashes etc., door frames, under soffits, fascias.

If you need a 'statement' colour it could be the front door - possibly a really traditional dark colour like Resene Foundry or a rich deep red like Resene Madam M - but it needs to be in a slick glossy enamel so it goes 'Boom!' and knocks your socks off. The garden aspect and pool has all the other 'eye candy' types of colours so the house must present as 'I am gorgeous - but I am not a show off' hence the cool classical colour suggestions.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Madam M
Resene Madam M
 
November 2015

Q. My walls are Resene Half Merino, the trims and ceiling are in white. I am struggling with which colour I should use for the cabinets. I want a classic neutral as it's for a traditional style cottage kitchen but don't want white. I am thinking Resene Double Merino?

A. I suggest you paint a large sample (all of the testpot/two coats) of the Resene Double Merino onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges and pin it on the cabinet to see if it will work for you. As an alternative you might also check out Resene Double Sea Fog as it has slightly less yellow/green undertone in it. Using the testpots on super large card will help you see enough to make a good judgement.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. We are building a new house and have appliance white aluminium joinery and a Titania COLORSTEEL® roof. We are stuck on what colour to go with on the fascia/soffits and wall colour now as the roof was not quite what we thought it was. We were thinking of a white fascia and soffits with a blue/grey wall colour.

A. You might use Resene Half Black White as your white for the fascia and soffits - it isn't too stark when seen close to the Appliance White powdercoated joinery. I am not sure what you mean by Titania being not quite as you thought it was. Do you mean that it looks a lot lighter on the roof due to bright natural light reflecting off it? A lot of roof colours appear lighter - often due to the 45 degree angle to the sun. I have a slight feeling that a grey with some green in it may be a bit more harmonious with the roof colour. Because of the roof (appearing lighter) and the window joinery being very crisp I suggest you check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Tapa, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Transmission, Resene Innocence or Resene Rolling Stone.

COLORSTEEL® Titania
COLORSTEEL® Titania
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
     
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Rolling Stone
Resene Rolling Stone
November 2015

Q. What paint colour is closest to new zincalume? I have a zincalume roof which had swarf left on it. I want to have the bright shiny zinc colour but am now looking for a way to correct the rust spots. I figure I should either use some form of rust killer then clear coat or coat with a paint that looks like the zinc normally does.

A. It doesn't take very long for uncoated zincalume to get a dull look and show 'white rust' spots. After a thorough wash down and rinse off, applying a coat of Resene Galvo One oil based primer all over the Zincalume is the standard practice prior to painting the roof. Some people do 'spots' of primer on the rust marks and then when it has dried they apply a full coat over the entire roof.

There are two metallic silver colours that you might check out to see which is the most 'zincalume like' to your eye – Resene Aluminium or Resene Sword.

Resene Aluminium
Resene Aluminium
Resene Sword
Resene Sword
November 2015

Q. I am starting from scratch and am thinking of painting the entire interior of my house Resene Villa White. Will this be too 'yellow', to match carpets and curtains? I will be starting with the Resene Villa White, as I plan to replace curtains and carpet in the future. What colour would you put on the doors and window sills with Resene Villa White? I have cream joinery.

A. Resene Villa White can look quite yellow in some rooms - especially smaller rooms that face to the south and the natural light in some east facing rooms may cause the cream to take on a greenish look. Colour in an interior often can look quite a bit stronger than you might expect it to look. If you are worried that it may be too 'yellow' then perhaps you might use a lighter version - i.e. Resene Half Villa White instead. You might look at using Resene Quarter Villa White or even Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta for the woodwork.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
November 2015

Q. I'm thinking of using COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod or Slate and am wondering if you have colour matches for this in your range.

A. If you look at the Resene Roof Colour Systems paint chart COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod is available as a colour match called Resene Element.

Slate is listed on the ColorCote chart and is slightly lighter (but similar) to Resene Nocturnal (which is like COLORBOND® Monument).

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
November 2015

Q. We are building a new LINEA® home, with a gabled roof entry detail. The joinery is Titania and the roof is Sandstone Grey. We will have Resene Half Titania window surrounds and Resene Foggy Grey for the weatherboards. We are wondering if a red front door and garage door would be okay or would it be a little outdated?

A. I do like all of the colours and I think if you fancy having a red front door then you should have it. There are so many lovely reds to choose from. I wouldn't use red on the garage door - usually these are metal powder coated but in your case it may be wood. I feel that red is far too gorgeous for a garage door and the impact might be wasted on it. Perhaps you could consider using the same colour as the roof or the same colour as the window joinery.

Making a colour statement on the front door isn't a 'dated look'. It is often the only way to personalise your house entry from the rest of the street or subdivision.

Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
November 2015

Q. I am building a new house. I have a colour for the aluminium windows which I think will be Metro Warm White Pearl instead of Titania, as there will be more options in choice of interior colour. For the interior colour I am looking at Resene Eighth Parchment or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. I plan to vary the intensity of shade from room to room. I thought Metro Warm White Pearl on the aluminium windows and wooden architraves would tie in well with these colours. I would like a fairly neutral wall colour with a hint of green. Some people say Resene Thorndon Cream can look too green?

A. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream is not at all green in the undertone - but Resene Half Thorndon Cream and full strength Resene Thorndon Cream can definitely show a green in their undertone. Resene Eight Parchment has a lot more yellow in it so it may appear warmer because of that. You might try these two other options and compare all of the colours so that you can judge better what they are like - Resene Eighth Fossil and Resene Half Barely There.

All colours alter in different qualities of natural and artificial light as well as when they in close proximity to any other colours - especially carpet, curtains, bedspreads etc. If you were to paint up the testpot - all of it/two coats - onto A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges it will help you a lot. It can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how it changes - and it does often quite a lot. It is large - with testpots the best way to judge colour is by painting very large samples - and if you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you will see the colour stronger - as if four walls of a room were painted. This is great and saves you choosing a colour that is too coloured or too deep and only finding out when it is too late.

Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
       
November 2015

Q. My kitchen living floor is wooden white silver and the kitchen is white and black. I want the deck to be painted a colour that keeps in with the flooring and colours. The outside of the house is Resene Half White Pointer with white pearl windows and doors and an Ironsand roof and garage door. I still haven't decided on gates and fence colours.

A. If you were considering painting the deck a white it may look very glary in bright light as well as show marking a lot. Have you thought of painting it a deeper version of the main house colour - i.e. Resene Double White Pointer? You might consider having some exterior matting on the deck in a black and white so it relates to the kitchen floors. Or just black with white square ceramic planter pots to continue the black and white theme.

The gates and fences could be a lighter version of the roof and garage door colour - Resene Quarter Ironsand or black - Resene Blackjack.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
November 2015

Q. We are having trouble deciding what colour to stain/paint our fence. We were thinking a black/charcoal to match our fascia/gutter.

A. If you were wanting a dark colour in paint (generally people use Resene Lumbersider low sheen waterborne paint) then you could use one of these colours - Resene Nocturnal, Resene Double Foundry or Resene Nero.

A stain allows the colour to soak into the surface but, unlike paint, will need re-coating after two or three summers - and the colour is semi-transparent - Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Pitch Black or Resene Crowshead.

I definitely recommend you use a CoolColour™ version of these colours to minimise the heat absorbed into the boards. Very dark colours can be a real problem as the heat can jeopardise the timber causing it to split or buckle.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
November 2015

Q. We are painting our house Resene Half Tea with Resene Alabaster white windows and the roof is a grey colour. What would you suggest as a complementing colour for fences and screens?

A. You might consider deeper versions of your main colour or some blues or greens like these ones – Resene Triple Tea, Resene Double Napa, Resene Timekeeper or Resene Seaweed.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
   
November 2015

Q. We have painted our lounge in Resene Carefree and we are about to also paint our kitchen/dining area in the same colour. The cabinetry in the kitchen is close to Resene Pearl Lusta. We have Resene White on the ceilings and Resene White in Resene Lustacryl for the trims and doors. The kitchen floor is laminated wood, quite an orange coloured one, but all other areas are (or will be) carpeted with Cavalier Bremworth Serengeti 'Hemp' which is a soft beige/sand colour. We have an open style entrance which opens to the kitchen, then continues into a hallway, which is in the centre of the house, so it doesn't get much light. Which paint colour should we use in the entrance and hallway that will go with the colours I have mentioned? We don't want everything to be a 'white-out' but with the hall being an enclosed space, we don't want too much colour either. The style of the house is somewhat modern French country, but also pulling in NZ themes of native bush and coast. I was considering Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, but I want to be careful to not go too yellow. I like a soft, warm colour though, maybe with the tiniest hint of orange - but not pink.

A. I think Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta is good - very white/pale and not too yellow toned, but a soft warm colour with the tiniest hint of orange in it may be one of these colours – Resene Quarter Solitaire or Resene Eighth Biscotti.

Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
November 2015

Q. Can you please advise me on a colour scheme for a villa? I don't want white as it is not in good enough condition or grey as it is too formal for the house. The existing roof and weatherboards are dark.

A. A new look might be to have a dark roof and paler house so you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – main colour Resene Quarter Gargoyle, trim colours of Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and Resene Timekeeper with the roof in Resene High Tide, or main colour Resene Perfect Taupe, trim colours in Resene Eighth Spanish White and Resene Half Bokara Grey with the roof in Resene Scoria.

Or if you were planning to only change the weatherboards and to keep the existing trims and green roof you might look at Resene Half Cougar or Resene Parchment.

Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
   
November 2015

Q. I have a fairly basic early 80s Hardiplank® house that I wish to paint in a grey. The fence is Resene Cod Grey, the visible spouting is Scoria and the base will be white. I have looked at Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Stack and Resene Half Stack and even Resene Regent Grey which all seem to be fine with the Scoria but I'm unsure re the correct shade to go with the Resene Cod Grey fence (which the next buyer will probably pull down anyway). What do you think?

A. I think Resene Grey Chateau is really nice and there are two others that you might look at - Resene Gull Grey and Resene Geyser. I wouldn't fret about which colour goes best with Resene Cod Grey - they all look good! It is a personal choice as to which colour you choose - as long as you love the colour - it is your house.

Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
 
November 2015

Q. Our ensuite is painted in Resene Half Silver Chalice with Resene Quarter Alabaster trims and a deepish grey tile on the floor. Having trouble choosing a colour for the adjoining master bedroom as it's on the colder side of the home and Resene Silver Chalice seems a little cold for the room. The newish curtains are a silver grey. The hallway is Resene Half Alabaster. We are open to a feature wall. The furniture including headboard is all rimu coloured pine. Should we paint it too? The room has loads of natural light and is a large space, approx 5.5m x 4.5m. The bedroom across the hallway is painted Resene Quarter Silver Chalice but is on the sunny side, so looks great - but the master bedroom - brrrrr!

A. I think the answer may be to use Resene Silver Chalice as the feature colour so that you can have a warmer neutral with it. Perhaps look at using Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Sea Fog (this is also known as Resene Triple Alabaster) then you can still use Resene Quarter Alabaster with it as you have done in the ensuite for the trims. If you have rosy coloured bedside lamps and a few cushions on the bed or a throw rug that are a sun drenched warm colour like Resene Glorious (even if your bedspread was white) it would make the room appear to be warm and intimate.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Glorious
Resene Glorious
   
November 2015

Q. I want to paint a piano to get a marbled effect. How can I do that?

A. I have done some marble effect in the past - on very small items - and I do think it is something that if you are talented, patient and artistic and prepared to do all the preparation work you can achieve a good look. Not perfect - perfection only happens after many years doing marbling a lot, like any creative endeavour.

Pianos have a hard lacquered finish usually so this would need to be sanded back carefully with several different grades of sandpaper and primed with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. Then general purpose undercoat needs to be applied – Resene Quick Dry undercoat. Two finely applied base coats (first one of a pale grey and second one of a greyed/white) need to be applied. Allow at least four hours dry time between coats. For a durable surface I suggest you use Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel - colours are a personal choice but you might use Resene Triple Concrete as the first coat and Resene Quarter Concrete or slightly 'whiter' Resene Quarter Black White as the second coat. Using a fine 400 grit Wet & Dry sandpaper dipped in meths you can lightly sand so that in some places a little off the deeper grey base coat appears as shadowing. The meths is a solvent that softens the paint and used with the sandpaper will help you achieve a super smooth surface all over the piano. Wipe any 'slurry' (wet sanding dust) off the piano and allow to dry well.

Next step is the marbling. If you think of it as a river, a delta of many tributaries, then you will have some idea of how the marking of marble veins occurs. If you can find a photo of a good representation of marble to copy it would be a very good thing. You will note that the veins do start and stop and wander off in several directions - like the river delta and streams that break away from the main river.

In a container (I use ice cream containers) mix (50:50) a black acrylic paint (testpots are good) with an acrylic glaze - Resene Paint Effects Medium - this will make a semi-transparent black. Mark the veins like the river with a fine willow charcoal stick. This can be wiped off with a damp cloth if you aren't happy about how the veins look. Once you are satisfied with how this looks dip a feather - rooster, seagull or another bird's long firm feather - in the black glaze and using the tip only gently trace the charcoal lines. Before it is dry use a feather or very fine brush to brush through the fine lines to blur them a little bit. The feather can have water or meths on it but not a lot, just so it is damp.

When this is dry mix a little (50:50) white acrylic paint in acrylic glaze and add a little shadow line to parts of the veins. All of this will take a lot of time - and even more time because you have many parts of the piano to marble.

Once it is dry it can be clear coated to protect the surface. Use Resene Aquaclear waterbased polyurethane. This might be a low satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish dependent upon what type of overall look to the marble you want to achieve.

It takes talent, patience and artistic skills to achieve a really good representation of marble. I recommend you do several sample boards first to get a bit of practice in before taking on the greater job of the piano.

Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
November 2015

Q. We are looking at repainting our exterior walls which are a mixture of stucco (currently Resene Green White) on the house, and fibre cement weatherboards (currently Resene Bud) on an adjacent studio. The existing roof colour on both buildings is Rivergum. What other colours would be complementary with the Rivergum roofs? We have quite a bit of native bush behind both buildings.

A. If you have quite a bit of native bush behind both buildings as well as the green on the roofs do you need more green? You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - mid tones of brown/beige like the bark of the trees – Resene Double Akaroa, Resene Bison Hide or Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. Or lighter/warmer to enhance the green – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

Resene Green White
Resene Green White
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
 
Resene Double Akaroa
Resene Double Akaroa
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
November 2015

Q. We currently have two dwellings that need the exterior repainting. Currently the main colour is a light green which I would like to change. The roof is painted in Resene Karaka and we have a Resene Karaka barn. We are nestled in the hills and surrounded by green foliage. I want something fresh that blends with the surroundings. The main house is an old railway station home with high ceilings built around the early 1900s. Can you also suggest window and trim colours?

A. You might check out these colours to see whether they appeal to you – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Caraway, Resene Akaroa or Resene Bison Hide and possibly a sharper/cleaner contrast (but not too stark) for the windows and trims – Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

These colours are warm, slightly earthy (looking like light seen through the bark and foliage of trees) and are really good with Resene Karaka in a rural environment.

Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
 
November 2015

Q. I am visually impaired and need contrast to distinguish boundaries and edges. My kitchen is Memphis red cabinetry with a graphite benchtop and white ceilings and walls. The carpet is Phantom (med/dark) grey. This is all new. The furniture is gloss white, silver aluminium with a med grey glass top dining table. All the doors are the 80s dark brown wood grain and look dated with the new decor. What colour would give me some contrast with the white walls but blend nicely particularly with the carpet? The doors are all off the hallway (white).

A. Perhaps if the doors were painted a mid-toned grey it would stand out as a contrast between the white walls and the medium dark toned carpet. Sometimes these tonal gradations of hue achieve as much as very strong contrast colours but it does depend upon the type of visual impairment you have.

Can you see light and shade? I do think - as an added aid - you may need to specify a gloss enamel for the doors so the sheen helps as well as the colour.

You may need to have a friend check out these greys to say to you 'this would work well with the carpet etc' – try Resene Half Stack, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Mountain Mist. Larger samples (A4 size) of these colours can be viewed at your local Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
November 2015

Q. Our home is a 70s wooden weatherboard house and it has been painted in Resene Double Napa. It has silver aluminium window frames with a dark brown paint around them. We have also recently painted the wooden fence, side gate, and driveway gates a dark walnut brown.

I am not sure what colours to paint the front/back doors, and feel with all the other dark colours, more dark brown or black would be too much. The front door and the matching door sized window next to it are made of 70s style yellow patterned glass, and have wooden frames that are stained yellowish brown currently. Can you please suggest some colours that we could use for the front/back doors?

A. If it wasn't for the amber coloured glass in the door and side light you could have any colour for the doors. So, if the amber glass stays then it is a colour compromise that is needed so that the glass appears well co-ordinated. There may be more preparation work required to change from a stained wooden door to a painted wooden door - sanding, sealing, undercoating prior to top coating - please do talk this through with your Resene ColorShop staff to ensure you use all the right products. Lighter/brighter colours that 'like' the amber glass are these ones – Resene Sidecar or Resene Half Putty. Possible warmer or richer colours that 'like' the amber glass for you to consider – Resene Pioneer Red or Resene Tiki Tour.

Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Half Putty
Resene Half Putty
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
November 2015

Q. We have just purchased a house with a large lounge that has stained wooden panelling half way up the walls. We are thinking of painting the panelling out - but are not sure whether to keep the same colour on the wall above or to have a complementary colour. It is reasonably dark so we were thinking warm, light greys. My partner can't stand the all-white look but I would like something fresh!

A. Painting over the wooden panelling is a good idea for a fresh new look. I think using the same colour on both the panelling and the wall above it might be a good idea. The panelling will still be a bit of a feature and it will always look a little different to the flat wall above it, but by keeping it the same colour it won't visibly shorten the height of the wall by featuring a block of different colour.

Usually when choosing a colour it is usually wise to co-ordinate and be harmonious with the flooring, the drapes and the furniture. Without knowing what colours these are all I can do is suggest some good warm light greys in the hopes that one of them might work and may appeal to you – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Whiteout, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Quarter Rakaia or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

These soft toned warm light greys all feature quite different undertones of colour with in them - it would pay to test them very carefully to see which might work for you. Painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges will help you judge the reality of the colour. It is a good size also and can be pinned to different spots on the wall so that you can see how it alters with changes of light and angles. The unpainted white card border holds the colour away from existing wall colours so they don't influence the tested sample negatively making you think it is wrong.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
November 2015

Q. Our approx. 10 year old house and townhouse are on the same property. They have only had the one colour scheme since new. The present colours are Resene Pavlova with an Ironsand roof and aluminium windows, doors, spouting, fascia boards. In our street we are the middle of three properties. Each property has similar colours although all are made of the same materials (plaster type) and I understand from reading your pages that we need to be careful re LRVs of a colour. We want to get away from yellows. We have wide soffits that have been painted in the same colour as the walls so would be nice to have a nice lighter contrast to whatever colour we chose for the walls. We have tried a testpot of Resene Napa but I think its LVR is 40 and not sure if it looks a bit muddy? Hard to tell with all the Resene Pavlova colour around.

We are quite confused the more we look at colours. We wondered about doing the townhouse a darker shade like Resene Napa, as it is tall, and our house a lighter shade of that colour. The townhouse is used as a holiday house. We just want to get this right as it is a big project and I see how you say some of the colours to be used on the soffits etc. don't always go with the wall colours. We wondered about a grey which apparently is modern at the moment but would it go with Ironsand? We would like something really modern but something that catches the eye.

A. Firstly may I say the very best way to test colours is not to apply them to the surface that is going to be painted. This is because the greater amount of existing colour alters (negatively) the test sample so that you do not see it true to reality. You have already mentioned this. If you apply all of the testpot/two coats to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges you will achieve these outcomes. It will be a large enough sample to truly see and judge colour. The card can be taped to the building to view from close up and further away. It can be moved around to all sides of the building to see how the colour alters in different qualities of light and shade. The unpainted border helps your eye to focus on the colour and provides a barrier from the existing colour.

If you like colours like Resene Napa but are restrained by the LR % which should be between 45-100 (but not from 44-0) then you might check out these colours - Resene Half Napa and any of the lighter versions or Resene Double Tea and any of the lighter versions. Greyer colours might be these ones - Resene Double Truffle and any of the lighter versions or Resene Foggy Grey and any of the lighter versions.

Any of these colours from the same palette can be used together as they are similarly toned but individually different. The fences might be a deeper colour as well as your house and the townhouse very light to create a bit more contrast. It is a personal choice.

Lighter colours for soffits/eaves could be crisper/cleaner to add a bit more contrast. You could try Resene Sea Fog and any of the lighter versions - a greyer white or Resene Rice Cake and any of the lighter versions - a cleaner warmer white.

When guttering is plain metal (not powder coated) or white pvc I often suggest painting it and the flat fascia board it is attached to the same colour for simplicity. If the guttering is a powder coat colour I often suggest painting the flat fascia board to match - usually very little of this board is seen once the guttering is attached to it but it makes it neater. Often there are other fascia boards that follow the roof line that do not have guttering attached to them so it looks nice if they all match.

Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
   
November 2015

Q. I am having the exterior of my rental house painted. It is a small 1930s weatherboard. Can you suggest a current colour palette that is fresh and contemporary?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double White Pointer used with a crisp white - Resene Quarter Black White, or Resene Silver Chalice with a cool white - Resene Wan White

If you used more of the 'white' for the window surrounds as well as the sashes it will make the windows stand out more. Trims might be deep colours - i.e. Resene Coast or Resene Double Trojan.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Double Trojan
November 2015

Q. I am updating a flat I have bought and I want to paint the walls in Resene Rice Cake. What would you suggest I do the ceiling and skirtings, etc? Also what colours would look nice with it? Would reds be okay?

A. You can do the ceilings and skirting boards etc. in a lighter version of Resene Rice Cake - i.e. Resene Quarter Rice Cake. This is a softer type of white which looks really nice. If you didn't want to lift and lighten the woodwork and ceilings you could use the same colour as the walls but it can make the overall look seem more coloured. Is that what you want? Reds look lovely with Resene Rice Cake and so do teal blues.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
November 2015

Q. Our town house of 22 years has pine on the walls of every room and the hallway. It looks very 1960s! We are having all the walls painted except the kitchen which has already been done. I am keen to have a shade of pale grey but am worried it might look too cold. The hallway (two storeyed) is very cold in winter. The other rooms are all warm. The ceilings are painted in Resene Alabaster.

A. Warm pale greys are available but you may need to test them very carefully to ensure you find one that works with every other coloured element in the house. You might check these colours to see if they look good – Resene Half Rakaia or lighter, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Whiteout or Resene House White.

Perhaps not using a grey in the hallway may be the answer to the cold feel - a rosy taupe/ aubergine may be better. Had you thought of doing something a bit different in this area? Perhaps something like Resene High Tea.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene High Tea
Resene High Tea
November 2015

Q. Can you please recommend some pale greys with a hint of lavender to paint interior walls throughout my house, ideally with a bit of warmth? I also have some armchairs that are a dark grey that has both chocolate and purple undertones, and I'd love to continue that theme.

A. You might look at these types of colours to see if they are appealing to you - Resene Half Rakaia or a paler version, Resene Quarter Rakaia or Resene Mercury.

Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Mercury
Resene Mercury
November 2015

Q. I am after an exterior front door colour. I have Resene Double Black White stone/rendered walls and cedar stained Resene Smokey Ash. It's a modern style new build with black joinery. I am looking for a smoky teal colour. Your Resene Nile Blue is too bright/clear. Can you please suggest a muddy/smoky taupe teal?

A. You could try Resene Warrior, Resene Tarawera, Resene Marathon, Resene Elephant, Resene Casal or Resene San Juan. Sometimes by painting over a grey undercoat the topcoat colour has a bit more depth and not brightness.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Nile Blue
Resene Nile Blue
Resene Warrior
Resene Warrior
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Marathon
Resene Marathon
Resene Elephant
Resene Elephant
Resene Casal
Resene Casal
Resene San Juan
Resene San Juan
 
November 2015

Q. My new grey carpet looks slightly light green in my house! I want to discourage the green and bring out the grey. Which white would be the best to paint my walls to offset the green colour and bring out the grey?

A. You might check out these grey based whites to see if they can work this little bit of colour magic for you - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Black Haze.

If any of these colours is seen with a true white - Resene White - which might be used for ceilings and wood trims then you may find that the look overall is greyer.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene White
Resene White
November 2015

Q. We are having our old original concrete tiles removed and we need to pick a new COLORSTEEL® roof for our 1940s home. We have recently had the windows stripped and painted with Resene Alabaster. We are painting the large front garden fence in Resene Nocturnal. The house is currently Resene Titania, but when we repaint the outside of the house in a couple of years we want to change that. So making a roof colour choice now will impact on future exterior colour choices. Can you suggest a few schemes (for roof and exterior walls) in the greyish colours that would look ok near a Resene Nocturnal fence and Resene Alabaster window frames?

A. The very dark (nearly black) fence and the white window joinery are fundamental neutrals that allow you to have almost any colour at all on the roof and house. These are all the grey colours that are available at this point in time in the COLORSTEEL® range of roof colours – FlaxPod, Grey Friars, TernStyle, Sandstone Grey, Smokey, BasaltBase and Thunder Grey.

They are all quite different from each other and would need to be seen as powder coated metal samples rather than photographic colours. The roof manufacturer should be able to help you in this regard. Colours that won't date too much and will work with these types of roof colours may encompass the grey or grey/beige palettes so these ones might be considered - they are listed in the same order as the roof colours though you may use them in other relationships. They are versatile in that regard - Resene Silver Chalice or lighter versions of this colour, Resene Concrete or lighter versions of this colour, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Triple Sea Fog or lighter versions of this colour, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Taupe Grey.

So you have masses of options. If you were to call into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library it may help you visualise how they may look with the roof samples. These are also available to be seen in the same format (A4 paint swatches) at your Resene ColorShop. They are in the Roof Systems chart with different names but are easily found.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
November 2015

Page 38

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

 

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