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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 39

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. 39

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


Q. I have a 1950s weatherboard house. Two years ago I got a new roof installed, colour Ironsand. I have currently had the chimney, base and deck painted Resene Ironsand also. However, I now need to repaint my house and would like some guidance on which colour would blend in with the Ironsand. My fence is currently the aged wooden look with an Ironsand gate, but I would also like some direction on a colour for that too.

A. You might look at grey/beige colours or stone/grey/green tones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Truffle, Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Half Taupe Grey. For the fence you could use one of these mid toned earthy colours - Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Squall.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
     
November 2015

Q. We want to paint the exterior of our house and would like some advice as to what would work best with burgundy joinery. Our house is currently painted mustard with a sort of Mexican theme as we have external terracotta tiles. We have looked at the colours: Resene Half Joss, Resene Parchment, Resene Half Tana and Resene Quarter Napa; however we are still unsure.

A. You might check out Resene Drought (warm but not as pink as Resene Half Joss) and Resene Akaroa (warmer than Resene Parchment) to see how they compare to the others that you have tested.

Personally I feel that greys or greens may not be the way to go with the Mexican theme and terracotta tiles. It can be difficult and somewhat compromising when you have a definite colour (the windows) to accommodate.

Resene Half Joss
Resene Half Joss
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
November 2015

Q. Our window joinery in our new extension is Arctic White. Could you please advise which white paint is the best match for Arctic White?

A. Arctic White powder coat is a very unique cool blue/grey white. I have, over many, many years, tried to find a 'match' to this white and failed. If you put a sheet of white printer paper close to the metal you will see just how 'coloured' it is. Resene White which is a true white looks almost cream by comparison to Arctic White. It frustrates me intensely but I have to admit that I can't help in this particular instance. You might try Resene Mystic but it is too grey and not white enough - you could intermix it with a White testpot 50:50 and take a gamble.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Mystic
Resene Mystic
November 2015

Q. After trying out a number of testpots, I selected the colour Resene Stonewall to paint over the bricks of the exterior of our home. The result is far greyer than we wished. The depth of colour is alright but the look we were hoping to achieve would be warmer, mellower.

A. Resene Cargo is a lighter olive green/brown somewhat similar. If you can view the large A4 samples of real paint colour in the Colour Library at the Resene ColorShop it may help you a lot.

I am somewhat surprised that you have found Resene Stonewall too grey as it is a definite yellow/green brown neutral - you are not getting confused with Resene Stonehenge are you? This is greyer than Resene Stonewall. Sometimes comparing colours helps the eye to judge what the colour is like - i.e. darker, lighter, browner, greyer etc.

Sometimes testing colour on a coloured wall can also throw the colour as the greater expanse of wall colour alters your perception of what the really of the colour truly is. If you are at all unsure please do paint the testpot (all of it/2 coats) onto large A2 white card leaving an unpainted white border all around the edge of the card. If you move the card from wall to wall it will help you in this way:

  • It is large enough to judge it.
  • The unpainted border stops the existing wall colour - bricks or any other coloured element on the house - from unduly influencing (negatively) how you see the colour.
  • Seeing the large sample moved around the house will help you see how different angles and changes of natural light alter the colour.
  • Taping it on the wall lets you walk away to some distance and look at it from a position not normally seen when testing colour.
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Cargo
Resene Cargo
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
November 2015

Q. I'm keen to know popular shades of grey for the exterior of a house.

A. You might check out these greys to see if any of them appeal to you as they are all popular hues: Resene Half Tuna, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Stack, Resene Delta, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Triple Black White.

There are so many greys that are popular and so many to choose from - often they need to be viewed with roof and joinery colours to see how they may work.

Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
 
November 2015

Q. I want to paint our fence Resene Woodsman Pitch Black but our house is a greyish green with khaki trim and brown decking. I was wondering if you could recommend a different colour that we could paint the deck so that it will go with the house and a black fence? Otherwise is there a different colour you would paint the fence to complement the house and deck?

A. A stain for the fence that might work for you with your existing house colours could be Resene Woodsman Sheer Black which isn't a hard black but has a brown undertone to it. If you are intent on using the Resene Woodsman Pitch Black stain then you may find it is a lot better at working with your colours than you might imagine - black goes with any other colour.

To change the brown painted deck, you might check out these colours - Resene Masala (this is a colour that can't make up its mind as to whether it is brown or olive) or Resene Half Gravel (another colour with mixed colourways in it).

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
November 2015

Q. I am trying to find a colour that does not have that hint of black or grey in it but gives a brightness even if a light colour. At the moment I am considering a green tone but without that hint of black that most colours seem to have today

A. I suggest you steer clear of any Resene colours that have BR or N in their colour codes and concentrate on colours whose first letters are Y or G and whose first numbers are between 94 - 100 as these are light and may have the brightness that you want. You might start by checking these colours to see if they are appealing to you – Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Bianca, Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
November 2015

Q. We are going to do the kitchen renovation soon. At the moment our kitchen is painted Resene Quarter Gargoyle. The living room was painted Resene Rock Blue. The new kitchen will have a white benchtop and high gloss white cabinets. The floor will be stained a dark colour. I'm thinking of changing the kitchen colour in order to match with the new kitchen. What colour do you recommend that will suit our new kitchen?

A. If the adjoining room is Resene Rock Blue and you want the new white kitchen to be light bright and well-co-ordinated with this colour then you might look at these colours to see if you like any of them - Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Drought, Resene Eighth Napa, or more of a statement colour - Resene Miso or Resene Unwind.

If you have open shelves these could be a feature colour one of the above?

Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Rock Blue
Resene Rock Blue
     
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Miso
Resene Miso
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
November 2015

Q. We are just about to repaint our house. Built in 2007 to new code, it is texture cladding (Harditex®). Our joinery colour is Bronco (powder coated). Our roof is dark grey Corona Shakes. We want to change the paint colour of the exterior cladding to a darker colour, but not too dark. Can you recommend a modern colour that will work with all this and the roof?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Sandstone, Resene Triple Napa, Resene Double Stonehenge or Resene Double Pravda.

Resene Sandstone
Resene Sandstone
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
November 2015

Q. We're about to start painting our 1910 villa exterior and would like advice on a black for the front door and side French doors. The weatherboards will be Resene Half Linen, windows, sills and trim will be Resene Half Rice Cake. The foundation is Resene Holly and the roof is a COLORSTEEL® that matches the foundation (the foundation and COLORSTEEL® are existing and don't need repainting). Originally we were going to go with a red door scheme as this is what we currently have and we like it, but I've just decided that a glossy black will look better! Could you give a couple of suggestions for which Black to use and tell me if you think I'm mad?

A. I don't think you are mad. As long as the door and French doors don't get direct sun on them I think a glossy black would look stunning. The reason I mention the sun is because the black will attract a lot of heat and timber doesn't like extreme temperatures and the stress damage that can occur. If you are intent on using black I definitely recommend you use the CoolColour™ version of the black to reduce the heat absorption.

You might check out these blacks - Resene Double Foundry, Resene Double Cod Grey, Resene Nero or even standard black - Resene Black.

Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Holly
Resene Holly
 
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Black
Resene Black
November 2015

Q. I have painted our kitchen cabinetry Resene Half Spanish White. I am looking for a white to paint on the walls around the cabinetry and in the adjacent dining area. The window frames have been painted Resene Black White. The kitchen is in a low light area of the house.

A. The window frames – Resene Black White - may look a little grey/cool compared to the Resene Half Spanish White which is a warm light cream. Do you want more cool grey white or do you want more warm light cream? I am wary of introducing another 'white' as you have these two - quite different - ones now. My main worry is that if you went with the Resene Black White it may look a little more cool/grey in the low light in this room. Would this worry you? If you don't want cool or grey tones then you might look at using Resene Quarter Spanish White as it will be light and slightly warm and would relate back to the kitchen cabinetry colour. So not radically different, but a bit 'whiter'. I am unsure about using Resene Eighth Spanish White as it does tend to take on a slightly 'peach' undertone. You could of course stay with the Resene Half Spanish White and be very simple and use the same product around the cabinets as you have used already of the kitchen doors but use a low sheen or matt finish on the walls - so a sheen level difference not a colour difference.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
November 2015

Q. I am painting the interior of a 1951 house with timber flooring. I would like to have a white ceiling with the same matching colour for door/window trims and doors. Then I would like a wall colour to make the white colour door trims and doors stand out in both daylight and night time. I am bit confused as to which colour would suit best. For ceilings and door window trims – Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White or Resene Bianca. For walls – Resene Spanish White, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Sisal or Resene Half Tea. For floor trims - should I go for the ceiling colour to match with the door trims to keep it the same as the wall colour?

A. If you are using either Resene Spanish White or the much deeper version - Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Sisal then the warmer white - Resene Bianca - might suit better for the ceilings and all the woodwork - i.e. doors, door frames, skirting boards and window frames and sashes.

If you prefer Resene Half Tea then the crisper white - either Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White might suit better.

Do you prefer the warmer colours or the cooler colours? It is very much a personal choice. Just recently I had to refurb my old family home (it was originally an ex Housing Corp built in 1952) to sell it and where it was carpeted I used the warmer colours and in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom where the wooden floors were I used a white and it looked very modern.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
 
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
November 2015

Q. We have a 1980s Hinuera stone two storey brick house. On the first level we have painted Resene Monkey on the panels and garage doors, which looks great with the stone but we are wondering what colour to paint the upstairs. We thought the Resene Monkey would be too heavy as there is no brick upstairs only a wide area. What colour would you recommend doing?

A. I personally like the lighter colour on the upper storey as it lifts the house up and relates well to the Hinuera stone. I think your house looks lovely now - well balanced and harmonious. I would be a little hesitant in painting the upper storey in a different colour as it would make the house a bit 'bitsy' and segmented. It could also make the house look 'squashed' between the lower level and the roof. You have several subtle colours in the stone, then the Resene Monkey, and the window and door joinery colour and the balustrades plus the roof, fascias and the doors - so already 6-7 colours. To have another colour on the upper storey might not be the very best thing to do. If your heart is set on changing the upper storey you might consider using a soft toned pebble beige that has a little yellow undertone in it - i.e. Resene Half Akaroa.

Resene Monkey
Resene Monkey
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
November 2015

Q. We are looking at painting the trim, garage doors and spouting a colour such as Resene Jimmy Dean as it brings out the blue in the brick but are worried it may look too mauve. Perhaps something like Resene Tuna or Resene Ebony Clay would be better or would that be too dark? We are also wondering about painting the cedar a pale grey such as Resene Greywacke or maybe it needs to be a lighter colour? We like the modern house colours at the moment which seem to be greys and would help modernise our 80s house. I have downloaded your EzyPaint software and tried out lots of colours over the weekend! Testpots will be the next step but we just need help with colours please.

A. You are right about some colours looking a little bit too purple in their undertone - both Resene Jimmy Dean and Resene Greywacke are inclined to be like that. You might like to try these colours - Resene Gunmetal and for the cedar - Resene Regent Grey, Resene Tuna and for the cedar - Resene Gull Grey or softer/lighter colours - Resene Quarter Grey Friars and for the cedar - Resene Grey Chateau.

Resene Jimmy Dean
Resene Jimmy Dean
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Greywacke
Resene Greywacke
Resene Gunmetal
Resene Gunmetal
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
 
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
   
November 2015

Q. Could you please help us find the colour of the bagged block walls of our house? The house was one of the finalists in the NZIA-Resene Architecture Awards in 2003. We have every testpot in all the neutrals pages, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 range! It seems to be very dense mocha shade. We now think that it has been mixed for this house. I had thought it in the tones of Resene Perfect Taupe. If you could be of any help it would much appreciated. The architect thought it had been all arranged by the clients.

A. We can create a custom colour match for you if you bring in a piece of the colour to any Resene ColorShop (ideally scrape off a small piece in an area that won't be seen). If the colour is from 2003 it is likely that it has changed from the original colour. Resene Perfect Taupe wasn't available in 2003 so it won't be that colour.

The whites and neutrals colour chart that would have been around at the time can be viewed here.

And then there some other options on the BS5252 chart and on two Lumbersider colour charts - Lumbersider Solid Timber Colours and Lumbersider Naturals.

Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
November 2015

Q. Our roof is burnt orange/red. We are getting dark granite tiles decks and terraces. The walls are currently Resene Sisal. We are thinking of repainting walls to a less yellow tone, and are looking at Resene Black White, Resene Half Surrender or the Resene Sea Fog range.

A. Any of these 'whites' would work with the dark granite tiles and the more colourful roof. Resene Sea Fog is a wonderfully versatile 'white'. It is not as cool as the Resene Black White or as blue/grey as Resene Half Surrender. I suggest you test the colours carefully. Apply all of the testpot/two coats to an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. It would help you in these ways:

  • It is large enough to judge what the colour - no matter how subtle it is - is truly like.
  • The unpainted border stops the existing wall colour - or any other coloured element on the house - from unduly influencing (negatively) how you see the colour.
  • Seeing the large sample moved around the house will help you see how different angles and changes of natural light alter the colour.
  • Taping it on the wall lets you walk away to some distance and look at it from a position not normally seen when testing colour.

You may find that these whites are smart and clean or they may be overly bright compared to what you have now - the change of colour is quite distinct. Take your time and test well and if you like the colour but feel it may be too bright then you might check out the deeper versions of these colours.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. We have built a large house in North Canterbury and have painted our family room and three of the bedrooms Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and our passage Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. We would like ideas for our lounge, entrance way, master bedrooms and bathrooms to tone in with the Resene Lemon Grass tones we have. Our ceilings are Resene Black White.

A. You may need to test several colours to find out how they respond with the natural and artificial light, the flooring, the drapes, your bed linen and your existing furniture. Colours that look really good in association with the Resene Lemon Grass tones are - Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Half Parchment, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Tapa, Resene Quarter Foundry or Resene Chapta And Verse.

The last three colours work well with the lighter versions of Resene Lemon Grass as feature colours. Colours must be chosen to work well with other things you have already made decisions on - not the other way around.That way you have freedom of choice.

Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Chapta And Verse
Resene Chapta And Verse
November 2015

Q. I like Resene Black White for my interior and was thinking of Resene Half Black White or maybe Resene Eighth Rice Cake. My question is what colour should I paint my window frames? I have often seen window frames painted a lighter colour than the walls and wondered if a pure white would work.

A. Personally I would use 'real' white - Resene White - on the window frames if you want clean crisp contrast to the wall colour. There isn't a lot of difference between Resene Black White and some of the lighter versions of this colour - probably the best for contrast might be Resene Eighth Black White if you didn't use Resene White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
November 2015

Q. I have a heritage inspired villa. Can you please suggest some exterior colours?

A. A simple look is a roof colour, a house colour and one trim colour with only one featured colour for the doors. The following are two example palettes and their colour placement - main colour Resene Perfect Taupe, roof colour Resene Cave Rock, trim colour Resene Half Soapstone - under the soffits, barge boards/fascias, lace work, veranda posts, window sashes and door frames, front door and back door Resene Explorer.

Or main colour Resene Triple Black White, roof colour Resene Nocturnal, trim colour Resene Quarter Alabaster - under the soffits, barge boards/fascias, lace work, verandah posts, window sashes and door frames, front door and back door - Resene Red Letter.

With either of these colour schemes if you were wanting to 'embellish' the trims more then using some of the roof colour is a good option. The fence doesn't need to be a three colour palette. Using the main house colour as the predominant colour and your 'whitest' colour for the top rail and perhaps the flat boards that have the cut out detail on it may be enough. The roof colour might be used for gates to define them if necessary. Traditionally this style of house had all its detailing picked out but I have noticed in recent years the saying 'less is more' in regard embellishments - knowing when to call 'halt' is important. Colour placement is key - elegance is always understated and timeless.

Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Cave Rock
Resene Cave Rock
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Red Letter
Resene Red Letter
November 2015

Q. I love Resene Periglacial Blue and Resene Robin Egg Blue. Can you use these colours in a south facing room please? I'm thinking a laundry.

A. Unlike a south facing bedroom where these colours may take on a little too much grey undertone (Resene Periglacial Blue more than Resene Robin Egg Blue). I think they would (either of them) look wonderful in a laundry - especially with all the white appliances. I can imagine nothing nicer - go for it!

Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
November 2015

Q. I wish to have my house painted with a charcoal roof, mid grey walls and white trim windows and deck finished with a bright front door. Please advise a modern palette.

A. You might check out these colours - Resene Grey Friars – roof, Resene Delta - main colour and deck posts, Resene Half Black White - window trims/deck balustrades and top rail and Resene Monza - front door.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Monza
Resene Monza
November 2015

Q. We have chosen COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey for our roof colour. We want to go grey on the plaster and board and batten but a warm grey (with no blue /mauve tones). We are looking at Resene Delta/Resene Stack (half and quarter). Is there any others you would suggest?

A. Try Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Taupe Grey or lighter variants of this colour.

These may be worth checking out. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library to compare them with each other and with the roof colour - yes it is available also to be seen - it is called Resene Atmosphere - you will find it easier to see what the true reality of the colours is.

COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
 
November 2015

Q. I was wondering what colours to paint our house. We have a New Denim Blue roof and white joinery, the weatherboards are currently butter yellow and the base is red. We are about to paint the base and weatherboard and are wondering what colours?

A. Perhaps you could consider painting two tonally related colours on the house so it integrates rather than creating totally contrasting blocks of colour? Check these colours out to see if they appeal - Main colour - Resene Half Spanish White and base of House - Resene Double Spanish White, or main colour - Resene Half Linen and base of House - Resene Double Linen, or main colour - Resene Quarter Akaroa and base of House - Resene Akaroa.

The colours can be reversed - lighter on the base and deeper on the main - for a completely different look as well.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Double Linen
Resene Double Linen
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
November 2015

Q. We are trying to decide on house colours and need some help. We have a weatherboard villa in a rural setting. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey and the windows will be white.

A. Some of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Orchid White, Resene Kangaroo, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Eighth Pravda.

They are all quite different from each other but because colour choices are very personal it pays to investigate different colour themes.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
November 2015

Q. I have two bedrooms to paint. As feature walls I have chosen Resene Caper in one bedroom and possibly Resene Stonewall or Resene Arrowtown in the other. I'd like to combine these with just a neutral colour scheme that fits both feature colours to be more cost effective. What could I use for ceiling, walls and trims?

A. You could use Resene Sea Fog for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the ceilings and trims or alternatively a warmer/crisper colour like Resene Rice Cake with Resene Eighth Rice Cake for the ceiling and trims. Either would work with the feature colours you are considering.

Resene Caper
Resene Caper
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Arrowtown
Resene Arrowtown
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
 
November 2015

Q. What are the best colours to use for my south east facing bedroom? It doesn't get direct sunlight most of the time, and when it does it tends to get a bit of glare. The current colour is something like Resene Quarter Tea. I'd want it to have a light warm feeling, preferably using green, spring like colours. I'm wondering whether to make the back wall a feature wall in green. Can you please recommend some good colour options?

A. I like your idea of making the back wall a feature using a green. Perhaps if the main colour had some warmth and was pale but very versatile then the green would create the spring ambiance. You might look at these options to see if they create the mood you want to achieve - Resene Half Solitaire as the main and Resene Coriander as a feature, or Resene Orchid White as the main and Resene Secrets as a feature, or Resene Albescent White as the main and Resene Green Spring as a feature.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
 
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Green Spring
Resene Green Spring
November 2015

Q. I need to paint the timber of our brick veneer home. The gutters and downpipes and windows are COLORBOND® Mission Brown which I wish to leave. The timber has been painted Mission Brown and I would like a change with a more updated colour. Can you advise what would go best with my bricks and the Mission Brown trimmings?

A. There are several colours that you might check out - Resene Half Gravel, Resene Fossil, Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Wrangler.

Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Wrangler
Resene Wrangler
November 2015

Q. We have selected Resene Truffle for our exterior weatherboards on our Californian bungalow. What recommendation do you have for a white tone to utilise for trims and windows etc?

A. Check out these 'whites' to see if they appeal to you - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog or a softer more muted 'White' such as Resene Eighth Truffle or a slightly warmer 'White' such as Resene Bianca.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
November 2015

Q. Our house is a little cottage. We are going for a beach theme. Outside is white and the trim is Woodland Grey. What would be a good contrast colour for our front door? We are using teal and aqua colours inside.

A. The trim colour - Woodland Grey - is quite earthy (not beach inspired at all) and olive based and even though the house is white it isn't easy tying it all together. These colours may offer you a little inspiration for the front door - Resene Barometer, Resene Cyprus, Resene Sea Green, Resene Niagara or Resene Into The Blue.

These will work with the white house and have a flow on effect to the interior colours but may not be too happy to be seen too close to the Woodland Grey. A lime with a yellow undertone like Resene Flourish or softer and earthier like Resene Double Ash looks well balanced and harmonious with the Woodland Grey trims.

Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Cyprus
Resene Cyprus
Resene Sea Green
Resene Sea Green
Resene Niagara
Resene Niagara
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Flourish
Resene Flourish
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
     
November 2015

Q. Our kitchen cabinets are Resene Sea Fog with timber and concrete tops and floors of American Oak. What would you suggest for the walls and skirtings and window trims? We were thinking Resene Alabaster through the house for the ceilings, door and window trims and skirtings as it is a good bright white and the house is farmhouse in style with neutral wool carpet. Do you think this would work and do you have an idea for the kitchen walls?

A. I like your idea of using Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, door and window trims throughout the house. In regards to the kitchen walls - do you want the cabinets to look lighter/whiter than the wall colour or do you want the cabinets to look more coloured?

To make the cabinets seem 'whiter' you may need to use a more developed colour like Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Triple Sea Fog or even slightly deeper - Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. But if you want the walls to be lighter than the cabinets you might need to see if Resene Double Alabaster will work for you.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
November 2015

Q. We are painting the exterior weatherboards, soffits and barge boards of our house which has an Ironsand roof (faded slightly), silver pearl aluminium windows and yellow/beige coloured brick. Which colour would go best with these?

A. For the soffits and barge boards you might use a 'whitish' neutral so that the weatherboards stand out as more of a colour - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog. This is obliging and goes with many colours but isn't too stark a 'white'.

As a first option for the weatherboards you might choose a deeper version of the brick colour - and that means you would have to get the colour charts out and check which of the many neutral tones suits best by comparing them directly to your bricks.

As a second option (to make the bricks stand out as a paler feature) you might look at using a deep colour that relates well to the roof colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand or a lighter colour like Resene Eighth Masala.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
November 2015

Q. Our 1970s house is half weatherboard and half bright orange brick. The house is currently cream with forest green trim. We are looking for colour suggestions to modernise.

A. You could look at these types of colours to see if they appeal to you alongside all the trims that are green now - Resene Quarter Foundry, Resene Snapshot, Resene Inside Back, Resene Tapa or Resene Stack.

As greys are very popular at this point in time all of these colours are 'greyed' - some a lot and some just with a shadowy depth to them.

Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Snapshot
Resene Snapshot
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
November 2015

Q. Our home is around 15 years old and all of the trim and ceilings are Resene Quarter Spanish White. Our main living areas are a mix of grain brown/Yearwood feature wall, Resene Heathered Grey, and Resene Half Napa. We would like to change to lighter neutral/white tones but are concerned with pairing with the Resene Quarter Spanish White which can look creamy/yellowy in some lights. Our carpet is a mid charcoal with some brown tones.

A. You are right to be a little worried - Resene Quarter Spanish White has quite a bit of depth and creamy/yellow/beige undertones. Going to a lighter/whiter main colour will emphasise the creamy/yellow. The only safe option would be to use the exact same colour for the walls. That way with nothing lighter/whiter appearing in the rooms the Resene Quarter Spanish White may not 'develop' more depth and try and take over. It is worth testing. If you use all of a testpot/two coats painted onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edge of the card it may help you focus on the reality of the colour. It is good because you can pin it on different walls/different rooms to see how it alters in different light. The unpainted border helps keep the test sample away from any existing wall colours so they don't unduly influence it and make you see it wrong. You can roll the A2 card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into the cone. This will give you a good representation of what four walls (all the room) will look like painted this colour. Colours always appear stronger than you might expect in an interior so being able to see that effect before painting a whole room is good. If you decide not to use Resene Quarter Spanish White on the walls but would prefer another neutral colour you could check out Resene Double Sea Fog - it has a warm yellow/grey undertone that sometimes can work well with the paler variants of Resene Spanish White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Heathered Grey
Resene Heathered Grey
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
November 2015

Q. My window and door frames are a very yellow cream colour. I want to paint my interior a nice fresh colour. What do you recommend? My floor boards are cypress pine. The furniture is black leather. Any help would be appreciated.

A. I am a little fearful that a new fresh colour may make the window and door joinery look much more of a yellow colour - will that matter? You might check out these colours - they are all quite different - to see if they appeal to you: Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Eighth Tana, Resene Quarter Cararra or Resene Black Haze.

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Quarter Carrara
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
November 2015

Q. I've recently painted my walls Resene Sea Fog and find it a touch cool so I'm after a light grey but a warmer light grey. We do have blue carpet (which we will eventually replace) but I'm wondering if this is reflecting on the walls making it feel colder than it really is?

A. It may be the blue carpet or it could be a south or east facing aspect that is making Resene Sea Fog look cool. Perhaps you could check these colours out to see if they appeal and are a bit warmer for you – Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Barely There, Resene Quarter Cloud or Resene Quarter Rakaia.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
November 2015

Q. I am hoping you can give me some ideas of what colour to paint the exterior of my weatherboard house. I was thinking of grey with white trim. What colour grey goes with tiles similar in colour to COLORBOND® Monument? I am open to other colours as well as long as they go with the roof.

A. You know it isn't too wise to paint really dark colours on weatherboards as they can attract a lot of heat and the problems associated with that can cause problems with timber surfaces. There are some lovely light to mid tones of grey that you could check out – Resene Silver Sand, Resene Mountain Mist, Resene Jumbo, Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Suva Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

These colours all work really well with the COLORBOND® Monument that you have on the roof. If you use Resene White or Resene Eighth Black White as the 'white' for all the trims and windows it will create a lot of contrast. I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour™ reformulated version of these deeper colours to minimise heat absorption.

Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Suva Grey
Resene Suva Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
November 2015

Q. Our house is one level in a rural setting. It is white with Ironsand COLORSTEEL® roofing and bronze anodised window frames. What alternate colours could you suggest for the cladding?

A. You might like to check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Tea, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Ash.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
       
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
November 2015

Q. I'm looking for a durable paint for our service desks in the rental department. They take a fair bit of wear and tear despite being inside. I've got three different types of desk that need painting in a sensible colour that won't show up scuffs and marks but isn't completely dark. Where the paint is chipped away it exposes the wood then perhaps a gold/brown colour might suit.

A. Assuming you want a gloss finish, you may find that the solvent (turps) based enamel may be a bit tougher – Resene Super Gloss Enamel – than the waterbased version.

Your desks get a lot of bashes and bumps from boots, skis and other hard edged equipment. Nothing in the way of paint will stop the damage from occurring unless you decide to use a two pot paint and have the desks prepped - sanded, cross linking undercoat applied and sprayed. If you did this you may get superior wear and abrasion resistance. It is something that you may investigate doing - or having done - unless you are reasonably happy to refurb your desks with a standard enamel on a regular basis.

To go with the wood colour that gets exposed, you could try Resene Brown Sugar or Resene Momentum.

But - seriously - if bright funky colours are more fun - and they are - and exciting (and nothing truly will hide abrasion marks and chips that occur) then you might consider using Resene Kakapo, Resene Optimist or Resene Red Berry.

Resene Brown Sugar
Resene Brown Sugar
Resene Momentum
Resene Momentum
Resene Kakapo
Resene Kakapo
Resene Optimist
Resene Optimist
Resene Red Berry
Resene Red Berry
November 2015

Q. I have recently repainted the lower floor interior including lounge, family room and kitchen in Resene Parchment. I have existing Pohutukawa red splashbacks and stainless steel appliances with black range and black stone benchtops. The cupboards are browny white and I want them to be real white when they are resurfaced. Would you suggest a white?

If by 'resurface' you mean that the cabinets will have a laminate applied to them then you might look at these options – Resene Melteca Warm White – Naturale, Melteca Snow Drift – Naturale or Bestwood Simply White –Embossed.

But if the cabinets are going to be painted - as opposed to re-surfacing them - then you might look at these 'whites' - Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
November 2015

Q. We have a rough edge Summerhill stone house with dark brown aluminium windows. We are painting the roof Resene Grey Friars and are needing ideas as to what colour to paint the brick. We want something that will match the windows and won't make them stand out too much. Have been told to go dark to avoid them standing out but then wondering with a dark roof if that would be too much. Have already tried several colours but we are feeling a bit lost.

A. I am inclined to agree with you in your thoughts about a dark house colour as well as a dark roof being too much. You might like to look at light to mid toned colours that may 'befriend' the dark brown window joinery so it integrates a little bit more. As a start point perhaps check out these colours - Resene Quarter Nullarbor, Resene Quarter Gargoyle, Resene Double Tea, Resene Quarter Arrowtown or Resene Rockbottom.

These colours are all quite different from each other and it would definitely assist you if you were able to view the A4 real paint samples at your Resene ColorShop in their colour library. Seeing large samples helps you to judge colour and comparing with other colours helps you by identifying underlying tones within each colour. Then it can help you a lot to test a colour. Testpots really are your best friend. Paint a testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges it helps in these ways:

  • the unpainted border helps your eye to focus on the depth of the colour
  • the unpainted border holds the colour away from the existing colour of the Summerhill stone so it doesn't unduly influence the test sample and make you see it 'wrong'
  • the large sample can be moved around the house and taped to different walls so you can see how angles and changing light alters it.
  • the large sample can be viewed up close and from far away to give you a better idea of what the overall look will be like.
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
       
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
November 2015

Q. Please can you advise on interior colour, walls and ceiling (all one colour throughout the house to enable spray application) for a new build with polished concrete floors on a lifestyle block. We need an interior colour to go with Canvas Cloth aluminium joinery and roller blinds (shade). We have already used Resene Double Arrowtown and Resene Nomad on the exterior.

A. Colour that is the same on the walls as on the ceiling will always look deeper (twice as deep in some cases) on the ceiling because of the way light throws shadow back to the ceiling and more light on walls. Is this ok?

I suggest you may be wise to use a very 'white' colour so the ceiling and walls look reasonably similar. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Half Merino.

Canvas Cloth may seem quite a light colour with the deeper colours you have on the exterior. In the interior you may notice that it looks a lot deeper. All of the colours I have suggested work well with Canvas Cloth but are lighter and more versatile.

Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Nomad
Resene Nomad
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
 
November 2015

Q. What are the latest trends in ceiling and wall colours?

A. Greys, whites, charcoals and blacks are still very popular as trends go - as is aqua and duck egg blue greys - coastal influenced colours.

For a better idea of colours that are popular and up trending you might invest in a The Range fashion colour fandeck. The colours in this useful tool open up your eyes to splendid options and inspirational colours based on information received from colour forecasters.

All manner of colour toned whites and neutrals can be used as a basis to build a colour palette upon so I do suggest that you view what is available - and there is a lot to choose from - so that a 'trend' colour can be well co-ordinated and harmonious.

November 2015

Q. We have decided to paint the exterior Resene Mission Brown. I'm wondering what roof colour we should pick? Our project manager recommended Grey Friars as it’s popular at the moment. I’m worried this might be a bit dark. Should we look at doing the aluminium frame/joinery a lighter colour then?

A. Personally I wouldn't use Grey Friars for roof or metal joinery with Resene Mission Brown as it will be dark and somewhat ill-defined and heavy. There are some little rules of colour in order to achieve a balance and good coordination i.e. light house colour/deeper roof and deep house/lighter roof.

Browns like green (as in nature i.e trees) and blues (as in earth and sky) so these colours may appeal to you – COLORSTEEL® Rivergum, Mist Green, Fern Frond, Coast or New Denim Blue, or lighter neutrals – COLORSTEEL® Bone White, Titania, Sandstone Grey or Gull Grey.

Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
COLORSTEEL® Rivergum
COLORSTEEL® Rivergum
COLORSTEEL® Mist Green
COLORSTEEL® Mist Green
COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® Titania
COLORSTEEL® Titania
COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
     
November 2015

Q. We're building a new house and will have the walls Resene Half Spanish White. In the kitchen I'm thinking of having a grey benchtop and painted cabinets, possibly Resene Eighth Spanish White. Can you suggest a Formica® top to go with this or another colour for the cabinets? I'm keen to be as light as possible but not too buttery. My husband is cautious of the top being too much of a contrast. We will have light brown wooden floors.

A. You may find that Resene Eighth Spanish White throws a little peach undertone compared to the Resene Half Spanish White, which has more yellow/brown undertone. Will this matter to you? It is important that you know exactly what the colour of the cabinets will look like so testing by painting all of a testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges helps your eye to judge the reality of the colour compared to the white card. Moving it around at different angles to the light will also show how it changes. I think you may need to look at Resene Quarter Spanish White as a less peach influenced option for the cabinets. All colours need to be compared to each other because without that happening it is possible to be misled by what a colour is truly like.

These are some Formica® samples that you might check out - Elemental Concrete, Italico Nero or Anthracite Aristone.

There are many other greys - and new ones constantly - and you may need to go 'viewing' at the nearest kitchen showroom and pick up some samples to take away with you while you are creating your interior palette of colours.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
November 2015

Q. We've just bought a house that was built in around 1915 but had a bungalow addition in the 30s. The houses around it are all painted in greys so we'd like to do something different. We've seen a house we like painted in Resene Edward, with a white/cream trim and wondering if this would work for us?

A. Resene Edward is a lovely grey/green and yes it does look really nice with a warm white i.e. Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Bianca. There are several 'whites' that could work but if the 'white' is too coloured the contrast isn't as clean with the main colour. All colours change in different circumstances so I do suggest you test Resene Edward to make sure it looks - at your house- as nice as the situation you saw it in.

Resene Edward
Resene Edward
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
November 2015

Q. I want to paint my interior a cold and stark arctic white. I've painted one bedroom with two coats of Resene Solitude. It looks lilac/purple. I've done one coat in the hallway, same deal. I then painted swatches of Resene Zircon, Resene Designer White and Resene White on the two coats of Resene Solitude, 1 coat of Resene Solitude and the original dirty looking apricot/peach/yellow walls.

The Resene White looks the closest so far but even two coats appears to have bleed through from the previous colour. I've also tried a coat of Resene Solitude on the two coats of white, still lilac...

Even cold white fluoro bulbs don't help.

The ceilings I have painted a flat white and the windows, door and probably skirtings will all be Resene Nero high gloss.

Arctic white is very much what I want having been fortunate enough to have travelled through Scandinavia in a winter.

The best suggestion so far is to take a 10L pail of white and add the smallest amount of blue possible. Paint a swatch. Let it dry and then repeat with another smallest amount of blue and repeat until something is suitable. Thoughts? Suggestions? Solutions?

I want pure, clean white with just a feeling of blue but nothing tangible.

A. By now after your extensive experimentation you will be learning a lot - 'real' white is highly reactive to light (both natural and artificial) and other colours that are seen close to it. So if it can change it will change. The 'tinted' whites that you have tried need to be tested on a white background. If you have a coloured background any test samples will react with the greater amount of colour and alter accordingly.

The problem that you have is pre-existing coloured walls plus natural light from different aspects - north, south, east and west - all of which alter colour - sometimes in ways hard to explain until you see it for yourself. Same colour on a different wall or different room = different colour.

The colours that you have tested are tinted with blue or black or magenta or purple. So they are coloured and the power of the colourants in even the most miniscule amounts can double or even treble the colour of the paint in certain situations.

What to do? Undercoat all surfaces in white - once should be enough but some existing colours can still be seen so possibly two coats. Remove all evidence of previous colours. No tested colours - and those whites you have trialled are 'colours' - can be seen true to reality any other way.

Then look again at your spaces. Where sunlight reaches walls those are the walls that even a white undercoat may look slightly creamy - west facing rooms can cause this because of the low cast of the sun. South facing rooms may look grey - the southerly light is cold or even sour. East facing rooms may look a little green. And this effect of natural light influences pure white as much as it does a colour.

What you are up against is nature and light. Remove all natural light from rooms and the influence of light on colour is modified. Or if you can get natural light reflected through Northern hemisphere cloud cover or reflected off snow you will achieve your arctic white.

So - after undercoating with white everywhere and getting a reality check on how light works - you may decide to use 'real' white instead of a colour and shield the windows completely with a blue/grey/white or silver sheer cover (think of voile fabric because it is gauzy and alters the intensity of natural light) and look again at the spaces. They will be white - cool and white.

Please be aware that you are taking on nature and light - and they are both powerful allies of colour. Humans always think they can control colour and light but often are forced to admit defeat - or compromise.

Resene Solitude
Resene Solitude
Resene Zircon
Resene Zircon
Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
November 2015

Q. We have just painted our walls and ceilings in Resene Black White. We were thinking to add a grey to our trims instead of going white. I feel like we need to add a bit of warmth back into the room. What greys can you recommend that will go with the Resene Black White?

A. These greys might be worth checking out - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Half Foggy Grey.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
November 2015

Q. I have painted my spare bedroom with Resene Bahia and it is too vivid. What I would like to know is if I paint maybe Resene Billy T over it would it look worse?

A. I think you may know the answer to this already. Two totally over the top bright colours will always be totally over the top bright colours. Colours double in their brightness or depth in an interior so Resene Bahia and Resene Billy T are strong. Resene Billy T has more bright mustard yellow in it and Resene Bahia has more fluoro yellow green but they are both as bright as each other.

If you want to tone down the colour you have I suggest you look at Resene Conifer which is still a very bright yellow based green but compared to the other two it looks almost gentle, or a paler/bright like Resene Sulu or alternatively paint three walls in a grey like Resene Delta and keep one wall in Resene Bahia as a feature colour.

Resene Bahia
Resene Bahia
Resene Billy T
Resene Billy T
Resene Conifer
Resene Conifer
Resene Sulu
Resene Sulu
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
November 2015

Q. We have painted our weatherboard/brick house Resene Double Tea. The guttering is dark brown and the brick is reddish/orange. I am wondering what colour to paint the garage door and front door which are about 2-3 metres apart?

A. Browns and brick tones seem to be predominant on the house so perhaps you could look at these different colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Barometer, Resene Gumboot or Resene Paddock.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
November 2015

Q. I am planning to paint the interior walls of my house. I have got rimu stained doors and frames and wardrobes. I am looking to paint it with light shades and also multiple (two) shades in one room. I am confused as to how to choose the colour.

A. There are so many colours that you might have with rimu - these are a few that you might consider - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Villa White.

These colours come as lighter (for woodwork and ceilings) and deeper variants (for soft furnishings/drapes etc) also so you can exploit a monochromatic palette without it looking boring. Other colours that can be used with these neutrals to add more ambience are these ones - Resene Coriander, Resene Joanna, Resene Sugar Loaf or Resene Caraway.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
 
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Sugar Loaf
Resene Sugar Loaf
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
November 2015

Q. We are thinking of having a matai wooden floor in the kitchen of a new build. What shades of kitchen units, worktop and walls would either contrast or go well? We will probably have stainless steel appliances.

A. Matai is a lovely rich red/gold warm coloured wood. Colours that look good with it are too many to note here but these are a few to get you started - Resene Quarter Dutch White, Resene Solitaire, Resene Haystack, Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Scaramanga or Resene Desperado.

Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
Resene Haystack
Resene Haystack
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
November 2015

Q. We are building a new home with Grey Friars for the roof, spouting, garage door and front door and Arctic white windows. Will Resene Surrender or slate work with this?

Also for the interior we want to use Resene Surrender again throughout interior walls with white ceilings and skirting; the kids’ rooms will have one colour as a feature wall. Do we do white for three walls that match the skirtings and ceiling or carry on the grey walls/white skirting and one coloured feature wall?

A. Resene Surrender and Resene Triple Concrete work well with Arctic White joinery. I am not sure about Slate - I can't find this listed as a Resene colour. Do you mean Resene Stack?

For the interior children’s bedrooms it may be easier to use as a main the 'white' - it does allow a lot more options for feature colours. The Resene Surrender may cast a control over what 'feature colours' can be used. So yes it could be exactly the same white as ceilings and woodwork but if it was slightly different that may work also - i.e. Resene Eighth Black White for ceilings etc and Resene Half Black White - still white enough to go with anything but not too stark.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
November 2015

Q. I want to paint exterior wooden weatherboards. I like the colour of Resene Woodsman Shadow Match, a charcoal with a hint of earth. Can you recommend a paint colour as close as possible to Resene Shadow Match?

A. Because stain colours are semi-transparent and 'inherit' some of the colour of the wood it is often difficult to match a solid paint colour exactly to a stain colour. The paint colour will always appear darker. However these are some that you might check out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Ironsand, Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Ironsand.

I definitely recommend that if you choose to use a really dark colour that you get the CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour to try to minimise heat buildup and any U.V. associated damage that can occur to weatherboards which are easily jeopardised.

Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
November 2015

Q. We are painting bricks on a new childcare centre using Resene Quarter Black White. We would like our COLORSTEEL® roofing to match the Resene paint colour. What would be the most suitable COLORSTEEL® colour to use?

A. Resene Quarter Black White is a cool crisp white. There are no matching COLORSTEEL® colours - there are very few in fact to choose from. The 'whitest' COLORSTEEL® colour is one of their new ones called COLORSTEEL® Tui Tuft. If you don't want to match the paint colour but to harmonise nicely you might look at using a soft pale grey or warm bone off white with a hint of green in it, such as COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey or COLORSTEEL® Cloud or a deeper neutral charcoal that works with any other colour at all – COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars.

Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
November 2015

Q. I am partly re-cladding a 23 year old three storey plaster house in weatherboard, leaving plaster in non-exposed areas. The joinery is ‘Off White’, the roof is faded brown Decramastic, the fascia is Desert Sand and the garage door is chocolate brown but can be replaced. The neighbours each side are either Resene Tea or Resene Napa so I can’t use those colours. I am looking at using Resene Half Parchment for the weatherboards and Resene Quarter Villa White for the plaster to try and bring it all together. But I'm not sure if it will end up too yellow. I did want to contrast the claddings to modernise it. Are there any other colours I should be trying?

A. It is a little difficult as you have Off White joinery (rich/creamy) and Desert Sand fascias (yellow /brown) and the brown decramastic roof. You are trapped in the yellows and browns. You could also look at one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Desert Sand (yes it is the same as the fascia colour but not a bad idea - gives the fascia a 'friend'), Resene Half Sisal, Resene Double Drought or lighter - Resene Half Spanish White (similar to the Off White joinery colour).

Are you keen on having another colour for the plaster? That will make four colours counting the roof, joinery, fascias and weatherboards - seems like a lot? Think this through really carefully. Sometimes just having different cladding makes a 'new look' on the house without using a different colour as well.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Desert Sand
Resene Desert Sand
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
November 2015

Q. We have a childcare centre and, to be blunt – it’s bland! What colour/s would you recommend to liven it up and encourage a happy environment?

A. I suggest you use these colours – Resene Sing Song (main colour), Resene Bright Spark, Resene Get Reddy or Resene Yabbadabbadoo.

These last three colours could be used as doors, a feature wall and any painted furniture. The red and yellow are great for a feature wall or tables and chairs - very happy and social colours as well as warm and the greeny/blue is a good door colour.

The light main wall colour will make the space always seem open and very happy and sunny plus it allows colourful posters and artwork etc. to be noticed. You could do some Resene Blackboard Paint on a lower wall area or Resene Magnetic Magic paint (this is like an undercoat behind the main wall colour) too. Have fun - children adore colour - so go for it!!

Resene Sing Song
Resene Sing Song
Resene Bright Spark
Resene Bright Spark
Resene Get Reddy
Resene Get Reddy
Resene Yabbadabbadoo
Resene Yabbadabbadoo
November 2015

Q. We are painting our new home, open plan, 300 square metres and are looking at using Resene Half Bianca or warm white on the walls but are open to suggestion as to the colours which would be a good match for the ceiling, internal doors and skirting, door trims.

A. Resene Half Bianca looks good with any of these 'whites' - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta for all ceilings, door and other wooden trims.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
November 2015

Q. We are currently painting all our interior walls in Resene Double Rice Cake and the doors, windows and trims in Resene Half Rice Cake. We are putting in a new kitchen including new flooring as yet to be decided. Our issue is the kitchen is quite dark as it has no natural lighting. Your advice on the wall colour and cabinetry would be most appreciated. The lounge, dining and kitchen are reasonably open plan. I am fairly sure we will be having a dark benchtop.

A. Is the kitchen cabinetry a laminate or is it a lacquered paint finish? If it is a laminate there are less options to choose from but a white (Melamine Feather White is an example) will always work for you - especially in regard the darkness of the kitchen which you have worries about.

If the kitchen has no windows or natural light then I suggest you invest in very good task lighting and perhaps a highly reflective splashback to pull what light there is into the space. If you are have lacquered cabinetry then your main colour – Resene Double Rice Cake in a gloss finish might be considered as it keeps in your palette of chosen colours. For simplicity I would be inclined to stay with your palette of colours and use Resene Rice Cake on the walls and Resene Half Rice Cake for the trims.

You might keep the floor a light to mid toned colour also. If only the benchtop is dark then that might be enough - any more dark elements in the kitchen will suck up any available light. Excitement and colour may take the form of accessories - appliances, china etc - to add the 'va-voom' to the kitchen.

Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
November 2015

Q. I am painting my very small front room and turning it into a library. I have bought a strong geometric patterned curtain, black on cream and I have bright yellow chairs. I would like to paint the panel below the curtains a bright colour. I was looking at Resene Bird Flower which is similar intensity to my chairs but green/yellow. I am having trouble choosing a complementary colour to go with the Resene Bird Flower and chairs. I want the other walls and window frames to be a lighter, less intense colour but complement the Resene Bird Flower. Any colour suggestions? I will be painting the three other walls and window and doors frames with the lighter colour. I will also have two big leafy plants.

A. I am not at all sure about using Resene Bird Flower. To my mind using this colour will create a discord and steal away the gorgeousness of the yellow chairs - is that what you want to do? Yellow is jealous of any other yellow competing with it and with two yellows it will create an over stimulated frenetic non-restful clash. I think you would be better off using a complementary colour so that the yellow 'popped out' and was special. Do you want the yellow chairs to be a lovely feature?

You might check out these colours for the panel below the curtains - Resene Séance, or a bit brighter Resene Belladonna, or if you wanted a bluer purple tone Resene Gypsy Queen, or a teal inspired green Resene Dali, or a sea blue Resene Eastern Blue.

A light neutral colour for all the other walls you might look at one of these - Resene Half Bianca or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.

Resene Bird Flower
Resene Bird Flower
       
Resene Seance
Resene Séance
Resene Belladonna
Resene Belladonna
Resene Gypsy Queen
Resene Gypsy Queen
Resene Dali
Resene Dali
Resene Eastern Blue
Resene Eastern Blue
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
     
November 2015

Q. What would you recommend as a dark contrast colour for Resene Napa?

A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Napa, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Mondo, or other dark but definite colours that might be considered are these - Resene Karaka, Resene Barometer, Resene Wireless or Resene Madam M.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
Resene Madam M
Resene Madam M
November 2015

Q. We have a little unit at the beach painted Resene Silver Chalice and have built a deck that we want to stain. Can you suggest a stain that would go with this colour? I don't want anything dark or orange.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Woodsman Limed Ash - a soft toned grey, Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash - a brown/grey, Resene Woodsman Nutmeg - a warm mid toned brown, or for the ultimate in a cool and pale look - Resene Woodsman Whitewash - a bleached white look, or alternatively - a non-colour - Resene Furniture & Decking Oil - protective oil only but not coloured.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Whitewash
Resene Whitewash
November 2015

Q. My house is being reclad in weatherboards up top and concrete down below with a dark blue COLORSTEEL® roof. I need advice on colours for the weatherboards and base.

A. The roof is a dark blue colour and isn't changing? is it correct that the window joinery is the same blue and is not being changed?

With new weatherboard cladding there is a requirement to use paler colours with a LRV of between 45-100% in order not to void the build guarantee. With that being the case do you want both the weatherboards and the base to be a pale colour? Or would you prefer two colours on the house?

These are some options for you to consider - Resene Half Napa, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Double Tea or Resene Akaroa. Deeper colours that might be considered for the concrete lower level that will work with the lighter colours are these - Resene Stonewashed, Resene Double Napa or Resene Double Bison Hide.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Bison Hide
Resene Double Bison Hide
 
November 2015

Q. I want to paint the kitchen/lounge white to add light. It's a 1942 home with rimu windows and doors. I'm thinking of having the ceiling and walls the same colour. I'd like it to be as crisp as possible without the glare (and I have pops of bright colour with breakfast bar stools, an occasional chair and artwork). The carpet is a medium brown and I'm thinking of white kitchen floors or a rimu colour. I have no idea which white to choose as they all seem either dirty looking or too cream (but I can't visualise).

A. You don't mention which 'whites' that you have looked at so I am in danger of suggesting the exact same colours again. Any 'white' that doesn't create glare in bright light situations will be muted with brown, black or green undertones. You may find that these are the ones that seem dirty looking. Warmer 'whites' often have a creamy undertone and these may seem cleaner and crisper.

In order to work well with all the rimu woodwork (lovely and warm) and be crisp (but not dirty or too creamy) you might check out these paler options - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Wheatfield.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
December 2015

Q. I'm looking for a warm white to replace Resene Half Pearl Lusta on my whole interior of my high stud 1905 80sqm villa in central Wellington. Can you give me some options to try?

A. You could check these warm whites out and compare them with each other and the Resene Half Pearl Lusta that you have now to see if they appeal to you - Resene Orchid White, Resene Half Villa White, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Rice Cake.

They are all quite different from each other but unless you view them with a real white (a sheet of printer paper is good for this) it is hard to judge. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library it would be helpful.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
       
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
December 2015

Q. We have a white rectangular 1970s house on a faded green basement with faded green doors and a green garage door. I am not sure what colour to redo the green or if I should still keep the house white or change that too. Also we need to paint the roof. I do like grey.

A. A white house is timeless and goes with any other colour so you could keep that - and perhaps a grey could be an option for you? Check these colours out – Roof and garage door - Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, basement - Resene Half Gauntlet, doors - Resene Fuscous Grey, or roof and garage door - Resene Double Tapa, basement - Resene Half Tapa, doors - Resene Armadillo, or roof and garage Door - Resene Grey Friars, basement - Resene Quarter Grey Friars or doors - Resene Grey Chateau.

These greys are all quite different from each other but very smart, traditional and timeless.

Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
December 2015

Q. We are having Grey Friars for our roof colour, large white bricks, which look very light grey, and Titania window frames. Resene Eighth Masala was suggested for the wood which is three-quarters of the front of the house. I am worried this will be a little dark. Do you think Resene Delta or Resene Half Stack would be better? We don't like too light an elephant grey. Also inside we are having Resene Double Alabaster on the ceiling, and were thinking of Resene Quarter Cloud on the walls, but it’s maybe a little light, so thinking about Resene Quarter Truffle. Don’t want too dark.

A. Both the colours that you mention are lighter than Resene Eighth Masala. I do think Resene Half Stack may be cooler but very nice with the Grey Friars roof whereas Resene Delta is a warmer yellow/grey and looks really nice with the Titania window joinery. The decision is all yours but - just to throw a spanner in the works - you might look at Resene Tapa or Resene Triple Truffle as alternative warm greys that look good with the Titania.

Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
December 2015

Q. We have a 1950s house with Huntly brick. It’s two storey with the bottom half painted. Can you recommend a colour to go with the brick?

A. Huntly brick comes as several colours and sometimes is variegated (multi coloured) and without knowing exactly which yours is these suggestions are just a start point for you. I think one of the reasons you often see the concrete or stucco base of brick houses painted in a pale neutral colour is because people try for a 'match' colour and that is almost impossible or they use a dark 'feature' colour i.e. like their roof colour - and that is too strong. Perhaps you might look at these types of colours: Resene Parchment - or deeper variants of this colour, Resene Akaroa - or deeper variants of this colour or Resene Tea - or deeper variants of this colour.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
December 2015

Q. I am getting wooden floors so wanted to get an idea of interior paint colours that suit. Can you give me some direction please?

A. It really depends upon what wood you are having laid for your flooring. All wood is coloured and this influences what wall colours will go with it. Try these colours – Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Quarter Akaroa or Resene Quarter Bison Hide.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
December 2015

Q. I have a 1930s bungalow and am painting the lounge/sunroom. All the door frames, window frames and doors are wood, dark stained. The ceiling has dark wood beams in the square pattern (with white paint in between the beams). I want to paint over everything! There are big windows and lots of doors leading off the room and just an overload of wood that makes it look old fashioned and dark. I was thinking of painting all the trims, door and window frames, beams and whole ceiling white. For the wall colour I don't want Resene Spanish White as too yellowy cream for me. I want a light bright white, but with still warmth in it. Was thinking the Resene Tea range or Resene Sisal range? What do you suggest? The carpet is a beige neutral texture.

A. I am not sure that I would describe Resene Tea (yellow/green edge beige) as a light bright white - even the lighter versions of these colours can be more coloured than Resene Spanish White.

If you do want a light/bright white then you might check out these colours - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Eighth Truffle.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
December 2015

Q. I have a 50s ranch block home, which is seagrass green with white trim and a white shingle roof. The front block fence that runs to the street is white. I want to change the fence colour and am thinking of slate grey or should it be the same colour as the house? It also has a lush manicured lawn.

A. I think a slate grey would work very well - it is a fundamental neutral that goes with all other colours. I don't think using the same colour as the house would work as well and it may be too much 'seagrass green'.

December 2015

Q. We have painted our kitchen Resene Moonbeam yellow and want advice on what colour to paint the concrete floor.

A. I think deep greys or slate blue/grey may be worth checking out. Try Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Tuna, Resene Half New Denim Blue or Resene Avalanche.

Resene Moonbeam
Resene Moonbeam
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New
Denim Blue
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
December 2015

Q. I've painted my living room wall Resene Biscotti as I have a cream leather sofa, mahogany fireplace and solid beech floor. I'm struggling to accessorise i.e. curtains and rug etc. Can you advise?

A. You are fortunate - many colours will work with the wall colour. You could use a cream that matches the sofa or soft terracotta, chocolate browns or deep slate blues or bold teals. A deeper version of the wall colour will also work well.

As examples the following colours may help you find accessories and curtains - Resene Baroque, Resene Rough N Tumble, Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Seeker or Resene Double Biscotti.

Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
       
Resene Baroque
Resene Baroque
Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Seeker
Resene Seeker
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
December 2015

Q. I want to paint all interior walls of a house. I would like a white colour scheme but it has to be friendly with a kitchen with light cream cabinets and a honey/gold carpet. I love Karen Walker’s Resene Milk White. Would this work? I would be grateful for advice and suggestions for the walls, ceiling and trims.

A. Resene Milk White would need to be tested and seen in close proximity to the light cream cabinets and honey/gold carpet as it does have a tendency to pull up a cool mushroom grey undertone. If you paint up all of the Resene testpot/two coats onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges it will help you see more of the colour and it can be pinned on the walls and also placed close to the cabinets. The unpainted border helps you focus on the reality to the colour and keeps the tested sample away from any existing wall colour that may unduly influence it and make you see it 'wrong'.

If the mushroom grey undertone doesn't look good in the kitchen you could try Resene Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Half Sea Fog. If you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view and compare all of the colours they are able to be seen in A4 real paint samples in the Colour Library - it can be exceptionally helpful. When you don't compare colours you can totally misjudge what they are like in reality. If you want the ceilings and trims to be crisper/whiter and highlight the wall colour a little bit then you might use Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
December 2015

Q. What colour render for our house would look good with a Woodland Grey roof and fascia?

A. You could try Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Bone White, Resene Overland, Resene Climate or paler colours - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Double Merino or Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Overland
Resene Overland
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
 
December 2015

Q. I have a north facing house and I'm going for a French theme. My floors are a light walnut wood tile. I’m not sure what to paint my interior walls.

A. A French look often uses whites, very pale greys, and dusty blues and pale watery greens but only the 'whites' allow for you to accessorise with total freedom. Rooms that face to the north often get better sunlight flooding into the rooms in winter when the sun is lower in the sky but it is not so good the rest of the year. If you watch how far across the floor the sun comes into a room you will see what I mean. The walls are often in shadow. In order to have light (but not shadowy greyness on the walls) you may need to investigate these types of 'white' - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
December 2015

Q. We are about to build and need to agree on an external Rockcote colour. Our roof is going to be COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (same as Resene Element). We are having Cedar fascias and an exposed cedar truss under the entrance gable. We are looking at schist on the chimney but aren't sure what to paint the Rockcote or whether to have dark or silver aluminium. I want to stay away from blue/grey colours as I don't like them.

A. In regards to the powder coated joinery there aren't a huge amount of colours to choose from. I don't think there is an exact match to COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod so if you were wanting a dark colour you may need to check out a colour like Ironsand and if you were wanting a lighter colour (but not silver) you could look at Gull Grey.

Some suggestions for you to check out for the Rockcote - Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Double Stonehenge, Resene Friar Grey or Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
December 2015

Q. We are about to embark on painting the exterior of our house (fascia boards, eaves, fibre cement board sections, balcony and decorative railing, but not the bricks). We want to change the colour scheme from the existing terracotta and red colours to something more modern but are unsure what colours would look good with the existing bricks and what colour (same or different) to paint each area i.e. fascia boards, eaves and fibre cement boards etc.

We also want to paint the carport and the garage with the same colour scheme so that it all ties together. The roof of the house is all terracotta tiles (more of a red terracotta).

A. If your house has been chosen to create a monochromatic (very closely related tonally) colour palette using the colours in the ochre/brown and ginger/terracotta bricks, making changes is a little difficult - the window joinery, guttering, downpipes, garage door and roof and bricks will not be changing so they need to be incorporated somehow. It is a bit like saying 'I have an elephant and I want to turn it into a giraffe' if you understand my description of how it is for you.

I have come to the conclusion that you might investigate the possibility of using Resene Ironsand for the decorative railing and any other metal element and possibly a warm cream (with less peachy undertones in it) for the fibre cement board sections i.e. Resene Half Spanish White. These colours will create more light and dark contrast and will enhance the bricks and work with the existing window joinery colour and roof.

An alternative is to use Resene Coast for the decorative railing and any other metal element and a paler cream Resene Bianca for all the fibre cement board. This provides a complement (opposite across the Colour Wheel) to the terracotta and brick colours and a brighter contrast neutral.

Yes it is only two colours - a lot less that you have on the house now - but given that the brick is multi coloured, the roof is a definite colour and there is a lot of brown joinery etc, I don't think using lots of (extra) colours makes the house more interesting, just busier.

I do hope this is helpful. Please think through very carefully what you do have - and want to change.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
December 2015

Q. We want to paint our dark stained weatherboard house and wondered if we could run this colour scheme by you please? For the cladding we were thinking of Resene Silver Chalice, trim in Resene Alabaster and decks in Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey. The splash of colour would be the front door in Resene Dauntless, with a turquoise deck chair to match. What is your opinion on the colour scheme please? Will they all tie in? There is quite a lot of decking so I am concerned that it may look a bit dark.

A. I do like the colour scheme - very nice. Colours often appear lighter on an exterior so I don't think the Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey will be too dark but in saying that it is very light now so the added depth of colour will make for a hot surface for walking on - no bare feet for you! I definitely recommend using the CoolColour™ reformulated version of Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey to reduce some of the heat absorption away from the surface of the timber. You may notice movement in the deck - all wood expands and contracts with temperature changes but what may be more of a worry is the stress where the planks are nailed. This may cause some splitting of the planks or cupping.

Another option is to leave the dark stain on the house as it is but paint the deck in the Resene Silver Chalice.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
December 2015

Q. I have chosen cream carpet that throws a greeny tinge in certain light. Do I choose a blue base or cream base white to paint?

A. The carpet will exert a lot of 'controlling influence ' over any colour seen close to it so I suggest you may need to test several cream based whites to find the right one. I have a concern that any blue based white will appear grey or cold close to the carpet. If you paint all of the Resene testpot/two coats onto A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges it will help you focus on the reality of the colour and you can move the card from wall to wall/room to room to see how changing light and angles alters the colour - and it will - often quite a lot. These are a few that you could test to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Half Pearl Lusta.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
December 2015

Q. We are painting our house white. We have reclaimed brick steps. What colour would you suggest for doors and trims?

A. With a true white house you can have almost any colour at all for doors and trims. The world of colour charts is waiting for you to choose from. Isn't that a lovely thought? You might start by checking out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Seaweed, Resene Wimbledon, Resene Barometer, Resene Explorer, Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Double Trojan or Resene Intrepid.

Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Intrepid
Resene Intrepid
 
December 2015

Q. We are using Resene Half Rice Cake on the ceiling and Resene Sea Fog on walls. My husband wants to use the Resene Half Rice Cake on architravess but I think it might make the Resene Sea Fog throw too grey. What would you recommend?

A. These are two colours that I have never thought of using together - one being sharp and warm and the other a pale stone white/grey and both being of similar depth of colour. Any pale or whiter colour on the architraves will highlight the grey of Resene Sea Fog -but it won't throw more of a grey tone as it already is a grey tone. Perhaps you could use the same colour as the walls (but in a semi-gloss enamel) so that it is only a sheen difference - not a whiter colour difference. It is difficult to suggest a different colour as you have two colours already - but if you didn't want to use Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Rice Cake, you could consider using a deeper variant - Resene Double Sea Fog - which may make the Resene Sea Fog look 'whiter' by comparison.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
December 2015

Q. I would like to get some different colour scheme ideas for my Pallisade fencing and exterior surroundings. I do not like to be like everybody else with the same boring colours house after house after house same colour here and there.

A. You could look at using a charcoal (a timeless classic) or a green or dark blue (to balance all the brick and terracotta) - Resene Foundry, Resene Tiki Tour or Resene Regatta.

Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
December 2015

Q. We have a Mediterranean style home, which gives less natural light inside. We want to make the house feel warm, but still want to keep it neutral. We want to keep the house as light inside as possible. The lounge/dining is large in size and has a large red brick feature wall. The hall is long. The bedrooms are of average size. We don't mind some colour but we want to keep the house as light as possible. We also need to paint the exterior, which is plaster, and the roof is dark brown. There are arches along the front of the home. Suggestions of colours we could use?

A. Existing coloured elements will greatly influence the wall colour. Some colour ideas to get you started - Resene Quarter Joanna, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Sea Fog.

They are all quite different to each other. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them with each other this would be helpful. Placing a sheet of white printer paper near to them would help you judge the underlying tints and tones in each of the colours.

For the exterior the colour may need to be a deeper colour as bright natural light steals the depth of colour away and makes it look a lot lighter. Very pale colours can look quite 'white' because of that. Check these ones out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Double Akaroa.

Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Double Akaroa
Resene Double Akaroa
 
December 2015

Q. I have a paint colour chosen for my exterior joinery. I am trying to find a white/neutral to tone in. I am thinking Resene Cutty Sark for the joinery and perhaps Resene Half Napa for walls. I like the colours, but am not sure if they work together.

A. If your heart is set on such a lovely distinctive colour for the joinery - Resene Cutty Sark - it might be wise to lighten off your main house colour so it doesn't compete for attention. These are worth considering - Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Half Truffle – or whiter colours because they highlight the joinery colour more - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Cutty Sark
Resene Cutty Sark
       
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
December 2015

Q. I want to repaint my lounge room - south facing. It is a large room and it desperately needs some colour. I want to go for a monochromatic scheme - something dramatic using blues. Probably a feature wall of navy blue with a fireplace but the other walls painted a softer shade of blue and white woodwork and ceiling.

A. The blue theme that you are keen on may not be my first thought in regard your south facing lounge. South facing rooms aren't normally blessed by really warm natural light. Often they appear cool. Using blues - which are cool - will increase that ambiance. What other colours do you have in this room that are light and really warm to balance the cool colours? Do you want the blues to co-ordinate with the flooring, the drapes and the furniture - or are you getting these new to harmonise with the blues? You need to proceed cautiously and test your colours really well to ensure you get the look you want - you may need to compromise - yes I know that isn't a word that people like but it may be necessary.

In the meantime these are warmer blues that might not be too chilly - Resene St Kilda - feature wall and Resene Half Escape - main colour, or Resene True Blue - feature wall and Resene Frozen - main colour.

Resene St Kilda
Resene St Kilda
Resene Half Escape
Resene Half Escape
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Frozen
Resene Frozen
December 2015

Q. Our hallway needs new wallpaper. Two of the bedrooms are Resene Biscotti, a light beige, and one bedroom is a pastel yellow. The hallway is not long, but is fairly dark. What colour would work?

A. There are a tremendous amount of wallpaper patterns to choose from but I think because the hallway is dark you might look at a pale colour on a silky light reflecting surface. Keep in mind the colours you have in the bedrooms to use as inspiration as pale yellow and beige on a white background could be good. If the hallway isn't very long and has quite a few doors in it I suggest wallpaper without too much large pattern repeat may be wise. If you can't find something that really appeals to you then you might consider a 'Paint On’ type of plain or slightly textured wallpaper and use a paler version of the colours you have previously used in the bedrooms.

Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
December 2015

Q. I am having my house internally repainted in the New Year. I need some help putting together a colour scheme for the painter. Could someone help me out?

A. Any colours need to work harmoniously with existing colours- i.e. all flooring, drapes, furniture, soft furnishings and kitchen cabinets and work tops unless these are all being replaced. Are they? If this is the case them I suggest you choose all of these elements first - so you can have freedom of choice and not feel compromised by an existing wall colour denoting what you have to have - which is often the case.

So a benign neutral may need to be carefully chosen to co-ordinate well and not be discordant. There are hundreds to choose from. Testing the colours in the house allows you to see how they look with your things and how they alter at different times of the day and night - this is really important to know.

Things to think about

  • What colours are the fixed or unchangeable elements in your house - does the existing wall colour work well with them?
  • If you are thinking of a completely different look what colours do you favour?
  • Do you want the same colour throughout the house or do you want different rooms to have different colours?

I think you may need to do a little work in this regard to ensure you get something nice working for you. Remember that this is your home so it is all about you and your choices.

December 2015

Q. We are painting our house Resene Half Ash and the roof is Ironsand. What is a nice white that would be good for the window trims etc. that can also be a good white colour for internal window frames and ceilings?

A. You might consider these colours for the 'right white' to go with you house colours - Warm white - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or cool white - Resene Alabaster. The first is mellow and the second is crisper. Either would work well - so it is for you to decide which way to go for the white.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
December 2015

Q. We are embarking on a major renovation with our new roof in COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey, and can't decide whether to go with Resene Double Tea or Resene Napa for the exterior walls. Once we make that decision we'll need to decide on joinery - thinking either Matt Titania or Silver Pearl. Are there any tips for getting these colours right?

A. Either of the colours that you have mentioned will work - they have more brown in them compared to (warm grey) Sandstone Grey - but Resene Napa is slightly more subdued and has less yellow undertone in it.

Either Titania or Silver Pearl would work for the joinery but Titania is slightly more versatile and would work better with either main colour. If you wanted an option for a main colour that might work better with Silver Pearl you might need to consider a grey/beige like Resene Double Truffle.

COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
December 2015

Page 39

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

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