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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 41

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. 41

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


Q. For exterior what difference would Resene Double Black White be from Resene Merino to go with black aluminium? Looking for a white not too stark.

A. The difference between the two colours is the element of grey in Resene Double Black White and the element of yellow/green in Resene Merino. Though they are similar in colour depth, Resene Double Black White will always appear cool/shadowy compared to Resene Merino which is bright/warmer. Both will work with black aluminium.

I suggest you get both in testpots and two A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops)s and paint (two coats/all of the testpot) onto the cards leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. Pin to the wall either side of a black framed window and check out from a distance and close up what the colours look like. Move them around the house to see how they alter in natural light/shade and angles. This way you will be able to see how the colours change and in a large enough format to judge what they are truly like.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
January 2016

Q. We are looking for just the right neutral/light beige tone to paint throughout our house that will work well with the accessories in the kids’ bedrooms (everything from pink, blue, red to orange) and will work with our darkish brown carpet. I was fairly set on Resene Solitaire but having painted one room in it I am not so sure. I'm going to get some more tester pots today and hoped you may have some suggestions. So far we don't like Resene Half Haystack or Resene Dutch White. The Resene Solitaire is close but maybe it's the yellow it's based on that is the problem? The depth of colour of the Resene Solitaire is fine (not too dark or too light) so we are looking at possibly one of the Resene Biscotti variants, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Tea or Resene Half Tea or Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay. I guess it is a beige we are looking for that will work well with all colours but has a slightly more modern dirtier tint with it.

A. I think it may be one of these colours - Resene Half Spanish White (not as peachy as Resene Solitaire - more cream/ beige toned) or Resene Albescent White (not quite as creamy beige as Resene Half Spanish White - more quiet neutral beige).

Testpots ideally shouldn't be painted onto coloured walls as it makes it difficult to truly judge the colour.

The best way to test colours is to paint up all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted narrow border all around the edges. This helps you focus and see the real depth of the colour and the large card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how it alters according to natural and artificial light and the other colours within the rooms.

If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look down into it that will give you a good idea of how deep the colour will look when all four walls are painted - it is always stronger in depth than you might imagine.

Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
 
January 2016

Q. I am having trouble deciding on the perfect exterior white for our house. I want a crisp but not cold and stark white. Our painter suggested Resene Black White but that feels too cold to me. It is a 1960s weatherboard home in a sunny location (north facing). The roof (concrete tiles) will be painted black and I want white on the exterior walls and window trims/facings. We have chosen Appliance White for the aluminium windows. We have narrowed down to the Resene Rice Cake family for the white and have painted test patches on the existing weatherboard. The Resene Half Rice Cake looks quite creamy, so we were thinking either the Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Is the Resene Eighth Rice Cake too stark? Also, do people normally have the window trims match exactly the aluminium? If so, what colour (Resene Rice Cake family or other) would you say is the closest match to the Appliance White?

A. If you have tested colours on the existing weatherboards (coloured?) then you may not be seeing the true reality of the colour. The greater amount of weatherboard colour will influence what you see and may be misleading. I always recommend painting all of the testpot/two coats onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. This can be pinned to the surface and viewed from close up and far away. It can be moved around all of the sides of the house to see how the natural light and shade alter it. The unpainted border acts as a break between the existing wall colour and the test colour so your eye focuses on it and you can see the reality of the colour in a large enough format to judge it.

Appliance White powder coat looks quite cool and slightly grey in its undertone compared to any of the Resene Rice Cake palette of colours because they are yellow/green and sharp toned. Is this what you are looking for? Or would you prefer a white that is as similar to the Appliance White as possible - lighter or deeper?

Resene does have a colour match on file for Appliance White powder coat - if that is exactly what you want for the window trims? It isn't available as a standard testpot however.

The most similar paint colour apart from that exact match is Resene Half Sea Fog. Slightly deeper (but not really because bright natural light steals the colour and makes it seem much brighter) is Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
     
January 2016

Q. We have done the ceilings in Resene Eighth Spanish White then the walls and woodwork in Resene Half Spanish White. What colour would you recommend for the doors?

A. It really depends on whether you want the doors to blend in with the other woodwork or stand out as a tonal but deeper colour. Blending in would be Resene Half Spanish White. Deeper but tonal would be Resene Spanish White.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
January 2016

Q. Our current external house feature colour is COLORBOND® Woodland Grey and the main upstairs weatherboard external colour is COLORBOND® Surfmist. I'm looking for an ‘in between’ colour for a small extension at the front of our house, which will be finished in Scyon Stria material, and the downstairs brick part of the house. The colour is currently COLORBOND® Dune which I'm not really happy with. Would the COLORBOND® Shale Grey work for this space?

A. You might look at these 'in between' colours to see if any of them appeals to you – Resene Tapa, Resene Climate or Resene Foggy Grey.

COLORBOND® Shale Grey is nice too and if you were interested in comparing this colour with the others I have suggested it is called Resene Atmosphere on the Resene Roof Systems colour chart.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
January 2016

Q. Our new home has a large kitchen/dining/living area in the form of open plan living. There is a veranda with a roof all along the longest wall (14m x 7m). I feel it is going to be dark down one end and am thinking of painting the ceiling white to try to reflect some light. I would like to know which of the Resene whites is the best white to achieve this. I am thinking a bright white and maybe even some sheen. Also need advice on wall colours.

A. Whites that have the slightest tinge of yellow in them appear brighter than pure white so perhaps you could look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Bianca. Alternatively Resene White - this is the standard White - but it may throw a little grey in the shadows.

Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene White
Resene White
January 2016

Q. We like colours like greens, purples, blues and a bit of pink. We would like to use these for feature walls. What is a good neutral/low-key colour that would complement these that we could paint the majority of the house in (e.g. hallway)?

A. These colours are good obliging neutrals - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Black White or Resene Bianca.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
January 2016

Q. We have a Titania roof and gutters and Silver Pearl aluminium joinery. We are struggling to pick a colour for the weatherboards and cedar shingles.

A. It can be difficult choosing main house colours when the roof and joinery are a pale colour. A white will always work for you and very deep colours also. Perhaps look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Weatherboards - Resene Half Rice Cake and cedar shingles - Resene Double Ash, or Weatherboards - Resene Quarter Evolution and cedar shingles - Resene Armadillo, or Weatherboards - Resene Quarter Ash and cedar shingles - Resene Archive Grey.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
January 2016

Q. I am struggling to find a deck stain to work with the red brick. I'm not keen on yellow, red or orange tones. I was hoping for a natural look with the grain showing through, but the Resene Natural seems quite yellow, and Resene Kwila orange. The timber is quite pale with little grain.

A. If the wood doesn't have natural colour or much grain either (some woods don't have that sort of character until they are ancient trees) it needs to be given character - a very natural (no colour) stain will only emphasise the yellowness of the pale wood. Very red/brown colours (like Resene Kwila) or ginger/brown colours (like Resene Heartwood and Resene Cedar) will look very bright as the wood is so pale it just grabs the colour and emphasises it. Perhaps test on a large offcut of timber a less red toned brown like Resene Woodsman stain Dark Oak.

You need to apply all of the testpot - two coats - to see the ultimate depth. If this still looks too red then you might look at a 50:50 intermix of two colours - one to add depth and character and the other to warm it up, such as Resene Woodsman Timberland and Resene Woodsman Nutmeg.

If this worked well and you liked it then equal amounts - i.e. 4 litres of each colour mixed together well in a 10 litre pail - is the method of mixing the two together prior to application.

If you have 'gone off' the idea of natural wood colour then an earthy deep stain colour like Resene Woodsman stain Banjul might work for you - this could be a natural balance to work with the brick of the house.

Resene Natural
Resene Natural
Resene Kwila
Resene Kwila
Resene Heartwood
Resene Heartwood
Resene Cedar Woodsman
Resene Cedar
Resene Timberland
Resene Timberland
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
 
January 2016

Q. We are looking for a neutral white to paint the interior of a house with dark grey carpet and a mixture of dark grey and wooden effect lino flooring. It is open and sunny.

A. Even totally pure white (Resene White) can alter in different rooms/different light aspects. You might need to paint up large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) card samples of several 'whites' to see how they look with your flooring and when the natural and artificial light changes. Pin the card on the wall and move them around the walls and into different rooms - this will help you judge what they are really like. Try these colours – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Barely There. There are also variations (lighter /darker) of these colours for you to check out if you need to.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
January 2016

Q. I'm building a house and the exterior colour is Resene Half Regent Grey with Resene Half Black White trims. Could you suggest an inside colour paint that is neutral with some slight depth that would tone with the exterior colours? We are looking at wooden flooring inside.

A. These are a few that might appeal to you to get you started – Resene Black White, Resene White Thunder, Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Geyser.

Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
   
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
January 2016

Q. I am a big fan of the Brit. TV drama Downton Abbey. In the opening credits there is a shot of a woman's bedroom. I love this green. There is a luminous emerald quality that I would love to create.

A. I have been waiting for someone to ask me about that particular emerald green. It was called Paris Green (aka Scheeles' Green) and originally (in the era) was made from highly toxic ingredients i.e arsenic etc - so if you didn't get sick from touching it you could use it to help annihilate rats as it was used for that purpose also. If you are interested in historic colours you could read more about this particular green on Wikipedia.

I suggest you look at Resene Spring Green or Resene Oxley (safer pigments are now used).

Resene Spring Green
Resene Spring Green
Resene Oxley
Resene Oxley
January 2016

Q. I have no specific idea what colour to paint my room other than it possibly being a baby colour. I want something that is subtle and makes the room a comfortable environment. I have the usual blue bed stuff and plan to have warm coloured tapestry. I don’t want a powerful colour. I want something cool or cruisy. Perhaps a colour that'll make you know it’s there but it’s not distracting.

A. Have you thought of a pale aqua tint? They are cool and cruisy for some – you could try Resene Reservoir or lighter in tone - Resene Mint Tulip.

Otherwise a good idea is to view the Resene colour charts and see which colours you are drawn to.

Resene Reservoir
Resene Reservoir
Resene Mint Tulip
Resene Mint Tulip
January 2016

Q. I'm currently working on an assignment for the Interior Design Institute which requires me to come up with Resene colour schemes for the ground floor of a house. I'm a little stuck and hoping for some help.

I'm having a bit of trouble finding the codes to separate the 12 main colour types on the colour wheel. This is all I've managed to find, a pdf on colour coding, which separate the 6 main types but doesn't break down further:
Red: 357 - 39
Orange: 40 - 69
Yellow: 70 - 90
Green: 91 - 204
Blue: 205 - 284
Violet: 285 - 356

My query is in regards to an analogous colour scheme, as the colours I'm looking at for the assignment are quite similar. I want to ensure I have the correct code to distinguish between blue, blue green and green, assuming this is the way to do it?

A. There is no super easy colour coded way of creating an analogous palette of colours. A long time ago when I was learning my craft the exercise in understanding this type of scheme meant I had to design a print for fabric using a pattern of my choice to depict the 'appropriateness' of my colours. My pattern was 'sea/waves' and I used a deep Maritime blue to depict deeper waters and shadows and brighter blue green for (semi-transparent colour as if sun light is reflecting through it) waves and slightly blue edged greens to depict sea weeds - this was on a pure white background (neutral of choice) which was used to blend my three related colours - as palest tints of the sea foam. You might check out these colours from The Range 2016 fan deck to try to imagine my concept - Resene True Blue, Resene Dauntless or Resene Renew.

It is probably easiest using a primary colour as the start point colour in an analogous colour concept. All of the colours in an analogous concept rely upon different levels of depth - to allow for each colour to sit well and harmoniously with each other and not resonate equally (this creates a discord or clash of strength) as the exact same luminance or saturation. To make it a balanced palette one colour is always more dominant and the other two (decreasing) lesser amounts.

Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Renew
Resene Renew
January 2016

Q. We are just deciding on whites for two very sunny rooms at the back of our house. We like Resene Alabaster and the Resene Black White family for the walls. We like very white whites but with the sun we don't want glare. Can you give us some advice for bright rooms but still retaining the crisp white look? The two rooms next to these ones as well as the hallway have much less light and are quite dark so some advice on which black whites to use would be great too.

A. Resene Black White may be a good choice for a very bright room - it has a subtle grey shadow in it so it doesn't glare - and it can be used with Resene Alabaster on the ceilings and woodwork to create a lovely 'white on white' look.

Rooms and hallways that are dimmer might look better in a slightly warmer (less grey) tint of 'white' - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Merino. Either colour would work well with Resene Alabaster for ceilings and woodwork.

A word to the wise - the colour on window walls will always have more shadow on it so may not look as 'white' as the walls that get sunshine on them all day long. Colours alter a lot so it does pay to apply testpots onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and then move it around from wall to wall/room to room to see what chameleon traits the colour (yes even Resene Alabaster and Resene Black White ) has so that you know exactly how it will alter.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2016

Q. We have a modern house that was built 20 years ago, architecturally designed so there are some high studs and lots of natural light. We'd like to create a modern Scandinavian look inside and I'm thinking of using Resene Alabaster for all of downstairs (living and kitchen area), including for all door frames and skirting, as well as ceilings as they are quite angular and not straight/flat. For bedrooms I'm thinking Resene Merino or Resene Half Merino to create a bit of warmth. Our floor is vinyl in living areas but looks like timber and there is a silver/grey carpet in the bedrooms. Is Resene Alabaster too white? I want to create a fresh but warm look in the living areas. Is it best to keep door frames, ceiling and doors Resene Alabaster as well? What other colour would you suggest for some warmth in the bedrooms other than Resene Merino? We are using all Resene colours so please let me know if you'd think any of your other colours would achieve the look better. We will add splashes of colour through some wallpaper at the entrance and our children's bedroom, as well as by using colourful accessories e.g. rugs, cushions and blankets.

A. I think your idea of using the same 'white' for walls, ceilings and woodwork is a very good idea. Sheen levels will create a subtle difference for each surface - i.e woodwork requires a semi-gloss (or gloss) whereas walls are usually a low sheen acrylic and ceilings a true flat (matt) acrylic finish.

No I don't think Resene Alabaster is too white but if you had any reservations then you could test out Resene Double Alabaster. For the bedrooms I suggest you use Resene Half Merino for just a hint of warmth.

If you used Resene Double Alabaster as a main colour then it may be appropriate to use ( full strength) Resene Merino but it pays to know - in advance of painting - that all colours appear deeper in an interior as angles of walls, light and shade etc intensify colour often doubling its depth.

As an alternative to the Resene Merino palette for bedrooms you might check out Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Sea Fog - it has amazing undertones of palest grey, green or bone in it dependent upon the quality of light and what other colours are seen close to it.

Colours alter a lot so it does pay to apply testpots onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and then move it around from wall to wall/room to room to see what chameleon traits the colour has so that you know exactly how it will alter.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
January 2016

Q. We are using Midland Brick (Limestone) and LINEA® Board and I'm just not sure about what colour to use for the LINEA®. Would it be better if it matched the brick or was a contrast? The joinery and reveals around the windows in the LINEA® board are matt Ironsand, so are a dark contrast. I'm considering doing the roof dark too.

A. The roof might be the same as the joinery - Ironsand - and the LINEA® in a deep but not dark colour like one of these colours – Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Masala or Resene Gravel.

You could match the brick if you don't want the LINEA® to stand out in any way. If you decided to do that then the best way to get a colour to look like the brick is to take a brick into a Resene ColorShop and check out the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library to be certain of a good match. Trying to match to photo representation of the brick colour may lead you in the wrong direction and you could end up with an 'off' colour which may endlessly annoy your eye every time you look at it. If you can’t find a match to the brick in the Resene colour range, Resene ColorShop staff can create a colour match for you.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
January 2016

Q. My house roof is Resene Rivergum and the exterior walls are Resene Smooth Operator. What do you recommend for an accent colour? At present the colour is similar to Tuscan.

A. I think you might check out pale crisp accents and very deep accents like these ones to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Bianca, Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Forest Green or Resene Burgundy.

Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Smooth Operator
Resene Smooth Operator
   
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Forest Green
Resene Forest Green
Resene Burgundy
Resene Burgundy
January 2016

Q. We have just painted a concrete block flat in Resene Tea. There are six flats and three are painted. We would also like to paint the block perimeter fence. Someone likes Resene Half Stonehenge but I think it looks too grey and cold. I think Resene Triple Napa or Resene Double Napa would look better.

A. I am a little inclined to agree with you in regard the grey undertone of Resene Half Stonehenge. Resene Double Napa or Resene Triple Napa are much warmer and look nice with Resene Tea.

If there is some dispute between the browner or the greyer colour for the fence an alternative suggestion might be Resene Triple Truffle which is neither too grey or too brown - but still warm toned and working when seen near Resene Tea.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
January 2016

Q. We are starting a complete house renovation and adding another level to our home - its a modern contemporary look. The exterior has a mono pitched roof and I have selected Grey Friars for the roof/garage door and front door. We have white joinery and a touch of vertical cedar. My question is about a weatherboard colour? I like the look of white even though the joinery is white. Could you suggest a white colour please?

A. I like your idea of having a clean crisp look for the weatherboards - there are so many gorgeous 'whites' to choose from. These are a few that may be worth checking out – Resene Double Black White, Resene Black Haze, Resene Barely There or Resene Half Concrete.

These suggestions have a little soft grey undertone to them (looks good with the Grey Friars roof/garage/doors) so that the white powder coated joinery might still 'pop' a little.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
January 2016

Q. I have chosen Resene Spun Pearl for the doors and frames and below dado board tongue and groove. I have chosen Resene Half Dutch White so these are warm and cold opposites. We need to keep the large hall warm but need to have serviceable colours on the doors and frames where it will be full gloss enamel. Have I chosen wisely for a colour that should last a few years? I had chosen red and French grey; however, with advice have gone off the red and stuck to the two colours of white and grey.

A. I really like your colour choices. Both are warm toned colours - the Resene Half Dutch White has a candle glow of yellow/orange at its heart and the Resene Spun Pearl has undertones of mysterious smoky warm purple in it. These types of colours harmonise well together.

Small touches (this might be as simple a thing as the frames of photos or prints or colours in accessories etc) that will add to the general loveliness of your new palette of colours are soft aubergines and mysterious warm deep greys and fresh green and terracotta/red and sunset golds.

Resene Spun Pearl
Resene Spun Pearl
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
January 2016

Q. I am purchasing a house and it has those orangey oak cabinets. I don't love them because they are quite dated. I was wondering how they would look if I whitewashed them only do a greywash instead? My husband does not want to paint them white, he wants to be different. White was my first choice but I am open to white or greywash if the orangey colour does not bleed through.

A. A wash type of paint finish is a semi-transparent film that allows the colour of the wood to be seen. The wash isn't like a solid paint as it doesn't cover the wood totally blocking out the original colour. There is a product that is applied over older polyurethaned (yellowy) Lockwood pine walls (as several coats) that may be worth investigating. It is called Resene Colorwood Whitewash and it is a milky white clear coating.

If this wasn't the look you wanted to achieve then an alternative option would be to wash the surfaces with sugar soap to remove any build-up of grime and wax or polish, rinse well, sand the surface of the oak thoroughly to remove any old varnish systems and to open up the grain, then rub diluted pale grey paint into the surface. It may need several thin coats to get the look you want and it would definitely pay to do samples first to make sure it will turn out as you want it to. The dilution is achieved by using equal parts 50:50 of Resene Paint Effects Medium (a clear acrylic glaze) and the acrylic paint colour of your choice. Using a lint free cloth (an old t- shirt is good) saturated in this mix and rung out (yes gloves are a necessity) rub (as if you were polishing the surfaces) all over. Let dry. Apply again. Let dry. These steps may need to be repeated. When it is 'coloured' enough to satisfy you and evenly applied you can let it cure for several days before applying a low sheen water based polyurethane - Resene Aquaclear - as a protective coating.

I do hope this information is helpful. Have I done this sort of thing? Yes many years ago. The secret to getting the look right is really good preparation and perseverance. It pays to take the phone off the hook and tell people you are away on holiday so there are no disturbances.

January 2016

Q. We are building a new house and the roof is Sandstone Grey. I would like some suggestions as to a colour that would work well on board and batten? Has to be a reasonably light colour (40% LRV). I would appreciate your help. I am looking at Resene Thorndon Cream.

A. Colours that are light but close to the recommended maximum LRV 40% are a lot deeper than what you are looking at. Resene Thorndon Cream has a LRV 71% so is quite light and bright - this is very nice.

For colours similar to this so you can check them out and compare them you might look at these ones – Resene Titania (LRV 67%), Resene Double Merino (LRV 72%) or Resene Triple Sea Fog (LRV 62%).

For deeper colours (closer to LRV 40%) you check out these ones – Resene Half Atmosphere (LRV 59%), Resene Double Truffle (LRV 44%) or Resene Triple Ash (LRV 40%).

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
 
January 2016

Q. Could you please suggest colours for the house I've just bought? The exterior is plaster over brick, and the window frames are cool white aluminium. I like natural colours and greys but I would like the house to look warm.

A. If the white aluminium windows are a very cool grey/blue toned white (if you place a sheet of printer paper (true white) next them you may notice this) - you may need to adjust your expectation of what type of greys will look good with them. You might start by looking at these colours to see how they look with the more definite 'white' windows - Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Whiteout or Resene Double Concrete.

You mention wanting the house to look 'warm' - some greys don't bring out that ambiance but all greys look good with hot colours - so garden plants, small painted trims, the letterbox, small concrete retaining walls and especially doors can be as warm toned as you fancy and it is amazing how small accents of the right type of warm colours make you think the whole look is 'warm'. I am looking at colours like these ones as inspiration - fuchsia pinks, magenta's, burgundies, rich royal purples and vibrant indigo blues.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
January 2016

Q. I am in need of some colour advice for our new house build. We have an open plan dining/kitchen with adjoining living room with expansive views of the sea. The kitchen/dining has a raked ceiling with beams. I am thinking of using Resene Kensington Grey for the walls and Resene Half Black White for architraves/skirtings and possibly the ceiling. For the adjoining living I was going to use Resene Fuscous Grey. Will these colours match well into each other? Hamptons/Transitional is our inspiration so would these colours work well? I am worried these colours are not 'lifting' enough and if so what would you recommend instead? We also have a small office with no natural light and am unsure as to what colour will brighten this room. For the raked ceiling area would you recommend we painted the ceiling Resene Half Black White or the same colour as the walls? I also want to create a breezy, elegant feeling master bedroom and was wondering if Resene Breathless would work for this.

A. Resene Kensington Grey is a nice mid toned grey which will look a lot deeper when more than one wall is painted. It might be described as Contemporary/Urban rather than Hamptons/Transitional. It isn't wholly happy to associate with Resene Fuscous Grey as they are quite unrelated in their undertones. They will both go well with Resene Half Black White - this is a very obliging 'white' and works with a lot of colours.

Perhaps a slightly lighter warmer grey might be used instead of the Resene Kensington Grey - you could check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Mountain Mist.

If a lighter look with more of an airy feel is wanted then some rooms could look good with both the walls and ceilings painted Resene Half Black White. The Hamptons look usually has the beams at the ceiling level painted to match the ceiling and if there is a wood influence it is often just the floor boards or furniture.

For the breezy, elegant look in the main bedroom you might look at several blues as well as the very pretty feminine Resene Breathless. Other colours to try are Resene Designer White, Resene Link Water or a lighter version of Resene Breathless – Resene Half Breathless.

They all have a violet undertone in the blue - so they are similar but slightly greyer, bluer or whiter. Colours in an interior double in their intensity and depth as well as react with changing natural and artificial light. They appear quite different with other colours seen close by so it is really important to test the colours to see how they alter.

To see large samples of these (and other) colours I suggest you check out the A4 real paint sheets at your local Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library. You will find it really helpful. Testpots are your best friend - painting two coats/all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving it around from wall to wall/room to room is the best way to judge the reality of colour.

Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Breathless
Resene Breathless
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene Link Water
Resene Link Water
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Breathless
January 2016

Q. We are ready to paint the exterior of our bungalow again. Currently it is painted Resene Eagle (walls), Resene Black Forest (sills, trim, door), and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta (windows). We think we'll keep the Resene Black Forest, but I wouldn't mind a change of colour for the walls. I notice Resene Bombay is mentioned as a complementary colour, but would be keen for other suggestions.

A. Resene Bombay is a nice grey and if you favour going the grey way then you might also check out Resene Quarter Tapa and slightly paler greyed tones like Resene Eighth Friar Grey and Resene Half Mountain Mist. You might notice however that the Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta looks a bit stronger and slightly yellower than it did when you had Resene Eagle as the main colour. If this is a problem it may pay to go lighter/whiter - i.e. Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta - so the colour doesn't 'yellow' as much and gives an extra degree of clean contrast.

Some other colours that you might check out as well to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Truffle.

Resene Eagle
Resene Eagle
Resene Black Forest
Resene Black Forest
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Bombay
Resene Bombay
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
January 2016

Q. I want to repaint our living area. From the living area you can see into the kitchen, where the cupboards are painted Resene Hermitage, and into the hall, which has been painted Resene Zeppelin. The carpet is a light beige. I want a nice fresh neutral colour.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Eighth Fossil.

These are light fresh neutrals which should work with your dominant colour which is the carpet.

Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
Resene Zeppelin
Resene Zeppelin
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
January 2016

Q. We are renovating a 1970s single storey house set on a ridge looking out to wide sea views. The garage door is Ironsand; the new aluminium joinery is anodised architectural series with large ranch sliders to the views. We are going to clad the walls in part with vertical cedar and for the other portion plaster over the brick to give a smooth finish. We have chosen a neutral cool coastal palette for the interior and are now wondering what colours to choose for the cedar, plaster and roof - a new long run COLORSTEEL®? We had been thinking about a mid grey roof and plaster with a cherry cedar stain.

A. I have thought about the roof and your idea of a mid grey colour and I am a bit worried that it might not work so well because of the Ironsand garage doors which are an earthy brown based charcoal. Is there any reason that you might not use the same - Ironsand - on the roof so it co-ordinates with the garage doors?

Or would it matter if your colour ideas of greys and red tones plus the anodised aluminium joinery made the garage doors look much browner than they may appear now?

There is a new warm charcoal COLORSTEEL® called TernStyle that might be worth checking out - it is a bit deeper than you may have considered - but it may look smart as a roof colour and work well with the Ironsand garage doors.

New cedar cladding - be careful of red stains - they are often a lot redder than you think. If you are considering a warm cedar type colour you might look at these colours – Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain – in Resene Oiled Cedar, Resene Jarrah Tree or Resene Cherrywood.

A word to the wise - cedar is not a low maintenance timber and any natural stains need re-coating every 2-3 years in order to maintain a protective coating. If it is allowed to fade back the cedar starts to get a very 'hairy' surface which is the breakdown of the cellulose fibres on the surface of the wood and the start of hard work because it needs to be scraped and sanded back to a hard smooth surface to allow any coating to adhere to it. Paint lasts longer (before re-coating) and affords a higher level of protection to the soft cedar timber so you may want to consider that as an option.

Plaster finish over brick - a mid toned grey would need to be warm and slightly brown based to work well with the garage doors and the roof so these are a few that you might check out – Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Half Gauntlet.

Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Jarrah Tree
Resene Jarrah Tree
Resene Cherrywood
Resene Cherrywood
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
January 2016

Q. My wife and I are looking to repaint our concrete tiled roof, guttering, fascias and front door. The house is brick veneer with dark speckled brick (black, red, yellow, brown). The windows are bronze anodised, the roof and guttering are a light green. Would very much appreciate some guidance with colours as we would like it all to look like it was meant to be.

A. If the roof was originally a light olive based green (similar to COLORSTEEL® Mist Green) and the green colour works, you might try alternative greens and possibly a deep blue/green or a deep blue based charcoal – Resene Rivergum, Resene Jurassic, Resene Port Phillip, Resene Coast or Resene High Tide.

You could use whatever colour that you choose for the roof on the front door also - to keep the look simple and to not add more colours to the (already) very coloured exterior.

Because the window joinery is a brown/bronze colour you might also look at using that sort of colour to the front door and the roof but a bit darker to add a bit of elegance - i.e. Resene Ironsand.

COLORSTEEL® Mist Green
COLORSTEEL® Mist Green
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
 
January 2016

Q. We were hoping to get some advice if possible regarding which colours (stain or paint) to paint our house - weatherboards and corrugate iron cladding. At the moment we really don't have any sort of idea what will look good but were hoping for something which looked quite modern.

A. If the timber has nothing on it but has just weathered then you might consider a deep coloured wood stain like Resene Woodsman – Resene Sheer Black or Resene Banjul. These colours would be deep enough to be interesting and warm toned.

If you would prefer a paint finish (less natural looking but with a longer paint lifecycle) you might check out Resene Masala or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Whether it is a wood stain or an acrylic paint I do recommend you use a Resene CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colours mentioned in order to get as much heat reflection (not heat absorption) in order to help protect the timber from possible heat/U.V. damage.

The corrugate iron cladding (natural now) might be painted a cheeky bold colour - it would be a 'wow' feature but seeing as the iron is such a small portion of the house it wouldn't be too much. You might look at Resene Clockwork Orange or Resene Wimbledon.

The porch entry walls and any other parts of the house that is are plastered or block work could be painted a warm grey/earthy colour - i.e. Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Quarter Tapa.

The roof (if it is to be painted) could be Resene Element - dark is always smart looking - and this might also be used on the garage door.

Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Wimbledon
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Element
Resene Element
January 2016

Q. We have a New Denim Blue COLORSTEEL® roof. We need to paint the exterior weatherboard walls and windows. The windows we are thinking Resene Double Alabaster (as this is what we have on the interior). The walls we are not sure about - thinking Resene Eighth Tana? We want something that will contrast with the window trim in a light colour.

A. It is a good idea to use Resene Double Alabaster for the windows.

I am not sure about the Resene Eighth Tana for the weatherboards - for a lot of the day you may see very little difference between it and the window colour - bright natural light strips colour away on an exterior and as these two colours are super close already in depth you may end up disappointed. If you were desperate to have Resene Eighth Tana as a main colour then you may need to use Resene Half Alabaster as a window colour to create any sort of contrast.

Or, alternatively, if the Resene Double Alabaster is definitely not up for a change then you might need to deepen the main colour on the weatherboards to Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Tapa or Resene Half Ash to create the contrast.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
 
January 2016

Q. We want to paint our sleep out. We will eventually paint the house and we want them to complement each other. We live near the beach and we like the steely blue and putty colours. We have brown aluminium joinery. Can you recommend some colours and whether we should paint the sleep out a dark or light colour?

A. Will you mind if the dark brown aluminium windows don't look good with the steely blue and putty colours? If they are not being changed to some other coloured joinery then any colour for the sleep out - and eventually the house - needs to work with the existing brown joinery.

The brown aluminium joinery can be painted over if it was the only thing that stopped you from achieving the nice coastal inspired look you want to create. It that a possibility? It would need a thorough scrub/clean to remove the powdery oxidization; a light sand and one coat of etch primer - Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer - applied prior to painting with two coats of a topcoat colour of your choice. This way they might be painted the same colour as the sleep out so they merged and 'disappeared' instead of being a feature colour.

Some steely blue colours that you might check out – Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Avalanche or Resene Ivanhoe. Some putty colours that you might check out are Resene Caraway, Resene Fossil or Resene Double White Pointer.

Painting the sleep out a lighter colour would emphasise the existing dark brown windows - a lot.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
Resene Ivanhoe
Resene Ivanhoe
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
January 2016

Q. I am stumped on what colours would be best for my new house. It's very grey as you can see and in various shades... It's also very spacious. Some think I should go NY loft industrial style with black features. We do have furniture that lends to that.

We are looking at changing our pendants to big industrial pendants and perhaps changing the kitchen cabinet doors to all white (they are a creamy colour).

The other feature is that in the right corner opposite a wallpaper TV wall is a black fireplace (firebox with exposed black flue).

A. I like the idea of a New York loft/industrial style that you are considering. I especially like the idea you have of using big industrial pendant lights and black features.

New York loft style apartments are often very plain - sandblasted brick or white plastered walls, concrete pillars and (very scuffed) wooden floors. It is what goes into the space that makes it exciting. If you like the idea of NY loft/industrial but want the look personalised somewhat then you might consider a mural depicting a huge skyline view of Manhattan or alternatively an over scale geometric textured wallpaper as a feature - this will add a bit of 'wow'. It has to be overlarge or colourful/dynamic otherwise it won't suit the style you are trying to create. Some apartments hang huge oriental rugs on the walls so they are 'art' - another idea worth considering. This provides a 'softening' look to an area that some people might consider stark.

If you paint all the walls and ceilings in a slightly 'off' white colour - i.e. Resene Double Black White or Resene Sea Fog you may need to make sure the kitchen cabinetry is a really stark pure White - i.e. a slick gloss Resene White - to create bright contrast.

You could paint a background wall in your kitchen/stair area in black or even Resene Blackboard Paint.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
January 2016

Q. I would like to use a green in our bathroom. We have a lot of rimu joinery - ceiling, and door frames. The bathroom is not very big so not anything too dark. The other alternative is a fresh blue.

A. The rimu ceiling in particular absorbs a lot of light so in order for the room to look well balanced and brighter these fresh uplifting greens and blues might be worth checking out – Resene Surf Crest, Resene Edgewater, Resene Ashanti, Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Half Escape or Resene Morning Glory.

Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Edgewater
Resene Edgewater
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Escape
Resene Half Escape
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Morning Glory
January 2016

Q. We need some advice on colour combinations for interior and exterior colour for our house.

A. With no information from you to base colour suggestions on these combinations are a suggestion to get you started. You will need to make sure the colours co-ordinate in a harmonious way with any existing coloured elements you already have i.e. carpets, drapes, soft furnishings, kitchen cabinets and work tops, etc.

Some starting colour scheme:
Exterior - Main colour - Resene Triple Rice Cake, trim #1 - Resene Eighth Rice Cake - all 'white' areas, trim #2 - Resene Smashing - doors, roof - Resene Rivergum - window sills/door steps and fences - Resene Double Friar Grey.

Interior - Main colour - Resene Rice Cake - all rooms, ceilings and wooden trim work - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or doors or feature walls - Resene Eighth Friar Grey.

Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
     
January 2016

Q. We have tried many testpots for a mid to dark true grey for weatherboards. The windows will stay stained. We have looked at Resene Gumboot for the veranda posts. Can you suggest a non purple grey? It's a big change to our house and we want to get it right as it’s a rural setting and I don't want the house colour to be too out there.

A. Try these colours and see if they appeal - Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Mako or Resene Steel Grey.

All greys carry multi colourants in them (none are black with just varying degrees of white) so they are all 'coloured' in some way. It pays to paint them onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) white card leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so you can see and judge their undertones. This then can be taped to the house and moved around onto each face of the house so that you can see how natural light alters it. If testpots are applied to an already coloured surface the greater amount of colour on the house alters (negatively) your perception of what the tested colour is truly like.

I definitely recommend that whatever mid-dark grey that you use that you use the Resene CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour in order to minimise - as much as technology can - the extreme heat factor that will be attracted to the surface of the planks.

Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Mako
Resene Mako
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
January 2016

Q. We have Resene Stonewall as our exterior house cladding (plaster) colour with white on trim and guttering. We live rural. Suggestions please for the roof colour - Ironsand maybe?

A. If you are painting the roof you might look at Resene Ironsand (very popular choice) or perhaps these other colours may be worth checking out also – Resene Squall, Resene Windswept or Resene Karaka.

If you are re-roofing or need powder coat options (garage, sheds or fences) then the colours above are matched to COLORSTEEL® colours – Ironsand, Thunder Grey, Tern Style and Karaka.

Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey
COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
   
January 2016

Q. We have used Resene paint colours: Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Thorndon Cream and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. We would like a slightly more grey hue but not darker. Do you have any suggestions of combinations for us to use? We have a 1920s bungalow, with a very traditional layout.

A. Similar but slightly greyer colours might be these ones – Resene White Pointer, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Quarter White Pointer, or these ones – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Sea Fog (also known as Resene Double Alabaster).

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
January 2016

Q. What exterior colour will go with green aluminium joinery and roof?

A. If you have a deep green on the roof and joinery, it is likely to be Permanent Green which is quite a classic and looks good with a lot of colours. These are a few that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Double Merino, Resene Cararra, Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Truffle or Resene Silver Chalice.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
January 2016

Q. We are repainting a bungalow. We like Resene Tea for the wood exterior but would like a light roof paint to match. Trims will be in a light colour.

A. You might check out these colours for the roof to see if they appeal to you – Resene Gauntlet, Resene Settlement, Resene Climate, Resene Paddock, Resene Outback, Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Double Pravda.

Any colour on a roof can appear lighter due to the angle of the roof to the bright natural light of the sun. These colours may well look half as light again.

Colours for trims that may be worth looking at - Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Outback
Resene Outback
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
January 2016

Q. I'm interested in colour suggestions for our front/back terrace and boundary fences to complement our colour scheme. Our existing scheme is Ironsand (roof), White (windows) and Resene Silver Chalice (stucco). We intend to paint our front/back doors in Resene Black Rock.

A. For the boundary fences I would recommend that you use Resene Ironsand to tie in the roof colour or deeper (but similar undertones) Resene Bokara Grey.

For the front and back terrace you might look at a deeper version of the house colour - Resene Gunsmoke - if you are painting the porch floor and this might also be considered for the boundary fences if you don't favour the brown based charcoal tone of the roof. If you use lots of white for the framework (around the glass) and over the roof pergola and posts at the back porch it carries on from the house joinery trims and looks smart.

Have you tested the Resene Black Rock - it is a lovely blackened blue/violet - sometimes it shows more violet (purple) than black or blue.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Black Rock
Resene Black Rock
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
January 2016

Q. What brown earth tone colours go well with Resene Thistle? We are painting the outside of our house and need a matching/blending brown to go around the window trims. We sampled Resene Granite Green and Resene Peat, but they are too similar. They don’t stand out.

A. You might check out these colours - they look really lovely with Resene Thistle – Resene Lisbon Brown, Resene Judge Grey, Resene Talisman, Resene Dragon, Resene Double Arrowtown or slightly lighter – Resene Arrowtown or Resene Stonewall.

They may be deeper than you were thinking of but as colours appear lighter in bright natural light on an exterior it usually is best to go for a deeper contrast in order to see a good balance and harmony.

They all favour yellow undertones - as does the Resene Thistle.

Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Granite Green
Resene Granite Green
Resene Peat
Resene Peat
Resene Lisbon Brown
Resene Lisbon Brown
Resene Judge Grey
Resene Judge Grey
Resene Talisman
Resene Talisman
Resene Dragon
Resene Dragon
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
 
January 2016

Q. I have two questions: One is about cornices: I have just had some large ceiling cornices installed and I am struggling with the options re painting them (they are already sealed with oil based sealer). Should I use the ceiling paint (a lovely creamy white, flat finish) or should I use low sheen wall paint in the same colour? Should I use Resene Black White to give the impression of greater depth of the curved area (much smaller than the original cornices)? What about wiping the odd fly strike in future. Would that be a problem if I use ceiling flat paint? The other is about the area above the yet to be re-installed picture rail. Should I use ceiling paint on that (same colour as ceiling) or wall paint? The wall height is 3.35 m including cornices.

A. Cornices are generally considered part of the ceiling so they are often painted in exactly the same paint. This is sometimes not the case however. If one wanted to highlight as a feature the cornices then they could be a 'special' colour (or colours) though this is usually seen in very grand formal homes with seriously high ceilings and lots of ornate plaster mouldings etc.

If you had a great concern about fly dirt there is a matt acrylic paint especially made to cope with that - it deters flies from sitting on the surface (the less they sit the fewer the fly spots) as it has an additive in it a bit like Dimp insecticide. This is called Resene SpaceCote Flat Fly Deterrent. It is worth considering as it is a tougher film that can be washed without it showing shiny patches (unlike standard Ceiling acrylic paints which can't be washed) so it is great if you need 'more' from a matt paint.

If you used Resene Black White on the cornice it may do what you want but equally it could look a bit grey and dingy compared to the lovely creamy white of the ceiling. The curve of the cornice would show the colour (if it was the same as the ceiling colour) as a slightly shaded variant anyway so usually you don't have to strive to create what different light/shadow and angles will achieve naturally for you.

The upper portion of the wall above a picture rail can be anything you prefer. If it matches the ceiling colour then the effect is to lower the ceiling so it appears to start directly above the picture rail. This happens also if you choose to highlight with another colour ( or wallpaper ) this area. This is an effect often used where the height opposes the width of a room making it feel as if you are standing at the bottom of a lift shaft. If you paint it to match the lower 3/4 of the wall then the height of the wall appears greater.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
January 2016

Q. What is a white colour that will go with any other colours and is slightly warm but still fresh and clean?

A. You might need to check several 'whites' to see how they respond to your coloured things, your changing qualities of natural and artificial light but these 'whites' are popular and worth looking at – Resene Alabaster, Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
January 2016

Q. What colours would suit the exterior of a tiny old cottage? Should the roof be the darkest or lightest part of the combination? We are currently considering Resene Escapade, Resene Rakaia or Resene Neutral Bay but they look a lot darker on Resene EzyPaint than on the colour chart.

A. I always think, and of course this may not be your thoughts, that a roof may need to have some depth of colour. The house should be lighter and the trims either midway between the depth of the roof and the lightness of the house or vice versa.

The smaller the house the simpler the colour scheme may need to be in order not to overpower the building.

In regard seeing the reality of colours there is only one way that is true to reality and that is seeing A4 real paint colour samples in the Colour Library at your nearest Resene ColorShop.

Resene EzyPaint is a wonderful aid to help you think through options and 'see' them in a digital format but all colours seen on a computer or in print are not true representations of what they are really like. I like reality so I always seek the best possible way to see colour. All colours alter in different qualities of natural and artificial light and when seen in close association with other colours - this is extremely difficult to replicate on a computer but it is so important to know and see this. I like to see large samples because small samples can be deceptive and the eye can't judge anything too small.

On an exterior, due to the brightness of the natural light, colours often appear lighter than if that same colour was painted in an interior where it can almost double in intensity.

After viewing colours in a A4 format at your local Resene ColorShop you can then decide which ones you would like to trial. Testpots are your best friend in this regard. If you paint all of a testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges and tape this sample to different sides of the house and view it from a distance you will get a far better idea of what the colour is really like and how it alters on different sides of the house due to the aspect of light.

Choose a roof colour (or several roof colour options) first and then see what main colours look like with it. As a start point - based on the colours you have mentioned - you might look at Resene High Tide or Resene Grey Friars for the roof and Resene Rakaia (warm grey) or Resene Neutral Bay (grey/lilac toned blue) before considering Resene Escapade because it is far more blue and a much more definite a colour than you might imagine. Using a stark clean white for trims will enhance the depth of the main colours a lot. Using a white as a main colour and the colours for trims is a traditional look that cottages have used successfully for a long time - and it does make you see the house as larger than it may appear to be if painted a definite colour.

Resene Escapade
Resene Escapade
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
   
January 2016

Q. We want to repaint our upstairs exterior and want a lighter colour than the existing. We wondered about half Resene Sand.

A. Resene Sand doesn't come as a standard half tone version, but it could be made for you. The standard colour that may be closest to a half version of Resene Sand is Resene Half Haystack so it is possible to get a testpot and trial it. However you might also check out these colours to see if they might appeal to you – Resene Double Pearl Lusta or Resene Double Villa White.

Resene Sand
Resene Sand
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
January 2016

Q. I'm repainting our home and need help on choosing a colour that will go with a COLORBOND® Paperbark roof with Surfmist gutters and Resene Merino window frames. I would like to go a light colour like an off white or neutral colour.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Caraway, Resene Double Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Titania.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
January 2016

Q. We are putting a Peter Hay kitchen in a home unit. We are looking at the Essentials Collection in Streetlight for the cabinets with Formica® colour Concrete Stone finish. Would you please give recommendations for wall and ceiling colours? We want a light neutral colour for walls (white base) with lighter white for ceilings. We were thinking of having the main colour through most of the unit.

A. You might look at these colours - they work well with the warmth of the Streetlight and Concrete Stone – Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Half Milk White or Resene Half Merino.

If you use a very crisp white for the ceilings it will enhance the wall colours I have listed. Try Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White.

Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
January 2016

Q. I have used Resene Quarter Bison Hide in living areas with Resene Alabaster on the ceiling and window/door frames. I'd like to continue using Resene Quarter Bison Hide in the single bedroom but would like to add a contrast colour for a feature wall. We have a dark grey/brown carpet on floor. Are you able to advise me what Resene colours tone in with Resene Quarter Bison Hide and yet add a dramatic contrast?

A. Many types of colours would work with the Resene Quarter Bison Hide and what you would choose may in part be based upon who uses the room, what natural light aspect is predominantly in the room and what mood or ambiance you want to create in the room as well as co-ordinating harmoniously with any existing curtain fabrics and bed linen.

Just a few for you to check out – Resene Matchmaker, Resene Inside Back, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Quarter Gargoyle, Resene Revolution, Resene Quarter Foundry and much deeper versions of Resene Bison Hide.

Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Matchmaker
Resene Matchmaker
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
 
January 2016

Q. We would like to paint our back veranda area something bright. Currently it’s all cream like the rest of the house. We can't afford to change the whole house. We have aluminium primrose window frames and a mustard coloured shed that forms part of the area and can be seen from our kitchen window. The area is screened in with lattice and we have young kids and live by the sea so something cheery is what we want.

A. The colour of the window joinery and the shed may compromise your options quite a bit. White, cream or matching the primrose joinery are your best options. Any other colours may need to be tested carefully to see how they respond to the other (very definite) colours. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you and are harmonious with the Primrose, the Mustard and the main house colour – Resene Unwind, Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Coriander.

Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
January 2016

Q. I wish to match the paint colour that is currently on my house. I have tried the online colour match tool with variable results. The same colour from different photos has generated 4 or 5 different results. That said, what is the best way to determine the house's colour?

A. The online colour match tool is designed to help find close Resene colours to what you have. It does this by averaging the colour selected in the photo. As each photo will likely have different light/shade this can affect the colour you get.

The best way to get a precise match is to bring in a piece of the colour - ideally bigger than a $2 coin - to your local Resene ColorShop and they can arrange a custom colour match for you. This could be taken from an inconspicuous area.

January 2016

Q. My husband and I came into the shop yesterday to enquire about the colours that have been used on a house photo with the RGBs of weatherboards 190, 183, 165, frames 221, 217, 206 and guttering 67, 54, 46.

A. You can use Find A Colour and type in the RGB values and it will tell you the closest Resene colours.

Because of lighting etc, invariably the original colours on the home don’t look exactly the same in photos so it’s often better to match to what you are seeing rather than the original which will look different.

Or the ColourMatch Online is another option - just save and upload the pic there and then click on the part you want to find a match for.

January 2016

Q. I would like to use Resene colours in Vectorworks and Photoshop.

A. For Photoshop we recommend the aco files. You can download these from this website.

Vectorworks have their own specific files and these have been formatted by Vectorworks. We have instructions online as to how to open them.

January 2016

Q. I have a villa with a New Denim Blue roof and a standalone Versatile garage that also has New Denim Blue roofing and joinery with white cladding. We are going to paint the exterior of the house - cladding, windows etc and need some advice on what colours that will tie in with the garage and existing roof colour. The interior is all Resene Black White.

A. The 'white' on the garage cladding may be a standard powder coat colour called Titania. This would be easy for you to check from your records (from when you have the garage built on the section) or from a Versatile garage brochure of colours that are available - these usually relate to COLORSTEEL® colours. The reason I mention this is in order to tie the garage and house together harmoniously the Titania colour may need to be considered as the main house colour or as a trim.

You could try Resene Titania or deeper Resene Bone White.

Alternatively you might consider a deeper version of the Resene Black White as this would still work well - Resene Triple Black White.

A much lighter variant - i.e Resene Half Black White - could be used for trims. This could include the window sashes, the window frames, door frames, under the soffits and on the fascias and barge boards of the house.

Doors or other trims that you might want to highlight could be deeper than the roof colour - Resene Ebony Clay, Resene Cinder or exactly the same colour - Resene New Denim Blue or a definite bold contrast - Resene Countdown.

Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Countdown
Resene Countdown
 
January 2016

Q. Will either Resene Gin Fizz or Resene China Ivory work on the walls with Resene Black White trim? We're painting a very small south-east bedroom in a 1950s house. The bedroom gets some sun only first thing in the morning. We want a warm colour on the walls, and are trying to use Resene Black White as a trim throughout the whole house.

A. Resene Black White may look a little dirty grey with either Resene Gin Fizz or Resene China Ivory as they are warmer/brighter. If you lightened the Resene Black White to a quarter strength then it would work really well.

Of the wall colours Resene Gin Fizz is the warmer sweeter creamy yellow. South-east facing rooms can make some colours look sour (they take on a greenish cast) or greyish/cool after the sun light leaves the room because of the shadows. Take your time testing the colours on large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving it around the walls - if you paint a narrow border of Resene Black White (full strength) around the edges of the card it will let you see how grey it turns and whether you can accept that or not.

Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene China Ivory
Resene China Ivory
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
January 2016

Q. We are building a single storey house. The bricks we like are Florentine Limestone and we like the Canvas Cloth colour for our joinery (we are thinking Resene Half Tea for the interior wall paint), but we can’t decide on a COLORSTEEL® roof colour (maybe TernStyle) or front door and garage door colour.

A. I like your idea of using COLORSTEEL® TernStyle for the roof, front door and garage door. It is a warm dusty looking charcoal and should enhance the bricks. Colours on a roof often look lighter than you might imagine they will (if the roof is angled to the sun) so you might check out a slightly deeper charcoal – COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars - it does have a steel blue undertone however. Perhaps ask to see where TernStyle and Grey Friars have been used on other houses so you can do a drive by to check out how they look. Seeing what the reality of the colours is like is so important.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
January 2016

Q. I have a west facing lounge with large sliding doors and a marine plywood ceiling. I would like to paint it a neutral colour but am having trouble finding the right one. Originally I was looking at grey based whites like Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster but after testing on the wall I'm not sure if they suit the plywood. Do you think a warmer white would look better? I also want to paint the floor and am wondering if a warm grey or a colour a few shades darker than walls would work? The room is very bright in the afternoons as the sun is setting.

A. The photo that you have sent is typical of a west facing room - it really does look lovely late in the afternoon but a little shadowy before then. Grey based whites may look too cool and dull and you are right in your thoughts that these types of colours don't do justice to the plywood ceiling. Warmer whites are my first thoughts for this lounge to create lots of warmth for when the sunlight doesn't flood the room with a rosy gold glow. You might look at these to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Cararra. These colours also come as deeper variants if these ones should appear too light.

Floors are always a bit tricky. You may need to paint up testpots onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) as it is really large and by placing it on the floor and watching what the natural light does to it you will get a better idea of what type of colour suits the room best.

Perhaps look at these warm greys - Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Triple Sea Fog. They may reflect the sunset glow and alter a lot so do take your time testing them.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
January 2016

Q. We are considering Resene Eighth Truffle for weatherboards but would like to look at something with a little more of a greyish tint. What could you suggest?

A. Colours on an exterior always look a lot lighter due to bright natural light. A slighter deeper version of Resene Eighth Truffle might be Resene Quarter Truffle which may look a little greyer also. A similar very pale colour (to Resene Eighth Truffle) that is greyer might be Resene Double Black White, Resene Concrete or Resene Whiteout.

Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
January 2016

Q. I have just painted my house Resene Napa and am trying to decide on a colour to paint the trims, deck, and around the bottom of the house. The aluminium windows, I am guessing from looking at your roof colours, look like 'Metallic Bronze'. I was thinking for the colour for the deck etc of using a dark colour like Resene Gumboot. What would you recommend?

A. I am always wary about really dark colours on a wooden deck. Some dark colours attract a lot of heat and the timber can twist and buckle and split where the nails are. These dark colours can make walking barefoot a complete no all summer long and may show 'tracking' where people do walk a lot to the door etc. These same colours can show marking a lot also.

Is this an old deck (never been painted or stained - so greyed off weathered wood) which may need a lot more clean down and preparation in order to get a nice paint finish? Or is it a new timber deck - all pale and gorgeous looking just waiting for the colour to be painted on to make it look more fabulous? If it is a paint finish the type of paint that might be used is either Resene Lumbersider low sheen acrylic timber finish or (tougher/more of a satin finish) Resene Walk-on Paving and Deck Paint.

I think you may need to think very carefully about how dark the deck will be. A few options for you to consider - Stain instead of paint - looks natural/needs recoating every 2-3 years - I recommend the Resene CoolColour™ reformulated colour/product to try to minimise heat absorption – using Resene Woodsman Decking Stain in Resene Bushtrack or Resene Tiri.

Or for paint – you might need more preparation but it may last anywhere between 5-9 years before re-coating dependent upon weathering - I would still recommend Resene CoolColour™ reformulated colour/product to try and minimise heat absorption. Try Resene Mondo or Resene Masala.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Bushtrack
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
January 2016

Q. What white wall and ceiling colours would you suggest to go with a light honey -beige timber floor, with a soft grey watercolour duvet cover, with a sunken bath with grey - black natural stone looking tiles in the same area.

A. Some colours you might like to try are: Resene Half Bianca, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Wheatfield or Resene Quarter Merino.

They are all different from each other and if you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library it will be very helpful for you. If you place a sheet of white printer paper partially over the samples it will help you see the underlying tints and tones in the 'whites' and then you can pick up a few testpots of those that you most favour. I would be inclined to take the duvet (or at least the pillowcase) with you so that you can see how the 'whites' look with the soft grey in the linen. Testing the colour at your home is really important because of the timber floor colour - I always recommend that you apply the testpot to a A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move this very large card from wall to wall so you can judge how it alters with light and shade and wall angles.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2016

Q. The outside of our house is currently painted Resene Tapa and the joinery is Admiralty Grey (similar to Resene Unwind). We are about to repaint and would like to change the colour. Inside we have Resene Double Tea so would something different outside. Any suggestions? Would Resene Napa work?

A. I think the reason why Resene Tapa works well with the joinery colour - Admiralty Grey - is because it has a grey slightly yellow/green base which stops the joinery looking too 'baby boy aqua blue' - I am fearful that the Resene Napa colour being yellow/brown will enhance the aqua tones. Will this matter to you?

Alternate greys that look good with Admiralty Grey powder coat joinery are these - Resene Stack or Resene Half Gauntlet. Taupe/grey beige colours that look good are these ones - Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Quarter Sandstone or Resene Half Stonehenge.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
   
January 2016

Q. We have moved into a house built in 2000. It has cream joinery. The windowsills need repainting and we would like to repeat the existing colour but are not sure which ‘white’ it is. It is lighter than the cream. Was there a colour that was widely used in housing developments at that time?

A. No particular cream was used more often than any other during this period. If you have powder coated window and door joinery and you could identify it - from coloured metal samples from the nearest window and door manufacturer’s range - then that might help. The colour for the windowsills may have been carefully selected to look like a lighter version of that colour. Alternatively collecting paint colour chips from your nearest Resene ColorShop and placing them on the paint work may help you isolate the most likely match colour.

January 2016

Q. I need a colour for the walls in my villa's kitchen. I have timber flooring, timber window surrounds, a timber fireplace surround and timber cupboards (all matai). I am putting in a flat pack and probably using Resene Thorndon Cream with a Formica® bench, maybe White Kashmir. The colour of the walls is the same shade as this background, as is the rest of the house. I need to bring in a new colour. I am thinking green - but what shade? Resene Lemon Grass looks a little sombre. I haven’t ordered the bench yet but need to soon. I am wondering whether to go for green doors?

A. I think Resene Thorndon Cream is a good colour for the kitchen cabinets - quite a definite earthy yellow/green tone and not too pale. I don't know the Formica® bench colour that you mention but I have seen Formica Provenance used with Resene Thorndon Cream and they are very similar in colour and look nice together - I have also seen Formica® Bliss Shitake used with it too and it is very nice.

A nice green to work in conjunction with Resene Thorndon Cream might need to be a definite tone otherwise the Resene Thorndon Cream could look heavy and deeper in tone than you might imagine. Try Resene Green Spring to see if it appeals to you.

You may have more green colour options if the flat pack was slightly lighter - i.e. Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Linen, Resene Half Lemon Grass, Resene Bud or Resene Kangaroo.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Green Spring
Resene Green Spring
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Kangaroo
 
January 2016

Q. We are going to be painting our bach and as it is block we are unsure what colours will suit. We are re-roofing with Windsor Grey coloured corrugate and are thinking of doing two feature wall, one facing the shed and the other a wall with a ranch slider. We would leave a middle wall a lighter colour. For the feature walls we were thinking Resene Fuscous Grey or something similar. For the rest of the house we were trying to find a colour to go with the Resene Fuscous Grey. We painted our house Resene Silver Chalice last year and were thinking that could work.

A. Another deep colour that you might check out is Resene Half Nocturnal. Perhaps you could check out - as a main colour - Resene Triple Concrete which is a good grey tone that may appeal to you as an alternative to Resene Silver Chalice.

Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
January 2016

Q. We are building a house and it is a traditional Queenslander with tongue and groove walls, high ceilings, large baseboards and cornices, and fretwork in archways. Our interior floor is brushbox timber (which seems to have pink and brown tones) so I want to pick colours that complement that. First, I need a wall and trim colour for the majority of the house – the trim to be a white colour and walls in a neutral shade something like Resene Tea, Resene Half Napa or Resene Surrender. Next, in the office/library we want to build the bookcases with a black paint background and timber shelves. The ceiling will also be polished plywood. We would like to do trim in a dark colour (blackish) and the walls lighter. Any suggestions for the colour for the walls, trim and behind book shelves?

Outside, we have a COLORBOND® Surfmist roof - very high pitch. The house is about 30 metres long and single level, with a veranda down the whole length with weatherboards. It has seven sets of French doors along the front. It is a rural setting on acreage surrounded by large gums. We want a colour for trim and exterior that keeps with a traditional Queenslander and complements the natural landscape. We are thinking white trim and a light greenish or greyish colour, or off white but are open to any suggestions.

A. When a roof colour is as pale as Surfmist (and it is a very high pitch so a lot of it is seen in relationship to the other house colours) it limits what colours might be used on the house - it must be very much lighter or very much darker in order to create the nice sense of balance between the colours. Exterior options that might be checked out - Main colour - Resene Merino and ‘white trims' - Resene White, or main colour - Resene Triple Ash and ‘white trims’ - Resene Eighth Ash, or main colour - Resene Half Tapa and ‘white trims’ Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Interior options that might appeal to you - Main colour - Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Quarter Tea with trims in Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. For a ‘black' type of colour - Resene Blackjack or Resene Double Cod Grey. As a dark colour for the walls in the office/library – try Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Test your colours carefully - changing light alters colours a great deal and you need to see how they look at various times of the day and night to appreciate what they are truly like. If you paint up all of the testpot/two coats onto very large white card and move it around from wall to wall and room to room it will help you judge whether they suit or not.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
 
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
   
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
January 2016

Q. I have painted my small lounge Resene Quarter Biscotti and now I want to use a different colour on the chimney breast and fire surround. I want a warm colour that looks cosy at night.

A. First options might be deeper versions of your wall colour - Resene Biscotti, Resene Double Biscotti or with more red/brown/orange undertones - Resene Baroque, Resene Nougat or Resene Leather.

Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Baroque
Resene Baroque
Resene Nougat
Resene Nougat
Resene Leather
Resene Leather
January 2016

Q. We are looking for a light grey with a hint of green for a sunny lounge room. The room looks out to the harbour and is framed by big pohutukawas so we would like it blend in.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Delta – greyer, Resene Half Ash – greener, Resene Copyrite - green/grey/beige, Resene Triple Sea Fog - this takes on a subtle green edge, or Resene Pumice - slighter blue/green grey.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
January 2016

Q. We have a white house with the trim, gables, and boundary fences painted in Resene Tuna. We have just built a deck and want to stain it a colour that will work with the cool greys. The closest we have so far is Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Bushtrack (we don't like the red/cedar/mahogany colours). What stain colour would you suggest for our deck?

A. Resene Woodsman Bushtrack is good but if you want a slightly warmer deep brown you could check out Resene Woodsman Treehouse or Resene Woodsman English Walnut. None of these colours are red toned. Testpots need to be applied (2 -3 coats) on off cuts of the timber the deck has been built from so that you can see the reality of the colour.

Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Treehouse
Resene Treehouse
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut
January 2016

Q. I have just painted a room Resene Alabaster having seen the A4 sheet and wrongly thought it looked like a warm white. I now realise it is a very cold almost blue white and not what I wanted at all! What white do you recommend? It’s a downstairs sitting room and we want it to be a warm comfortable place to chill. Also my daughter chose Resene Jet Stream for a small feature wall. We need a warm white that could go with that.

A. Resene Alabaster can be termed 'warm' in a room that has walls that are totally bathed in bright hot sunshine all day long. Is this what the sitting room is like? Most rooms aren't that blessed – but south and east facing rooms have the unique quality of natural light that often makes colours appear grey, blue or cool. But for a 'nearly always warm' white that can cope with a cooler toned feature wall colour (Resene Jet Stream) you might check out these colours - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Merino.

I suggest you look at the A4 samples in the shop before buying one or more testpots and very large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops)s and paint (two coats/all of the testpot) onto the cards leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. This unpainted border helps your eye to focus on the reality of the colour. Pin them to the wall that has the most shadow on it (this is where the colours will look cooler) and then move the samples around so you can see what the colours look like. They will alter in natural light/shade and wall angles and especially when pinned up next to the feature wall. This way you will be able to see how the colours change and in a large enough format to judge what they are truly like.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2016

Q. I've decided to paint my Hardiplank® split level house with Resene Silver Chalice and the roof Resene Grey Friars. However, I'm struggling to work out what to do with the surrounds to the white aluminium windows. I want to ideally make them appear larger and not draw too much attention to them. I'm not sure what exact white they are, but they're a very cold blue/grey white that makes all the white paints I've tried look a creamy colour (Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Half Black White, Resene White). Resene Quarter Athens Grey was probably the best. I would like your opinion on whether Quarter Silver Chalice would work better along with linking in with the main house colour but not highlighting them too much? I am thinking I would paint the apex and lower level blockwork Resene Silver Chalice and the garage door and front door Resene Grey Friars, but am not sure whether to do the barge boards Resene Grey Friars or the window surround colour (in which case I could leave the gutters white I think). Do you think this would provide enough interest or would it be good to add another complementary colour for the doors and/or barge boards?

A. The powder coat windows sound as though they are Arctic White which is as you describe 'very cold blue/grey'. None of the whites that I have tried work with it - as you have found out already. I have just checked and there is a Resene colour match to Arctic White in the Resene electronic tinting system - it is listed as IPT 9001 Arctic White. If you really want to use a match then it is available for you. But powder coat and paint (the same colour) can age differently and may fade off over time and not look similar at all - that is my one slight hesitation.

Personally I think I might be inclined to use Resene Quarter Silver Chalice - it works well with both the joinery colour and the main colour - and is a soft subtle look.

I like your idea of using the Resene Grey Friars colour on the garage door and the front door and the apex and the lower level block work in Resene Silver Chalice.

I think it may be wise to use the Resene Quarter Silver Chalice on the barge boards this way the window surrounds will have a 'friend' and aren't the only Resene Quarter Silver Chalice on the house.

The gutters should be Resene Quarter Silver Chalice instead of white - especially if it is PVC. White may 'cream up' over time and make the joinery look greyer.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey

as quarter strength
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
 
January 2016

Q. We have a weatherboard house with a longrun Ironsand roof and joinery. What colours can you suggest we paint it please?

A. You have a huge amount of colour options that might be used - Ironsand is an obliging earthy brown based charcoal and lots of colours look good with it. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Double Merino, Resene White Pointer, Resene Fossil, Resene Truffle, Resene Tea or Resene Double Ash.

Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
January 2016

Q. We have a large block house with a single level in the front and two levels at the back, built on a slope. The back looks like a huge toilet block. At the moment it is yellowish with khaki green barge boards! All doors and windows are silver aluminium. We have a wrought iron hand rail at the entrance. What can you suggest colour wise please? I have painted the entire inside a variation of Resene Tea.

A. What about a deep colour? There are so many deeper (but not too dark) colours that might appeal and may add a bit of contemporary ambiance and style- check these out - Resene Double Tea, Resene Double Stonehenge or Resene Quarter Oilskin.

The barge boards could be a surprise colour - Resene Coast, Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Pohutukawa. As well as the barge boards this colour might be the wrought iron hand rail at the entry as well to bright up the solid colour.

If you don't like the idea of deep colours then a definite but soft colour might be exciting and a bit different – try Resene Emerge or Resene Coriander.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Quarter Oilskin
 
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
January 2016

Q. I need some help picking colours for my rental property. It currently has a two tone effect and uses different materials as cladding. Do you think it would be better to continue to be two toned, or paint all one single colour? And what colour/s would you recommend. The window joinery is a bit pink/peachy looking.

A. It is time for a new look I think - so just one colour instead of two could be good. I am a little worried about the slightly peach/pink tone of the window joinery - if you don't use a warm colour - so you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Double Drought, Resene Joss, or deeper options - Resene Artefact, Resene Wrangler or Resene Coffee Break.

Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
Resene Joss
Resene Joss
Resene Artefact
Resene Artefact
Resene Wrangler
Resene Wrangler
Resene
Resene Coffee Break
January 2016

Q. I chose Resene Quarter Surrender as I wanted a soft grey colour for my bedroom walls. Unfortunately once painted the walls look a light blue colour. I have a white duvet cover and curtains and the floors are a dark/reddish rimu. I had planned to paint all of our bedrooms and lounge in a soft grey colour that keeps the rooms looking light and airy. Could you please recommend some?

A. If the floors are a warm (reddish) rimu this can affect colours by bringing out a dominant undertone. Coupled with the way natural light in all rooms reflects upon colour in a uniquely different way this may be the reason that the colour - which is a cool blue/grey colour - looks bluer than you want it to. Colour is so reactive and if it can change it will do - a very good reason why testing colour carefully is imperative.

Greys are not just white with a little black colourant added - they often have multiple colourants in them - so they aren't easy to judge. They are very quixotic and changeable. I could say 'try this grey or that grey' - knowing them well and after seeing them work well in situations but my suggestions may still be wrong for you, in your rooms, in your quality of natural light and with any other colours in the rooms influencing how you see them. If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view A4 real paint samples of soft greys in their Colour Library and compare them with each other you will then see their underlying tints and tones - this will help you judge the reality of the colour. Then testing the grey you like the best - taking into account that it will never look exactly the same in all of your rooms - or even on every wall in the same room. This is the nature of colour - it is tricky and not simple.

To test your favourites, paint white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) using all of the testpot and leaving an unpainted border all around the edges can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how it alters (and it will - sometimes quite a lot and the unpainted border holds the tested patch away from any existing wall colour that may unduly influence it and being white card it helps you see the depth and the reality of the paint colour. If you roll the card into a cone with the colour innermost and look into it you will see the colour intensified - as if four walls were painted. All colours intensify in an interior. Doing this exercise in all the rooms shows the colour as a different colour - sometimes it is perfect, sometimes ok and sometimes definitely not right.

Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
January 2016

Q. I want to know what type of paint I need to paint wooden window frames white?

For a gloss finish your topcoat would be Resene Enamacryl waterborne enamel in Resene White. If you preferred a semi-gloss finish it would be Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel in Resene White. The waterborne enamels dry quickly and have no nasty smells and clean-up of the brushes is with water.

A. If the wooden window frame was new wood you would use a solventborne primer and undercoat prior to using the topcoat.

If you are 'old school' traditionalist and prefer oil based topcoats (turps based) then you would use Resene Super Gloss Enamel Resene White - it does have solvents and takes longer to dry but for many people it is a preferred paint because it is very tough.

Resene White
Resene White
January 2016

Q. I am looking for a stain to match my fence paint. Resene Nocturnal, Resene Sheer Black and Resene Tiri have been suggested but these are too dark or too light, Resene Nocturnal appears bluer. I have tried mixing two together which seems the closest I can get. Any suggestions?

A. Resene Nocturnal is a paint not a stain. If you have used a Resene CoolColour™ reformulated version of this colour (because of the different colourants that make up the colour) you may be seeing a slight undertone of blue in the colour.

All stain colours look less intense than a solid paint finish so it is hard to have them alongside each other hoping to match them as they are so different.

If you want a stain match colour you may need to experiment a lot intermixing testpots of stain (50:50) to create a 'new' colour that appears similar to Nocturnal and doing two coats of test samples on wood off cuts. If you are eager to pursue this option then you might use Woodsman Pitch Black and Woodsman Bleached Cedar intermixed as a start point in experimentation.

If you create a 'new' colour that you like you may need to mix much larger quantities together in a much larger container to replicate what you have achieved in a smaller test fashion. Colourants can separate into a thick gel like layer and need constant re-mixing in order for the colour to be emulsified well and maintain the 'true' colour. This would need to be done frequently if you were staining a large area of timber - i.e. stopping or starting between coats or doing one coat every other day.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
January 2016

Q. My walls are Resene Half Sea Fog and I want kitchen cabinets that are white as well. What's the whitest white in the Resene Sea Fog range? Is Resene Alabaster the answer?

A. Resene Alabaster is equivalent to Resene Eighth Sea Fog. Resene Half Alabaster is lighter/whiter however if you wanted a sharper 'white' that would work with your wall colour.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2016

Q. I want to paint our garage door which is metal with a powder coated colour that has now gone chalky in colour. What type of paint and prep would I use? What colour should I use to match the exterior colour of Resene Triple Sisal and dark brown roof and guttering?

A. The powdery surface will need to be thoroughly washed down - I have found Resene Paint Prep & Housewash really good at removing oxidisation (chalky or powdery film) from weathered powder coated surfaces. After rinsing off well and allowing to dry, two coats of either Resene Lumbersider (low sheen) or Resene Sonyx 101 (semi-gloss) acrylic paint is recommended. If you are unsure about what the sheen levels of these products look like, check out the product samples at your nearest Resene ColorShop.

There are a few colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Lignite, Resene Groundbreaker, Resene Ironsand, Resene Squall or Resene Windswept.

Resene Triple Sisal
Resene Triple Sisal
       
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
January 2016

Q. I'm about to paint the interior walls and ceiling of my two storey 80s house with Resene Black White. What colours could I use on the doors and frames which would complement this? There is new carpet which is a fawn colour and the open plan kitchen has bamboo flooring.

A. The carpet and bamboo flooring are possibly similar related colours but different to the walls and ceiling. Rather than suggest a random unrelated 'other' colour for the woodwork I would suggest to keep the doors and frames as simple as possible to merge into the wall colour rather than be a 'feature' colour. You might check out these options - lighter/whiter - Resene Half Black White or slighter deeper - Resene Double Black White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
January 2016

Q. Can you please help? I am looking for a colour to paint the soffits of our house’s exterior. The weatherboards are being painted in Resene Tea. The aluminium joinery and roof are Resene Karaka green. The current colour is Resene Half Spanish White.

A. Try Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2016

Q. We are having trouble choosing a colour for the exterior of our house. Currently it is painted Resene Blanc which we don't like. Our roof is Resene Blue Zodiac which we won't be changing even though we would prefer a greyer colour, but we don't want to repaint at the moment. The window surrounds are Resene Alabaster. Our house is a 1920s cottage that we have added a big extension to. It has rusticated weatherboards and a corrugated iron roof. We would like a pale grey colour. I would like it to have blue/green tones but my husband does not want a blue house. Is there a colour that would be a happy medium?

A. Pale greys do come as quite a few options. You might check out these ones - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Concrete, Resene Half Surrender, Resene Geyser, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Iron or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

This is how you might reach your happy medium - go to your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library. View these colours together with A4 samples of Resene Alabaster and Resene Blue Zodiac. Take turns in removing a sample that doesn't appeal to you. The colour that is the last one - after dispensing with the others - is the one you both like -that is the happy medium.

Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Blue Zodiac
Resene Blue Zodiac
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
January 2016

Q. Our house has a Karaka green roof and the same coloured aluminium window frames. We would like the house to look modern but are not sure about what colours would suit the green. We do not want to go dark but still make it look modern.

A. You might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
January 2016

Q. We are repainting a house and also giving it a new roof, please can we have some suggestions for a colour scheme? The only colour confirmed is Sandstone Grey windows.

A. Your first option for the roof would be to use the same colour as the joinery. It may look a little lighter however as a roof angled to the sun makes colours look paler. If you are painting new corrugated iron then the match colour is Resene Gauntlet.

Other options to consider are these – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle - if you are painting new corrugated iron then the match colour is Resene Windswept or COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase - if you are painting new corrugated iron then the match colour is Resene Touchstone.

Alternatively a definite colour might be considered to add a contrast – COLORSTEEL® Fern Frond - if you are painting new corrugated iron then the match colour is Resene Canyon or COLORSTEEL® Indigo Blue - if you are painting new corrugate iron then the match colour is Resene High Tide.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
January 2016

Q. We have a ply and batten home, coral red (looks like Pioneer Red or Dawnbreaker) joinery currently stained in a traditional pine colour and are going to re-stain, with Resene, in a black on the south side of the house and maybe Resene Smokey Ash on the hot side of the house. What colour should we do the eaves and fascias? We are hoping not to have to paint the spouting which is a white. Also what colour should we use for the pergola deck roof etc? We also have a white handrail.

A. If the black stain that you were considering was a soft tone like Resene Woodsman stain – Resene Sheer Black or even Resene Woodsman stain – Resene Crowshead - it may look very nice with the Resene Woodsman - Smokey Ash.

For the eaves and fascias you might use Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Merino - either of these would work well with your stain colours - and I recommend that the pergola be the same colour. It would stand out crisply against the back drop of the stain colours and would tie all the 'straight lined' elements together. The handrail is white now so that too would be painted to match. The baseboards of the house and deck might be the black stain that you are considering using on the south side of the building. I think it might be unwise to paint the pergola to match the windows joinery colour.

Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
January 2016

Q. We have an art deco building and want to restore part of our floor back to original plastered walls and ceilings with cornice. The issue is we want to stick with our Resene Akaroa and Resene Quarter Akaroa palette. The carpet is charcoal. The cornice is amazing zigzag style approx. 300mm. should we paint it?

A. The cornice is worthy of being picked out to further highlight it but equally it might be the same as the ceiling white colour so that it stands out against the deeper wall colour.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
January 2016

Q. We purchased a lime green house. We want to paint it a dark blue/grey (we have just used a testpot of the Resene Shark colour) with white trim (around the windows). However, we have a dark green 'stripe' made from a different cladding, between the two floors, and we are unsure what to do/how to paint it, to ensure it looks modern and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb!

A. If you don't wish to 'feature' this strip around the house you could always paint it the same colour. This will make the house seem taller and will make the windows pop out a bit more. This could be a good thing. Keep the look as simple and modern as possible with the new dark colour.

Resene Shark
Resene Shark
January 2016

Q. I am painting the exterior of my small cottage which is shaded by trees - the north and west sides get a few hours of sun, but the rest is dappled light. I've generally gone with the 'cottage' look (although this could mean a few things) and steered clear of greens, blues and cold colours on the interior and this has worked well.

For the exterior, I tried samples of Resene Sidecar, Resene Melting Moment and Resene Double Dutch White. I was pretty set on Resene Sidecar, until the test, as it looked a bit grey, the Resene Melting Moment looked too strong a yellow, and the Resene Double Dutch White, looked a lovely warm yellow, stronger than I expected. Once the weather boards are painted the Double Dutch White colour - will the yellow intensify slightly, since it is a larger area than my test?

I have chosen Resene Orchid White for the French door, window frames and sash etc. With the sample, at first I thought it was not a 'clean' white, but it goes well with the Resene Double Dutch White - and is the same tone and warmth. I tried Resene Alabaster - a fantastic colour - but too cold for this house.

I was going to use Resene Pohutukawa for the main door and for the window sills. However, in the dappled light it seemed too dark and a bit strong against Resene Double Dutch White and Resene Orchid White. The only other sample I had was Resene Bright Red from the Resene Heritage Range - which was a little too bright!

Could you tell me:
(a) A colour in-between Resene Pohutukawa and Resene Bright Red that could work?
(b) What you think of these colour combinations (Resene Double Dutch White, Resene Orchid White and a red yet to be found).
(c) I noticed the windows on the house aren't really uniform, so I am starting to wonder if I should draw attention to the sills at all - maybe the one by the French door and the smaller windows (for the attic and basement) windows should just be all Resene Orchid White?

A. I love your colour choices - the house will look as though it is bathed in sunshine - lovely! I don't think the Double Dutch White will be too intense but if you are really worried then check out Resene Dutch White.

A red between Pohutukawa and Bright Red - perhaps Resene Shiraz, Resene Salsa or Resene Red Berry. No don't draw attention to the sills - simplify the windows by doing one colour only. If when the windows are all painted you look at them and say 'too plain' then decide which ones can have a little more colour added to the sill. You may decide you like the 'one colour' only windows.

Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Bright Red
Resene Bright Red
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
   
Resene Shiraz
Resene Shiraz
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
Resene Red Berry
Resene Red Berry
   
January 2016

Q. We have a typical weatherboard Queenslander type house with wide verandas, French doors and wooden railings. We're painting the majority of the house in Resene Quarter Grey Chateau and the railings and French doors in white (with a touch of grey added) but am having a hard time picking a deep, dark blue/black colour to highlight the tops of the railings and the wooden skirt around the house. I've just sampled Resene Blue Charcoal but it is too light and green/blue for what we would like. We're after the darkest blue we can find. Maybe Resene Nero? Or even Resene Black which looks like it's black with a touch of blue?

A. Resene Double Cod Grey may have a bit more blue undertone than Resene Nero. Another alternative worth considering is Resene Cinder. Resene Black isn't blue toned. If you have the opportunity to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of these colours in their in store Colour Library it may be helpful so you can compare how blue black these colour choices are.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau

quarter strength
Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
January 2016

Q. Could you please suggest some roof colours which would complement the colour scheme of my house? My house is a 1930s weatherboard bungalow with a corrugated iron roof. The weatherboards are Resene Tea and I'm going to paint the windows Resene Half Orchid White. I don't have any fixed ideas for the roof colour yet so any suggestions would be welcome.

A. Your main house colours are warm neutrals and your roof (and any other trims) might be one of these suggestions - Resene Ironsand, Resene Touchstone, Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Canyon.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
   
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
January 2016

Q. What is a good colour to paint over existing blue vinyl in a kitchen/laundry area? This goes directly onto our deck which is Resene Quarter Ironsand. Our kitchen cupboards are white with a deep blue granite bench.

A. A lighter type of grey that is similar to the deck colour might be considered - Resene Gauntlet or Resene Eighth Masala.

Or alternatively you could do a white that matches the kitchen cabinets or a bluer colour - but you would need to choose very carefully to co-ordinate tonally with the blue granite benchtop which possibly has several shades of blue in it. The white floor idea will increase space and light in these rooms and blend into the cabinetry but for a lot of people it is too scary as it does show dirt and will need to be kept really spotless. Oh dear there is always a fly in the ointment isn't there? I recommend you consider a paving type of paint for hardwearing durability - Resene Walk-on is a practical solution and is very easy to clean and recoat if gets marked by hard shoe foot traffic.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
January 2016

Q. I am unsure what colours to use for my secondary dwelling. The roof will be COLORBOND® Surfmist or Shale Grey and the window frames are black. The cladding is Scyon Axon® vertical smooth and Hardiflex®.

A. I am slightly more inclined to the COLORBOND® Shale Grey roof colour as I feel it works better with a greater variety of harmonising colours. Some options for you to consider for the house are these - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Barely There, Resene Double Black White, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Alabaster or Resene Titania.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
January 2016

Q. I need a house colour for a repaint. How do I make it look classic but thoughtful towards an individual look? The windows are dark brown aluminium, the garage door is a pale colour (like COLORSTEEL® Foam). Resene Half Spanish White is my favourite - do I use a darker colour on the garden walls alongside house? The back deck also needs something as it is currently silvered off.

A. I like Resene Half Spanish White as a main colour too. My only reservation is the garage door and whether or not the new main colour and possibly a deeper variant for the garden walls will work with this colour. I take it you are not planning on having it re-painted to co-ordinate with a new house colour? If it is to stay as it is now then I think I would be inclined to use a slightly earthier green edged neutral so it harmonises better - Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Fossil.

Deeper variants are available for both these colours if you wanted to do the garden walls slightly different to the main house colour - Resene Double Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Fossil.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
January 2016

Q. I am using Resene Bokara Grey on my exterior cladding and want to match the COLORSTEEL® roofing and aluminium windows. Is Ironsand the closest match?

A. There isn't a lot to choose from in COLORSTEELR® (or any other powder coat range) so Yes Ironsand is possibly the best option. They are both warm brown based charcoals.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
January 2016

Q. My daughter wants to repaint her bedroom a lime colour. Presently we have two Resene colour swatches up on her wall, namely Resene Conifer and Resene Wellywood. My preference is Resene Conifer as Resene Wellywood seems so bright it's almost luminous! But my daughter said Resene Wellywood is more limey. I'm looking for a compromise and wondering what colour you might suggest that's maybe midpoint between our colour swatches. Maybe limier (more yellow?!) than Resene Conifer but without the brightness of Resene Wellywood.

A. Perhaps if you paint up all of a testpot/two coats onto very large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges and pin it in your daughters room (move it around onto all the walls) she and you may agree that Resene Conifer is ok. Warning - all colours (especially these bright ones) can double in intensity when seen in an interior. If you roll the A2 card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you will see what it might look like when all four walls are painted.

Some alternative colours that you might consider - Resene Happy Hour, Resene Lima, Resene Limerick or Resene Sulu.

Resene Conifer
Resene Conifer
Resene Wellywood
Resene Wellywood
 
Resene Happy Hour
Resene Happy Hour
Resene Lima
Resene Lima
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Sulu
Resene Sulu
January 2016

Page 41

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