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.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. We are painting the outside of our 1930s bungalow. We are choosing between Resene Lemon Grass or Resene Half Lemon Grass for the weatherboards. My first question is: is this colour likely to look darker/stronger or lighter over a large area compared to our half metre test board? We want white trim. Which white would you recommend to look crisp and clean but not too harsh a contrast? My third question is about painting the shingles. We are considering either a darker version of the weatherboards or a complementary colour. Do you have a colour recommendation? We have a light blue roof. A. Is the light blue roof going to be repainted to co-ordinate with the new colours on the house? If not it may be the 'odd man out' in the scheme. Will this worry you? Generally speaking colours used on an exterior look lighter, unless the house is totally shaded by dense foliage and never sees direct sunlight. The full strength Resene Lemon Grass may look as light as the half version during the brightest/sunniest part of the day. It may look quite a bit greener/brighter on the easterly side of the house where you get the first sun of the day - east light brings out a bit more green undertone to all colours. It may look a bit greyer on the south side of the house - south light does that to a colour. Resene Half Lemon Grass may look like a quarter strength version in bright sunlight. A white could be cool or slightly warm. Perhaps look at these ones - they will influence how you see the main house colour - Resene Half Black White - cool/crisp or Resene Eighth Rice Cake - warm/crisp. The shingles and the barge boards along the roof line look as though they are the same or very similar to the roof colour. Is this what it is now? If it is it may be to tie the roof colour into the colour scheme. If the roof colour is staying as it is now then it may be wise to continue with that look. If you plan to re-paint the roof then you do have more freedom of choice. Roof colour option - Resene Touchstone. A possible choice - but not too yellow/ green like deeper Resene Lemon Grass variants, is a soft grey/green - Resene Tapa.
March 2016
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Q. I would really love some advice on what you would recommend for an exterior colour scheme for our brick house. It faces west but is quite dark as the carport is quite imposing and covers the bedroom windows. We like whites, creams and greys. We would love to increase the street appeal so it is a happy house to walk into each day. A. West facing sunlight may only penetrate under the carport and into the bedrooms in winter when the sun is lower in the sky. The rest of the time it would look quite dark. The carport could look lighter and brighter so that it doesn't 'take over' and dominate your frontage. If the main body of the house is brick - I take it that you aren't intending to paint over the bricks? Perhaps look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta - a warm white, Resene Half Dutch White - a sunshine mellow cream or Resene Quarter Tapa - a warm yellow toned grey. If the under roof soffits (especially under the carport), the fascia boards and window frames were the whitest colour, the main body of the carport (posts etc.) and the post on the house were in the cream then the warm - slightly green edged - grey could be used on the doors -and perhaps on the front gable detail of the carport. This will add considerable light/bright warmth to the exterior and lift it visually.
March 2016
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Q. We are painting the rendered areas of our unit and will not be painting the 1960s bricks which are tones of pink, green and beige. I'm stuck for a colour that will help disguise or tone down the pink brick. Could you help with suggestions please? A. Deeper colours to disguise the bricks may make the house look too deeply pink-brown and very heavy. Is that what you are looking for? Greens of any kind emphasise the pinky tones in the bricks. Is this what you want to do? Nothing will truly alter the colours in the bricks but some complex neutral tones may make it look not so in your face. Perhaps try these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Bon Jour, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Quarter Ash or Resene Merino. Any deep rich colours might be better used on the doors, window sills or even on the porch and steps - Resene Avant Garde, Resene Barista, Resene Dark Slate, Resene Caffeine or Resene Zulu.
March 2016
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Q. We have bought a white house that has dark brown aluminium windows and a conservatory on the front. The house is currently painted white and we want to repaint the house so the brown aluminium isn't such a huge contrast. What colour would you suggest for the outside walls and the roof please? A. Any change from the clean starkness of white to a soft earthy neutral will help the brown aluminium joinery to merge in a little bit better. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Parchment, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Drought or Resene Spanish White. The roof may need to favour the brown tones so that it helps the joinery blend in - Resene Lignite, Resene Ironsand, or Resene Squall.
March 2016
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Q. We are getting a new COLORSTEEL® roof and replacing the wide Hardiplank® with weatherboards but keeping the creamy coloured Summerhill stone. So far we are thinking Resene Ironsand for the roof and Resene Half Masala for the weatherboards. Then a black stain for our fences. Does this work? A. The colours look lovely together. However the Resene Half Masala (LRV 19%) is too dark to meet the recommended criteria for depth of colours/Light Reflectance Value. It would not be a problem if you were having Linea® or Hardiplank® but because timber is dimensionally unstable and prone to react to deep colours you may void the build guarantee for the surface. Please do check out what it recommended for real wood. Your builder should be able to tell you more or if you want independent advice you can contact BRANZ. You may need to choose a much lighter colour and use Resene CoolColour™ technology.
March 2016
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Q. We are renovating and extending a 1950s timber house with a Resene COLORBOND® Windspray roof. Can you advise me on what colours will look good with this roof? The house is a typical post war timber construction with a front veranda and gable pitched roofline. We are knocking down the back lean-to and building a modern extension with a roof with highlight windows and a large covered decking area. We need help to select colours for the exterior walls, guttering, fascias, eaves, windows, posts, carport and front door. Can you advise please - I'm so confused! A. COLORBOND® Windspray will work well with a lot of colours. A word to the wise however - the more angle your roof has the lighter the roof colour may appear in bright sun. You can definitely use both soft paler colour or deeper colours. You might start by checking out these colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog (main) and Resene Alabaster (trims), Resene Ravine (trims) and Resene Pohutukawa (door), or Resene Double Rice Cake (main), Resene Eighth Rice Cake (trim), Resene Masala (trim) and Resene Inside Back (door).
March 2016
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Q. I would like to know what paint colour for the walls and ceiling best suits a black carpet. We have light grey tiles and the kitchen is white. A. With the carpet, tiles and kitchen almost any colour will work. Black, grey and white are fundamental neutrals that are severe but very smart and modern. Other greys can definitely be used, other whites can definitely be used or for a bit of colour ambiance you could just as easily use soft pastel colours like these ones - Resene Moon Glow, Resene Swans Down, Resene Pale Rose or Resene Link Water. Ceilings could be the universal default of white - i.e. Resene Quarter Black White - as it is a timeless and never wrong choice. Pastels are very 'on trend' for interior colours.
March 2016
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Q. I want to do a feature wall in our entrance/hallway. The rest of the hallway will likely be in Resene Tea as we have used this in the living/dining/kitchen areas and have some leftover. The floor in this space will be wooden in a Resene Cherrywood colour. There isn't a huge amount of natural light in this space. It will need to go with a whitewash look console and it opens up into the kitchen which has white cabinetry and a turquoise blue splashback. A. These are some ideas for a feature wall that you might check out - Resene Paprika, Resene Navigate or Resene Triple Tea or as another idea, wallpaper could be used on this one wall. I have seen some totally amazing wallpapers that might link together (in a dramatic way) your other colours. In regards to lack of natural light - you may need to address this with multi globe lights in the ceiling (if there is only a single globe) and a 'feature' lamp on the whitewash console and a large mirror on the wall to double what light is available and reflect it around the space to make it seem lighter/brighter.
March 2016
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Q. I'm re-skinning my kitchen cupboards and would appreciate your advice selecting Melamine colours. Melamine collaborate with Resene on several colours so I hope you can help. My kitchen walls are Resene Quarter Tea and the ceiling is Resene Alabaster. The floors are cork tiles and I'm not changing those. I want to select a light colour for the pantry doors and range hood cover, and a dark tonal colour for the lower cupboards and drawers. I'm thinking Resene Concrete (light) and then Resene Driftwood (dark). I'd like it to be tonal and interesting - not too predictable. What do you think? The bench will be Formica® elemental concrete so bringing in grey against the Resene Quarter Tea walls. A. If you want a dark tonal colour for the lower cupboards and drawers have you considered Prime Melamine Brushed Pewter? This looks stunning (and tones really well) with the Formica Elemental Concrete bench tops. A lighter tonal colour that works well with the walls could be Prime Melamine Tea. Alternatively Prime Melamine Half Pravda and Prime Melamine Frost Grey.
March 2016
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Q. I want to use Resene Coffee Bean on the main part of my house. What white would you suggest to use for the skirt of the house? A. Resene Coffee Bean is a really deep rich brown. You might look at these subtle toned 'whites' to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Double Black White or Resene House White.
March 2016
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Q. Can you please advise a colour scheme for our red brick and tile house? Our red bricks are not being painted. The roof is charcoal black, windows aluminium. We want a modern and contemporary colour scheme as at the moment it is just white. A. Soft toned neutrals may appeal to you - check out these colours - Resene Double Thorndon Cream - base/lower storey and Resene Half Thorndon Cream - gable ends/under soffits/ barge board fascias, or Resene Wheatfield - base/lower storey and Resene Quarter Wheatfield - gable ends/under soffits/barge board fascias, or Resene Spanish White - base/lower storey and Resene Quarter Spanish White - gable ends/under soffits/barge board fascias. The reason I have suggested a lighter colour for the gables etc. is to 'lift' the house. I am worried that a deeper more full bodied colour on the gables will make the house appear 'sandwiched' and a little squat in height.
March 2016
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Q. The front of our house faces north. I have painted it twice and still the front looks darker than the rest of the house. What do I do? A. Without seeing what your house looks like and not knowing what colour you have used it is tricky to answer your question. If you have used the exact same colour on the front of the house that is on the rest of the house then it should look similar, not necessarily identical. The colour differences that are seen are due to the angle of the wall to the sunlight and shadow. Also sometimes if the surface isn't smooth (and the rest of the house is smooth) then that too can show a colour as having more depth than the smoother sides do. If you have used the same colour but perhaps a flatter type of finish (low sheen instead of gloss for instance) this too can add a bit more depth to a paint colour. If the colour has been matched by another manufacturer it can be very different also. March 2016
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Q. We want to paint our house in Resene Nocturnal. It has a light grey roof and we will do white windows and trim. What is the best tone of white to match our colour scheme? A. You might look at these whites as they aren't too stark but they work well with the Resene Nocturnal - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half House White or Resene Black White.
March 2016
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Q. We are getting a new roof and guttering in Resene New Denim Blue. We also want to paint our house which is green. We have brown aluminium window frames and a cedar colour deck, door and shutters. I feel we need a grey/beige colour like Resene Half Delta or Resene Half Stonehenge and need to break it up somewhere. What do you think? A. I think a lighter colour as a main colour will help a lot to add dimension and eye interest to the house. It is often hard to visualise what the overall look will be but at the moment the lovely cedar colour - deck/post/door/shutter etc - is swamped by the deeper colours around it. It is important to work with the brown aluminium also so not too much grey is required in the colour - otherwise the windows will attract too much attention and look unrelated to the house. One of the colours that you have mentioned carries a bit too much concrete grey/green in it - Resene Half Delta - and wouldn't look good with the roof or the cedar. Resene Half Stonehenge is a possibility as it has a lot of warmth to it. You might check out these other colours to see if they appeal to you - they do look good with both the cedar and the Resene New Denim Blue – try Resene Pravda, Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Cougar or Resene Craigieburn.
March 2016
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Q. I want to paint a bedroom and I just wanted to know if you think Resene Waikawa Grey and Resene Double Napa would go together? Three walls would be Resene Double Napa and Resene Waikawa Grey would be the feature wall. A. Resene Double Napa will over power the beauty of the blue. It is too strong - it will look like Resene Triple Napa. Try using a much lighter brown like Resene Half Napa or even lighter if you want the blue to really come alive. A darker blue option will not look good with darker brown either as they will both try for dominance in the room and will make it feel heavy, tense and darkly oppressive.
March 2016
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our weatherboard home and would like some advice. I have recently done some interior painting using Resene Oilskin and Resene Double Blanc so we are steering towards browns. Also if the window frames and sills were white, what white should we use? A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Lignite or Resene Ironsand for the roof, Resene Triple Blanc or Resene Half Drought for the main house colour, Resene Eighth Mondo or Resene Quarter Ironsand for trims/fences/doors or foundation of the house, and Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca for the 'whites'. If you check out the colours at the Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library you can look at large A4 samples and see which colours delight you.
March 2016
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Q. My small bungalow is open plan with ranch sliders looking out to the garden. The interior is quite dark as the roof extends over the surrounding deck so there is not much natural light and sunlight. I have a ceiling with natural wooden beams. I have used Resene Eighth Rice Cake on the ceiling. I have a feature wall painted with Resene Sorrento. Would Resene Quarter Rice Cake be effective and light enough or do you have another suggestion? Also the deck covered areas is currently painted a pale green. Would white paint reflect more light inside? A. If the deck roofing soffits (underboards) were painted the same as the ceiling in the house - Resene Eighth Rice Cake - it would create a lot of light - as well as a seamless flow of colour between the interior and the exterior. I think that Resene Quarter Rice Cake would work really well as a wall colour. These two colours are crisp, clean and bright with glow of yellow hiding with in them. Great choices! If you feel that there are still dim areas inside the house then using large mirrors to reflect light from windows adjacent or opposite them is a good idea - higher wattage LED lights may also help.
March 2016
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Q. I need to repaint the whole interior of my house. We want to go a neutral/white colour everywhere (walls and ceiling) as we may be renting the property and want to keep it neutral for this reason. There are black subway tiles in the kitchen and a black and white bathroom. I have testers up of Resene Black White, Resene Milk White, Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Pearl Lusta. But I just can't decide!!! There is a lot of beautiful native wood in the house which is architecturally designed and quite quirky spaces if that helps. A. Possibly it would be far harder to know what the colours were truly like because you have applied them to a wall that is already coloured. Testpot samples ideally should be applied to A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) - two coats/all of the testpot - leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. The unpainted border holds the large amount of full strength test patch colour far enough away from any pre-existing wall colour so that you can really judge it without the wall colour negatively influencing the sample and making you see it wrong. The super large card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how changes of wall angle and different qualities of light alter the colour - sometimes quite radically. The card can be rolled into a cone shape with the colour innermost. When you look into the cone you will see the colour more intensified in depth - as if all four walls of a room were painted. This is always helpful. To make it a lot easier for you to choose you might do this. Please try Resene Alabaster again and (warmer option) Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and compare them to each other and against the woodwork, the flooring and the black subway tiles etc. to see how they look.
March 2016
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Q. I am looking for a white for ceiling, doors and trims for a new build. The aluminium windows are Titania, the flooring is neutral grey/beige tones. I am looking for something clean which will stand out against Resene Stonehenge or Resene Friar Greystone tones. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and work with your main interior colours - Resene Half Merino or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.
March 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint the exterior of our 1920s weatherboard villa. Currently the roof is Mist Green with Mist Green window frames and a dark green like Karaka on the bottom sill. The weatherboards are a colour similar to the colour Resene Chill Out but not so bright. We want to change the colour of the weatherboards but would consider leaving windows either Mist Green or maybe white? Can you please suggest some colours that would work well with a Mist Green roof? A. If you changed the windows to a 'white' and removed the deep green from the bottom sill then you colour options for the exterior would treble. Sometimes maintaining some aspects of an older colour scheme stops you getting a completely new look and a lot of compromise must be accepted. You might look at these colours as a start point to see if they appeal to you: With any of these colours you can use the same colour as the roof colour as a door colour - if appropriate - i.e. Resene Paddock (colour match to COLORSTEEL® Mist Green) so that the roof looks well-appointed and related to another element which is lesser in overall amount than all the windows.
March 2016
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Q. We live in an older home that we have renovated over the years. Our aim has been to open it up and make it lighter. All of the doors and windows in the living and hall areas are varnished rimu and the walls are Resene Half Drought. I have been gradually painting the windows using Resene Quarter Spanish White and plan to continue using this on the windows still to be done as it is not too stark against the rimu that is staying. So, my question is, what wall colour can I use that will look good with the Resene Quarter Spanish White, be light and neutral and also go with a new lounge suite we have had made in linen called Old Gold? A. Your new wall colour also has to work with drapes (are these existing or new?) and flooring (carpet. wood, rugs etc) as well as the lounge suite colour. How does the Resene Quarter Spanish White colour look next to the fabric for the lounge suite - do the colours love each other? Did you choose the colour for the woodwork at the same time as the fabric so they co-ordinated? Or separately? Does the Resene Quarter Spanish White look more brown/yellow toned or more peachy toned compared to the fabric colour? You may find you need a deeper colour than you thought you would do to work with both the Resene Quarter Spanish White and the Old Gold linen and all the other coloured elements in the room. Here are a few to start with - Resene Double Wheatfield, Resene Fossil, Resene Double Pearl Lusta or Resene Double Thorndon Cream.
March 2016
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Q. We are doing a major home renovation and would like to sit down and talk colours and schemes with a representative. We can send plans if that helps. Other customers have raved about what a great service you provide. A. You can book a colour consultation with a Resene Colour Specialist – either free in store or a out call/site consultation (charge applies). This can be booked online or contact your local Resene ColorShop for assistance. In the meantime these are the things that you can be getting together prior to talking through colour options - flooring samples (carpets and hard flooring (vinyl, wood, tiles)), and curtains or blind samples. A dossier of pics that you may have been collecting in the file marked 'Dreams and hopes for the new space/s'. Existing duvets/bedspreads etc. that are in the bedrooms. If these are all up for replacement now is the time to go shopping. Photos of existing furniture, or brochures of new furniture. It is always difficult building a colour palette if there is nothing to base suggestions upon. If you do the 'leg work' it allows you choice and lots of options and then the colour for the rooms finishes the scenario by tying it all together. Wall colours come last - everything else is far more important because they are more expensive and there are far more limited options in the elements I have mentioned above. It would be a shame if wall colours were chosen and painted and when you went to look for the other elements all of the things you really liked didn't work with the wall colour. Not many people like being on the back foot in regard getting what they want because of a paint colour. March 2016
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Q. I have a 1960s house with rimu joinery. I am renovating my lounge and have a Resene Quarter Black White ceiling, a large slate grey lounge suite and a couple of large pieces of art featuring midnight blue and gold touches. How can I bring it all together in a warm neutral colour on the walls? We haven't got a carpet yet but I am thinking of a golden or bamboo colour. A. You have a lot of possibilities to choose from but these colours might be a good start - Resene Orchid White, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Bianca.
March 2016
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Q. Can you give me colours for exterior walls to match Silver Pearl aluminium windows please as well as a colour for the roof? A. Colours to complement the Silver Pearl are: Resene Black Haze for the house and Resene Gauntlet for the roof, Resene Triple Black White for the house and Resene Ironsand for the roof, or Resene Titania for the house and Resene Windswept for the roof.
March 2016
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Q. I have taken recent advice to take advantage of your testpots and A2 paper. I have done this and have Resene Grey Friars as a roof colour, Resene Powder Blue for the weatherboard colour and the joinery is similar to Resene Spanish White. I was thinking Resene Shadowy Blue for the window sills and skirting around the bottom of the house. This is the colour I am not happy with and I'm now stuck. Do you have any expert advice to give me colour wise? Would a lighter grey work? Does it just need to be a darker blue? A. The palette of colours you have now relates to the Karen Walker Colour chart #4 - have you looked at that? If you use a lighter colour for the window sills and the skirting around the bottom of the house the colour of the window joinery will look stronger in depth and more dominant against the soft grey/blue tones of your other colours - is this what you want? If you don't want to use a deep blue for the trims perhaps you might consider not highlighting the sills and the skirting around the bottom of the house and just continue with the main colour, or you might use one of these colours that are slightly deeper than the main colour - Resene Bluff - this is more blue toned but relates well to the main colour on the house, or Resene Half Tuna - this is a soft grey with a little blue undertone. None of these colours provides a distinct contrast so the overall look is softer and the window colour may still look quite strong - but perhaps worth a try.
March 2016
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Q. We are repainting the exterior weatherboards and plasterboard cladding and I'm looking for a fresh beachy white look. However we also have a mix of stained cedar and silver pearl joinery as well. Do you have some suggestions for the weatherboards and plasterboard? A. You might consider using one of these 'whites' - Resene Sea Fog or slightly deeper - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Barely There, Resene Wan White or Resene Black Haze.
March 2016
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Q. We have just had a new deck installed at a relative's place. We will be repainting the exterior sheeting (under the windows) and woodwork of the house at the rear in Resene Half Tea, with the gutters Resene Ironsand (to match the attached unit). What colour do you suggest for staining the deck? A. You could check out these Woodsman stain colours to see if they appeal - Resene Woodsman Tiri, Resene Iroko or Resene Smokey Ash. Or a traditional dark brown - Resene Woodsman English Walnut or for a paler more natural look - Resene Woodsman Natural.
March 2016
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Q. We like the colour Resene Grey Friars for our exterior weatherboards but are a bit worried it's too dark for an exterior paint in terms of the sun warping the boards. What's your advice please? A. If your weatherboards have always been painted light colours it will be a massive shock to the timbers to have such a dark colour applied. Even if you use the CoolColour™ reformulated version of Resene Grey Friars you may still see some damage occurring. Our sun is so fierce, the ozone layer is so jeopardised and timber is so dimensionally unstable it may not be the wise thing to do. CoolColour reformulated dark colours don't stop all problems - they just minimise the extent of the heat that is absorbed by reflecting more of it away from the surface. You may be best to choose a lighter colour, more similar to the existing colour.
March 2016
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Q. I'd like to update the wooden doors in our house into a lighter, blonder more Scandinavian look. They are currently quite dark and are knotted and textured. I've been told they might be macrocarpa but don't know for sure. Could you please suggest any suitable wood stains? A. Are the doors oiled, waxed or varnished? These types of surfacing stop the use of stains because they can't adhere to the wood. The wood may need to be chemically stripped, cleaned thoroughly and sanded well prior to any stain being used. I do suggest testing the stain colour first - perhaps across the top of the door frame where any coatings might not have been used. You could look at using Resene Colorwood Rock Salt stain. This stain may need a clear topcoat applied when you have achieved the lightness you like. Resene Aquaclear is a waterbased varnish that doesn't yellow up as it ages (unlike solventborne varnishes) so it may maintain the clear white look for longer. Another product, which is not a stain but a white coloured clear coating that may suit is Resene Colorwood Whitewash. Each Resene ColorShop has a Woodcare display stand showing these types of coatings so you can check them out. Testing the product is probably the most important thing to do. If it is macrocarpa timber it has a warm rich tone that may be difficult to lighten without a bit of endeavour.
March 2016
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Q. We are building a new house with a plaster finish. It has a black roof and joinery, and cedar trim. What colour white do you recommend for the plaster? We prefer a white to a cream. A. You could check out several types of 'white' to see which one appeals to you - Resene Black White, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Merino. All of these 'whites' come as slightly deeper variants that you could consider if you find these ones too stark.
March 2016
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Q. We are building a new home. I am trying to keep everything in neutral natural colours and bringing colour into rooms with furnishings etc. I was thinking of using Resene Black White on the walls throughout but wondered how much of a cool colour this was? I didn't want anything too cool but thought this colour would go well with the flooring and kitchen. We have a dark grey carpet with light fleck through it, mid brown plank flooring, and a white kitchen. A. Resene Black White is a cool greyed white - it may not always look this way but if you are in any doubt at all you may need to see another similar colour alongside of it to be able to better judge how it looks. Resene Half Sea Fog is a good 'white' to look at as well. I suggest you paint the two samples up (use all the testpot/two coats) on A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted narrow border all around the edges. Move the samples around - if you hold the card vertically and view it to your left and to your right (as well as viewing it directly front on) you will notice how different it is. Place a sheet of white printer paper partially over the sample (this is the true white default) as it helps your eye see the undertones of colour. Stand the samples up vertically with the flooring samples and any other samples you have - kitchen or tiles etc-in front of it not flat (unless you plan to paint a horizontal surface) as this is how it would be seen on a wall. If you hold the samples above your head you will notice the 'white' takes on a bit more shadow/depth so the same colour on the ceiling may look different to how it looks on the wall. The best way to see what the colour looks like is by moving it from wall to wall/room to room as the different qualities of natural light alter the colour - sometimes quite a lot - but if the house isn't yet built that can be difficult. A new house is a big job - take your time to get it right with colour.
March 2016
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Q. I want grey colours (not too dark) to go with a Resene Grey Friars roof for a weatherboard house. The windows will be Resene Alabaster. I also need a colour for the concrete foundation. I am also painting the garage and am not sure what to paint the door to match the house – perhaps same colour as foundations? The house has wooden gable shingles and we would like these in a contrasting colour. Would this also be the foundation colour as we don't want too many colours? A. These are some colours that work well with Resene Grey Friars and Resene Alabaster - Resene Iron, Resene Geyser, Resene Surrender or Resene Half Silver Chalice. You might check out a lighter variant of Resene Grey Friars for the concrete foundation and for the garage door - Resene Quarter Grey Friars - or alternatively (lighter option) you could use Resene Grey Chateau which works well with both Resene Iron and Resene Geyser. The shingles in the gable on the house could be Resene Alabaster. This will make the house windows tie in and it could look less heavy than using the foundation colour.
March 2016
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Q. I'm about to paint the house (weatherboard) and I'm looking for some ideas for a light grey with a blue undertone. A. Here's some colour options you might like to try - Resene Iron or lighter Resene Half Iron, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.
March 2016
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Q. I own a brick and tile unit and would like advice on a colour for the window frames. The brick is a pale orange cream brick. The roof is terracotta and the base of the unit is Resene Ironsand. I don't wish to go too dark as the paint will deteriorate in the sun. A. Do you want to tie in the base colour – Resene Ironsand - so it isn't a little isolated? If this was the case then you could possibly use a lighter variant of the colour for a door, window sills or steps - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand. This is a nice way to get a balanced colour scheme. For the windows I suggest staying with a paler neutral - similar to the bricks - so you don't have heat related problems - perhaps one of these colours might be considered - Resene Bianca or Resene Eighth Spanish White.
March 2016
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Q. I am trying to find a colour for our lounge/home and we really like Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete. However I was wondering if there was a colour that was in between or if it was able to be made as a testpot for me to try as the Resene Concrete is a little too dark and the Resene Half Concrete is a little too light but the grey tone is pretty much perfect. A. Colours in an interior can look deeper than you might imagine they will. Paint colours look lighter when they are wet and deeper when they are dry. Paint colours play games with your eye and brain if they are painted onto already coloured surfaces - the greater amount of the wall colour makes you think the colour is 'wrong'. To test the colour paint each colour onto a super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges of the card. The unpainted border helps you focus on the reality of the colour without any existing wall colour negatively influencing it. Move the sample from wall to wall to see how light and shadow and different angles alter your perception of the colour. The window wall will always show more shadow on the colour and it will seem deeper. The wall opposite a source of natural light will make the colour appear much lighter. If you fold the card into the corners of a room it will show the colour with more depth. One of the best things about the super large card sample is that you can roll it into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into the cone- this way you see it deeper as if four walls were painted in the colour. A compromise to see just what sort of change may occur to the colour if you wanted a 'special' would be if you intermixed a full testpot of both Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete. This way you would get an approximation of a three quarter tint of Resene Concrete.
March 2016
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Q. I am looking for a warm white for the walls in my new house. The joinery is matt Titania and the ceiling is probably going to be Resene Double Alabaster. I also wanted white skirtings and architraves since I like the definition this gives - either Resene Double Alabaster or pure white. I was looking at Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Orchid White. Which do you think would work best or do you have some other suggestions? A. I think Resene White might be slightly better than Resene Double Alabaster on the ceiling and the skirting boards and architraves as it doesn't 'grey' as much and goes with creamy/whites a little better. I think if you want to co-ordinate a little bit with the window joinery you might look at one of these options - Resene Half Ecru White, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Titania. But if you aren't concerned about whether the Titania joinery is greener/deeper and quite different to any other colours in the house them I think that Resene Half Orchid White is lovely.
March 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint our house and have a COLORSTEEL® Mist Green roof and would like some advice on what would be good colours to go with it, possibly more in the brown range. A. You might check out these colours - they are lovely with the Mist Green colour on the roof - Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Tea or Resene Akaroa.
March 2016
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Q. I have blonde bricks and would like to know if I should paint the roof in Resene Nocturnal or Resene Black? A. Either colour could work for you. It is a very smart look having a very dark black tone on the roof.
March 2016
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Q. We are thinking Resene Pitch Black stain for the outside of our home but what do you think for joinery and roof? A. It may look rather oppressive if you use more black or dark grey and blues might be totally over powered by the more militant natured black on the house. You could use a green, a red or a silver influenced pale grey or a 'whiter' colour. You might check out these colours - Resene Gecko or Resene Paddock, Resene Red Planet, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Titania or Resene Helium.
March 2016
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Q. I was wondering if there was anyone who could help me select a colour to complement my new carpet, which is the Godfrey Hirst Pearl Bay range. A. I think you should take a good size sample of the carpet into the closest Resene ColorShop. They have large A4 size samples of all the colours in their Colour Library. With a little input from the talented In Shop colour person who can show you what your options are I am absolutely certain that you will be able to decide what you might be able to use. March 2016
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Q. We have painted a nice bright blue entrance way, but the remainder of the hall is still an original beige colour. Do you have any suggestions for a contrasting colour to brighten up the hallway? I am not sure what would work with the blue and don't want to just go with a neutral tone. A. Perhaps you could look at sweet clean tones like Resene Half Bianca or clear starchy whites like Resene Half Rice Cake. Either of these will brighten the hallway and emphasise the blue entrance way and any colours in the room at the end of the hallway.
March 2016
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Q. I'm looking for some colour advice for the interior of our new home. I've fallen in love with Resene Robin Egg Blue and intend to use it in the bedrooms - half tint for the two brighter rooms and quarter tint for the darker room. I need advice for the living areas - the rooms have 3.2m ceilings and are quite bright. I've been looking at the following colours – Resene Chalk Lavender, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Saltpan and Resene Cooled Green. I'm drawn to colours as opposed to whites but want to have a sympathetic look to the bedrooms as they lead directly off the living areas with no hall. What do you suggest? A. Resene Chalk Lavender is slightly out of balance with some of the other colours as it is far brighter/whiter and because of the whiteness of the colour it looks quite stark compared to the muted undertones in the Resene Robin Egg Blue, Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue and the Resene Powder Blue. Another of Karen Walker's original colours for Resene might look better - you could check it out to see if it appeals to you - Resene Surf Spray Grey - it enjoys associating with Resene Cooled Green - you could say the relationship between these two is a true love match. Resene Saltpan almost reads as a 'white' and looks lovely with Resene Cooled Green and Resene Surf Spray Grey.
March 2016
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Q. Can you please advise what a good colour would be to use for the LINEA® board at the entranceway to our new home? We are a bit disappointed with our brick as it is greyer than we expected, so we want to avoid a colour that makes it look any greyer. A. In order for the eye to read the bricks as 'whiter' not greyer you may need to use a reasonably deep colour - a mid-toned grey perhaps? You could check these colours out - Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Half Tuna or deeper versions of these suggested colours.
March 2016
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Q. Is Resene Double Alabaster (Resene Quarter Sea Fog) as a ceiling colour and Resene Black White as the wall colour a good match? A. Resene Double Alabaster may look almost identical to Resene Black White - colours on ceilings often look greyer. Perhaps you might look at Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White if you want a slightly lighter white to go with Resene Black White.
March 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint the exterior of our 1950s two storey weatherboard home. We have COLORBOND® Grey Friars guttering, and were looking at Resene Half Masala for the weatherboards with Resene Quarter Black White trim. I am worried this will be too dark over two storeys, and the painter has warned against using darker colours on older weatherboards. Do you have any lighter 'warm' greys that you can recommend? What would Resene Truffle come out like? We are also considering a black or similar like Resene Double Cod Grey for the front door. A. I don't know your painter but I do think they have your best interests at heart in regard the timely advice re dark colours on older weatherboard surfaces. I agree - a lighter warm grey may be just the idea. You might check out these colours -as well as the Resene Truffle - Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Half Friar Greystone (not Resene Grey Friars). They are all different from each other but they look really lovely with Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Grey Friars and Resene Double Cod Grey.
March 2016
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Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Scoria roof with matching aluminium windows. Some of the exterior cladding is also COLORSTEEL® Scoria. The other consideration is natural pine decking around most of the house. I want advice on what colours would suit the plaster walls. A. You might look at these colours - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Caraway, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Eighth Stonewall or Resene Ash. They are earthy, warm and look great with natural pine and Scoria.
March 2016
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Q. We would like some advice on a colour scheme for the exterior of our house. It is a 1930s bungalow and we are about to do an extension to the rear of the house (new lounge and deck) with weatherboards and aluminium joinery (so a modern look compared to the original). We were thinking of painting the exterior a baby blue colour with white trims and window frames but would like some expert advice on this. A. If the extension is having white powder coated window joinery then I suggest you choose one that has the smallest hint of warmth i.e. Appliance White or Pearl White. Check out these blues - 'baby blue' can be similar to these types of colours - Resene Half Spindle, Resene Breathless, Resene Cut Glass or Resene Oxygen. Blues like these are really pretty pastels and not often seen on exteriors of houses - you may be a real trend setter!
March 2016
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Q. We are building and the carpet we have chosen is Norman Ellison Fernhill Tiara. The main paint colour we are going to use is Resene Blanc. My question is one of the bedrooms has a brass bed head. Could I use Resene Half Secrets in this room? A. I don't see why not - Resene Half Secrets is a lovely pale green. It would look lovely in any room but especially a bedroom with a brass bed - rather delicate and romantic.
March 2016
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Q. I am thinking to repaint the outside of my house. The painter I talked to told me that you guys can provide some advice about colour schemes. Is that true? If so, who do I need to talk to and is there a cost? A. Yes we can help with colour advice. There are three options - you could book a free appointment with a local Resene colour expert at a Resene ColorShop (free service), or you could arrange a colour consultation at your home where our colour expert comes to you (charge applies) or we can provide free advice by email using our ask a colour expert service. March 2016
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Q. We have greenish window joinery and would like to paint an exterior wall, garage door, posts on the front door, deck and deck posts, and the fence. I chose Resene Thorndon Cream for exterior but am not sure if it will go well with the joinery. Also, please recommend a colour for the garage door and posts, which I want to paint in the same colour and a darker colour than the rest of the exterior. A. The window joinery may be a powder coat colour called Mist Green or possibly River Gum. Resene Thorndon Cream is a nice neutral colour that would work with either green on the joinery but being lighter and not totally related the windows would definitely be a 'colour feature' that would stand out. Is this what you want? Other colours to consider might be greener - Resene Kangaroo or earthier - Resene Copyrite. You might change the stain colour to a warm grey/brown as it would work well - i.e Resene Woodsman Tiri - and create more of a contrast.
March 2016
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Q. I have a house in Resene Foggy Grey with Resene Wan White windows, bifolds and French doors, and a majestic blue front door. I have to replace the roof soon and have limited colours available through COLORSTEEL® that keep the roof a relatively light colour. What colour would you advise? Perhaps Sandstone Grey or Gull Grey? A.Yes the Sandstone Grey would work but the Gull Grey may look like unpainted iron. Roof colours often look lighter than you might imagine they will due to the 45 degree angle of the roof to the bright sunlight. This strips the colour out so a light colour may look lighter.
March 2016
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Q. We are building a board and batten cottage-look home on a 2 acre lifestyle block. The roof is Grey Friars long run and the aluminium joinery is Palladium Silver. We are looking for advice on the paint colour to choose for the boards. We like the country rustic natural look. Would going a bit darker than the joinery be too dark overall? A. Deeper colours are contemporary and 'on trend' for exteriors but not always appropriate. Some new timber surfaces have a requirement that in order to meet the built criteria/guarantee on the surfaces the paint colour has to be pale to mid toned - not mid toned to darkest. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Cloudy. I definitely recommend you using CoolColour™ modified colours to maximise the reflectance factor of the deep colours to help reduce the surface being affected negatively by heat and UV damage.
March 2016
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Q. Our rooms are Resene Tea, our doors and ceilings are Resene Quarter Tea, the bathrooms are Resene Sisal. We are considering repainting all rooms in the house Resene Half Truffle. Would Resene Quarter Tea match for doors, ceilings and skirting boards? Would a charcoal or black carpet match? A. Resene Half Truffle may take on more of a dull grey tone when seen close to the warmer beige of Resene Quarter Tea - they aren't totally happy when seen together. Have you thought of redoing the door and ceilings in Resene Eighth Truffle so they harmonise? A black carpet may be smart but hard on the eye - charcoal might be better but it is a personal choice. You tend to have to vacuum more with very dark colours as they show all the fluff and dust.
March 2016
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Q. We want to paint a nursery for either a boy or girl, so want to do it in yellow. I really wanted a soft pastel pale yellow on three walls and then a brighter yellow on one wall to give it a bit of a pop (but not too intense or crazy). I still want the feel of the room to be quite calm. I was thinking about Resene Milan as the feature wall, but just didn't know what other soft cream/yellow could go with it. The room is south/east facing. There are also curtains in there that are a dark teal green, so I wanted creams/yellows that would go with teal green curtains. Do you have suggestions for a colour to go with Resene Milan, or Resene Paris Daisy, or another fun yellow, and the creamier lighter tones that would go with these? A. You may find either Resene Milan or Resene Paris Daisy perfect for a feature wall but they do have quite a livid fluoro green edge to them and can be two to three times stronger than you might imagine they will be. Colours in an interior always look stronger or brighter and yellows are famous for being totally over the top in brightness. From dealing with peoples' desire for a soft pastel pale yellow and their tears when the colours they have chosen look far stronger/brighter than they thought they were getting I have found that often the colour they really want is a white with hardly any yellow tint in it as it will look so much stronger i.e. Resene China Ivory. I think a slightly more mellow approach to a yellow may be more comfortable to live with. Check out these yellows to see if they appeal to you – Resene Moonbeam (feature) and Resene Quarter Moonbeam (other walls). Or Resene Sweet Corn (feature) and Resene Corn Field for the other walls. Or sweeter/softer – Resene Melting Moment for the whole room - no feature wall.
March 2016
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Q. I am building a two storey house. I chose 'Fossil' brick from Midland Bricks. What colour will suit this for exterior timber? A. I suggest using a paler colour like one of these - Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Sea Fog.
March 2016
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Q. I'd like to paint my 40sqm apartment (the walls, doors, skirting boards, ceiling and kitchen cabinets, and get new carpet) so I can put it on the market. I've heard Resene Black White is very popular. What would you recommend for tones that are universally liked by potential buyers? Should I just go for two colours - say Resene Black White for the walls, doors and kitchen cupboards, and a lighter shade for the ceiling and skirting boards - or would three colours look better do you think? One for walls, another for doors and cupboard and the other for the ceiling and skirting boards? Also any advice on the tone of the carpet? Should I look to match any of the other colours? A. I do think with such a small apartment two colours would be sufficient. I like your idea of using Resene Black White as a wall colour. If you use exactly the same colour for the kitchen cabinets it should be in a different product/different sheen compared to the walls. I recommend you use a semi-gloss enamel for the kitchen cabinets – Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel. If the existing cabinets are lacquered or a laminate you may have some difficulty applying normal house paint direct to the cabinetry as there will be adherence problems. You may need to use a special sealer – Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer - and a general purpose undercoat also to get a surface that can be painted over. You will still need to do two to coats. For a lighter colour for the ceilings, try Resene Quarter Black White in a ceiling matt finish – Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel and the same colour in a semi-gloss enamel for the woodwork - i.e. skirting boards, door frames, window reveals, doors - in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel. A warm grey carpet - not too dark - would work well.
March 2016
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Q. I have painted my garage door in Resene Scoria. I love the colour but I'm not sure what colours will go with it. I need help deciding on the colour for the fence, house, roof and window surrounds. I like greys and browns but I'm open to suggestions. I might prefer dark tones but also not essential. If I go dark I will use the Resene CoolColour™ version to reduce heat. A. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - option #1 –darker – Resene Half Gravel (garage main colour), Resene Ironsand (house and garage roof), Resene Half Gravel (main house colour), Resene Ironsand (fence), Resene Half Copyrite (windows) and Resene Scoria (house doors, gate). Or option #2 - deep but not too dark – Resene Castle Rock (garage main colour), Resene Squall (house and garage roof), Resene Castle Rock (main house colour), Resene Bokara Grey fence and gate), Resene Ecru White (windows, house doors). These are earthy warm greys and olive toned browns teamed with some lighter/brighter or much darker colours. Because the second option only has Resene Scoria on the garage door and - if you love the colour and I suspect you do - then you might consider using it on some garden furniture that you can feature close to the house (not a lot just a little) to tie in the garage door colour back to the house.
March 2016
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Q. We are building a new plaster home which will have Schist 'Lindis' stone features. We are looking at Resene Caraway as the exterior colour but are a little unsure. We are looking for a colour that is fresh and crisp but not a white and not a colour that everyone has. A. Resene Caraway may be wonderful but I suggest you look at these colours also so you can compare with each other as well as with the schist. It is only by comparing that we see the colour undertones and judge the reality of a colour. These slightly lighter ones may be worth looking at – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Sisal or Resene Half Parchment.
March 2016
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Q. I need some exterior colour options that will complement Rivergum Beige aluminium windows. I like lighter colours but not too light that the windows stand out, as I'm not a big fan of Rivergum Beige. I also need a soffit colour. A. These colours look good with River Gum Beige - Resene Quarter Nullarbor or Resene Settlement. The soffits could be a pale warmed white colour like Resene Quarter Albescent White. COLORSTEEL® colours that might be used on the garage are TernStyle, Ironsand, Lignite or Sorrell.
March 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint our interior walls a soft creamy white that will look nice with light rimu skirting, doors and door frames. We want to paint the whole house the same colour and avoid the 'clinical' white look. Please advise what white would be good to use. A. You might check out these two options - Resene Bianca or Resene Eighth Spanish White. Neither of these colours is the slightest bit clinical.
March 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint our kitchen cabinets Resene Blue Night. The kitchen is small as we have a town house and there are only two small windows on the kitchen side. We will also be changing our bench to white granite. Can you recommend what paint finish would be best for us? Should we go for semi-gloss or something different? A. Using more sheen on surfaces does make spaces appear lighter. A semi-gloss is closer to a full gloss finish without having that real slick wet look so I do think it is the right finish. Using artificial light well may be another way of making the kitchen brighter. So perhaps with the changes you are implementing to get a new look you might also think about more lighting. Often lighting is the Cinderella in a scheme - thought of last or not at all.
March 2016
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Q. Currently we have a roller door, guttering and fascias in COLORBOND® Woodland Grey. The roof is very pale grey tiles. There is a pergola and pool fence in COLORBOND® Classic Cream. The downstairs of the house is 1970s dark brown brick but the upstairs extension is about to be re-clad and we need to choose colours for the texture coat and eaves. I am having difficulty marrying up the classic cream, brown and greys. A. A lighter version of the Classic Cream will work - i.e. Resene Pearl Lusta - or a complex neutral that looks like a lighter version of the Woodland Grey - i.e. Resene Overland. The pale grey roof will always be the odd man out - it isn't as warm or earthy as the other colours on the house. Perhaps one day you might have the tiles sealed and painted to match Thunder Grey?
March 2016
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Q. We are choosing exterior paint for Rockcote on a townhouse in Christchurch with green aluminium windows. We want the complex to look modern. What is a popular colour? A. Some popular colours will work with green aluminium windows - some won't. Without knowing which particular green the windows are these suggestions are ideas to get you started – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene White Pointer or Resene Thorndon Cream.
March 2016
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Q. I'm planning the colours in our house which is being built. We have Ironsand for the roof and fascia, with smooth red brick. We have some LINEA® as a feature and I am not sure what colour to paint it. I am also currently deciding on whether to go with lighter silvery-grey or greige aluminium or Ironsand. I am planning Resene Eighth Pravda inside, with silvery-grey beige flecked carpet. Any suggestions for a LINEA® colour? A. If you have Ironsand on the window joinery it will be a dark 'statement' - not a problem on the outside but sometimes a bit too dark when it is viewed from inside the house looking through the windows. Is this what you want? Do you want the LINEA® to be a 'feature' or a softer more neutralised colour? Now is the time you can check out colours and think through options - so it does pay to - that way you get what you want. If you like the idea of a deep colour on the LINEA® you might look at these ones - Resene Quarter Ironsand - deep but related to the roof colour, Resene Pravda - darker than the main interior colour and Resene Eighth Masala - looks good with Silver Pearl powder coated joinery (if you chose to use that).
March 2016
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Q. I have painted ceilings in Resene White, walls in Resene Sea Fog and we would like the doors painted in a subtle grey. Can you recommend a colour please? The home is a pole house approx. 40 years old. A. Door colour suggestions that are related to Sea Fog are these ones - Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Triple Sea Fog Other subtle greys that you might also consider - Resene Flotsam, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Quill Grey.
March 2016
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Q. I want to paint the walls of our master bedroom and need to consider ceilings and floors of pine, a built in wardrobe and side tables of rimu. There is also an oak dresser. I like Resene Half Pearl Lusta and also Resene Half Haystack but am wary of the colours not complementing the different woods. Our bed linen is white and we have a rimu headboard. We also have an ensuite with rimu walls that is always visible from the room. I would like to stick with fairly neutral colours but am open to suggestions. A. The colours you have mentioned do work really well. Other colours that you might also consider are these ones - Resene Linen or Resene Ecru White. Green colours have a love affair with wood - as they do in nature. Alternatively - Resene Oscar - a bit more yellow/orange than Resene Half Haystack or Resene Villa White - a tiny bit earthier/subdued than Resene Half Pearl Lusta.
March 2016
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Q. I am looking at painting the exterior of a medical surgery. I would like a soft grey for the exterior and I have chosen Resene Friar Greystone . What do you think of that colour? Is it too dark or would you recommend a lighter colour? A. Resene Grey Friars is a black based dark charcoal - I wouldn't describe it as a soft grey. Perhaps you could look at these lighter soft greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Quarter Tuna, Resene Double Stack or Resene Revolution.
March 2016
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Q. We want to paint the exterior of our 70s crib in Queenstown. The house is north facing so gets a beating from the sun all year round. We were thinking a neutral colour but still in keeping with the era of the house. A. Most of the interesting neutrals are deeper colours but if you prefer lighter in order to modify the effects of the sun you might look at these colours - Resene Eighth Friar Greystone , Resene Cloud, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Half Foggy Grey. You might use a much darker trim to lift the colours and to add some contrast - perhaps on the fascias, the porch and deck detailing and the carport -i.e. Resene Wireless could look really smart. A darker colour used on the smaller trims will still get hot in the sun but if the colour used the Resene CoolColour™ reformulated version it will be cooler than the standard colour.
March 2016
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Q. We have an 80s brick house which we are renovating by rendering the brick and adding some LINEA® features and timber framing around the windows. The window joinery is bronze aluminium which we will have sprayed or replace with white. The roof appears to be COLORSTEEL® Surfmist. We would like to paint the walls grey and we quite like Resene Castle Rock. What colour would you suggest for the window frames and for the front door? We also have a wall out the front that we would like to paint a dark colour. A. If you had the windows repainted they could be the same as the roof - Surfmist is also called Resene Titania or much 'whiter' like Resene Helium - this is a match to a COLORSTEEL® colour called Cloud. If you did decide to replace the windows (for double glazed ones perhaps) then the Titania and Cloud are standard colours. If you do want a much whiter white then perhaps Appliance White might appeal to you. All these will work well with Resene Castle Rock. The front door could be a colour that makes you feel happy - something that you have always loved - so it might be the 'feature' that makes you feel thrilled when you come home. What is that colour? This is where you can choose something personal to you - and I do hope you do.
March 2016
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Q. What colour white would you recommend for ceilings, doors, frames and skirting? The walls are Resene Solitaire. A. If you want a soft warm white you might look at these colours - Resene Bianca or 'whiter' – Resene Half Bianca. If you want a related paler version of the wall colour you could have Resene Quarter Solitaire though it may look a bit deeper/more coloured than you might imagine it will do - especially on the ceilings. Otherwise true white - Resene White - will always work and may pick up a reflection of the wall colour in some lights.
March 2016
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Q. I’m after some advice when painting - is it best to paint the walls and ceiling one colour, the doors a shade or two darker than the walls and the skirting a different colour? Or how would you suggest doing it? The colours I like are Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Quarter Truffle for the walls, Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White for the trims and skirting and I was thinking maybe Resene Half Truffle on the doors? What would you suggest to do with the selected colours? A. If the ceiling is painted to match the walls it will look deeper because of the way the light falls away from the ceiling creating shadow. I usually recommend that the ceiling is the same colour as the woodwork so there is some light contrast between them and the walls. Doors show marking - constant touching does that - so it is a good idea to do them a bit deeper than the walls. I like the colours you have mentioned - they are really nice. If the painted woodwork (skirting and doors etc) is a semi-gloss enamel and the walls and ceilings are a low sheen or matt acrylic the colours look interesting and eye catching.
March 2016
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Q. I have used Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for our kitchen joinery in a high gloss. The walls are Resene Half White Pointer with all surrounding doors and jambs in full Resene Silver Chalice. The floors are light grey wood grain. We need ideas for the splashback please. A. Because the walls, trims and cabinets are quite different unrelated colours in order to find a colour that will tie these elements together is a little difficult. Have you considered a metallic silver grey like Resene Silver Aluminium? This relates well to the cool silvery cabinet colour and the warmer pale beige of the walls. Or - to draw the eye and create a pop of colour - you could use a red like Resene Jalapeno or a bright turquoise green like Resene Eden.
March 2016
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Q. I want a grey that will go well with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta on two feature walls in an open plan lounge/dining/kitchen area that has a lot of sunshine. A. You don't mention whether you prefer really dark charcoals, mid toned greys or very pale greys. Almost any could work well with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Because greys all carry undertones of other colours sometimes it is wise to look at all the other coloured elements you have - i.e. flooring, drapes, furniture, accessories, art etc. so that the grey you use works well with them as well as the main wall colour. In the meantime - you might start by looking at these greys - Resene Half Gravel, Resene Double Stack, Resene Tuna, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Revolution.
March 2016
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Q. After lots and lots of testpots I thought I'd decided on the colour for our old weatherboard villa. I chose Resene Quarter Spanish White for its warmth and creaminess but having started to paint, I think it’s just too light and there's no contrast to the pure white architraves. I've been back for more testpots today and got the full Resene Spanish White but I'm just not sure. The roof is Resene Karaka but I don't really want to emphasise the green. I am looking for a warm colour and also a dark accent colour for the base boards. A. If you have already purchased the Resene Quarter Spanish White you could use it as your 'white' colour - under the soffits, barge boards and fascias, door and window frames - and then use an enamel version of this colour for the window sashes. The Resene Spanish White is a lovely colour for the main house when it is used with the lighter Resene Quarter Spanish White. The doors, windows sills and base boards could be deeper - Resene Coffee Break, Resene Half Gravel, Resene Burnt Sienna, Resene Leather or Resene Persian Red.
March 2016
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Q. I have a two bedroom unit with a lounge room, dining room and an eat-in kitchen. I wish to paint the ceilings a different colour other than white or cream. What colours would you advise please? A. The colour for the ceilings may need to be related or harmonious with the wall colours. Without knowing what they are - and any other colours that may be in the rooms - it would be difficult to offer suggestions. I have seen several rooms where coloured ceilings are a feature - and they are lovely - but it does visibly lower the ceiling. This is great if the ceiling is higher than two metres. You might choose to use the same colours as the walls - lighter or darker or a completely different 'feature' colour relating to a colour from the accessories or soft furnishings. March 2016
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Q. I have a question with regards to what colour I should paint my front door. My house has just been painted Resene Double White Pointer and I don’t think I want a bold statement colour door so what colour would you recommend please? A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Timekeeper, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Coffee Break, Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Quarter White Pointer. These are soft, interesting but not bold or cheeky - they say 'Welcome' without creating a song and dance at the entry.
March 2016
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Q. I am struggling with an exterior house colour to go with New Denim Blue joinery. I would like to go darker. I have tried Resene Baltic Sea (found it too light) and tried Resene Double Foundry (not quite right). Any suggestions? A. Can I just clarify - by using a much blacker main colour are you wanting to make the New Denim Blue look softer/bluer? All colours on an exterior tend to look a little lighter than you might imagine them to look but you might check out these ones - Resene Cinder, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Nero. If you do use such deep colours I definitely recommend that you use the Resene CoolColour™ re-formulated versions of the colours to try and minimise as much as possible the extreme heat that can cause so much damage to real timber surfaces. CoolColour colours don't magically make the surface cool but they do reflect heat away from the surface which in turn is much better for the wood. We must use whatever is available to protect surfaces from our dire sun/UV problems.
March 2016
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Q. We want to paint the exterior of our house. The roof is dark grey and we want to do a similar colour on the weatherboards, with the window and door trims white. The baseboards are visible on the house foundations so with these should we go lighter or darker than the weatherboards? The Resene Grey Friars is already so dark but we want it to look nice. Or should we paint everything Resene Grey Friars and only accent the trim? A. Depending upon how much of the house foundations are visible and how much you want to draw attention to them you might use a darker version of the house colour as a tonal difference or the same as the main house colour. I do suggest you think carefully before highlighting the foundation in the white as it could 'squeeze' the house into layers. You might consider lighter variants of Resene Grey Friars for the main house colour - Resene Half Grey Friars or Resene Quarter Grey Friars. If you do use such deep colours I definitely recommend that you use the Resene CoolColour™ re-formulated version to minimise heat build up.
March 2016
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Q. I've painted one coat only of Resene Ottoman in the master bedroom but it is too peppermint. What could I use as a second coat to tone it down? My preference is for a soft gentle calming green. A. You might check out Resene Half Secrets - it is similar in depth to Resene Ottoman but doesn't have the clear bright tone. Alternatively you might look at Resene Celeste or Resene Harp. It is only when colours are compared to each other that we can see undertones with in them. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the real paint A4 samples of these colours in their Colour Library it will help you a lot. The samples can be laid down flat or stood up and when viewing them to the right and left hand side (light falls differently on the colour) and carried to the natural light by the door way that you start to really appreciate what they look like.
March 2016
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Q. I'm just wondering if you'd know which colour from the Melteca® range would best match with Resene Black White? We are wanting our wardrobe sliders to look as seamless as possible in our bedroom. Alternatively is there a similar grey/white Resene colour that matches perfectly to a Melteca® colour? We haven't painted our bedroom yet so could change the colour. A. Resene has colour matches for the Melteca® colours - perhaps it is a case of finding the best Melteca® colour first and then getting the wall paint made to match. There is no Melteca® that is an absolute match for Resene Black White - all of the Melteca® whites I have checked out look cooler/greyer than Resene Black White. The other alternative is to have the doors spray painted to match the walls - kitchen cabinetry is done like this all of the time so I can't see that wardrobe doors couldn't be.
March 2016
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Q. I am trying to decide colours for my kitchen and living area which can get very dark. I am planning on putting long narrow louvres in the north east wall, but want to keep it 'bright but still warm'. The kitchen benchtops are Wilsonart Kalahari Topaz (continues down the end of the breakfast bar to meet the floor). The cupboard doors are predominately Formica® Streetlight, with some accent doors and drawers of Laminex® Stipple Hemp. The back of the breakfast bar and fridge and wine rack surrounds are Laminex® Fossil. I am planning on laying Karndean LooseLay vinyl planks on floor but cannot decide on the colour (I love the Hartford but am concerned it is too dark; I like the Stamford but am concerned it is too country). Would you please advise wall and trim colours, and your suggestion for the floor? A. I don't think the Hartford looks too dark but I do think you may need a bit of extra artificial light - daylight LED globes - to increase the light in the kitchen and a pale colour for the walls to modify the darkness of the room. I think these colours might appeal - Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Eighth Fossil. You will need to test them very thoroughly before deciding as the quality of light may alter them such a lot. I usually recommend people apply all of the Resene testpot (two coats) to large A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted narrow border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the reality of the colour and then move the card from wall to wall so you can see just how it changes.
March 2016
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Q. I am looking for a colour to paint the interior of our renovated house that complements the subtle grey undertoned vinyl and carpet we have chosen. We have white aluminium joinery and I want white ceilings and architraves etc. I am having trouble finding the right complementary colour but I am drawn to a creamy brown. A. Because of the subtle grey undertones in the carpet and vinyl you might look at these grey/beige colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Half Cloud or Resene Eighth Napa.
March 2016
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Q. We recently got some great advice from you regarding our internal colour (went with Resene Sea Fog) and love it. However we now need some exterior advice. We have black joinery and have gone for Resene Eighth Ash. It seems a lot creamier than i imagined. We are now choosing a stain for the deck and have chosen Resene Woodsman Equilibrium. Do you think that and the Resene Eighth Ash will tone in ok? A. All colours on an exterior look a lot lighter than you might imagine - so yes the Resene Eighth Ash is 'whiter' and lacking in any green tone at this strength. If you placed something pure real white close to the house (like a painted wooden chair on the deck) you might then see a little more colour, by comparison to the white. I think you could use a slightly deeper stain colour - i.e. Resene Woodsman Iroko or Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash instead of Resene Woodsman Equilibrium which may look lighter and more yellow/green than you might imagine. Definitely test some offcuts with two coats of the stain colours - they do come as testpots - so you can get a better perspective of the colour.
March 2016
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Q. We have just installed a new steel roof in Grey Friars. Our joinery is white. Our front door is Grey Friars. I need to choose a shade of grey for the weatherboard that won’t be too dark - we have a south facing house. I also need a colour that will work on the fence around the property. I'd like to go for a dark colour if possible. A. Dark colours are not recommended for timber surfaces but if you do want to use them I definitely recommend using the CoolColour™ reformulated versions of the colour to try as much as possible to minimise the impact of the extreme heat on the surface. CoolColours reflect more heat away from the surface - instead of absorbing it - so even though the surface won’t be cool to the touch it will be a better way to go. You might check out these greys - for the house - to see if they appeal to you. They are light to mid tones but will still benefit greatly by the CoolColour technology - Resene Quarter Stack, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Silver Chalice. Very much darker colours for the fences that you might look at are Resene Tuna, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Double Foundry.
March 2016
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Q. I am in an older home which has got rich brown wooden floors in some areas and cream/beige carpet in others. Resene Fossil is used a lot throughout, although the lounge is a green which I want to remove and the formal dining is a browny colour! Both rooms have the wooden floors. There is also rimu joinery around. I would quite like to do those rooms a lighter colour than Resene Fossil. The rooms are small and the lounge currently has a cold feeling to it in the green. What colour would you suggest that goes with the Resene Fossil but lighter and warm? A. Resene Fossil does have lighter variants that you might check out - Resene Half Fossil, Resene Quarter Fossil or Resene Eighth Fossil. Alternatively you might look at these colours - Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Eighth Akaroa.
March 2016
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Q. The plaster exterior of our house is a very light grey. What colours would look good on the main door? Also our kitchen is to be painted Resene Half Tea, the cabinetry is silver, the pantry is gloss white and the benchtop is granite black with off white patterns going through it. The dining table is black. I'd like to make the door going into the garage a focal point. What colours would work please? I'd like a nice bright yellow but am not sure if that would work. Our living area/lounge is painted Resene Half Tea, our furniture and flooring is dark brown/chocolate coloured. Our bedrooms are Resene Quarter Tea and the furniture is rich wood coloured. What curtain colours would you suggest please? A. Main door colours that you might consider - Resene Jalapeno or Resene Christalle. These are bold and beautiful and worthy of consideration. Sometimes the door leading into the garage is not considered worthy of a 'special' colour - sad but true - but if you look at it as an exciting pop of colour in an otherwise neutral space then you might look at these colours to see if they appeal - Resene Buttercup, Resene Starstruck or Resene Bright Lights. Curtains add so much in the way of gorgeousness to rooms - you could pop into the Resene ColorShop to view these fabrics in the Resene Curtain range - Resene Beyond - colour Flame, Resene Swivel - colour Blaze or Resene Turntable - colour Chocolate or colour Merlot. March 2016
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Q. We are using Resene Double White Pointer on the walls of the bedrooms with charcoal almost black carpet and white ceilings. The bedrooms have a very high stud, as it is an old villa. The skirtings are white, also very big as they were traditionally. I want to know what sort of colour I can add to that as a splash of colour. Pretty much what one colour goes with Resene Black, Resene White and Resene Double White Pointer? A. Any colour at all goes with black and white and almost any colour goes with Resene Double White Pointer. For inspiration you might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Barometer, Resene Countdown, Resene Madam M, Resene Aquamarine or Resene Talisman.
March 2016
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Q. Which Resene colours best match/replicate Oamaru Stone? We would like to paint the plaster trim under the stone. A. I often get asked this question and it isn't 100% easy to answer. When I see people carving (new) Oamaru stone I think it is quite a pale cream like Resene Half Pearl Lusta. When I have been looking at the old stone buildings in Oamaru, I think it is a richer earthier colour like Resene Villa White or Resene Pearl Lusta. When Oamaru stone is wet it is a deeper colour again like Resene Eighth Pavlova. When the westerly setting sun is on it the colour in the stone picks up a warmer look like Resene Half Spanish White. Perhaps you could get the charts that have these colours on and view them on the Oamaru stone to see which colour you prefer. It may be a case of 'looking good with' rather than best match and a little compromise may be required.
March 2016
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Q. I have just had a new kitchen made with white joinery, Caesarstone® Ice Snow benchtops and Resene Double Tea splashbacks. I got a testpot of Resene Tea for the walls and it looked ok but now I have started painting it has a pink tinge. Would Resene Half Tea look less pink? A. It depends on why Resene Tea has started to look 'pink'. It is a warm colour and may look warmer when seen in the late afternoon natural light - is this when you have been painting - or is the room facing west to the later afternoon sun? Or are you painting over an existing wall colour that is mostly cream or yellow? Existing wall colours can influence how you see the new paint colour. You could do a trial of the Resene Half Tea to see if it too looks pinkish. I always suggest that the whole testpot (two coats) be applied to super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. This border helps you focus on the reality of the test sample. It also keeps the existing wall colour - even unpainted plasterboard is a colour - from unduly influencing it and making you see it wrong. The super large card can be moved from wall to wall - this is helpful as every wall/angle shows the colour in a different way. If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it this gives a good approximation of how deep the colour will look when all walls in the room are painted.
March 2016
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Q. We are going to re-roof and paint the exterior of our house. I want to go with a lighter neutral and wondered about Resene Triple Sea Fog but am unsure about a colour for trims and what we would do for the high (1.53m) picket fence that borders our corner property. We would appreciate any ideas/comments/suggestions of other possible colour combinations etc. Possible colours for the COLORSTEEL® roof are Ironsand or Sandstone Grey. Would this work also? A. Resene Triple Sea Fog is lovely for an exterior. Whites that work really well with this are Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster. The roof colours often look a little lighter due to the 45 degree angle of the roof to the bright sunlight so that is something you may need to consider. Are you having COLORSTEEL® roofing? Ironsand may look like Thunder Grey or TernStyle and Sandstone Grey may look as light as Gull Grey - would you mind that? These are things you might check out now rather than choose a roof colour and find out later that it isn't how you though it was going to look. Colours like Resene Half Foggy Grey and Resene Foggy Grey look like deeper variants of Resene Triple Sea Fog which is good if you want to use tonally related colours. Very dark accents like Resene Bokara Grey and complementary colours like Resene Red Planet work well also. Some greens like Resene Middle Earth or Resene Mangrove look smart too. March 2016
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Q. Please suggest a suitable Resene colour for brown hollow core doors in a dark hallway plus walls and skirting? A. Perhaps you could check out these colours - they are light/bright and warm toned - Resene Bianca – walls and Resene Quarter Bianca for doors and skirtings. Or whiter/cooler colours - Resene Half Sea Fog – walls and Resene Alabaster for doors and skirtings.
March 2016
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Q. We are stuck trying to match the right blue for our bathroom. It needs to look good against rimu wood and white Aqua panel. A. For paler blues - I think you could check out these two blues. They are slightly warm toned (with a tiny bit of green undertone) and they look lovely with rimu and white - Resene Breeze or Resene Escape. Or deeper/muted blues - Resene Frozen - and much deeper but not too dark - Resene Awash.
March 2016
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Q. We have recently installed a black Galaxy granite bench top. The cabinets would best be described as light apricot, the walls and ceiling will be Resene Quarter Black White. Our question is what colour splashback would you advise? We had thought of a very light grey or Resene Scotty Silver. A. I am concerned that Resene Scotty Silver may look too baby boy blue and make the cabinets look powder puff pink. I think a paler real silver may be the way to go - Resene Silver Aluminium. This will work with anything and if in the fullness of time you want to add a little more (of this metallic look) it might be new handles on the cabinetry - this is a very contemporary look and ties in nicely with Resene Quarter Black White.
March 2016
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Q. We would like to paint our interior walls white. Our window trims will be Resene Quarter Alabaster so we are looking for a complementary white that can also be used for the skirting and which will look good against our oiled matai floorboards. A. Do you want all the woodwork - i.e. skirting boards, door frames, doors etc. to match the window trims? This is the simple option. The walls could be a little more 'coloured' - perhaps Resene Double Alabaster - this white picks up more warmth. You might also use the same colour (as the walls) on the woodwork - but in a semi-gloss enamel not the low sheen wall acrylic- so not changing the colour just the gloss level. Another 'white' that you might consider is Resene Quarter Merino - this is warmer/ slightly earthy and picks up on the richness of the oiled matai.
March 2016
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Q. I’m painting a large two storey weatherboard place in Resene Half Silver Chalice with Resene Alabaster trim. The roof is orange tiles. We have a very large brick external chimney that runs right through the front of the house. The chimney is a different brick colour to the roof tiles. Should we paint the external chimney Resene Silver Chalice, Resene White, charcoal? Or leave original brick? A. Do you dislike the brick and find it ugly? Do you wish you could make it disappear? If this is the case then by painting it the same as the main house colour it is no longer noticed as much. If you don't like brick another option is to paint it to match trim. It won't disappear but it will be less distinctive. But if you want everyone to notice it as a strong feature then by all means paint it charcoal - it will be very noticeable. But if the brick is good honest brick - nice shape/good colour - then you could leave it as it is.
March 2016
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Q. We are trying to decide on external colours for our new house. We have western red cedar eaves which are very prominent. Also a large red recycled brick wall. We were hoping to paint a majority of the house a dark grey; I am considering Resene Squall at this stage. Also the third storey is cantilevered out from the main building so thought we might paint it white to accentuate it. Can you recommend what white might go with Resene Squall for an external area that won't get much light? I was looking at Resene Merino or Resene Half Merino. Also I should mention the gutters and windows are black. A. The colours on an exterior can look much lighter/brighter than you might expect them to look like. In the case of Resene Merino, and especially Resene Half Merino, they could look very white because of the natural light as well as the much deeper coloured cedar and brickwork, Resene Squall and the black elements on the house. Is that what you want? Perhaps you might check out a slightly deeper version of Resene Merino - i.e. Resene Double Merino - to see if it appeals to you. I suspect it could look as light as Resene Merino.
March 2016
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Q. I would like to update our interior walls throughout our house (currently Resene Double Spanish White). The house is 10 years old and is a classic French provincial style with a natural sisal (goldish) colour carpet and matai flooring. The kitchen cupboards are Resene Half Spanish White. The aluminium joinery is off white. I have painted Resene Half Spanish White in the bathrooms already and feel they are still looking a bit yellow. I would like some suggestions please. I have been thinking maybe Resene Thorndon Cream. I also like Resene Half Pearl Lusta (but this may be too white for the aluminium joinery and kitchen). A. I think you may have answered your own question. Off White powder coated joinery is a strong yellow based colour - similar to Resene Spanish White. A lot of colours - in order to work well with it and the kitchen joinery - would need to be deeper complex neutrals unless you wanted the window joinery to look yellower and stand out more as a feature - do you? Perhaps you could check these colours out to see if they appeal to you and work with the distinct joinery colour – Resene Sisal, Resene Akaroa, Resene Double Parchment, Resene Double Ash or Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. Resene Half Pearl Lusta - if it was used as a 'white' for ceilings - could work as long as it wasn't seen right alongside of the Off White as it makes the joinery look double the depth and yellowness by comparison. March 2016
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Q. I would like to paint a girl’s nursery warm neutral colours. Accent colours within the nursery are blush pinks, greys and light coloured wooden furniture and off white drawers. What colours would you suggest I look at? I don't want too dark colours. A. It depends on so many things - do you want the walls to be a 'white' so that all the accent colours are the most important colours? If that is the case you could use warmed whites like Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene White Linen. Or do you want more of the warm grey neutral look? You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and work with all the existing colours in the nursery – Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Barely There or Resene Sea Fog.
March 2016
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Q. I'm painting my internal walls with Resene Double Alabaster. Can you please advise the best complementary colour for skirtings, architraves and picture rails? I am not sure if I should just go semi-gloss in Resene Double Alabaster or a shade lighter or darker. The rooms are quite large and it is an old house. I want a harmonious colour scheme. A. If you don't want to see any contrast then using the same colour - but in a semi-gloss enamel - works well. If you want to highlight the woodwork (because it is beautiful and worthy of highlighting) then I suggest using Resene Half Alabaster. I am wary of going deeper than the walls but you could - if you wanted too. Deeper in this case might Resene Sea Fog.
March 2016
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Q. I am undergoing a major renovation on my home that currently has weatherboards painted in Resene Merino. My new roof is Resene Karaka and I'm looking for a new neutral colour for my house, and for my aluminium joinery. I am looking for white joinery. I am having green internal tones. A. White powder coat colours to consider - and I do suggest you see real metal samples not brochures or online as it can be really deceptively misleading - are Appliance White, Pearl White, Warm Pearl White or a very cool grey/blue white called Arctic White. Some neutral colours for the house that you might consider are these – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Ash or Resene Quarter Tapa.
March 2016
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