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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 42

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. 42

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


Q. What's contemporary and most popular without grey tones for a two storey residential weatherboard home? Without being too yellowish? Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Parchment?

A. Of the colours you mention Resene Quarter Tea is more beige toned than Resene Thorndon Cream which is a taupe/grey/cream or Resene Half Parchment which is browner/yellower. None of these colours are really grey or really yellow but have undertones of these colours in them. You may have a better idea of what they really look like if you are able to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view and compare the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library. This could be really helpful. Colours on an exterior often look a lot lighter also so it would be wise to view the deeper variants of the colours.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
January 2016

Q. Our 1951 weatherboard house has been repainted in Resene Truffle with Resene Alabaster trims. Our cinder block garage has also been painted Resene Truffle but we are trying to decide on colours for the large garage gables and the tin roofs. We believe the garage door is Resene Ironsand which we think we will also use for the roofs. We thought the gable should be a different colour and had considered Resene Friar Grey but are wary about introducing too many colours as we also have a stained front deck and brick chimney that are visible from the street and want it to look the best it can with good street appeal.

A. I definitely agree with you about using the Resene Ironsand for the house roof and garage roof to match the garage roller door. The gables on the garage are quite large so I suggest a softer colour so they aren't 'chopped off' in height by a darker colour. You might consider one of these options - Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Stonehenge.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
   
January 2016

Q. I need a suggestion on colour for my lounge/kitchen/dining room. This is an open area with grey carpet and mottled grey benches, the upholstery is navy, the joinery is a mushroom/pink colour, the curtains are floral in different shades of grey with pale and brighter maroon flowers. What colour should I use in place for the wallpapered walls and on the joinery?

A. Soft warm whites and warm greys may work for you in regard wallpapers and joinery colours. There is so much available in the way of wallpaper that I feel you should take the opportunity to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view all the inspiring books. The joinery ideally should work with the wallpaper background colour so while you are looking at the books check out the large A4 samples of paint colours in the Resene ColorShop’s Colour Library to help you make your decisions.

You could check out these few collections as a start point - Alta Gamma, Camargue, Feel Good, Simply Silks II or Whites & Neutrals.

January 2016

Q. I am looking for some advice/recommendation on what colours to paint the outside of my house. All I know is I want white window frames and I want them to stand out from the house. Currently my house is white with a grey base. I don't really like the yellow or peach colours, I am more a blue, green or grey person, but want something that's going to suit my house.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Secrets, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Delta, Resene Half Lemon Grass or Resene El Nino.

These colours will look nice and make the white joinery stand out. Because the base of the house is quite high you may need to think about whether to keep it the grey it is now as a 'feature' or paint it to match the main colour on the house so it adds height to the overall structure of the house.

Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene El Nino
Resene El Nino
January 2016

Q. I am looking to have my house rendered then painted to give it a fresh modern look, but have no clue as to which colour. The roof (burgundy) seems to have been resprayed recently and the gutters and door painted white. So ideally I am after a colour that would complement the two colours.

A. Here are a few colours to start you thinking about the look you find appealing - Resene Rakaia, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Half Tea or Resene Linen.

These colours would work well with the roof colour and anything at all will work with Resene White.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene White
Resene White
 
January 2016

Q. I'm repainting our bedroom. I love dark grey, greens and white. I am thinking of trying something more colourful than my usual choice and doing a feature wall of Resene Camarone. Can you suggest a white/neutral shade that would go well with this for the other walls?

A. You can use a cool white or a warmer white. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Sea Fog – cool or Resene Half Rice Cake – warm. There are deeper and lighter variants of these colours also that may be worth consideration.

Because Resene Camarone is so strong it will influence how you see your 'white' by reflecting onto that 'white' surface.

Resene Camarone
Resene Camarone
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
January 2016

Q. Which wall colour goes well with green iron sheets?

A. Whites, creams and light beiges work well with greens. You might look at these to see if they appeal to you - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Tea.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
January 2016

Q. We have painted our roof Resene Nocturnal and now need a colour for the Hardiplank®. We might do under the eaves in Resene Alabaster but are open to suggestions. We have dark brown aluminium joinery.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tea, Resene Truffle or Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
January 2016

Q. We are repainting the interior of our Victorian villa. We have Rimu floors, window frames and doors throughout with brass handles. We have decided on Resene Fossil for the bedrooms and Resene Quarter Fossil for the hallways. We are struggling to figure out the right white for our carrara plaster ceilings though and would like some help. We're thinking perhaps Resene Eighth Spanish White to keep the same yellow palette, but then wonder whether in fact it might be a better contrast with something like Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Quarter Alabaster instead. We're still working on the wall colour for the living area, possibly Resene Half Drought. We want to use the same ceiling colour throughout. We also have a small feature wall in the (small) foyer which is Resene Ayers Rock. We have similar coloured furnishings throughout along with splashes of green - similar to Resene Atlantis.

A. I think that Resene Eighth Spanish White may build up too much depth - ceilings often look a bit deeper than you might expect - so it could look like Resene Quarter Spanish White which would not work as well with the Resene Fossil colours as you might like it too. A cleaner contrast is a good idea - Resene Quarter Bianca is a 'sweet' white and may suit better - certainly it works well with Resene Ayers Rock and Resene Half Drought - if this is what you choose to use in the living area.

Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Atlantis
Resene Atlantis
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
 
January 2016

Q. What colours are suitable to paint a living room which receives very little natural light?

A. Warm, light neutral colours may work well in a dim living room. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Bianca, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Eighth Parchment or Resene Orchid White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
January 2016

Q. We are repainting the interior of our modern styled house. Currently we have Resene Quarter Tea walls, Resene Half Tea skirting boards and Resene Napa cupboards. We are looking to refresh the house (now 10 years old) by repainting the walls and ceilings. What neutral colour would you recommend for the walls to tone in with the skirting and cupboards and a matching ceiling colour?

A. Because the skirtings are deeper than the existing wall colour you might consider using exactly the same colour on the walls (Resene Quarter Tea) so the woodwork doesn't 'feature' as much. Alternatively you might consider using Resene Eighth Napa - this will tie in the cupboards and be subtly different to the skirting boards. Using a crisp clean 'white' on the ceilings may add a lot of freshness also - i.e. Resene Eighth Black White. If the woodwork was changed to this colour also then you would have a huge range of possible wall colours to choose from but if the skirting boards stay as they are then you are a little more limited in what may work for you.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
January 2016

Q. We have three adjoining rooms to paint, all with wood trim. I've chosen Resene Concrete for the kitchen and Resene Emerge for the dining room. My remaining dilemma is a colour for the living room... which is dark and south facing. I've tried Resene Alabaster but I'm not convinced.

A. Does the living room have any (coloured) curtains, flooring and furniture in there that may also have an influence on what wall colour might be appropriate? Dark south facing rooms often need 'more' to make them feel appealing.

You could start by checking out these colours - they are warm tints of white which may relate to the painting: Resene Half Soapstone, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Milk White.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
January 2016

Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Mirage roof. What colour would suit the house?

A. Pale cool colours and warm whites look good with Mirage. You might check out these suggestions to see if they appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Tasman, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
January 2016

Q. I would like to paint the exterior of my 1910 villa pale green with a white trim. I have narrowed the paint colours down to Resene Willow Brook or Resene Beryl Green. Could you suggest a white to go with each of these?

A. You might consider using Resene Alabaster with Resene Willow Brook and Resene Eighth Rice Cake with Resene Beryl Green.

Resene Willow Brook
Resene Willow Brook
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
January 2016

Q. We are building a new house in North Canterbury. It will be north facing and receive a reasonable amount of natural light from the north and east windows/sliding doors. Our aluminium is matte black, flooring a Camaro plank (lighter wood look) and the kitchen is white with macrocarpa and stainless steel bench tops. We have a few pieces of mahogany and oak furniture too. We are considering Resene Black White for the walls in the kitchen/dining/lounge and would like to know what you suggest for the doorways and ceiling? I know Resene Black White is a cooler white which we like, but any other suggestions are welcome. We don't want it to be too glary. The bedrooms will be Resene Half Tea which we have used previously and we would like to do the ceilings and doorways for the bedrooms and hallway in the same white as the living areas if possible.

A. If the same white is to be used throughout the house to work with Resene Black White and Resene Half Tea then you might consider these white options – Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2016

Q. We have a 110 year old miner’s cottage covered in Hardiplank® in beige with a dark blue roof and aluminium joinery. We are keen for some advice regarding exterior colour for the walls and the door and door frame.

A. If the aluminium joinery is the same colour as the roof then the taupe, beige and cream tones are the 'go to colours'. If however the joinery is an older style and is a silver aluminium finish and not a colour then you may have a few more colour options available to you. You could try Resene Truffle with the same colour for the door frame and Resene Lonestar for the door – or Resene Half Bison Hide and the same colour as the roof around the door frame and Resene Woody Brown for the door – or Resene Wheatfield with Resene Eighth Wheatfield for the door frame and door.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Lonestar
Resene Lonestar
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Woody Brown
Resene Woody Brown
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
January 2016

Q. We are about to paint the exterior of our house and are after some advice about colours. Our house is a large box with a flat roof. The roof is Sorrell (a now deleted COLORSTEEL®). We don't really like brown and would like to paint our house a different colour so we can either make the roof a contrast colour or paint fascia a new colour (or give in and paint it a colour that matches the roof). We quite like the colour Resene Bud and think it goes ok with the roof colour. What do you think and if we went with Resene Bud what colours would you use around the windows, base boards, boxed corners etc? We really want to pretty the house up and not draw too much attention to the fact that it is such a square box.

A. Resene Bud is a really lovely colour and will work well with the roof colour. For all the trims - window sashes, surrounds and sills, door frames, baseboards, boxed corners etc. - you could look at Resene Quarter Rice Cake. It is a crisp warm white that looks really nice with Resene Bud. Using just one colour for all of the windows will make them seem larger - it is a simple approach but adds a bit of style. You might look at using another (deeper) colour for the doors only (not French doors just single doors) or perhaps the fences, but only if you want to - just to add a little extra to enhance the other two colours and as a 'nod' towards the Sorrell on the roof. Try Resene Lignite or Resene Sambuca.

Resene Bud
Resene Bud
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
January 2016

Q. We are painting our house soon and will be using Resene Grey Friars on the fascia and base and our joinery is the same colour. We plan to use your timber stain in the Resene Riverstone colour on our cedar weatherboards. Can you please recommend a 'white/neutral' paint for the soffits?

A. You might check out these whites - they have a little soft warmth to them that works well with the mushroom undertone in Resene Woodsman Riverstone - Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Milk White.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Riverstone
Resene Riverstone
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
January 2016

Q. I am painting the exterior of my house. I love the contrast of grey and white, and want to go for a light grey with white around the windows. I also need a darker grey for the basement. My roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars, and I have a garage with Titania on the walls. Could you suggest some colours that could work?

A. These colours could be worth checking out - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Grey Friars, or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Rice Cake and Resene Eighth Masala, or Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Alabaster and Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
   
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter
Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
January 2016

Q. We are building a new house. I would like to use Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown on the walls. However I am having trouble with picking colours for the doors and trim. My husband wants a white ceiling. We will be having a beige coloured carpet.

A. For the ceiling you might check out these colours to see if one of them is the right 'white' - Resene Alabaster - cool white or Resene Quarter Bianca - slightly warmer white.

For the woodwork -i.e. skirting boards, door frames, all doors and window surrounds – try Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown (yes the same as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel so it all merges in together) or Resene Quarter Albescent White (slightly lighter), or you could use the same colour as the ceiling but in a semi-gloss enamel so the woodwork was a lighter/brighter feature that made the wall colour seem slightly deeper.

Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit
Brown
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit
Brown
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
January 2016

Q. I am painting part of my house in a light colour. I don't expect to be painting the rest of the house for at least two years. Will this work so that when I paint the rest of the house the colours will match?

A. The colour that you use in two years’ time will be the same colour as you use now. The only difference would be that the first lot of paint will have 2 year's worth of aging that may make it look very slightly different. This difference would show if you painted half a wall now and then later on painted the rest of the wall starting from the board below the one you had finished on previously.

The secret to this not happening would be to not paint half a wall but to finish on an end wall/external corner so that when you finished painting with the same colour in two year's time the different angle would forgive any very slight colour variations due to aging caused by sun and general weather of the older paint.

January 2016

Q. I have a small 1950s weatherboard and iron roof bungalow that needs painting. The roof has been replaced and is COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. The house, although a single storey, is built on a slope and has an orangey brick base. The northern aspect walls are very sun damaged so I need lighter colours. This wall includes French doors and the main front door. I am struggling with what colours to use, but am leaning toward the blue / grey tones but don't want a cold look to the house.

A. Greys can be cool and grey/blues can be doubly cool. In order to work harmoniously with the New Denim Blue roof and the orange toned brick base I would be inclined to use a warm neutral so that the brick base has a co-ordinated colour to associate with. But it may be that you want the brick base to stand out as a warmer feature.

The following are a few ideas that you might consider - Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Fossil or Resene Quarter Bison Hide. These colours used with a white - i.e. Resene Alabaster - for the under soffits, the window joinery and any other trims will balance the blue/grey of the roof colour.

If your heart is set on blue grey or a grey you could check out these colours to see if they are the sort of thing you were thinking of - Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Triple Concrete or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
   
January 2016

Q. We would like to know what colour would suit our new house for the exterior walls? It's a monolithic fibre cement home and I would like it also to be a protective paint.

A. The house might be painted using Resene X-200 which is a weathertight membrane.

You have a huge amount of options in regard possible colours. These are a few so that you can see what appeals to you: Resene Half Parchment, Resene Half Bison Hide, Resene Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
January 2016

Q. We have painted the outside of our brick house Resene Baltic Sea and need a colour for the weatherboards to complement it.

A. Some soft greys, taupes or 'whites' may work well: Resene Silver Sand, Resene Concrete, Resene Pale Slate, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Half Barely There.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
 
January 2016

Q. I have a couple of pots of Resene Half Sisal. Is it possible to make it into Resene Quarter Sisal?

A. You would need to add equal amounts by size/weight of white paint to achieve a quarter tint. You would need to mix it in a much larger container as well - i.e. 4 litres of Resene Half Sisal and 4 litres of Resene White would need to be mixed carefully in a 10 litre container. That is a lot of paint that you will end up with, which might suit if you have a large project to do.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
January 2016

Q. We are considering Resene Quarter Spanish White for our walls. Which colour white would work with this for the ceiling?

A. You could use any of these 'whites' - Resene White, Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Eighth Spanish White - this may look a little stronger than you imagine it will do.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
       
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
January 2016

Q. You recently recommended colours for the exterior of our house. We chose Resene Quarter Napa. We would like to paint the deck and hand rail capping with Resene Lumbersider. What colour would you suggest to go with Resene Quarter Napa?

A. You could check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Napa, Resene Double Pravda or Resene Half Masala. Lighter colours for the hand rail capping might be one of these - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
January 2016

Q. I’d like to repaint our townhouse and was wondering what shade of white/off-white would you recommend? It is currently a very pale blue, and I'd prefer a neutral tone (e.g. I'm considering Resene Black White). Is Resene Black White a cool white or warm white? And how does Resene Black White go in small rooms and in rooms with limited natural light? I feel the blue tone currently throughout the home makes some of our rooms on the southern side feel a little stark. I will be painting the doors and trims throughout the house Resene Alabaster, so would appreciate any advice you have for suitable neutral tones for the walls.

A. Resene Black White is a cool white. In rooms with limited light - especially if they have a southerly aspect - any white will be greyer/cooler and blues will be stark/cooler.

If you are using Resene Alabaster for doors and trims then you might check out these warmer off white colours that look good with it - Resene Half Merino, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
     
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
January 2016

Q. We are renovating our kitchen and family room and thinking of painting all the walls in Resene Half Sea Fog with trims either in a shade of Resene Alabaster or just ceiling white. The kitchen cabinets will be white (Melteca Warm White or Snowdrift) and the benchtops stone (either white or grey). The flooring will be engineered oak. The adjoining laundry and toilet we are thinking of doing in Resene Escape or Resene Onahau. I don't want the room to look too grey, but don't want the walls to be too bright white either. There is a sliding door and windows at the back of the room, and a skylight in the middle of the kitchen. The back of the room gets morning sun, and some sun through the skylight in the afternoon. It faces east. We have Resene Bianca in the bedrooms and Resene Quarter Bianca in the hallway already, with grey carpet through the rest of the house. What do you think of the colour scheme?

A. Is there any reason that you have decided that you aren't continuing with Resene Quarter Bianca - it would work with Melteca Warm White and the engineered oak floors quite well.

Resene Onahau is quite a bright clear blue and it will look a stronger possibly brighter blue as colours in an interior can double in their intensity and the close proximity of the walls. Resene Escape is a deeper colour by comparison - depending on the natural light it may look subdued or greyish.

Have you tested the blues - applying all of the testpot/two coats onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border? This is super large so you can focus on the colour and truly judge what it looks like and it can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you see how it alters in the space. If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you will get a good representation of how strong it will be in a room. Testpots are your best friend - if trialled this way you will possibly save yourself a lot of frustration and get the perfect colour a lot quicker.

Watch how colours respond to the natural light aspect of the spaces they are being considered for.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Escape
Resene Escape
Resene Onahau
Resene Onahau
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
   
January 2016

Q. Our cedar house is ready to re-stain and paint. The previous colour was Resene Limed Gum (stain) with Resene Drought and Resene Mangrove trims. I realise that we might be best sticking to Resene Limed Gum, since it is only 10 years since done, and needs doing again. But want to at least change the Resene Drought to perhaps a whiter colour, and then painting the carport also. The roof is brown.

A. Stain on cedar (any wood really) has a much shorter life span before recoating than paint does. Stains need to be recoated every 2-3 years - that is the nature of stains. They provide a much thinner film build on the wood which allows the grain to show and the wood to look 'natural' which people seem to like.

Some colour options that go with Woodsman Limed Gum that you might check out to see if they appeal to you are these ones - Resene Titania, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Tea, Resene Double Merino or Resene Double Sea Fog.

These colours aren't too white/stark but are brighter/lighter than Resene Drought. They will work well with Resene Mangrove which is a lovely colour that works well with Resene Limed Gum stain.

Resene Limed Gum
Resene Limed Gum
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Mangrove
Resene Mangrove
   
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
January 2016

Q. I have an all white laundry-cum-showerbox room. Wanting to paint all wood with anti-mould Resene Half Pattens Blue. So effectively all ceilings, walls and cabinetry the same in the Resene Half Pattens Blue, leaving window frames in white. The shower box is of course glass and white aluminium with a white floor, and it has a white ‘waterproof/plastic’ on the wall to the height of the box only. Floors are bare rimu. There are three white appliances, namely freezer, washing machine and drier. The wash tub is stainless steel and the under cabinet is going to be in blue too. The only other cabinet is a wall hanging one that goes up to the ceiling and takes up half a wall and will also be in Resene Half Pattens Blue. The door is sliding, finished in wooden stain. Do you think this blue is suitable?

A. If you like this colour then of course it is suitable - it highlights beautifully the white that you have a large amount of in the room and adds a serene watery influence to the room. From a personal point of view, I would be inclined to paint the ceiling the same white as the window frames. If ceilings are painted to match the wall colour the ceiling often appears deeper because of the angles and the way the light falls away from that surface. Also a coloured ceiling feels as if it is a lot lower (visually) and absorbs a lot more light. You may feel the need to turn on the electric lights even during the day if it isn't very bright and sunny.

But conversely you may adore the undersea feel that a blue ceiling and blue walls gives you and may not mind using more lighting if you feel it is necessary. The way we feel about colour has a lot to do with personal preferences, emotion and individual sense of style and not so much with logic.

Resene Pattens Blue
Resene Pattens Blue

as half strength
January 2016

Q. I'm painting a new home soon. The LINEA® will be finished in Resene Gravel, and it has stained fascia boards in a redwood colour. I would like to know a good white colour choice for the soffits to complement these? Will Resene Sea Fog do the trick?

A. Resene Sea Fog is a very good choice - another alternative that is slightly deeper that would still work with your colours is Resene Double Sea Fog.

Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
January 2016

Q. We are building a mono pitch house. The roof colour is Grey Friars and the windows are warm white pearl. We are looking for a neutral colour for the wall boards as light as possible but not so that it is hard to look at in the sunshine. We are told there must be a good contrast with the window frames but are afraid this would make the house colour darker than we want.

A. If your neutral colour carries undertones of grey or beige then your window joinery should still be seen as a 'whiter' contrast. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Surrender, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Half Cloud.

Any of these will appear - at certain times of the day due to bright natural light- a lot lighter. If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library and check them out with a real metal sample of the roof and the joinery colours it will help you see the reality of the colours. If you place a sheet of white printer paper partially over the samples it will help you see the undertones of colour in each of them.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
January 2016

Q. I am building a new house and I am thinking of a Gull Grey roof. The roof is a hip style roof and the cladding LINEA® board. Can you recommend some complementary colours for the LINEA® and joinery fascia boards etc?

A. Gull Grey is a nice pale grey - and it will look paler in bright natural light - and it works with many other colours. If you are having powder coated joinery the first choice for a colour might be Gull Grey to match the roof or a subtle metallic - Silver Pearl or a 'white' - Pearl White or Appliance White. LINEA® allows for the potential to have deeper paint colours. Is this what you are considering? If that is the case then you might check these colours out - Resene Double Tapa, Resene Gravel or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Or 'whiter' colours look smart, clean and timeless – try Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Barely There.

Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
January 2016

Q. We are repainting our plastered house and the wall surrounding it. The house is currently painted Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and we have put a white undercoat on the wall. The front door is Resene Ironsand, the aluminium joinery is dark brown and the roof tiles are red. The garage doors are oiled cedar. We would like to repaint the house and wall a ‘smart white’ colour that doesn't look cream. Currently the house colour looks okay but the extensive wall around it can look quite creamy. What would you suggest? And what colour could we paint the garage doors to tie it all together or would it be best to leave them cedar?

A. I think you should maintain the cedar doors as they are now on the garage, as long as you are diligent about keeping up the protective coating to ensure they don't get weathered off with the sun.

There are many 'smart' whites available that have no undertones of yellow so they won't develop any creaminess. Try Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Black Haze, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
     
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2016

Q. I have Resene Colonial White joinery and silver curtains which shine a little bit pink in the light. What colour would you recommend painting the walls, trims and walls? I want something neutral and something which doesn't emphasise the yellow joinery. The carpet is a grey/brown colour.

A. As you have probably realised any yellow toned colour - like your joinery - is very attention seeking and is far more noticeable than real white. Nothing will truly under emphasise the joinery colour but you might look at soft greyed colours like these to see if they work with the curtains and the carpet: Resene Half Flotsam, Resene Truffle, Resene Half Delta, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

Where there is such a definite colour to work around it can be difficult building up a new and harmonious colour scheme. If the joinery won't work with a new wall colour (that looks good with the curtains and the carpet) then the only recourse may be to re-paint the joinery to a more obliging neutral colour.

Resene Colonial White
Resene Colonial White
Resene Half Flotsam
Resene Half Flotsam
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
 
January 2016

Q. Is it possible to colour match colours from a photo I have taken of a house I like?

A. Colours seen in print or in a digital format can be tricky to match exactly. If you have the photo on your phone or computer you could try matching the colour using Resene Colour Match online. The ultimate way to get the colours matched is to knock on the door of the house and tell them you adore their colours and would they be really kind and tell you what has been used. They can only say no - but most people are only too pleased to tell you.

January 2016

Q. I have a 1950s bungalow which is currently rented, usually to young adults in their early 20s. I may move back one day, so treat the house as my own home. Recently I had a burst water pipe and am going to update the colours of the affected room. Currently the paint in the room is Resene Half Tea, which I find a bit cold and blue. For my own home, a smaller, darker cottage, I used very successfully Resene Dutch White on the walls, and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta on the frames, ceiling and doors. What do you think of this combination for this bungalow house, with a feature wall of Resene Half Robin Egg Blue? Eventually I will paint the hallways Resene Triple Pearl Lusta which had a lovely creamy white to it, in the sample I used. I will also move away from the current exterior colour Resene Karaka later on. It is a bit harder to select colours for a tenanted property as I don't want to impose my tastes on others.

A. I have personal experience in rental properties - both living in them in my youth and owning them in my later years. I like the colours that you have suggested. I think most people would as they are light, flexible and go with a great deal of other colours. At the end of the day it is your property and your right to choose what colours to decorate it. It isn't about imposing your taste on others - but about what looks good, enhances the property and is timeless - not too unusual or trendy. To me that describes perfectly the colours you have mentioned - especially Resene Half Robin Egg Blue.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
     
January 2016

Q. We have a ten year old weatherboard transportable home that looks like it is a state house dumped in the middle of a farm paddock. It has a New Denim Blue roof and joinery which we wish to keep and the walls are currently white and very stark looking. We are looking for a warm light beige/grey that will help the house blend in more. I love white, blue, lilac and soft coloured flowers in the garden with black painted wrought iron benches and features, so this would need to tie in. I am wishing to build a pergola too. Any ideas for colour for that? The house gets full all day sun and the main living areas get very hot and extremely glary with the current baby blue walls. Any suggestions for a neutral colour that will tie in with the outside?

A. For the exterior you might check out these grey/beiges - they all look very nice with New Denim Blue - Resene Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Half Cloud.

You could do the pergola - and any decorative garden details - i.e. trellis work or arches - in Resene White. This then will allow the flowers to 'pop' and it will be more of a classic garden statement especially with the black wrought iron benches.

If the interior of the house is really glary then you may need soft grey or beiges to absorb the bright light and make it more comfortable. Perhaps these types of colours might be considered - Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Eighth Bison Hide. If the ceilings and woodwork are Resene White it will enhance the subtle wall colours and add a lot of fresh contrast.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
 
January 2016

Q. I am looking for a colour to brighten up my entrance way. I was thinking a nice mustard. I have painted the door and frame in Resene All Black but thinking this may be too dark. The glass is a soft bright yellow.

A. Hallways and entry foyers aren't blessed with a lot of natural light and the coloured glass casts a yellow glow around the walls already so I suspect you may not need too deep a colour. Perhaps you might look at these colours: Resene Chamois, Resene Half Haystack, Resene Triple Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay.

Colours in an interior can double in their intensity so these colours will seem a lot deeper when all walls are painted. If you want to create a 'big impact' you could consider using a very strong mustard - even if it is only used on the stairwell wall as a feature. Try one of these real mustard colours: Resene Putty or Resene Apache.

Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Chamois
Resene Chamois
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay
Resene Quarter
Canterbury Clay
Resene Putty
Resene Putty
Resene Apache
Resene Apache
     
January 2016

Q. We would like to use Resene Half Merino for the walls and Resene Half Alabaster for the ceiling and trims. We have tinted windows so the living areas do not have much light filtering through. We currently have Resene Half Tea on the walls and these rooms appear dark. My question is, will the colours we have chosen above brighten the rooms and is there enough difference in the colour on the ceiling vs the wall colour?

A. There isn't a lot of difference between Resene Half Merino and Resene Half Alabaster but the fact that the living areas don't have a lot of light due to the tinted windows it may be just enough to emphasise the wall colour. Rooms that have clear glass windows and lots of bright natural light may wipe out any difference between the two colours so that they appear the same.

Using a semi-gloss enamel for the woodwork may emphasise the 'whiteness' and increase the bright contrast between the wall colour - especially if they are a painted in a very flat low sheen finish also.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
January 2016

Q. I am having the exterior of my two storey house painted. I live at the beach and wonder what paint and colours would be best? I want a charcoal grey garage door, but I am unsure of what other colours to choose.

A. Charcoal will work with any other colour which is fortunate. You don't indicate what your personal preferences are or if there is other colours already on the house that may govern what might be selected - i.e existing roof colour or powder coated window joinery – so these suggestions are just a start point for you to try out: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Titania, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Tasman.

For maximum protection of the house from the harsh elements you might consider using Resene Hi-Glo gloss acrylic or Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss as the sheen on the surface equates to a harder, more easily washed down surface which is a must given that windblown salt deposits wreak havoc on a house surface and paint in general.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
January 2016

Q. We are painting the exterior of our house in Resene Triple Friar Grey at the top and Resene Friar Grey at the bottom. The garage is in Ironsand and the sides of the garage have yellow bricks. The front door will be Resene Jalapeno. We originally thought we wanted to paint the details and the porch in Resene Quarter Black White but thought it looked too harsh against the Resene Triple Friar Grey. Could you please let me know what similar colours that would complement these colours?

A. Perhaps you could use one of these 'whites' – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Black Haze.

Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
 
January 2016

Q. Our house has a roof and fascia in COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod and silver aluminium windows. We are going to paint the outside of the house. What colours would go with the roof colour?

A. Because the roof is such a dark colour and the window joinery so flexible almost any colour might be chosen for the main. It is a matter of choice and personal taste coupled with the style of the house. What do you like? What are your preferences?

If you have nothing specific in mind then you might start by checking out these colours – Resene Double Black White, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Atmosphere.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
January 2016

Q. I have a north east facing kitchen in Resene Sea Fog. I need to paint the walls/ceiling in the kitchen and dining area. I have rimu around the windows and doorways. I'd like to complement the rimu colour with a neutral colour with a slight orange/yellow tinge for walls? What do suggest?

A. You don't mention what other colours you have - floors, curtains, upholstery etc - so your idea of a slight orange/yellow tinged neutral may conflict with what you have, especially because of the grey/white tone of the Resene Sea Fog - but you may like to check out these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Double Bianca or Resene Villa White.

Alternatively this colour may look really nice with both the rimu and the Resene Sea Fog is Resene Quarter Sisal.

I recommend you use a much 'whiter' colour for the ceilings so whatever colour you choose it will work harmoniously with it – try Resene Alabaster.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
January 2016

Q. We are about to build a modern pavilion style house on a rural site with quite a lot of glass especially sliders. The entire house is clad with weatherboards. Can you please advise us on a colour scheme? We are quite keen to keep it simple. Our four ideas so far are 1) Ironsand roof and joinery and a brown for the cladding such as Resene Rough N Tumble, 2) Ironsand roof and joinery and a concrete colour cladding, perhaps using a shade of Resene Concrete, Resene Surrender, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Stack, 3) Ironsand roof, silver joinery and Resene Double Truffle cladding, 4) Grey Friars roof, silver joinery and Resene Double Rakaia or Resene Triple Rakaia.

A. Pavilion style houses generally are noted for the lesser impact of their main colour and the greater impact of the roof. With a pavilion style house it is meant to achieve a seamless transition between the interior and exterior.

The first option may look heavy and muddy as it features a brown main colour and deep windows and roof. Your second option has dark windows and very pale walls so the windows are dominant.

Your third and fourth option seem to be worthy of extra consideration. I like the warm grey or grey/beige tones for the main colour of the house and the silver joinery with the deep coloured roof. The look is that it sits very light upon the land.

Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene Rough N Tumble
     
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
     
Resene Rakaia
Resene Double Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
   
January 2016

Q. I have just purchased a home and would like to paint the dark ceiling beams and ceiling white and then an off-white/beige for the walls. I am unsure what colour to use for the walls as the house has a lot of orange-ish woodwork. I want to choose an off-white/beige that will tone down the orange wood. The current walls are painted off white, but they appear cold.

A. Too much of beige may make the orange toned wood look more orange - not less orange. Perhaps look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and work with the wood – Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Eighth Akaroa.

A white for the dark beams and the ceiling might need to be slightly warm and not too stark - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
January 2016

Q. What shade of white would you recommend for a kitchen dining area in a dated villa? We want to give it a modern fresh feel but not too cool as we are in Wellington.

A. You might check out these whites to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

They are all quite different from each other. If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them to a sheet of printer paper (true white) it will help you judge the reality of the undertones of colour that are in the whites prior to buying a testpot to trial in the kitchen.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
January 2016

Q. We have recently purchased a house in Central Otago which is about 6 years old and want to update the exterior colour scheme. The roof is black tiles and the aluminium windows are blue denim I think, so those two colours are a done deal.

We are looking for help with colours for the plaster walls and LINEA® board chimneys and inserts. We like clean sharp colours and are struggling with this a bit.

A. Try these colours to see if they suit: Resene Sea Fog – plaster and Resene Quarter Grey Friars. The deeper of these two colours would tie in the roof and joinery colours.

Or Resene Quarter White Pointer – plaster and Resene White Pointer – LINEA®. These colours create a soft transition and are tonally related.

And you could try Resene Half Rice Cake – plaster and Resene Thorndon Cream – LINEA®.
The deeper of these colours doesn't go as yellow as a deeper variant of the paler colour would do.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
January 2016

Q. We have Permanent Green aluminium joinery windows and doors. We also have Permanent Green roof. We have been advised that this is now quite an outdated colour. Could we do Ironsand for the roof and keep the joinery Permanent Green. Our house stain is rustic oak. We can't afford to change the joinery.

A. The Ironsand roof and the stain colour will look lovely together and leaving the windows the Permanent Green will highlight them and make them more of a feature. Is that what you want to do?

I like Permanent Green. It is a classic deep green. It works nicely with the stain colour. It may not be what people are choosing a lot these days as charcoal or black is very popular as a trend at this point in time. But they too will be outdated one day...

The joinery can be prepped and painted if you truly hate the colour - yes it is a labour intensive exercise - but you could consider that if you wanted a complete change.

January 2016

Q. I'm having trouble finding the right colour to paint the exterior of our house. I would like a soft warm grey, but not as silver as Resene Silver Chalice. I've tried Resene Truffle and I think that's a bit dirty looking especially on a grey day. We will look to eventually paint the roof a dark grey.

A. You could Resene Silver Sand or Resene Quarter Stack.

If they are used with Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White to add a very clean, crisp contrast you should get a lovely look.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
   
January 2016

Q. We have tinted windows in the house we bought and the kitchen living lounge are painted Resene Tea which is too dark in winter. The carpet is fawn and the drapes are a rich brown with gold leaf. Could you suggest colours that would lighten and open up this area?

A. Colours in an interior are often a bit deeper than you might imagine them to be and coupled with the tinted windows it may be making the Resene Tea look heavy. Perhaps you might check out these beiges which may be warmer and lighter than Resene Tea - Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Quarter Akaroa, Resene Half Parchment and also a much lighter variant of Resene Tea that may work too – Resene Quarter Tea.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
January 2016

Q. What colour and sheen should I use on my garage ceiling? I want to reflect light.

A. You could use Resene Enamacryl which is a full gloss waterborne enamel. It is very shiny, easily applied, washes up in water and is scrubbable. Scrubbable is always a plus when you flick a fly with an oily cloth and leave black marks across the ceiling! If you want a light bright colour but not too white you might look at using Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
January 2016

Q. I want to repaint the lower part of my house exterior. The roof and guttering are a sand colour and the house is white weatherboard. I am considering Resene Pale Oyster as it matches the roof. The house is on a slope with a garage underneath so there is quite a lot of Resene Pale Oyster! Could look like a sandwich?! At present the colour is dark brown.

A. It is a soft colour - not as dark as dark brown - and if it is a good match to the roof etc then that is good. Keeping the look simple is a good thing to do. The only other option is white like the weatherboards and that might be a bit too much white.

Resene Pale Oyster
Resene Pale Oyster
January 2016

Q. You have helped me in the past and the result was GREAT! I am now painting two rooms that you can see into from my large main lounge room, which is painted in Resene Half Oilskin. The first room is a den/smaller lounge room of sorts with lots of natural light from a big bi-fold door. For this room I was thinking of something green like Resene Nirvana, Resene Half Coriander or Resene Half Iko Iko. And then off this den will be my bedroom, which also has good light from a large bifold door. I want something neutral that would look good from the lounge and the den and complement those colours. I was looking at Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Silver Chalice.

A. I like the idea of a fresh green like Resene Coriander - lighter yes, but not too yellow like Resene Iko Iko. Perhaps check out Resene Thistle or Resene Zen. They are standard colours so it is easy to get them as a testpot for trialling purposes.

You might look at one of these colours for the bedroom – Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Copyrite. They are lovely soft toned neutrals with warmth so they look good with the other rooms' colours.

Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Nirvana
Resene Nirvana
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
Resene Iko Iko
Resene Iko Iko

as half strength
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Zen
Resene Zen
 
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
   
January 2016

Q. We have painted our bathroom walls in Resene Half Black White (Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen) and have painted skirting boards in Resene Black (Resene Lustacryl). We are looking to paint the floor (it is chip board) and I've been reading your article on www.habitatbyresene.co.nz/fashion-forward-floors-just-paint-them. Do you have any suggestions for colours?

A. Did you want to do a Whitewash on your floors, as in the article? Because of the advent of Resene Colorwood Whitewash it is easily achievable.

Or did you want to know what other options were worth pursuing? Originally the only way to 'whitewash' the floors was to intermix paint and polyurethane and it was often a bit hit and miss. Some people choose to do other decorative things to their floors like painting it to look like tiles or stencilling a pattern onto the floor. Is that the sort of painted floor you had in mind?

Because you have the black skirting boards they will be the dark attention seeking feature between the wall colour and the floor whatever colour is chosen. Is that the element you want to highlight? Unless you choose to do the floor black as well it may well be the thing that peoples' eyes are glued to the most.

An alternative idea might be to intermix the white of the walls and the black of the skirting and do a soft grey on the floor - perhaps with a narrow racing stripe of Resene Black around the edge of the floor - about 100 mm out from the skirting and about 30mm in width.

All that it entails is to wait until the grey floor paint is cured and use a ruler, pencil, masking tape and a steady hand to do the line.

If you want a simple painted floor then I suggest you use Resene Walk-on - it is a floor and paving paint - and choose a colour like Resene Double Black White or Resene Triple Black White so it is deeper than the walls but not too dark that it shows up all marks and loose hairs etc.

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

Q. We have painted our walls Resene Half Tea. What would be a good colour to do the trims and skirtings? Also a colour to paint the doors as well?

A. You could do several things - paler - or whiter – trims, or deeper tonal trims.

If you used paler or whiter trims it frames the wall colour and adds a clean contrast – try Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

If you use deeper tonal trims it adds visual interest to the woodwork and makes the eye 'fix' upon them as features. Try Resene Tea or deeper - Resene Double Tea.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
January 2016

Q. We have recently done an extension on our house. The new extension, which includes a double garage, is made of LINEA® weatherboard painted in Resene Ash. The existing brick exterior will be plastered over and we are looking for colour suggestions for the plastered bricks, which comprises approximately 70 percent of the exterior wall. The roof and garage door is Ironsand and the aluminium joinery is Titania. Do you think a Resene Double Ash will work?

A. Resene Double Ash will be a soft subtle colour and may not look a lot different from Resene Ash in bright natural light. On an exterior colours need to be very different from each other in depth in order to be seen as different. If you don't mind it looking very similar then Resene Double Ash will be fine. If you want to see more difference between the plaster finish and the LINEA® then you might check out using Resene Triple Ash.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
January 2016

Q. We are in the process of painting our bungalow. We are limited with colour choice due to our light grey (Gull Grey) COLORSTEEL® roof, which we don't want to paint as it is relatively new. We also have stained shingles on the front and side of the house (stained a dark Black Bean - really dark brown). I'm thinking Resene Quarter Napa would work well with Resene Sea Fog on the details - window frames, entrance and eaves. And Resene Nero for the front door. I'm also not sure what to paint the base of the house and chimney that would complement this colour scheme. Am I on the right track? Can you please let me know what you would suggest?

A. If the base of the house is modest in size you could paint it to match the main house colour. If it is larger and you wanted a lighter colour compared to the main colour of the house you could use Resene Sea Fog. If you really wanted to make it a feature to stand out you could use a darker variant of the main colour - i.e Resene Napa. The chimney could match the base of the house.

The roof is very light and silvery so I don't suggest you match that for the base of the house and the chimney. It isn't a colour that sits well with your main house colour - it would need to be a much deeper grey to balance the brown.

COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
January 2016

Q. We have a tall, two storey, 1930s weatherboard house. We have recently repainted the interior in colours of Resene Fossil and Resene Sisal to match our rimu woodwork, with Resene Half Villa White ceilings and windows. We are planning to re-roof with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod and would like to lighten the exterior, which is currently Resene Quarter Spanish White, as this can look a little 'peachy' in some lights. We would like to complement the interior colour scheme. Would Resene Half Villa White for the exterior be too light? Many of the exterior suggestions seem to be grey tones and we don't have grey tones inside. Any suggestions for the exterior trim?

A. Resene Half Villa White is nice - and you have used it in the interior as the trims but if you used a slightly lighter version of that as the exterior trim - i.e Resene Quarter Villa White - then you could use the full strength colour Resene Villa White as the main colour . This would tie in nicely the colours of the interior with the exterior and it would be a nice contrast to the roof colour – COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod.

Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
 
January 2016

Q. We have an open L shaped living dining room with adjoining kitchen. The living room faces north and the walls are mostly 6 foot windows with venetian blinds and trim in Resene Quarter Parchment.

We are having trouble deciding what colour to paint the walls in each room. We are tired of the same colour throughout and would like to freshen up the walls with a few colours.

A. Colours that you might check out are these ones – Resene Half Cougar, Resene Emerge or Resene Half Sandstone. They do work well with Resene Quarter Parchment.

Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
January 2016

Q. I have bought a two bedroom bach which is in need of painting. It is an older type house with steps and a sunny deck. It has a garage underneath. The joinery and garage door are dark brown and the roof is green. At present it is painted all different colours. Also some parts have never been painted. The deck is weathered.

A. The windows and garage roller door are existing (and probably unlikely to change) elements on the house but what about the roof and guttering? Are you leaving that as green? Options for change are often compromised by existing colours on the house as it is important to create a balanced look.

A thorough treatment of the deck timbers with Resene Moss & Mould Killer after sanding to remove any contamination and semi-detached cellulose fibres will make it look fresh and clean and then you can decide what you want to do with it.

I feel that the base of the house - which is red and a dark brown now - may look better in a deeper (or lighter) version of the house colour. It won't be a 'stand out' feature but it will appear related and well co-ordinated overall.

Some ideas to get you started: Main house colour - Resene Truffle, basement - Resene Triple Truffle and deck Resene Furniture and Decking Oil if you want a natural look. Or main house colour - Resene Quarter Tapa, basement - Resene Tapa and deck - Resene Woodsman Sheer Black - this deep colour may work with the joinery and garage door colour. Or main house colour - Resene Triple Sea Fog, basement - Resene Sea Fog and deck - Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
 
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
January 2016

Q. We are getting a new roof in COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. Can you recommend complementary colours for our timber cladding, 1940s house by the beach? Window trims have been done in Resene Alabaster.

A. FlaxPod is a lovely deep colour that will work well with many different colours. As you have timber cladding and Resene Alabaster trims I suggest that you keep to fairly light colours in order that you achieve a lovely coastal themed look.

Perhaps you might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Emerge.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
 
January 2016

Q. I would love some advice on what colour to repaint the black around my window trims and doors on the outside of my house. Currently it is a blue black colour but I need to repaint as it gets warped in the sun. Also, we need to keep the guttering the same black colour.

A. Assuming you want to use a paler colour so that your timber joinery and door doesn't react so much with the heat, you might need to sand back the dark colour and use a white undercoat prior to topcoating and to opt to use the Resene CoolColour™ formulations - this is what CC on the colour charts means. Using CoolColour modified colours can minimise the extreme temperature problems associated with dark colours on wooden surfaces. It doesn't solve the problem just modifies what happens to the surface and the paint by deflecting more of the heat away from the surface so it isn't as hot. But if the surface is warped now it won't 'unwarp' itself if that is what you were hoping to achieve.

You might look at these deep greys colours - Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Double Stack or Resene Raven. Or alternatively - much paler or whiter – Resene Geyser or Resene Double Black White.

The black guttering won't stop you having paler colours on the doors or joinery - you can repaint it the same colour it is now to freshen it up if that is what you want to do or change it to match the doors etc.

Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
January 2016

Q. Paint colour help please. I have a dark brown lounge suite and lots of rimu wood everywhere. An overkill of brown on brown. Any suggestions of what would be a good wall colour that would go with this or break the dark look? Something neutral please. What is the complementary colour that goes with dark brown for a cushion colour?

A. Beiges or taupes will only add to the brown on brown look but a soft warm green/grey or a silvery grey may work or even a sharp clean off white. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Ash, Resene Concrete or Resene Half Rice Cake.

The complement of brown (which is the most dense shaded version of orange) is blue. This can be as definite as navy or as soft as ice blue or aqua (this is warm as it blends blue and green together) and it is often possible to find a fabric for cushions that features all of these types of colours.

Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
January 2016

Q. We are renovating our kitchen and have chosen Eurostone pebble light grey for benchtop. I want the lower cabinets to be different from the overhead ones which are on the other side of room. So far I am thinking of Melteca® Gentle Beige naturals for the bottom with maybe Melteca® Doeskin for the overhead cupboards. I'm thinking of maybe Resene Half Napa for walls. Can you advise if these colours all tone or are the bases different, or any other colours which would go well with the benchtop? I plan on having a light timber flooring with white ceiling.

A. Resene Half Napa is more olive toned by comparison to Melteca® Doeskin. For a colour that has a similar warmth in tone you might check out Resene Half Drought. This is slightly lighter than Melteca® Doeskin and it looks lovely with the Melteca® Gentle Beige as well.

I think you should also check out Melteca® Dawn Grey - this looks nice with Resene Half Napa - and Eurostone Pebble Light Grey and Melteca® Gentle Beige.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
January 2016

Q. We have an oamaru stone house with old Hardiboard®. We are looking to paint it a bit darker and modernise it up a bit. We have a black fence. What colours would you think would go well on the roof and Hardiboard®?

A. If you use too dark a colour it may make the upper storey look unbalanced and somewhat sandwiched between the red roof and the pale Oamaru stone on the base of the house. I suggest you look at soft toned grey/beige colours – Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Eighth Friar Grey or Resene Whiteout.

Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
January 2016

Q. I have a 1930s bungalow with open plan kitchen, dining living area painted in Resene Half Thorndon Cream. The kitchen units are warm white. The joinery is rimu. I am thinking of painting feature walls as there are recesses, nooks and window seats. I like soft greens, blues and taupe and golds. The sunporch off the kitchen is Resene Periglacial Blue. I like Resene Aspiring, Resene Sisal, Resene Half Truffle and Resene Beryl Green. I will also use some of these colours in the bedrooms. Am I going to make a mess?

A. No of course you are not going to make a mess. It sounds really exciting. Take heart in your inventiveness. Most people are too scared to do anything that might be different from the so called 'norm' - if you like the colours please use them. In some instances the colours may be used as fabric (curtains) or artwork or other accessories so please keep that in mind too. This is your home - it should reflect your hopes, dreams and most of all your favourite colours.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Aspiring
Resene Aspiring
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Beryl Green
   
February 2016

Q. We have a small Hardiplank® home that is currently a light tea colour with brown aluminium joinery. The interior was also Resene Tea which I am slowly painting Resene Half Sea Fog. I am desperate to modernise the exterior and get rid of the tea colour. I love blacks, charcoals and greys but am unsure which if any of those darker colours will look any good against the brown joinery.

A. If the greys, charcoals and blacks were warmed with subtle brown based undertones then it might work better than if they were more blue based colours. If you look at these colours it might help you identify the types of colours that could suit the exterior – Resene Gauntlet, Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Ironsand or Resene Bokara Grey.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
   
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
February 2016

Q. We have a COLORBOND® Woodland Grey roof and matt Appliance White joinery. We are thinking of Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Concrete for our house exterior. Can you give your opinion and also a possible contrast for window surrounds. Or should we just match the joinery?

A. I like the colours you have mentioned with the exception of Resene Concrete which is a silver grey and doesn't sit well with the roof colour or the main colour - if that is Resene Half Friar Grey.

I personally think the Resene Double Sea Fog is the better of the two pale colours as it relates well. This could be used around the window surrounds as it gives a gentle 'shadow' of coloured white around the much purer white window joinery.

Alternatively if you want to frame the appliance white joinery with a much more definite/darker colour you could look at either of these options – Resene Double Friar Grey - deeper than the main colour of the house or Resene Touchstone - lighter than the roof colour.

Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
February 2016

Q. I have a 1930s farm house with weatherboards that need painting. The roof is COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. I would like to have a sharp difference between the windows and weatherboards but have no idea where to start! Greys and blues are appealing.

A. The age of it and the weatherboards require 'tender care' so I feel if you use a very dark colour (for maximum contrast) you may give it a shock because of the heat that would be attracted to the surface. Older houses like yours have often been painted - all their lives- in paler colours. I think if the trims are really 'white' and the main house colour is definite then you will see a sharp difference.

You could look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Geyser (main), Resene Eighth Black White (all ‘white’ trims) and Resene Tuna (doors/sills/porch floor). Or Resene Duck Egg Blue (main), Resene Eighth Rice Cake (all 'white' trims) and Resene Quarter Foundry (doors/sills/porch floor). Or Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Quarter Alabaster and Resene Half New Denim Blue (doors/sills/porch floor).

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
  Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
  Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New
Denim Blue
February 2016

Q. I have a living dining room with a large void on the dining room to the first floor. The walls are lined with cedar with large timber beams and a very large feature granite fireplace in lounge area. I don't want white. I have a beige colour now but want a fresh warm look.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you for a fresh warm look – Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Parchment.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
February 2016

Q. I'm painting my 1915 villa in Resene Periglacial Blue and Resene Black White on the windows frames and French doors. I need a colour to paint the base of the house (lower part). I'm thinking something that blends rather than stands out so sort of a really nice grey that will work with the Resene Periglacial Blue and I need perhaps a colour for the roof also.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you for the base of the house – Resene Inside Back, Resene Rolling Stone, Resene Revolution, Resene Trojan or Resene Half Regent Grey.

For the roof these are popular colours – Resene Grey Friars, Resene New Denim Blue or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Rolling Stone
Resene Rolling Stone
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Regent Grey
 
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
 
February 2016

Q. We have a white high ceiling house nearly like a townhouse that is white block. The roof is dark grey and the gutters white. What would be a good colour for the fascia?

A. I think there may be a few options:

  • Same colour as the roof.
  • Lighter version of the roof colour.
  • Distinctive contrast colour - red? deep green? teal blue? - this may need careful thinking as it will add a 'feature' that will attract the eye and if you did go with this idea then it may be good to see the same colour on a door also.
  • Same colour as the house.
February 2016

Q. I'm trying to choose a colour to paint the exterior of my house. The current base colour is Resene Double Mondo and the garage door is Resene Ironsand so I would like to use either of these colours as the base colour. The house gets a lot of sun at the front most of the day. Could you please suggest some colours that would go well with Resene Double Mondo or Resene Ironsand? I like neutral type colours and nothing too dark.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Cougar, Resene Tea, Resene Napa, Resene Eighth Mondo, Resene Rockbottom or Resene Half Stonehenge.

Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
 
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Eighth Mondo
Resene Eighth Mondo
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
February 2016

Q. I want to paint a wooden floor, which is currently painted yellow, in a faux wooden finish and need some advice with the colours. I would like the floor to be a dark rich mahogany brown.

A. I am sure that if you have done a lot of faux finishes and have a talent for it and patience you can achieve the look that you are after. You may need to check out these types of colours to see if they are the rich mahogany colour that you are after: Resene Lexington, Resene Mahogany or Resene Hukanui.

Resene Lexington
Resene Lexington
Resene Mahogany
Resene Mahogany
Resene Hukanui
Resene Hukanui
February 2016

Q. I am going to repaint the wooden parts of my pink Summerhill stone house. I plan to do the fascias, soffits etc Resene Quarter Biscotti, the window frames Resene Eighth Biscotti and the front door deep red (probably Resene Pohutukawa) to brighten up a rather drab entrance area. My problem is the garage door which is to the right of the front door. I don't want to highlight the garage door by painting it Resene Pohutukawa as well but I'm not sure what colour to paint it. I thought about pink to match the house, but I don't like pink!

A. Have you thought about doing the garage door a full version of the trim colour - i.e Resene Biscotti - this could be a good way to go as it ties everything together. Another option would be to use the same colour as the roof. This is a popular choice and is seen a lot.

If you like the idea of a red for the main door you might like to check out the deeper ones as they may look good with the stone and the trim colours – Resene Madam M or Resene Vanquish.

Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Madam M
Resene Madam M
Resene Vanquish
Resene Vanquish
February 2016

Q. Our new weather board home (timber floor, 35 degree pitch roof) will have Resene Half Delta on the weather boards. Which dark colour would best suit the COLORSTEEL® roof? What colour should the front door be?

A. You could check out these COLORSTEEL® colours to see if they appeal to you – TernStyle, Grey Friars or FlaxPod.

Front doors often need a big of dynamic colour to attract attention. This is often where the colour that you absolutely love can be used. What colour do you love? Alternatively you could match the roof or the joinery for a colour that is already on the exterior. It is a quieter way to go but can be very appealing. Think it through very carefully. Is it a safe option or a dynamic option that you are after?

Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
February 2016

Q. We have in our old villa a 'dark room' with a dark kauri ceiling, kauri tongue and groove dado, kauri floor, kauri fireplace and kauri joinery. One end of the room has French doors leading to a courtyard. Very high stud. I have used Resene Half Canterbury Clay in another room of the house, with great success. But brighter light there with a pressed steel ceiling. I have tried a test of full and half Resene Canterbury Clay in the dark room, but different light and lots more kauri it looks drab. I would like a strong colour. A blue something like Resene Allports? I am really puzzling over this one. PS This room is mainly used in winter.

A. I can imagine a deep colour being used in a dim room - it could add a good deal of intimate ambiance. You might check these colours out - not quite as bright as Resene Allports but very nice just the same. They may look deeper because of the wood and the natural light aspect.

Try Resene Orient, Resene Astral, Resene Eastern Blue or Resene Scooter. These types of colours might balance all the wood and be the 'exciting/different' statement in the house - and we all need a little excitement don't we?

Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half
Canterbury Clay
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Allports
Resene Allports
 
Resene Orient
Resene Orient
Resene Astral
Resene Astral
Resene Eastern Blue
Resene Eastern Blue
Resene Scooter
Resene Scooter
February 2016

Q. We are currently halfway through painting our front and side fences in a medium grey colour which has blue undertones, similar to Resene Tsunami.

My dad has given us 20L of Resene Ironsand as I told him we wanted a dark grey to go with the medium grey. As Resene Ironsand had warm brown undertones, I am looking for advice on whether or not you think we could use this colour as an accent colour on our trims of the house, such as the base boards, the barge boards/guttering, window sills and the deck railings.

The house is a white weatherboard house from the 60s and does not need repainting. I would just like to add a colour to make it not so white. Also, will the Resene Ironsand contrast too much with the white house? Is it okay to use such a dark colour on the trims? I am aware it may come out looking quite black when standing on the street.

I also have another question regarding painting our living room with one or two pale blue feature walls. I have seen a house with all the bedrooms painted in a lovely warm blue colour and don't know what the colour is called but would love to use a warm blue in our living room! The room is also facing south east so hopefully this will not make it too cold.

A. Resene Ironsand may look quite dark (brownish/black) on a white house as trims. It is a matter of taste isn't it - as to whether it is too dark or just right.

I have mainly seen this colour on a roof or on fences - often on very pale or white houses and it does look smart in these situations.

The colour you have used on the fences - a medium grey with blue undertones - may be slightly softer in tone. Is there any chance that you could use that colour for the trims on the house?

Pale blue can look either chilly or warm depending on the natural light in the room and what other colours are in there that it would relate to. If your room is the sort that has blindingly hot sun in it all day long (so bright you have to draw the curtains a lot of the time) a pale blue could be a lovely feature as it would balance the bright hot light. If the room was south facing it may look colder because of the colder aspect and in a north facing room it may look greyer because of the shadows on the walls.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene  Tsunami
Resene Tsunami
February 2016

Q. We are looking to paint our house Resene Half Stack, with white windows. We are undecided on the roof but are thinking Resene Steel Grey, Resene Grey Friars or Resene Vulcan. Can you provide any advice please? The house is currently a pale green and the roof a mid-dark greeny-grey.

A. There are other colours that aren't on the Roof colour chart but they can be made up into Roof paint. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Tuna or one of the newer roof colours – Resene Windswept.

If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library it may help you to see what the colours are truly like and help you come to a decision. Seeing larger examples of colour is always good.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Vulcan
Resene Vulcan
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
 
February 2016

Q. We are renovating a 1970s home and would like a neutral elegant modern colour scheme to match the black curtains and the new grey/brown mix nylon carpet. We are considering Resene Eighth Stonehenge for the walls with a white trim. What else would you suggest?

A. You might check out these colours also and compare them with the Resene Eighth Stonehenge. These ones are similar - but different - and lighter than the Resene Eighth Stonehenge. Colours usually look deeper in depth (often double their intensity) in an interior so it pays to test them carefully.

Try Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Cloud, Resene Eighth Pravda or Resene Quarter Cougar.

Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
February 2016

Q. I have black aluminium joinery and a high country colour stained cedar boards. The cedar looks warm honey colour. I am considering which would be the best COLORSTEEL® colour to go with the black joinery. I am considering fading on guttering and heat attraction on roof.

A. There are not a lot of colours in the COLORSTEEL® range to choose from. The colour of the cedar and the black joinery limit an already limited selection of colours. You mention fading and heat attraction as being a problem if you choose to match the roof with the windows.

COLORSTEEL® powdercoat is remarkably stable in regard fading. Heat would be attracted to any dark colour on the roof - and the window joinery would be the same in this regard.

So whether the colour on the roof is COLORSTEEL® Ebony (black) or a softer type of black like COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod the LRV is remarkably similar. If you want a lighter colour that doesn't attract the heat as much will you mind if it is unrelated to the other colours on the house?

You could use a lighter green like COLORSTEEL® FernFrond or an earthy warm colour like COLORSTEEL® Lichen or a white like COLORSTEEL® Bone White.

I think you need to think through the options very carefully and it definitely would pay to collect samples of powder coated metal so you can leave them outside during the hottest part of the day to see which one gets less hot.

Seeing the reality of the powder coat colour is easier when you see the metal samples also.

February 2016

Q. Our living area has been painted Resene White Pointer and we would like to add a feature wall. I am thinking of a blue/green along the lines of Resene Jelly Bean. The living area gets great afternoon sun and has rimu flooring. Do you have any other suggestions that would work well?

A. If you like Resene Jelly Bean then you might also like Resene Astral and Resene Hippie Blue. You could check out the large A4 real paint samples of these colours at your local Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library. Seeing a big sample does help you to judge the colour truly. Colours used in an interior are often a lot darker than you might imagine they will be so it does pay to check them out.

A testpot applied to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and pinned on the wall in the room would be a great aid to deciding what the colour would look like at all times of the day - this is the best way to test colour - before purchasing a much larger amount.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Jelly Bean
Resene Jelly Bean
Resene Astral
Resene Astral
Resene Hippie Blue
Resene Hippie Blue
February 2016

Q. Can you please advise the best white to go around windows on a board and batten house to be stained in Resene Crowshead? I don't want it to be too stark nor too dirty looking. Can you also please advise a softer version of Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue which we find a bit strong for the bedroom? We are going for a Cape Cod look for the new build and are also looking for a sand colour for the walls to go with Resene Quarter Rice Cake trims, ceiling and kitchen cabinetry. We were thinking Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

A. If you are having (painted) wooden window joinery on the house and not powder coated metal you might check out these 'whites' to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

These relate to the interior colours which may be a good call. They are a little deeper than the interior colours as all colour on an exterior looks much lighter.

Softer colours that might be similar to a lighter version of Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue that you might check are Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or Resene Swans Down.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
February 2016

Q. We have dark brown brick on the house which will remain due to finances (not my favourite colour!) We are looking to paint our concrete deck, currently a blue colour. Also what colour would you recommend on the wooden walls around the ranch slider and concrete porch?

A. It is always a nice thought that colours chosen will work with your existing coloured elements (in this case your bricks) and be lovely to you personally. One thought does occur to me - the walls can be quite different to the concrete deck so check these colours out to see if they appeal to you: Resene Double Tapa (concrete) and Resene Lemon Grass (wooden walls), or Resene Friar Grey (concrete) and Resene Triple White Pointer (wooden walls), or Resene Imprint (concrete) or Resene Ashanti (wooden walls).

Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Imprint
Resene Imprint
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
February 2016

Q. We are renovating our gorgeous 1920s villa. It has a very long hallway that does not have much light. We are looking for a white/neutral to paint the walls that needs to be light but I don't want it to look cold or sterile. We are planning to put in a med-dark warm brown carpet. Really want it to feel light and warm.

A. You could check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - they are light and warm, definitely not cold and sterile: Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Merino.

They are pale but colours often double in intensity in an interior - and hallways are dim with closer walls so this is often very apparent. If you were able to compare the A4 real paint samples of these colours in the Colour Library at your nearest Resene ColorShop to each other and using a sheet of printer paper as your 'true white' sample you would be able to judge the underlying tints and tones in the colours.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
February 2016

Q. I'm going to paint a timber garage door that is in the basement level of a 1950s brick and tile house. Can you give me some ideas for colours? I don't think a really dark colour would work because of the amount of white in the walls (both house and drive and even the concrete drive itself) but I want something that references the rest of the house and garden and has a natural look. Perhaps a colour with a small amount of green in it or a red that's not too overpowering? Any ideas?

A. Most reds are a little bit overpowering compared to neutral toned colours and because of the bricks I personally wouldn't use that as a garage door option. Check these colours out to see if they appeal to you... They do have small amounts of earthy green in them and will stand out from the white walls etc: Resene Double Merino, Resene Titania, Resene Half Lemon Grass or Resene Half Grey Olive.

If, in your heart of hearts, you really wanted a red colour then you might look at this one: Resene Coco.

Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Coco
Resene Coco
February 2016

Q. What colour splashback to have with black granite bench top, white walls and ceilings with apricot cupboards.

A. There are several options that you might consider:

  • Crystal clear low iron oxide glass over the wall colour - so protected but not a 'colour' feature. This glass is the only one that doesn't have a minty green cast to it so colours seen behind it are true to reality.
  • Black glass - not as glamorous as the granite but related in its blackness. Or Resene Black - but this may not totally match the black granite.
  • Copper metallic to relate - hopefully - to the Apricot cupboards - i.e Resene Copper Fire - warning! it may compete too much and try and steal the limelight from the granite.
  • Plain white tiles.
  • Stainless steel - to go with the refrigerator (possibly) and surrounds around the stove.
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Copper Fire
Resene Copper Fire
February 2016

Q. I have a COLORBOND® steel fence. The posts are Deep Ocean and the panels are Paperbark. We also have Paperbark awnings. I want to paint the walls and fascia of my house. I think the fascia should be Deep Ocean but have no idea what colour to do the walls.

A. I am inclined to agree with you about the house fascia being painted to match COLORBOND® - the Resene colour match is called Resene Coast. I do think however that the house main colour may need to be much lighter or much deeper than the fence panels.

You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Soft Amber, Resene Bronco or Resene Squirrel. If you wanted an exact Resene match it is called Resene Shelter.

Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Soft Amber
Resene Soft Amber
Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Squirrel
Resene Squirrel
Resene Shelter
Resene Shelter
February 2016

Q. I'm trying to choose a colour to paint inside and outside of a shop. I really like a shabby chic, boutique style, so light pastels are what I want and I really liked the complementary colours to Resene Snowy Mint which were Resene Hawkes Blue, Resene Remy and Resene Pearl Lusta. I will have white/refurbished and wooden fittings. I would like to have an opinion for the main outside colour and main inside colour. The inside is currently a bright yellow and the outside is a turquoise trim with yellow/white etc.

A. I think if you used the prettiest/deepest of the blues related to Resene Hawkes Blue on the exterior i.e. the fascias and all the areas painted in turquoise, it could work well for you. Check out Resene Chetwode Blue or Resene Portage. These are referred to as warm heavenly blues because of the purple they have in them. If you are painting the main building it definitely could be Resene Pearl Lusta as it is a lovely fresh cream.

For the interior I think using delicate pastels colours like these might give you a new look. It is up trending at the moment - pastels are gentle and fresh with hints of nostalgia in them - they take us back to the past and have a sweet mood. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Sauvignon, Resene Pot Pourri, Resene Scandal or Resene Wistful.

Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Hawkes Blue
Resene Hawkes Blue
Resene Remy
Resene Remy
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Chetwode Blue
Resene Chetwode Blue
Resene Portage
Resene Portage
   
Resene Sauvignon
Resene Sauvignon
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Scandal
Resene Scandal
Resene Wistful
Resene Wistful
February 2016

Q. We are building a new LINEA® house with gables. Roof, garage door, front door, gutterings etc – COLORSTEEL® Slate. LINEA® - Resene Grey Chateau. Joinery - Warm White Pearl. Inside perhaps Resene Half Black White ceiling, Resene Concrete or Resene Half Concrete for interior walls. It will have darkish grey carpet, white kitchen cabinets, benchtop-pure mineralstone (Formica®), a dark red splashback, charcoal silver and red drapes, a large dark red rug and mid grey Vanda vision sun blinds. The master bedroom drapes are deep grape and silver. We tried Resene White Pointer for walls but I do not want a cream look.

A. If you are using Resene Concrete or Resene Half Concrete for the main colour throughout the house and want another colour for the master bedroom (as a feature or as a main colour) it may need to be far more closely related. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Rakaia, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Triple Concrete or Resene Surrender.

These colours will go with the other colours in the house but they are greyer and not as beige toned as Resene White Pointer.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
February 2016

Q. We are extending our cedar bach. The cedar has never been painted. It seems likely that we will be unable to match the profile of our cedar boards so the extension may have to be built in weatherboard or similar. The bach is near Lake Taupo and the environment is very natural. We are also reroofing the existing bach and the extension is COLORSTEEL®. Could you please suggest some colour combinations for the roof and weatherboard extension to work with the cedar? Because of the environment we are thinking of blues, greys or maybe greens for the weatherboards and maybe black, grey, blue or green for the roof. The bach has grey clear blinds around a deck. We would really appreciate you suggesting a few colour combinations that may work.

A. Seeing as there is a limited amount of colours available in COLORSTEEL® it may be wise to check out those first. It is often a bit misleading choosing colours from a brochure so I suggest you check out the real metal samples that the builder or roofing contractor has. These ones might be worth looking at – COLORSTEEL® Ebony (black), COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars (grey), COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue (blue), COLORSTEEL® FernFrond (green) or COLORSTEEL® Ironsand (dark brown charcoal).

It may be wise to see what colour roof looks best with the window joinery also. Is the extension having the same coloured joinery as the cedar clad original part of the bach? Because the cedar has discoloured with age it is grey toned. The following colours might be worth consideration but I do suggest you paint large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) of the testpot colours so that you can place it adjacent to the cedar to see how they look together – Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Pewter or Resene Schooner.

COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue
COLORSTEEL®
Storm Blue
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Pewter
Resene Pewter
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
February 2016

Q. What would be a suitable exterior colour to complement dark brown PVC windows?

A. You might check out these colours to see if there is anything that really appeals to you – Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Tea or Resene Quarter Napa.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
February 2016

Q. We have a 1930s white stucco house with black trim. We have just stained our fence black and wondered what colour we should paint our wooden letterbox that is inset into the fence.

A. A few ideas to consider:

  • It could be painted white so it 'popped' out of the black stained fence and matched the house.
  • It could be painted Resene Black so that it merged into the black stain colour.
  • It might also be a definite colour so it was a bold accent to the black fence - i.e. Resene Koru.
    Or a staunch grey like Resene Quarter Foundry.
  • Any of the colours suggested would look good with a stainless steel number on the letterbox.
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
February 2016

Q. We currently have a feature wall in Resene Canterbury Clay, which I absolutely adore. We are redesigning our whole paint scheme and keeping the Resene Canterbury Clay. What would you recommend as another two lighter neutrals to go with it? I don't want them too yellow if that can be avoided. We are also going to pick up accents in our furnishings in neutrals and a variable sea green (like Resene Sorrento) so any suggestions that would harmonise with that would be great.

A. I like Resene Canterbury Clay too - it is so mellow and earthy without being too yellow. Most other warm toned neutrals are too yellow but the complex undertones in these colours may suit - Resene Spanish White, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Albescent White or Resene Sandspit Brown. Accent colours that seem to work well are these ones – Resene Half Smalt Blue, Resene Paradise, Resene Wishlist, Resene Sea Nymph or Resene Ashanti.

Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Sorrento
Resene Sorrento
     
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
 
Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Paradise
Resene Paradise
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
February 2016

Q. We are building a new house and have chosen Resene Double Tea cabinetry for our kitchen along with a light coloured benchtop. Our joinery is in Titania. What would you suggest for walls, ceilings and trim? We would also like a feature wall in the entrance/family room.

A. Try Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Half Titania or Resene Half Truffle. A good whiter type of colour for ceilings, woodwork and doors could be Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster.

Feature wall colour suggestions need to be a colour that you particularly favour. A few ideas to get you started: Resene Seachange, Resene Scaramanga, Resene Matchmaker or Resene Ayers Rock.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Matchmaker
Resene Matchmaker
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
February 2016

Q. Our bedroom and ensuite are painted Resene Quarter Truffle. Please suggest a colour for a feature wall in both rooms. The bedroom receives morning and afternoon sun.

A. Some colours to try Resene Emerge, Resene Abbey Road, Resene Morepork, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Lemon Grass.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
     
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Morepork
Resene Morepork
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
February 2016

Q. I want to repaint my house exterior which is a 1988 Hardiplank® home with a Zincalume roof. The aluminium window frames are a beige colour. So I need colours to suit the roof and window frames. As we live in the bush the current colour of the Hardiplank® being cream is very impractical as it shows up all the dirt.

A. Is the zincalume roof unpainted? If it is unpainted then it could be painted a colour. This would give you a completely different look. Have you considered that as an option? If it is a silver metal zincalume then almost any colour could be used on the house - the unpainted zincalume shouldn't influence it unduly.

Perhaps a deeper colour (than the windows) for the Hardiplank® might be considered. You might check out these colours – Resene Outback, Resene Double Lemon Grass, Resene Half Stonewall or Resene Settlement.

Resene Outback
Resene Outback
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Double
Lemon Grass
Resene Half Stonewall
Resene Half Stonewall
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
February 2016

Q. We have a '70s house with our open plan lounge facing north east. We are repainting the interior and have used Resene Double Alabaster on all the trims. The lounge has a vaulted ceiling with beams and a feature wall of wood. The carpet is green and the drapes a pale gold. I would like to keep the house looking fresh but my husband prefers a contrast with the Resene Alabaster white trim. We have tried Resene Dutch White (a bit too creamy yellow) and my husband's preference is Resene Spanish White. I find his choice too browny and dark. He thinks the Resene Half Spanish White does not have enough contrast. Can you please recommend something that will blend with our furnishings etc, and give some contrast to the white Resene Alabaster? We intend to use the same colour scheme throughout the house although I would like to use Resene Sea Fog in the bedroom where we have grey/silver drapes. The lounge is bright and airy and has double ranchsliders on to a deck. The bedrooms also have fairly large windows. The only place that is dark is the passageway to the bedrooms and bathroom.

A. Resene Double Alabaster is quite a shadowy white with a bit more depth to it than you may give credit to. For contrast you may need colours that are at least five to ten degrees deeper - this is the first two numbers after the alphabet letter in the colour code - in order to get a balanced scheme. If the colour is too clean or bright it will make the Resene Double Alabaster look greyish.

When your husband mentions that Resene Half Spanish White doesn't have enough contrast he is right - Resene Spanish White is the right depth to work with Resene Double Alabaster but not the right colour for you. The colour codes do indicate a lot.

If you want a creamy tone then you might check out these options - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Merino, Resene Albescent White or Resene Double Sea Fog.

If you plan to use Resene Sea Fog in the bedroom you won't see a lot of contrast between it and Resene Double Alabaster - in some lights the colour may look remarkably similar. It pays to paint up all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. The unpainted border does two things - it helps you focus on the colour and the unpainted border holds it away from any existing wall colours that may (negatively) influence the tested colour and confuse you as to its reality. The card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how much changes of light and angles (as well as other colours that are in the rooms) will influence it.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
February 2016

Q. What white or neutral would complement the Resene Kashmir Blue of our bathroom walls? The Resene Colonial White we originally chose to paint the trim has a green tint that clashes with the blue, especially under artificial light. What would work better?

A. Perhaps you might look at these colours which are less acidic (underlying yellow/green tint) and much lighter to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Dutch White, Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Double Bianca, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Quarter Fossil or a 'whiter' white which will always enhance blues – Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Colonial White
Resene Colonial White
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
February 2016

Q. I am looking for a colour for our doors. The walls are Resene Half Tea and the skirting/door frames etc are all white.

A. These are the options that spring to mind most readily – Resene Tea (slightly deeper than the wall colour), Resene White (same as the skirtings and door frames), or Resene Half Tea - same as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel finish.

Doors can be 'featured' as a definite colour - bright or deep - but this does make them more optically challenging like rows of soldiers demanding attention.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene White
Resene White
February 2016

Q. We are painting our house and I was just wondering about the colour combination of the colours we are looking at: weatherboards - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, trim Resene Eighth Black White, bottom concrete on house Resene Half Stack. Just wondering if these are an appropriate combination?

A. The colours are very nice - just remember on an exterior colours can appear much lighter. If the main house colour is a little too 'white/bright' then the slightly deeper version – Resene Half Silver Chalice - may be better. Bright natural light may make it look like Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. Please take the time to test your colours - testpots are your best friend.

Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
February 2016

Q. I am one owner of a small commercial strata which requires a repaint and we can’t agree on a colour scheme. The chemist tenant has corporate colours of orange and purple which must stay. The major owner wants the remaining colours to match but not copy the chemist and to generally lift the complex.

A. There is no way you can please everyone. Rather than try to please everyone just tell them it will be a 'white' a 'grey' and a ‘purple’.

A creamy off white - in a soft warm tone - will go nicely with the orange portion of the building. A grey will go with any other colour and if it is a metallic (sparkly and a little bit different) it will attract a lot of attention and give the impression of ultra modern class and style, a purple will be radically different and a bit mysterious and relate well to the orange and tie both parts of the building together.

You could try Resene Half Pearl Lusta (main body of the building/under soffits), Resene Silver Aluminium (roof and metal fascia along roof line/canopy frames/posts at entry) and Resene Pukeko - fascias that signage is attached to and underside of canopy over the entry doors (because it can be seen).

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Pukeko
Resene Pukeko
February 2016

Q. We want a blue based white for the interior walls of our beach house. Absolutely not yellow or green based. We quite like the Resene Black White with Resene Alabaster trim but want more of a bluish tinge.

A. Please test these colours carefully - you may need to use a half or quarter tone of these colours as in an interior all colours intensify – Resene Designer White, Resene Half Breathless or Resene Quarter Iron.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
February 2016

Q. My house is a cedar house, which will soon be stained with Resene cedar stain. The garage, which is just along from the front door, is COLORSTEEL® Permanent Green.

I'd like to repaint the front door, but think that the Permanent Green might be too light. I've recently painted deck fencing at the back of my house in Resene Forest Green, which I like, but I'm thinking that might also be too light. Is there a darker green that would look okay next to the garage door that you can suggest?

I also have a blue/grey colour around the front door. I'd like to update this as it's looking a bit tired. Do you have any suggestions, e.g. should I do the whole area in a green, or maybe in off-white?

A. Resene Forest Green has a lot of yellow in it (this brightens it up) so it takes on a slightly olive tone. Do you want to use more of this different type of green? It may not look that well co-ordinated close to the garage door.

If you want the front door to look harmonious with the garage door then I would use Resene Permanent Green but if you want a slightly deeper version of this colour then you might look at Resene Botanic or Resene Bush. The difference in depth is subtle. Any deeper green is possibly too yellow (olive toned) or too blue toned to work in close proximity with Resene Permanent Green.

I am torn between suggesting a colour for the wall around the front door that tries to hide the bronze window frame - i.e. deeper but similar - Resene Triple Stonehenge, or paler - Resene Arrowtown or highlighting it as a feature by suggesting an off white or green white. You might check out these colours to see if they are the sort of off white or green/white enough to work in that area - Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Linen.

Resene Cedar Woodsman
Resene Cedar
Resene Forest Green
Resene Forest Green
Resene Permanent Green
Resene Permanent Green
Resene Botanic
Resene Botanic
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Arrowtown
Resene Arrowtown
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
February 2016

Page 42

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