Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. My interior designer suggested Resene Stonehenge for an outdoor render colour. We thought it was going to be a 'warm charcoal' but it's really closer to brown I think. What would you have that is like Resene Stonehenge but with a bit of charcoal/grey? A. You might check out these warm grey/charcoals to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. I strongly advise you to view the A4 real paint samples of these colours in the Colour Library of the nearest Resene ColorShop. There is nothing quite like seeing the reality of a colour in order to judge how it looks.
October 2016
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Q. We have Resene Eighth Spanish White in our kitchen, dining room and have carried it through to the lounge which we have just painted. The lounge has natural light (large wooden framed north facing window) which seems to make the rimu floor arches and skirting look pinky/apricot. It will eventually be carpeted but the proposed deck will be wood and the existing concrete and the polycarbonate outdoor deck cover will be replaced. Do we change the colour or go ahead with the curtains etc. and hope the curtains etc. tone it down? Or change the paint now? It's a small room so we just wanted light and bright. A. Resene Eighth Spanish White is a peachy/pink cream compared to the deeper versions of the colour. When colours are reduced (lightened) they have less and less colourants in them - in this case less green and brown so the remaining colourants - ochre yellow and orange - are dominant. North facing rooms and wooden architraves etc may enhance the peachy tone even more. Have you thought of using Resene Quarter Spanish White or even Resene Half Albescent White - this is less yellow toned than the Resene Spanish White palette and more cream/beige toned. You may be wise to paint up several large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) using Resene testpots and move them around from wall to wall to check out just how much warmth they pick up from the natural light and the wood.
October 2016
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Q. I want to paint a coffee table white with a very faint hint of blue. A. Most whites that have a tint of blue in them may be too coloured but you might look at these colours - Resene Zircon or Resene Solitude. If they are too 'coloured' you might be better to use real Resene White with a tiny amount of blue colourant in the paint and mixed well.
October 2016
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Q. We have uploaded our house and are getting ready to take our property to the market, and we need to paint the brick wall as it needs new paint, and we thought about changing the colour. The colour of the garage door is New Denim Blue. What is a colour that would be good for the brick wall? A. I think your options are - same as the garage door - Resene New Denim Blue, lighter (but similar) to the garage door - Resene Half New Denim Blue, darker but similar to the main house colour, or lighter but similar to the main house colour.
October 2016
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Q. We're painting our living room. We've painted part of the room with Resene Celestial Blue which looks luxe and gorgeous. We need a soft light colour to go with it. We tried Resene Half White Pointer but it has come out far too grey for the room. It is a large room and we are painting over textured wallpaper (which is possibly why the Resene Half White Pointer looks greyer than it did when we put samples up. Can you please recommend a soft light colour that is not too white and that would complement the Resene Celestial Blue? A. You might check out these colours to see if they are the 'soft light' colour you are wanting - Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.
October 2016
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Q. I have a small 1900s villa. The lounge and kitchen area are painted Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. Three bedrooms come off the lounge and small hall; two of the bedrooms are south facing and smallish. I want a colour to go with the main colour but to keep with the era of the house. I am happy for colour if a feature wall or full wall colour that doesn't close the rooms in. I like colours and neutrals. A. South facing rooms often have a quality of natural light that makes colours look grey or sour. These types of rooms can benefit from slightly deeper and warmer colours. Any colour at all will work with your main interior colour which is not really a 'colour' it is more of a slightly coloured white. Deeper version of the main colour may be a good way to go - check out these colours - Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Thorndon Cream. Or alternatively you could use the exact same colour as your main one and use a feature of some kind in the rooms – paint or wallpaper? - You have a huge range of options available to you. Whichever feature you choose must work with your existing flooring, drapes and bed linen. It must be noted that really dark colours (especially on a wall that doesn't get good natural light) or really warm colours - i.e. reds - may make the spaces seem darker or smaller.
October 2016
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Q. I have a 1970s unit with bronze aluminium joinery. The sun comes into the living area at 1pm until the end of the day. The carpet is dark chocolate brown with natural colour weave through it. I like flax plant pots and have a floor lamp with light wooden legs and white shade. The current interior wall colour is Resene Double Spanish White with Resene Quarter Spanish White on door/window frames. A. The rich warm rich colours that you have at this point in time are a hard act to follow. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Fossil used with Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Pearl Lusta used with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.
October 2016
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Q. Can you suggest colour/colours for a dark L-shaped hallway in a 1926-1929 bungalow? A. It really depends upon what you like, what you have in the way of other colours in the house and what other colours present themselves in the space - especially flooring which has a marked influence on how colours look. You might look at these suggestions as a start point - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Half Albescent White.
October 2016
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Q. I want to stain my house a very dark grey (almost black), warm colour as I have seen many barn houses this colour. My aluminium window frames are a bronze/brown colour. I also want the roof painted a dark colour but maybe a couple of shades lighter. Also what colour would you then recommend for the posts (downpipes) and facing boards, soffits on the deck side of the house? Contrasting or dark? A. Stain colours that you might consider are these ones - Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Sheer Black, Resene Crowshead or Resene Pitch Black. The first two colours are warmer and might work better than the last one in regard co-ordinating with the window joinery. It is very difficult using a colour for the roof that is a couple of shades lighter than a stain colour but you might check out these roof colours - Resene Ironsand, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Windswept or Resene Touchstone. Posts (downpipes) and facing boards or soffits might be a neutral (not too white) colour like one of these -or they may match the roof colour - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Gauntlet.
October 2016
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Q. Three walls of our bedroom are painted (we think) in Resene Solitaire. We would like to paint out the feature wall behind our bed head from a mid-blue as it is now to Resene Duck Egg Blue. This would blend in with the blinds and is a nice soft, relaxing colour. Have you any thoughts on the colour? A. You may need to choose a 'ducky' colour that has a little depth to it as it won't relate well to your main colour if it is too pale or grey toned. You might check out these ones - Resene Emerge, Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Robin Egg Blue or Resene Dusted Blue. If you wanted to use paler 'ducky' colours you might have to lighten your main colour to a half or quarter tone - Resene Half Solitaire or Resene Quarter Solitaire.
October 2016
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Q. We are building a new home with ebony/black joinery and roof. We would like to paint the exterior black too. We want the black to look black and not have any blue/purple/green undertones. Could you please suggest a colour? I'm thinking Resene Black or Resene All Black. A. If you are using a CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colours you have mentioned on your surface you may find there is a subtle colour sway towards a warm undertone (not blue/green or purple) in the blacks.
October 2016
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Q. Currently I'm building a small two bedroom house, and have run into difficulties choosing the paint colour for the interior. The main living/kitchen is open plan. The kitchen is warm white natural. The ceilings throughout the house are Resene Black White. I am not looking for bold colours. I was thinking about a soft grey? A. Greys are very mercurial so please do test the colours I suggest very carefully. I recommend that you paint up all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow border all around the edge of the card so that the eye focuses on the reality of the colour. The large card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how it alters in differing qualities of natural light and shade. Try Resene House White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Barely There, Resene Black Haze or Resene Eighth Truffle.
October 2016
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Q. What would be the best colour to use on a 70s Hardiplank bungalow? I was thinking of Resene Napa? I want a light colour. The roof is charcoal aluminium black joinery. We are in rural Northland so just green paddocks, no other influences. A. Resene Napa is a good choice. If you like that sort of colour you might check these out and compare them just so you can confirm the rightness of your favoured colour- Resene Half Stonewall, Resene Half Craigieburn or Resene Friar Greystone .
October 2016
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Q. I have a feature wall in my lounge and I'm stuck on what colour to paint the other walls. The wallpaper is from the Simple Spaces 2 book #2535-20631, which is a striped wallpaper with a chartreuse/green panel. I have cream aluminium windows with dark grey blinds, a grey sofa and there is yellow and green in the room also. A. You might use a clean pale cream with a smidgen of yellow/green in it - Resene Rice Cake or a slightly greyed off white - Resene Sea Fog. If you have any off cut pieces of the wallpaper you might pop into a Resene ColorShop to view larger A4 samples of paint colours in their Colour Library to get other options.
October 2016
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Q. We are using some of the Karen Walker Paints colours from Resene in an apartment – Resene Clouded Blue, Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Half Smalt Blue etc. We want to introduce a red in the entranceway (looking for a statement pop of colour) and we need guidance. We have looked at Yasmin 741755 wallpaper but are very unsure if we could get away with this?? Or alternatively a red based paint? Also can we safely use copper accessories? A. The wallpaper you mention is gorgeous. It looks as though it has silver through it. It may like to be paired with copper accessories. A red colour in paint may be more appropriate - especially with copper accessories. You might check out these ones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Salsa or Resene Jalapeno.
October 2016
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Q. We have a board and batten Ironsand shed and are considering Resene Wan White windows. We want to tie the house colours in to the shed so have an Ironsand roof, but do not know what colour to paint the house. The tiles outside the house are light grey. A. If the house is timber weatherboards you might look at these lighter grey/beige colours that relate really well with Ironsand and Resene Wan White - Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Sandstone or Resene Double Truffle. Some trims on the house (or doors) might be a softer version of Ironsand - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand so there is more tie up with the shed colour as well as the roof.
October 2016
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Q. We are looking to paint the exterior of our villa and are keen for a Resene Turbo yellow front door with grey white weatherboards - maybe Resene Triple Black White which I saw when browsing the inspiration page. We're looking for a crisp white for the trims, windows and fretwork to go with this. Would Resene White be suitable for this, and would the Resene Triple Black White go with a Resene Turbo yellow door? An accent colour that you could suggest to highlight the fretwork would also be great, maybe a darker warm grey of sorts. The roof is blue. The back of the house has zincalume on it which we're not planning on painting at this stage. A. Resene Triple Black White would look very smart with Resene White. If you are a little unsure about the grey/white colour for the weatherboards you might compare Resene Triple Black White with Resene White Thunder and Resene Black Haze- just so you can compare them with each other. Deeper greys for trims might be one of these ones - Resene Stack, Resene Revolution, Resene Transmission or Resene Quarter Tuna. Greys always look good with bright yellows.
October 2016
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Q. We have just completed our bathroom in Resene Half Periglacial Blue and Resene Alabaster. We plan to use Resene Alabaster for all ceiling, doors and trim work. I plan to continue to using the Karen Walker Paints colours as I feel these will work in our older style villa, and intend painting the queen bed room in Resene Quarter Powder Blue, one single room in Resene Duck Egg Blue and the other single in Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue. I am undecided yet on the master room which has rimu flooring and soft mid green linen curtains. There is a large carpet mat of the same carpet that is used throughout the house, which is brown with flecks of soft grey, (called weathered wood). This room is large in its dimensions and receives morning and afternoon sun. Could you kindly offer your advice on a colour choice for the master room that complements the other colours I intend on using in the other bedrooms so there is a sense of unity? Also I will greatly appreciate your advice on colour choice for the three hallways that unite all these bedrooms. A. The hallways might be Resene Wan White or a slightly deeper version of Resene Alabaster - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog (aka Resene Triple Alabaster) so it ties in with all the ceilings and woodwork. You might check out these colours for the master bedroom to see if they appeal to you - Resene Robin Egg Blue, Resene Misty Lavender (from a previous Karen Walker Paints chart – view a sample in the Resene ColorShop Colour Library, Resene Surf Spray Grey (from a previous Karen Walker Paints chart – view a sample in the Resene ColorShop Colour Library, Resene Coastal Blue (from a previous Karen Walker Paints chart – view a sample in the Resene ColorShop Colour Library or Resene Half Washed Green. October 2016
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Q. We are in the process of building and have a very limited time frame to choose colours for the exterior, so it's been a bit overwhelming. We are building a house with three materials - Firth onyx block honed and sealed, grey Alps schist and stone coloured cedar. The roof we are thinking of doing in FlaxPod COLORSTEEL®. The joinery is what we are still unsure of, perhaps either Warm White Pearl Kinetic or Silver Pearl Kinetic. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We have a larger front door being made that I guess could be any colour and could contrast but suggestions are welcome. Also is it best to have the garage doors the same colour of FlaxPod COLORSTEEL®, as would be the bargeboard and gutter/spouting and roof? A. I do have reservations about the joinery being Warm White Pearl because it may 'pop' out of the greys you have just a wee bit too much. I think Silver Pearl may be better. It has a warmth about it that might merge into the block, the cedar and the schist and I get a good feeling about it when I see it with the FlaxPod. Garage doors - and guttering etc - do come in a limited range of powder coat colours - if you can get FlaxPod it definitely would be the best of choices. The larger front door may be where you can go wild with a colour but it is often where your personal taste finds an outlet. So what do you favour? Please do think about this carefully. Just recently I have seen some gorgeous rich yellows, emerald greens and bitter olive/golds being used with greys and charcoals and they have looked wonderful. If this is of interest, try these colours as a start point - Resene Celebrate, Resene Wheel Of Fortune or Resene Grass Hopper, and a red (always a winner) - Resene Trouble.
October 2016
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Q. We are repainting the green roof, doors and porch of our house to freshen up a tired look. We don't want to repaint the entire house so need to work in with the white house. Ironsand on the door did not look good and we are trying to find a new colour scheme. Our painter is booked so we need to make a decision very quickly! We are currently thinking of a Grey Friars roof, Resene Quarter Grey Friars (or Resene Double Concrete?) for the garage, porch, side doors and black for the front and back entrance doors. A. I love the colours that you are considering. Very timeless and smart. Definitely Resene Quarter Grey Friars for the garage (Resene Double Concrete may look a little washed out - colours always look a lot lighter on the exterior) and a big Yes to the Resene Black for the doors. You could have almost any other colour as an accent as white and greys and blacks love definite colours with them. What about a bright emerald green - i.e Resene Wheel Of Fortune or Resene Crusoe? Or you could use more of the Resene Quarter Grey Friars... simple and elegant.
October 2016
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Q. I am thinking of painting a pine ceiling in a living area with your whitewash. What 'white' would match it best on the walls? A. Whitewash over pine may pick up a little slight yellow warmth. It is semi-transparent and because of that it is almost impossible to absolutely match a paint colour to it. Perhaps you could check out one of these 'whites' to see if they look like the ceiling when it is coated - Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Half Soapstone.
October 2016
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Q. I want to paint my 8 year old son's bedroom. Can you give me advice if red and blue will match and if a dark or light colour is better? A. Reds and blues look lovely together (flags with red and blue on them look great, don't they?) but if you favour using a deeper colour perhaps it could be the blue so that the brighter/lighter red has a balanced co-ordination. If you were considering painting most of the room blue I would suggest a really light 'fun' blue with much smaller accents of red. Sometimes inspiration comes from colours seen in duvets or drapes and when these colours are presented together they are often seen on a white type of background. October 2016
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Q. I need to paint my roof and house exterior. I am trying to decide whether to go with a dark roof and white weatherboards or a light roof and grey boards with white joinery. What do you think would be best for our house? Our house has a green roof and the front steps are currently white and need to be something darker (at least on top) as they are blinding on a sunny day as its north facing. Any advice on upcoming trends would be awesome! A. A dark roof and white house is timeless and a real classic. Grey, grey and grey used as main house colours is a 'now' trend. It really is a personal preference. The steps do need to be a deeper colour - not too dark - perhaps a mid-grey. If the house was painted a 'coloured' white (not too stark or glaring in bright natural light) and the main trims were in 'real' white then smaller trims might match the roof colour or be a lighter variant of the roof colour. Had you considered that as an option? That way you have all of the 'now' trends and a timeless look as well. This is a 'for instance' to illustrate my comments - Resene Double Black White – main, Resene White - predominant trims, Resene Grey Friars – roof and Resene Quarter Grey Friars - lesser trims (like the steps).
October 2016
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Q. We are building a new house and have selected COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey for the roof, Silver Pearl for the joinery, and a charcoal brick (NZ Brick Phantom or Midland brick Nero). We have some LINEA® on the gables, and along a section of the house to break it up. What Resene colours should we try? So far we have looked at Resene Concrete, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Mountain Mist and Resene Quarter Friar Greystone but are unsure if these are along the right track. A. You might check out these greys - Resene Half Gunsmoke, Resene Half Raven or Resene Quarter Regent Grey. It is really all about comparing colours to find the one that works best. Perhaps look at the greys that look really good with Silver Pearl.
October 2016
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Q. I am looking to change from bright colours (Resene Tory Blue laundry and loo, Resene Parsley kitchen, Resene Mexican Red hallways) to a white everywhere. The question is which 'white'. The house is a 1980s two-storey townhouse with rimu doors and dining room ceiling and white aluminium windows. A. I think you should cover all the bright colours with white undercoat. This way your eyes will see the spaces and the light within them in a 'new' way. Then when it is all 'whited out' it will be much easier to test different types of white colours and find the right one. Without doing that any test colours that you try will be totally lost on the very strong coloured walls.
October 2016
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Q. I have a dark green wooden fence around one side of a small patio that has grey cobblestones. We have now built a three metre wooden seat and garden box at right angles to it. There will be a two metre high slatted wind shelter behind the seating. What colour should I use for the new structure? A. You could use exactly the same colour as the dark green wooden fence. After all the two metre high slatted wind shelter is another fence and the two fences might like to be the same colour for continuity. The wooden seat and garden box could be a different colour if you want. It is really all about what colours you favour. It is your patio and the new wooden seat and garden box sound as though it will be a really fabulous exterior 'room'. October 2016
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Q. I have a 70s red brick house and have settled on Grey Friars (full) for the roof and the surrounds (including detached fences) but am trying to decide on a white for the plasterboard base and the spouting. A. One of these whites may appeal to you - Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.
October 2016
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Q. We have exterior fencing in Ironsand (vertical iron 1.8 high) and will re-iron the roof in Ironsand. What colour would you recommend for the Hardiboard® house cladding to be painted? We are after something in grey tones. A. You might consider warmer grey beige tones so they harmonise well with the brown based charcoal of the Ironsand. Perhaps you could check these out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Truffle.
October 2016
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Q. I want a white that doesn't look dull but still is crisp for a few small walls in my lounge (most of the lounge is in windows). And also the right white for the skirtings and scotia on top and around the door. I don't want a yellowy look or anything too dull. A. If you don't choose a 'coloured white' you won't get a dull or yellow look. You might use real white - Resene White - it doesn't have any colourants added to it so it is never dull, just pure and crisp. Alternatively you might look at Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White which are nearly as pure and crisp.
October 2016
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Q. We have bought a new house at the beach with blue carpet and all the walls are painted yellow. I would like to repaint the whole interior with a more neutral colour. My furniture and accessories have duck egg greenie blue tones and fawn/brown tones. I'm having difficulty trying out testpots on the walls as everything looks yellow thanks to the yellow walls surrounding it. I've tried moving A4 samples around the place and pinning up white background paper too under the A4 samples. What I'm looking for is a neutral off white colour that will look good with blue, duck egg and fawns. So far I've tried Resene Half Sea Fog (looks good during day but too grey at night and in darker rooms), Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Quarter White Pointer (too grey for darker parts of rooms), all the variations of Resene Rice Cake (too yellow) and variations of Resene Thorndon Cream (too yellow). I'm definitely not wanting anything too yellow or too grey that will then look too dark in darker areas of rooms. A. The yellow will reflect off all painted surfaces and make life very difficult for you. But you have found out the secret to seeing what colour truly looks like, haven't you? If Resene Half Sea Fog is ok by day [but too grey at night and in darker parts of the rooms] you might try Resene Double Alabaster (this is Quarter Sea Fog) or Resene Quarter Black White. All 'whites' carry some colourants in them - hence the undertones appearing when you see it in shadow or in corners of the rooms. The ones I have mentioned carry very minute quantities of umber colourant (not black or ochre yellow) so they should not appear grey or yellow. Never apply the testpot directly to the wall. A4 samples are good but A2 card is better - 4 times better than A4. If you apply all of the testpot/two coats to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and leave a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card it will help in this way:
I hope this is helpful and helps you 'see' the real colour. If you keep getting the yellow reflection you may need to undercoat (white) it all so you have no yellow left which should definitely help you to judge the colour better.
October 2016
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Q. We are renovating our kitchen which is semi open plan. The walls in our living areas are Resene Parchment. We are hoping to use a white to create a light kitchen, with either white or white/oak combination bench tops. I had thought Resene Alabaster for the cabinets would be good with Resene Parchment, but would appreciate your advice on this? A. You might look at these 'whites' - they are slightly tinted up so they don't appear too stark -but are still looking 'white' though - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Black White.
October 2016
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Q. I am painting the interior of our bungalow. I want to use Resene Double Alabaster on our large, bright lounge. We have quite a dark hallway, and two of our bedrooms are small, very dark, and south facing with a retaining wall only a few feet away. Could I use Resene Double Alabaster throughout, or am I best to use a warmer white or another colour altogether in the darker rooms? A. South facing or dim rooms can be a trial to find the right colour paint for - one naturally expects white to make them light but often it doesn't. The hallway and the south (small/dark) facing rooms may take on a grey look - a slightly warmer white may be better than Resene Double Alabaster. Perhaps it would be wise for you to test these ones and Resene Double Alabaster to compare with each other and see which one feels better in these spaces - Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Bianca? If you paint all of them onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move the samples from wall to wall/room to room to see how they look in different qualities of light.
October 2016
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Q. Our seventies low set house has rendered walls with the following colour scheme: COLORBOND® Monument for roof tiles, fascia, gutters and windows and cream yellow for the walls. We plan to update the external wall colour and keep the other colours as is. We are interested in the colour Resene Half Napa. Not sure if this is a good match to existing colours; we used a sample pot on a A3 board, but worry how it will look on a flat rendered wall and trim. It did look nice on a weatherboard house with white trim/windows two streets away. A. I think it would look very smart with the darker windows and roof. You will get a much better idea of whether it is right if you paint up very large samples and tape them to the exterior - moving them around onto different sides of the house to see how the angles of the walls and natural light alters how the colour looks.
October 2016
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our weatherboard bungalow. The roof is Gerard roofing Graphite which is similar I think to Ironsand. We want to go white with only a slight difference between the boards and trim. We are thinking Resene Half Sea Fog for boards and Resene Alabaster for trim. Do you think this will work? A. On an exterior - due to bright natural light - you may see no difference between your colours. You may need to see more definite contrast otherwise you might just as well use exactly the same colour for all surfaces. More contrast may need to be like these colours - Resene Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene White or Resene Black White and Resene Quarter Black White. Even these whites may show little difference at certain times of the day due to the light.
October 2016
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Q. We are painting our interior walls Resene Half Spanish white and would like to paint the doors and trim in a white that will stand out fairly crisply against it. What would you recommend? A. These whites might be considered - please be aware however that how you see the Resene Half Spanish White will alter - you will see it as far more creamy colour because of the 'less coloured' white contrast - Resene Alabaster, Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. Or use 'real' white - Resene White.
October 2016
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Q. What ceiling paint colour should I use with Resene Black White walls, and what should I use for the windows? A. You might use either of these 'whites'- Resene Quarter Black White or Resene White (yes this is 'real' white).
October 2016
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Q. We have chosen Ironsand for the roof of our 1950s weatherboard bungalow and were looking to the blue colours to paint the house – Resene Quarter Frozen is our choice so far, however we are not sure the roof colour and house colour will work together. We are planning on painting the bargeboards and window trims in a white. A. Colours on an exterior often look a lot lighter than you might imagine they will do - it pays to keep that in mind. The roof colour may show more of an olive toned brown rather than a warm charcoal. The Resene Quarter Frozen may look brighter and much paler also. Perhaps look at slightly deeper blues - Resene Frozen, Resene Nepal or Resene Botticelli.
October 2016
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Q. I was trying to find a colour for my hallway in our two storey villa (so will be quite dominant) and wanted to paint it a Georgian Blue. Which colour in the range would be closest? The ceilings, which are 3.4m, and trims will be painted in Resene Alabaster. A. If you have a good example of the type of Georgian blue that you want to use then you might take it into a Resene ColorShop to view all of the blues that they have so you can get the best blue to match. Or you could try these as a start point - Resene Half Smalt Blue, Resene Wishlist or Resene Hope.
October 2016
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Q. We are extending our home to include a new kitchen. I am thinking of using Resene Sea Fog for the cabinets with a mid-tone grey bench top. The kitchen and living areas are north and west facing. I want to paint the walls throughout the kitchen/living area the same colour and was wondering if something like Resene Eighth Lemon Grass would be OK. The living/lounge area is a narrow area with views out to the hills and ranges. I love soft earthy green colours. A. Resene Eighth Lemon Grass may be perfect or it may 'grey' off a little bit. Please test the colour very carefully and watch how it alters in different qualities of natural and artificial light. Painting all of the testpot/two coats onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter will help you see a large enough sample to judge by. It can be moved from wall to wall also so you can see how it alters. Another green worth checking out is Resene Quarter Linen which is slightly warmer.
October 2016
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Q. I am painting the kitchen Resene Bison Hide and want to know what would be a good option for a ceiling colour to complement it? I was told that you could do the ceiling the same colour? A. I wouldn't do the ceiling the same colour as the walls unless it was a ceiling that was hugely high (double normal height) or the space could look like a dark cave with the ceiling feeling as though it was nearly as low as the floor. You can do this sort of thing if the walls were a 'white' or really pale. I think you might look at one of these colours - they work nicely with Resene Bison Hide - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Rice Cake.
October 2016
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Q. Just looking at some Resene colour charts and it would be great if you could give me some advice. We have a 1970s bach we have bought. We will reclad the bach in about three years but meanwhile I am thinking of painting the exterior. I can't make up my mind on a colour scheme. I want the bach to look quite 'beachy' rather than bland. The roof is corrugated iron (Colorcote Thunder Grey). I am thinking of white gable ends/fascia and a small trim under the windows. Would a blue go with the roof colour at all or would you recommend another grey? There are some nice blue colours in your Multi-finish range. I would appreciate any ideas you might have to end up with a bach that is eye catching and nice and bright. A. Some blues (interesting ones - definitely beachy but not bland) might be these ones that do look good with the roof colour - Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Bounty or Resene Casper. These are complex warm blue/green/grey toned and don't look like a 'pretty baby boy blue'. A deeper moody maritime blue might be used for the door - i.e. Resene Coast. Some whites to consider - Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Wan White - for the gables etc.
October 2016
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Q. I am painting a 1920s bungalow and am probably going with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars for the roof. I am looking at Resene Truffle for weatherboards but am concerned it looks grey. Any suggestions for a warm neutral with a warm white trim? A. If you compare Resene Truffle with a cooler grey tone like Resene Triple Concrete then you might see just how beige/grey and warm it is. It is all about comparing colours with other colours. The 'eye' is a somewhat faulty tool for seeing undertones in colours. Other options to look at are these ones -Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, Resene Tea or Resene Eighth Pravda. Warm whites to check out are Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Sea Fog.
October 2016
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Q. We are thinking of painting our weatherboard cottage Resene Triple Black White. At the moment the roof colour is COLORBOND® Eucalyptus. We would like a suggestion of what roof colours will complement. A. Pale greys work well with other darker greys so that might be a first choice - Resene Gauntlet (COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey), Resene Grey Friars (COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars) or Resene Nocturnal (COLORBOND® Monument). I quite like a deeper green roof with new house colour also - Resene Botanic (COLORSTEEL® Kelp).
October 2016
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Q. I want a colour paint for inside and the closest I can see online is Resene Awol - is there a deeper (darker) colour in this sort of shade - or do I achieve that by asking for Resene Triple Awol? A. You can request a special colour which can be formulated for you but there is a gamble if you don't like it once it is created. It is far easier if possible to use an existing colour because you can apply a testpot to ensure it is what you really want. Colours appear much deeper in an interior due to the angle of the walls and the shadows in rooms condensing the colour. You might check out these colours - Resene Pacifika, Resene Saratoga or Resene Fiji Green.
October 2016
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Q. I am building a rectangle house that will be clad on the south and east sides with COLORSTEEL® Lignite. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Lignite as is the joinery and the soffits. We are trying to choose an earthy colour to paint/stain the ply and battens on the north and east sides. Any ideas welcome. A. The Lignite on such a lot of the house makes for a very brown statement. Were you thinking of a lighter earthy colour to add contrast? A stain always looks good on ply and batten and you could consider one of these Resene Woodsman colours – Resene Nutmeg or lighter Resene Natural. Or painted ply and batten using Resene Lumbersider in Resene Stonewashed or lighter Resene Quarter Arrowtown.
October 2016
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Q. We are about to repaint our home and would like to modernise the colour. We have a Karaka roof and window frames and want to change the current cream. A. You might check out these colours - they look very nice with Karaka roof and joinery– Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Grey Olive or Resene Rice Cake.
October 2016
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Q. We are want to update the colour on our motel building. We have Lichen aluminium doors and window frames which will remain along with a mid blue balustrade railing. We are in a beach town so would like a beach theme colour or similar. The building is built like a wave and has a two tone effect at the top. Should this be highlighted in a double strength colour or left unhighlighted? We also have terracotta flooring upstairs and on the stairs and also mid blue tiles below the balustrades. We also have a lot of schist stone pillars. We quite like the colour Resene Quarter Arrowtown. But do we need to be a little more different as it is a commercial building. A. The fence could be a deeper version of the motel buildings - to add the point of difference. Perhaps you could consider that? Resene Double Arrowtown or even a little greyer (like the schist) could be an option - Resene Double Friar Greystone . I have a feeling that the unusual shape of the building is enough of a 'feature' without highlighting with a deeper colour, especially with terracotta flooring and the mid blue balustrades and 'wave'. Resene Quarter Arrowtown may look half again as light on the exterior due to bright natural light. If it looked more like Resene Eighth Arrowtown would that be too pale for you? The colour would work well with Lichen doors and windows but so would Resene Double Tea or slightly brighter/lighter Resene Triple Thorndon Cream.
October 2016
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Q. I've just painted my bedroom in Resene Kensington Grey. It looks much bluer than I expected and doesn't really work with the other more greys in my apartment. I'm not sure how to describe them but I guess they are a bit warmer and more traditional greys. The room faces west and is all glass on the western aspect so it's quite a bright room. What colour would you recommend if I was to paint over it? I like the depth of the colour and want something a similar intensity. A. Resene Kensington Grey has a subtle yellow undertone so it is a warm grey. I think that it may be the type of natural light in a very light west facing room (it has more warm red in it) that alters how the colour looks. Mind you in saying this all colours alter - sometime quite drastically - with changing qualities of natural light - so even the same colour used in all rooms can look quite different - room to room. Without careful testing of the colours that you can check out during all the hours of the day and night you may always in danger of choosing a colour and finding it not exactly to your liking at certain times of the day. Perhaps these colours may appeal - and more importantly - work in the constantly changing quality of light – Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Foggy Grey.
October 2016
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Q. We're planning to repaint our interior in various degrees of Resene Bison Hide. The house is a traditional 100 year old villa. Our fireplaces, doors, stair handrails and windows frames are in white - would it be suggested to go for a white ceiling? The walls and ceiling are all currently a neutral Resene Spanish White but I'm guessing that a Resene Bison Hide wall and white ceiling would be a more traditional way to go? A. 100 year old villas often had quite deep colour used in their interiors. Resene Bison Hide and its variants are definitely deeper toned (beige through to earthy yellow/brown) than Resene Spanish White is. White ceilings - and woodwork - will emphasise the rich warmth of the colour. Yes this is a traditional way to go with interiors of this era.
October 2016
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Q. We need an exterior colour for our home and also a front door colour. We have reddish bricks circa 1970 with a med/dark grey rear deck and warm white windows. A. If you still have some of the reddish bricks on the house then the slightly green under toned Resene Thorndon Cream would well for you. Other colours that you might check out are Resene Joanna, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Triple Merino. Front door colours can be just about any colour - sometimes they can be trendy and sometimes a highly personal choice when the rest of the exterior is universally appealing or 'appropriate' colours. Do you want a 'statement' door? Or would you prefer a medium/dark grey - like the deck?
October 2016
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Q. I am going to paint the exterior and roof of my house. I have brown anodised windows and the lower half of the house is two tone grey Summit stone. I thought of greys or browns for walls but don't really know what colours would suit. The house is 1960s and has a currently dark green roof with very light green walls. A. I think that a deep grey would work well for the roof. Perhaps you might look at one of these options – Resene Ironsand, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Windswept or Resene Steel Grey. Neutral colours that are clean and crisp will enhance the colour of the Summit stone and the roof – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Eighth Wheatfield.
October 2016
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Q. I have a grey weatherboard house, with white trim windows etc. Just wondering what fence colours would go with that? A. You might have one of these colours - they are great with grey and white – Resene Tuna or Resene Half Gravel. The standard fence colours - redwood, deep green and dark brown - will always work as well.
October 2016
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Q. I would like to find a light colour to match Indian Red. I am painting window frames that are currently a yellow/mustard colour. I don't think the colour matches Indian Red very well and would like to find a light colour (not white) to complement the strong red colour. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Caraway, Resene Spanish White, Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Fossil or Resene Ecru White.
October 2016
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Q. What modern colour goes with New Denim Blue (thinking white/cream/Tea range)? A. You might check out these colours - Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Tea or Resene Half Tuna.
October 2016
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Q. We have just completed a re-roof on our house with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. We have scaffolding up and we want to paint the gable end soffits but have no idea with regards to colour choice. We like the darker looking colour houses but want to be sure we tie in with the FlaxPod. A. Deeper colours that work well with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod are like these ones - Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Tundora, Resene Concord or Resene Ship Grey. These last three colours can be seen on the BS5252 colour chart.
October 2016
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Q. We are doing our house in bagged brick. We already have grey blue aluminium joinery which we can't change so I wanted to paint the house a grey but with a bit of a muddy look to it, but more grey than brown, and wondered about Resene Masala. Will this look too green on a whole house? I want a darkish colour and wondered if Resene Eighth Masala might be better/more grey? I also want a dark trim for the spouting and fascia boards and wondered if Resene Ironsand would be good? A. The muddy toned greys that you are considering using on the exterior of the house will take on a browner or more olive tone look when seen close to the grey/blue joinery. Those sorts of colours will also emphasise the blue undertones in the joinery. Is this what you are trying to achieve? Resene Eighth Masala may look lighter again than you might imagine it will - all colours when seen on an exterior 'lighten or brighten' when seen in bright natural light. I suggest you check out Resene Quarter Masala as it will only look as light as Resene Eighth Masala in bright sunlight. Another grey worth investigating might be Resene Quarter Baltic Sea. Resene Ironsand would work for the spouting and fascias but you might check out Resene Windswept also as it is a warm/muddy grey.
October 2016
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Q. We're decorating our first nursery and I love Resene Surrender for the wall colour. Can you advise on a complementary white for the room trims? We were considering Resene Black White. We want the room to be fresh and modern. A. Resene Black White would work for you. You might check out another 'white' - Resene Wan White to see if you like it better. Either 'white' would work but Resene Wan White is a little 'whiter/cooler' than Resene Black White and sits well with Resene Surrender.
October 2016
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Q. I have recently started painting my house and garage with Resene Double Concrete. The trim is white, and tilt door on the garage is a red colour (I think it may be Pioneer Red). The roof may have been painted the same red at some stage, but is now quite orangey i.e. faded. The red and the Resene Double Concrete do not look quite right together, and I've been thinking of changing the garage door to an orange colour. I am not planning on painting the roof at this stage. From the street, only the front of the garage can be seen, and some black fencing. I also want a darker grey to paint the patio concrete, so if you can help with that too, it would be awesome! A. I think if I address the request for a darker grey for the patio first it may make all else seen more like a palette of pleasing harmony. Deeper colours that I feel you might consider for the concrete patio are these - hopefully you will find something that appeals to you in these options – Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or Resene Mortar. These are mid toned (not too blackened) greys that have a warmth to them which look good close to Resene Double Concrete. Some options for an orange might be Resene Blaze, Resene Countdown or Resene Rock Spray.
October 2016
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Q. We have Resene Zircon on the walls and Resene Quarter Alabaster on the roof and accents. The theme is beach. I was thinking of a soft grey like Resene Tea as an accent but am unsure. A. Resene Tea is a yellow/beige neutral. It isn't a colour I would use with Resene Zircon and Resene Quarter Alabaster as it can only look dirty alongside the cooler, crisper ice blue white and true white. Perhaps you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Designer White or Resene In The Mauve. They do carry undertones of blue/lilac and grey but then so does Resene Zircon.
October 2016
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Q. We are considering a new scheme of Resene Athens Grey for the main colour and Resene Cod Grey for windowsills, doors, etc. Will that work for our style of house? Do we leave the boards running along/under the guttering in Resene Athens Grey rather than the darker colour? Please advise on where to use the Resene Cod Grey - or not. A. I think the house colours you have chosen are very appropriate. No to the Resene Cod Grey on the boards running along under the guttering. Let's put it this way - boards under/along guttering aren't all that gorgeous that they deserve to be highlighted - especially if they are covered to some degree by the guttering. So if you use the main colour – Resene Athens Grey (or a white) that will be the best thing to do. Yes to the Resene Cod Grey on the window sills, the doors and the base boards of the house.
October 2016
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Q. I'm looking to modernise my house with colour and lighting changes both inside and out. The house is only 10 years old, but I would like a more modern contemporary look. The fence has been recently painted black, and I would like to make the roof black as well, but am not sure what colour I should be painting the brick and the weatherboard and the garage door - and maybe there is something I could do with the large entrance/pillars (like putting those bark looking things on it). In the inside, the wall colours are not white. I'm changing all the lighting to be cool daylight and was wondering what colour curtains could complement the current wall colour or if it's worth changing the wall colours itself to white? A. In regard to the interior, perhaps if you were to change the wall colours to something closer to a white you might feel it is more contemporary. Certainly if you did do that then all colours in curtains are options for you to choose from. If the existing wall colours stay as they are now then you may need to compromise and co-ordinate with that colour rather than have total freedom of choice. What would you prefer to do? Some white options to consider - Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Black White. By changing the wall colour to a white and having cool daylight lighting you may notice the wall colour has a slightly grey undertone and this would then contrast with the much warmer tones of the carpet. Curtains could be soft cool grey/silver tones or deeper charcoal colours or even a combination of these colours with elements of black in them. It doesn't rule out definite colours in curtains but - personal preferences taken into account - these might be related to the function of the room and the colour of the furniture and how it co-ordinates with the existing flooring. Flooring has a major effect on all colours seen in rooms. On the exterior using slightly colour toned whites and soft greys may relate well to the black roof and fence. Are you also changing the powder coated windows to match everything else that is being changed? Garage doors are usually large and attract a lot of attention as a colour block so if you were considering using the same colour as the roof you may need to take into account just how much black will appear on the house.
October 2016
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Q. I was thinking of painting the weatherboards of my old cottage Resene Double White Pointer with Resene Alabaster windows and a Resene Grey Friars roof. I have tried testpots but I am not sure if there is enough contrast. However do you think Resene Triple White Pointer would look too dark? Also if I used Resene Quarter Truffle in a small south facing bedroom would it tend to make it appear cold? What colours would look good with Resene Quarter Truffle and would carpet need to be a greyish tone? Or is there a neutral that might be better? A. Colours as seen on an exterior often look quite a bit lighter than we might expect them to look. I am inclined to agree with you about the possibility of using Resene Triple White Pointer - and no I don't think it will be too dark. It may look like what you were expecting Resene Double White Pointer to look like. Colours are tricky but if you test the colour carefully I am sure you will see how it works for you. Resene Quarter Truffle can look a little cool especially in a south facing room. The natural south aspect of light often greys up colour. Have you tested the colour? It might pay to do that and perhaps then it would be easier to judge whether it is ok or just a little too grey/cool. An alternative colour - a little warmer - that you might look at also is Resene Eighth Bison Hide. Warm whites, pewter greys, soft aquas and leafy greens all could look good with either of the colours.
October 2016
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Q. I have recently carpeted with Godfrey Hirst wool carpet Deerhorn. My Resene Dutch White walls no longer match - can you suggest a better neutral to go with this carpet? A. Perhaps you might check out these neutrals to see if they appeal to you and look good with your new carpet - Resene Carrara, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Villa White or Resene Half Parchment.
October 2016
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Q. We have a bach that we are about to reclad and we are looking for some inspiration with colour choices. Most of the options that we have looked at are paired with white windows, whereas we have bronze aluminium which makes it hard to compare. The roof is green. A. Try these colours to get you started: Resene Tea, Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Bison Hide, Resene Double Ash or a lighter colour if you don't mind the windows 'popping out' more - Resene Half Parchment.
October 2016
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Q. We have recently purchased a flat in Lower Hutt and would like to paint the garden shed and back fences that have a slatted wooden top, that are currently brown. The flat is single level 1960s light grey brick and the grouting is a standard mortar darker grey. A. Seeing as the new property is soft shades of grey some much darker contrast colour might be required to add a modern look. These dark colours might be used on the fence and the main body of the shed - Resene Bokara Grey or a deep traditional green - Resene Midnight Moss. Using Resene White as the slatted wooden top of the fence is appropriate and on the edges of the garden (if appropriate) might just break up the mass of deeper colour and relate back to the window trims etc on the flat. Is there any potential to paint a front door on the flat a cheery colour? Sometimes a door of colour is the 'bright spot' that can lift a grey scheme - so a random suggestion - Resene Teddy.
October 2016
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Q. We have chosen Resene Half Astra for our newly built house. We have timber flooring in the living and kitchen area, the kitchen is rimu and the splashback is multi-colour tiles. Would it look good to have one feature wall with no windows in Resene Flax? The ceiling will be Resene Pearl Lusta throughout the house, the bathroom will be Resene Alabaster with red tiles behind the basin. Our window joinery is Rivergum. A. If you like Resene Flax as a feature wall it will work with Resene Half Astra and Resene Pearl Lusta. I have a feeling that the Resene Half Astra and the Resene Pearl Lusta may look quite similar to each other - if you wanted the ceilings to have a little bit more contrast compared to the walls you might use a slightly lighter version - Resene Half Pearl Lusta. It is always a bit tricky getting the right balance of light, mid and deeper colour tones so there is a harmony created with all colours in their own 'space' and not competing with another of similar depth or brightness. Some other greens that you could check out - just so you are certain you have the right one - are these - Resene Half Rivergum, Resene Xanadu, Resene Organic or Resene Bud.
October 2016
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Q. I have two houses next to each other and want to use complementary colours, so that they stand out and don't clash! A. The simple option is to use lighter and deeper versions of the one colour - Resene Half Tea and Resene Double Tea with a matching trim colour - i.e. Resene Regatta or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey and Resene Foggy Grey with a matching trim colour -i.e. Resene Half Fuscous Grey. Or use colours that look nice in association with each other. If you put a little of the colour from House #1 for trims (door or window sills or some other element) on House #2 you carry over the colours and help them associate well with each other. E.g. Try Resene Triple White Pointer and Resene Inside Back, Resene Quarter Lemon Grass CC and Resene Pearl Lusta. October 2016
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Q. I want a golden mustard colour - not too yellow, not too green, to go with a charcoal wall in our large smoko room. A. Perhaps one of these colours might be the golden mustard that you have in your mind - Resene Smooth Operator, Resene Sand, Resene Haystack, Resene Half Putty or Resene Chamois.
October 2016
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Q. I have to paint a house and am struggling for colours. I don't like dark colours on walls and I'm not worried about heritage colours, just something modern. I had an idea of Resene Half Ash for the walls, Resene Quarter Bianca for wooden windows and Resene Double Foundry for detailing... would this be a good combination for our house? Or can you suggest other combinations? A. I do like the colours you mention. However you may not realise that colour on an exterior can often look much lighter than you might expect it to. So the Resene Half Ash may look as pale as Resene Quarter Ash. Would this worry you?
October 2016
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Q. My house needs repainting. I am retaining the split stone brick as it is. Its colour is a light creamy beige (not white or grey). The mortar used in the brickwork is a light grey. The joinery is brown dating from the 1970s; the roof is a charcoal colour. I want modern colours to replace what is painted blue – i.e. gables, terrace walls and garage and front doors. The eaves, soffits etc are currently a white. A. The following colour works well with the existing window joinery - Resene Tea. This option is deeper but adds a nice contrast to the pale stone on the house - Resene Quarter Ironsand. These are interesting modern colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Viktor, Resene Inside Back, Resene Fifty Shades or Resene Steam Roller.
October 2016
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Q. We've recently had our Queensland home painted with Resene! It's time to repaint our sloped roof (we didn't realise it was white nor did the painter until he spray cleaned it before painting the exterior!) We aren't sure whether we go dark, like our trims, or try to replicate a 'tin' look. Colours used are: Resene Quarter Tea – walls, Resene Double Tea - features/posts, Monument - gutters and trims and Resene White - window frames. A. Going as black toned as the trims may make it look too heavy - there are a lot of roof angles down over the house - I would be worried it might look like a hat that has slipped over your eyes. However the angle of the roof to the sun will make any colour seem slightly lighter so perhaps these mid toned colours might appeal to you - Resene Windswept (deep but not as black as the trims), Resene Half Baltic Sea (lighter than the trims but related), Resene Double Napa (deeper than the main house colours but related), Resene Groundbreaker (deeper than the main house colours) or a light grey but not too silvery or pale like tin - Resene Gauntlet.
October 2016
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Q. What colour will be good for window grill for a building with a long span aluminium green roof and white window profile? A. Possibly the grill could be white like the window or green like the roof. Another random colour might look like a mistake. October 2016
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Q. I want to paint my front entrance/foyer and the walls nearby are Resene Tea. What colour would complement Resene Tea? A. Resene Tea is a very obliging and versatile colour. Lots of colours complement it. You might check out these ones – Resene Flintstone, Resene Coast, Resene Viktor, Resene Simply Red, Resene Steam Roller or Resene Gunsmoke. All of these colours are on The Range fashion colours 18. There are many other that would complement Resene Tea as well but these might be a starting point.
October 2016
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Q. My kitchen is old and I can't afford to replace it so have decided to paint it. I am going to replace the bench with a dark coloured one but am not sure what colour to paint the cupboards and around the cupboards. The kitchen is very narrow. A. Often people elect to use very pale colours - possibly the same as the walls or a slightly deeper variant of that colour - in order to make narrow rooms feel larger or dim rooms feel brighter. Is that the sort of idea you had in mind? There are so many colours that are available to choose from and individual preferences are unique to each person. With more details on your colour preferences I could recommend specific colours to try. Two things for you to consider
October 2016
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Q. We have a sprawling 100 year old one storey farmhouse in Hawkes Bay. I am painting the window frames in Resene Merino. Just seeking advice on weatherboards and doors/bargeboards/trim. I am thinking Resene Tea for the weatherboards. The bargeboards were Resene Double Napa, but I like the look of Resene Tapa - seems to be a greener colour? A. You are right - Resene Tapa does have a green look to it. Resene Tea is a very popular neutral colour and certainly it works well with Resene Merino but so do these other neutrals – Resene Quarter Napa, Resene Eighth Pravda, Resene Cloud or Resene Half Foggy Grey. Resene Tapa is nice as a trim and other options to consider might be Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Stonehenge. There are so many lovely colours to look at. Alternatively instead of a deeper trim you might choose to use the same colour as the windows. Doors could use deeper colours or even a more definite colour that you favour (reds, greens, blues etc) if you want a front door to have extra oomph you might consider that.
October 2016
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Q. I have just bought a new house and have a very open flow from the dining to the living room and have painted these areas Resene Quarter Truffle. I like a warm neutral palette and was wondering if you had any recommendations on what we could paint the bedrooms? Something similar to Resene Quarter Truffle but not exactly the same. A. A warm neutral might be like one of these colours - you could check them out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Albescent White, Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Eighth Fossil.
October 2016
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Q. I am looking to paint the exterior of our newly built home which will be rendered in Resene Pravda. What other complementary colours would you recommend for outside beams, roofing, and balustrades? The roof I'm thinking a charcoal colour. A. Will the roof be powder coated? If it is you might look at these charcoals to see if they appeal to you – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle or COLORBOND® Monument. Balustrades and beams might be a lighter colour than the main house – Resene Eighth Pravda or Resene Half Cougar. You don't mention the windows at all. Are they powder coated metal or wooden ones? Either way if you don't match to the roof colour you might consider a lighter neutral – COLORBOND® Surfmist, COLORSTEEL® Titania or COLORBOND® Dune.
October 2016
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Q. I am painting my internal house walls Resene Black White and am wondering which colour of white aluminium would be the closest match: Pearl White, Arctic White, Warm White Pearl or Appliance White? A. Have you looked at real powder coated metal samples of these colours against a large painted sample of Resene Black White? That would be the best way to judge what the powder coated whites truly looked like. I suspect none are absolutely perfect but you might like Appliance White or Pearl White.
October 2016
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Q. We are renovating! All rooms will be painted and the laminated flooring will be a dark smoked agate. We want to have a modern look in our new open plan kitchen/dining/living area, in 'white'. We'd appreciate some tips and colour combos for this. (Have been looking at Resene Alabasters for walls but almost can't work out what colours trims and ceiling would be as this IS already very white... The windows will be in Ironsand, no architraves) A. If you wanted the ceiling, woodwork and possibly the kitchen cabinets or worktops to be much 'whiter' than the walls then I would suggest you use Resene White as it is real pure white. The walls might be subtly toned up as one of these 'whites' – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog (Resene Triple Alabaster) or Resene Half Black White. If you weren't keen on seeing such a crisp definite 'white' contrast for the ceilings etc then you might use one of these 'whites' – Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.
October 2016
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Q. I have a small two bedroom house and want to paint my decks. The house is painted Karaka green and I have a brown fence. Can you offer any advice on what colour I can paint the decks and the fence? Or should I stain? A. Are the decks raw wood that has never been coated with anything? If they are then you might use a Resene Woodsman stain colour – Resene Iroko, Resene Limed Gum or Resene Natural. If you preferred a paint finish – Resene Lumbersider or Resene Walk-on - you might consider one of these colours - Resene Climate, Resene Overland, Resene Half Evolution or Resene Quarter Stonewall.
October 2016
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Q. I am trying to match an interior colour to Titania joinery as well as kitchen cupboards that are similar to Resene Rice Cake and a bench top in Caesarstone 'Osprey'. At present the walls are painted a colour marginally stronger than your Resene Rice Cake, but I want to repaint with something a little less yellow and a bit lighter, but still with warmish undertones - any suggestions? A. If you are looking for a colour that is lighter/less yellow and between Resene Rice Cake and (possibly) a little like Titania then you might check out these colours - Resene Half Titania, Resene Half Merino, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Ecru White.
October 2016
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Q. I have put Resene Haystack on the main building and am wondering which colours will be suitable on the side elevation of the building? A. Lots of colours might work well. The following are a few that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Pravda, Resene Double Friar Greystone or Resene Half Ironsand.
October 2016
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Q. I am currently painting our master bedroom and need advice on the trim work. At the moment I've got three walls in Resene Pearl Lusta and the last wall as a 'feature' wall with Resene Double Spanish White. I trialled one coat on all the trims with just a basic white but I didn't like the stark contrast on the Resene Double Spanish White wall. It looked odd and didn't quite have the 'flow' I wanted with the surrounding walls. I like the idea of doing a darker trim and are considering Resene Triple Spanish White except I'm not sure if it would be dark enough to make a difference, and whether it will look cohesive with the other walls. I did a test trial with a testpot of Resene Malta that I had, just to get a feel for a darker trim, and I think it's ok just maybe not quite the right colour. I'm having trouble deciding on whether to go darker with a more 'earthy' scheme or to keep things light and 'beachy' with the lighter trims. A. If you favour having a deeper trim on the woodwork and scotias (to make them more of a feature that is very noticeable) then I think staying with the deepest Resene Spanish White option - Resene Triple Spanish White - may be a good option. Another possibility is Resene Half Doeskin which is warm or Resene Double Sisal which is earthier. Any darker colour will pop out a lot on the Resene Pearl Lusta walls and not so much on the Resene Double Spanish White wall.
October 2016
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Q. I want to repaint the interior of my two storey home. I would love to do it a very very pale blue. What colour should I do the doors and ceilings? Would you advise to paint ceilings, walls, and doors all the same colour as long as it is neutral? A. If you want a very pale blue it will be a colour not a neutral so I probably wouldn't advise that you do the ceiling the same colour as it will make the pale blue seem not as pale. Ceilings (if they are the same colour) can often look deeper in tone than the walls - is that what you want to achieve? If you want the very pale blue to look like a pale blue then you might use white on the ceiling and just use the pale blue on walls and doors. You might look at these colours – Resene Half Breathless, or paler Resene Solitude or Resene Zircon. If you use Resene White for the ceilings you will get a lovely crisp clean contrast that enhances the pale blue walls.
October 2016
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Q. The whole of the inside of my house is painted in Resene Tea. I'm looking for a different colour to paint my kitchen area that will complement Resene Tea. My kitchen cupboards are Resene Double Tea and the ceiling Resene Eighth Tea. A. The ceiling colour - Resene Eighth Tea is quite a greyish mushroom and the cabinets - Resene Double Tea is quite a yellow brown (it can look a little greenish sometimes) so finding a new colour to work between these two hues is a bit difficult. Might I suggest that if you repainted the ceiling to a 'white' - i.e. Resene Alabaster - it would allow you masses of colour choice options for the walls. You might look at these colours – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Spanish White.
October 2016
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Q. We are doing a kitchen renovation, which includes a lounge and dining room. The cabinets will be black and dark brown wood grain (modern, no handles). One bench will be absolute black granite, but the island bench will be titanium gold granite. Floors are a light/mid wood (with some grey to the stain). The furniture is all dark brown, so a sort of seventies feel. I was thinking of Resene Ash for the walls to tone with the flooring. I don't want the walls to be too brown. A. You might be right with Resene Ash but it may be too yellow/green. I do suggest you take a good sized sample of the flooring into your local Resene ColorShop to view A4 real paint samples from their Colour Library. If you place the sample upright on top of the sample of flooring it will represent the same angle as the painted wall would be seen at compared to the floor. You can check out lots of grey colours to see which one looks best. When you see large samples of colour and can compare them to each other it is really helpful. You need to see how they work with the element you are trying to associate well with it makes the whole job so much easier.
October 2016
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Q. My husband has just painted all our doors in Resene Grey Friars. It looks way too dark, and looks like a bluey grey. I'm just wondering if this colour has blue in it. I'm pretty sure it has, but my husband says no. A. Your husband is right - it has no blue colourant in it. But it is a real steel charcoal and I have had people mention that at certain times of the day (due to changing qualities of natural light) it can take on a blue undertone. This generally refers to the colour when it is on a roof. It is a really deep colour - do you think it may be too deep for all the doors? Perhaps a softer charcoal might be better? Just a suggestion - have you had the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 painted colour samples in their Colour Library? It is really helpful because it gives you the opportunity to see large samples and to compare each with the other. It is only by comparing that your eye picks up the undertones of subtle colour in a hue. You might compare these colours – Resene Grey Friars, Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Tuna. These colours have lighter versions also so it might pay to view them as well.
October 2016
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