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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 50

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

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

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 50

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


Q. The top of my house is painted in Resene Napa and the bottom half is in a red brick. I have just built a new fence and was wondering what colour/s you would recommend painting it.

A. I think the fence needs a bit of depth to offset the house colour. Not too dark as that may be oppressive. It is a good idea to look at the A4 real painted samples of the colours in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop. Seeing large real samples helps you to judge the reality of the colour. Perhaps painting all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and pinning it to the fence will help you to envisage 'more' of the colour when seen from close up and from further away.

You might check out these colours – Resene Double Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Squall.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
July 2016

Q. I have a garage painted Resene Truffle and want to know what colour I should paint the door?

A. Perhaps one of these colours could appeal to you - Resene Friar Grey or deeper versions of this colour – Resene Double Friar Grey, or greyer - Resene Quarter Ironsand, or a definite 'statement' colour - Resene Rivergum or Resene Scoria.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
July 2016

Q. We have just moved in to a new house. The whole interior is painted very dark grey throughout (Resene Half Trojan I think). My boys' rooms are south facing and I want to warm them up. The carpet is dark also as are the blinds (we will probably replace the blinds in the boys' rooms). Resene Corn Field has been suggested which I really like. From the samples I can see already it will make a huge difference to warming up and lightening the space. They are 4 and 6 years old, so what complementary colours would you suggest - either for paint or accessorising to make it more 'boyish'? Just a bit worried it could look too yellow en masse - perhaps more like a nursery.

A. All colours have the potential to double their depth or brightness in an interior - and of all the colours yellow has the greatest tendency to do this. I am a little wary of Resene Cornfield - if you really wanted to use this sort of bright/clear yellow I would suggest you may need to lighten it to Resene Rum Swizzle. This will neutralise the intensity and make it easier to co-ordinate with other colours. You could keep one wall as the grey and use it offset the clarity of the Resene Rum Swizzle and possibly as a backdrop to photos, art or posters. If you framed these up using white frames it would 'pop' out of the deeper grey colour. Small touches of a red like Resene Bullseye and bright teal like Resene Sea Green will add some 'fun'. This could be painted furniture or toy boxes etc - or even colours in duvets.

Resene Corn Field
Resene Corn Field
Resene Rum Swizzle
Resene Rum Swizzle
Resene Bullseye
Resene Bullseye
Resene Sea Green
Resene Sea Green
July 2016

Q. We are planning to repaint our weatherboards and roof. However we are not certain which colour to paint our house. One suggestion is to paint the weatherboards an 'off-white' colour and to leave the colour of the roof a terracotta colour. Another suggestion is to match the weatherboards with the lighter colour of the brick (e.g. a light brownish colour), and the roof the same colour as our spouting (Ironsand).

A. Seeing as you have a small amount of Ironsand on the house now the first thought of mine was to lighten that type of colour (a lot) to try for a co-ordinate so it may look a little bit like the grout between the bricks – Resene Gauntlet, or lighter Resene Quarter Chicago, or much lighter – Resene Atmosphere or Resene Dusted Grey.

By painting the roof to match the Ironsand guttering you will remove some of the terracotta influence but it will still leave the bricks saying 'hello! we are still a standalone feature of terracotta!' but it may allow you to pursue the 'off white' idea for the weatherboards. I suggest you check out these warmer and more coloured 'off whites' so the bricks have a 'friend' and aren't totally cast adrift in the scheme of colours. Plus you have a white garage door and window joinery so the weatherboards must be more coloured compared to these elements. You could try Resene Half Solitaire or Resene Eighth Biscotti.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
   
July 2016

Q. Can you recommend a light grey colour that complements Resene Baltic Sea? I'm looking to paint the outside of my house where the door and window shutters are all painted Resene Baltic Sea. Window and door frames are white.

A. You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Silver Sand or Resene Quill Grey.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
       
Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow
Resene Quarter
Scarpa Flow

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
July 2016

Q. What is the top colour which you guys can recommend for painting fences and decking? Or the top choice which people normally buy. One person recommended Resene Ebony Clay.

A. Dark colours in general are favoured for fences but not so dark for decks. Because of the heat attracted to the deck (when using dark colours) most people find it too hot to walk on with bare feet and the stress can cause the boards to split at the nail heads. Sometimes the decks are painted marginally deeper than the main house colour for this reason - and practically - there is a closer association colour wise. It is however a personal choice. Which are the most popular colours? Colours like Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Karaka, Resene All Black and Resene Wood Bark - always in the CoolColour™ version of the colour to try to minimise - as much as is possible - the U.V. damage caused by heat.

Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Wood Bark
Resene Wood Bark
July 2016

Q. I am currently renovating and repainting our 1969-1970s home on the inside. I have chosen Resene Fossil, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Double Fossil for walls and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta for trims and ceilings. We have the old aluminium windows which will eventually be replaced by a light earthy creamy colour. The carpet will be an earthy or deep colour. I have painted my guest room in Resene Double Fossil and my daughter's bedroom in Resene Orchid White (her choice). I am unsure what colour to use in our main bedroom facing southwest. Our drapes will be velvet and also the headboard. I plan on using Resene Moroccan Spice and Resene Root Beer in the kitchen or bathroom. My accents throughout will be earthy, rich with a mix of old and new.

A. Often in a main bedroom it is the colourful bed covers that need to have pride of place - is this the case in your bedroom? Because I change my duvets to suit the season I like my wall colour to allow for this. If you favour white duvets all year round then a stronger colour on the walls takes the place of 'eye interest' bed linen. You don't mention what colour curtains or headboard you are considering and this will have a tremendous bearing upon what wall colour you might have.

South/west bedrooms don't usually get as much sunlight as some other rooms - late afternoon sun may flood the room if no trees or fences close to the window obscure this natural light. The south aspect of natural light is cooler and not as welcoming.

Colours like Resene Orchid White may work as it is a light sunny colour and will work well with the Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and allows you lots of freedom to 'colour up' bed linen, drapes and the headboard.

Heavier colours like Resene Triple Fossil add an earthy richness but are quite dominant and force you to consider very pale co-ordinates - i.e. the lightest versions of Resene Pearl Lusta or very deep or bold co-ordinates i.e. Resene Root Beer, Resene Woodrush or Resene Burnt Crimson. It really does depend on the overall look that you are trying to create. When you replace the window joinery I suggest you check out Resene Titania as it will work with the Resene Fossil palette that you have created in the house and is light enough to be a 'neutral' with darker colour.

Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Double Fossil
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Moroccan Spice
Resene Moroccan Spice
Resene Root Beer
Resene Root Beer
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Woodrush
Resene Woodrush
Resene Burnt Crimson
Resene Burnt Crimson
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
July 2016

Q. We are rebuilding on our family farm. We have a Hebel exterior and a tiled roof in charcoal. We want the Hebel to be cream but to also reflect the rural location. We have lots of trees near the house and great view to the mountains. Can you suggest a neutral colour?

A. Perhaps one of these 'rural inspired' creams may be the one you are looking for – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Pavlova, Resene Wheatfield or Resene Scotch Mist.

Colours appear much lighter/brighter on an exterior so these have a bit of earthy depth to them. Fingers crossed that one may be the right one for you.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Scotch Mist
July 2016

Q. I am looking for a wall and a ceiling colour to work with Resene Red Devil in a small dining room area. There are rimu skirtings and dado rail. The Resene Red Devil is on 900mm wide pressed tin panels below the dado rail. The area is alongside a bar and is themed as a typical Victorian English pub.

A. You might use one of these colours for the walls - a soft light look – Resene Linen with a lighter green/neutral for the ceiling – Resene Quarter Joanna, or Resene Coconut Cream with a cleaner/sweet pale neutral for the ceiling - Resene China Ivory, or dramatic - Resene Saratoga with a definite colour for the ceiling - Resene Nirvana, or Resene Cobblestone with a grey/green neutral on the ceiling - Resene Half Copyrite, or richly opulent - Resene Putty with Resene Pearl Lusta.

Resene Red Devil
Resene Red Devil
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Coconut Cream
Resene Coconut Cream
Resene China Ivory
Resene China Ivory
Resene Saratoga
Resene Saratoga
Resene Nirvana
Resene Nirvana
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Half Copyrite
Resene Half Copyrite
Resene Putty
Resene Putty
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
 
July 2016

Q. We have a house that is 30 years old in a south-facing valley with bush outlook and are trying to choose a colour for the interior. There are exposed timber rafters, a cathedral ceiling along with rimu trims and kitchen cabinetry. It is quite a cool house so a warm light colour is preferable. I am considering Resene Bianca or Resene Pearl Lusta but can't tell if they would be too white, and need even warmer tones? Any colours that I should really shy away from? Thanks.

A. South facing rooms often are grey/shadowy or sour/yellow/green. A warm light colour may need to embrace less yellow green so personally I would be inclined to move away from Resene Pearl Lusta which may look a little greenish. Perhaps you might check out some creamy colours that are based on subtle beige and orange undertones rather than yellow/green – Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Gin Fizz, Resene Orchid White or Resene Double Bianca.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
July 2016

Q. We have a colonial style house built in 1939. It has an orange clay tile roof and we are updating our windows to double glazed and really want to choose charcoal aluminium joinery. The weatherboards are a bright white and I would think that a lightish grey would go well for the trims around the windows, the fascia board and gutter. However I don't want the grey to look too blue. There seem to be so many greys to choose from so just not sure which grey would work best. Orange clay tile roofs are difficult to work with so just needing a bit of advice.

A. All greys carry an assortment of colourants in them so if it isn't a grey with a blue undertone it may well have a green, brown, yellow or purple undertone - is this ok? If you are having Matt Charcoal for your windows you might check these greys out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Rakaia or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

The opposite colour to orange (your roof tiles) across the colour wheel is blue so they work really well together. Are you sure you don't want a grey that will work really well with the roof colour? If you were happy to consider that you could try Resene Surrender, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Iron or Resene Double Concrete.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
 
July 2016

Q. We have got bright white aluminium joinery and old fashioned blue grey speckled carpet. We wanted a warm modern white for trims and interior walls. We just got Resene Half Pearl Lusta for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the trims but we are so disappointed with ourselves as we have made the house more dated. The Resene Half Pearl Lusta is very yellow cream, and even the Resene Alabaster is a bit cream beside the very white aluminium window and door frames. Can you please help us with a new modern/warm white?

A. I have a feeling that the white aluminium joinery you have may be Arctic White. It makes 'real' white look warm by comparison as it is so sharp/cool and blue toned. Unless you were able to remove its influence you will always find it stops 'warm' colours from working as well as you would like.

Your windows want you to use cooler colours. Will you do that? Or will you try to cover most of the joinery with drapes, sheers and blinds to try to hide its cool influence?

You might try Resene Black White, Resene Wan White or Resene Quarter Iron - but they are cooler not warmer whites.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
July 2016

Q. We want to dress up a 20 year old house. It needs a total paint. The existing COLORSTEEL® roof is Karaka as is the powdercoated front door and garage doors. The garage doors need painting too. There is a terracotta coloured brick chimney. Windows are white aluminium. I like grey and white (inspired by the colour of a seagull!).

A. Perhaps if the grey was slightly beige toned (like a weary albatross returning home from the far reaches of the southern oceans) instead of silver white toned (like the little storm petrels) it may work better with your Karaka and white aluminium.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Cloud, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Half Cloudy or Resene Half Truffle.

The garage door could be painted the same as the roof - Resene Karaka - to tie it all together or if you feel that may be too 'attention seeking' you can always paint it to match the main house colour.

Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
July 2016

Q. I am trying to find a suitable colour for my daughter's bedroom. We have recently changed all the living areas to Resene Half Fossil as all the house used to be Resene Double Pearl Lusta which was very yellow looking for us. The master bedroom we have done in Resene Beryl Green. Our daughter's (nearly 5 years old) bedroom is off the kitchen which is Resene Double Spanish White which we are keeping. Her room is south facing looking on to our garden and only in summer gets direct sunlight; however it is a light room. We have tried a number of testpots, various off whites such as Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Villa White and at the moment it is Resene Half Fossil. It is just a little bone like in her room and not very feminine. We also tried Resene Blanched Pink but it took on a purple bruised like colour. We tried Resene Dust Storm and that was overwhelmingly pink. I've thought about going towards a duck egg or robin's egg but feel that may have the same bruised effect and may look cold.

A. If you were to use a lighter warm colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Spanish White - which relates well to your main colour (Resene Half Fossil) and to the kitchen colour (Resene Double Spanish White) then you have the flexibility to add soft sweet colours to the room - either as a feature wall or painted furniture or storage boxes for toys. Some colours that you might check out to see if they are appeal to you - and your little girl - are these ones – Resene Breeze, Resene Ebb, Resene Quarter Beryl Green, Resene Half Periglacial Blue or Resene Pot Pourri.

There is nothing to stop you using more than one colour - you could be clever and stencil small and large circles or triangles on one wall using all or some of the colours.

Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Dust Storm
Resene Dust Storm
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
Resene Ebb
Resene Ebb
Resene Quarter Beryl Green
Resene Quarter
Beryl Green
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
July 2016

Q. We are painting our lounge and deciding between either Resene Athens Grey or Resene Eighth Pravda. Resene Athens Grey looks quite modern but we wonder if it will feel a little cold? The carpet is a medium grey and windowsills and skirting are white. We are thinking of a light/off white colour curtains. We have a black fireplace that sits on a base of brown tiles that we also want to paint. We are having trouble even getting an idea about what colour might go well on the tiles to match the walls. Something bold and dark, black like the fireplace, or a lighter warmer colour? Many thanks.

A. Resene Athens Grey is quite a bit lighter than Resene Eighth Pravda and cooler. Resene Athens Grey can throw up a slight undertone of lilac and Resene Eighth Pravda has more of a warm grey/beige undertone.

You may need to view more greys in order to see their unique qualities. Perhaps you could pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real painted samples in their Colour Library to compare and be more able to judge for yourself which type of grey will work best with the carpet colour. If you want the black fireplace to be 'grounded' then the tiled base might be painted to match but if you want the fireplace to look as though it is elevated from the floor (floating) then you could paint the tiles to match the wall so all the emphasis is on the fireplace not the tiled base.

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
July 2016

Q. My lounge room is south facing and has dark 1920s wood panels on the door frames and the ceiling is panelled with wood and white. It receives little sunshine. I am looking to paint the room and was wondering if a warm white would be a good choice. The room connects to a dining room, which I would also need to paint.

A. If it was your thought that a whiter colour might make the room look brighter it may not be the case. Sometimes whites - of any kind - in a south facing room only look grey and cool because of the quality of the natural light. It may be the dark wood that makes the room seem a lot less light (or sunny) and certainly if you were considering biting the bullet and painting it a warm white then that may work admirably.

I suggest you trial (carefully) this colour to see if it might do what you hope it will do – Resene Bianca. If you apply all of the testpot to an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted white card border all around the edges you would have a super large sample that could be moved from wall to wall to see if having a warm white might work for you. The unpainted border on the card provides a barrier to keep the testpot sample away from close proximity to any existing wall colour. This is so that you might see it true to reality and not unduly influenced by the greater amount of wall colour.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
July 2016

Q. We have painted the exterior of our villa in Resene Black White with Resene Quarter Black White for the trims. Do we paint the front porch floorboards Resene Black White or Resene Quarter Black White? Same with the railings of our front fence - same colour as the main exterior or the exterior trims?

A. The front fence should be the same as the trims on the house - so that the house looks slightly more coloured and the fence doesn't compete with the house colour. The porch floorboards ideally should be a little deeper than the house colour so that they don't show every footprint which would make cleaning a constant task.

Resene Double Black White will still look very 'whitish' as the natural sunlight diffuses all exterior colours. It is a personal choice - you may be happy mopping down the porch floor every day and getting family and visitors to leave their boots and shoes on the path to the gate and not on the porch.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
July 2016

Q. We are building a new two storey home and we are having trouble choosing the exterior paint colours. The plan is to have the bottom storey rendered and the top will be finished with weatherboard.

The roof will be a mid to dark grey, with a glass balustrade for the top storey balcony and timber features on the lower entry deck and front door. We have also chosen black window frames.

I would love to have light greys for the weatherboard and render; however I'm not sure how to pick the best undertones to keep the house from looking too grey.

A. Most light greys will look grey. You may need to look at grey/whites in order to not have a house that looks too grey. You might check these ones out – Resene Triple Black White - and any of the lighter variants - Resene Double Black White and Resene Black White, or Resene Iron and any of the lighter variants - Resene Half Iron and Resene Quarter Iron, or paler options – Resene Snow Drift or Resene Black Haze.

Because of the way bright natural light diffuses colour on an exterior these colours have a greyish undertone but aren't a 'big' grey.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
July 2016

Q. We have a table which is whitewashed with a very light white but is not a full seal. What product could we use to seal the table and still be clear so that the white shows and is not discoloured?

A. If you use a waterbased urethane - Resene Aquaclear - in a satin gloss level it will clear coat and protect the whitewashed surface without changing the appearance of the whitewash.

July 2016

Q. We are repainting the interior of our 1960s home with cream carpet, starting with the bedrooms and hallway. I like a warm light grey and was thinking of Resene Half Surrender. My children would like a feature wall. My son likes a dark grey, maybe with blue tones, but still warm (it is a small room), and my daughter a very light pink or peach. Would Resene Half Surrender be a good choice all through the house with accents of colour, plus wooden floors, or would you recommend other colours to complement it? It is quite a large house.

A. If the cream carpet is quite a warm colour it will bring out the lilac grey undertone in the Resene Half Surrender - lovely.

A dark grey feature colour in your son's room (with or without blue tones) will absorb a lot of natural light so you may need to use a brighter electric bulb to stop it looking too black at night. You could look at these colours which work really well with the undertones of colour in the Resene Half Surrender – Resene Jimmy Dean, Resene Hammerhead or Resene New Denim Blue.

For your daughter's feature wall – Resene Vanilla Ice, Resene Pot Pourri or Resene Pale Rose.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
   
Resene Jimmy Dean
Resene Jimmy Dean
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pale Rose
Resene Pale Rose
July 2016

Q. I have painted the walls and trim in my laundry with Resene Frontier and the ceiling with Resene Alabaster. If the doors and window are also Resene Frontier it looks like a military installation. Could you suggest a trim colour please? I'm thinking of trusty old white.

A. Trusty old white - preferably Resene Alabaster - will always work as well as it enhances the wall colour so it appears a bit more of a colour and acts as a crisp clean contrast.

If (when all is finished) you still get the feeling that the Resene Frontier is too 'military' - I don't think it will be - get some new laundry baskets (or something) in a cheerful poppy red to be a complement to the green walls. All colour needs to have a friend.

Resene Frontier
Resene Frontier
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2016

Q. I have a bedroom painted in Resene Truffle. I am turning it into a boy's nursery and want to paint a feature wall in either a navy or duck egg blue and am after some advice for warm colours.

A. Some of the navy colours may look warmer than the duck egg blue. Paler often is cooler whereas deeper or brighter equates more to warmth. That is not to say there isn't a place in your son's room for a Duck Egg Blue - it may not be on the wall however - it may be on the bed as a colour in the duvet.

Have a look at these colours for the feature wall – Resene Licorice or Resene Bunting.

And colours like these – Resene Juniper (greener) or Resene Awash (bluer) - for 'other things' in the room - yes it is much deeper than Resene Duck Egg Blue but it may need to be as the depth of Resene Truffle might totally absorb it and make it seem like nothing at all. Resene Duck Egg Blue works better with very, very pale colours - like Resene Eighth Truffle - or even paler.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
Resene Juniper
Resene Juniper
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
 
July 2016

Q. We are repainting our mid-60s home. It has wide sea views and a lot of section/grass, rural views, also trees etc. It has cream carpet (one day thinking of changing) and wooden floorboards in the lounge. I think we have finally decided on a colour scheme but I wanted to run it past you before starting! In the living areas we are thinking of Resene Half Truffle and as it is quite big perhaps a feature wall in Resene Stonehenge or Resene Double Truffle. There is a larger lounge which we may paint Resene Truffle (instead of half). The hallway leading to the bedrooms is quite narrow, and we thought Resene Quarter Truffle. My two daughters like Resene Half Surrender for their rooms and I was thinking Resene Duck Egg Blue for my son's room (love the colour but his room is quite small, plus it has a small window, east facing). Not sure on our room yet... may do Resene Half Truffle. Also the kid's bathroom which is quite close to their rooms, we may do Resene Quarter Truffle... or a light, fresh colour to go with the rest. How does it sound to you? We like warm colours, with a coastal/relaxed feel.

A. I really like the way you are considering the size and natural light in the rooms. By adjusting the tone of the colour to compensate for the light factor and allow maximum flexibility in regard what other coloured elements you might use in these spaces is very good.

You mention liking warm colours but these two are cooler – Resene Duck Egg Blue and Resene Half Surrender. The east facing small bedroom may have the quality of light that robs the Resene Duck Egg Blue of any blue tone when the sunlight isn't streaming in through the window and just leaves it looking grey. Is this ok with you? Resene Half Surrender is a cool (slightly silvery/lilac toned) pale grey colour - your daughters may love it but does it love their room and the natural light it has in it as well as looking great with their other coloured things?

At the end of the day it is all about trialling colour carefully to ensure it looks great in the space most of the time. I say 'most of the time' because no colour is 100% perfect all of the time - if it looks good 80% of the time then that is something to aim for. Testpots are your best friend in regards to getting it right and knowing exactly how it looks in the space you want to use it in. Please apply the testpot (all of it/two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card so your eye focuses on the reality of the colour and the sample can be moved from wall to wall (or room to room) so you can judge for yourself how it alters on a different wall angle and in different aspects of light.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
 
July 2016

Q. We are building a new house with Grey Friars roof and aluminium joinery. The roof looks blue-grey in the sun, while the vertical joinery looks slightly greenish grey. We are trying to find a neutral colour for the LINEA® walls. Preferably elegant, tasteful, timeless but also contemporary, not old fashioned. Not dark, not light, but somewhere in the middle.

A. Colours can change quite radically when seen in different qualities of natural light and on different angles as you have found out with Grey Friars. My version of elegant, tasteful, timeless, contemporary, not dark, not light but somewhere in between may not be at all what you are thinking of - this is where the difficulty lies - humans have a unique 'take' on colour - no two people feel the exact same way. Here are a few suggestions - these are greys which are timeless - that you might check out – Resene Triple Black White, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Half Atmosphere.

And these colours are warmer neutrals that slide between beige and grey - so they are 'greige' so they are very contemporary - Resene Truffle, Resene Eighth Friar Grey or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
July 2016

Q. We have a 100 year old farm house that we are painting in the spring and I am struggling to decide on paint colours. I think I may have decided on Resene Half Napa to use on the weatherboards but I want to paint some features (like corner boards etc) and the windows in a different colour. I was thinking about maybe some sort of white. Also in regards to the roof and doors - I will make these the same colour as well as probably a small porch. I want to know what colours you would suggest to pair with the Resene Half Napa. I want to keep it to the three colours all up.

A. You might look at these colours which work really well with Resene Half Napa - Resene Eighth Rice Cake (trims) and Resene Canyon (roof and doors), or Resene Double Black White (trims) and Resene Windswept (roof and doors), or Resene Alabaster (trims) and Resene Ironsand (roof and doors).

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
July 2016

Q. We are reroofing our villa with COLORCOTE® Slate Blue. We would like the front door to be a similar colour. For the weatherboards we would like a light grey with a touch of warmth – we don't want it to look brown or silver grey. We are thinking of Resene Truffle or Resene Half Perfect Taupe. For the windowsills, veranda floor and steps, balustrade handles and roughcast base (which is one storey high on one side) we would like a dark charcoal which tones with the blue roof. And we have used Resene Vista White for the window frames etc. inside the house. Would this be suitable for use on the exterior windows, balustrades etc.?

A. Resene Half Perfect Taupe is a warm muted mink beige - with a pink undertone - not really grey toned at all. Resene Truffle is a true grey/beige -possibly more beige than grey though.

You may need to see the real painted A4 samples in your local Resene ColorShop's Colour Library and compare them in order to truly get an idea of what the colours are like.

Others that you might check out that are a warm light grey are these ones - Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Pale Slate, Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Eighth Friar Grey.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
July 2016

Q. We're looking to replace our roof with COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. We have a new garage in Titania with a New Denim Blue roof. Out the back of the hous our garden shed is painted in Resene Beachcomber with a Karaka steel roof. We have to paint the back of the house and I really like Resene Beachcomber. However, I'm not sure if it goes with New Denim Blue. What do you think? And if not, what could I pair with it which is not too whitey-bright or too far from Resene Beachcomber?

A. Resene Beachcomber may be a little too bold and yellow/green to work well with the roof colour.

Perhaps you might look at these colours which are a little more subtle but relate well to Resene Beachcomber - Resene Wheatfield, Resene Half Parchment or Resene Quarter Pavlova.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
Resene Beachcomber
Resene Beachcomber
 
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Quarter Pavlova
July 2016

Q. We are planning on painting our house soon. We are mainly working with Resene Grey Nickel and Resene Delta Grey. We feel our hall is quite narrow with not much light. Should we risk it and order a small pot of half Resene Grey Nickel to test or is there another lighter colour that would work nicely with Resene Delta Grey and Resene Grey Nickel.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are light enough for you - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Quill Grey. Hallways aren't renowned for their natural light so any colour is likely to look much deeper further away from the area of wall that gets direct light from the glass panelled door.

Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Delta Grey
Resene Delta Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
July 2016

Q. I am in the process of fully renovating our 1969 architecturally designed house with vaulted ceilings (very intimidating). The semi open plan kitchen has cabinets of both black and white and the benchtops are going to be a stone colour called 'fresh concrete' (looks like a very light concrete). The look I am going for is an industrial/rustic look and I am in love with and thinking of using Resene Baltic Sea as a feature on the north east wall in the dining room (which is north east/north west facing). The floor is wood, which is stained almost a taupe. The lounge is north and north west facing and I want to wrap Resene Baltic Sea around both the north and north west walls (these are big walls). The scotias in both rooms are painted and the door trims and skirtings are a thin rimu (which I am hoping to keep). Carpets are medium - dark grey/brown. I am looking for either a white or greyish off white to use on the other walls in these rooms for a cohesive look and to counteract the darkness of the Resene Baltic Sea - just to make it difficult I also don't want these rooms to feel cold and I strongly dislike anything in the beige family. Also the ceiling in the lounge is massive and prominent so the ceiling colours need to be perfect. Every white I have tried in these rooms to date has come off with a beige tone (bar ditto), which is not helping. I'm not sure if this is the aspect of the rooms or the cork tile and brown carpet flooring that is presently in these rooms.

A. Perhaps the quality of light and aspect (north/west always throws up a really warm coloured light) is what is making the colours that you have tried look a little beige - this may be more accentuated by the cork tiles, any wood trims and the brown carpet. White toned greys will make the rooms look colder than a warm grey/beige (there's that word again) would do. It is your choice - cooler or warmer - perhaps check these colours out - Resene Mystic (cool), Resene Quarter Surrender (could look a little pink/lilac late afternoon westerly light), Resene White Thunder (cool), Resene Sea Fog (warmer), Resene Double Black White (warmer) or Resene Quarter Concrete (between warm and cool).

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Mystic
Resene Mystic
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
July 2016

Q. We are redoing our house exterior and interior. I had to make a quick decision on the colour of the roof and I chose Windsor Grey which is quite shiny and 'barely there'. However I would like to ask for exterior colour matches please and then possible ideas for the interior. The interior I want very neutral. Previously I have liked Resene Sea Fog but this home is having more of a grey palette to match the cinder blocks/concrete exterior.

A. Perhaps you could check out these options - Resene Concrete, Resene Snow Drift, Resene White Thunder or Resene Surrender.

For the interior you could look at Resene Double Black White, Resene Quarter Concrete, Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Quarter Delta.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
 
July 2016

Q. I would appreciate advice on matching my walls to doors, architraves etc. The walls are Resene Forget Me Not, and originally the orange tone was played up and the doors etc. are a dark peachy orange which I would like to tone down. Any thoughts on what colours would tonally match the wall colour and tone down the 90s peach?

A. This is a difficult one. My first option might be a warmed white but any lighter colour will emphasise the wall colour so it is seen peachier. You might like to check out this colour to see if it might appeal to you – half Resene Forget Me Not - it isn't a standard colour but can be replicated by intermixing a White testpot and a Forget Me Not testpot together to see if this would work for you. Or Resene White - if you undercoat in white all of the doors etc you will then be able to see what White might look like with the wall colour, or a definite something - and again this might only work if you have other slightly grey tones in the rooms - Resene Concrete.

Perhaps it is time to change the wall colour as well as the trims? That way you can have anything at all.

Resene Forget Me Not
Resene Forget Me Not

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
July 2016

Q. We are trying to put together two or three colours to create a beachy kids' playroom/lounge. What two/three colours will go together best to create a fun beachy colour scheme?

A. As a start you might look at these colours to see if that is what you imagine will work - do you want 'sand and water'? Try Resene Sidecar (not really NZ sand but lovely with the watery colours), Resene Dauntless and Resene Dali.

Or ' sea & surf' - Resene Skydiver, Resene Into The Blue and Resene Pelorous.

Or paler - not so bright and bold - Resene Spray, Resene Riptide and Resene Foam.

Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dali
Resene Dali
Resene Skydiver
Resene Skydiver
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Pelorous
Resene Pelorous
Resene Spray
Resene Spray
Resene Riptide
Resene Riptide
Resene Foam
Resene Foam
July 2016

Q. I am looking for colour for my roof and gable ends and garage doors to match with a multi-colour brick. The aluminium is brown - the house was built in the late 80s.

A. These colours may suit and work well with the bricks and the dark brown windows - Resene Ironsand (COLORSTEEL® Ironsand), Resene Windswept (COLORSTEEL® TernStyle) or Resene Squall (COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey).

For the gable ends (and any other painted areas) you might look at these colours - Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White

Resene Triple Merino
July 2016

Q. We have primrose/cream window frames. I want to go warm whites throughout the house; however I am really concerned that the primrose frames will stand out and look horrible/dirty and old. We also have a dado rail so I really want to go white on white.

A. Where you have a very definite colour it does stop freedom of colour choice. You have to compromise - sometimes a lot. Resene Primrose is one such colour - warm whites have to carry enough yellow and similar undertone in order to harmonise well. Personally I wouldn't use too 'white' a colour.

Check these out to see if they look ok and appeal to you - Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Cararra or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Primrose
Resene Primrose
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
July 2016

Q. I want to do a feature wall and use Resene Duck Egg Blue horizontal stripes. Can you suggest a few more colours that would look good with Resene Duck Egg Blue stripes?

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene White, Resene Quarter Cararra, Resene Snapshot, Resene Abbey Road, Resene Bluff, Resene Quarter Heathered Grey or Resene La Bamba.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Snapshot
Resene Snapshot
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Bluff
Resene Bluff
Resene Quarter Heathered Grey
Resene Quarter
Heathered Grey
Resene La Bamba
Resene La Bamba
July 2016

Q. We have done our bathroom up with Resene Merino walls and tiles on the floor with a polished wet concrete look, and off-white tiles in the walk in shower. It looks fab. We want to paint the wall hung vanity and I was wondering what Resene Dusted Blue would look like or perhaps a Resene Silver Chalice, even maybe metallic for a bit of sparkle. The two bowls on top are shaped like a cocoon and will be a classic white colour. I feel it would be quite a heavy colour against the cloudy Resene Merino and wanted a bit of softness and perhaps even a bit of glamour.

A. Metallics are glamorous. You don't need a bold coloured one - you could check out one of these to see if they appeal to you - Resene Silver Streak or Resene Aluminium. They are a bit 'timeless' so they may not date as much as a definite colour and will work with the tiles, the white units and the Resene Merino.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Streak
Resene Silver Streak
Resene Aluminium
Resene Aluminium
July 2016

Q. I have a 110 year old villa we have just re-weatherboarded. I'm painting the boards Resene Double Merino and window and door trims Resene Half Bianca. Any idea on any highlight colours for the window sills?

A. You have a huge amount of possible options. Some ideas to get you started - Resene Lisbon Brown, Resene Persian Red, Resene Elephant, Resene Kabul, Resene Possessed or Resene Kelp.

Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Lisbon Brown
Resene Lisbon Brown
Resene Persian Red
Resene Persian Red
Resene Elephant
Resene Elephant
Resene Kabul
Resene Kabul
Resene Possessed
Resene Possessed
Resene Kelp
Resene Kelp
July 2016

Q. We have a board and batten bach with a Karaka roof (roof not overly obvious). We're about to paint the outside but I'm unsure what colour would look best in a coastal environment with Karaka. Will keep windows and framing white. I love black but don't think it will look good with the Karaka (do not want to paint the roof).

A. Black is such a hard edged statement and it might not be my first choice in a coastal environment. You may need to repaint more frequently if you go for dark colour - the combination of wind borne salt and relentless sunshine can create a lot of stress. Had you thought of using a natural colour like marram grass - i.e. Resene Triple Fossil or a wet pumice toned colour - i.e. Resene Double White Pointer or a salty, deep ironsand and shingle rock grey - i.e. Resene Half Baltic Sea? I would definitely recommend that whichever colour you ultimately choose that you use the re-formulated Resene CoolColour™ version to try and minimise the heat/U.V. problems that do occur. It won't stop the problems but it will minimise them.

Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Triple Fossil
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
July 2016

Q. I am building a new home and will be using vertical Weathertex weatherboards as the cladding. I'm looking for suggestions as the architect doesn't seem to quite get a contemporary look.

A. You don't mention what colour roof or window/door joinery colour you are considering, and any suggestions for paint colours would need to go with these colours.

The Weathertex information suggests that lighter colours are recommended in order to protect the surface from damage occurring due to UV/heat etc. Is this what you have in mind to use? The deepest colour that the manufacturers recommend has to have a LRV rating of 25% and no darker. To give you some idea of what this equates to in Resene colours the following are indicative – Resene Double Stack, Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Quarter Mondo.

Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Quarter Mondo
July 2016

Q. I'm desperately in need of exterior colour coordination advice for my home. The house is overly red with bricks and roof tiles as well as surrounding areas. It has an old federation-green paint on the eaves, windows and stairs that we want to paint to rejuvenate the house and bring some life into it. But I am at a loss as to what colour scheme(s) I should go with. We recently re-did the roof and my wife is blaming me for choosing an overly red colour for the roof which makes the house look... well, red. A tradesman has recently criticised our house as looking like an apple. Now I'm scared of making the wrong move with the next colour scheme for the windows and eaves.

A. It is always difficult co-ordinating colours when the dominant factor of the house (bricks and roof) effectively shut down your free choices. Red and green always work well together as they are complementary colours. You might check out these earthy colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Tapa, Resene Chicago, Resene Greige, Resene Half Friar Grey - or paler - Resene Titania, Resene Ash or Resene Triple Rice Cake.

Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
 
July 2016

Q. We are rendering over our 1970s red brick house and would like to paint the render a colour that complements the newly painted charcoal roof, bare aluminium windows, and nature timber slat balcony (garage door, shutter, and fence will change). Internally we have oak floors and light grey walls, so we are considering greys/beiges.

A. You might look at these following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Stonehenge, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Jumbo, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Quarter Tapa.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
 
July 2016

Q. I have two baches on the same property which I would like to repaint so they look more cohesive. Currently they are different colours. They are 70s style with green aluminium windows.

A. The green windows certainly make their presence known. It is sometimes a difficult call to 'hide' something that definite. But using a deeper colour might minimise the green a little bit. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Atomic, or a sympathetic slightly deeper green to the absorb the window colour - Resene Rivergum, or brown - random but as seen in nature (brown and green) - Resene Coffee Break or a paler neutral - Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene
Resene Coffee Break

Resene Triple Merino
July 2016

Q. We plan to paint the interior of our house white. It is currently a creamy yellow and we want to steer clear of this shade. Our windows and skirting will be painted Resene Double Alabaster (as this has already been done in the bedrooms and the exterior windows). Can you recommend some whites that will work with Resene Double Alabaster?

A. You might use one of these 'whites' - check them out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Merino or lighter - Resene Alabaster.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2016

Q. I would like help with kids' room colours. I have two boys. I was looking for a pastel green to go with different coloured wood and a natural light coloured carpet we have chosen. Ceilings and surrounds are/will be done in Resene Black White. I have tried a few colours but they seem to come out bluer than I thought or darker. Rooms are east and south facing. Would you have any suggestions? Also, for the exterior we have done the railings and window surrounds in Resene Black White and the garage door will be Resene Transmission. I'm thinking of Resene Surrender or Resene Concrete for the exterior. We are surrounded by a lot of trees and are on the beach.

A. South facing and east facing rooms have a quality of natural light that can 'grey off' or 'blue up' colours. This may be what you are experiencing when testing colours. Also if you are applying a testpot to plasterboard walls, old walls or walls that are already painted it alters your perception of what the colour looks like. I always suggest painting all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. This border creates a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour so you really focus on the reality of the colour. Having such a large sample means you can move it around from wall to wall to see how changing light or angles alters how it appears to you.

Some greens that you might trial for the boys' rooms - Resene Peppermint, Resene Willow Brook, Resene Pale Leaf, Resene Surf Crest, Resene Snowy Mint, Resene Anise or Resene Edgewater.

All colours in an interior appear deeper than you might expect so all the more reason to think about which walls get all day sun - these are the walls where colours might appear a little lighter. Other walls - especially those that have some shadow on them or are around the windows - will always make the colour look deeper.

The exterior colours that you have mentioned are silver/blue or slightly lilac toned and will look 'whiter/brighter' on the exterior. Is this what you want? You might check out Resene Quarter Stack and Resene Quarter Silver Chalice - these look really nice with the warmer garage door colour and trim colour.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Willow Brook
Resene Willow Brook
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Snowy Mint
Resene Anise
Resene Anise
Resene Edgewater
Resene Edgewater
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
July 2016

Q. We live in a modern 11 year old home. We currently have Resene Thorndon Cream doors, trims and ceilings with Resene Double Thorndon Cream on the walls throughout our entire house. The doors and trims need to remain Resene Thorndon Cream. I am looking at more of a white look throughout. What would you suggest for the walls and the ceilings? In the master bedroom I want the walls a grey and the ceiling can be any colour but is currently Resene Thorndon Cream.

A. When you are maintaining a specific colour for the trims and doors you are more constrained in regard what will work best as a new main colour and still be really harmonious. A whiter main colour will make the Resene Thorndon Cream look stronger/more coloured/more of a 'feature' - is this what you want? If you neutralise all of the ceilings to a 'less coloured' white to create a little more clean contrast it would help open up your options. Perhaps either of these colours might appeal to you - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster.

Main colour options to consider are these - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Villa White.

Some greys to check out for the master bedroom might be these types of colours - Resene Silver Sand, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

Using the wrong grey (cooler/bluer) will make the Resene Thorndon Cream look twice as strong as well as twice as yellow toned so it is wise to stick with those greys that are more stone coloured or greige.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
     
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
July 2016

Q. We are building and going to paint our outside LINEA® home in Resene Gunsmoke with Resene Half Black White trim. Our floor inside is acid stained concrete in a rich reddy brown called mahogany. I want to use grey in our open plan lounge /dining. Thinking Resene Silver Chalice, maybe half or quarter strength, with possibly Resene Half Black White trim? Or a better suggestion for the white trim? Our kitchen, which is one of the walls in this open plan room, will be white pressed tin to help break up the grey and make it pop. You then walk through to the kids' lounge with the same flooring. I am thinking a Resene Duck Egg Blue or complementary blue to the grey. And then into the main bathroom with the same flooring I am thinking a darker version of the main grey? Or a cream?

A. I think as long as you have tested a very large sample of the Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and know exactly what it looks like it may suit you very well. If you paint all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) - and move it around from wall to wall and room to room you will be better able to judge the reality of the colour and then - and only then - you will know whether it is perfect or not. No short cuts - testpots are your best friend when used like this. Colours in an interior often look a lot deeper than you might expect them to look so Resene Quarter Silver Chalice may look more like Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Deeper versions of Resene Silver Chalice may need to tested also so the main bathroom (with more white in it - i.e. vanity/bath/shower etc.) doesn't end up looking grim - greys can do that - and you get the desired effect. An alternative (warmer) colour could be Resene Double Black White - this is worth checking out. Resene Half Black White works really well as a trim and ceiling colour. You may see the Resene Duck Egg Blue as a bit greyer than you expect it to look so again testing is the only way to ensure you know what it will look like. Other options that look good with the main grey colour are - Resene Casper, Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Eskimo. These colours are a little deeper but they are also a little bluer.

Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
 
Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Eskimo
Resene Eskimo
 
July 2016

Q. I'm painting the interior of my house Resene Half Thorndon Cream and want to know would it be best to go for a grey or brown carpet. Light or dark?

Á. Unless you go to look at carpets it is often quite difficult to choose. Too light may look lighter when it is laid - carpets do look lighter than you might imagine they will. Too dark may show all the dust and fluff and force you to be best friends with the vacuum cleaner more often you want to be.

So a mid-toned carpet may be the better option.

In regard colour - the choices are more limited that you might think. If you are unsure whether it is brown or grey then perhaps a greyish toned beige carpet might be the way to go. This colour is often referred to as 'greige'. As an example of what type of colour to look for you might base your choice upon these colours – Resene Archive Grey, Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Triple Truffle.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
July 2016

Q. We are ready to paint the exterior of our home. It has a zinc roof which will stay and we want to leave the bricks unpainted. The guttering needs to be replaced and we would prefer to use a COLORBOND® colour for the gutters. It has a weatherboard room at the rear that is under the existing roofline that also needs painting. In the future we will be adding a 7 x 4 metre flat roof extension to the rear that will be attached to the weatherboard room. We are in inner Melbourne and I see quite a few homes of this style painted in 'moody' colours of dark greys which do look smart against the red brick but I am leaning towards a Scandi look inside with white trims. I am thinking of bucking the trend and going for exterior colours that are lighter but am worried it may look too bland or stark against the red brick.

A. Please don't worry about bucking the trend - be yourself - you never know - you may be a trend starter not a trend follower. Perhaps - seeing as there is a limited amount of colours available in COLORBOND® - you might check these out first - Sandstone Grey, Smokey or Flint might appeal to you. Then all the weatherboards and gables could be one of these lighter colours - Resene Quill Grey, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Triple Black White.

All trims:- window surrounds, sashes, sills, door frames and under the soffits could be a muted 'white' to add contrast but not appear too stark with the bricks - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Half Titania or Resene Barely There.

Personally I think the softer/lighter look will stand you in good stead and not date too much. The colours I have suggested are quite complex and if you were to view them against a 'real white' - like a sheet of printer paper - you would then appreciate the undertones of colour they carry. So - not stark or bland at all.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
July 2016

Q. I would like advice on a colour to paint an outside garage block wall. The plan is to plant creepers up some of the wall and have pungas and ferns to break it up. I have tried various greys but am unsure if this works. I'm worried about it being too dark inside but also want the green plants to contrast with the wall.

A. If you plan to plant creepers and pungas and ferns then it may pay to use a 'natural' grey that has a lot of green/brown/yellow in it so the planting blends back into it. These suggestions may be seen a bit deep toned prior to the planting taking place but you can always use LED spotlights or solar lights to the wall so it is lit - this will add appeal at night - and once the planting is established you won't notice the colour at all.

Perhaps you could check these greys out to see if they look more in keeping with a garden backdrop - Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Tapa, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Half Stonehenge.

Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
July 2016

Q. Have bought a very 80s house, brown on brown on brown! Have started painting out all the white capping and framing. Still to paint the front door area. I have been using black paint which looks nice with the brown cedar. My area of concern is the light grey (almost looks blue) block basement. I am going to have the basement plastered and also enclose the area under the front deck - also to be plastered. I am looking for a uniform colour that I can tie the whole house together with. I want to leave the cedar brown as it has only just been stained. Do you think a dark grey would work for the basement of the house and new enclosed under front deck area? I find the exterior of the house very busy with different textures and colours and want to simplify things and add continuity.

A. Have you thought of continuing with the Black for the basement area - either standard Resene Black or (warmer toned) Resene Bokara Grey? Just a thought - but as you say - it looks good with the cedar and the bricks. Other than that you might consider an earthy grey (this means it may have a brown/yellow/green in it) to tie in the brown stained cedar, multi coloured bricks and the dark bronze window joinery. You could try Resene Friar Grey or Resene Gauntlet.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
July 2016

Q. In a small bathroom with timber flooring and white vanity etc. plus white ceiling and window frame what would be a good pale colour?

A. A few ideas to get you started - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue, Resene Swans Down or Resene Half Scotch Mist.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Half Scotch Mist
Resene Half Scotch Mist
July 2016

Q. I am trying to choose exterior paint for our house. I like white on white type colours plus a darker grey for shutters but the painters think a pure white probably won't work against the existing beige. We have Resene Wan White inside and like it but definitely want the house to look more white than grey.

A. Whiter than Resene Wan White may take you to Resene Half Black White or Resene Alabaster. Darker greys that you might check out are Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Half Nocturnal.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
July 2016

Q. We are renovating a Devonport villa/workman's cottage. We have a new Windsor Grey roof and spouting in the same. We don't want dark walls (am thinking Resene Half Surrender, Resene Concrete to Resene Quarter Rakaia). What colour should I do my bargeboards, soffits and window trims? Was thinking Resene White but is this too white?

A. Because you are considering really pale white toned colours (which will look lighter/whiter in bright natural light) I do recommend you use (real) Resene White for all the trims. Even then at certain times of the day your eye may not see the difference between the White and the house colour. The only way around this (and because there is nothing lighter/brighter/whiter than White) you may have to consider deepening your main house colour if you want to see a difference between then and a clean contrast.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene White
Resene White
July 2016

Q. I am so stuck. I need to paint my exterior and not sure what colour to go with. My aluminium and roof are both cream.

A. It is unusual - but not unheard of - to use a light colour on the roof but we are mostly used to seeing darker roof colours. It does pose the question 'what does one do when that happens? And the answer is 'go deeper or much more coloured'. These suggestions may need a bit of 'heavy duty' thinking on your part if you are of the mind that house colours must always be lighter than the roof colour.

Check these out - Resene Slate Brown, Resene Atomic, Resene Yucca or Resene Half New Denim Blue.

Alternative lighter/whiter colours - Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Merino or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Slate Brown
Resene Slate Brown
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Yucca
Resene Yucca
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New
Denim Blue
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
 
July 2016

Q. The contractors are going to start replastering and painting the outside of our house in the next seven days (insurance job) and I would like to change the colour of the exterior walls. They are painting the walls only. It will be a modern plastered house. The concrete ring foundation and iron roof are Ironsand. The double glazed aluminium window frames are Matt Titania with some wooden trims in Resene Black White. The current exterior wall colour is Resene Half Napa and the colour is too similar to the aluminium window frames and doesn't make the windows stand out. So we would like to choose a different colour to Resene Half Napa that would really enhance the window frames.

A. The differences between colours on an exterior are often 'washed out' and indecisive if there isn't a definite (stronger) level of contrast. In your case the colour on the house may need to be very much lighter/whiter or very much darker/greyer. If you like the Resene Napa type of colour then using Resene Double Napa may give you the contrast you want. If however you are looking for a greyer type of colour you could consider one of these options - Resene Friar Grey or, Resene Half Chicago or Resene Half Scarpa Flow.

Lighter/whiter colours might be one of these - Resene Half Barely There or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
 
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
July 2016

Q. Please suggest a nice soft grey to go in a bedroom and hallway on the darker side of the house. I don't want a grey with any beige in it preferably, and it must be light. We will be having deep grey carpet and our trim will be a shade of white.

A. The darker side of the house might also be the cooler side of the house so a grey may look cooler and more coloured/deeper than you might imagine it will do. Is this alright?

You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Surrender, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Concrete or Resene Athens Grey.

If you are considering using a tint of White you might look at either of these colours - Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
July 2016

Q. We are building a new home and want to use the same white/cream colour throughout the entire house. It's looking like our kitchen cabinets will be Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Is it a normal thing to match your wall colour to your kitchen cabinets? I feel this colour may be a bit dark for the entire house.

Our bathroom tiles are light concrete grey and we're hoping to find a darker coloured carpet. The kitchen and living are open plan with black joinery.

A. Because colours in an interior are often seen as being deeper - in small rooms, on shadowy walls or in south facing and east facing rooms - you might be wise to use slightly lighter colours. This is easier to co-ordinate with and allows the kitchen cabinets (Resene Half Thorndon Cream) to pop out a little more. Is this what you had in mind?

If this is the case then you might check out these colours - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

If you want to see the walls looking like a small amount of colour compared to the woodwork and ceilings then you might use a 'whiter' tone on these areas to create a 'sharper' contrast. You could try Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
July 2016

Q. I was wondering how far a colour can be tinted down. I love the Karen Walker Paints range and would live to use Resene Crisp Green or Resene Weathered Yellow in my living room but I really just want a hint of colour. What can I do?

A. Crisp Green does come as a quarter version - Resene Quarter Crisp Green but if Karen Walker hasn't made official lighter versions of her special colours then they wouldn't be Karen Walker colours.

Perhaps you could look at lighter greens and yellows that we do have in the Resene colour ranges. Colours that might be considered to see if they appeal to you are these ones - Yellows - Resene Shalimar or earthier - Resene Mint Julep or Resene Arrowroot, or Greens - Resene Pine Glade, Resene Rice Paper or Resene First Light.

Resene Crisp Green
Resene Crisp Green
Resene Weathered Yellow
Resene Weathered Yellow
Resene Quarter Crisp Green
Resene Quarter
Crisp Green
Resene Shalimar
Resene Shalimar
Resene Mint Julep
Resene Mint Julep
Resene Arrowroot
Resene Arrowroot
Resene Pine Glade
Resene Pine Glade
Resene Rice Paper
Resene Rice Paper
Resene First Light
Resene First Light
July 2016

Q. We are renovating with the addition of a family room and new kitchen. We have a new roof in Ironsand and have chosen Resene Forester in Resene Warm Kwila for James Hardie weatherboards. I tried Resene Half Merino as a colour for the stucco but it was too white. It needs more depth. What would you suggest? I am trying to get an 'alpine' look as our house has a high pitch roof.

A. Colours on an exterior often look 'washed out' and lighter/brighter than you might imagine they will do. The Resene Half Merino may have looked like Resene Quarter Merino - much whiter. Perhaps you could test some of the deeper variants of Resene Merino - i.e. Resene Double Merino (may look as light as Resene Merino), Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Black Haze - to see if they carry enough colour in a bright natural light situation not to be 'washed out'.

Resene Warm Kwila
Resene Warm Kwila
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
 
July 2016

Q. We are currently painting front fences for an apartment block of 16. The bricks are cream with a block of brown bricks in between. The fences are horizontal wooden slats. We would like it to blend in with the green shrubs and lawns. The apartments are 35 years old with brown aluminium windows.

A. By 'blend in' do you mean you are considering using a green? Dependent upon what types of plants you have you might look at using one of these greens - Resene Double Lemon Grass, or deeper - Resene Quarter Evolution, or really deep toned - Resene Seaweed, or perhaps a sludgy brown colour - Resene Lignite, or deeper - Resene Kilamanjaro.

Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Kilamanjaro
Resene Kilamanjaro
July 2016

Q. I'm painting the interior of a 1939 house and was hoping you could provide some advice. The property has two living spaces and a master bedroom with reasonable light and two additional rooms and a hall that get limited light. What colour scheme do you recommend?

I really like Resene Black White and Resene Double Alabaster (whites with grey tones), but I'm not sure if these will work on the walls given the limited light in certain areas of the home.

A. Sometimes I recommend people undercoat all their walls in white undercoat. If the undercoat looks chilly or grey toned and a bit less than appealing then it is a good indicator that warmer whites might be considered rather than greyer/cooler whites. Rooms with limited natural light or shadowy areas aren't improved by a white paint.

Of the two colours you mention Resene Double Alabaster may be slightly better - less cool toned - but a warmer white that you might consider is Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
July 2016

Q. We're building a modern plaster/LINEA® house and want a very dark grey on the LINEA® and very light grey, almost white, on the plaster. We'd like our COLORSTEEL® roof and garage door to be Slate and are after recommendations of what greys would work for the dark grey and off-white. Also thinking of silver pearl for joinery, but interested to know if another light grey would go well with this combination.

A. Some greys and whites that may appeal to you - Resene Grey Friars, Resene Tuna, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Nocturnal, and for whites - Resene Black White, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Wan White, Resene Quarter Concrete or Resene Barely There.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
 
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
July 2016

Q. We are painting main walls Resene Half Sea Fog and skirting/trims in Resene Alabaster. There is no scotia between the ceiling and the wall. What colour would you recommend we paint the ceiling?

A. I suggest you use Resene Alabaster. If you use the Resene Half Sea Fog on the ceilings it will look deeper toned than the wall does.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2016

Q. Please suggest a strong highlight colour to complement a Resene Sea Fog/Resene Grey Nickel/Resene Ironside Grey colour scheme.

A. There is a huge amount of colours that may appeal but these ones may be a start point for you to consider - Resene Kaitoke Green, Resene Into The Blue, Resene Blaze, Resene Jalapeno or Resene Starstruck.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Grey Nickel
Resene Ironside Grey
Resene Ironside Grey
   
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Starstruck
Resene Starstruck
July 2016

Q. I want to paint our three bedrooms in the same colour with two having feature walls. This colour will also be used in the hallway. I am after a soft grey and looking at Resene Concrete. Two rooms get a lot of sunlight while the other doesn't. In one of the light rooms - little girl's room - one wall will be a very soft pink and I am just wondering if this will bring out a different tone in the grey? What pink would be complementary? We will also have a large light oak coloured wardrobe and again just checking that Resene Concrete will go with that wood? The carpet colour is dark charcoal, almost brown but not quite. Small samples I have look OK but I understand each colour has a different undertone that when mixed can change completely.

A. Colours can change radically with varying qualities of natural and artificial light, angles of the walls and with each and every colour seen close to it. So there are no shortcuts - it is all about carefully trialling the colour. If you paint all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edge you see enough to make a good judgement in regards to what the colour may look like. The unpainted border helps your eye focus on the large painted sample as well as providing a barrier to stop existing wall colours unduly influencing how you see the colour. The sample can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how it looks in different situations. In some rooms (or walls) it may be wonderful in other rooms (or walls) it may not be.

If you like Resene Concrete other greys worth checking are Resene Quarter Surrender and Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. Without comparing colours your perception of them is not that good - so do look at several so that you can see how they really are. Some pinks to look at with these greys - Resene Half Pale Rose, Resene Sauvignon, Resene Vanilla Ice or Resene Bambina.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Pale Rose
Resene Half Pale Rose
Resene Sauvignon
Resene Sauvignon
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Bambina
Resene Bambina
July 2016

Q. We are building a new garage and will have painted walls on the inside. I thought the ceiling should be Resene Alabaster (we have used that a lot throughout the house). The exterior colour for the house is Resene Double White Pointer. In terms of interior garage colours I was thinking of something not a bright white (so that it wouldn't immediately show any marks etc) and possibly something a bit fun - perhaps a yellow or green. The garage is separate from the house and doesn't have any windows.

A. This sounds like an exciting sort of garage - most garage interiors use whatever paint is left over from the interior of the house or - alternatively - never get painted at all. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Coconut Cream, Resene Half Buttermilk, Resene Orinoco or Resene Kandinsky.

Both the yellows and the greens are quite different types of colour so you have options.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Coconut Cream
Resene Coconut Cream
Resene Buttermilk
Resene Half Buttermilk
Resene Orinoco
Resene Orinoco
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
July 2016

Q. I need help with our render colour. I have picked homestead tan bricks, roof and garage doors in Woodland Grey, and the windows and front door in Dune. I find it really hard to find a colour. I was thinking to render the garage area and living area.

A. You might check out these colours - they work really well with the roof and garage doors and the window joinery colour - Resene Quarter Cougar, or slightly deeper - Resene Half Cougar, or Resene Quarter Bison Hide, or a really pale neutral - Resene Albescent White.

Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
July 2016

Q. What is a good yellow for a bedroom with either a grey or tan colour as a feature wall? Also I saw a good colour called Resene Yuma which looks good.

A. Perhaps you could check these colours out - Resene Arrowroot, Resene Oasis, Resene Sidecar or Resene Astra.

These yellows are all quite different from each other. Yellows (even if they are light) can double in intensity so please be aware that they will be brighter or deeper than you might imagine they will be.

I won't suggest feature wall colours at this point as it really does depend upon which yellow you ultimately choose as to which feature colour you find to work with it.

Resene Yuma
Resene Yuma
Resene Arrowroot
Resene Arrowroot
Resene Oasis
Resene Oasis
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Astra
Resene Astra
July 2016

Q. I would appreciate some help with the colours for our kitchen and family room walls and ceilings in a large open plan area, which is separated from the entrance and lounge by double doors. The carpet is Cavalier Bremworth stylus storm cloud, the tiles in the kitchen are cream with slight grey, very subtle. The cabinetry is warm white. Some overhead cupboards and along the front of the island bench looking towards the dining room have Nordic Ash. The area has two large sliders so is quite bright. What shade of white should I choose? In my previous house I had Resene Half Rice Cake on the walls and Resene Eighth Rice Cake on trims and ceilings. Would this shade work with the warm white kitchen cabinetry or should I look at another neutral? Also I have a long hallway. What colour is best to stop this looking so long? I am hanging three lights to take the eye upwards. Also any ideas for a feature wallpaper for our entrance? I don't like anything too bold.

A. The Resene Half Rice Cake seems quite good but if you want the kitchen cabinets to look 'whiter' then you could use a slightly deeper (more definite- but not too yellow in its undertone) colour - i.e. Resene Merino. The ceilings and woodwork trims could still be Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

If you use a definite colour (but tonally related) in the hallway to make it more coloured but not overly dramatic it will work to visibly shorten the length as well as act as a great backdrop to art work or family photos. You might look at this option - Resene Triple Merino. Wallpaper is a tricky thing to suggest - personal taste prevails - what I fancy you may not like at all. I do suggest you spend a fruitful hour in your local Resene ColorShop looking at large A4 samples of all the paint colours in their Colour Library (with your kitchen and flooring samples) and perusing the lovely wallpaper books to see what works well and gives you a bit of oomph for the entry. It is really important to see everything together to get the 'big picture' of the new house and how it will all come together.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Merino
Resene Merino

Resene Triple Merino
July 2016

Q. We are building a house. The exterior is Rockcote with a LINEA® chimney to the front. The garage and front door also face the street. We have Grey Friars as the roof colour and guttering. Titania will be used for the aluminium joinery and downpipes. I was looking at Resene Half Friar Grey for the stucco. What would you suggest for the front door, chimney and garage? The latter would need to be a COLORSTEEL® colour. I was thinking about painting the LINEA® chimney the same colour as the house with soffits in Resene Quarter Ecru White. Do you think I should pick Grey Friars for the garage door or go Titania same as the windows and then what colour should I go for the front door? This can be painted to suit.

A. The garage door options are either the same as the Titania joinery or the same as the Grey Friars roof and guttering. I think it is important not to go off on a tangent and choose another (random/unrelated) colour. A deeper garage door will pop out and draw attention to itself and a lighter colour will make it look softer/less definite and not as attention seeking - it is your choice - think about the overall look and how 'special' the garage door is and how much of a feature you want it to be. The front door can be different to the garage door if you wanted a 'feature colour' - if it can be painted to suit what colour you like.

I like your idea of Resene Half Friar Grey (a warm stone grey) because it harmonises really well with the Titania joinery - and painting the chimney to match is sensible. Choosing another colour for the chimney (like the roof) will make it a feature - is it beautiful and do you think it warrants being emphasised?

Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
July 2016

Q. I have used Resene Merino for my walls, Resene Quarter Merino for the ceiling and scotias. What colour do you suggest for the architraves and skirting boards? Our carpet is going to be Valencia bay leaf which is a dark chocolate colour. I'm not that keen to make a feature out of the architraves and skirting.

A. If you don't want to highlight the skirting boards and architraves have you considered painting them the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel (for durability) so that they merge in? That way it is only the sheen level difference you see. It is a solution often used these days where people like a very simple understated look.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
July 2016

Q. We have just clad our country home and it has a COLORBOND® roof in Basalt. We need advice on a nice grey colour to paint the exterior boards. We are looking for a light grey that blends well with our bush setting. We will be painting the trims white.

A. Perhaps you might look at these warmer greys and grey/beiges to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Gauntlet, Resene Mountain Mist, Resene Transmission, Resene Jumbo, Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Half Friar Grey.

All colours on an exterior - in bright natural light - look quite a bit lighter than you might imagine so these suggestions may seem slightly deeper when you first see them but in reality they could look half their depth when painted. I hope this is helpful and offers you options and inspiration.

Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
July 2016

Q. For my new store I would like pink, cream, caramel brown and black. I want a very warm and welcoming feeling. Could you please recommend Resene colours which are along these lines and would go well together?

A. You don't indicate whether these colours will be in sunshine or in shadow - interior colours change radically when natural light and wall angles exert an influence over them. You may need to test them really carefully to find where they might be used to best advantage.

Check these colours out to see if these are what you have in mind - Resene Paper Doll, Resene White Linen, Resene Gold Coast, Resene Blackout, Resene Pink Terrace, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Moscato or Resene Black Magic.

These colours may be worth considering - I have included the second lot of colours which are lighter/softer as all colours look a lot deeper so these ones may be more easily lived with.

Resene Paper Doll
Resene Paper Doll
Resene White Linen
Resene White Linen
Resene Gold Coast
Resene Gold Coast
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Pink Terrace
Resene Pink Terrace
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Moscato
Resene Moscato
Resene Black Magic
Resene Black Magic
July 2016

Q. I have Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Half Duck Egg Blue in an open plan home. What third colour could I introduce?

A. It depends really upon what you favour and what other colours you have already - curtains, carpets, duvets, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, kitchen work tops. The following are a few suggestions which may work for you - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Snapshot, Resene Inside Back, Resene Quarter Foundry or Resene Rolling Fog.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
   
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Snapshot
Resene Snapshot
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Rolling Fog
Resene Rolling Fog
July 2016

Q. I'm looking at painting our master bedroom Resene Half Lemon Grass but am worried it'll be too dark. Resene Quarter Lemon Grass has too much of a grey look. I'm after a warm, greenish colour like Resene Half Lemon Grass, but lighter.

A. You could try Resene Moon Mist, Resene Secrets or Resene Tasman.

Colours in an interior always appear deeper than you expect. Test them carefully by painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). If you leave an unpainted border all around the edges of the card it will help you focus on the reality of the colour. It is large sample - allowing you the optimum size for viewing - and can be moved from wall to wall so you can judge how changing light and angles of walls alters the colour. Then to ensure you know what all four walls will look like painted roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it. The colour will be deeper when seen this way - as if all four walls were painted.

Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Gras
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Tasman
Resene Tasman
July 2016

Q. Is it bad if I want to go for a Desert Sand roof and spouting to go with orangeish brick and brown windows as my partner is quite scared as it is a light colour?

A. No it isn't bad to have a lighter roof colour - if that is what you want. Bright natural light will make it seem lighter though - and this may be what your partner is afraid of. Will you mind if Desert Sand looks as light as a dusty cream colour? Perhaps you could get real powder coated metal samples from the roofing people. It helps to see the real colour not a computerised or photographic version of the colour. You might look at several colours - listed below - and think about the overall look of the house and roof = COLORSTEEL® Stone, Terracotta, Sorrell or Ironsand.

If you hold the metal samples at a 45 degree angle to the sunlight you will see they do look lighter. This is what bright sunlight does to the colour on the roof angle. It will help you envisage the colour more.

July 2016

Q. We are in the process of doing up our rental. It has Karaka green joinery and roof and a plaster exterior. I want to freshen the exterior and am imagining a lighter colour. We are also considering putting a dark stain on the decking. Any suggestions for a paint colour for the plaster and a stain for the decking would be appreciated.

A. Lighter colours that look quite nice with Karaka might be one of these ones - Resene Ash, Resene Joanna, Resene Tea or Resene Parchment.

These colours all have lighter variants that you might look at also in case you want 'whiter' colours.

The deck stain could be one of these colours - Resene Woodsman Stain – Resene Tiri, Resene Banjul, Resene Sheer Black or Resene Canopy.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Canopy
Resene Canopy
July 2016

Q. I'm looking for a neutral colour to go with rimu doors and trimmings. But I don't want cream. I want a visible transformation from the current colour which is cream based. Is Resene Alabaster too white and is Resene Black White too grey based? Would Resene Eighth Bison Hide or the Resene Parchment range work?

A. Resene Eighth Parchment and Resene Eighth Bison Hide are lovely warm creamy/beige neutral colours - they are a lot deeper than both Resene Alabaster and Resene Black White which are 'whites'. Is it a 'white' that you want or a stronger more definite colour? You might look at Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Merino for 'not cream' colours to go with Rimu.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
 
July 2016

Q. Do Resene Half Thorndon Cream and full Resene Thorndon Cream use the same base? i.e. is it possible to change Resene Half Thorndon Cream into Resene Thorndon Cream?

A. Yes they are both from a White base and the Resene Half Thorndon Cream can be tinted up to full strength Resene Thorndon Cream providing the full amount of paint is in each container. If a can has been partially used you won't get the colour adjustment true to reality.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
July 2016

Q. I am trying to find a light silver grey (not too blue) to paint my hallways with. I really like the colour of Resene Half Silver Chalice when I first paint it on, but then it dries darker. Is there a colour which matches the 'wet' Resene Half Silver Chalice? In trying to choose a grey I have also tried Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Concrete, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Half Surrender, Resene Iron, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Transmission, Resene Grey Chateau and Resene Half Jumbo so far.

A. If your hallways are like most and are not blessed with huge amounts of natural light (unless you are in the lucky 5% who have huge windows in the hallway) then the dim aspect may also be deepening the colours that you have tried. You appear to have tested all the colours that I would have suggested.

May I ask a silly question? Are you trialling the testpots by painting onto a 'real ' white back ground or are you painting onto already coloured walls? If you are painting onto an already coloured wall it may be that you are not seeing the real colour as the greater amount of wall colour corrupts how you see the test patch and you see it 'wrong'. If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges you will be better able to focus on and judge what the colours are truly like. This is apart from the fact that the large sample can be moved from wall to wall to see how it alters which is really handy. The reason I mention this is because many people don't do this and go through many, many testpots despairing of ever getting what they want or being disappointed about how the colour looks. FYI - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice is half the strength of Resene Half Silver Chalice and Resene Concrete is quarter the strength but with a teeny tiny amount of warmth from another colourant - any lighter may give you 'white' not a light silver grey.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
July 2016

Q. Please help us decide on colours for the exterior of our newly bought 1960s house. The previous owner has painted the bottom storey Resene Mission Brown and the steps red. There is lots of dark brown concrete around the house and the veranda floor is dark brown quarry tiles. It is very hot in summer. We hope to change the roof of restored orange tiles to COLORBOND® Woodland Grey in the future as well as take down the awnings and replace with a flat patio (white underside) across the whole front of the house. We will leave the top storey bricks as is but need to paint out the Mission Brown and also the red on the steps and footpath. I think the original colour of the bottom bricks was a dark brown. We will also need to paint over the blue coloured eaves, gutters, fascia boards and we would like to paint the aluminium windows until we can afford to replace them. Please could you advise me on what Resene colours we could use over the Resene Mission Brown as well as suggestions for the trims and surrounding pathways?

A. If you use a soft edged white for under the eaves, gutters and fascia boards you will start to see a difference - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta - this will harmonise with the upper storey bricks.

Then to make the lower storey seem well integrated with the upper storey (instead of looking like the house is squeezed between the roof and lower storey) I suggest you use a subtle biscuit/cream tone to lift it a bit - Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay or Resene Quarter Biscotti.

If you favour Woodland Grey (and are considering it for the new roof eventually) then you could use it on the existing garage doors and on the edges of the steps - Resene Squall is a colour match to the COLORBOND® colour.

The remainder of the steps could be a lighter variant - i.e. Resene Half Taupe Grey in Resene Walk-on Paving Paint - this ties everything together nicely.

Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
July 2016

Q. What colours should I paint my traditional house? I am looking to do a black roof and front door, but am not sure what to do the rest.

A. Some options to try - Resene Triple Black White used with Resene Quarter Black White for the window surrounds/sashes and sills, door frames and under the soffits, or Resene Quarter Delta used with Resene Double Alabaster for the window surrounds/sashes and sills, door frames and under the soffits, or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream used with Resene Half Alabaster for the window surrounds/sashes and sills, door frames and under the soffits.

They are light but not too white and classical in ambiance with unique undertones of colour.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
 
July 2016

Q. Will a dark charcoal wall make my room look impactful or will it have the wrong effect, narrowing or making it smaller?

A. If it is just one wall (as a feature) it won't steal the space or make it look really in need of more lighting. If it was all of the room unless there was a huge amount of wardrobe doors, lots of window surrounds etc. painted in a very crisp white to 'break' the intensity of the charcoal it may look heavy and oppressive as well as dark. It is your choice. If the charcoal wall received lots of natural light and was behind the bedhead it could look very stylish.

July 2016

Q. We are looking to repaint our 1940s house when our extension is complete and would like some advice on the colour scheme. We have a COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue roof.

The road frontage is south facing. We will likely have a wooden look garage door, front door, steps leading in and likely some plaster garden boxes alongside these steps.

We need advice on weatherboards, windows/trims, soffits, garden boxes and steps (we may use kwila).

A. I think it is important not to use too deep a colour on the house especially in regard the north facing side of the house and deck. Perhaps you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Quarter Stack or Resene Half Silver Chalice.

If you maintain a soft edged white colour for all the windows/trims and under the soffits it will make the main house colours appear deeper by comparison so with that in mind you might look at one of these ones - Resene Half Black White or Resene Half Sea Fog.

I quite like the idea of using kwila for the steps and garden boxes and if you maintain it with Resene Kwila Timber Stain the rich colour of the wood will add a lot of ambiance to the front entry. South facing entry points to a house often need a warm tone to lift the coolness of this aspect - this would be the warmth of the kwila. If you are using kwila around the planter boxes might I suggest plenty of drainage and an interior black polythene liner to stop moisture and fertilisers etc. badly staining the wood and making it look less than gorgeous.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
   
July 2016

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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.

 

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

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