Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. What contrasting light colour should I use in a bedroom where I will have Resene Cioccolato on two walls and copper and deep red accessories? The carpet is light grey. A. Perhaps you could look at these colours - Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.
June 2016
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Q. For our front door we chose Resene Flourish. But now we'd like a blue colour which matches our kitchen colour of RGB 82 120 159, while we need an LRV of >40. Your Resene Find-A-Colour tool is good, but I can't filter to the LRV grade. What is your suggestion for the best matching colour? A. Matching to a RGB isn't a perfect way of choosing a colour - so once you narrow down your options we always recommend viewing the colour in a physical sample/testpot (we have large swatches of our colours available to view at your local Resene ColorShop). I recommend the best way to narrow down the options is to go to www.resene.co.nz/colour - on that page you will find a search by reflectance value option. Type in 40 as the lower option so it searches between 40-100%. Then select the B palette (B = Blue) and then click on 'list colours'. You can click on the swatches on the search results page to find out more about them.
June 2016
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Q. I have a Grey Friars roof and the aluminium joinery is Desert Sand. I have tried Resene Pravda but am not sure on this colour. The exterior is rough sawn timber. What do you suggest? A. None of the three colours truly like each other. The main problem - as I see it - is the distinctive window joinery colour - Desert Sand - because it is a real warm yellow/tan/beige colour. The roof colour is a cool traditional steel blue edged charcoal. Have you thought of using another lighter grey that is related to the roof colour? Resene Quarter Grey Friars might be worth checking out. If you did prefer to harmonise with the window joinery colour you might look at Resene Cement or Resene Dusty Road.
June 2016
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Q. I'm planning to paint the interior of our new house in Resene Quarter Truffle. My teenage daughters want 'white rooms' so I thought I could do their rooms in Resene Eighth Truffle, as well as the doors and trims, with Resene Double Alabaster on the ceiling. Our aluminium is Ironsand. As another option, could I paint the trims and girls' rooms in Resene Double Alabaster (instead of Resene Eighth Truffle) as well as the ceiling, and add Resene Half Truffle or Resene Truffle on some feature walls? A. You could use a slightly deeper version of the Resene Alabaster (for the main wall colour); for example, you could look at using Resene Half Sea Fog as it is also known as Resene Triple Alabaster. The ceiling could be Resene Alabaster and the wood trims - i.e. skirting boards, doors, wardrobe doors and door frames etc. could be the same as the ceiling - this creates a lovely clean contrast. A feature wall of Resene Half Truffle finishes the look with a quiet sophistication.
June 2016
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Q. I have a Spanish style home with a terracotta tile roof. I would like an exterior paint colour to complement the roof. It's currently white and I find it just too stark. A. Softer mellow colours like these ones may appeal to you - Resene Solitaire, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Caraway, Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Biscotti.
June 2016
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Q. I'm looking for an exterior house colour that matches ugly dark brown aluminium windows and gutters. I love grey tones but am afraid they will clash. A. What about a lovely mid toned earthy grey/brown like one of these colours: Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Gauntlet or Resene Friar Greystone ? They seem to balance the dark brown aluminium without adding 'ugly' into the equation.
June 2016
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Q. We have light grey tiles on our floor and a white kitchen. We need some help to paint the whole interior of our house. We have dogs so we can't have a white or light colour as it will stain or mark easily. I am looking for a grey colour similar to Resene Gravel but that is too dark. A. You have probably worked out for yourself how colours appear a lot deeper in an interior than you might imagine they will. Perhaps you could check out these colours - Resene Eighth Gravel, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Quarter Stack or Resene Half Delta.
June 2016
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Q. Our new house build is being painted with Resene paints in the next month. I love all the colours we've chosen, but aren't sold on our interior designer's recommendation on colours for skirtings, wardrobe doors and their frames - which was to have them all 'in with their walls'. Walls range in colours from (different rooms!) Resene Black White, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Delta, Resene Powder Blue to Resene Periglacial Blue. I'd always envisaged one colour for all skirtings, wardrobes and frames (probably Resene Quarter Black White - like ceilings, window frames and internal doors and frames). I'm not a designer though so am I missing something? A. The choice is yours. It is your house. If you want one colour that repeats throughout the house - no matter what colour the walls are - then by all means use the same colour as the ceilings etc. Resene Quarter Black White is a very versatile clean white which will enhance the wall colours. The 'trend' for painting all the wood trims etc. in a new house to match the wall came about primarily because of the modern idea of very minimal narrow skirtings, door frames etc. Painters had to go out to shops looking for itty bitty narrow angled baby brushes and lots of masking tape to paint the new style of woodwork hence the practical decision to paint all this woodwork to match the walls. Please enjoy your house - it is your little bit of heaven so you can have whatever you like.
June 2016
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Q. We are repainting our house and want help with our colour choice. Currently it is Resene Granite Green and the joinery is Karaka. We have to have a colour with LRV same or higher than Granite Green, which I think is 30. We don't want to go light. Any suggestions for a modern look with our joinery colour? A. Resene Granite Green has a LRV of 31. A higher LRV would be a lighter colour. 0 is Black (lower numbers/darker) and White is (higher numbers/paler) 100. Generally when there is a criteria for a higher LRV it is in relation to timber weatherboards showing heat related deterioration - is this the reason that you have been recommended a higher LRV? If you use Resene CoolColour™ reformulated colours as an aid to minimising heat absorption it may assist you to get a slightly cooler surface and thereby less in the way of problems. That is what the 'cc' means in Resene colour charts. Perhaps earthy/muted/greyed colours with less yellow in it may work for you. You might check out Resene Castle Rock - LRV 32 or Resene Greige - LRV 33 or Resene Half Tapa - LRV 35. They are not greatly lighter than the colour you have. Lighter colours may give you better LRV - i.e. Resene Terrain - LRV 49 or Resene Copyrite - LRV 53 - are two you might check out.
June 2016
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Q. My spare bedroom has lots of blues (curtains, art etc.) and I want to paint the walls Resene Half Pearl Lusta and then have one wall in a blue grey. I tried Resene Half Spindle but it's quite a cold colour and I wondered if you could recommend any that had warmer tones. I was thinking of doing the blue/grey on the wall with the largest window as then you will be able to see it from the hallway and lounge but someone suggested the colour might not go with the curtains. I thought it would probably be okay so not sure if it's just down to personal taste. A. Blues or blue/greys aren't usually warm in tone unless they are very, very bright or very dark. Resene Spindle in a half version would look even cooler when seen in close proximity to Resene Half Pearl Lusta which is warmer. Perhaps you might consider using a slightly deeper colour like Resene Rock Blue or Resene Echo Blue to create a bit more colour/warmth. I often don't recommend a feature wall colour be applied to a window wall as the curtains are a feature and the view through the window is a feature. It can look messy having another feature here - but certainly if the curtains were the exact same colour as the wall then it may work better.
June 2016
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Q. We are doing an extension/addition to our house. We have a COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof (mono pitch), white window joinery with white facings and sills and soffits. For the weatherboards I like Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Concrete. We do want a modern look. Also we have a concrete block base. What colour do you suggest here to tie in a Grey Friars garage door and front door? A. The colours you mention are really lovely - especially with a true white for the joinery and trims. A word to the wise - all colours look lighter on an exterior so you may need to check the slightly deeper versions of these colours to see what they may look like as well. A lighter variant of the roof, garage door and front door colour may suit for the concrete base of the house - i.e. Resene Quarter Grey Friars.
June 2016
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Q. What colour would be lighter than Resene Quarter Sandstone? A. You might look at either of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Cloudy or Resene Quarter Stonehenge.
June 2016
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Q. We have a stucco 1960s beachside cottage and want to decorate it in colours from the Resene BS5252 range. We're thinking dark charcoal with white trim. We're considering Resene Bunker but are not sure what white to have as trim and if there is another similar charcoal you would recommend? A. You might check out these charcoals - Resene Cinder or Resene Baltic Sea. Slightly softer toned charcoals like Resene Charade or Resene Cape Cod might be considered also. There are only two 'whites' on the BS5252 chart - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Catskill White - the first is warm and the other is a cool blue edged white. Have you considered using real white - Resene White? It isn't featured on this chart but has always been a traditional 'go to' for a crisp clean white.
June 2016
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Q. I am planning on painting our interior walls and ceilings Resene Quarter Villa White throughout most of our house. The kitchen dining space is a large area with high sloping ceilings. Floors are oak. I want to have a white kitchen. Which colour would you suggest for the kitchen that would work with the Resene Quarter Villa White ceilings and walls? Also I want a duck egg blue for the main bedroom - again quite a large space with a fair bit of light and a high ceiling (which I assume we will paint Resene Quarter Villa White like the rest of the house). What would you suggest for the duck egg blue? A. If you want the kitchen to look cleaner/crisper and whiter than the wall colour you might consider using Resene Alabaster. If this is too white you could check out the slightly warmer Resene Eighth Rice Cake to see if you might prefer it. Everyone has their own thoughts about what constitutes a 'duck egg blue' so you may need to investigate several options – try Resene Tiara, Resene Breeze, Resene Nebula, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Powder Blue or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue.
June 2016
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Q. I'm looking at doing a feature wall on my son's bedroom at our bach. We have Patersonrose Spot linen that best matches up with Resene Mariner so was looking at using Resene Code Red or Resene True Blue but he wants green! Any suggestions?! He's only 4 at the moment so I want something that will not only go with the Spot but not be too young either as I don't see us painting it again in a few years' time. A. Your little lad is very young - if he chooses a green and it isn't good at all with his linen will that be ok with you? If you use a blue or red to go with the Patersonrose linen and it looks lovely will he be unhappy? I think in this case you have these options - let him choose a green and buy new linen to co-ordinate and replace the linen and the paint colour when in a few years' time he wants a change. Most children change their minds about what they like as colours at least 6 times between 2-12 years old. You choose a colour that works well with the linen and if he is truly broken hearted you could move him to another room. Or use a soft grey like Resene Iron as a neutral and on one wall do stencilled spots of colours - larger and smaller sized ones - of all the colours mentioned as co-ordinates and a green (that he likes) as well so that he feels you have listened to him.
June 2016
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Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Slate roof on our renovated bungalow home. I am thinking of painting the house Resene Half Periglacial Blue or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue. What colour should the joinery be? A. I think that a white will offset the very pale duck egg colour of the main house. If you are painting over existing wooden windows then Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Alabaster - either of these would work well. If it is a powder coat then Appliance White could be good.
June 2016
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Q. I want to choose a grey colour for our house repaint. However we have a Karaka green roof which may not go with many greys. Is there a grey you recommend that won't look odd with the green roof? I like the strength of Resene Napa but am worried it will be too 'fawny' when painted on the whole house. We will be having box corners which will be white, and the window joinery will be white as we are replacing all windows and doors. A. The box corners in white will 'fence in' the sides of the weatherboards (draws attention to each facade making them look smaller) so perhaps you might think about the effect this will have on the overall look too. You might start the process of colour selection with warmer stony greys that may work well to harmonise with the Karaka roof (and garage door?) so that the look is less brown/grey than the Resene Napa palette of colours. Check these options out to see how you feel - Resene Double Truffle, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Archive Grey.
June 2016
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Q. Would Resene Truffle go well with Resene House White trims? A. It might not be my first choice. Resene Truffle is a yellow based beige and Resene House White has a silver grey almost hinting of mauve undertone. I would be inclined to use Resene Eighth Truffle for trims with Resene Truffle. Or choose another cooler greyed colour as a main wall colour if the Resene House White is already on the trims - i.e. Resene Whiteout or Resene Rakaia - either works well with it.
June 2016
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Q. I am painting the inside of a Victorian terrace. I would like to choose a warm grey for the main part of the house and maybe going darker in the dining room and formal lounge. I did like the look of Resene Rakaia or Resene Half Rakaia in the main house but was wondering whether you had any better ideas. A. I do like the colours that you have mentioned. They are truly lovely. It does pay to know that sometimes colours look deeper in an interior so lighter versions may be appropriate. Others that you might like to check out are these ones - Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Pale Slate, Resene Mercury, Resene Flotsam or Resene Half Flotsam.
June 2016
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Q. We have purchased a red brick and tile home and plan on painting the exterior. I would like a dark/light contrast by painting the roof and spouting dark, soffit light, windows to be replaced by black aluminium and a light colour on the rough cast base. I like Resene Ironsand for the roof colour. Will this go with black windows? Also what light colour would you suggest for the soffit and base that would complement the red brick, black windows and possible Resene Ironsand roof? A. Resene Ironsand on the roof and possibly a lighter variant of this colour for the base of the house might be good - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand. Resene Ironsand has an olive brown/charcoal look - is this what appeals to you? If you wanted a greyer warm colour (not brown/olive) you might consider using Resene Windswept for the roof and Resene Scarpa Flow for the base of the house. To tie in the new black windows you might consider painting the front and back door Resene Black as long as the doors weren't directly in bright sunlight. The black colour, the wooden doors and the heat from the sun may have a detrimental effect upon the colour and doors.
June 2016
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Q. We have chocolate coloured floor tiles in our bathroom with 600 x 300 gloss white wall tiles in the shower and around the walls to halfway up. We are looking to freshen up the top half of the walls and ceiling with paint. What would you recommend? A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Blanc, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Swiss Coffee, Resene Quarter Frozen, Resene Half Halcyon or Resene Jet Stream. The colours are light enough to use on the ceiling as well as the wall so you have something different and interesting to look at rather than the normal white ceiling. The first three colours may relate to the white tiles and the chocolate floor tiles and the other options are to draw the eyes up to the upper portion of the walls and provide a definite contrast.
June 2016
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Q. My kitchen is Resene Pavlova and I want to know what colour to paint the adjoining living room. I would like it to be slightly lighter, as it is a much darker room without sun. A. Perhaps one of these colours might appeal to you as well as possibly create a sunny/light look - Resene Wheatfield, Resene Parchment, Resene Eighth Pavlova, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Villa White.
June 2016
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Q. We are doing up our office/study and because it is a relatively dark room we have thought of painting it Resene Soapstone but would like a feature wall and wondered what would be the best colour. The carpet is quite a dark brown and the curtains are neutral as well. I had thought of a brown like Resene Kabul or similar but wondered if I should be a bit more courageous and go for a real colour. A. Resene Kabul is lovely. Did you choose it to work as a slightly lighter version of the carpet colour? As an alternative to more brown in the room you could be adventurous and use a deep restful colour that might work as a harmonious complement to the dark brown carpet - i.e. Resene Teal Blue or Resene St Kilda. If you paint all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) so you can get a really good large amount of colour to view you may find that you are more courageous than you think you are.
June 2016
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Q. We are in the final stages of renovation with the last room to do and have used Resene colours throughout our house. We are not afraid of colour! Outside is Resene Surrender and Resene Alabaster. We have used Resene Quarter Bianca as our main white throughout the house due to the fact it is light and bright with Resene Alabaster on the ceilings, doors, windows etc. Our front door is black and the gate is black. Our bedroom is Resene Dusted Blue and our daughters' rooms are pretty in pink and one has a wall of Resene Bedazzle and the other Resene Enchanted (their choice, why not, only young once!). In the kids' rumpus we have Resene Blackboard Paint on a wall, Resene Daredevil on another (to brighten a dark space and make it fun) and the rest Resene Quarter Bianca. Our final room is a fort bedroom (i.e. couch that pulls into a bed) but needs to double as a chill out room. It is south facing so a little dark. Can you please advise what colour would suit this room? A. It rather depends on who will chill out in this south facing slightly dark room? Children or adults? In south facing rooms (always a little lacking in warm natural light) you might consider a deep colour (why fight the natural light situation) as it allows the mind and body to rest and also acts as a warming cocoon. Now this may sound a little radical but seeing as curtains, artwork on the walls, lamp shades and any duvets covers etc can be very colourful - and the ceiling and woodwork could be a warm white like Resene Bianca - you might check out these deeply restful colours – Resene Tarawera, Resene Aquamarine or Resene Aviator. It is all about using very small amounts of several bright colours to 'zoosh' up the room so you might consider fabric with colours like Resene Buttercup, Resene Daredevil and Resene Wild Thing on a white background. June 2016
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Q. We want to paint our lounge and dining walls a neutral colour. It is a big space and has pink carpet and we will be putting up sheers. What do you recommend? I have samples of Resene Half Truffle, Resene Half Tea and Resene White Pointer. Your advice or recommendations of anything you feel might look better would be most appreciated. A. You might check out these colours also – Resene Merino, Resene Eighth Fossil, Resene Albescent White or Resene Westar. They are complex and changeable neutrals and may offer you a little inspiration.
June 2016
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Q. I am building a new house using Austral Pepper Brick, Satin Charcoal windows and a Woodland Grey COLORBOND® roof, gutter and fascia. I am not sure what colour to use for the eaves and garage door. I am thinking of Woodland Grey for the garage door. A. I agree with you about using this colour for the garage door - it will tie the roof colour into the house. Some colour options for under the eaves that you might consider are these - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black Haze. Both are light coloured (but not too stark) whites which will work well with the greys of the bricks and the roof colour.
June 2016
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Q. We're building a dark charcoal concrete brick house using Resene Nero with a Grey Friars roof. We're thinking of using Arctic White for the joinery but are worried it might not be the right white for the interior. Arctic White is quite stark and I'm concerned I might end up having to match it on the kitchen cupboards. I want a white kitchen but not a stark kitchen. Any ideas? A. I understand your concerns. If you check out real powdercoated samples (not a brochure or on line) to see what other whites there are for the joinery you may find that one of the others is a softer, less cool blue toned look and more easily used as an interior white colour. I like Appliance White and it does work very well with a lot of other colours. It is a personal choice but of all the whites I have only ever had trouble matching and using Arctic White - because it is so blue it makes real whites - i.e. printer paper - look warm by comparison. June 2016
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Q. I need help with an external colour choice please. We have already painted across the front of our new house starting with right to left, Resene Stonehenge going to Resene Eighth Tapa, going to Resene Half Tapa, then Resene Quarter Tapa then Resene Stonehenge. It all has only one coat of paint. It's the Resene Stonehenge, that although I love the colour, doesn't seem to be working. Can you suggest a replacement colour please? The roof, eaves and fascias are white COLORBOND®. A. I suspect the way the light plays upon the Resene Tapa palette of colour emphasises the stony yellow/grey/green undertones and leaves the Resene Stonehenge looking too muddy brown by comparison. You might try one of these options – Resene Half Masala or Resene Quarter Gravel.
June 2016
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Q. We are redecorating our home in what we hope will be a rustic style/mood. The floor tile will be a terracotta (multi shades) and grey grouted mosaic tile and the carpet will be a mid-charcoal-toned grey. We have already bought most of the paint. For the walls, we have colours such as Resene Akaroa, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Half Tea and Resene Duck Egg Blue. The colour we chose for the ceilings, doors and trims is Resene Eighth Rice Cake. I am now slightly worried that this Resene Eighth Rice Cake is too stark a white and will look too cold against the other colours. I was thinking about having it re-tinted up to either Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Rice Cake. Our house is neither dark nor very sunny - somewhere in the middle - and we have a darkish, narrow hallway running down the middle. We are in a rural area and just want our house to look comfortable and warm. A. Please don't up tint the ceiling and wooden trim colour - but if you feel you absolutely have to then definitely no stronger than Resene Quarter Rice Cake. It may make your other colours look less lovely to go to the yellower Resene Half Rice Cake colour. I am looking (primarily) at Resene Quarter Tea and Resene Duck Egg Blue - the lighter colours in your palette - and if you use a deeper variant of Resene Rice Cake (e.g. moving from quarter to half strength) you remove the clean contrast which is needed to enhance the delicacy of these colours and replace it with a slightly sour edged yellower colour. Colours in an interior often look stronger than you might imagine they will look - this is a major issue when you paint ceilings - they can look twice the depth of colour. Be most cautious about the carpet colour - it needs to have an absolute love affair with the colour of the tiles. It is the dominant factor that alters your perception of all other colours.
June 2016
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Q. I am building a house and the exterior will be a mix of Rockcote rendered concrete and Axon fibre cement vertical grained sheet. I want to get a cedar effect on the Axon sheet. A. Any paint colour to try to create a cedar wood look will only ever be a paint colour not a cedar lookalike. Paint is so opaque unlike the lighter (alive) quality of cedar whether it is stained or natural. If you want a red/brown look try Resene Scoria or Resene Redwood. Lighter cedar might be more like Resene Jambalaya. The Rockcote requires a much lighter colour to meet build requirements so you might look at some of these colours – Resene Half Doeskin or Resene Double Spanish White, or less warm toned – Resene Parchment.
June 2016
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Q. On the Resene colour website Resene Napa is recommended as a complementary colour for Resene House White. How does it work with Resene House White being a cool almost lilac colour and Resene Napa being in the yellow colour palette? Other yellow palette colours like Resene Truffle are not recommended. Wouldn't Resene Napa be the same? A. Sometimes pure tints of lilac and yellow work well together as they are opposite each other on the colour wheel. When they are in neutralised colours with many other colourants combining to make up the colour it gets far trickier. I think every time a colour is linked to other colours it is to give you the most options (not necessarily the best or only option) so that you can see how the colour alters in close proximity to the colour being described. On every Resene The Range Whites & Neutrals fandeck that has been released over the years I have had to look at what was on that particular chart to see what I could link it with. This is an example: if you had Resene House White in order for it to work with Resene Napa then you could use Resene Triple Rakaia with it as a coordinate as it too has the lilac undertone - but has more silver grey in it that ties in the Resene House White and balances the olive green/yellow/brown tones of the Resene Napa. If it was a lighter version of Resene Rakaia it may not work quite as well because lighter colours create a different relationship with a dominant colour. Alternatively you might use a Resene Napa type colour as a fine stripe in a charcoal (Resene Tuna) and purple based red (Resene Vanquish) fabric for upholstery and a slightly deeper lilac silver grey (Resene Greywacke) might be used as lovely drapes, then its influence is greatly modified by the other colours which all combine to create a pleasing palette of colours and Resene House White would be the only colour seen on the walls and woodwork. Resene Truffle has less yellow in it - just enough to warm the grey/beige colour. It is a greyer/beige than the Resene Napa palette of colours. All colours are made up of many colourants and combined with other colours close to them and in changing qualities of natural and artificial light they constantly alter like a chameleon - this is why what works in one room doesn't work in another room.
June 2016
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Q. I am painting the interior of our old Californian bungalow various shades of Resene Spanish White. I want a toning deep caramel colour to paint the panelling in the very small dining room. This panelling is only new MDF so we are not covering good wood here! Would Resene Arrowtown do? Or do you have another suggestion? And should I use semi-gloss or full gloss? I want it to really glow. A. If you want a toning deep caramel with a warm heart so that it will enhance the various tones of Resene Spanish White then I don't recommend an earthy leaf mould /olive brown like Resene Arrowtown. Caramel - to me - looks like Mackintosh toffees. You could check out these colours to see if they are the warm deep caramel that you are thinking of – Resene Doeskin, Resene Navarone, Resene Rodeo Drive, Resene Sandal, Resene Howlin Wolf, Resene Desert Sand or Resene Rickshaw.
June 2016
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Q. We are painting a newly renovated open plan living/dining/kitchen area. We want to go with an off white, maybe Resene Merino or a similar green/grey-tinted white. We have new plasterboard and plastered walls and ceiling with 'square-stopped' joins, i.e. no architrave. First question is do we use the same colour on walls and ceiling or do we use Resene Ceiling White on the ceiling and Resene Merino on walls? We have a lot of natural wood and polished concrete and wooden floors. A. Resene Merino can throw a warm pink/stone beige undertone in some lights and with some other colours seen close to it. Certainly if you compared it to Resene Eighth Ash, which is a grey/green white, Resene Merino is not grey or green. Have you painted a super large sample and moved it from wall to wall to see how it alters in different light and on angles of wall that may have more shadow on them? I suggest you do this to ensure there are no colour surprises in store for you later on when all is complete. A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) is the perfect size to test your paint colours on. If you paint all of the testpot on it (2 coats) leaving a (white) unpainted border all around the edges it helps your eye to focus on the reality of the colour. The card can be moved from wall to wall which is handy as the colour often looks radically different on each angle. I recommend you use Resene Ceiling White on the ceiling. It goes with everything and enhances all natural light and all colours. If you used a colour on the ceiling (same as the walls) it may look a lot deeper as the shadows /angles and light make it seem so. Do you want a definite coloured ceiling that looks deeper than the walls?
June 2016
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Q. I recently had my house painted grey with white trim and the base a darker grey. I was wondering what colour you would recommend for the fence stain. A. You have several options. A rich warm colour to balance the smart but cooler main house colour - Resene Woodsman Jarrah Tree or Resene Woodsman Dark Oak. Or dark to finish the grey/white theme of the house – Resene Woodsman Pitch Black or Resene Woodsman Crowshead, or possibly a light grey - Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash. Or a 'nothing' colour - Resene Woodsman Natural which is really like a yellowish oil stain that makes the pale timber look 'wet' but not a definite colour.
June 2016
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Q. We're looking for a really lovely warm neutral greige for walls throughout a new house. It needs to keep the room looking light. Resene Rakaia is too grey and dark. We're looking for something with more brown in it and lighter. Ceiling and cornices are Resene Half Black White, trims and doors are Resene House White. A. The colour of the doors - Resene House White - has a definite grey undertone so any greige colour needs to work really well with it. If there is too much brown in the colour it can make the Resene House White look silvery with an almost lilac undertone. Will you mind if this happens? Perhaps you could check out Resene Flotsam, Resene Pale Slate and Resene Half Cloud to see if they might work with the doors. It may be the door colour that is stopping you getting the right wall colour.
June 2016
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Q. We are going to paint the exterior of our 1960s weatherboard house. Current colours are Resene Double Napa on the boards and Resene Half Napa on the trim, which we like but feel it's a good time for a change! We like Resene Double Ash for the boards and maybe Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Ash on the trim? Or Resene Foggy Grey on the boards and Resene Sea Fog on trim but am worried the Resene Foggy Grey is a bit modern for our style of house. The roof colour is New Denim Blue and it's very low pitch. Our other option is to play it safe and do Resene Napa on the boards with Resene Sea Fog trim. A. I really like the new colours you are considering. Resene Double Ash and Resene Quarter Ash are lovely together and so is Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Sea Fog. It is really all about what appeals to you most - the greener/beige tones or the yellow/grey tones. If you visit your nearest Resene ColorShop and view the real paint A4 samples of all the colours in their Colour Library and play the 'what colours do I like least' game (so keep eliminating your least favourite option until you end up with your final option/s) it helps you to get closer to the ones that may suit best. Then it is time to do the testpot samples. The best way to do that is to paint up huge A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) and pin them up on the exterior and look at them in all lights, close up and from further away. Seeing huge areas of colour that aren't negatively influenced by painting directly onto existing colours on the weatherboards is the best way to judge colour. If you leave a narrow unpainted border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the reality of the colour it may help you. The unpainted border provides a barrier between the tested colour and the existing weatherboard colour. The sample can be moved around all sides of the house so that you can see how it responds to changing qualities of natural light. It is important to test thoroughly even those paler/whiter colours so there are no surprises in store for you.
June 2016
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Q. I am painting a dark hall in an apartment and I want to use Resene Half Sea Fog as it works well at my sister's house. Can I use Resene Quarter Rice Cake on the skirtings and architraves? Also on the ceiling? Will Resene Half Sea Fog match with Resene Quarter Rice Cake? A. What works at your sister's place may - or may not - work as well in your place. Colours in an interior often look a little deeper than you might expect them to be. Dim rooms with little or no natural light can make colours look a little deeper (or greyer) again. Your Resene Half Sea Fog may look slightly greyer - more like full strength Resene Sea Fog. Do you want it to look a little deeper in tone? Have you thought of just using the (lighter/brighter) Resene Quarter Rice Cake for the walls and the woodwork trims? Or alternatively Resene Quarter Sea Fog on the walls (it may look like Resene Half Sea Fog) and a whiter trim colour - i.e. Resene Half Alabaster to increase the light and harmonise well together.
June 2016
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Q. I am looking for an off-white colour to paint the interior of my home. The house isn't large but it has big white framed windows around the living room and kitchen. The home also has light rimu floorboards throughout, so I am mindful of finding an undertone that'll complement them. I have light wood coloured furniture, and a creamy coloured sofa in the living room. A. The layering of whites and off whites is a lovely way to enlarge and lighten interior spaces. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - they are all quite different to each other but worth checking out – Resene Bianca, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Merino, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Barely There, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Eighth Tana.
June 2016
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Q. We want to paint the interior of our home to give it a lift. The joinery is very similar to Resene Spanish White and I'm wondering what colours would go with this for painting the walls as well as the timber skirting boards, door frames and currently very creamy yellow coloured doors. I feel like the interior colour has too much of a yellow tinge so would like to balance that out. A. If you are trying to co-ordinate with the joinery then these colours may offer you some options - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Eighth Akaroa, Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Tea.
June 2016
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Q. We painted in Resene over 10 years ago - using Resene Pampas, esp. for the kitchen and ceilings, Resene Dynamite, a browny blue and a beige, possibly Resene Tea. We want to pull the interiors back to a white with no feature walls, leaving the ceilings and kitchen Resene Pampas. I want the walls to look white, but when contrasted against the architraves, for them to look a pale warm grey. A. Resene Pampas is a pink toned beige. It may look pinker if it is used with any colour that is whiter - will this worry you? You might check out these colours to see if they suit you - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Vista White, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Wan White, Resene Quarter Concrete or Resene Half Barely There.
June 2016
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Q. We have a 1950s stucco home in Hawkes Bay that desperately needs exterior painting on everything - wooden fence, chimney, windows, garage doors, eaves, gutterboard, all stucco. We love neutral colour schemes as in our kitchen – Resene Quarter Tea/Resene Half Tea. For the exterior we are thinking of a warm grey with white windows or the same colour over every surface but with different gloss levels so it appears different. Taking into consideration the items that remain the same regardless: plastic white guttering, white aluminium windows in family room/terrace, new roof in Grey Friars. For the fence colour we like how the green fence colour blends with our garden making it appear more open. But fences seem to be the same colour as roofing; what colour would you suggest? And how many layers would be ideal to cover the green? A. For the fence - no you don't need to paint it the same colour as the roof of the house. If you want a dark colour (and it is the darkness of the colour that allows the foliage to blend back into a shadow background) you could look at these colours – Resene All Black (darker than Grey Friars), Resene Masala (deep olive/green/charcoal), Resene Cobblestone (earthy khaki/grey) or Resene Log Cabin. Check out these warm grey tones - they work well with both the roof colour and any of the fence colours - for the exterior of the house – Resene Archive Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Delta. For the match to the white powder coated joinery on the family room - will you mind if it isn't a perfect match? If you don't mind then you might use Resene White.
June 2016
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Q. Can you suggest a yellow based taupe for a room with kauri floor, kauri to dado height and dark kauri ceiling in a villa with a 12ft stud? I would like the colour of the wood - brown/yellow/gold - to jump out, rather than the walls. But the walls need to be a strong warm colour for balance. The natural light factor is low at one end, but lighter at the other, with French doors, and looks out onto a courtyard. It is a masculine room. I don't want greens or blues. A. A strong warm colour might also be deep toned which might make the kauri 'pop' out because it is lighter than the walls. You could try - deeper colours – Resene Soya Bean or Resene Nullarbor. Or mid toned colours – Resene Craigieburn or Resene Triple Bison Hide. Or lighter but dense colours – Resene Akaroa or Resene Cougar. Colours need to be carefully tested - the natural light and shade in the room will influence how the colours are seen as well as the kauri wood.
June 2016
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Q. We have a Lockwood interior and would like to paint the cupboards of the kitchen and the doors throughout the house. The bench is white. We were thinking of a sage grey green. Can you suggest a colour that will suit? A. Every one's idea of sage green is slightly different so the following are some options - hopefully one will be your idea of sage green. Try Resene Ravine, Resene Bud, Resene Pewter, Resene Edward or Resene Inside Back.
June 2016
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Q. Can you direct me to a colour that is halfway between Resene Foundry and Resene Grey Friars? I have tried Resene Half Foundry and Resene Double Grey Friars but neither has resulted in the desired colour. A. The colourants that make up both these colours aren't directly related so it is harder to find a colour between them. You might look at these colours to see if they are the sort of colour you are imagining - Resene Tuna (not as black as Resene Foundry or as blue as Resene Grey Friars), Resene Nocturnal (slightly deeper than Resene Grey Friars but warmer and lighter than Resene Foundry) or Resene Steel Grey (lighter than both Resene Grey Friars and a lot lighter than Resene Foundry). If you have a colour sample that epitomises the charcoal you are looking for our staff could create a custom colour match for you.
June 2016
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Q. How is it possible to create all three (monochromatic, analogous and achromatic) colour schemes for skirting boards, trims, doors, walls and ceilings? I am finding it hard to create the schemes. The flooring is greyish wooden floors. A. Mono means one colour - all the tints and tones i.e. like Resene Spanish White or Resene Tea. Look at the Resene The Range Whites & Neutrals fandeck. Analogous means closely related - one main colour and two others either side of the main colour - this is the trickiest one - you need to study the Resene Colour Wheel and a good colour chart. Achromatic means no colour - which is white, greys and black.
June 2016
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Q. My ceiling and window frames are Resene Quarter Bianca, walls are Resene Half Cararra, doors and architraves are Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey and the carpet is a silver grey. There is matai flooring in the lounge, kitchen and dining with Cararra type tiles in the entrance. What should I paint the skirting boards? A. I think you have two options - the first option would be to match the doors and architraves - it is a very strong look and may not appeal - and an alternative option - very popular - is to paint the skirting boards to match the walls Resene Half Cararra so they 'disappear' - but in a semi-gloss enamel finish so they are just a sheen difference not a colour difference.
June 2016
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Q. I am considering painting my small outdoor balcony floor with Resene Walk-on paint and I wanted to get your advice about what would look good. The balcony faces west, but I would like the colour that I choose to have a warm tone. The exterior of the building is a purple-grey colour and I want the balcony floor to be different to this. The inside of my apartment is Resene Bianca with a charcoal colour carpet. I want the colour that I choose to be modern. A. Resene Walk-on is available in a huge range of colours - not just the ones on the Resene Deck, paths, driveways and recreational areas colour chart. 'Modern colours' is a term that is really open - blacks are really popular and so are charcoals - have you thought of trying to find a charcoal that matches the carpet? Alternatively (and certainly a lot less hot underfoot) you might use your main interior colour - Resene Bianca. This would allow you to 'dress' the deck with colourful planter pots and chairs to 'pop' with funky colour.
June 2016
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Q. I have painted a few walls in Resene Quarter Spanish White - they generally give off a sickly green colour most times. If I dilute the colour and repaint (have lots of it) will it still give off a green tone? A. Resene Quarter Spanish White has primarily a yellow oxide colourant in it but smaller amounts of umber (brown), orange and green oxide so it is totally quixotic and changeable. Most people find it to be an earthy (brown/green) based cream. In a south or east facing room or in a room that has filtered light through trees close to the house or where green is present in the room (perhaps in the carpet) you can get more of the green coming through. But that is all about the quality of the light however (sour or green/yellow), not the colour itself, that is green. Lightening the colour may work. The palest version of this colour is Resene Eighth Spanish White which loses a lot of the green/brown undertone and is left looking peachy cream. It may be worth trialling a Resene Eighth Spanish White testpot to see if the lighter version is ok before adding lots of white paint to the Resene Quarter Spanish White. Colour is tricky - a total chameleon - each wall can look a different colour and more so as the natural and artificial light alter how it looks.
June 2016
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Q. I'm after advice for an exterior house colour. We have an Ironsand roof and I want to paint our house a grey colour (lighter grey) with a darker trim. A. You might check out these lighter greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Truffle, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Jumbo. For a darker trim you could consider a lighter version of the roof colour so they tie in well - Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Scarpa Flow.
June 2016
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Q. We have a very small open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area. We are about to have the lounge chairs recovered in a blood red velvet. These have the cane backs and under arm rests. The carpet is approx. the colour of Resene Gargoyle. The bench is speckled grey and the cupboards etc. would be approx. colour of Resene Cloud. I have a number of red cooking dishes which are on display on top of a cupboard in the kitchen mainly because of shortage of room. I use different rugs in the lounge area, one being a very large red tartan and another a colourful Moroccan rug. I would like colour suggestions for ceiling and walls and to be able to have a feature wall but am not so sure on combinations - probably a whitish grey and the only full wall where the sofa is a murky colour or I have seen a grey and black stripe wallpaper that might work. I am aware this is a small room and don't want to feel too closed in. I love my house and it has a beautiful view over the river and was built in the early 50s. It is painted in Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Quarter Spanish White at present. A. Your open plan living spaces sound colourful, eclectic and very comfortable. If you have a wonderful view over the river do you really feel you want another feature (behind the sofa) to add to the abundance of visual contrast and colours that you have already? For a main wall and ceiling you might use a cleaner/whiter hue (compared to the Resene Spanish White tones) so that all of the lovely things you have 'pop' out more - Resene Half Orchid White. Alternatively a warm grey/beige if the light warm white is too clean for you - Resene Quarter White Pointer or a lighter grey/white - Resene Double Black White.
June 2016
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Q. What colours would go with Resene Frangipani? We are happy to do the whole back wall and we plan to have shelving/units in both alcoves. I was thinking of two colours - one on the walls and one on the chimney. They can be the same but different strengths or contrasting. A. Perhaps one colour for the whole back wall and the chimney breast may be less 'busy' visually. These are some ideas for you to consider - Resene Paprika or Resene St Kilda. Or Resene Island Spice, which is much lighter but related to the Resene Frangipani. Or a deeper version of Frangipani but with a little more orange/tan undertone - Resene Whiskey Sour. With such a definite main wall colour it does compromise what colours you might use.
June 2016
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Q. We have just put in a white kitchen and need to repaint the ceiling which extends into the dining area. We don't like the colour it is now (Resene Black White). What do you suggest to complement the kitchen and heighten/lighten the ceiling? A. You might consider using plain White - Resene White or Resene Half Alabaster. These ones don't have the grey undertone that Resene Black White has in it.
June 2016
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Q. I refinished my bathroom counter in a multi-coloured finish and neglected to consider colour matching my vanity cabinets and floor. I would like to paint the cabinets to hopefully make the countertop and floor complement each other better. What would you suggest? A. Because laminate vanity tops can have many colours in them you may need to get an off cut and take it with you to a Resene ColorShop. You will then be able to see large A4 real paint samples of colours in their Colour Library. By seeing them with the sample of the vanity top you will get a much better idea of exactly what colours will work well for you. June 2016
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Q. I need advice on a 'white' for my bathroom walls. It's a black/white theme, with black/white vanity and bath, floor and shower tiles grey with shots of black and metallic within (ironsand look) and glass blocks on one wall. I don't want a stark white but something a little softer. A.You might check out these softer whites - Resene Black White, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Barely There. There are lighter versions of these colours if you are concerned that they may be too 'coloured' so perhaps check them out as well.
June 2016
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Q. I am currently looking for inspiration for the exterior paint colours for our home. I had a look on your website for exterior colour ideas; however all window surrounds (aluminium) on the houses in the photos are white. My window surrounds are an olive green, so it is hard to figure out if those colour schemes would suit. Do you have any inspiration for exterior house colours with olive green window frames? A. Lighter version of the olive green window colour, earthy brown based neutrals, earthy creams are all colours that might work. When you have a distinctive colour on the house it often isn't a case of what you would like but more what looks good with that particular colour. You might look at these colours to see if they work with the windows - Resene Terrain, Resene Triple Ash, Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Double Thorndon Cream or Resene Spanish White.
June 2016
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Q. We are currently building a single storey home. When looking at the front of the house the detail around the garage doors and left half of the house are built with NZ Brick Adapt Range colour Bronze which looks almost black. The right hand side of the house facing the road has a large chimney. This is also made of the same coloured brick. The surrounding materials are wood and we want to paint the wooden part a contrasting colour. I don't want this contrasting colour to be too stark (white) but want a nice warm contrast. This will also continue down the side of the house. We have picked Ironsand for the roof and aluminium joinery. We were thinking of having red for the double front doors. A. I think that light to mid toned colours may look best with Ironsand and the Bronze (almost black) brick. Perhaps one of these lighter (but not too stark) colours would create the warm contrast you are hoping to achieve - Resene Truffle, Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Quarter Stonewall. All of these colours come as lighter and deeper versions - so they may be worth checking out as well. Some reds for the double front doors that you may find appealing are these ones - Resene Dynamite, Resene Red Planet, Resene Lusty or Resene Red Red Red.
June 2016
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Q. I am trying to find a pale pink/peach colour but all the testpots so far have been icy pink, or purple. A. You might look at these colours - they have an underlying delicate orange tint within them so they are never blue or cool. Try Resene Half Pot Pourri, Resene Fantasy or Resene Fair Pink.
June 2016
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Q. I'm painting most of my interior Resene Half Rice Cake. Would Resene Alabaster work for trims, ceiling, doors etc? If not could you please recommend a contrasting white to Resene Half Rice Cake? A. You could use one of these 'whites' - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Alabaster or real White - Resene White.
June 2016
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Q. We have purchased paint to paint the interior of our house. We decided on Resene Double White Pointer. We have painted the bedrooms and I really like it but feel it might be too dark for the living end of the house. I am now thinking Resene White Pointer may be better for the lounge/living areas. Can I get my Resene Double White Pointer tinted down to Resene White Pointer? A. There is no tinter or colourant that can make this colour lighter. The only way is to add equal amounts of pure white paint to lighten the colour. You will end up with a lot more paint - by bulk - so if you plan to do this I suggest you mix in a much larger container like an empty unused 10 litre pail. 2 litres of Resene Double White Pointer and 2 litres of Resene White need plenty of room to be mixed thoroughly so that it is perfectly blended. 4 litres of paint will cover about 48 sq. metres which (unless the lounge is super large) should paint 24 sq. metres in two coats.
June 2016
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Q. I have a 1920 heritage cottage with a Permanent Green COLORSTEEL® roof. The roof is very visible from the road and I'd like to highlight the period features with the same dark green trim. Is there a pale beige pink or other pale pink that will work with this as a main colour for the house? I want a striking, ballsy and feminine effect. Also what colour would you recommend for the window frames and door? A. Slightly pink/beige colours to try - Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Eighth Fossil, Resene Soapstone, or warmer tones - Resene Eighth Joss or Resene Blanc. Some definitely pinker colours for you to consider - very 'la femme' - Resene Pot Pourri, Resene Pink Terrace, Resene Vanilla Ice, Resene Gelato or Resene Sweet Spot. Windows and doors might be better in a whiter colour to offset the pink or pink/beige - Resene Alabaster. It is all about balance and harmony – Permanent Green is a hard green to ignore so it may be quite dominant - consequently a deeper pink may work better than paler/whiter pinks. June 2016
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Q. Can you please advise which silver colours would go best with Resene Eighth Tea as a feature wall? Resene Eighth Tea is the main wall colour. A. Resene Eighth Tea is a warm (almost pink toned) beige and it looks lovely with a much whiter colour and much deeper colours. It really depends what 'silver' means to you in regard a colour. Perhaps Resene Surrender or Resene Triple Concrete might be considered?
June 2016
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Q. I'm looking for advice for an exterior colour scheme. I like Resene Armadillo for a feature colour. On window frames and the pergola at the rear I have tried a number of sample pots for the main weatherboards and Resene Foggy Grey seems to work. However, I also like Resene Rakaia and perhaps this is a less 'heavy' combination - a little more contemporary. I would appreciate an expert's more 'scientific' take on this - feel free to also recommend something else in the pale grey/blue range that you think would work even better. Last time we made the mistake of not getting enough contrast. Lastly, can you recommend a third colour - a very pale grey/white to pick out the inner frames of the windows at the front of the house and perhaps some of the plaster work on the porch. A. Resene Rakaia is a lovely grey with a warm almost lilac undertone. If you had this as the main colour then you may need to work a few similar toned colours with it - at least for the lightest colour - Resene Half House White is really nice. Resene Armadillo is a lovely sludgy olive green based charcoal and it does work well as the accent colour - though you might also like to put a warm tone like Resene Triple Rakaia on the doors or some other detail on the house. Resene Foggy Grey (lovely colour and quite different from the Resene Rakaia) looks good with slightly sharper white/grey tones like Resene Black White and perhaps a definite contrasting accent colour like Resene St Kilda or a bold saucy red/orange to lift the look - Resene Lusty (doors) with Resene Armadillo.
June 2016
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Q. We are looking for one white or neutral colour to paint our new house we are renovating. We are looking for just one colour to paint all over, something not too clinical white but not too dark either. The house doesn’t get a lot of sun, especially downstairs. A. The 'right' white or neutral and how it appears depends upon (not only) light but also upon what colour the flooring is and what other colours (kitchen cabinets/worktops, existing furniture and drapes and blinds) that you have. If you choose the colour before any of the other elements are chosen then you may find you have a discord (instead of a harmonising scheme) and that the other things you really want don't work as well as you would like (or not at all) with the paint colour. Ideally everything else is chosen first - flooring first to go with existing coloured (lounge) furniture and then new kitchen etc., drapes because it is important to get what you truly want - and lastly the colour on the walls that ties everything together. If you are keen to paint straight away you might try Resene Half Orchid White for a warm sunny looking white or Resene Sea Fog for a grey based white. You do need to carefully test colours - if the testpot is painted onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). It can be moved from wall to wall and room to room so you can see what changes occur to the colour. Sometimes what is absolutely right in some rooms isn't right in other rooms. Sometimes you need to compromise a little bit and use a different colour or a lighter or deeper version of the main colour in some rooms.
June 2016
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Q. We are about to repaint our seaside cottage. It is surrounded by large trees so light can be quite low, especially in the winter. It is currently Resene Black White which we find a bit cold and grey. We are wondering about Quarter Bianca with Resene Alabaster trim. A. All colours on an exterior look a lot lighter than you might expect them to look. I don't think you would be able to see a difference between the two colours you mention. They are not different enough in depth and when seen during normal bright daylight hours they may look exactly the same. I recommend you use a deeper version of the main colour and a lighter version of the trim colour if you want them to be seen as different. Or use the exact same colour for both the main and the trims if you want a 'white on white' look
June 2016
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Q. We have just built a new house. It is mostly north west facing and it gets a lot of sun as it has lots of big front windows. I am weighing up Resene White Pointer, Resene Merino and Resene Black White. We want a modern colour. But not too dirty. I wonder if Resene Merino has a bit of colour in it - or is it creamy white. We don't want a cream colour, but something fresh and interesting and suitable for an architecturally designed new house with views. So far we may go Resene White Pointer with Resene Double Alabaster on all trims or Resene Merino. However not sure if Resene White Pointer is not a bit of a dirty looking colour? Any other lovely shades? Is Resene Foggy Grey a green tone too? I am looking for that colour in the bedroom- is it a romantic colour? Any others - more grey then beige - as opposed to Resene Half Tea? A. All colours change when the light changes. All colours change when other colours are seen close to them. Without testing colours carefully - with all the other elements that you have chosen for the house like flooring, drapes, kitchen cabinetry and work tops - it is always difficult to know exactly what the colours will look like. I do know for certain that they will look different in each room - and often on each wall also depending on the quality of natural light. Resene Merino is a warmer neutral (not as grey or brown) than Resene White Pointer. There are probably at least 50 lovely colours that you might choose. Resene Foggy Grey (even in the lighter versions of the colour) is stronger in depth and is a yellow/green edged grey stone - so much more coloured than Resene Merino and Resene White Pointer. Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog) is a greyed off tint of white which a lot of people like very much as a main colour. I suggest you pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples of the colours that you are considering. They can be viewed in the Colour Library books and compared to each other so that you get a better idea of the reality of the colours. This will help you choose which testpots you want to trial in your house. Testpots applied to large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moved around from wall to wall and room to room is the very best way of sorting out what colours work best for you.
June 2016
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Q. I have painted the light end of my house interior in Resene White Rock. As I move to the darker part of the house I want to use as bright/white a colour as possible that will match with the Resene White Rock. Should I go Resene Half White Rock or do you suggest something else? A. These suggestions of lighter/whiter colours relate well with the more yellow/green tones of Resene White Rock. You might look at using Resene Lime White or Resene Green White - both look good with the more yellow/green tones.
June 2016
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Q. We are wanting to paint the exterior of our block of units and window sills. We would love some colour advice. A. You might use a slightly more developed colour as a main with a much lighter window colour - Resene Thorndon Cream – main, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - windows/any other trims and Resene Double Tea - garage doors & fences. Or Resene Villa White – main, Resene Quarter Villa White - windows/any other trims or Resene Double Ash - garage doors and fences. Using more colour in a softly co-ordinated palette will modernise the units and add a fresh new look.
June 2016
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Q. We are planning a new build, weatherboard exterior with long run roof. Am thinking for the weatherboards Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Rakaia, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Friar Greystone . Any of these with Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster trims. I’m not sure of a roof colour to go with any of these. The look of the house is ‘boathouse’. For the interior I am thinking neutrals – Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Quarter Truffle with white trims. I would like white trim to stand out from the main colour. I also need to know what accent colours might go with the above. I was thinking Resene Friar Greystone . The flooring is a light oak wood look with off white aluminium joinery. Not sure on the carpet yet. A. You may find that Resene Half Friars Grey may be too deep a colour to meet the recommendation of lightness in colour for a weatherboard surface. It has a LRV 39% and to meet the build criteria colours often need to be between LRV 45 - LRV 100%. - All of the other colours however do meet the criteria. If you are having a powder coated roof then the choice of colours is limited to the manufacturer’s colour range and you may need to check out what is available. If the roof is painted there are far more colour options available. Which 'off white' colour are you having on the powder coated joinery? This will have a very strong influence upon which main colour for the house that you choose. For the interior if you use one of the whites you have mentioned for the exterior trims then you may need to use Resene Quarter Truffle in order to see a clean contrast. Too pale a colour will merge in the 'white' and it won't stand out. June 2016
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Q. I need assistance with colour for a glass splashback in a new kitchen. The walls in the kitchen, dining and lounge are Resene Quarter Spanish White. I have also shown a sample of the drape fabric in lounge as I will bring that colour into dining room later - either as a blackout blind or drape. We have tested sample pots of Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe (probably too bland?), Resene Foundry (probably bit too dark), Resene Baltic Sea and Resene Eighth Masala. The concern is I don't want to make the area behind the hob and under sink look too dark at night and make the kitchen look small. Not sure if we have hit on the right colour/depth to keep a feeling of light and warmth. A. Perhaps you could check out these soft, warm but light - mid toned colours - Resene Quarter Pravda, Resene Cloudy, Resene Half Perfect Taupe, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Half Stonehenge. I do recommend that the glass used for the splashback be iron oxide crystal clear glass so that the colour behind it is seen true to reality and if you were to incorporate some LED mini spotlights to focus on the glass then you definitely won't get a dark or small look to the kitchen. June 2016
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Q. I have purchased a near new home which is painted throughout with Resene Black White which I find very cold. I have painted two walls in our open plan dining/family room Resene Tussock. It looks amazing and I would like a suggestion for a nice warm white throughout the rest of our house. Our joinery is a warm white. Our carpet throughout is charcoal with white tiles in the kitchen, hallway and bathrooms. Viewing the A4 real painted samples in the Colour Library at the Resene ColorShop and comparing them with a sheet of white printer paper (this is a true white) will help you see their underlying tints and tones and then you will have a better idea of their 'reality'.
June 2016
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Q. We have decided on Double Ash for the exterior weatherboards on our 1960s house. We are thinking Resene Eighth Ash for the trim but wondered if you could please suggest a couple of other 'whites' that would work well for the trim with Resene Double Ash? A. Resene Double Ash has an earthy yellow/green tone but Resene Eighth Ash is a warm grey/white. They may appear totally unrelated. Lighter and deeper variants of a colour are not always sympathetic to each other as they have their own colour personality. Whites that you might check out (and compare) are Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Quarter Ecru White or even Resene Double Alabaster.
June 2016
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Q. What exterior colour goes with mist green joinery? We have cream the moment but want a change. A. It is always a little tricky when some element on the house is a very definite colour - like the Mist Green windows - as they control what will work with them. However these colours might be worth checking out - Resene Half Craigieburn, Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Triple Rice Cake.
June 2016
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Q. We have started painting our house Resene Quarter Ironsand, which we love. We are about to replace the roof and were thinking Ironsand COLORSTEEL® and keep the windows white. Not sure what to do with the bottom floor which is currently white? Also there are boards between the windows on the side of the house. Paint them white, Resene Quarter Ironsand or something different? Definitely looking to modernise. A. Using Resene Ironsand for the roof is a good idea. If you mean the narrow base under the weatherboards to the ground level then you might continue using the Resene Quarter Ironsand to add a little more height to the house. If you undercoat the boards between the windows in white it will give you a 'dress rehearsal' as to how it would look with more white. If you don't like the look then you will know to paint it Resene Quarter Ironsand.
June 2016
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Q. If I'm using Resene Quarter Black White on windows and doors. And Resene Half Black White on walls. What white do you recommend I use on the ceiling? A. I think that standard Resene White would be perfect. Certainly there is minimal difference between Resene Quarter Black White and 'real' White.
June 2016
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Q. We are repainting the interior of our house. We would like a colour which is almost white but very subtly a clear blue. I have diluted Resene Charlotte down to a fraction but it is still too blue. A. Perhaps you might mix 1 testpot into 4 litres of paint. This would be the only way to lighten a bright blue like Resene Charlotte. As you know all colours in an interior can double in depth or brightness so perhaps if you choose a colour that was a white (with an undertone of blue in it) instead of a blue you might get what you are trying to achieve. Check out Resene Cut Glass and ask for a half or quarter version of that colour.
June 2016
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Q. I am redecorating a large old villa style rental house where all the trims have been done in Resene Biscotti. The paint is in reasonable condition and I'd rather leave it. I would like the walls to be a neutral colour that goes well with this. At the moment some of them are Resene Blondee which is too yellow. I had thought about Resene Half Pearl Lusta. I had planned to do the ceilings white. The internal doors need to be painted too - what colour would work here?
June 2016
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Q. I am painting our lounge. It is a medium-large rectangle room. One long wall is windows with a view, one short wall has windows and a fireplace, the other long wall has built-in bookshelves and double French doors, the other short wall has double cavity sliders. All the window frames and doors will be Resene Quarter Merino. Floor to ceiling curtains are off-white. I like Resene Friar Greystone , but the painter thinks it's too dark for the room. I don't like any of the lower strength Resene Friar Greystone variants. We want the room to be cosy and welcoming. A. You don't mention what colour the flooring is or the furniture so I am really hoping that the following colours (warm and cosy) may work for you - Resene Schooner, Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Quarter Sandstone. All colours in an interior have the potential to double in their depth - so the colours mentioned may look quite a bit deeper than you might imagine. Because of the windows and all the painted woodwork (doors/bookcases etc) I think that a bit of warm deep colour will create rather a delicious look. Testing colours by painting up large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving them around the walls is the only good way I know of ascertaining what the colour will look like - you need to see the reality of the colours in the natural light of the room and with all the other coloured trims, flooring, furniture and curtains to appreciate how it will look.
June 2016
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Q. New build in the country and we need to choose colours for soffit and external plaster areas. We are aiming for a concrete colour/look for the external plaster and a soffit colour that complements the plaster colour, cedar and joinery/roof. We are considering concrete walls and Resene Quarter White Pointer soffit (having started at Resene Eighth Drought and Resene Quarter Cement) but I am wary the concrete picks up a blue hue rather than our more brown theme. We have an Ironsand roof, similar joinery, a slight grey tint on glazing, cladding half plaster, half shiplap cedar. A. You may well have used the default choice of Resene Quarter White Pointer for the soffits - it always works as it is a benign neutral tone. You are right in regard Resene Concrete - it is a cool silvery grey. Had you considered staying with the Resen White Pointer palette for the external plastered areas - it is a warmer grey/beige and would work well with (browner) Ironsand? Resene Double White Pointer for instance or Resene Triple White Pointer or if you prefer a colour with a little more grey in its undertone then Resene Double Truffle or Resene Quarter Friar Greystone are possibilities. June 2016
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Q. I want a suggestion of colours to paint the bedrooms, hall and living area walls of my house, which will be tenanted shortly so something that won't frighten anybody off! At the moment they are cold shades apart from the living room but that is dated and needs to be less bold. We will leave any wood finish/varnish as is to give warmth. Time is very limited for us also. The bedrooms are on the coldest sides of the house so warmth is most important. We intend to carpet those areas too but will choose that after we know what colours to do the walls. The blue wardrobe will be painted over (Resene Pearl Lusta?). A. I agree with you in regards to using a warm neutral for all the painted woodwork. The colours that have been used on the walls look as though they have been carefully chosen to make the rooms seem warmer and to work with the blue carpet and the varnished woodwork. Any changes may not make cold rooms appear warmer if the natural aspect of the rooms is cold - or the insulation is not good. Carpeting the bedrooms will certainly help with this. If you want one colour for all the spaces - to simplify and unite the rooms - you might look at a soft warm colour like Resene Dutch White which is sunny looking. Any beiges and greys (though they are modern trends in colour) may make the rooms feel cooler. One that may work for you is Resene Eighth Malta because it carries undertones of yellow oxide and orange - both of these are warm colourants.
June 2016
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Q. Can you please help with colour choices for our 1960s Summerhill stone (pinky colour) farmhouse? Everything apart from the stone is being painted and we are getting new spouting. My hope is to tone down the pink and tone in with the mortar which is a paler grey/brown. We tried a testpot of Resene Ironsand and it seems very dark. A. If you were considering Resene Ironsand as a spouting colour but felt it might be too dark overall on the other parts of the house perhaps you could check these lighter variants to see if they might appeal to you - Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Half Baltic Sea or lighter Resene Gauntlet or lighter than this - Resene Half Gauntlet.
June 2016
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Q. I want to get a colour match from an image to paint on to weatherboard house. I am looking at Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, with Resene White on the trims and window frames. A. The colours on the house are really subtle. Yes the ones you mention will give a similar effect. In bright natural light you may not notice them being that much different from each other. The subtle difference will be more noticeable on cloudy days or in shadow.
June 2016
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Q. I have a 1960s home and I am looking for a colour to paint the high pitched ceiling with exposed beams in my living room/dining. Walls are Resene Half Thorndon Cream with Resene Double Alabaster window trims. The house sits high and overlooks the sea. The room is bright and sunny most of the year. Two walls are have warm wooden panelling (not 80s dark brown) which I like. The floor is wooden, mid/warm caramel. I was thinking Resene Double Alabaster but worry the colour will make the room too bright or glary when the sun is out. The floors are changing to wooden floors.
June 2016
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Q. I wish to paint the sarked ceilings and beams a shade of white. Should I use the same colour on walls or go to a different shade? A. It is a personal choice - some people go lighter on the ceiling because even pure white can look slightly grey because of the way the light falls away from the ceiling creating shadows. To make the situation even more tricky often the same colour on both surfaces can look different - not the same - with the ceiling looking deeper than the walls. If you want the walls and ceiling to look similar then you might use these colours - warm white - Resene Bianca for walls) and Resene Quarter Bianca (ceiling) or cooler white – Resene Half Sea Fog (walls) and Resene Alabaster – also known as Resene Eighth Sea Fog (ceiling).
June 2016
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Q. I have seen a building painted a clay looking colour. Could you advise a possible colour to achieve the same? A. Without seeing the building here are some possible options to consider: Resene Rodeo Drive, Resene Canterbury Clay, Resene Moscato, Resene Matchstick, Resene Navarone or Resene Quarter Colins Wicket.
June 2016
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Q. I'm building a new Versatile house and want to know what colours are popular now? My last one was Desert Sand with windows and roof in Scoria. My partner likes Mist Green, not so much for me. A. The colours you are looking at using - and have used in the past - are very specific. They are not so popular these days as people have different ideas and expectations. This is why they choose greyer neutrals and whiter colours so they don't 'date' as quickly. Also people being people - they like to make changes - so they often will paint over the cladding to get a new look and they don't like windows especially to be too 'coloured' which might stop them from having freedom to explore new colours. Have you taken a drive to view new housing subdivisions? It is very enlightening. With Versatile builds (whether it is housing or garages) there is a definite narrow band of powder coat colours to choose from - plus a lot of their new builds feature stone, brick and timber or other cladding. Is your new house going to have any of these products used on the exterior? Or is it more like the studio/cottage style where the whole exterior is powder coating? Please look at these powder coat colours for windows – Titania, Cloud, Foam, Bone White or Gull Grey. And these for the roof - Grey Friars, Ironsand, Basalt Base, TernStyle or Fern Frond. These colours - for joinery and roofs - allow you a lot of colour choice for the main body of the house - i.e. Greens, beiges, greys, creams - but if the surface is metal cladding then the colours are only those to be found on the COLORSTEEL® chart. June 2016
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Q. I have my lounge/kitchen area all painted Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and I want to get a wall unit painted to match. A. If you want a match (which is exactly the same colour) you will ask the cabinet maker to spray paint in a semi-gloss enamel (for durability) in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. If it isn't a match but a harmonious co-ordinate you want you could use a deeper variant of Resene Thorndon Cream - i.e. Resene Thorndon Cream - or a sharp crisp warm off white - i.e. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or (whiter) Resene Alabaster or a warmer white - Resene Half Villa White.
June 2016
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Q. We are thinking of buying a cedar weatherboard townhouse with a concrete tile roof. Both weatherboards and roof have been painted terrible colours. We are not sure if the weatherboards have been painted or stained; they are a kind of light green. Can I stain them to make them look dark brown again? And the roof is light green too. What colours would look best for the cedar weatherboards and tile roof? Joinery is cheap quality and white. A. The green roof may be COLORSTEEL® Mist Green. The green colours look lovely with creams, some beiges and some taupes. You might look at these paint colours - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Tea or Resene Truffle. If it was stained then yes it can be re-stained in a different colour but it pays to test the colour you choose as you get a 'new' version of the colour because stain doesn't completely block out any existing colour. This means the old colour and the new colour combine to create a 'new' colour - unless you use a black or very, very dark brown stain.
June 2016
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Q. We had planned to paint most of our new beach house a sandy colour but have just found out any joinery, roof and cladding colours have to have a LRV of 40% or less to get resource consent. We have an existing garage roller door that is New Denim Blue. The new bach will be built partially over the garage. I'm considering Resene Friar Greystone or a half strength of it but really don't know what grey would be beachy. Part of the upstairs will be in a different cladding and contrasting colour to break up the bulk of the bach. I wondered about a muted greyish blue for that, but am not sure. I'm really struggling with colours for the two claddings, the COLORSTEEL® roof and the joinery. A. The LRV colours are mid toned (40) to (less) much whiter/paler (100) so it is - perhaps - even more difficult. If you start with the most limited of the colour options - the powder coated roof and the joinery - and choose the best of a very small selection of colours it may help you lead into everything else. In order to meet the resource consent guidelines the roof (and joinery) would have to be one of these colours as every other colour is too dark – COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey – LRV 49%, COLORSTEEL® Bone White – LRV 55%, COLORSTEEL® Titania – LRV 67%, COLORSTEEL® Cloud – LRV 75%, COLORSTEEL® Foam – LRV 76%, COLORSTEEL® SandScape – LRV 65% or COLORSTEEL® TuiTuft – LRV 75%. If you want to tie in the existing garage door - New Denim Blue (LRV 11%) - it is too dark according to the LRV and so are any of the Grey Friars colours - so perhaps you could use that type of colour for a fence colour. Greyish blues that do meet the resource criteria are these ones - Resene Zumthor (LRV 71%), Resene Tiara (LRV 57%), Resene Dusted Blue (LRV 43%), Resene Iron (68%), Resene Surrender (57%), Resene Hermitage (54%) or Resene Casper (LRV 52%).
June 2016
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Q. I'm renovating my main and ensuite bathrooms and going for black and white checkerboard floor tiles with white subway tiles on two of the four walls in each room. I'm thinking of going with a very dark charcoal for the other walls - perhaps Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Fuscous Grey. Everything else in the room is white. What do you think? Can you recommend any other colours to consider? A. It does pay to remember that all colours in an interior look a lot deeper than you might imagine they will look - so in this case would you mind it if the rooms looked black instead of charcoal? You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Foundry, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Gumboot.
June 2016
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Q. We would like to paint two rooms in our new house. The first one is the playroom. Originally a study, it is a very dark room with one smallish window that has a dingy blind and an overhanging veranda outside. The joinery is all wooden including old doors. The other room is our three year old’s bedroom. It is currently Resene Triple Spanish White and it seems a bit grown up. We are getting new blinds in a bold charcoal and cream Marimeko design. We would like to do a feature wall with yellow, navy, neural and duck egg blue. The master bedroom and sitting room are Resene Duck Egg Blue, and the living and hall are Resene Triple Spanish White. One bedroom is Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and one other bedroom is a sky blue. This room is really uplifting and we want to create the same thing for our 3 year old. A. The dark room with a small window in it sounds as though it would make a good bedroom. If it was a 'sleeping only space' and is darkish already it sounds as though it could be a good place for resting whereas the other room (if it was a lighter space) could be a lovely fun/colourful playroom. My rationale is that it can be difficult to lighten/brighten a dark space to make it a playroom because it may not be improved enough with colour to make children want to use it to play in. And by brightening and adding lots of excitement to the 3 years old’s bedroom will that keep them awake 24/7 and over excited?
June 2016
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Q. I need a white tone to complement Resene Quarter Tea which is covering two thirds of the floor to ceiling walls in a bathroom. I want to finish the top third of the walls plus the ceiling in a complementary white tone. Do you have a recommendation on a shade of white that would work with Resene Quarter Tea? A. Either of these colours might work for you - the first is a warmer white and the second is a cooler white - Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Half Sea Fog.
June 2016
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Q. We used the colour Resene Double Arrowtown to make a feature of the roof top domes. The result is not as striking as expected unfortunately. We are not wanting to repaint what has been done but for the remaining ones, we wondered if you could suggest an alternative such as a contrasting colour that could work better, or could we darken the existing colour for the remaining domes, i.e. double strength? A. Colours on an exterior need to have a high level of definite contrast as bright natural sunlight makes the colours seem much lighter or brighter often looking like an half tone version of the colour chosen. Unfortunately the Resene Double Arrowtown can't have more colourants added to it as it already carries its maximum load - over tinting can cause problems with paint not drying enough to form a good bond to the surface it is painted onto. You might look at using one of these colours - Resene Half Mondo, Resene Triple Stonehenge or deeper - Resene Masala. If you look at the lighter versions of these colours it will give you a representation of how much lighter they may look in a bright light situation. Your painter should be able to advise you about how colours perform - he would know which of these colours might show up best against the background of the sky also.
June 2016
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Q. I am renovating. I would like a dark steel roof and a light body, no cream or white please. I want something that really stands out. A. Dark roof colours for you to consider - Resene Element, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Windswept or Resene Grey Friars. Light main house colour options - Resene Sidecar, Resene Chill Out, Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Relax. These are colours that really stand out amongst the cream, white, grey and beige colours usually seen on exteriors of houses.
June 2016
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Q. What Resene black works well with Oamaru stone and silver aluminium? A. You could try Resene Double Foundry, Resene Nero, Resene Blackjack, or 'real' black - Resene Black.
June 2016
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Q. We are interested in your suggestions for an interior wall colour. We have a 1950s stucco house painted in Resene Ironsand (roof), Resene Silver Chalice (cladding) and Resene White (joinery). Our inherited interior colours are Resene Tea in the living areas, yellow in the bedrooms, and green in the bathroom. Neither of us like the yellow. However, the Resene Tea seems to go well with our furniture colour. In the future we will replace the carpet as our funds allow. However, we would like to replace our curtains very soon as their thermal performance is very poor. It’s proving a bit difficult to pick a curtain colour as it needs to go with our current colour scheme (yellow/Resene Tea) and something different in the future. We looked at Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, but it seemed too pale and cool. I'm happy to move on from Resene Tea, perhaps in a neutral colour or something very different? Our interior joinery and ceilings will stay white. What do you suggest would be some suitable interior wall colours? A. If you do favour greys they are very popular for drapes - deeper tones are warmer looking and very smart. Some options from the Resene Curtain Collection - Diva Charcoal, Tease Charcoal or Tease Flame. These fabrics work really well with Resene Tea and certain types of yellow. I suggest you get thermal lined curtains if you want something better than the average.
June 2016
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Q. We are building a house with a COLORSTEEL® roof. I really like Resene Burnt Umber, but I need to select from one of the few COLORSTEEL® colours. Ironsand is available in COLORSTEEL® but it seems too grey. Can you please suggest a COLORSTEEL® colour for the roof that is browner than Ironsand? A. You are right there aren't a lot of colours available in COLORSTEEL® or any of the standard powder coat roof colours but you might consider using Lignite.
June 2016
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Q. We recently painted the interior of our house Resene Black White for the ceilings, skirtings, windows, etc. and Resene Triple Black White for the plasterboard walls. We were going to paint the external windows etc., Resene Black White and the weatherboards Resene Triple Black White but feel we need a darker grey outside. What grey colours are a darker version of Resene Triple Black White? A. You might try one of these colours - Resene Silver Sand, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Gauntlet.
June 2016
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Q. We recently bought a Lockwood home and want to lighten the colour inside, probably by painting the wood a tone of white on the walls and ceiling in the living areas and kitchen. Could you please help with some colour recommendations? A. Firstly - there is a product called Resene Colorwood Whitewash, which is like a white tinted varnish that can be applied over older varnished wooden walls. I think you should check out the woodcare product display stand at your local Resene ColorShop to see the samples - it may be just what you want. It requires minimal pre-treatment. Other options would require more prep - sand, seal then paint 2-3 coats in a 'white' colour of your choice - possibly Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Barely There.
June 2016
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Q. We are in the process of a new build and have all but settled on our colours. The exterior is LINEA® and Rockcote. We have a Grey Friars roof, guttering and fascia. For the LINEA® we are thinking Resene Half Baltic Sea and the Resene Triple Black White or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. We also are a bit stuck on the garage door. Maybe Sandstone Grey in a matt finish? The window aluminium is Silver Pearl. Our front door is going to be a blue glass in Resene Spray. Is there any other colour combinations you could suggest? Also for the internal walls we were thinking Resene White Pointer but are unsure what to do for the doors, door trims and skirting. Any help will be much appreciated. A. Is there any reason that you wouldn't use the same colour as the roof on the garage door? I think that Resene Triple Black White works better with Silver Pearl joinery and Resene Quarter Grey Friars looks better (and harmoniously related) to the roof colour. Resene Half Baltic Sea has a lot of red/yellow (could look brownish) in it and doesn't sit well with the steel blue charcoal of the Grey Friars - it is definitely the 'odd man out' in the palette of colours you mention. Resene Quarter Silver Chalice makes the Silver Pearl look a little yellow by comparison, which is why it wouldn't be my first (or second) choice of a light grey. For the interior doors, door frames and skirting board colour (could be ceilings as well), I recommend you use Resene Half Black White as it looks super smart and crisp with Resene White Pointer.
June 2016
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Q. We are working with our existing Karaka roof and looking for colours for the walls (both the plaster and the contrasting LINEA® boards), our windows are Arctic White. I was considering Resene Double Stack for the weatherboards (as I read it is 40%+ reflective) and a lighter grey on the rest of the house. I love grey tones, but am not keen on brown greys and am struggling with green greys such as Resene Tapa. But I'm worried the less green greys will not fit with the roof colour! We are rural, so have trees and pasture surrounding. A. It isn't just the Karaka green roof that you may have issues with but also the cool distinctively blue toned Arctic White joinery as well. The two colours create a warm/cold discord. Perhaps you might look at these tonal greys (which will work with the Arctic White) to see if they appeal to you - Resene Kensington Grey (LRV 43) for the LINEA® and Resene Half Delta (LRV 49) for the plastered surfaces, or Resene Double Stack (LRV 25) for the LINEA® and Resene Silver Chalice (LRV 49) for the plastered surfaces, or Resene Castle Rock (LRV 32) for the LINEA® and Resene Half Copyrite (LRV 61). These last two colours work splendidly well with the rural environment and the Karaka roof colour but may make the Arctic White look a little greyer.
June 2016
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Q. I would like to paint my mid-century home, and cannot decide on a colour palette. I would like something that fits with the era of the house. Currently it is ‘snifter’ green, with a dark green roof and garage door. The white trim and the wooden cladding has been painted a red/brown. We would like to strip the wood and finish naturally if possible. A. If you strip the paint on the wooden cladding you would have to do a really thorough job on it to remove all residues of old paint. Stain is a natural look but does require recoating every 2-3 years in order to keep the wood in good order and well protected. Paint does last a lot longer before recoating is needed. A. Houses of this era often used creams, red oxides and deep greens or whites, browns and yellows. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Pearl Lusta/Resene Pioneer Red/Resene Kelp with a cedar looking stain – Resene Woodsman Oiled Cedar, or Resene Alabaster/Resene Lignite/Resene Sidecar with a traditional brown stain Resene Woodsman English Walnut.
June 2016
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Q. We are looking at painting a large living area/kitchen diner. The home is in Dunedin with windows facing east, west and north. Thinking of Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Black White but would appreciate your thoughts on the choice of white shade and any complementary colour given deep red furniture and grey kitchen cabinets. A. Resene Half Black White is a sharper white than Resene Half Sea Fog. Because of the multi aspects of natural light you have in the living area these colours may just look like bright white. Using layers of tonal greys and charcoals will add a bit more to the look of the space and will work really well with the other colours (deep red furniture and grey kitchen cabinets) and so would small touches of crisp yellow. You might look at these colours to see how you could incorporate them as accents in the room - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Quarter Foundry, Resene Foundry or Resene Teddy.
June 2016
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Q. We are getting new aluminium joinery to replace our old wooden frames. The colour is going to be Arctic White and we would like to change the colour of our house from white to a dark grey to pop the white of our new joinery. I was wondering what sort of greys you would suggest for the exterior weather boards? A. I think a mid-toned grey might still make the windows 'pop' and would be less inclined than a very dark grey to cause heat related problems to the weatherboards. Whichever grey you ultimately use please do use the CoolColour version if available to minimise (as much as possible) U.V. damage. Check these colours out - Resene Jumbo, Resene Stack, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Raven, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.
June 2016
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Q. I would like advice for painting the bedrooms of a 1920s bungalow. It has 9ft battened ceilings and one bedroom is the former dining room with a bay window and a brick/rimu fireplace. I'd like a warm yet bright white for the walls and a clean modern crisp white for the ceilings/sills etc. A. You might like to check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Orchid White with Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Bianca with Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Villa White with Resene Alabaster.
June 2016
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Q. I would like a wall colour to go with our Resene Half Spanish White kitchen. We currently have Resene Double Spanish White and would like to go lighter without the yellow tone. We have matai timber flooring and natural camel sisal colour carpet, with cream aluminium joinery and linen look curtains. I have green Tony Sly pottery in the room also. A. Lighter without the yellow tone might be one of these colours - it may make the Resene Half Spanish White look yellower however - is that all right with you? Try Resene Quarter Villa White or Resene Rice Cake.
June 2016
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Q. I'm having my late 60s bungalow style house painted at present. We have an existing roof in Karaka, and have selected Resene Double Pravda for the weatherboards and Resene Half Sea Fog for our windows/trim. We've gone with Resene Wasabi for our front door. I'm looking for suggestions for a deck colour. We'd initially planned to not paint (and remove) our existing deck - but have changed our minds as the deck looks shabby compared to the freshly painted house. The existing deck paint is in poor condition but is not likely to be easy to remove completely. I've trialled your EzyPaint software and am thinking a brown colour might work with the colours we've got - perhaps Resene Pine Cone or Resene Spice? A. Resene Double Pravda and Karaka have a common underlying colour component - yellow/green. Ideally any colour for the deck must work in harmony with them. The colours you have looked at may be a little too orange in their undertone. You might check out these ones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Sambuca, Resene Space Shuttle, Resene Judge Grey, Resene Nest Egg, Resene Half Wood Bark or Resene Half Mondo. If you want a lighter colour then you could consider using Resene Half Pravda. June 2016
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Q. I am looking for a light grey to paint our new kitchen cabinets that will be comfortable against a cream coloured cooker and against marble. I am also looking for a warm white for the walls in the kitchen and throughout the house. A. You might check out these greys - Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Tapa, Resene Delta, or these warm whites - Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.
June 2016
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Q. I am looking for a suggested exterior colour to paint a Stucco house with a new COLORSTEEL® Ironsand Roof and matching Marley guttering. A. You don't mention which types of colours you favour so these suggestions may be a little random - some colours to get you started are - Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Cararra, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Tea.
June 2016
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Q. I have a 1970s vertical undressed board and batten bach with an iron roof in a native bush clad setting right on the coast. I have just replaced the old roofing iron with Colorcote® Magnaflow Scoria. The exterior walls are stained a very dark brown (now almost black) and I propose to keep them this way. What do you recommend for a) exterior wooden window frames/doors and b) soffits. I also have white plastic downpipes I will keep but wish to paint. A. A light colour as opposed to a stark white for the windows and doors (because this would be too optic and not in keeping with the environment) might be an appropriate option - is that what you had in mind? You could look at one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tana, Resene Dusted Grey or Resene Double Villa White. Or (possibly) a stronger colour statement - Resene Fiddlesticks, Resene Wimbledon, Resene Groundbreaker, or to match the roof - Resene Scoria. Under the soffits and guttering/downpipes could be a Resene Half Merino or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or one of the light colours listed previously. I don't recommend really dark colours for the guttering and downpipes as the heat attracted can make the PVC twist and pop out of the joiners.
June 2016
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Q. I would like some advice on possible exterior colour choices for my house - exterior weatherboards, base stucco and aluminium window joinery (sort of dark brown). A. Exterior cladding suggestions - Resene Double Merino, Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Silver Chalice. Stucco base suggestions - Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Double Bison Hide or Resene Gunsmoke. The colours for the stucco are listed in the same order to relate to the main colour suggestions. Alternative options might be to paint the stucco the same as the weatherboards or the same as the windows. If you want to re-colour the metal powder coated window joinery you will need to do a lot of prep work - it is nowhere as straight forward as repainting wooden joinery. If you are and you don't want dark brown windows anymore then a soft toned white might be a good colour because it goes with a lot of other colours that you might use on the house. Perhaps check out these colours - Resene Black White or a warmer option - Resene Quarter Merino.
June 2016
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Q. The interior of the house is painted Resene Half Spanish White with rimu doors, skirting etc. except for a sunroom that has opening windows and a door that have been painted Resene New Denim Blue. I have stripped this paint back to the wood which I think is white pine. Would I be best to paint the window frames Resene Half Spanish White? The carpet is a fawn sisal with small darker brown stripes. A. You could do that or you might use a slightly lighter variant - Resene Quarter Spanish White. I suspect the lighter variant may work better for you but it is a personal choice.
June 2016
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Q. I have painted our south facing, rather dark hallway in Resene Surf Crest. What colour should I paint the picture rail and the wall above the picture rail? The door frames are a warm matai colour. I don't want to paint the doorframes. I'm going for either a rustic French country look or a retro look inspired by the Mojo Coffee logo colours. On paper Resene Kumutoto for above the picture rail and milk chocolate for the picture rail worked well with Surf Crest, but I fear that that much Resene Kumutoto will have effect of making the hallway look darker, which I don't want. The hallway is wide and has a high stud. A. Colours seen in an interior are always seen as deeper (sometimes double their intensity) than you might expect. This would be even more noticeable in a dark hallway. Perhaps you could test Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Sea Nymph or even Resene Unwind to see if they will work with Resene Surf Crest.
June 2016
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Q. I have a villa with lots of wood. I am using Resene Sunkissed on the back wall of my large kitchen and above the fireplace and Resene Gin Fizz on the other two walls. Now I want to bring in a blue/green as I have this in the foyer and from there you look directly into the kitchen and the wall in question is within sight. This wall has the kitchen bench along it and a large window facing the east. I am considering Resene Scaramanga but am worried it will show up too blue. I wonder if it is too cold or a good contrast? A. The easterly light (early morning) has the definite potential to 'green up' colours so I am not that worried about your colour choice looking too blue - Resene Scaramanga is a green (not a blue green) and coupled with the aspect of light I think it can only ever be seen as green. Colours that have a little more blue/green tone and provide good contrast to the other colours you have are these ones - Resene William, Resene Green Meets Blue or Resene Breaker Bay. If you compare them with each other and with Resene Scaramanga your eye will be better able to judge what they truly look like. If you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library it will help you see the reality of the colours and from there it will be easier to choose which one(s) to trial in the space. It is only by trialling the colours in the environment where you intend to paint them in - with the other colours that will be close to it - that you will be able to sort out what works best. Testpots are your best friend in this regard.
June 2016
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Q. My kitchen cabinetry will be painted in Resene Quarter Black White. However I would like the kitchen island to be painted in a blackish colour. Can you advise on which black colour will complement the Resene Quarter Black White? Also can you recommend an off white and a neutral colour to paint the walls in this kitchen area? This room will contain the kitchen, lounge and dining areas. This room has a cathedral ceiling with white timber cladding. It is facing west. A. These colours will work well with the kitchen cabinetry to create a really contemporary look - off white - Resene Half Black White, neutral Colour – Resene Double Black White and black - Resene Gumboot.
June 2016
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Q. We had decided on Resene Quarter Arrowtown for our bedrooms but on doing a test paint, it was too dark. I have fallen in love with Resene Napa (Resene Quarter Napa maybe) but now don't know what colour to do our blinds or feature wall in the master bedroom- it was going to be Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Foundry. A. If you felt Resene Quarter Arrowtown was too dark (and all colours in an interior always look deeper or brighter) had you thought about using Resene Eighth Arrowtown? Just a thought. If you have decided on the browner colour - Resene Quarter Napa - the feature wall colour could be one of these warmer colours - Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Wireless, Resene Tundora or Resene Nocturnal. I do think the Resene Fuscous Grey might still work.
June 2016
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Q. We have used Resene Double Masala, on the lower half of our two storey house, intending to use a lighter shade of Resene Masala on the upper storey. However, the lighter shades, i.e. Resene Half Masala and Resene Quarter Masala tend to look grey against the downstairs colour. We have also looked at Resene Tobacco Brown and Resene Cement as other options, but they are too light and brownish against the Resene Double Masala. What other colour options could you suggest to team with the Resene Double Masala? A. People often make the error of judgement thinking lighter and deeper versions of a colour will naturally work together. They may do but usually they don't - they are different and unique as colours go. Perhaps in this case you might look at these sludgy olive toned colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Ironside Grey (this colour is on the BS5252 colour chart) or Resene Triple Friar Greystone .
June 2016
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Q. I'm getting a new kitchen and would love cabinets to be all white (also having white subway tiles). The cupboards will be going right to the ceiling so was thinking of matching the white of the ceiling so will all blend in. My walls are Resene Merino. What is a white in the Resene range closest to ceiling white that I could get my cabinetry made in? A. Because standard matt acrylic Ceiling White has a tendency to look slightly shadowy/grey toned (all colours looks greyer on a ceiling but more so if it is a matt finish) I suggest you look at using Resene Eighth Black White. I think however that the cabinets may be glossier (usually semi-gloss but sometimes full gloss) and that will make the white cabinets look different from the flatter finish of the ceiling. Have you thought of using a better (tougher/scrubbable/made for the purpose) product on the ceiling - i.e. Resene SpaceCote Kitchen & Bathroom Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Eighth Black White? Then if it looks a little bit more 'greyed' because of the way light falls away from the ceiling causing shadows then it may be a better match for the slightly shinier finish on the cabinets. All of the whites will look different from each other - the white subway tiles won't exactly match any other white but generally it isn't perceived as a 'biggie' because the 'white on white' look creates a layering of white light and soft shadow.
June 2016
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Q. What colour would suit the front door on a house painted in Resene Linen and Resene Black White trim? Would you recommend Resene Half Diesel or Resene Diesel? A. It is a personal choice – Resene Half Diesel is softer and more mellow in tone and the full strength Resene Diesel has a blacker more hard red/brown tone to it. What is the look you want to achieve? Soft/mellow or hard edged and stronger? You should test the colour very carefully to get a better idea of how it may look.
June 2016
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Q. Please recommend a light grey with a warm/green tone that will work best with Resene Quarter Spanish White. A. These colours are worth checking out - Resene Quill Grey, Resene Silver Sand, Resene Half Copyrite, Resene Copyrite, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Grey Nickel.
June 2016
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Q. We have our walls painted in Resene Tea and would like to keep that throughout the house. We are renovating and looking to paint our windows (we sanded back and varnished them 10+years ago). What Resene Tea range could we use without going white? A. You might look at these colours to see if you like them - Resene Quarter Tea (a soft tone of the same colour), Resene Albescent White (looks better with Resene Tea than Resene Eighth Tea which throws a pink undertone) or Resene Half Pearl Lusta (quite clean and warm - a good contrast with Resene Tea).
June 2016
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Q. I have bought 10 litres Resene Zylone Sheen tinted to the colour Resene Solitaire and intend to buy some white Resene Zylone Sheen to tone some or all of the Resene Solitaire down. Does mixing Resene Solitaire with white - one to one - give Resene Half Solitaire and four Resene Solitaire to one white give Resene Quarter Solitaire or are the formulas more complicated than that. I have used both colours before depending on the lighting. A. Sometimes the formulas are more complex than simply breaking them down with white paint. Resene Half Solitaire and Resene Quarter Solitaire have one colourant that is changed compared to that in full strength Resene Solitaire. But you can do what you are considering doing - it will achieve what you want to achieve. But your version of Resene Half Solitaire and Resene Quarter Solitaire may be very slightly different to the 'real' versions. Do you have containers larger than 10 litre pails that you are planning on mixing the paints in? Do you have the means to blend the coloured paint and the white paint very well together? It can be difficult inter mixing paint (because it is heavier) than mixing colourants into paints and that takes two minutes or more of hard out revolutions on an electric shaker.
June 2016
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