Close Give Feedback
Resene Paints - home page
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube

Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 48

Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.

If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 48

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


Q. We want to paint a small office in Resene Merino. There is a coffee corner with some very old cupboards that also is in need of paint. The table top underneath is a black marble. What colour would fit the cupboards?

A. You may have other colours to take into account - carpets, hard flooring, office furniture, desks, wall dividers etc. Because of the very quiet neutral main colour and the black marble table top you may need a little 'pop' of colour to add a bit of eye interest. You could try - Resene Half Pohutukawa, Resene Ming, Resene Wild Thing or very safe and not really a 'pop' of colour - Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa

as half strength
Resene Ming
Resene Ming
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing

Resene Triple Merino
May 2016

Q. I have chosen Resene Duck Egg Blue for my weatherboard villa and Resene Quarter Black White for window frames. I also need a dark grey or contrasting colour for the trims which are currently black. There is a similar amount of trim to window frame to paint. What would you suggest?

A. Because your house colours are really cool and soft toned I suggest similar soft edged dusky blue undertones tones for the dark grey - sounds like a contradiction doesn't it? Please check out these colours - Resene Mine Shaft, Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Big Stone, Resene Dark Knight, Resene Half Foundry or Resene Grey Friars.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Mine Shaft
Resene Mine Shaft
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Big Stone
Resene Big Stone
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Half Foundry
Resene Half Foundry
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
May 2016

Q. I currently have frames painted in these colours – Resene Home Run, Resene Red Hot, Resene Wild Thing, Resene Elvis or Resene Knock Out. I need one more colour to add to this palette which would work in with these colours nicely. These frames hold photos and my kids’ artwork and I want it to all tie in nicely. I’m not sure what colour to use.

A. I absolutely love the colours that you have chosen. You might consider using Resene Kakapo, Resene Adrenalin or Resene Scrumptious.

Resene Home Run
Resene Home Run
Resene Red Hot
Resene Red Hot
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Elvis
Resene Elvis
Resene Kakapo
Resene Kakapo
Resene Adrenalin
Resene Adrenilin
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Scrumptious
 
May 2016

Q. We are building a new single storey house and intend to have a COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof, garage door and possibly the front door but wonder if the overall effect will be too heavy. The LINEA® exterior is Resene Half Tuna with Resene Eighth Tuna trim and aluminium window joinery could be Matt Appliance White.

A. I think the greys are different enough to balance each other but the overall look will be dense and slightly sombre. The larger amount of the Grey Friars (a roof and a garage door aren't small) will be dominant. The only relief for the eye is the window joinery - have you considered using this colour for the front door or even a pop of a more definite colour to highlight the entry point of the house?

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Eighth Tuna
Resene Eighth Tuna
May 2016

Q. We are building a modern two storey house with raked roof in COLORBOND® Monument and Surfmist (louvre) windows. The top floor is weatherboard and the bottom will be acrylic render. We're stuck with choosing colours as my husband likes the browns and I like the greys. Can you suggest a colour combo that we might both like?!

A. I hope that these colours are appealing to you both - Resene Bone White (very similar but a little bit deeper than the SurfMist), Resene Atmosphere, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Cloudy.

I suggest you both (ideally) pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library. Ask the staff to help you find them and also the window and roof colour - Surfmist is called Titania and Monument is called Nocturnal - and view them all together - all colours need to work with each other so they must be viewed together. Don't mention the two bad words - grey or brown - as some of these colours sit on the fence a wee bit - neither one thing or another. Play the favourites game - remove the samples one by one that you like least of all until what you are left with is the 'right one'.

Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
May 2016

Q. We are renting our house and our landlords have asked us to pick the colour for the house (no pressure). The roof we think is Navigate (COLORSTEEL® Mirage) and they have specifically asked that we pick a bright cheery yellow which we think is too much. Could you suggest some colours to go with the roof that are not necessarily yellow toned?

A. These colours might be worth checking out - Resene Pipi, Resene Scotch Mist, Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Oasis or Resene Half Astra. They are all a little bit yellow - but a bit more mellow and creamy - not cheek sucking sour lemon yellows.

Look at these first before you try for a different type of colour- I think if the landlords are keen on yellow tones it may be very difficult to make them look at beige or grey.

Resene Pipi
Resene Pipi
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Oasis
Resene Oasis
Resene Half Astra
Resene Half Astra
May 2016

Q. Just about every room in our house is filled with north light. We have light terracotta tiles on the floor which must stay. We want to repaint with white walls but there are so many shades of white that my brain is reeling. Someone has suggested Resene Quarter Spanish white. Are you able to advise me which colour would be best with the terracotta floors and plenty of light?

A. Resene Quarter Spanish White would work well. But if you have a lot of terracotta and wood with similar colour tones you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Merino, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Rice Cake.

It is only by comparing colours with each other and testing them carefully that we can truly judge what they will look like in the rooms. Take your time to get it right.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
May 2016

Q. I am looking to paint our baby's room. I initially thought of painting it a soft grey, with the existing white trims and furniture. However I am finding that every grey I try makes the room look very cold and the grey almost look icy. Contributing to this is that I have a family quilt which I want to use which is blue/grey/green, making the greys appear even bluer. The room is also on the south side of the house so it's quite dark and also very small. Can you suggest something?

A. What you are describing is a typical south facing room and how the natural light changes colours. Clean crisp creams can look sour, whites can look grey and greys can look bluish. Warmer slightly deeper colours often respond better to the southerly aspect. It may be a little more difficult if the room is dark and small - certainly warmer deeper colours might look even deeper than you imagine they will. Have you thought of using a blue/grey/green colour on one wall only and a warm/white colour on the others? If the feature was not the window wall - window walls make colours appear deeper again as the colour inherits more shadow - but perhaps a side wall it may work better.

These colours may be worth checking out – Resene Eighth Spanish White - three walls and Resene Duck Egg Blue – feature.

You may need to experiment with a feature colour in order to accommodate the family quilt colours.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
 
May 2016

Q. We have recently painted our 1920s cottage. We went in to see a Resene Colour Consultant and decided on Resene Double Sea Fog for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster for the trimmings (although trimmings yet to be painted). We want quite a fresh white look for the cottage. Next we need to choose a roof colour and had for a while been thinking of Resene Grey Friars. We are worried that painting the roof a grey may make the weatherboards look even greyer. Or would it do the opposite and make the house look a fresher white like we intended? The other roof colour we are considering is Resene High Tide and wondering what you would suggest as complementary to Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Alabaster and provide us with a crisp white house look. One last question, in order to not make the weatherboards look too grey we thought maybe we should change the trim to something with not so much contrast i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog not Resene Alabaster.

A. Sometimes the very best thing to do - especially in regard ‘whites’ - is to view the real paint A4 samples in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop. If you see these super large samples and compare them (with each other) and also with a sheet of white printer paper (truest white) what it helps you to see is all the tiny undertones of colours that are in the 'whites'. If you hold them vertically - as they would be seen on the house - and move the samples to the right and left hand side of you the angle change and shadows help you to judge the colours in reality.

Resene Double Sea Fog is a warm grey white - especially compared to Resene Alabaster (aka Resene Eighth Sea Fog) which is much whiter/cleaner but not stark.

A soft transition between the house colour and the 'whiter' trims might work (Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Half Sea Fog) but you may sacrifice the fresh white (crisp) look. You do need to carefully test both colours together (painted on 2 x A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) and placed against each other on the exterior surface so you can see how the natural light affects the colours.

A deeper charcoal on the roof may make your eyes see the Resene Double Sea Fog as a slightly whiter colour - because the charcoal is so deep - but it may not. Resene High Tide is a bluer charcoal than Grey Friars and it may emphasise the 'colour' in Resene Double Sea Fog. I am unsure that there is any colour that would change the Resene Double Sea Fog enough to make you see it whiter.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
May 2016

Q. We are renovating our kitchen/lounge/dining area. It is a late 1930s house and these rooms are on the south side of house. I want a colour scheme that is warm and bright and will match the rimu doors. We will be putting in a new kitchen and flooring.

A. Usually I recommend that you choose the flooring and the new kitchen cabinets, work tops and splashbacks first so that you have choices. If you choose the wall colour first you may find you are compromised in regard what will work best with it - this can sometimes mean you have to have colours for these things that you might not ordinarily ever choose. Will that matter to you? If it doesn't them you could look at these colours to see if they appeal - south facing rooms have a distinct quality of light that makes some warm colours look sour or dull/greyish so it is really important to test colours first - Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Quarter Wheatfield.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
May 2016

Q. I recently painted my living room in Resene Peppermint with a Resene Baltic Sea feature wall – it looks awesome. I now need to choose a colour for the kitchen which is visible from the living room (almost open plan) and then the laundry which is next to the kitchen. The kitchen and laundry have little natural light. I tried Resene Foam - bit too green and similar to Resene Peppermint and Resene Oxygen, which is a bit too dark due to the limited natural sunlight (is there a Resene Half Oxygen?). I like the light colours and want to be able to continue to use Resene Baltic Sea as an accent, and white. Can you suggest some other colours I should try? I would like two please so each room is slightly different but complementary. The cupboards are white with natural timber tops. The appliances are white in the laundry and stainless steel in the kitchen. The floor is dark grey slate looking and will go with everything. P.S. I hate beige colours.

A. There isn't a standard formula for a half version of Resene Oxygen though if you wanted to experiment you could use 50:50 Resene Oxygen and (pure) Resene White to see if it is the type of colour you want. Using equal amounts of both from testpots might be worth a try. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and work in relationship with Resene Peppermint and Resene Baltic Grey - Resene Cut Glass, Resene Half Opal, Resene Carefree, Resene Tranquil or Resene Sweetwaters - this is a colour from an earlier Range fandeck – you can view a sample of it at your Resene ColorShop in their colour library.

Resene Peppermint
Resene Peppermint
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Foam
Resene Foam
Resene Oxygen
Resene Oxygen
 
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Tranquil
Resene Tranquil
Resene Sweetwaters
Resene Sweetwaters
May 2016

Q. We are revamping our open plan living area. My carpet is Dried Peat. I have chosen Resene Eighth Napa for the ceilings and Resene Quarter Napa for the walls.

A. You don't say what exactly the family don't like about the colours. Do they not like the type of colour - are they too grey or too brown? - or the fact it is a definite coloured ceiling? Would they prefer more contrast - perhaps lighter/whiter ceilings and woodwork or a lighter main colour? The Resene Napa colours in general are quite densely coloured.

You might look at these colours to see if they are more appealing to you - Resene Eighth Napa – walls, Resene Half Albescent White - ceilings and trims, or Resene Eighth Drought – walls, Resene Double Alabaster - ceilings and trims, or Resene Quarter Tea – walls, Resene Half Rice Cake - ceilings and trims.

Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
 
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
May 2016

Q. We have finished painting our rooms Resene Iron and now I need a light almost white colour to paint the lounge and dining room area. What would you recommend? Our carpets are chocolate brown and we used a pure white (untinted) colour for the skirtings and doors. It’s quite a dark lounge so I want something to bring in more light.

A. A light almost white colour for the lounge and dining room might be Resene Quarter Concrete, Resene Black White, Resene Half House White or Resene Wan White. They are all quite different from each other - though this might not be immediately noticeable - so it is really important to test the colour and view it close to the pure white woodwork and the chocolate brown carpet. Both of these elements and the natural light in the room will make you see the colours quite differently at various times of the day and night.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
May 2016

Q. Could anyone advise the best grey for a 1920s bungalow in a rural setting surrounded by paddocks of bright green grass and mature trees? The house placement is relatively dark.

A. I think a slightly deeper (but not dark) version of Resene Truffle - Resene Double Truffle - used with lots Resene Half Sea Fog for trims and a mysterious warm black tone like Resene Blackjack for small details or fences could look good. The reason for the slightly deeper main colour is pure practicability - trees close to the house create dusty surfaces with green, brown and black mould - so the colour of the house needs to be forgiving of that and not look too dirty too soon. A cooler grey would also work - Resene Silver Chalice used with Resene Half Black White and Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
May 2016

Q. I have on my lounge, dining room etc walls Resene Quarter Solitaire and would like suggestions to do the doors and architraves. At the moment they are Resene Half Solitaire but do nothing to enhance the rooms. Any suggestions for a contrast colour would be much appreciated.

A. I think there are two possible scenarios - a lighter/brighter colour to enhance the wall colour or a deeper/related colour to enhance and draw attention to the woodwork- it will be more of a feature. You could try lighter - Resene Half Bianca or deeper - Resene Solitaire.

Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
May 2016

Q. Is Resene Alabaster (or Resene Double Alabaster) a good option for trim around doors and windows (with a decent sized architrave) when Resene Black White is on the walls (and ceiling)?

A. As long as you don't mind the (slightly) warmer white on the wood trims and the cooler (slightly grey) white on the ceilings - they aren't 100% happy together. Personally I would be inclined to stay with the one (same) for ceilings and trims - not both. The ceiling paint is a matt acrylic and the wood trims a semi-gloss enamel - so just a sheen difference not a colour difference.

Try Resene Half Black White on ceilings and wood trims or Resene Alabaster ceilings and wood trims. Lighter whites are less 'grey' on the ceiling - the natural light and artificial lights casts a lot of shadow across the ceiling making it look deeper than you might imagine it will look.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
May 2016

Q. We are renovating a Ponsonby villa and this is our colour scheme. Exterior weatherboards – Resene Half Surrender, fascia and sill trimmings – Resene Quarter Merino, back balustrade and front fence – Resene Quarter Merino, veranda floor – Resene Double Stack maybe? So it doesn't get too dirty!

Front door - a white or a grey? Which shade? Maybe Resene Delta? Or Resene Half Stack? What do you recommend for the veranda floor and front door?

A. I think the windows, balustrades and front fence need to be a cooler white - not a warm yellow white - as it would work better with the cool toned main house colour. Have you checked out Resene Half Alabaster? If the veranda was a mid-toned grey i.e. Resene Double Stack, and the door matched the windows - Resene Half Alabaster - with the door sill matching the veranda floor it would co-ordinate well.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
May 2016

Q. I am painting and re-carpeting my home and have rimu skirtings, window frames, doors, and staircase. I have terracotta tiles in the hallway. I'm looking at dark brown carpet. What colour contrast would you recommend for the walls and shade of carpet? My kitchen/living room has bamboo flooring and one side of the kitchen is rimu and I'm having the other side re-sprayed (currently blue). Again what colours would you suggest for the kitchen cabinetry and walls? I'm also having curtains made for the living room and bedrooms.

A. Probably the best thing to do is to bring carpet samples home to see what will work with the very definite terracotta tiles and the bamboo flooring. What you (personally) like may not be harmonious so you may need to keep searching until you find a carpet that likes the other flooring colours.

Once you have that sorted it will be a lot easier to find wall colours. If you choose the wall colour first you may find it much harder to get the carpet colour sorted - there is a lot less available than you might imagine. It would be horrible for you if you found three that looked good with the new wall colour and all the coloured flooring but #1 was far too expensive to buy, #2 was too ugly, #3 was ok but not a carpet you would choose if you had a choice.

Personally I would have all the kitchen cabinets sprayed a light neutral colour - this will still leave you with lots and lots of wood - rimu trims as well as the bamboo floor. The whole kitchen would be integrated if it was the one colour and it would look huge and very light - your friends would think you had a whole new kitchen not just a paint colour on part of it. The walls and the kitchen units might be similar - perhaps lightest colour for the cabinets and a slightly deeper tone for the walls - from the same palette of colours.

Fabrics for curtains - you would think there is masses to choose from but again you may be limited because of flooring colours and wall colour. Ideally choose the curtains after the carpet has been chosen - so they look good together - and then lastly choose the wall colour to tie the curtains and flooring together.

May 2016

Q. We have a 1920s bungalow. The roof and baseboard colour is Grey Friars, the soffits are Resene Quarter Spanish White, the windows and facings are Arctic White. What colour do you suggest for the weatherboards? We are rural so prefer something that's not too white as we can get greening on the south side of the house.

A. You do have a bit of a conflict between the icy grey/blue white of the Arctic White windows and the sweet creamy warmth of the Resene Quarter Spanish White so perhaps you might look at these suggestions to see if they work for you - Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Merino, Resene Quarter Stack or Resene Barely There.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
       
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
May 2016

Q. We have been doing up our house at the beach, but I'm stuck on what colour to paint it. I want it to have a beach feel to it. Should I paint it all one colour to make it look bigger?

A. If you paint it one colour it will look bigger. It is a simple timeless look. Beach inspired colours range from whites, greys, blues, green/greys and some taupes. Perhaps these suggestions may be a start point for decisions - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Surrender, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Emerge or Resene White Pointer.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
May 2016

Q. I have brown aluminium Rylock windows. What main body colour would be good to use on the house?

A. Colours that may work well are lighter browns very closely related to the window colour, dirty beige influenced creams and earthy yellow/brown based greens. These are some examples that you might check out - Resene Half Sandstone, Resene Albescent White, Resene Tea or Resene Double Ash.

Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
May 2016

Q. We are currently renovating our home and will be painting the exterior. I'm wondering if you can suggest a colour. Our house is a two storey Victorian home facing west. I'm looking for a subtle ‘stony’ colour, not too brown not too grey.

A. Perhaps you could check out these colours - Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Half Cloud or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Colours look quite a bit lighter on an exterior so these may look half as light again. West facing natural light often gives a warm blush to colours. You may need to test colour carefully to see how much yellow/peachy cast they inherit as the sun dips low to the horizon.

Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
May 2016

Q. I want to change the exterior colour of my house as it is due to be repainted. I am wondering what colours you could suggest. It needs to complement the blockwork. Would you go light or dark?

A. I think it is easier to go dark as a distinct contrast colour doesn't have to relate really closely with the colour of the blockwork which a much paler colour would.

Are you planning on changing the garage door colour to go with a new exterior colour (or colours) so it harmonises well? If you didn't it may create a discord - as well as making three colours in total before the repaint colours - garage door #1, window joinery #2, and blockwork #3 - starting to look a bit 'busy' visibly.

It may pay to think through your options carefully. If the garage door was painted to match the window joinery (the joinery would have a friend) and it would allow a bit freedom and flexibility to choose colour(s) for the house and it wouldn't look as indecisive.

May 2016

Q. Could you please advise on a colour to use on the foundation? The house has been remodelled and is two levels with a rough cast finish on the bottom, and a smooth plaster finish on the top in Resene Sea Fog with cedar timber weatherboards above and below the windows. The windows are Grey Friars aluminium. We are undecided as to whether to keep the white and carry it all the way to the bottom, or introduce a grey to break the different finishes and maybe tie into the joinery colour.

A. I like the idea of maintaining the same colour on the foundation - a neat tidy solution. But if you felt that a little more colour (grey?) would appeal to you more then perhaps a tonal colour related to the upper storey - Resene Sea Fog - might be an option - Resene Triple Sea Fog could look smart. I worry a little about using a more definite (deeper) grey colour and whether it might make the house look truncated and a bit 'sectional' which is why my thoughts run to a soft tonal look for the foundation so the colours shadow each other.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
May 2016

Q. I am painting interior walls in my house Resene Half Haystack and would like a suggestion for a sash/trim colour and also a ceiling colour that would work together.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Haystack - sash/trim colour and Resene Quarter Solitaire – ceiling, or Resene Quarter Spanish White - sash/trim colour and Resene Eighth Spanish White – ceiling, or Resene Bianca - sash/trim colour and Resene Half Bianca – ceiling.

The colour options listed get progressively lighter (less creamy/peach in tone) but all work well with Resene Half Haystack.

Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Quarter Haystack
Resene Quarter Haystack
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
 
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
May 2016

Q. We have purchased a house where the main wall colour throughout is Resene Half Tea. The fireplace in the lounge has been painted a red colour and there have been some feature walls done with wallpaper. We are looking to modernise this area and are looking for some ideas or advice. We have a lot of bright mixed media artwork that we want featured throughout so have that in mind.

A. I think you need to think through your hopes and dreams for the house. What do you like that you aren't going to change? Will the wallpaper stay as is? Or will you change to new wallpaper/no wallpaper? Fire chimney breast - do you want it to merge (painted the same colour as the walls) with the wall? Or be a dark feature? Or a bold feature? Do you have set ideas about what colours you like?

Do you have anything (apart from the artwork) that is a definite colour (or colours) that you want to co-ordinate with, such as upholstered furniture?

Is there any particular artwork that will be placed on the fireplace wall as a focus feature? What are these particular artworks like i.e. size/dominant colours etc.?

Modern embraces contemporary trends and style - at this point in time (but no doubt this will change) whites, greys and charcoals are considered wonderful followed closely by very pretty (slightly retro inspired) pastel colours according to overseas trend forecasts. You may not favour any of these ideas. There is a lot for you to consider.

It is a bit like going on a huge overseas trip - thinking, dreaming, planning need to happen. Take your time to get it right.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
May 2016

Q. I'm looking for a colour that will complement creamy and dark cocoa brown tiles in our bathroom. We have warm very bright LED lights that emphasise the yellows. Perhaps a stronger, deeper version of Resene Snowy Mint?

A. If the LED lights emphasise the yellow then they may also emphasise the strong yellow/green in colours like Resene Snowy Mint. Have you tested the colour Resene Snowy Mint on a large white card (A2 card available from Resene ColorShops) and pinned it in the bathroom to see the reality of the colour under the lights? A deeper (and therefore brighter) version of Resene Snowy Mint is Resene Madang or Resene Feijoa. If you are into clear bright colours like these ones you might also like Resene Kandinsky which is a slightly softer apple mint colour.

Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Madang
Resene Madang
Resene Feijoa
Resene Feijoa
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
May 2016

Q. I have a 1990s stucco farmhouse with plastered walls, dusty green roof and green joinery. Can you advise colours for the walls (currently yellow)? Some of the woodwork is in a cedar stain. I want to minimise the green windows but amnot sure which way to go.

A. You may need to consider a main colour that is a bit more 'muddy' toned in order to de-emphasise the green window joinery. The cedar might also be stained an earthier (not red) colour to co-ordinate. The green windows and roof will still be apparent but possibly not as attention seeking as they are now.

Try Resene Quarter Napa used with Resene Woodsman stain Resene Bushtrack, or Resene Eighth Arrowtown used with Resene Woodsman stain Resene English Walnut, or Resene Double Thorndon Cream used with Resene Woodsman stain Resene Tiri.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
May 2016

Q. I am working on some colour suggestions to paint the exterior weatherboards and trims, front door and roof of a 1950s house. The client wants to go a grey with soft off white trims. I am thinking Resene Quarter Friar Grey with Resene Half Friar Grey, or Resene Half Friar Grey with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Have you some other suggestions that you know work as nice combinations? I have heard that Resene Masala is also popular. Can you please advise 3-4 options in a mid-grey range?

A. The lightest version of Resene Masala is Resene Eighth Masala which is on the deeper end of the mid-range. It has a LRV of 34% which may take it out of the 'safe zone' in regard appropriate weatherboard coatings. Will this be of concern to you? It can be made in a re-formulated CoolColour™ version.

Some other colour options to try - Resene Foggy Grey used with Resene Sea Fog, or Resene Half Delta used with Resene Half Rice Cake, or Resene Mountain Mist used with Resene Quarter Merino, or Resene Silver Chalice used with Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
May 2016

Q. We are painting our toilet walls and am looking for a soft duck egg tone. We have tried Resene Half Duck Egg which is too grey. We also have a testpot of Resene Conch. We like the colour but think it’s too much. Can you suggest a softer tone of Resene Conch? The window frame and door are white.

A. You might check these colours out to see if they are the 'duck egg' you are trying to achieve - Resene Breeze, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Nebula or Resene Half Periglacial Blue.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. All colours appear a lot lighter on the exterior due to bright natural light so I wouldn't rule out testing Resene Conch - it may be perfect 85% of the time - nothing is every 100% right due to changing light.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Conch
Resene Conch
   
Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
May 2016

Q. We want to paint our house and need some advice on colours. I like the natural shades.

A. Are you cream, beige, grey or taupe inclined? Here are some ideas to get you started (they are main/lighter trim/deeper feature) - Resene Thorndon Cream/Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream/Resene Half Masala, or Resene Truffle/Resene Eighth Truffle/Resene Double Friar Grey, or Resene Triple Sea Fog/Resene Double Alabaster/Resene Double Tapa, or Resene Cararra/Resene Half Rice Cake/Resene Half Craigieburn.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Half Craigieburn
May 2016
 

Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and have chosen for the weatherboards. We have a white roof and I was thinking of using Resene Alabaster for the windows, gutters, pergola, stair handrail and balustrade but I am not sure which colour to paint the actual stairs. I would also like the front door to really stand out and thought about using Resene Steel Grey or Resene Grey Friars. Can you please advise if these colours would work well together or suggest some alternatives?

A. The charcoal greys that you are considering will work really well. Some other colours that you might check out are these ones - Resene Woodsmoke, Resene Gunmetal, Resene Big Stone or Resene Cinder.

They have blue or slightly blue/green undertones that look quite nice with your main house colour.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
 
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Gunmetal
Resene Gunmetal
Resene Big Stone
Resene Big Stone
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
May 2016

Q. I am trying to create a Hamptons colour house - the windows are Resene Dutch White and cannot be changed. I thought I’d match the woodwork on the veranda with the Resene Dutch White but I’m stuck as to what to paint the base of the house. I don't want a dark colour and am trying to keep to light beach seaside colours. What do you suggest?

A. Your existing coloured windows stop you from getting exactly the Hamptons' look you want to achieve. Perhaps you could use the lightest version of Resene Dutch White for the base of the house - i.e. Resene Eighth Dutch White or slightly deeper - Resene Quarter Dutch White or possibly Resene Half Bianca. These are quite light but they may make the windows etc. look a lot stronger and yellower.

Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Eighth Dutch White
Resene Eighth
Dutch White
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
May 2016

Q. I have a painted timber border on my paved driveway. The house built in the 40s is red brick and painted wood. What is the best colour for them? They are currently light grey?

A. If your driveway is concrete then the light grey on the timber edges might have been used to merge in with it. Do you think this is the case? Do you want a definite colour to act as a 'feature' to draw the eyes to the timber? Or do you want it to merge in - another grey? Your default is the grey but another option is to use the same colour as the painted wood on the house - so it ties these elements together. Had you thought of that? Or possibly if you have painted wooden fences then you might use that colour. You may need to think carefully about the timber edges - what look do you want? Is it a feature, a merge, or the same as the house or something else?

May 2016

Q. I'm looking at painting Resene Half Tea on the walls. What colour would you suggest for the ceiling? I would like the ceiling to blend so as not to cut the walls off.

A. You might find Resene Quarter Tea a good 'merging' colour. Or a lighter colour might be Resene Albescent White - this option is a bit better than Resene Eighth Tea which has a little grey/pink undertone.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
May 2016

Q. We are repainting an outdoor deck area, using white for rafters and Resene Linen for weatherboards but are not sure on the deck paint. The deck is about 5m x 6m and the windows/sliding door are bronze aluminium. We have tried Resene Judge Grey (quite a nice brown) and Resene Cliffhanger (looked good in the pot but not on the deck). Any other suggestions? The north facing deck is pine.

A. Perhaps these colours may appeal to you - Resene Craigieburn, Resene Quarter Mondo, Resene Tapa, Resene Schooner, Resene Castle Rock or Resene Quarter Evolution.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Judge Grey
Resene Judge Grey
Resene Cliffhanger
Resene Cliffhanger
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
 
May 2016

Q. We have a small dark bathroom, white shower and vanity and the floor is tiled in shades of greys. Nothing startling. I've tried Resene Greywacke but don't think it has the zing I'm looking for. The rest of our house is going to be in Mediterranean colours - ochre, aqua, tangerine etc. I'm daring enough to try something in an ochre or yellow shade but don't want it to be too eye-popping. The loo is separate, right next door so I'd probably want to use the same colour there.

A. If you do favour Mediterranean colours then I can understand you wanting to follow on from that theme. I like the ochre and yellow colours and think they may be worth considering too. Perhaps look at these ones - Resene Oasis, Resene Half Astra, Resene Half Buttermilk, Resene Splash, Resene Popcorn, Resene Triple Pearl Lusta or Resene Double Dutch White.

Any yellows look twice as bright or strong as you might imagine they will look. Yellows are like that. The ones suggested are ochre based (as opposed to bright lemon) so they are more mellow. They may still be too strong but some have lighter versions available - which are creamier.

Resene Greywacke
Resene Greywacke
Resene Oasis
Resene Oasis
Resene Half Astra
Resene Half Astra
Resene Buttermilk
Resene Half Buttermilk
Resene Splash
Resene Splash
Resene Popcorn
Resene Popcorn
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
May 2016

Q. What colour should I paint our narrow (3m wide) grey-tiled living room, where two red sofas will be placed? And if possible, what colour to paint the three bedrooms that are very small and have light wooden floors and closets. I'd like happy, interesting colours for the bedrooms, but not tiring. Also, what colour should I paint the ceilings?

A. If the living spaces are as small as you indicate the more colours you have the smaller it will appear to be. Is this what you want? Soft toned (coloured) whites will increase the space, the light and the general ambiance and allow you to use happy, interesting colours in the curtains, soft furnishings, bedspreads, art work and other accessories. You might like to think about that as an option.

You could consider these colours - Resene Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, or Resene Rice Cake with Resene Quarter Rice Cake for the ceilings, or Resene White Thunder with Resene Quarter Black White for the ceilings.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
May 2016

Q. We are painting our son and daughter in law’s house and wondered if you could give us some ideas on colours. We are going to paint over the bricks. The joinery is in good condition, so we will leave it white. We are also going to paint the roof. We have been thinking of going black on bricks with a dark grey roof. We have seen a few houses with this colour scheme and it does look nice, but keen to hear what you think of this.

A. You could try these colours - Resene Bokara Grey/Resene Half Ironsand, or Resene All Black/Resene Half Nocturnal, or Resene Element/Resene Half Baltic Sea, or Resene Double Foundry/Resene Steel Grey.

The blacker colour could be the roof and the dark grey the house if you preferred to reverse the colours.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
May 2016

Q. Just helping someone to pick colours for their two storey house. They need two colours - one for walls and the other for the quoins at the sides.

A. You might check out these colours to get you started on ideas - Resene Double Spanish White – walls and Resene Half Spanish White – quoins, or Resene Triple Rice Cake – walls and Resene Rice Cake – quoins, or Resene Foggy Grey – walls and Resene Quarter Foggy Grey – quoins.

Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
May 2016

Q. I want to paint the exterior of our house which is timber. We have Desert Sand aluminium joinery. What colours do you suggest?

A. You have very definite coloured joinery which compromises your colour choices a little bit but you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Spanish White, Resene Quarter Canterbury, Resene Half Doeskin or Resene Half Nullarbor.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay
Resene Quarter
Canterbury Clay
Resene Half Doeskin
Resene Half Doeskin
Resene Half Nullarbor
Resene Half Nullarbor
May 2016

Q. I'm planning to paint my 18 year old central North Island solid plaster house and would like some advice on which colour would be best suited. The roof and joinery colour are Permanent Green.

A. You are slightly compromised because of the Permanent Green roof and joinery which is such a definite strong colour but you might check out these earthy colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Fossil, Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Double Tea.

Alternatively you might consider the 'whiter' types of colours however these may emphasise the green - will this worry you? You could try Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Double Rice Cake.

Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
May 2016

Q. I am renovating and wondering what might be the best colour combination for the roof, spouting, wooden weatherboards and windows. I quite like the dark look so was thinking Resene Pitch Black stain, Matt Black windows and possibly FlaxPod or Ebony COLORSTEEL® roof.

A. If all of the timber is being replaced with new weatherboards then yes I can imagine it looking stunning stained in a dark colour.

A warmer (but slightly lighter) black toned stain colour (so that the Matt Black window joinery and the COLORSTEEL® Ebony roof can stand out a little bit) might be the way to go - i.e. Resene Woodsman Sheer Black or Resene Woodsman Crowshead. COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod is an earthier warm brown edged dark roof - it may look browner with the reflection of the roof.

I definitely recommend that the stain colour be a modified CoolColour™ stain to try - as much as possible - to minimise the extreme heat associated problems that are inherent with very dark colours.

COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
May 2016

Q. We have a mid-1960s plaster wall home. We are choosing Sandstone Grey COLORSTEEL® roofing and window and doors joinery, and Grey Friars for the spouting, fascia and foundation. What are a couple of colour recommendations for our exterior plaster walls to complement please? I'm stuck...

A. You might like to check out these colours to get you started - Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Cloudy, Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Eighth Friar Grey.

COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
 
May 2016

Q. I'm wondering what shade of yellow would best suit the colours I already have: Resene Keppel, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Surrender. I'm painting a feature wall.

A. You could check out these yellows – Resene Sunkissed, Resene Teddy, Resene Golden Sand, Resene Mellow Yellow or Resene Melting Moment.

Resene Keppel
Resene Keppel
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
   
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Teddy
Resene Teddy
Resene Golden Sand
Resene Golden Sand
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
May 2016

Q. I am looking to do a feature wall (red brick wallpaper) in my son’s room. I would like to paint the skirting, ceiling etc. in Resene Black White but am struggling on a colour for the walls. I quite like the blue greys.

A. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Iron, Resene Geyser, Resene Gull Grey, Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Half Regent Grey or Resene Grey Chateau.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
 
May 2016

Q. I need advice regarding what colour to paint my weatherboard house on acreage in country NSW. I need to keep the Heritage Green roof and the White Birch windows. I thought maybe a grey colour with a colour to match the windows for the trims.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Half Delta or Resene Double Concrete.

White Birch is quite a warm 'white' - rather than match it exactly you may need to use a lighter version of the colour so that the paint colour (match) doesn't age and change differently to the powder coat and make them seem really different and unrelated. You might check out Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
May 2016

Q. I was wondering what Resene colours go best with Bestwood Melamine Basalt?

A. Because Basalt is a faux woodgrain there are several striations of colour through it. It makes it interesting to co-ordinate with - and a challenge. You might look at these ones - Resene Stonehenge, or lighter - Resene Half Stonehenge, or Resene Perfect Taupe, Resene Half Perfect Taupe or much paler neutrals - Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
   
May 2016

Q. My walls are Resene Quarter Spanish White. New windows are being installed with an inside wooden frame. I am thinking of painting the frame Resene Half Spanish White.

A. If you want the frames to be slightly deeper than the walls then the choice of Resene Half Spanish White is good. If you want the window frames to seamlessly merge with the walls then using the same colour (Resene Quarter Spanish White) but in a semi-gloss enamel it would look very subtly different but only in regards to the sheen level of the paint. Enamels (either semi-gloss or full gloss in waterborne or solventborne) are traditionally used for all woodwork and low sheen finishes for walls.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
May 2016

Q. We are in the process of a new build and would like some advice on the paintwork. We are looking at Resene Double Cod Grey exterior for the charcoal black (but not hint of blue or brown) look, a COLORSTEEL® Ebony roof with fascias etc also being dark. The contrast will be wide 100mm trim around the joinery in Resene Quarter Black White to match the joinery in Appliance White. The interior we are looking at walls in Resene Black White with Resene Quarter Black White trim and ceilings; shelving, cabinetry etc. in Resene Double Black White. We do not want any 'yellow' look. Internally we have a grey stone chimney and some stone feature walls hence trying to keep with the black, grey and white look. The house will get plenty of light.

My concerns are will the house be too 'cold' looking? I wonder whether Resene Quarter Black White on the ceiling is too dark and Resene Eighth Black White is better; however that will then not match the joinery.

A. Often in an interior colours appear deeper. This is particularly true of ceilings that are painted. Even real Resene White looks a little grey toned because of the way the light falls away from the ceiling leaving it in shadow. So Resene Quarter Black White may look like Resene Half Black White especially in hallways and rooms that get south, north or east light. It is easier to use less colour on the ceiling to try and compensate for this happening - so yes Resene Eighth Black White may be the better way to go with ceilings and trims. The greater level of contrast with the wall colour will create a bit more visual interest also. Cold looking rooms may need warmer toned accessories, carpets, drapes, duvets etc to add the warmth factor that white, grey, and black don't create. These fundamental neutrals rely heavily upon other things and other colours to develop a theme otherwise they are lovely but may be ill defined.

Appliance White is slightly warmer than the colour you are planning on using around the joinery – Resene has a formula match (made with Resene paint and tinters) to Appliance White if you want a more sympathetic match colour.

Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
May 2016

Q. I am painting a large bathroom with two relatively small frosted windows so there is not a lot of natural light. The tiles are a medium concrete colour and the vanity is white. I would like the bathroom to have a modern crisp look and am looking to either use Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster (or potentially half strength). Which would you recommend of these two? The house is only 10 years and has modern clean lines.

A. I think that Resene Black White may be the way to go - it still leaves all the whiter ceramic bathroom fittings 'popping' out and it sits well with the tiles also. I am not certain that using a half tone version of Resene Black White would work - it may just make you think it conflicts with the much more optically white bathroom fittings.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
May 2016

Q. My daughter has a typical 1950s brick and tile house with white spouting and a roughcast base. She is thinking of changing the windows to double-glazed millennium silver aluminium with a modern Grey Friars aluminium front door. Any suggestions as to what she should paint the window sills, roughcast base and step up to the front door?

A. You might suggest to your daughter that she consider using one of the lighter versions of the Grey Friars colours. This way all the trims will co-ordinate harmoniously. She could try Resene Half Grey Friars or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Alternatively if your daughter chose a white for the powder coated window joinery then the colour could be replicated on the sill to make the windows appear much larger and the roughcast base of the house and the steps up to the front door could be the lighter variant of Grey Friars.

Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
May 2016

Q. I have a large kitchen, dining and living area, all painted in Resene Quarter Spanish White. And I mean everything: ceiling, skirting, doors etc. I am installing a new black and silver gas fire in an existing fake chimney breast, which sits in the middle of the living room and will be seen the moment you step into the large room. I would like a colour on the chimney. The majority of my furniture is chocolate brown, with one chair in a cobalt blue tone and assorted cushions in blue, brown, tan and orange red. The room has all day sun and large windows. Can you please suggest a colour tone which would make the chimney stand out but not jump out?

A. If you want the chimney to stand out - not pop out - then you might look at using a deeper version of the wall colour i.e. Resene Spanish White. Any other colour - cobalt, chocolate etc. - will jump out.

Using a deeper tone of the wall colour shows as a tonal shadow of colour and allows the eyes to be drawn to the black and silver fire and less to the chimney breast.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
May 2016

Q. We have a 70 year old house with rimu floors and architraves and skirting boards. Currently the house seems very dark. I need to use a flash for indoor photos even at midday. There are a lot of windows. We want to lighten up our home. We are also building tongue and groove wooden kitchen cabinets. We were thinking of using the same colour throughout the house.

A. Sometimes what you have is what you have - especially in regard natural light. Changing the colours to try for a lighter brighter look may work admirably or it may make dim spaces look 'grey toned' because of the quality of light creating shadow. Where you have a lot of wood it often makes spaces appear darker - wood is yellow/red/brown and the more you have of it the deeper it appears and it can exert a really dominant influence. Do you own any white or cream sheets? The reason I ask is because if you were to pin them on the walls it would give you some idea what a large amount of very light colour would look like. Does the large amount of white or cream make the space seem lighter? Or does it look cool (greyish) and make the wood look darker?

These are some colours that you might check out and carefully test to see how they respond to your interior environment - Resene Bianca, Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Villa White or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Colours in an interior can double in their depth so it pays to keep this in mind - all the colours come as lighter variants also should you require 'less' of a colour. The best way to test colours is not to apply the testpot to an already coloured wall as the greater amount of wall colour stops you from being able to truly judge the reality of the test sample. It is better to purchase super large A2 sheets of white card (available from Resene ColorShops) and paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto it leaving a narrow unpainted border. The unpainted border helps your eye to focus on the true reality of the colour and it creates a barrier between the existing wall paint and the new sample. The A2 card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how the colour alters in light and shade and different angles. The A2 card can be rolled into a cone with the colour innermost - when you look into this cone the colour will appear deeper - as if all four walls were painted.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
May 2016

Q. I'm painting bedroom walls Resene Half Truffle. Can you please suggest a suitable colour for trims and ceiling? Is Resene Alabaster OK, or is it too bright/white?

A. I don't think that Resene Alabaster is too bright but if you are worried you might use Resene Half Black White instead. It has a slightly greyer undertone.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
May 2016

Q. Our bungalow is painted Resene Quarter Delta with Resene Alabaster window frames and box corners and Resene Cod Grey sills and front door. What colour do you suggest for a 1.5m concrete retaining wall close to the house? Can you also suggest a wood stain for the pine retaining wall we have in the garden? This is also visually close to the house.

A. You might check out this colour for the concrete retaining wall - it is a slightly deeper related colour to the (lighter) house colour - Resene Delta. A stain colour for the pine fence might be Resene Woodsman Crowshead or Resene Woodsman Shadow Match.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
   
May 2016

Q. Our house is being built on a rural site. We're thinking of the following colour scheme: Corrugated iron roof - Grey Friars, Shadowclad® walls - Grey Friars, aluminium joinery and gutters/downpipes/front door - Ebony, and grey tinted windows. We look slightly downhill onto the house from the drive so we thought an Ebony roof might be a bit much and we thought by having the roof and walls both painted Grey Friars (but with different textures) it wouldn't 'divide' the house so much.

A. Using the same colour on the roof as on the wall boards will blur the definition and shape of the house. The 45 degree angle of the roof and the semi-gloss or gloss acrylic roof paint will make the colour look lighter due to the bright sunlight and reflection.

The Shadowclad® will look a bit deeper than the roof as it has a slight texture and is vertical and may also have a slightly lower sheen paint product on it. You can represent the look of the colours by purchasing A4 colour samples from your Resene ColorShop (or the Resene website) and holding the one for the roof at an angle and the one for the Shadowclad® vertically.

May 2016

Q. We are moving into a smaller villa and have chosen Alabama Chalice as our carpeting. I would like to have the same paint throughout the house and am leaning towards the soft greys. Could you please advise a suitable lighter grey shade with some warmth? I initially looked at the Resene Concrete shading, but felt that it was a bit too cold. The kitchen will be predominantly black and white.

A. I have only seen a computer representation of the carpet colour and it did look quite warm and slightly more taupe than a straight grey. Colours often don’t represent well in print or in a digital format. The carpet colour - because it is through a huge portion of the house - is the dominant factor. You may need to look at several colours with the carpet to see which one looks best.

Resene Concrete is a frosted silver - so possibly that was the cooler aspect to the colour you noticed.

You could look at these options - Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
   
May 2016

Q. I am wondering if you could give me some colour ideas for our bach? I have done the inside up and the main colour is Resene Quarter Cloud. The deck railing is going to be removed and replaced with a new one with powder coating, we're still to decide the colour. The front deck has been previously painted, the side deck hasn't been. Under the deck is the garage.

A. My first thought was that if you chose a powder coat colour for the deck railing it might be a good idea to paint the garage door to match. It helps tie things together in a tidy way. I am unsure however that a dark colour is a good idea as it might make the house look like a sandwich and break up the height a bit.

Some colour suggestions, upper and lower levels the same, are - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Double Ash or Resene Foggy Grey. Powder coat suggestions for deck railings - Titania or TuiTuft. Paint match for garage door - Resene Titania or Resene Whitewater. Deck - if painted - Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Whitewater
Resene Whitewater
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
May 2016

Q. We have painted our home in Resene Half Hillary and our aluminium joinery colour is Ironsand. What curtain/blind material would suit?

A. Some ideas to get you started from the Resene Curtain Collection - Diva - colour Flax, Diva - colour Charcoal, Labyrinth - colour Stone, Metaphor - colour Flax, Metaphor - colour Moss, Beacon - colour Stone or Designate – colour Stone.

There will be many other fabrics that you might find also but these ones may be a good start to see what you like.

Resene Half Hillary
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Diva - Flax curtains
Resene Diva -
Flax
Resene Diva - Charcoal curtains
Resene Diva -
Charcoal
Resene Labyrinth - Stone curtains
Resene Labyrinth -
Stone
Resene Metaphor - Flax curtains
Resene Metaphor -
Flax
Resene Metaphor - Moss curtains
Resene Metaphor -
Moss
Resene Beacon - Flax curtains
Resene Beacon -
Stone
Resene Garden Party - Flax curtains
Resene Designite -
Stone
   

 

May 2016

Q. We are having our walls painted in Resene Quarter Tea and ceilings, trim, skirting in Resene Half Black White. Our bamboo flooring and carpet are darker colours and we are struggling with a decision on the doors. We are thinking of Resene Half Tea. Our door hardware is brushed satin chrome. Do you think this will work with the other colours?

A. You are spot on - Resene Half Tea in a semi-gloss enamel will give you a colour slightly deeper than the walls (but not too deep) in a easily cleaned paint finish. It will look soft toned and elegant.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
May 2016

Q. We are painting a 1960s single basement home for an elderly owner. It is currently cream with sagey green trim on sills and wooden basement doors and a fibrolite base. It has white wooden window surrounds. She likes the cream/neutral shades. What should we do with window frames, sills, roof and basement doors?

A. Perhaps these colours may appeal - Resene Grey Friars - roof and window sills, Resene Quarter Grey Friars - basement doors (and any other doors) and Resene Half Bianca - barge boards, window frames, window sashes, door frames, or Resene Canyon - roof and window sills, Resene Inside Back - basement doors (and any other doors) or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta - bargeboards, window frames, window sashes, door frames.

I am not sure that the existing main paint colour is not up for renewal/repaint also - but if it is then perhaps a new cream/neutral colour like Resene Triple Rice Cake or Resene Double Bianca might be worth consideration - they are both a little fresher than what is there now.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
   
May 2016

Q. We have a new build underway and need some advice on colour options to paint our pine weatherboards. We had initially liked Resene Gravel/Resene Double Gravel/Resene Gauntlet but are now rethinking this due to LRV. We already have a FlaxPod roof, Sandstone Grey joinery, Resene Sea Fog soffit, cedar fascia and also schist corner columns at the front (gable end) of the house that go up to the soffit so the colour needs to complement this also. The schist is a light greeny/brown/grey. Most of the weatherboards are west and east facing. There are hardly any weatherboards on north side of house as there is a lot of glass.

A. You might check out these colours (LRV in the 'safe zone between 45 - 100% included) - Resene Atmosphere (LRV 49), Resene Quarter Tapa (LRV 45), Resene Quarter Taupe Grey (LRV 52), Resene Half Delta (LRV 49), Resene Dusted Grey (LRV 47), Resene Triple Sea Fog (LRV 71) or Resene Quill Grey (LRV 65).

Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
 
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
May 2016

Q. We need to paint the outside of our house. It's a 40s weatherboard railway cottage with a flat roof.

Our property is dominated by two garages, a triple and a double; both are white with Karaka roof and doors. The windows on our house are slowly being replaced by aluminium joinery which is the same white as the garage. From memory it is Arctic White.

I want to paint the weatherboards of the house a greyish green, or very pale green, and the window surrounds a dark green colour that looks nice alongside the Karaka.

So far I like Resene Quarter Lemon Grass on the weatherboards. I tried Resene Karaka on the window surrounds (with the Arctic White joinery) but it was too dark and looked almost black.

I also tried Resene Panzano around the windows, with Resene Quarter Lemon Grass on the weatherboards, but the two colours don't quite look harmonious side by side. They look a little dull and washed out.

Can you recommend a colour combination that would complement the Karaka/Arctic White of the garages, but isn't too matchy? Ideally I'd like the weatherboard colour to have an LRV of 40 or higher. I'd happily go with a traditional colour scheme, as opposed to modern.

A. I think the problems you are having trying to find the right colours is because of the conflict between the very cold bluish white joinery - Arctic White - and the very black toned warmer yellow green - Karaka - neither are that happy in close proximity to each other. Plus the Arctic White exerts a strong negative influence on sweeter yellow/green colours that might work well with the Karaka. It may be a case of finding a colour a colour that works with the Arctic White but not the Karaka or vice versa. Will this upset you?

If you like Resene Quarter Lemon Grass you might use a slightly lighter version - i.e. Resene Eighth Lemon Grass (it is cooler/greyer) and Resene Double Lemon Grass for the trims. They are at least from a related palette and the lightest colour is reasonable with the cool grey white joinery and the warmer deeper colour moves closer to the Karaka in warmth. Have you considered not using any greens? I know this is what you want but if it keeps on creating a discord with the Arctic White joinery and the Karaka it may mean that you need to re-consider your overall look.

Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Panzano
Resene Panzano
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Double
Lemon Grass
May 2016

Q. We are building a new house and I have chosen Cavalier Bremworth Angus Tweed in Mist Green for carpets, sliding doors and windows are Rivergum aluminium, and there are cream curtains. I thought of Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Buttermilk for the walls. What do you think?

A. I think the Resene Buttermilk may swamp the green colours of the joinery and carpet etc. because of its very bright yellow tone. Colours in an interior often look twice as deep or bright as you might expect them to look. I suggest you consider using slightly lighter creamier yellow tones like Resene Half Astra or Resene Pipi which are still quite bright toned. Resene Duck Egg Blue may look quite grey and cool with the greens you have chosen so it wouldn't be a first option I would choose. But in saying that you may like a subdued greyish tone. I think it is really important for you to test colours prior to making a decision.

Seeing large painted samples is the best way to judge the reality of colour - testpots cover around 1 square metre and at all Resene ColorShops you can purchase large A2 card which is perfect to use for samples.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Buttermilk
Resene Buttermilk
Resene Half Astra
Resene Half Astra
Resene Pipi
Resene Pipi
May 2016

Q. Our house is a 1920s red brick Californian bungalow with terracotta roof tiles. We need to repaint gables, shingles, windows, doors and bifolds. Window frames would be a white/off white (no cream), and we want grey and charcoal in the mix. There are just so many to choose from and we would love to know a white, softer grey, darker grey combo that works together brilliantly - and is sympathetic to the dark red brick! Also, we would like to paint the front door black, or very dark charcoal.

A. Perhaps one of these palettes of whites and greys will appeal to you - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Gravel and Resene Double Gravel, or Resene Half Black White, Resene Quarter Grey Friars and Resene Grey Friars.

Either of these palettes will work with a true black for the front door - Resene Black. I recommend that the front door be a spectacular full gloss enamel – Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel. The first palette has a subtle green undertone that works really well with red brick and the second palette has a under tone of steel (blue) in the greys which works well with the terracotta roof tiles.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
 
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Black
Resene Black
May 2016

Q. We are repainting our house which is Rockcote plaster currently painted in Resene Half Arrowtown. We want to retain the Resene Half Arrowtown but are looking at updating the colour of the exterior trims, such as a large garage door etc. We have cream aluminium joinery and a wooden front door. Can you suggest colours that work with Resene Half Arrowtown?

A. Some of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Double Arrowtown, Resene Triple Friar Grey, Resene Masala or Resene Double Stonehenge.

Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
May 2016

Q. What colour scheme should I use for my very dark hallway? We have brown/dark grey new carpet. I love the idea of Resene Black White but need advice on whether this is the best solution for a dark hall? Also what should be used for doors/skirtings and ceilings to complete the look? I am going for a clean modern/industrial look and a lot of my favourite artwork etc has peacock/teal colourings to them. I also absolutely detest any colours that have a yellow undertone to them.

A. If the hallway is as dark as you say it is nothing will make it look lighter but too 'white' a colour might in fact look greyer or even too stark. So if you really like Resene Black White (but are slightly hesitant about whether it might look a little stark) you could check out Resene Double Black White. It is isn't as stark but has a subtle warmth and looks wonderful with a really crisp white – Resene Quarter Black White for the ceiling and the woodwork. Placing a really stunning mirror directly opposite any door way that leads into a very light or sunny room could add a lot more reflection and increase the light factor - this may be worth considering. Specific lighting spots aimed toward the colourful artwork will also create more light as well as help the eye appreciate the colours.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
May 2016

Q. I'm trying to find the perfect warm light grey for my baby's room which is on the south side of my house and I'm finding it really difficult to get that right grey.

A. South facing rooms often have a cool, dim or sour look. Greys are not always obliging enough to look warm - especially in the aforementioned south facing room but these colours may be worth checking out to see if they are appealing - Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Half Atmosphere.

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
May 2016

Q. I'm having Resene Quarter Truffle on my inside walls and Resene Black White for all doors, trims, and ceilings and want to make a feature of the inside of the back door. I was wondering if Resene Juniper would go with these colours?

A. Resene Juniper is a very nice choice for the door. I love the deep Nordic blue/green tone - go for it! Slightly lighter but just as appealing is Resene Sorrento - a slightly more mellow soft tone.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Juniper
Resene Juniper
Resene Sorrento
Resene Sorrento
May 2016

Q. I have a small fibrolite beach bach with 1970 brown aluminium windows. What is a good exterior colour to match the windows? And what roof colour? I favour a green exterior like Resene Thorndon Cream or a happy yellow. For the roof I would quite like to match the sea. I don't want sophisticated; I want happy and inviting colours.

A. Browns do work well with some blues so let's investigate these possibilities first - Resene New Denim Blue – roof and Resene Dusted Blue - main colour.

If you favour Resene Thorndon Cream then perhaps if you create a relationship of colour for the roof it may look balanced and harmonious - Resene Groundbreaker – roof or a much lighter option - Resene Overland with Resene Thorndon Cream – main.

I am really unsure about yellows - happy or otherwise. Will you mind if the brown aluminium windows appear darker and browner because no other exterior colours relate to them? Will you mind if they are a dominant 'feature' colour? If you don't mind then try these colours - Resene Navigate – roof with Resene Sidecar or a warmer sunset kissed yellow - Resene Double Dutch White.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Overland
Resene Overland
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Navigate
Resene Navigate
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
May 2016

Q. We have white ceilings and Resene Half Tea walls but are finding it too dark. Recently painted interior doors are in Resene Thorndon Cream. Bathrooms are tiled in white to halfway up the wall with chocolate brown floor tiles. There are beige carpet and creamy-beige curtains and blinds throughout. I like the idea of the same colour throughout with varying shades.

A. If the door colour is an example of what you like (green/beige) and you need to find a compatible light colour to go with that and the chocolate brown tiles, beige carpet and creamy beige curtains and blinds then you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

These other options may be appealing also but may not work with the (greener) Resene Thorndon Cream so you may have to repaint the doors to match the walls. Try Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Eighth Drought or Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
 
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
 
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit
Brown
May 2016

Q. We have painted our hallway with Resene Half Tea walls, door frames and skirting semi-gloss white and the ceiling with a flat white. We need help choosing a colour for the doors. We love the wall colour but can't seem to pick a colour for the doors.

A. Hallways are usually tricky - small with no natural light and heaps of doors. I am always of the thought that the doors shouldn't be too coloured because it gobbles up the space by punctuating the walls with blocks of colour but there are options worth considering:

  • Doors could be a white like the frames and skirtings – clean, fresh and light.
  • Doors could be a semi-gloss version of the wall colour - just the different sheen making the difference.
  • Doors could be slightly deeper than the walls - i.e. Resene Tea - to hide the fingermarking that can occur.
  • Doors could be the same depth of colour as the wall but completely different in hue to be noticeable in a modest way i.e. Resene Breeze - this is the tricky not always right way to go and probably needs a skilful design link to pull it all together - like the same colour as a feature wall in the bedroom or a major artwork on a lounge wall that features both colours or a tiled bath surround that features the door colour.

So - what to do? Think it through really carefully - spaces look larger if colours are all the same or very similar - is this what you want?

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
May 2016

Q. I am wondering if you could give me some colour ideas for our bach. I have done the inside up and the main colour is Resene Quarter Cloud. The deck railing is going to be removed and replaced with a new one with powder coated uprights, still to decide the colour. The front deck has previously been painted, the side deck hasn't been. The garage is under the deck.

A. My first thought was that if you chose a powder coat colour for the deck railing it might be a good idea to paint the garage door to match. It helps tie things together in a tidy way. I am unsure however that a dark colour is a good idea as it might make the house look like a sandwich and break up the height a bit.

Some colour suggestions - upper and lower levels the same - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Double Ash or Resene Foggy Grey. Or COLORSTEEL® powder coat suggestions for deck railings - Titania or TuiTuft. For a paint match for the garage door - Resene Titania or Resene Whitewater. Deck - if painted - Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Whitewater
Resene Whitewater
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
   
May 2016

Q. I've painted my villa Resene Half Atmosphere and the windows are Resene Eighth Rice Cake. The roof will be Grey Friars (maybe a tad dark?) or Sandstone (a tad light?) Wondering about a mid-grey for the veranda deck. The veranda ceiling is restored polyurethaned rimu. The front door - well that remains a mystery.

A. You might check out this other COLORSTEEL® colour for the roof - not too deep not too light - perhaps it might be just right – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle.

The door colour could be one of these options - Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Gauntlet or Resene Half Friar Grey (not Resene Grey Friars).

Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
May 2016

Q. We've just had a kitchen installed, Prime Panels Prime White. We want the same white (or tone of white) for the splashback. Really want it to be a close to perfect match. Would Resene Black White work with the Prime White cabinetry? The wall colour is Resene Concrete and the ceiling colour is Resene Half Black White. The bench top is the light white and grey stone type.

A. I think that Resene Quarter Black White may work better for you. Please use crystal clear low iron oxide glass if you want the colour to be true to reality. The standard float glass is quite green toned and makes all colour seen behind it look 'off' - and in the case of a white it can be 'minty'.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
May 2016

Q. We are painting our whole house and want to use one colour on the ceiling and one on the walls. We like light colours and they need to blend with the rimu wood on all the doors and skirting. We were hoping for a white ceiling.

A. I think you may also need to consider the flooring, drapes, bed linen, kitchen cabinets and kitchen work top. There are so many light colours but a lot may not suit you. Here are a few to get you started - walls - Resene Eighth Drought and ceilings - Resene Alabaster, or walls - Resene Bianca and ceilings - Resene Quarter Bianca, or walls - Resene Quarter Tea and ceilings - Resene Eighth Black White, or walls - Resene Half Pearl Lusta and ceilings - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.

The ceiling suggestions aren't pure white but are very whitish by comparison with the wall colour that goes with it.

Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
May 2016

Q. I am painting our kitchen joinery in Resene Quarter Merino. What colour do you suggest I paint the walls and interior doors and trims please? I don't want it too cream or too white, but I'd like a slight contrast colour.

A. A slight contrast (but not too cream or white) really only leaves you with a deeper version of the kitchen joinery colour. Perhaps check out the related palette of colours - Resene Half Merino, Resene Merino or Resene Double Merino.

Alternatively if you didn't mind a white then you might consider using Resene Sea Fog. Or if you didn't mind a slightly creamier colour then you might consider using Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
   
May 2016

Q. We have Resene Joanna painted walls in the kitchen and lounge. We have wood panelled flooring and stainless appliances. I am looking at repainting the kitchen cabinets and want a warm beige/green/grey to match the Resene Joanna, floor and stainless appliances. I will be looking for a light coloured granite benchtop containing flecks of these colours also. I am drawn to Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Half Napa/Resene Napa. I have testpots for Resene Alabaster and cream (which are too light), Resene Ash (which I don't mind but may be too grey?). Can you suggest any other colours to potentially look at?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Dusted Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Greige.

Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
   
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
   
May 2016

Q. We are looking to build a garage (COLORSTEEL®) and in addition to this, repaint the house and roof. We have white aluminium joinery. We are considering Grey Friars for the roof, garage and house, but we are unsure as to what wall colours to select.

A. Is the garage going to be metal powder coated as well as the roof and roller door? If this is the case - and there are so few powder coat colours available to choose from - then I suggest you check those colour options out first. If you chose Titania for the main body of the garage (popular choice) then you might use a slightly lighter or deeper variant for the main house colour - i.e. Resene Half Titania or Resene Bone White.

If you chose SandScape for the main body of the garage (a very new COLORSTEEL® colour) then you might use Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Settlement or Resene Half Perfect Taupe for the house.

If you chose COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey for the main body of the garage you might use Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Half Taupe Grey for the house.

Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
     
May 2016

Q. I am painting a room with Resene Lynch. I am trying to find a colour that would suit the same tone, like an eggshell blue.

A. Because Resene Lynch is quite a grey/blue tone any paler/whiter colour might also have to have this grey undertone. You could check out these colours to see if they are what you have in mind - Resene Zumthor or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

Resene Lynch
Resene Lynch
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
May 2016

Q. We are renovating our kitchen and keeping the walls Resene Akaroa and the trim Resene Quarter Akaroa. We are looking for a colour for the cabinetry that goes with these. We have thought of Resene Eighth Akaroa and would like another couple of light colours that would be suitable.

A. You may like these light colours - they work really well with Resene Akaroa - Resene Eighth Parchment, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Half Merino.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
May 2016

Q. We have a brick house that we want to give a more modern feel but we don't want to change the colour of the roof tiles. We want to paint the bricks, the garage doors, the dormers on the other side of the property, which are currently white, and the foundation, but have no idea what would go and where to start. I really like your Resene Tea colours.

A. These are a few ideas that you might consider - Resene Tea - bricks and foundations, Resene Half Sea Fog - 'white' dormers/under soffits and Resene Triple Tea - garage door and wooden battens. Or alternatively - Resene Quarter Bison Hide - bricks and foundations, Resene Quarter Merino - 'white' dormers/under soffits and Resene Sandstone - garage door and wooden battens.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Sandstone
Resene Sandstone
May 2016

Q. We are building a two bedroom cottage with big open views to Mt Cook and views of Lake Benmore. The roof is Grey Friars and the aluminium is Silver Pearl. We are using LINEA® weatherboard and wish to go a grey colour. We don't want to go too dark a grey; however I also don't want to go too blue/grey.

A. Perhaps you might look at greys that favour the warmer undertones of yellow/grey colour that the Silver Pearl has in it. Try Resene Half Tapa, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Chicago, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Jumbo.

Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago

and as quarter
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
May 2016

Q. We have Resene Half Spanish White on all our interior walls and would like a colour to paint the doors and architraves. We would like to keep in the neutral shades.

A. You could look at these colours to see whether they appeal to you - Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Drought, Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Tea.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
May 2016

Q. We have a red leather lounge suite and would like a grey colour on the feature wall behind it.

A. You don't mention what colour the main walls are painted, or the colour of the flooring and drapes and these all have a direct bearing on which particular grey would look good as a feature. However a few greys that you could try to get started are: Resene Half Tuna, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Double Stack, Resene Scarpa Flow or Resene Half Shark.

Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Shark
Resene Shark

as half strength
May 2016

Q. We are building a house and need some help on colours. We are going to do a feature wall in the living and dining rooms and need a little help on the wall colours for the house. We were thinking tones of grey/silver and recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I have attached a photo of the flooring vinyl and carpet and the chosen wallpaper for the two feature walls.

A. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see whether they appeal to you - Resene Half Concrete, Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Double Black White, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Half Flotsam.

Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Flotsam
Resene Half Flotsam
May 2016

Q. Would Resene Trojan work for a deck of a grey-olive house? If so, what sort of mid to deep (preferably warm) grey would work for a fence-line surrounding the house and deck? If you think Resene Trojan wouldn't work for the deck, what about any of the following: Resene Terrain, Resene Smoky Green, Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Washed Green (with a grey fence colour to match)?

A. Resene Trojan is a lovely grey - just not sure about it being used close to Resene Grey Olive which is quite yellow toned. I am not at all sure about the soft greens that you have mentioned - they are lovely but quite 'pretty'. Is this what you want?

I like Resene Eighth Masala and Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Half Chicago and Resene Scarpa Flow - I think they have a lot of merit.

Deeper colours for the fence might be Resene Masala, Resene Chicago or Resene Quarter Ironsand.

Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
Resene Terrain
Resene Terrain
Resene Smoky Green
Resene Smoky Green
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Washed Green
Resene Washed Green
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
 
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
   
May 2016

Q. We're renovating a farmhouse-looking villa and we want a restful but not modern colour scheme. We're looking at creams and greens.

A. These cream colours may appeal to you - Resene Villa White, Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Dutch White, Resene Spanish White, Resene Clotted Cream or Resene Half Colonial White.

And these are some muted greens (not bright or too dark) that you might look at also - Resene Paddock, Resene Rivergum, Resene Easy Rider, Resene Scaramanga, Resene Spanish Green or Resene Stromboli.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Stromboli
Resene Stromboli
May 2016

Q. I'm renovating part of my home and creating a large open plan kitchen/living room. It is an old building that has kauri floors and will have double height ceilings in the living area. There will also be a lot of light from new windows. I'm planning to paint the walls the same colour as in the rest of the house - Resene White Linen. We will be installing a gas fire with a matte grey coloured border. I want advice on the colour of the architraves, skirting, doors and ceiling. I've had a look through several renovation sites and like the look of white architraves and skirting and grey doors but am uncertain about the overall effect with Resene White Linen.

A. As long as the white for the trims and ceiling is a very sharp clean white it will work well. I imagine Resene Quarter Alabaster would look very nice. A grey for the doors might need a little warmth in order to associate well with the sweet pink undertones of Resene White Linen. You might look at these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Midwinter Mist or Resene Half Mischka.

The look created by the Resene White Linen with the white and the soft grey is very delicate - like moonstone and mother of pearl.

Resene White Linen
Resene White Linen
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Midwinter Mist
Resene Midwinter Mist
Resene Mischka
Resene Mischka

as half strength
May 2016

Q. I have a sample of the Vista 5 Eijffinger paper in metallic silver and copper. I intend to use it in a manager's office and board room. What contrast or complementary colour would you recommend? The rooms are not over large and on the cold side of the building. I have tried a variety of greys but they look drab. Brownish tones are working best, but again may be too hard to work in every day. The tables are very pale grey and the flooring tiles will be charcoal.

A. You might consider these colours as they throw a warm grey/mushroom/beige undertone - Resene Westar, Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, Resene Quarter Rakaia or Resene Quarter Cougar.

All of these colours are soft toned and not at all hard to work in every day. If you find - after looking at larger samples of them that you are still unsure - might I suggest re-visiting your local Resene ColorShop to discuss options with the in store colour expert.

Resene Westar
Resene Westar
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
May 2016

Q. We are building a new home beside the sea in Riverton, Southland. The base is an unpainted concrete wall. The top is plaster. We want a non-glary white. The timber under the veranda is painted black and we don't want that. We are thinking a seaside blue i.e. Resene Tsunami, Resene Cello or Resene San Juan. The roof is Gull Grey and windows are Pearl Grey.

A. I suggest you check out a slightly warm 'white' like Resene Half Sea Fog to work with the warm Silver Pearl and Gull Grey powder coat colours.

I love your idea of seaside blue so apart from the yummy colours you have already sussed out perhaps you might also look at these ones - Resene Destiny, Resene Sorrento - I refer to these colours as 'river estuary meets the sea' or Resene Gothic, Resene Horizon or Resene Blue Bayoux - these are moody blues more like 'early morning moorings', or Resene Powder Blue or Resene Periglacial Blue - a touch of 'mist and tranquil winter waters'.

Resene  Tsunami
Resene Tsunami
Resene Cello
Resene Cello
Resene San Juan
Resene San Juan
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Destiny
Resene Destiny
Resene Sorrento
Resene Sorrento
Resene Gothic
Resene Gothic
Resene Horizon
Resene Horizon
Resene Blue Bayoux
Resene Blue Bayoux
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
 
May 2016

Q. I would like to know what decking stain you would suggest to go with Resene Double Mondo on outside bach walls with white window frames.

A. You might consider one of these colours for the deck - Resene Woodsman Decking Stain in Resene Treehouse, Resene Banjul or Resene Sheer Black.

Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Treehouse
Resene Treehouse
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
May 2016

Q. I am planning on using Resene Designer White on most of the walls with some feature walls in Resene Mischka and Resene Enigma. Could you please tell me which white you would recommend for the ceilings, architraves etc? Would you do the doors in Resene Designer White or the trim white?

A. You might consider either of these 'whites' for the ceilings and architraves – Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Quarter Black White.

The doors may look slightly different in a semi-gloss enamel version of the wall colour compared to the low sheen acrylic on the walls. This may not be a huge colour change but it may be enough to annoy you - this is always a possibility - are you prepared to take the risk? If you use the 'white' - whichever one you decide upon - it will work with your main colour and also if it is seen in close proximity to the feature wall colours you have mentioned.

Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene Mischka
Resene Mischka
Resene Enigma
Resene Enigma
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black
White
May 2016

Q. I have just had my roof done in Kiwicolour Ironsand, which seems to be pretty close to Resene's colour. I am thinking of doing weatherboards (single storey) in Resene Half Cougar with basic white joinery. There is a small part of the old reddish colour bricks at the base of the house. Do you have any other ideas for a weatherboard colour and also for the garage door for the separate garage? I was thinking of doing that also in Resene Ironsand.

A. It is a good idea to use Resene Ironsand to link the roof and garage door together. If you are concerned about the deepness of the colour you might check out Resene Half Ironsand as a softer tone but still related.

If you like Resene Half Cougar you might check out these two options to see if they might appeal to you also - Resene Double Truffle or Resene Quarter Stonehenge.

Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
May 2016

Q. We are painting our beach house in Resene Triple Ash. We have large eaves. Would you paint the eaves in white or Resene Triple Ash? There is a concrete basement that we thought we would do in Resene Joanna. Do you think this would be suitable?

A. If you were to use the Resene Triple Ash it may look deeper than the main body of the house as the under eaves get a lot less light.

I think using the same colour as the basement - Resene Joanna - may be the better way to go. It relates all the colours together and isn't as stark as White.

Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
May 2016

Q. We have a north facing bedroom that we are painting Resene Pearl Lusta. Which warm white would be good for the joinery in that room?

A. I think that very much lighter versions of the wall colour may add a clean contrast and a harmonious look - Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, or if you preferred a 'whiter' white you might use Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
May 2016

Q. What colour of weatherboard would be suitable for our new house if we use the Bentley bricks from NZ Brick Distributors?

A. I would recommend that you use a pale neutral so that the colour of the bricks stands out. You could try Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene White Pointer.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
May 2016

Q. We are building a house with Monier Sambuca roof tiles, Firth Manorstone Tranquility bricks and Rivergum Beige joinery and some areas have a dark cedar trim. What colour would you suggest for the spouting and fascias? We did wonder if Ironsand is a good option.

A. There isn't a huge range of powder coat colour to choose from and after checking all others I would be inclined to agree with you in regard Ironsand. The only other option would be to have the same as the joinery - Rivergum Beige. I think the Ironsand is a very smart clean look.

May 2016

Page 48

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.

 

Order online now:
Testpots | Paints | Primers and Sealers | Stains | Clears | Accessories

Get inspired Get inspired ! Subscribe      Get saving Get saving ! Apply for a DIY card

Resene Paints Ltd

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask us!

Resene Paints Ltd   – www.resene.com

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube
Videos on how to paint and stain your house
 

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

What's new | Specifiers | Painters | DIYers | Artists | Kids | Sitemap | Home | TOP ⇧