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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 53

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. 53

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


Q. We have just bought a house with a fairly outrageous colour scheme! We want to repaint the whole interior in more of a neutral shade. What would you recommend to tie in with the terracotta tiles/bronze aluminium joinery/white ceiling, as well as the very dark grey carpet in the bedrooms? We quite like Resene Half Linen but are not sure that the greenish tone would work. We have a lot of wooden items and light grey couches. The curtains will be replaced in a more neutral colour as well.

A. Personally I would paint over every other colour in white undercoat to try and get rid of the strong colours and then try some testpots - several not just Resene Half Linen. You need to be able to compare colours with each other. Sometimes the same colour in a different space may look radically different. It is incredibly hard to judge whether colours will work or not when huge expanses of existing colours don't allow you to see the tested colours properly. You will see the light in the rooms and the spaces quite differently once all other colours are 'whited' out. You will be able to appreciate the carpet colour, your grey couches and any wooden furniture so much better when all the 'eye distraction' is removed.

Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
September 2016

Q. I would like some suggestions for painting my bedroom walls white, not a cream white. The ceiling is pine clear stain; the French doors, windows and skirting boards are dark oak stain. I think I may do these white as well, but should the trims and wardrobe doors be a different shade or same as the walls? I have used Resene Sea Fog outside as the trim colour and really like this, but would this be too cool for a bedroom?

A. I don't think that Resene Sea Fog would be too cool for the bedroom. It may look slightly deeper in an interior compared to the exterior - but all colours do. If you painted up a large A2 card sample (available from Resene ColorShops) of the testpot and pinned it in the room to check out how it looked that would be wise. Lighter variants are available - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog or alternatively Resene Black White. If you check several colours and compare them then you will find the perfect 'white' I am sure. If you would prefer the walls to have a tiny bit more colour and the woodwork slightly less then you could use Resene Alabaster in a semi-gloss enamel for this.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2016

Q. I want to paint my bedroom a warm brown/taupe before we have new carpet installed (Feltex Positano 14). What would tie in with the other colours in the house - Resene Coral, Resene Half Sisal and Resene Pale Oyster?

A. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Cloud, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Westar.

Resene Coral
Resene Coral
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Pale Oyster
Resene Pale Oyster
   
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Westar
Resene Westar
September 2016

Q. We are building a house and have a COLORSTEEL® roof in Ironsand, an Ironsand front door and garage door, matte Titania joinery and brick cladding (Firth Manorstone in Tranquillity - a sandstone colour). We also have LINEA® board in the gables and are trying to decide on the colour for this. We originally thought of painting the LINEA® Resene Quarter Ironsand, but think perhaps a light/pale colour would look better.

A. I am inclined to agree with you in regard a lighter colour on the gables; it might lift the house and not make it heavy in the top quarter - sort of looking squashed down into the environment. Perhaps look at some of these colours - they relate well to the powder coated joinery colour - Resene Titania. Or lighter - Resene Half Titania or Resene Double Merino. Or deeper than the joinery - Resene Bone White or Resene Nomad.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
   
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Nomad
Resene Nomad
September 2016

Q. I am looking for a suitable paint or stain for colouring a woven rattan in an open weave transparent pattern. This is part of the interior fit-out of a hospitality project. I know that some furniture suppliers use your paints for this sort of thing already, so I'm wondering what products would be appropriate.

A. The woven rattan appears to be a plastic coated surfacing - is this correct? If it is then you may need a sealer – Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer - to prepare the surface for a paint application. If it is to be a purely decorative surface - like in-fill panelling - then any acrylic paint can be applied to it. If however it is furniture then you might prefer a waterborne enamel in order to have a tough, scrubbable paint film. The standard acrylic is either Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene Lumbersider and the waterborne enamel is either Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

September 2016

Q. What bright colours would go with our Resene White Pointer ceiling and Resene Tea on the walls? This is our main colour scheme through our house but we would like something for a feature wall in our hallway.

A. Here are a few ideas to get you started - Resene Smashing, Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Irresistible, Resene Dauntless, Resene Resolution Blue or Resene Clockwork Orange.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Irresistible
Resene Irresistible
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
September 2016

Q. I have a house that is about to get a full repaint. It has a dark concrete tile roof and old copper gutters. The front will open up to the lawn with a deck and pergola. I had in mind painting all the weatherboards grey and all the trim white. I would like some suggestions about greys to use.

A. These greys and whites may appeal to you - Resene Atmosphere with Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Delta with Resene Half Black White, Resene Double Concrete with Resene White or Resene Foggy Grey with Resene Wan White.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
September 2016

Q. For an old Queenslander post office home exterior I'm looking at COLORBOND® Pale Eucalypt for walls. I like greys, whites, lighter greens and a red door.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - they do work well with Pale Eucalypt - Resene Friar Grey, Resene Merino, Resene Black White, Resene Bud or Resene Tall Poppy.

Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Tall Poppy
September 2016

Q. Could you please recommend a warm neutral wall colour to use throughout the interior that works well with white trims? Does Resene Quarter Napa have a lilac undertone?

A. Firstly - Resene Quarter Napa doesn't have a lilac undertone - it is a yellow/beige. Options to consider for a warm neutral might be one of these colours - Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Albescent White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Merino.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
September 2016

Q. We are going to paint our hallway (ready for sale) in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. The doors and skirtings also need painting. Should I do them in the same colour or another white? Would it be odd if these doors and skirtings were different colours to the other rooms?

A. You don't say what colour the doors and skirting boards are painted in the other rooms so I can't say whether it will look odd or not. If you want the doors and skirting boards in the hallway in the same colour (or slightly lighter - i.e. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream) in a semi-gloss enamel the sheen would be the main point of difference so the woodwork and doors would merge in with the walls. In a hallway where there are many (often too many) doors this could be a good thing.

If you really feel a 'white' might be the better way to go then you could look at using Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
September 2016

Q. The exterior wall of a neighbouring extension is three times the height of the old fence and is shadowing my property. I want a colour that will reflect light but will not 'glow', as there will be climbers growing on the wall. What colour would be suitable to make the wall less obtrusive, not dwarf my exterior space but at the same time help to reflect some light to my property?

A. Are you allowed to paint the neighbour’s extension wall? Any of the whites - and there are quite a lot to choose from - would work by reflection. I note that plastered walls of houses that are part of the fence around courtyards in Italy and Greece are often painted white and have lots of colourful plants in 'rise and fall' containers on them to brighten up the large expanse of wall. You could attach wires to the wall to hold climbers like Bougainvillea which are very colourful. Or alternatively you could have a pergola built against the wall - the roof of the pergola would block the high view of the extension wall.

September 2016

Q. I have a Pale Eucalyptus COLORBOND® roof. Is there a grey green I can complement it with for the walls?

A. You might look at these grey/greens to see if they appeal to you - Resene Haven, Resene Pumice, Resene Harp, Resene Secrets, Resene Half Lemon Grass, Resene Linen or Resene Ravine.

Resene Haven
Resene Haven
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
 
September 2016

Q. We are having trouble finding a colour to paint out the teal/blue on our house and the brown cedar shiplap boards. We have decided to paint our front door Resene Roadster. Do you have any suggestions? The brick is a red colour with a grey grout.

A. You don't mention any particular colours that you favour so these suggestions may be a little random - but they may appeal to you - Resene Dune for the cedar and Resene Archive Grey for the teal/blue. Or Resene Mangrove for the cedar and Resene Ravine for the teal/blue, or Resene Cod Grey for the cedar and Resene Mako for the teal/blue.

Or alternatively you might keep the cedar as it is now (it is dark and very smart) and just paint the teal/blue with a warm mid grey - Resene Half Chicago.

The suggested colours all have a grey coloured undertone as I am hoping for a modern look - with the red brick and grey grout - and the bold front door - Resene Roadster.

Resene Roadster
Resene Roadster
Resene Dune
Resene Dune
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Mangrove
Resene Mangrove
Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
 
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Mako
Resene Mako
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Chicago
September 2016

Q. We are building a house and when checking the build in the weekend the roof colour is different than originally chosen! A miscommunication – it was originally charcoal coloured with LINEA® to be Resene Half Nocturnal, plasterboard Resene Double Concrete and soffits Resene Half Concrete.

The new roof colour is Gerard Roof Graphite (like Ironsand) with Ironsand trim... which has thrown our original colour palette into a bit of chaos. I am wondering if you could give some advice as to how we can achieve a similar dark/light look with Ironsand roofing and silver pearl aluminium for windows and garage door?

We are building in a subdivision but in a rural setting, so making the best of the situation the Ironsand will ‘blend’ with the environment better. Our cladding will be going on soon so I would really appreciate your advice at your earliest convenience.

A. As you say - Graphite is quite different and does throw the colour palette off. Perhaps these colours may work with the Graphite (Ironsand) and Silver Pearl joinery - Resene Quarter Ironsand LINEA®, Resene Eighth Masala plasterboard and Resene Sea Fog soffits. Or lighter on all facades - Resene Half Gauntlet LINEA®, Resene Triple Sea Fog plasterboard and Resene Double Alabaster soffits.

Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2016

Q. We have a house the clients want to repaint, however it is Shadowclad® so requires a LRV of over 40% therefore we can't use the existing colour. The existing house is board and batten Shadowclad® ply, with blue roof, blue aluminium joinery and orange garage door.

A. The requested LRV% is going to change the look of the house to a much paler colour - this may be a visual shock to the owner - as they will see these types of colours as much paler/whiter than they actually are as the contrast between what they have now and what they are required to have is radically different.

These colour suggestions meet the criteria and could be a good start point - Resene Freestyling (LRV 48%), Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow (LRV 40%), Resene Nomad (LRV 43%), Resene Half Stack (LRV 41%) or Resene Napa (LRV 40%).

Resene Freestyling
Resene Freestyling
Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow
Resene Quarter
Scarpa Flow
Resene Nomad
Resene Nomad
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
September 2016

Q. We are building a house with a mountain and bush backdrop. What would the best colour for the house and roof to blend in with the native bush colours?

A. If your roof is to be a metal powder coated one you might look at one of these colours – COLORSTEEL® Fern Frond, Karaka, Thunder Grey or FlaxPod. These deep earthy colours are absorbed into the greens and dark browns of the foliage of the bush.

It does depend a lot on what your house is being built from as to which colours might be used. If it is timber then you might use one of these colours - Resene Bison Hide, Resene Double Tea or Resene Grey Olive. If however you would prefer a stained timber finish you could look at these colours - Resene Woodsman Limed Gum, Resene Woodsman Tiri or Resene Woodsman Touch Wood.

If your house is being built from cementitious weatherboards (Hardiplank® or LINEA®) you can use deeper colours without voiding the guarantee on the substrate - Resene Evolution, Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Quarter Karaka.

Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Limed Gum
Resene Limed Gum
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Touch Wood
Resene Touch Wood
Resene Evolution
Resene Evolution
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
September 2016

Q. I live in Northland, a single mature man and I am having a Versatile double garage built 7.8m x 7.2m with a 2.8m x 1.8m room with shower, hand basin, toilet and washing machine. The remainder will be an open studio. My previous home was painted Resene Alabaster inside, and the outside was white weatherboards with pearl grey Zincalume contrasting cladding and joinery.

I have quite a lot of original art to hang, and wish to display these to best advantage. It has been suggested I should line my 'bachelor studio' with plywood, a new popular look. Versatile use COLORSTEEL® for the exterior and my preference is for one colour for the cladding, doors and windows with a contrasting roof perhaps. I have always used Resene products and I plan to do the interior decoration myself. I am not averse to making a bold statement indoors.

A. By now you will have seen the COLORSTEEL® colour options - not a huge selection to choose from - but if the main colour was Titania or TuiTuft and the roof was TernStyle or Indigo Blue some of these options may appeal to you.

For the interior - if it is plywood you have several options open to you – Resene Aquaclear waterborne polyurethane (semi-gloss clear coat) on the ply - looks natural but is protected from finger marking, or Resene Woodsman Whitewash - looks like a milky semi clear white so it is protected and is nice and light.

Well there are other options as well - you can do nothing to it and allow it to yellow off with sunlight and possibly show the shapes of the artwork that is attached to it (this might be annoying if you moved the art around) and show finger marking stains or you could paint the ply if you like a neutral solid colour look - default to the Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White if the 'whites' that you have used before still appeal to you.

Bold colour statements might be curtains, flooring, kitchen cabinetry, bed linen or other upholstered furniture - all of these elements or just some of them - might be a happy statement to make.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
September 2016

Q. Should I go for a warm grey like Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Quarter Rakaia, or a colour like Resene Tea or Resene Fossil to help bring a bit more light in? I'm going to paint the ceiling a bright matt white.

A. You should use the colour you favour the most - so what is it - soft greys? Or earthier beige tones? You may get more light reflection with Resene Quarter Surrender as it is the lightest of the greys. Resene Quarter Rakaia is the warmer grey of the three you mention.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
September 2016

Q. We are currently building and choosing a colour for all our interior walls. We have Appliance White joinery and will have Resene Double Alabaster for the trims and doors etc. (we were told this matches the joinery). We would like a light grey for the walls and were recommended Resene Quarter Foggy Grey by someone we know. However after picking up a testpot it is just a little bit darker than we would like. What other colours do you recommend? We have grey carpet also so want to stick with grey but prefer something slightly lighter as it is for the entire house and we want it to still look spacious.

A. Perhaps one of these pale greys may appeal to you - Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene House White, Resene Barely There, Resene Snow Drift, Resene Black Haze or Resene Double Black White.

They are all quite different from each other but this may not be apparent if you only see them in small chips on a colour chart. If you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library - alongside of a sample of Resene Double Alabaster and a small carpet swatch I think you will be better able to see the reality of the colours. FYI - all colours when seen in an interior (four walls of angles and light and shade) will double in depth. This is why you need to carefully test your colours.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
 
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
September 2016

Q. I have noticed light blue as a house colour is more popular. Which paints/charts should I look at?

A. Pale blues are 'trending' at the moment. If you check out the Resene Multifinish palettes - Palettes R42-R51 you will see a huge selection of blues.

September 2016

Q. I have previously asked about our kitchen. We are redoing our kitchen. We have a 1920s house with lots of beautiful rimu windows and matai floors. Benches will be Caesarstone Ice Snow and cabinetry will be Melamine Titanium. Our current walls are Resene Half Spanish White (as is pretty much the rest of the house) but we would like to change this to a colour that won't clash with the Resene Spanish White as our kitchen/dining is open plan. So do you have any suggestions for a neutral classical wall colour and also a splashback colour?

We went with the Resene Double Sea Fog walls and love it but as for the splashback we are really struggling. You suggested just glass over the wall or subway tiles but we really feel that the area needs a bit of a lift. We are not keen on tiles and have tried 10 testpots - some colours are just way over the top and some are just too dull. We would like a lightish colour with a bit of life. Colours that we like best so far are Resene Bismark and Resene Smalt Blue (I quite liked Resene Curiosity but my husband didn’t). So would you have any more suggestions?

A. Some other colours for you to try - Resene Streetwise, Resene Cutty Sark, Resene Wishlist, Resene Breaker Bay or something a little different - Resene Pure Pewter (metallic and sparkly).

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
       
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Bismark
Resene Bismark
Resene Smalt Blue
Resene Smalt Blue
Resene Curiosity
Resene Curiosity
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Cutty Sark
Resene Cutty Sark
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
Resene Breaker Bay
Resene Breaker Bay
Resene Pure Pewter
Resene Pure Pewter
September 2016

Q. I would appreciate your expertise to choose a paint colour for lounge walls that would look great with a mushroom coloured leather lounge suite, and a T&G cathedral ceiling.

A. The wall colour also has to work well with the flooring and the drapes not just the lounge suite and the T&G cathedral ceiling.

Without having that information all I can do is randomly suggest a few colours and hope that one of them may appeal to you and work with what you have - Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Half Albescent White.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
September 2016

Q. I am painting our return villa dining room: half below ground level with a red serving bench and rimu wooden doors and surrounds. What colour should I use? I have sighted Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Bianca and Resene Quarter Albescent White.

A. If it is a choice only between these 'whites' then I think the question must be asked - which colour looks best with the red bench top, the rimu door and surrounds, any other furniture and the flooring for at least 80% of the time in natural and artificial light? Colours alter so much with natural and artificial light it is against the laws of nature for them to be perfect 100% of the time.

I suggest that it may be wise to paint up large A2 card samples (available from Resene ColorShops) of these colours using all of the testpot (two coats) and move them all around the room. Only then would you get a real idea of what they are truly like and how they work with the other elements in the room. Please don't paint the colours onto walls that are already coloured because you might not see the colours as they truly are.

If you have already painted them up like this and you are still unsure perhaps you could play the 'I like it least' game and remove the one that doesn't appeal to you or look as good in the room as much and continue until only one remains. That is the one you like the best out of those three - so by default it is the one you choose.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
September 2016

Q. We have slate grey carpet and I would like to know what colours to match in a soft grey for walls, doors and skirting. The kitchen units are Mist Grey.

A. I am not sure matching the slate grey carpet would be a good idea. 'Match' means using exactly the same colour and it may be wiser to use a much lighter grey so you can have other coloured co-ordinates with it. Unless of course you want deep coloured walls and woodwork? If they are Melteca® Mist you might look at light colours that enhance that, such as Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Triple Black White, or slightly deeper Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, or Resene Cloud.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
September 2016

Q. I would like a paler complementary colour to go with a Karaka green roof. The house is 1950s roughcast with French doors so I also would like a white for the windows. I like Resene Tana but find it still a bit dark for a small house.

A. If you like Resene Tana but think it may be too deep for your house you could look at these lighter greens to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Tana, Resene Quarter Tana, Resene Linen, Resene Half Linen or Resene Half Ash.

All colours on an exterior have the potential to look much lighter than you might expect them to. Bright natural sunlight dilutes the intensity of all colours. It pays to test them carefully - painting all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card. You see a huge amount (about 1 square metre) and can focus on the real depth of the colour. It can be moved around each side of the house. This allows you to see how it alters on each aspect and can be viewed close up and from further away.

Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
September 2016

Q. I have quite a lot of trellis fencing. It had already been painted white so I put a coat of white on but I feel it is too stark. I’m thinking perhaps a light grey but which grey do you suggest? There is also a brown corrugated fence which I hate but that will have to wait. What shade of grey would you suggest, quite light I think? I’ve looked at Resene Half Surrender.

A. As long as the grey you choose relates really well to the house colours and isn't a totally random colour then that is fine. If you like the slightly lilac/silver undertone of Resene Half Surrender then go for it.

Other light greys that you might check out are these ones - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

They all carry various undertones of colour in them and it does help to see the larger A4 real paint samples in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop so you can compare them to get a better idea of their reality - is this a possibility for you to do? It is the best way to judge colours.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
September 2016

Q. I'm painting a miner’s cottage in Resene Double Napa. The interior walls will be Resene Napa and Resene Half Napa with a Resene Fahrenheit feature wall. I'm looking for joinery and roof colour advice. The LRV has to be 40% or less. I like the idea of both light or dark joinery. The roof may be Woodland Grey? Not sure about the joinery?

A. Are you painting the roof or buying a new powder coated metal one? If you are painting you might look at these colours - Resene Squall or Resene Touchstone.

If the windows are wooden and you are painting them (and the recommended LRV% is 40-100 - i.e. lighter colours) then you might check out these colours – Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Double Sea Fog.

If the windows are powder coated metal ones then you might look at these options – COLORSTEEL® Titania or BasaltBase.

Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Fahrenheit
Resene Fahrenheit
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
September 2016

Q. We have used Resene Quill Grey in the living area and Resene Quarter Quill Grey on our doors which were dark timber before. Can you suggest a complementary light aqua blue green for a bedroom facing west? I also have an east facing bedroom currently yellow. Can you suggest a complementary light warming colour again to complement the Resene Quill Grey?

A. Some of these colours may be worth checking out for the west facing bedroom to see if they appeal to you and relate harmoniously to the Resene Quill Grey – Resene Opal - or lighter - Resene Half Opal, Resene Jet Stream, or slightly bluer – Resene Morning Glory.

East facing rooms receive a sharp clear light very early in the morning which emphasises a green in colours so Resene Emerge may look green until the sun leaves the room and then it may look greyer.

Alternative suggestions for this room - Resene Silver Sand - this will look deeper in its greyness but is related to Resene Quill Grey, or Resene Sea Fog - a quixotic neutral.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Opal
Resene Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
   
September 2016

Q. I need help with a lounge colour please. Our hallway is Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and the combined kitchen and dining is Resene Rice Cake. The carpets are beige greyish. You can see the lounge from the hall and kitchen through doors. I was thinking Resene Double Tea. The lounge is sunny and bright. I have just looked at Resene Double Ash, Resene Linen, Resene Double Linen and Resene Lemon Grass, lovely colours. I have some red accessories.

A. I think it may well be wise to carefully test colours for the lounge. If you apply all of the testpot (two coats) to super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card it will help you -

  • To see a large enough sample to judge what the colour truly looks like.
  • The unpainted (white card) border helps you focus on the true depth of the colour.
  • The unpainted (white card) border also acts as a barrier so that the existing wall colour (even plasterboard is a colour) doesn't have a negative effect upon the tester colour. The border stops the greater amount of wall colour from unduly influencing the test sample and making you see it 'wrong'.
  • The large card can be moved from wall to wall so that you can see how it alters with light and shade on different angles of wall.
  • The card can be rolled into a cone with the colour innermost and allows you to look into it - you see the colour (deeper) as if all four walls were painted. This is the only way I know of to see how much the colour will deepen. Colours in an interior can double in intensity so it is really important to know before you purchase and paint.

Any of the colours you like would work with red accessories - some better than others. You don't mention what colour the furniture and drapes will be - these elements will have a major effect upon what will work and what won't work. If you were thinking of using a much paler version of either Resene Rice Cake or Resene Thorndon Cream in the lounge as ceiling or woodwork it is really important that any colour you test works well with those 'whites'.

You might also check out a deeper version of Resene Thorndon Cream - i.e. Resene Double Thorndon Cream - in case the greens you like are too green and the Resene Double Tea is too brown.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Double Linen
Resene Double Linen
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
 
September 2016

Q. I am redoing a Californian bungalow bathroom and like the French provincial/industrial style. I have Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Half Thorndon Cream and would like to add a pale grey. What would you suggest? I have testpots for Resene Mystic and Resene Athens Grey. I quite like Resene Athens Grey but have no idea if they all match and am open to suggestions.

A. If you like the colours you have mentioned then you might also like these ones – Resene White Thunder, Resene Half Surrender, Resene Geyser or Resene Concrete.

Sometimes you have to compare all the options to see the undertones of colour that they have and judge how they then respond to the other main colours you may have or be considering. Please test colours carefully - they do alter such a lot in different aspects of natural and artificial light and you need to know this in advance of the painting taking place.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Mystic
Resene Mystic
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
September 2016

Q. I'm moving in with my partner and desperately need some help and advice on redecorating an entire house (ten plus years since anything done to it); specifically a small open plan kitchen/living/dining, that is comfortable, relaxing, stylish but also pet and child friendly! So far I'm planning on a corner modular lounge with dark fabric, the exact colour is in the air! I love neutrals with pops of (please forgive colour terminology!) dark green, mustards, mulberry with gold/copper, natural timber, wrought iron etc. I am very open to any suggestions and ideas! Are willing to change flooring and repaint buffet etc.

A. It is easier by far to go looking for the 'big things' - i.e. furniture, rugs, drapes etc first as it allows you total freedom of choice. If you choose a wall colour first it may compromise your choices in other things.

Deep greys or dark greens or red toned browns would work for the corner unit you are intending to buy. Mind you in saying that what tends to happen is that you find something you like in the furniture shop and very rarely do you inquire as to whether or not it is available as a different colour - but I suggest you do so otherwise you may end up with a sofa unit in a colour that you would never ever have chosen simply because it was 'there'.

Copper is a trend metal at this point in time. Lots of smaller accessories and light shades are available in this metal so if you favour copper then you may find things that appeal to you. Pops of colour - like wise - choose with your eye and heart now not later.

'Child and pet friendly' may depend upon not just the wall colour but whether or not the paint is a premium product that allows for constant scrubbing without looking worn out too quickly. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel will allow you this benefit - it looks like a standard acrylic, doesn't smell when being applied, can be scrubbed and resists bumps and abrasion.

In order for walls to not show 'normal living detriment' caused by children and pets you might have to have mud coloured walls and not many people do that no matter how much sticky fingers and fluffy tailed damp furry animals caress the walls.

You could try Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Albescent White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
September 2016

Q. I purchased Resene Black White for our kitchen/dining walls and Resene Alabaster for the trim and doors. I am now concerned the colour in the walls is too grey for the amount of natural light we get in this room. Can you recommend a brighter white to complement the Resene Alabaster we will keep on the trims and doors?

A. All colours in an interior can appear to be deeper (often doubling in depth) or more coloured. If the room doesn't receive a lot of natural light you might need to check out these colours – Resene Half Black White, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
September 2016

Q. I would like some help with colour options for our pine deck, from your Resene Woodcare range. Our house is painted Resene Triple White Pointer and has brown aluminium windows. Ideally I would like something that is brown/natural looking, a mid range colour, not very dark or very light.

A. You might check out these Resene Woodsman stain colours to see if they appeal to you as they do co-ordinate well with the main colours on your house - Resene Woodsman stain – Resene Smokey Ash, Resene Iroko, Resene Tiri or Resene English Walnut.

Timber stain colours need a double application for maximum protection of the timber and you do need to do this also when testing colours on off cuts of timber in order to get a good idea of what the stain colours truly look like.

There are oils and light coloured stains that give no colour or are near to natural - but on pine which hasn't a lot of natural colour they can look quite pale yellow/clear.

I mention them so that you will be able to identify them from the colour chart - Resene Woodsman stain – Natural and Resene Furniture and Decking Oil.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
September 2016

Q. I want a nice interior colour for my dining area walls. The carpet is a warm grey. Also the kitchen flows onto dining so I need a colour for my kitchen which has grey lino and cream joinery. I currently have Resene Half Tea in the lounge and bedrooms but need a change and I thought maybe Resene Truffle will look nice with medium grey carpet.

A. Perhaps you could check out the lighter Resene Truffle colours - Resene Half Truffle or Resene Quarter Truffle and also - just so you can compare - Resene White Pointer and Resene Quarter Cloudy and Resene Eighth Napa.

It helps to look at similar types of colours so that you can see how they differ from each other and what undertones of colour they each have.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
 
September 2016

Q. I have a macrocarpa ceiling in a new build house and would like to know wall paint colours that will match.

A. To 'match' would mean that the walls would be exactly the same colour as the wooden ceiling. Tthis might be ok but it might be nicer if the walls were paler so the wooden ceiling was a 'feature'.

You might check out these colours - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Villa White or Resene Ecru White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
September 2016

Q. In our new kitchen we are looking at Resene Half Pravda for the cabinetry. What neutral colour do you suggest for the walls which we will follow through to the dining room and lounge?

A. It does depend upon other things as to what colour would work well for you - i.e. existing carpets, drapes, upholstered furniture etc may need to be taken into account - but these colours might be a starting point – Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
September 2016

Q. The exterior of our house is currently Resene Quarter Arrowtown with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream on the joinery. We have copper spouting and downpipes. I want to change the colour to something less 'brown', possibly with a hint of grey.

A. You might like to try these colours as a start point - Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

If you preferred to use a lighter colour on the house then the joinery also might have to be lighter so the balance of contrast was harmonious - i.e. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
 
September 2016

Q. I have painted my bathroom Resene Quarter Linen and kitchen Resene Linen. I want to paint the rest of the house (interior). What colour would be good to paint to contrast with these two but not dark colours? Should I stick with Resene Quarter Linen or Resene Half Linen?

A. You could do that - it is the simple option. Alternatively you could use a clean crisp neutral that might allow you to use Resene Linen as a feature wall or as the colour for drapes or duvets so the flow through the house relates well in a slightly different way.

If you did consider the alternative option these might be colours that you could check out – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Joanna or Resene Quarter Ecru White.

Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
September 2016

Q. Could you help with a colour scheme for a traditional Edwardian cottage? I have seen in NZ House & Garden a similar home with the weatherboards painted in Resene Tapa and love it. Our windows are Whisper White. What colour would you recommend to use for roof, foundations, front door etc? We have a COLORBOND® shed and side fence in Surfmist.

A. The foundations might be a lighter version of Resene Tapa - i.e. Resene Quarter Tapa. Alternatively you might use Resene Titania to match the shed and side fence - this is a match to Surfmist.

The roof could be deeper – Resene Ironsand, lighter – Resene Bone White, similar to the Resene Tapa but deeper – Resene Squall or a complementary colour – Resene Red Planet.

The front door might be a match to one of the roof colours or a match to the Surfmist/Resene Titania but in a glossy enamel.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
 
September 2016

Q. Is there a colour like Resene Squirrel that is lighter? I have tried multiple testpots and like this colour. Although the house has lots of light I am afraid it might be too dark for interior walls. What ceiling shade would work with Resene Squirrel? We have high ceilings in grooved ply. The house is being built in rural South Canterbury.

A. You are wise to be a little worried about the depth of Resene Squirrel. All colours in an interior - unless you have very large windows on all four walls and in the ceiling - have the potential to appear double their overall depth.

Lighter colours that are similar to Resene Squirrel are these ones - from palest to deepest – Resene Soft Amber, Resene Bronco, Resene Double Tea, Resene Drought or Resene Heirloom.

These colours will still be very definite light - mid toned colours, they will never be called pale. The ceilings might be a warm complex neutral - it is still a definite colour not 'white' – Resene Half Spanish White.

Resene Squirrel
Resene Squirrel
Resene Soft Amber
Resene Soft Amber
Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Heirloom
Resene Heirloom
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
 
September 2016

Q. We are looking at repainting our house we moved into last year. I'd like it a creamy white, more cream than white and am thinking possibly Resene Triple Merino. The house is LINEA® board with a Grey Friars roof and joinery. The windows have architraves, despite it being only 8 years old. Suggestions for that too would be great!

A. Resene Triple Merino is a bone and ash (almost grey green) neutral. I am not at all sure I would ever call it a creamy white. Have you seen a large sample of the colour or painted the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops)? If you are making a colour judgment on a small sample from a colour chart or after seeing it on the computer you may not be seeing the reality of the colour. Not that it isn't a lovely colour - it is - but it isn't a creamy white. Perhaps if you could look at several creamy whites it may give you a better idea of what the colours are truly like - and please compare them to Resene Triple Merino.

You could look at Resene Villa White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Bianca or Resene Cararra.

The window architraves could be painted a deeper version than the windows - this does make them seem slightly larger. Or you could paint them the same as the LINEA®.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
September 2016

Q. I'm looking for the perfect grey for my toddler and baby's rooms. I found Resene Concrete too baby blue and Resene Rakaia too mauve, Resene Foggy Grey looked quite dirty on our walls. I'm feeling really lost! I just want an ice light grey that isn't throwing off colours of blue/lavender or green.

A. All colours - yes every single one - reflect the changing qualities of natural and artificial light and react with other colours in the room. Colour is a chameleon and is constantly altering how it is seen. Greys are known as 'mutable' so they can be sneaky little changelings.

Firstly - if a room is undercoated in white (real white) and it looks grey that indicates that the quality of natural light may be from the south; if it takes on a greenish look it may be from the east; if the white appears blueish then it may be a north facing rooms and if it is creamy then that indicates that the quality of light may be from the west.

You refer to the grey that you want as ice (that indicates blue) light (not too white) grey - and that to me sounds a bit like Resene Concrete.

If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real painted samples of lots of greys in their Colour Library and compare them with each other it may help you see the underlying colours that are in each grey. Then armed with this knowledge you may be better able to make sound colour choices - or at least know why the colours that you have chosen are exactly as you have described and what other options you might look at. If you are looking at the full strength colours look at the lightest version of the colours to see if that alters your judgment of them. Colours always appear deeper in an interior - often double their perceived depth.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
September 2016

Q. We are painting a large villa and were planning to do Resene Quarter Bianca on walls and Resene Alabaster on trim, but my painter has suggested we do Resene Bianca or Resene Half Bianca on doors, Resene Alabaster on the ceiling and Resene Quarter Bianca on walls. Would this work? Just wondering why the three different colours?

A. I think there would be so little difference between Resene Quarter Bianca and Resene Alabaster that you may not see a difference at all.

Is this what you want? If that is the case then you might just use the Resene Quarter Bianca for all surfaces and just change the sheen level (semi-gloss for woodwork, low sheen for walls and matt for ceilings) for a very minimal contemporary look where nothing is highlighted in any way. If you are expecting to see a difference between the two whites then that may be what the painter is trying to get you to do.

Doors often get a lot of fingermarking - hence the slightly deeper colour for the woodwork.

Ceilings, because of the way the light falls away leaving it in shadow, needs to be the lightest of the colours to reflect as much light as possible. Walls are often slightly more coloured that the ceiling, but not as I mentioned so close that they would appear to be the exact same colour or the same colour badly matched.

It is your choice at the end of the day. But I think you would be wise to consider using Resene Half Bianca for the walls so the ceiling does look slightly different.

Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
September 2016

Q. We are painting the exterior of a 70s style weatherboard home. The roof is dark brown tile and the windows are silver coloured aluminium. We are looking for a light neutral colour that will not date. What would you recommend?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Albescent White, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Half Fossil.

Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
September 2016

Q. I have recently moved in to a new apartment. My bedroom is very white - white walls and white blinds. It is a smallish room with low ceilings. It also has an odd angle to one of the corners creating empty space. The carpet is a light grey colour. I need advice about what colour I should paint the walls. I'd like to keep it fairly neutral so I can change my duvet cover/artwork when I feel like it. But am also open to colour suggestions!

A. Neutrals that work really well and allow for any other colours to be used with them are these ones - Resene Concrete, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Fossil or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

There are many more options - but these ones might be a good start point for you to investigate.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
September 2016

Q. We have Resene Half Linen in our hallway and we really like the depth of colour that this provides. We are now decorating an adjacent bedroom and we are looking for a warm grey colour of around the same depth as the Resene Half Linen. Can you please provide us with some suggestions?

A. You might check out these warm greys - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Surrender.

Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
September 2016

Q. Interiors of show homes appealing to the masses are usually white on the ceiling and walls. I would like to steer away from this and suggest some feature walls for the bedrooms, blues, greens, and a warm grey. The entrance floor will be concrete and the carpet in other rooms will be a warm light grey. What would you recommend for the ceilings and walls throughout? They have always used Resene Black White on the ceiling and Resene Alabaster on the walls.

A. You could use Resene Black White on the walls and Resene Quarter Black White for the ceilings and wooden trims and - a warm grey - Resene Triple Black White as a main colour perhaps for the largest/brightest room or as a feature wall.

Here are some lovely blues and greens - Resene Emerge, Resene Secrets, Resene Eskimo or Resene Frozen.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Eskimo
Resene Eskimo
Resene Frozen
Resene Frozen
September 2016

Q. Can you point me to a grey with an undertone of pink or lavender please?

A. These may be worth checking out - Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene White Thunder, Resene Vista White, Resene Designer White, or deeper - Resene Rolling Fog, Resene Half Whiteout, Resene In The Mauve or Resene Mercury.

All colours react /alter with natural and artificial light as well as when seen near any other colours. In an interior, colours often appear twice the depth that you might imagine they will do.

If you can pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real painted samples in their Colour Library and compared them with each other and with a real White - a sheet of printer paper is a good optic white for this purpose - I think you would find it 100% better for judgment purposes. The white paper helps your eye see the real depth of the colour as well as the underlying tints and tones of the colour.

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Vista White
Resene Vista White
Resene Designer White
Resene Designer White
Resene Rolling Fog
Resene Rolling Fog
Resene Half Whiteout
Resene Half Whiteout
Resene In The Mauve
Resene In The Mauve
Resene Mercury
Resene Mercury
September 2016

Q. My husband and I are building a house and have been asked to select paint colours. We want a really crisp, bright white. I was looking at Resene Alabaster but just don't know. Also, what colour would you do on the ceiling?

A. Resene Alabaster is a lovely 'white'. If you wanted to see a subtle difference in the 'white' for the ceilings or other trim you could use Resene Quarter Alabaster. This would create a nice clean bright contrast between walls and everything else.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
September 2016

Q. We have quite a small, dark house that we are trying to lighten/brighten up and make it feel more spacious but still warm. After many testpots we have settled on Resene Quarter Bianca for the walls. The trims, doors and windows are Resene White. My partner would like to use Resene Quarter Bianca on the ceilings as well but to maximise the feeling of space and light should we be using Resene White on the ceilings instead or are they so close as to not make any difference?

A. You may see the ceiling - if painted in Resene Quarter Bianca - looks slightly deeper (more like Resene Half Bianca) than the same colour on the walls due to the change of angle and the shadows across the ceiling - especially under artificial light.

Usually if there is an option to lighten the wall colour for the ceiling I recommend that. The smallest size container that a reduced formula (Resene Eighth Bianca) could be physically made into is a 2 litre can. Why not use Resene White?

Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
September 2016

Q. We are looking at painting our kitchen and we're really struggling on choosing a white. The kitchen is quite a large space 4 x 4 metres and it has quite high ceilings. The whole kitchen is tongue and groove. We've bought cabinets in Antique White, have a matte black stove and matte black lights. The benchtops will be made from Ash and the rest of the appliances/fittings will be stainless.

Most of the windows at the moment look out onto fences. There are French doors to an outdoor patio. We'd like a warm white to complement the cottagey feel and antique white cupboards. Could you please recommend even a couple of shades to try?

Should we paint the ceiling the same white? I read somewhere on the website it looks good to go a slightly lighter shade

A. Might I suggest that you undercoat - white- all the walls etc. This will do a lot -

  • It will help you see the subtle undertone of colour in the kitchen cabinets. This will assist you in choosing the right wall and ceiling colour.
  • It will help you when you test colours because they will be on a real white background - again you will be able to judge the undertones in the 'whites'.

You might look at these 'whites' - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Half Barely There.

They are quite different to each other. This may not be apparent when you look at small samples on a chart but will be clear to you when you paint testpots onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and view them in changing qualities of natural and artificial light as close as possible to the Antique White kitchen cabinets.

If you are in doubt about using the wall colour on the ceiling as well then you can't go wrong using Resene White.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene White
Resene White
September 2016

Q. What colours would you choose for a sea/ocean theme?

A. It rather depends upon which ocean you fancy - Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean, Gold Coast or Cook Strait - the options are endless. Perhaps these colours might start you thinking about what the sea/ocean theme means to you - Resene Dauntless, Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Seachange, Resene Awash, Resene White Thunder, Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Double Sea Fog.

There are many other lovely colours that might appeal.

Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
 
September 2016

Q. We are building a Lockwood but I want to paint the walls in the living area and bathrooms. The living area has light oak floors, the bathrooms grey tiles and my thought was Resene Black White although I have seen Resene Orchid White and really like that too. The living areas are north facing with lots of windows and the ceilings are blonded Lockwood. I thought a white/grey would work best. Any suggestions?

A. Do you want a cool look or a warm look? If you do favour the cooler white/grey look then you might use Resene Black White.

But if you like the soft blonded warm tones of the pine in your Lockwood house then you might sweeten your 'white' and use colours like Resene Orchid White but with less yellow tone - Resene Half Bianca. The warmer white will still go with grey tiles and light oak floors.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
September 2016

Q. We want to create a rustic beach look inside a new home we're building. The kitchen/dining/family area has raked pitch ceilings. Can you please suggest some neutral interior wall colours, and maybe something different for the bathrooms and trim/ceiling colours? I'm keen for a warm look and much of our flooring is light brown/truffle.

A. Paler warm toned colours might be like these ones - Resene Eighth Bison Hide - main rooms, Resene Sea Fog - bedroom or bathroom, Resene Quarter Bianca - all trims/ceilings or Resene Half Tasman - bedrooms or bathroom.

Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
September 2016

Q. We have Permanent Green aluminium joinery, native rimu, and cream kitchen cupboards in our house that we need to work with. We've picked Resene Beryl Green for the kitchen to have some contrast with the cupboards, but we're stuck for trim/ceiling colours and some complementary colours for the lounge/hall nearby. We have a lot of light in the lounge, but not much in the hall. We would really appreciate your advice.

A. You might look at some of these colours for the trims/ceiling colours - Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. Some options for the lounge - Resene Ecru White, Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Parchment.

If the hallway has less natural light you might consider using lighter versions of the listed colours - Resene Half Ecru White, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Parchment.

Resene Beryl Green
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
 
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
September 2016

Q. We are choosing between Resene Half Cloud and Resene Milk White. (Resene Fossil in hallway). We need a background wall colour so we can have seasonal changes in bedding. Our walls are Resene Half Hillary at the moment but it’s too green. Usually I go for pure Linen fabrics in white/taupe colours but maybe this season duck egg blue or new pale grey duvets. Painting in Resene Half Robin Egg Blue is too limiting for a seasonal change of bedding. Also tried Resene Eighth Hillary. We need a neutral.

A. Resene Half Cloud looks nice and other alternatives to consider are Resene White Pointer or Resene Quarter Truffle - these three are a little warmer than Resene Milk White which is cooler/greyer. If you favour the cooler/greyer colours another that is good is Resene House White.

It really depends upon how the colour looks in the room (natural light and artificial light alter colours considerably) as well as how the colour looks with the new linen. Test the colours very carefully but not on the already coloured walls. I suggest you paint onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). If you leave an unpainted border all around the edge of the card it helps you focus on the reality of the colour without the existing wall colour influencing it and making you see it 'wrong’. Take your time to get the right colour.

Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Hillary
Resene Eighth Hillary
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene House White
Resene House White
   
September 2016

Q. I’m looking at painting a 1920 weatherboard bungalow in Resene Stonehenge and wondering what colour you would recommend for trims and gutters to complement. I have white window frames.

A. You don't indicate whether you want a deeper tonal colour in the same range as Resene Stonehenge or a more definite colours so I have included both options for you to consider - Resene Triple Stonehenge, Resene Masala or much softer/lighter - Resene Quarter Stonehenge. Or some definite colours - Resene Seaweed or Resene Pioneer Red.

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
       
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
September 2016

Q. I have been considering painting the wooden panelling in our living room for quite some time. It is a character feature of our house; however it makes our living room feel very dark. It is a major choice for me as I feel once I begin painting I can't turn back! Being an older house it doesn't face the right way for the sun so our living room only receives the sun in the late afternoon. I was wondering what neutral/lighter colours you would recommend for this room that would work well to lighten/freshen the room and work with the afternoon sun. The colour/s would also need to work well with the timber stain as I am thinking I will keep the thick timber skirting and trim around the doors/windows as they are. I am also wondering about keeping the wooden ledge at the top of the panelling as wood but wonder if this will break it up a bit much if the panelling is painted? I think I will paint the wallpaper that is above the panelling if I do proceed with painting the panelling. Would you paint that the same colour or a different colour?

A. West facing rooms are wonderful in the later part of the day - they glow with the low sunshine - or in the evening as they are warm and intimate - BUT - during the rest of the day they can be filled with shadow. Even really pale colours can take on a shadowy/grey look because of this.

Perhaps you might consider tawny biscuit colours so they feel intimate and sunny even when there is no sunshine in the room - mind you in saying that they may not be really light - just not as deep as the wood.

You could check out these colours - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Biscotti, Resene Half Haystack or Resene Half Sour Dough.

Some alternative colour ideas - yellow based greens might work for you - Resene Aspiring, Resene Zen or Resene Half Coriander.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Sour Dough
Resene Half Sour Dough
Resene Aspiring
Resene Aspiring
Resene Zen
Resene Zen
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
 
September 2016

Q. Can you advise a warm toned colour for a small south facing bathroom in a 1920s country home? There is existing rimu flooring. Ceiling and trims will be white as will the vanity, toilet, bath and shower. The adjourning hallway is painted Resene Half Putty with white trim. I have been considering a warm blue but welcome your advice.

A. South facing rooms are not renowned for their warm sunny aspect. They are inclined to grey up some colours and sour up others. It is that somewhat 'blighted' aspect of natural light that does it. A warm blue would have to be very dark (intimate/cosy) or bright (fun) - is that what you are looking for? Paler blues may look chilly and some muted mid toned blues could look grey. You would need to test them very carefully in order to see how the aspect of southerly light altered them.

You could check these ones out - Resene Wishlist, Resene Refresh, Resene Seagull, or a dark blue - Resene Spinnaker. Warmer colours - not blues - might be like these colours - Resene Half Sour Dough, Resene Quarter Doeskin or lighter - Resene Half Spanish White.

Resene Half Putty
Resene Half Putty
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
Resene Refresh
Resene Refresh
Resene Seagull
Resene Seagull
Resene Spinnaker
Resene Spinnaker
Resene Half Sour Dough
Resene Half Sour Dough
Resene Quarter Doeskin
Resene Quarter Doeskin
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
   
September 2016

Q. We currently have yellow internal walls with cream trim. We've just painted the ceiling in Resene Alabaster and are looking at either Resene Blanc or Resene Wan White for the walls. Which would you recommend with the cream trim and Resene Alabaster ceiling?

A. Resene Blanc might be nice - it could look like a soft mushroom with the cream trims. It is the yellow undertone in the cream that will bring up the mushroom tone in the Resene Blanc. Resene Wan White may be swamped by the cream trim and just look like cool grey white.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
September 2016

Q. We are looking at painting our living/dining area white and we are looking for a warm white for the walls with a complementary white for the trims and sills. Could you please provide some suggested combinations?

A. You might look at these 'whites' to see if they appeal to you - Resene Merino with Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Half Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster or Resene Bianca with Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
September 2016

Q. We are doing a new build with Stria®, weatherboards and architectural stone. We are thinking of using Resene Delta on the Stria® and want a slightly lighter colour on the weatherboards without going too white or too grey. Our joinery is Sandstone grey, as is our mono pitched roof.

A. A lighter colour that may appeal to you and associate well with Resene Delta might be one of these colours - Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Athens Grey.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
September 2016

Q. We require a wall colour for lounge, kitchen and dining rooms which flow through to one another. The kitchen has cream cupboards, a cream bench and tawa wood. Accessories are in spearmint and pinks.

A. Sometimes when you already have the perfect colour to go with your existing elements - which are not being changed and therefore compromise your options - it is very difficult to come up with another 'perfect' colour.

Certainly a 'whiter/paler' cream might work as would a soft green or pink - but to choose a completely random colour might not help you to get a new look - just a slightly discordant look.

You could check out these colours - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Cararra, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Swans Down or Resene Spring Wood.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Spring Wood
Resene Spring Wood
September 2016

Q. We are building a new cedar clad single level home in Queenstown with a 25° pitched roof. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Ironsand and the windows Palladium Silver. We are thinking of light or golden oak wooden floors and desire a warm and fresh feeling inside. I was thinking about Resene Truffle and Resene Stonehenge. How do you appreciate the difference between these, would they work and what other colours should we consider?

A. One colour - Resene Truffle - is lighter and is a slightly warm stone/grey. Resene Stonehenge is darker, browner and heavier. Even the lightest variant of Resene Stonehenge - i.e. Resene Eighth Stonehenge - is slightly deeper/greyer than Resene Truffle.

What look do you want to achieve? Light or dark?

Either would work with the lighter or golden oak floors.

I suggest you test colours carefully by painting up large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with all of the testpot (two coats) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges so your eye focuses on the real depth of the colour and then move it around from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how the colours alter in changing qualities of light.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
September 2016

Q. We are currently renovating our living room/lounge, which is quite large. The room height is 2.4m, and it gets ample natural light. We are laying charcoal/black carpet, and will have four sofas in the room (two large black leather, and we will purchase two other couches later). We need help deciding on a paint colour for the walls, which we want to tone in with a cushion that we are basing the room around. We like colours such as Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Archive Grey and Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. However, we are not sure whether the room will end up looking too dark or small etc.

A. Resene Quill Grey and Resene Triple Thorndon Cream are the lightest and less grey colours. All colours in an interior appear deeper - so please be aware that they all have the potential to double in depth.

I suggest you carefully test colours by purchasing testpots and using large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). If you paint two coats (all of the testpot) leaving an unpainted narrow border all around the edges this helps your eye to focus on the colour and the size of the card is great as it can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how the changing qualities of light alter the colours.

Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple
Thorndon Cream
September 2016

Q. I recently painted my bedrooms Resene Half Sea Fog on the walls and Resene Sea Fog on the trims. I intend on painting the rest of the living areas the same. My question is I need to paint my 1960s kitchen cabinets and would love to put in some colour that will go with Resene Half Sea Fog. I actually love colour but note that Resene Sea Fog goes with more muted colours. Also my kitchen is very small and dark.

A. I do know what colours are indicated as being used in association with Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Sea Fog but they will work with a huge variety of brighter colours as well.

Even if your kitchen is small and dark there is no reason that one of these colour suggestions would look wrong and out of place - you might choose to paint only the under bench cupboards and not the upper wall ones (these could be the same as the walls or the trims) so that the bright colours are in the room but not everywhere. Try Resene Melting Moment, Resene Renew, Resene Memphis Belle or Resene Seeker.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Renew
Resene Renew
Resene Memphis Belle
Resene Memphis Belle
Resene Seeker
Resene Seeker
September 2016

Q. I'm considering painting the interior walls throughout our home in Resene Sea Fog, though am unsure if I should go for half, double etc. I was thinking of Resene Alabaster for ceilings or would it be preferable to use a lower strength of Resene Sea Fog instead? I'm keen for the ceilings to look a little whiter than the walls. We have rimu trim and doors. Would Resene Periglacial Blue (unsure of strength) work with this for bathroom/toilet area?

A. If you use Resene Half Alabaster for all the ceilings then it will always look whiter than Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Double Alabaster (Resene Quarter Sea Fog).

Larger brighter/lighter rooms could use full strength Resene Sea Fog and smaller rooms with less natural light could be Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Sea Fog (Resene Double Alabaster).

Resene Half Periglacial Blue may be deep enough (colours in an interior especially where lots of real ceramic white is used- bath, basin, toilet etc - can double in their intensity) so unless you want a deeper blue in the rooms (full strength Resene Periglacial Blue) I would advise the lighter option.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
 
September 2016

Q. I am in the process of doing up my bathroom. We have opted to have light warm grey speckled floor tiles and white subway tiles from floor to ceiling around our bath and then 1100mm up the rest of the walls. We have multiple timber features such as a timber built in bath, a wooden dressing table as our vanity, and timber window frames. We also plan to have a timber moulding at the top of the white tiles to frame it. I have tried multiple testpots of colours and I do really like Resene Tangaroa. But I'm a bit scared of it. I've heard that using dark colours in small spaces can make them feel even smaller although it is only the top half of the room that I would be painting. And I'm also worried that a colour this dark could appear black next to a stark white tile. However I don't mind that look. I guess I just want to know if this colour choice is going to be 'on trend’. I should also mention I have already painted the ceiling white.

A. Would you change to an 'on trend' colour and have what everyone else has or would you rather have what you personally love? I think if you love a colour you should have it. It seems to me that the timber and the white tiles (plus white bath, sink, probably a shower as well) and the more neutral toned floor allows for the deep colour. But as a dress rehearsal why don't you get at least two testpots of Resene Tangaroa and some super large A2 white card from your nearest Resene ColorShop and paint them up - all of the testpots/two coats (this will give you a sample about 2 sq. metres in size) and tape them together from the back. This way you have a huge sample that can be taped up covering a large expanse of wall so you can truly judge for yourself what that colour will look like.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing this.

Resene Tangaroa
Resene Tangaroa
September 2016

Q. Help!! I am going insane trying to pick a colour scheme for our house. We are on a farm so I want something with a reasonably natural feel but I am really struggling to come up with something that I am sold on. I am not someone that really knows what is on trend so need help there, but at the same time I don't want colours that will date in a few years. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

A. Please don't go insane. Hopefully my help will give you food for thought and inspiration. Trends do come and go so perhaps don't get 'hooked up' on them but choose from what your eye and heart likes. Firstly is the roof staying as the existing colour? If it is then you might check out these colours to see if they appeal - natural neutrals always work well in the country don't they? You could try Resene Eighth Stonewall – main, Resene Half Villa White – trims and Resene Rivergum as an alternative trim or just for the deck floor.

If the roof colour is changing as well as the house then you might check these colours out - Resene Triple Sea Fog – main, Resene Double Alabaster – trims or Resene Half Gauntlet - as an alternative trim or just for the deck floor - Resene Gauntlet CC. Or lastly, Resene Half Spanish White – main, Resene Quarter Bianca – trims or Resene Paddock - as an alternative trim or just for the deck floor.

Windows sills, door sills or doors might still be more definite colours with any of the above colour schemes. Often it is the nicest way to add 'personal colour' onto the house in a smaller way, if desired. This is where you get to choose what you fancy.

Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
 
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
 
September 2016

Q. Last time I painted I used Resene Eighth Sisal and Resene Quarter Sisal throughout the house but want a change throughout the family area (tiled in cream/brown tones) and lounge (grey carpet and sofa).

A. Perhaps a grey/beige colour might be a nice way to go for a change - Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Eighth Truffle or warm beige - Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Tea.

Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
   
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
September 2016

Q. What are the best colour choices for a south facing room without direct sunlight in an open concept, 112 year old home. I am leaning to light and neutral; burgundy, browns and beiges in living room which has more light. We will be painting the ceiling white. We would like to leave the original dark wood. The kitchen is painted burgundy, quite dark. We may change that to a lighter colour up the road, something fresher. We would choose something that goes with the open concept colour. We are used to a newer, light and bright space (yellows, white, bright beigey neutrals) and are getting used to the character of this home.

A. If you are relying on artificial lighting (which is quite yellow) a lot of the time and coupled with the yellow toned floor timbers one of these colours might appeal to you - Resene Linen, Resene Cararra, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Quarter Wheatfield.

These colours look good with wood and are light enough to compensate for the lack of natural light and let you use rich heritage inspired colours in the accessories and furniture.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
September 2016

Q. I'm unable to decide what colour to put on our exterior weatherboard walls for our 1910 villa. I'm quite keen on a 1930s type green with white trim or a grey.

A. The colours of the 1930s were a little deeper/more definite than the much paler colours that we favour now.

The following suggestions - both green/white and grey/white may appeal to you - Resene Rainee, Resene Half Black White, or Resene Bud, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, or a grey theme - Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Half Alabaster, or Resene Double Concrete, Resene Quarter Concrete.

Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
September 2016

Q. We are currently building an 80 bed retirement home and we are using red brick on the outside with a plaster finish mixed in on certain faces. It is a large building. The joinery is black and the roof is a charcoal black. What colours would you use to complement the red bricks? I want something that has a bit of life in it. I know it has to be from the CoolColour™ labelled colours. I know what I like but wanted an opinion from your experts. The brick is flat and definitely a red but not a dark red, more of a rust red.

A. Many plaster finishes require colours with a light reflectance value (LRV) of 40% or higher. The following colours may be worth considering - Resene Organic (LRV 41%), Resene Matchstick (LRV 52%), Resene Half Hillary CC (LRV 51%), Resene Unwind (LRV 50%) or Resene Double Drought (LRV 41%).

This selection of colours relates well to the criteria (LRV %) and your request for a 'bit of life'.

Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Matchstick
Resene Matchstick
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
September 2016

Q. I am having a skylight fitted in my living room as it is quite dark because of a very deep soffit. Currently the walls are painted Resene Akaroa, but I am thinking of changing to Resene Quarter Akaroa. I think the ceiling has to be a lighter colour still, and was thinking of Resene Quarter Spanish White, but maybe Resene Eighth Spanish White. Which would be better? I have used Resene Quarter Akaroa elsewhere in the house and like it but am struggling with the ceiling. As far as the two doors are concerned they are nothing special so presumably they should be treated the same as the walls?

A. You are wise to consider lightening the wall colour. Colours in an interior and especially on a ceiling are apt to look quite a bit deeper (sometimes double their depth) than you might imagine. It may be wise to paint super large samples using the whole testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and tape it to the ceiling either side of the skylight to see how much more coloured they look.

The lightest - Resene Eighth Spanish White - may throw out a little more peach/pink undertone as well so it is wise to know in advance of purchasing larger amounts of paint.

If either of the two you have mentioned are not quite as light and neutral as you would like then might I suggest you consider one of these colours - Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
 
September 2016

Q. I am trying to choose a popular off white exterior weatherboard colour. We were told a particular house colour we liked was Resene Concrete but your charts show it as very grey. Please let me know a few popular off white colours for exteriors.

A. Resene Concrete is a grey. If you liked it but were worried that it was too definite a colour then I would suggest you check out the lightest version - Resene Quarter Concrete.

Other very popular off whites are these ones - Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Sea Fog.

I do suggest you view the A4 real painted samples in the Colour Library at your nearest Resene ColorShop. There is absolutely nothing better than seeing the reality of larger samples and comparing them with each other in order to make a good judgment of what they are really like.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
September 2016

Q. We are currently building our new house and we have salt and pepper polished concrete floors throughout the main living areas, and a grey carpet in the bedrooms. What wall colour can you recommend to make sure the whole house feels light, fresh and open? Our kitchen has light wood and white gloss cabinetry with a black stone benchtop, and our aluminium joinery is in an ebony colour.

A. You may need to carefully test several colours to find the one that appeals to you the most. These ones are worth checking out - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Half Concrete, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Truffle.

These colours do come also as lighter and deeper versions - so if you find one that you like but you are unsure about the colour then please do check out the other variants in case one of them is more appropriate.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
September 2016

Q. I need a good colour deck paint that will go with house coloured Resene Diesel. The railings around the deck are Resene Concrete. The house has Karaka aluminium frames. I tried Resene Relic but it doesn't look right with green aluminium frames. I quite like greys but can't seem to match a good one!

A. You do have a very unrelated group of colours on the house - cool/silvery grey juxtaposed against warm rich dark red/black (Resene Diesel) and strong olive green (Karaka) - both of these colours trying for dominance. This may be why you are finding it a little difficult to find the right colour for the deck.

You may need to consider a balancing colour - whether it is grey like the Resene Concrete but I doubt it as this is too cool to work with Karaka and Resene Diesel - or some other warmer/earthy colour.

You might check these colours out - Resene Half Gravel (looks good with the Karaka powder coated window colour), Resene Quarter Karaka (looks good with the Karaka and the Resene Diesel), Resene Mountain Mist (looks reasonable with the Resene Diesel) or Resene Monsoon (warmer and more red toned - looks reasonable with the Resene Diesel and the Karaka).

Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Relic
Resene Relic
 
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Monsoon
Resene Monsoon
September 2016

Q. We have been in our house eight months and have used Resene Half Sisal on a block wall and the roof is currently green but we would like to change it to Ironsand. The house is a white Summerhill stone with a maroon coloured pointing. I want to know of a colour I could paint the stone and also the gables as they are maroon looking as well. I quite like grey on the gables and painting the stone quite white but am not sure how it will all look with the Resene Half Sisal wall. The paling fences around the property are painted a dark walnut colour.

A. Resene Half Sisal and Resene Ironsand go together really well. If you are going to paint over the Summerhill stone I suggest you look at one of these, either of them work well with Resene Half Sisal and Ironsand - Resene Half Barely There or Resene Half Sea Fog.

The gables might be one of these greys - they do have some warmth to them so that they sit harmoniously between the other colours you have - Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Half Gauntlet.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
   
September 2016

Q. I am looking for an updated neutral that will complement quite bright spotted gum flooring in a Victorian cottage. The current paint is quite pink and we are looking for a modern update but not grey please. The modern open living room is south facing, open with some natural light from a skylight. We also need advice on whether to do the trim in white or choose a neutral for all over. Which is more current?

A. Some modern popular neutrals that could be good - Resene Eighth Bison Hide, Resene Half Tea or Resene Thorndon Cream.

I do think that a slightly toned up Resene White may be the way to go for the trims so that the new main colour is enhanced. You might check out these ones to see if the appeal to you - Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
September 2016

Q. I live in a villa that has a dark brown COLORSTEEL® roof, white windows and brown fences. These are the things I can't change unfortunately. The weatherboards are cream and I hate them. I would like to paint the front door black or dark charcoal along with the trims on the windows. What colour would you suggest painting the weatherboards? Something with a grey tone in it? Would it go with the brown?

A. Some greys will work with brown but not usually the cool, silvery or blue toned greys. You might check out some of the grey/brown colours as they may work more harmoniously with the dark brown you have.

These are a few that you might look out - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Cloudy, Resene Napa or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
September 2016

Q. My lounge and dining walls are painted in Resene Tahuna Sands, and my kitchen cupboards are a laminate in the same colour. This is all one room. I can't change the kitchen cupboards, but want to change the paint colour on the walls. We live at the beach and want a fresh update. The carpet is a light colour. I was looking at Resene Half Tea, but would welcome some suggestions.

A. Resene Half Tea is a good neutral to balance the colour of the kitchen cabinets but you might also check out some other colours with a little bit more grey undertone – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Napa or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Tahuna Sands
Resene Tahuna Sands
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
September 2016

Q. I need a colour palette for a mid 30s Queenslander. Authentic preferred. The exterior may have been a muted green colour.

A. You might check out these 'old time' colours that were very popular in this era – Resene Thistle – main, Resene Sea Fog – trims, Resene Clay Creek - lesser trims, Resene Red Planet – roof, or Resene Caraway – main, Resene Rice Cake – trims, Resene Groundbreaker - lesser trims and Resene Botanic roof.

Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Clay Creek
Resene Clay Creek
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Botanic
Resene Botanic
September 2016

Q. My house is (over)due for exterior painting, both the roof and walls. It has the old 1980s brown aluminium joinery (you know the stuff, you see it everywhere on houses from the 1980s, I think aluminium joinery must have only been available in one colour back then). Can you please suggest a few colours that I can consider for the exterior walls that will go well with brown aluminium, and their corresponding roof match colours? I was thinking a charcoal grey for the roof, but am flexible to make it look good as the one thing that won't change is that aluminium joinery.

A. I do understand your strong reaction to the brown aluminium joinery - it does have a way of 'controlling' your options but not necessarily stopping a slightly newer look for the exterior of the house evolving.

I encourage you to look at a warmer toned charcoal for the roof so that the windows aren't totally 'friendless', such as Resene Ironsand.

The main house options might be like one of these colours – Resene Double Truffle, Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Friar Grey.

Nothing will make the window colour disappear (much as you might like it to) but colours that have a little depth to them will help the brown to be less of a feature on the house.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
September 2016

Q. Can you tell me which paint shade best matches Oamaru Stone?

A. Most of the time when I have seen OAMARU stone it has looked totally different to when seen previously. Some of the time it looks like a pale warm yellow/beige - i.e. like Resene Half Soapstone or Resene Quarter Albescent White. Also because of the subtle low and higher level of colour in the natural stone it is difficult to match exactly 100%.

It does work well with many accents of colour which is why it is so popular.

Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
September 2016

Q. I am looking for a new wall colour for my lounge. It is currently Resene Quarter Napa but I want something lighter and with a more grey undertone than brown. I was looking at Resene Half Concrete but think it might be too harsh and cold.

A. You might check out these colours - they are lighter and have a grey undertone – Resene Rakaia, Resene Half Cloudy, Resene Half Foggy Grey or Resene Triple Concrete (warmer and not all as harsh as Resene Half Concrete).

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
     
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
September 2016

Q. Could I please have advice on what grey to paint the weather boards and roof of our 1960s house? We live near the sea so either a blueish grey scheme or a warm grey scheme would be good. Our garden is being designed using lush green subtropical plants so it needs to match in with those. The roof is quite a feature because of the style of architecture so the colour needs to look good.

A. Some colours for you to try (I have included roof colours in brackets alongside the main exterior options) - Resene Dusted Blue (with Resene Half Tuna on roof), Resene Grey Chateau (with Resene High Tide on roof), Resene Casper (with Resene New Denim Blue on roof) or Resene Gull Grey (with Resene Coast on roof). Or a roof colour that will work universally well with any of the main colours – Resene Grey Friars.

Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
 
September 2016

Q. I want to choose a colour in the greige colour group for the exterior of my 1960s home. We are doing the trims in Resene Black White as this is the interior trim colour and we thought the garage and roof could be Resene Woodland or Thunder Grey. We were thinking Resene Friar Grey but are not sure? We also need a stain colour for the deck.

A. Resene Friar Grey is a great colour choice. The nice thing about Resene Friar Grey is that it is also available as deeper/darker versions and softer/lighter versions.

If you like Resene Friar Grey then you might also check out these colours as well - Resene Quarter Chicago (slightly greyer) and Resene Taupe Grey (slightly lighter) to see how they compare and to confirm the 'rightness' of your choice.

A stain colour for the deck might be one of these colours – Resene Woodsman stain Banjul or Tiri.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Woodland
Resene Woodland
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
     
September 2016

Q. We are building a house in rural Wairarapa. Summers are dry and brown and winters green. We are really stuck on colours. We've looked at aluminium joinery and COLORSTEEL® roofing in the hope that selecting these will inform the cladding and interior colours. Alas, no joy. The cladding is ply and batten. We were considering dark joinery but are concerned that from the inside this will detract from the view and look too stark because we want to go for a light/neutral colour scheme. We were hoping to either match the dark joinery and the roof or just go for light joinery. We have been drawn to colours like Ironsand, Grey Friars and if we were doing white joinery maybe something that is not a stark white but not too beige either - Pearl White or Appliance White? For the interior we like Resene Merino because it feels kind of clean and Resene Alabaster because it's so light. There will be polished concrete in the living areas. We were originally thinking a dark stain along the lines of Resene Banjul for cladding but have no idea now.

A. If you did use Ironsand for the roof (possibly guttering as well) and the garage door if that is to be a powder coated metal one it is a great start point - earthy, dark nearly charcoal but far more 'country' than a standard charcoal - i.e. Grey Friars.

Window joinery in either Pearl White or Appliance White would be a really versatile colour - they just go so well with heaps of other colours

You might consider painting the ply and batten - Resene Triple Merino or Resene Ash or staining it - this is a popular option as it looks natural within the environment. You could use Resene Woodsman stain Iroko or Resene Smokey Ash.

Resene Woodsman stain Banjul may be too deep a colour to comply with the recommendations for ply and battens. You could check out by referring to the BRANZ site and checking the recommendations for this type of cladding.

Resene Merino and Resene Alabaster are lovely clean, light neutrals for the interior.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
 
September 2016

Q. What colours would you recommend for a bedroom? I’m doing a feature wall. The whole room is wallpapered in a colour similar to Resene Dawn. I was thinking of warmer green/teal but also like Resene Neptune.

A. Resene Neptune may be a little too light, especially if you wanted it to be a 'feature'. The colour that you attached - Resene Kandinsky - is a soft fresh apple mint green.

Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Deep Sea, Resene Surfie Green, Resene Paradiso or Resene Blue Chill.

Resene Dawn
Resene Dawn
Resene Neptune
Resene Neptune
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
 
Resene Deep Sea
Resene Deep Sea
Resene Surfie Green
Resene Surfie Green
Resene Paradiso
Resene Paradiso
Resene Blue Chill
Resene Blue Chill
September 2016

Q. Our house is a villa. All our doors and trims are Resene Spanish White and currently the hall with little natural light is painted in Resene Marzipan. I want a neutral colour now - could you suggest a colour? I was thinking of Resene Quarter Spanish White but is that quite boring and the ceiling will be Resene Spanish White and darker.

A. Why don't you just use Resene Spanish White then the ceilings and the woodwork would be the same colour. If you use another light natural colour it would have to be deeper than you might want because of the Resene Spanish White on the ceiling and woodwork being such a deep warm colour.

It may not be the most exciting wall colour but it is a lot lighter than the Resene Marzipan.

Your other option is to repaint the ceiling and woodwork in a lighter more flexible colour so that you could have any other colour for the walls.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Marzipan
Resene Marzipan
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
September 2016

Q. We are about to redo our kitchen. The floors are going to be a Bamboo Coffee colour, the cabinets will be the Dezignatek New Frosty White colour, and the countertop will be a Eurostone product which looks like the classic Carrara marble: white with grey veining. We do have a lot of light in the kitchen, with two walls consisting of large white aluminium windows, and a third wall consisting of a large white aluminium sliding door. A third of the third wall is normal wall. The rangehood and fridge are stainless steel. I really would appreciate two pieces of advice:
1. Wall colouring: I am thinking of a soft green/grey but would love some more ideas too.
2. The splashback: we will be using a ribboned/textured glass and I would love some advice on a colour behind it. I was looking at your metallic range for this.

A. You might check out these grey/greens - they are beautiful – Resene Half Tasman, Resene Harp, Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Emerge or Resene Quarter Regent Grey.

Behind the glass splashback you might look at Resene Silver Aluminium, Resene Allusive, Resene Infinity or Resene Pioneer.

Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium

Resene Allusive
Resene Allusive
Resene Infinity
Resene Infinity
Resene Pioneer
Resene Pioneer
 
September 2016

Q. We are painting the exterior of our house which has a red tiled roof and sandstone patio. Would you be able to recommend a colour which would suit the house and a colour for the trim/shutters?

A. You could look at these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Solitaire or Resene Clotted Cream.

For the trims/shutters one of these may look good – Resene Scaramanga, Resene Coast or Resene Half New Denim Blue.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Scaramanga
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New
Denim Blue
September 2016

Q. I'm looking for advice on choosing a white or neutral for a bedroom in our house. The bedroom is at the back of the house and does not get much light. At present the walls are a dated yellow colour and one wall is covered in an awful space mural which we want to remove. We intend on hanging framed artwork on the wall.

The house is 1940s art deco style and we're aiming for a modern and light feel.

A. I suspect the yellow may have been chosen - in part - to lighten and brighten the room especially if it is a lacking in natural light as you say it is. If you use a white that has a warm undertone it may not look grey and a bit grim when the sunlight moves away leaving the room in shadow.

Perhaps look at one of these colours to see if they will work for you – Resene Half Bianca, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
September 2016

Q. We currently have Resene Woodsman Heartwood on our vertical shiplap cedar. For the aluminium louvres we want to find the colour that would be closest to this.

A. Stain is semi-transparent (see through) and fades back differently to paint as it ages. This may make the paint (which appears denser to begin with) look slightly unrelated to the stain over time. Will this worry you?

You could look at either of these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Korma or Resene Cumin.

Resene Heartwood
Resene Heartwood
Resene Korma
Resene Korma
Resene Cumin
Resene Cumin
September 2016

Q. The entry fence and sign to our housing area in the country near Mapua in Tasman is 15 years old. It is washed out and terribly dated. Can you give us a couple of options on how to give it a lift?

A. Two thoughts spring to mind - bold coloured fence and black lettering on the sign or mid toned neutral fence and bright letters. You could try Resene Kombi and Resene Blackout (this scenario could be reversed - black fence and bold lettering), or Resene Triple Stonehenge and Resene Japanese Laurel.

Resene Kombi
Resene Kombi
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Japanese Laurel
Resene Japanese Laurel
September 2016

Q. My house is partly renovated. I have used Resene Taupe Grey in part of my lounge; the rest is 'cream'. The exterior of the house is/will be Resene Double Arrowtown. I like dark earthy colours. The trim is Resene Quarter Spanish White and I would like to use this on all trim inside and outside. I am currently doing our bathroom. I also want to paint a bedroom that is directly beside the bathroom in the same colour. I want it to be grey. The bedroom is for a little boy.

I have five test colours on the walls in the bathroom:
1. Resene Foggy Grey - my fav, but is it too dark? Goes nicely with the trim colour.
2. Resene Silver Chalice - too blue?
3. Resene Half Delta - ok-ish but not enamoured with it, but my second favourite so far - goes with trim.
4. Resene Surrender - too pale and 'cold'.
5. Resene Concrete - too pale and too blue.

At this point I'm not sure how to proceed. Can you recommend a similar lighter colour to the Resene Foggy Grey? How do you think Resene Foggy Grey will go in a boy’s room?

Can you also recommend a dark charcoal that will match a recommended grey wall colour for a built in wardrobe in the bedroom also?

The house style is 'old' - built in 1939.

A. I really like your idea of Resene Foggy Grey. I know you like deeper colours but your little boy may not be so enchanted with them.

Perhaps you could use the trim colour as the main wall colour in his room (or at least two walls of it - one wall of this colour must be the window wall to increase the light factor in the room) and the Resene Foggy Grey on the other wall (or two walls). That way because there is less of it, the look may not look too heavy.

The bathroom will have a fair amount of white bathroom stuff in it so using the Resene Foggy Grey on all the walls might not look overly dark. A super large mirror and a window will decrease the amount of the colour also.

A dark charcoal for the wardrobe? - hmm - perhaps a light to mid tone grey might be a bit better (not so ominous) and provide a softer look overall - i.e. Resene Half Gravel - and then inside the wardrobe you could paint something exciting/astounding and a bit unique – a favourite colour or something bright like Resene Limerick, Resene Smashing or Resene Discover.

Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
   
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Discover
Resene Discover
 
September 2016

Q. I am putting a new COLORBOND® roof on and wish to know what colour you might suggest to go with it. It’s a 70s blond brick house with Mission Brown aluminium windows. It also has timber trim outside. What would lighten it up? I also need colours for the fascia and guttering.

A. Between the bricks and the brown window joinery you are slightly compromised for colour choices.

COLORBOND® colours are somewhat limited - perhaps an earthy grey/brown/green – Woodland Grey - or a natural green to merge into the foliage around the house - Mangrove.

If the timber trims are stained you could try Resene Woodsman stain - Equilibrium - it does look good with the two roof options or a colour more in tune with the bricks Resene Woodsman stain – Nutmeg.

If you wanted to paint over the stain you would need to do more extensive cleaning and prep work - i.e. sealing the stain so it doesn't interfere with adhesion or bleed through the paint film and then applying topcoats of an acrylic paint in a lighter colour, such as Resene Spanish White.

Resene Equilibrium
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
September 2016

Q. Any suggestions on a colour for the exterior of my house? I'm thinking grey or grey/brown, just one colour with contrast on garage and front door and the white bits. I don't want it too light.

A. These colours may appeal to you - they are certainly worth checking out – Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Fifty Shades.

You could use quite a lot of deeper contrast colours on the garage door and front door- the choice is yours but just in case you are lost for inspiration – Resene Coast, Resene Tiki Tour or Resene Foundry.

Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
September 2016

Q. I have a large, open plan kitchen/dining/lounge that is very light and sunny. It currently has a yellow feature wall and a grey back wall (the rest of the house is painted in Resene Tea). Any suggestions on what colour to paint this area? I like neutral tones (and could do it Resene Tea like the rest of the house but perhaps a bit boring?) Looking for something fresh. It has a large rural vista (lots of green space!)

A. Some possible 'feature' wall colours that look good with Resene Tea for you to consider – Resene Paddock, Resene Gumboot, Resene Blaze, Resene Barometer, Resene Sea Crest or Resene Cabaret.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
 
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Sea Crest
Resene Sea Crest
Resene Cabaret
Resene Cabaret
September 2016

Q. We are building a two storey gable roof home using Gauntlet (COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey) on the roof. We have white aluminium windows that are framed out in white. I'd like to keep the exterior paint very similar to the roof colour for a coastal feel. What do you suggest?

A. There are several colours that you could investigate to see how they appeal to you – Resene Half Gauntlet, Resene Concord, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Half Jumbo.

You may notice that the roof angled to the sun looks lighter than you might expect it to look - so much so that the lighter (similar) colours on the house appear to be the same depth of colour. This can be annoying especially when you imagine you will see a more definite tone difference.

If this is the case then the house would have to be a lot lighter - not so similar - to get a sense of contrast.

Lighter colours might be these ones – Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Silver Sand.

Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Concord
Resene Concord
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
September 2016

Page 53

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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