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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 56

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. 56

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


Q. We are painting our living area; the walls are Resene Half Tea, the ceilings and windows are Resene Quarter Tea. We want to lighten the room up as it appears too dark. We want something in the same tones so we don't have to paint the whole house. Would just painting the ceiling lighter make the room lighter? And if so, what colours would be ok as to avoid the window sills looking too different. We had intended to do the ceiling Resene Eighth Tea and the walls Resene Quarter Tea until we realised how cream the Resene Quarter Tea is when we found out that’s what the ceiling already is.

A. Yes just painting the ceilings will lighten the whole look of the rooms.

If you don't want a real white i.e. like Resene Alabaster - for the ceilings you might consider using Resene Quarter Albescent White as it is a `coloured white' that does look good with Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Tea.

Colours in an interior can look half again as deep as you think they will so considering using Resene Quarter Tea may be fine but if you are really not that keen on that particular colour then you might look at Resene Quarter Akaroa as a substitute.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
October 2016

Q. I would appreciate some advice on my colour choices for our new house. We are thinking of using a Colourmaxx colour called Windsor Grey for the roof and titan board, Resene Double Surrender for the LINEA®, Appliance White for the joinery and front door and Resene Quarter Wan White for the interior. What do you think? We live on the beach front. Would you use high gloss paint? What colours would you use for the eaves/soffits? I was thinking just Resene Surrender or Resene Half Surrender. Would this be ok?

A. I think you have thought through your colours very carefully. They are well balanced and harmonious. You might use Resene Quarter Surrender for the eaves/ soffits.

If you are unsure about a full on gloss paint sheen for the exterior you could compromise and use Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss which is shiny but not as much a ‘wet look' as Resene Hi Glo acrylic full gloss finish has. I think it will look very coastal inspired and smart.

Resene Double Surrender
Resene Double Surrender
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
October 2016

Q. We are going to build a beach house in a coastal township. The design is leaning towards the boathouse look and I was thinking of keeping it neutral. It has a small area of natural grey block work, the rest is weatherboard. Can I do white weatherboard with just a very slight difference in the roof and joinery colour?

A. You certainly can do white and pale roof and joinery. Have you short listed possible colour options yet?

If you haven't here are a few to start the ball rolling:
Resene Sea Fog - main house, Resene Triple Sea Fog – trims and Resene Gauntlet – roof or
Resene Black White - main house, Resene Quarter Delta – trims and Resene Atmosphere – roof.

The main house colour and the trim colour can be reversed if you would like crisper/whiter trims and slightly more shaded main house colour so it doesn't appear too glary in bright natural light.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
October 2016

Q. I have a 1989 built home with extensive use of beautiful rimu. Resene Sazerac has been the colour for many years but I would like to update. I have tried samples of Resene Blanc, Resene Quarter Tea and Resene Quarter Sisal but cannot make a decision.

A. Is the fact that you can't make a decision because the colours you mention aren't quite right for you? I often encourage people to gather together large A4 samples of all their preferred colours and play the 'Dislike' game. Sounds a little silly but it is a simple thing to do. You remove the colour you like least of all from the selection and keep doing that until what you are left with is 'the one'.

Resene Blanc is a mushroom pink/beige, Resene Quarter Tea is a more complex beige -sometimes throwing grey or even green in the undertones and Resene Quarter Sisal is ochre cream/beige. Another colour option you might look at - together with the ones you have mentioned - is Resene Quarter Akaroa which seems to sit between the Tea and the Sisal palettes.

Take your time and watch how the tested colours look as the natural light changes - as well as how they look close to the rimu.

Resene Sazerac
Resene Sazerac
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
October 2016

Q. I am thinking of painting our bungalow’s exterior with Resene Triple Sea Fog and was wondering what white to do out on the trim. Also do you have any suggestions for the front door?

A. You might check out these 'whites' to see if they appeal to you - they will all work with Triple Sea Fog - Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog), Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Front door colours often fall into the category of 'love it/want it' and this allows you to exploit the colours you are really drawn to. But if you don't have any favourites at all then one of these might suit - Resene Sumptuous, Resene Zinzan, Resene Half Gunsmoke or Resene Aloha.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene SumptuousResene Sumptuous
Resene Sumptuous
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Aloha
Resene Aloha
October 2016

Q. I have a very cold bedroom currently painted icy blue, with a high sarked ceiling and lots of wall. I want to go with the Italian look but read your advice about yellows looking twice as bright. I was looking at Resene Quarter Turbo or maybe play down with Resene La Luna.

A. A lot of yellows look really sour in cold natural light (often in south or east facing) rooms and they all double or triple up in depth or brightness.

Of the ones you mention the one that might have potential (and won't look too fluoro bright) is Resene La Luna. But even that one is very bright. Lighter/softer/warmer yellows that are a little bit like that one are - Resene Melting Moment, Resene Honeymoon or Resene Mellow Yellow.

Please test the colours very carefully. I always recommend that you apply all of the testpot/two coats onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edge of the card. This border helps your eyes to focus on the reality of the colour and acts as a barrier so that the existing wall colour doesn't alter your perception of the tested colour. Painting the card (instead of the wall) also allows you to move it from wall to wall. Colours change a lot on different angles as well as in different qualities of light.

Resene Quarter Turbo
Resene Quarter Turbo
Resene La Luna
Resene La Luna
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Honeymoon
Resene Honeymoon
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Mellow Yellow
October 2016

Q. My interior designer recommended Ironsand on our roof but I see now it is very brown based and may not go with Resene Baltic Sea as it is blue based grey. I would prefer a grey or black on the outside. What would you recommend?

A. You might look at these roof colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene All Black, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Gumboot, or lighter but tonally related – Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
       
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
October 2016

Q. I want to repaint the exterior of a bungalow from beiges to greys, but must go with an existing ‘Ironsand’ roof and guttering. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Some suggestion for colours that you might check out - they definitely will work well with Ironsand - Resene Friar Grey, Resene Napa, Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Sandstone or Resene Double Truffle.

All of these colours have lighter variants also – in case you find the colour suggested is just a bit too deep for you.

Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
October 2016

Q. We are planning to use Resene Quarter Colins Wicket on the exterior walls and Resene Ironsand on the roof, windows, doors and gutters on a new one level home, about 200sqm L-shape and 40% roof pitch long-run COLORSTEEL®. The entrance wall will be clad with horizontal untreated cedar. Does this sound like a good colour match or would you recommend a different dark grey colour to Ironsand?

A. I like Ironsand on the roof with Resene Quarter Colins Wicket. But there are two other COLORSTEEL® colours that you might check out to see if you like them better than Ironsand – COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod or TernStyle.

They are warm toned but not as brown as Ironsand.

Resene Quarter Colins Wicket
Resene Quarter
Colins Wicket
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
October 2016

Q. I'd like to have a ‘wild thing’ coloured front door (or similar, maybe less bright) and I'm trying to choose a colour scheme. The house is in design stage due to start building November. I like the idea of grey. We will also have some natural timber around the front door and steps. I'm struggling to choose a colour scheme, can you help?

A. You might check out these greys - Resene Half Gunsmoke, Resene Delta or Resene Half Stack.

Greys look very smart with crisp white, charcoal and a brighter feature colour. These are some yellows that might be perfect for the front door - Resene Teddy, Resene Energy Yellow or Resene Sweet Corn.

Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
   
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene TeddyResene Teddy
Resene Teddy
Resene Energy Yellow
Resene Energy Yellow
Resene Sweet Corn
Resene Sweet Corn
October 2016

Q. I am having difficulty in choosing a colour for our orange brick 70s house. I would like it to blend into the environment as we have a forest behind us. I am also unsure if I should paint the brick or just the surrounding parts of the house. Are you able to give me any advice?

A. It is always a big step to consider painting over brick. It is not like you can ‘unpaint' it if you don't like it is it? I see more people are doing it though.

Perhaps you could use earthy neutrals and a deeper green as the gables and doors. Try Resene Thorndon Cream - concrete block base/fascia/ bargeboards, Resene Half Evolution - gables and all doors, and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - under the soffits, door frames and all the window frames/sashes and sills, or Resene Parchment - concrete block base/fascia/ bargeboards, Resene Templestone - gables and all doors and Resene Quarter Parchment - under the soffits, door frames and all the window frames/sashes and sills.

If you do decide to paint over the bricks you could use the first colour listed in the two options (so it looks like a pale stone) with the lightest colour for the concrete base, fascia/bargeboards.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
October 2016

Q. Could you please give me a grey colour on the same palette as Resene Ironsand that is lighter than Resene Quarter Ironsand? Ironsand does not come in an eighth. It needs to go with our roof which is Ironsand and also the garage doors plus Resene Smokey Ash which we are painting on the other fences. This fence would be the boundary fence I don’t want it too dark as it will only bring the space in more.

A. Had you thought of using the stain colour on all the fences? Just a thought.

Resene Concord and Resene Ironside Grey from the BS5252 chart, Resene Quarter Masala and Resene Double Friar Grey from The Range Whites & Neutrals fashion colours fandeck.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
 
Resene Concord
Resene Concord
Resene Ironside Grey
Resene Ironside Grey
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
October 2016

Q. I am looking at Half Black White for our walls internally. What colour carpet should I be considering? I see a lot of people are putting in darker carpet, what other options will also work?

A. When you use an (almost) pure white for the walls you can quite safely use any colour for the carpet. The ultimate choice may have more to do with the colours in your furniture and drapes and what colour carpet looks good with those elements. If your rooms are shadowy much of the time - not full of sun and natural light - then you might look at light to mid toned colour for the carpet to increase the overall lightness of the rooms rather than using a really dark toned carpet which will only serve to make the rooms look dim. If the feel of the rooms is dim and cool then a warmer light to mid tone carpet may feel nicer to the overall ambiance you want to create.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
October 2016

Q. We are about to paint the soffits, scotia boards, gables and window frames of our house. We will also be replacing the spouting at the same time. We are looking for some suggestions for colour combinations, particularly for the gables (which are a rather unattractive pink). The fence in front of the house will be painted white upon completion.

A. I really like your idea of painting the fence a traditional white. The soffits, bargeboards, guttering fascia boards, door frames and window frames could be exactly the same white to link everything together. Perhaps one of these whites may appeal to you - Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White.

Gables are a large feature and because of their size and predominance they may look better in a deep but soft toned colour that builds upon the greys of the bricks. These are a few options for you to consider - Resene Ironside Grey, Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Tapa.

You have a very attractive front door. Have you ever considered painting it instead of re-varnishing? It could look very stunning in a welcoming warm colour such as Resene Mighty or Resene Red It.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
 
Resene Ironside Grey
Resene Ironside Grey
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Mighty
Resene Mighty
Resene Red It
Resene Red It
 
October 2016

Q. I am renovating the exterior of the house and would welcome a professional opinion. I love the Resene New Denim Blue colour for the roof, garage doors, entrance door and decking surrounds. The brick is a limestone which is to be cleaned and freshened up. On the small areas above the windows etc. by the brick, I'm thinking Resene Sandspit Brown or maybe Resene Double Blanc to blend with the brickwork. I am thinking Resene Green Spring for the plaster finish on lower split of house to warm it up and reduce the glare, repeating this green on the triangle pieces below the roof line above the brick work. I think this would complement the Resene New Denim Blue?

We are putting in new aluminium joinery and I am thinking white would be too harsh against the brick. So maybe matte Titania, or matte Canvas Cloth? Inside I use a lot of Resene Blanc on walls with white window trim and sills. Is white okay with these aluminium colours, and which is best in a room with Resene Blanc on walls? Or should I just stick with white aluminium and which white would you suggest? The house is in a rural setting with a lot of bright natural light. I personally don't want to enhance the yellow particles of the limestone brick work.

A. If you are replacing the windows with newer powder coated ones I would be cautious about using such definite colours as they can stop you co-ordinating with other colours if you ever repainted. If the New Denim Blue is a 'given' for the roof, garage doors, entrance door and decking surrounds then you might check out a white for the window joinery as it will enhance that colour in rather a lovely way. Perhaps you might look at using Appliance White - it works with all other colours.

Have you painted up samples of Resene Sandspit Brown and Resene Double Blanc? The colours are quite warm toned and may not go with limestone bricks.

Have you considered using another (lighter) blue grey to relate to the New Denim Blue? You might check out Resene Quarter New Denim Blue.

Or alternatively if you love greens then slightly muted greens like Resene Robin Egg Blue or Resene Haven might appeal to you. They are not as yellow toned as Resene Green Spring which might emphasise the yellow particles in the limestone brickwork.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Green Spring
Resene Green Spring
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Quarter New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter
New Denim Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Haven
Resene Haven
October 2016

Q. I am doing up a 1963 caravan; we have gutted her actually! We are starting again from what was a very bright interior by the previous owners. We will be keeping the red 'crushed ice' Formica and I was hoping to do a 1950s theme of pale green and white for the kitchen cabinets and a pale yellow for the walls.

Once I know what green I will go with then it will make choosing the other two colours easier! I am trying to get the look of that green colour of old appliances. I've also had a look at Resene Nebula, Resene Acapulco and Resene Spanish Green. Do I go a bright or an off white?

A. I feel that Resene Surf Crest or Resene Spring Rain may be closer to the green you are seeking. When you get to your local Resene ColorShop please ask the staff to show you the A4 colour samples of these colours that are in their Colour Library. Seeing the reality of these colours is a great aid to making colour decisions.

A pale yellowy white like this option may be the right one for the walls - Resene Rum Swizzle. If you are a bit fearful that the yellow in the colour may develop too much 'bright personality' in the interior (yellows no matter how white they are, are often a lot more than we might expect them to be] then you might need to go whiter - i.e. Resene Half Pearl Lusta.

Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Acapulco
Resene Acapulco
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Rum Swizzle
Resene Rum Swizzle
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
 
October 2016

Q. I have a 1970s home in a heritage suburb of similar homes that I am keen to get started on with a makeover now that the weather is getting better. I would like to repaint in a way that will make it more current and contemporary and wonder if I should be moving away from the way it has been painted in the past, i.e. brown with white frames and soffits etc. The weatherboards are brown and we have textured plaster. It is partly brick and I am also wondering if I might paint that out as well. There are other features with the house like a large carport at the front and some fencing that will need to be tied in to the overall scheme.

A. Some things to consider -

  • Is the brown on the weatherboards a paint or a stain? Preparation to paint may need to be very different and more time consuming if it is a stained surface.
  • Were you considering painting the bricks and the textured plaster the same colour? Or different to each other?
  • If the plaster was a pale neutral colour so the contrast between the dark timbers and rich coloured bricks wasn't so great that would that give the house a softer tonal look - would that be enough of a change?
  • If you did choose to paint over the bricks - and decided it wasn't a good look for you - you wouldn't be able to unpaint it. Have you seen many bricks houses that have been painted that you like?
  • Greys and green/grey/beige tones are very popular at this point in time. You could try Resene Thorndon Cream - all whiter areas, Resene Half Tapa - textured plaster work or Resene Double Tapa - bricks or weatherboards.
  • Black, white and grey are also very contemporary. You could try Resene Double Sea Fog - all whiter areas including the textured plaster work, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea – weatherboards or Resene Baltic Sea - bricks.
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
October 2016

Q. What colour scheme goes with Resene Half Alabaster?

A. Every type of colour works with Resene Half Alabaster. Bright colours, soft pastels, deep muted colours and all of the mid toned and dark neutrals will work. It is all about what colours you really favour.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
October 2016

Q. I am thinking of painting the exterior of the house Resene Tapa. What would be a white for the windows and a contrasting colour for sills and picket fence?

A. You might check out these 'whites' - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
October 2016

Q. We're building a three bay garage with studio attached next to our house. We're close to the sea with bush backdrop. We're thinking of a Karaka COLORSTEEL® roof and cladding. Do you think the thee large sectional doors in Scoria would go with Karaka?

A. Scoria and Karaka are a lovely traditional colour combination. Earthy and rustic. Is that the look you have in mind? It certainly works well.

COLORSTEEL® Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
October 2016

Q. We are looking to paint our house Resene Haka CoolColour™. We need a light colour that will go with it for the concrete walls that are at the base and side. Our house is modern, lots of glass, facing the sea.

A. Resene Haka looks good with these lighter colours - Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Castaway or Resene Quarter Evolution.

Resene Haka
Resene Haka
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Castaway
Resene Castaway
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
 
October 2016

Q. I have an old workman’s cottage, mid 1800s with an open veranda with a front door in the middle. The house is painted in Resene Spanish White with cobalt blue window sills, bargeboards and guttering. I have a mid-green roof but am thinking of changing roof to a blue colour. Should it be a similar blue to the trim? Any idea on the roof colour? Also, what would be a good colour for the veranda and front door which is wooden with a lead light window at the top? It only has a small decorative orange piece of glass with the remainder being bevelled colourless glass.

A. I think you may have enough blue on the house already. Perhaps you might consider using a deep warm brown colours - Resene Ironsand or Resene Lignite. Or a lighter brown - Resene Groundbreaker. These would work well with both the blue trims and the main house colour.

The front door and the veranda posts could be a lighter colour so they add clean contrast but don't compete with the main house colour, the orange glass in the front door and the cobalt blue - Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
October 2016

Q. Do you have any ideas? I am looking for street appeal for my home’s exterior to take me into the next few years.

A. Some colours that you might like to look at to get you started - Resene Half Delta/Resene Half Black White/Resene Cinder, Resene Quarter Lemon Grass/Resene Quarter Rice Cake/Resene Viktor or Resene Triple Sea Fog/Resene Half Sea Fog/Resene Armadillo.

They are main colour, all white trims and an interesting feature for a door or other detail.

Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
October 2016

Q. I need something to lift a wall in the lounge room. It has high raking walls with beams, a half a wall in brick rusty terracotta tones with a silver grey carpet and metallic drapes with a leaf design in a black, silver and lighter grey.

A. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you and suit the room -Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
October 2016

Q. I'm repainting my house soon and I'd like a bit of advice. I only really like neutral colours and whites/off whites but I would love to do a feature wall in a living area and maybe the master bedroom a different colour to the main walls of the house. I hate really contrasty feature walls in bright or dark colours and was wondering if you could give me any suggestions of colours or tips in selecting a white that works with another neutral in the same tone/colour group. So for example, say I choose a clean white for the majority of the house; maybe I could do a stone-based white feature wall? I want the option to do a feature wall or slightly different colour in the bedroom but I still want the house to flow with nice neutrals. We will be selling it in a year or so time so I don't want to put people off with personalised colours but I still want a bit of depth with a feature wall.

A. You might look at these colours (clean white/stone coloured feature) to see if that is the sort of look you are trying to create - Resene Alabaster with Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Black White with Resene Double Black White, Resene Quarter Merino with Resene Triple Merino or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream with Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
October 2016

Q. I have a 1948 stucco house that is painted Resene Half Spanish White. I want to smarten it up by painting the base, window sills, front steps and porch. I am looking at a pale grey for the base, darker grey for the sills and a bolder colour for the steps (concrete) and porch. May be aubergine. Do you have any other colour combos? I don’t want to go blue. What greys do you recommend too?

A. You might consider using Resene Triple Rakaia for the base and the sills with Resene Sumptuous for the steps and porch. Or Resene Mountain Mist for the base, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey for the sills and Resene Broadway for the steps and porch.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene SumptuousResene Sumptuous
Resene Sumptuous
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Broadway
Resene Broadway
October 2016

Q. We have a Karaka roof and joinery which we are going to repaint our house. I am looking for a colour for the exterior of our house. We live in the country and the house has a big gable in front and our garage door is a dark drown stain currently on it. Suggestions to lift and modernise?

A. Earthy colours with undertones of grey in them are very modern and so are very white colours - you have choices and may need to think about the overall look you want to achieve.

Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if the appeal to you – Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
October 2016

Q. I am deciding between Resene Half Napa and Resene Quarter Napa to replace the cream exterior of our house, which also runs around the back of the house. The cedar and all the 'blue' balustrade will be Resene Bokara Grey and it needs to complement the 1990s bronze joinery. I feel the Resene Half Napa suits the joinery more so, but is a bit deeper and not as sharp as the Resene Quarter Napa. I don't want the exterior to look too dark, and I would like good contrast between the colours, but it maybe the quarter may be a cooler colour than the half. I still want it to look modern and clean looking.

Originally I was looking for a colour that looked like concrete, and would suit the red brick which will most probably stay.

Inside I have chosen Resene Half Thorndon Cream to complement the rimu ceilings and kitchen, along with a woven textured wallpaper of the same colour for the entrance/stairway and feature wall in lounge.

A. Generally speaking all colours seen on an exterior look quite a bit lighter than you might expect they will. Bright natural sunlight strips their depth away. So Resene Half Napa may look like Resene Quarter Napa for at least half of the day. Do you think that is that still too deep a colour for you?

Resene Quarter Napa may look as pale as Resene Eighth Napa - when the paler colour is seen in bright natural light it has a warm almost mushroom beigeness to it - so definitely not like the window joinery. Resene Bokara Grey is very black - quite modern and contemporary - and it will look good with Resene Half Napa or Resene Quarter Napa and create a good contrast.

Your interior colours sound really good. I like your idea of the woven textured wallpaper as a feature.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
October 2016

Q. I recently painted my bathroom in Resene Half Emerge and would like to know what the best colour would be to paint the trims? The floor is also being updated to a slate look vinyl.

A. There are two possibilities that spring to mind - a lighter/whiter trim - Resene Quarter Black White - or exactly matching to the wall colour - Resene Half Emerge - so there isn't a hard line of contrast between the new slate look vinyl and the wall colour.

Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
October 2016

Q. We are looking at painting the windowsills and ring foundation. We were thinking of a grey/blue/charcoal colour to tie in with the mortar in the brick (bricks are salmon beige). Our roof will remain red. We didn't want anything too dark as the concrete may be getting replaced to asphalt but want to modernise the property.

A. A grey/blue/charcoal may make the bricks look warmer (pinker) is this ok? You might look at these colours - not too dark just deep enough hopefully – Resene Steam Roller or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Alternatively a warm charcoal like this one might be checked out also – Resene Quarter Bokara Grey or a lighter option – Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
October 2016

Q. We are painting both the exterior and interior of our house which is a Mt Eden bungalow. Our roof is called Cloud and then we were going to go for white trim. We need a colour for our weatherboards - we want something modern - I was looking at concrete colour or a grey but don't want it looking like a battle ship!

A. A white trim to work with the roof (COLORSTEEL® Cloud) might be Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster.

You could look at these warm stony colours (not at all like a battleship) for the weatherboards - Resene Delta, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Half Gunsmoke.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
October 2016

Q. We are painting our whole house internally on a north facing site with lots of sun most of the day. We are painting it white and are not sure which white to go with. Do not want any beige, cream or pink tone in it. Prefer the cooler whites with a grey background note. Originally we were thinking of Resene White Pointer, but it may be too grey. Now thinking Resene Alabaster but open to suggestions. It is a coastal home with sea views and sunny. Plus then what to do with ceilings, sills and architraves etc... Do you have any ideas please? The downstairs living area does not get much light.

A. You might check out these colours for the walls to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Milk White.

If you use one of these 'whites' for the ceilings, sills and architraves you will add a crisp contrast to the wall colour – Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
October 2016

Q. Should I paint my wooden garage door the same colour as my bargeboards and roof (Ironsand) or the rough cast which accents the house at the front door and chimney (Resene Half Masala)? The weatherboards are a very light colour with a slight hint of green.

A. I am a little confused - is it the wooden garage doors that you want to paint or the rough cast - or both?

If it is the wooden garage doors you could use Resene Ironsand CoolColour™. If the doors are facing directly into the sun I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour reformulated version of the Ironsand. Timber may be adversely affected by heat absorbed into the surface by the darker colour and even though the CoolColour reformulated version of the colour won't stop any problems it will help a lot by reflecting the worst of the heat away from the surface.

It would not be such a problem on the rough cast surface as it is more stable - it doesn't expand and contract, twist and bend like timber does. I think the garage doors might look smart as the lighter colour - Resene Half Masala CoolColour - to match the front door and chimney.

Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
October 2016

Q. What can you suggest for an exterior colour for a rendered cottage with terracotta tiled roof and Mission Brown windows and gutters. I am happy to paint the gutters.

A. It can be difficult sometimes to find a harmonising colour to go with existing colours - terracotta tiled roof and Mission Brown windows etc. You could check out these warm toned neutrals to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tea, Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Drought, Resene Eighth Nullarbor or Resene Quarter Biscotti.

If the gutters were repainted to another colour then the Mission Brown windows might be lonely and stand out a lot more than when they had a 'Mission Brown' guttering friend to co-ordinate with. I think it may be better to leave them as they are now instead of changing them.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Eighth Nullarbor
Resene Eighth Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
October 2016

Q. We are renovating and re-lining our 1920s bungalow. We both like the clean look of white so are heading down that path. I have painted a number of testpots onto various walls throughout the house. We have tried Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster, Resene Eighth Tea and Resene White Pointer to name a few. We like Resene Black White the best. What are some recommendations for woodwork and ceilings? In the past I have always gone straight white out of the can which may be too white and make the Resene Black White look too grey. Would Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White work well in this situation?

A. Absolutely - you have answered your own question. These reduced 'whites' work really well to minimise the stark contrast that pure white can create.

Resene Half Black White will softly merge with the Resene Black White - in some types of natural light you may notice only a very minimal difference between them. The quarter formula will just be a little bit more noticeable in a cleaner way.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
   
October 2016

Q. We want to paint our lounge and passage walls, doors, skirtings and ceiling. Currently the walls are wallpapered and we wish to paint over it. Our couches are silver with black velvet and some which are a linen cream with dark grey script. The curtains are black and silver and we will be having speckled grey carpet. We want colours that are neutral but also make the room look bigger and lighter and that can also be continued down the passage.

A. The two options that immediately spring to mind are white or grey/white. Have you considered these possibilities? Warmer whites might be like this - Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Cooler whites might be like this - Resene Black White.

Greyed whites might be like these ones - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Barely There, Resene House White or Resene Half Concrete.

It is really important to make sure you know how the colours will look in different spaces and with different amounts of natural light playing on them. Please do test the colours very carefully - testpots can be your best friend in this regard. Painting super large samples on A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) allows you to place the card on different walls/different rooms so you can see how the colour alters.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
October 2016

Q. I have painted the top storey of my interior with Resene Eighth Truffle which I love and want to paint downstairs which is a much darker area with a lighter paint. What is a colour that is going to be lighter but still be a similar colour to blend with upstairs?

A. You might consider using Resene Half Milk White or if this appears a little cool you could see if a warmer tone like Resene Half Albescent White might work.

Please take the time to carefully test the colours. Changing qualities of natural light and smaller or narrower spaces alter (a lot) how colours work. Testpots are cheap colour insurance.

Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
October 2016

Q. I painted my house Resene Jungle Mist and it turned out a lot bluer than I anticipated. One of your consultants suggested I try Resene Grey Friars for the COLORSTEEL® on the roof (which works) but I'm struggling to decide what colour to paint the brickwork. I want something that will calm the blue down a bit if possible. I'd be really grateful for any advice - thanks so much!

A. Resene Jungle Mist is a blue/green duck egg type of colour. I think the only time it looks greener is when you use a bluer colour close to it then it forces your eye/brain to re-evaluate what type of colour it is because of comparison.

You might check these colours out - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Cape Cod, Resene Quarter Foundry or Resene Half Gunsmoke.

Resene Jungle Mist
Resene Jungle Mist
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
   
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
October 2016

Q. If I find a colour I love in CS6 (Photoshop) what colour profile would I take to a Resene store or is the HSB RGB enough and could they colour match it exactly?

A. Matching to a computer generated colour isn’t a precise process, because the colour can look different on one screen to the next. There are a couple of options you could do:

Option 1. Save a jpg of the colour and use Resene colourmatchonline to identify the closest Resene colours then go into your Resene ColorShop and view large A4 swatches of each colour to see which suits.

Option 2. Print (or take on your phone) a swatch of the colour from Photoshop and then take it into your local Resene ColorShop and our staff can assist you to find a similar colour.

October 2016

Q. Can you recommend a colour for the inside of my front door? The walls are Resene Half Tea and the trim is Resene Alabaster.

A. The inside of the front door is often a neglected or overlooked area that is hardly ever highlighted with colour. With the interior palette you have already you have the opportunity to use just about any colour for the door that appeals to you.

You could use an existing coloured element as a start point - i.e. like a rug or a painting. Or you could try Resene Hope, Resene Leap Year, Resene Simply Red or Resene Sunkissed.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   
Resene Hope
Resene Hope
Resene Leap Year
Resene Leap Year
Resene Simply Red
Resene Simply Red
Resene Sunkissed
Resene Sunkissed
October 2016

Q. We are painting our house and have gone for Resene Quarter Alabaster trims with either Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the stucco walls (it’s a late 1940s bungalow). I'm after some advice about what colour we should use for a front door and garage roof. We tested Resene Grey Friars but it is too bluey and light compared with the charcoal concrete tiles of the house roof which we are not painting.

A. The roof tiles must be quite a black colour if the Resene Grey Friars looks light by comparison. Have you checked out these colours - Resene Nocturnal, Resene Double Foundry, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Bokara Grey?

Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
   
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
October 2016

Q. We have recently extended our 1920/30s bungalow and want to repaint it a colour that suits the era of the house without seeming old fashioned. We live near the beach and like a bit of a retro look. We like the idea of grey and have had trouble deciding between Resene Half Stack, Resene Quarter Stack or Resene Double Rakaia. We don't want the grey too dark but I also don't want it to look white or super light in the sun. I want a bright front door and like either turquoise or yellow. Could Resene Turbo work? Can you give me some recommendations on which grey you think would suit our needs based on my requirements and some complementary colours I could look at for the door? We have chosen a black roof for the new addition.

A. I like the greys you mention - especially Resene Double Rakaia which has a lovely warm undertone. It looks rather gorgeous with Resene Half Black White, Resene All Black and Resene Half Turbo or Resene Wild Thing.

Resene Half Stack has a sandy undertone and looks marvellous with Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Gumboot and Resene Bright Spark or Resene Starstruck.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Double Rakaia
Double Rakaia
Resene Turbo
Resene Turbo
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Half Turbo
Resene Half Turbo
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Bright Spark
Resene Bright Spark
Resene Starstruck
Resene Starstruck
October 2016

Q. The outside of the house is charcoal grey aluminium joinery, oiled shiplap and plaster finished in Resene Spanish White. The whole of the inside has new plasterboard because of earthquake damage. The inside flooring is American Oak in the kitchen and three bathrooms. The carpet colour is yet to be decided. Any suggestions? The house is sunny with a nice view. Would Resene Alabaster work inside or would something softer like Resene Thorndon Cream be a better option? The kitchen has yet to be designed. I was thinking of a stone bench.

A. The exterior colours have a lot of warmth in them. It all sounds lovely.

For the interior you have options - but they need to work with all of the flooring. Possibly it would serve you better to short list some carpets that look lovely with the American Oak and most importantly what colour options the new kitchen - cabinetry and worktops - might be. Looking to find inspiration in these areas first is a good call as there isn't the quantity of options available compared to paint colours.

But if the carpet and kitchen decisions are a long way off and painting now is where you are at then slightly warmer 'whites' for the interior might be appropriate - these colours might be a starting point - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Albescent White. All of these colours have lighter and deeper variants so it may pay to check them out as well.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
October 2016

Q. We want to keep the timber look in our sunny north facing room. What colour could you recommend that would look good? Could you recommend a light grey (or white, or surprise us!) that wouldn't make the wood look too dark? We have used Resene Black White on our hallway (with white wood) but are keen to see what other options we could consider. Our furniture/style is quite modern/ist so something that suits that.

A. The warmth and richness of the wood needs to be seen with lighter but not necessarily whiter colours. You have elements in the room that are coloured - i.e. upholstered furniture, coloured carpet and drapes to take into account as well.

You may need to test several colours before you find the right one. Seeing what colours truly look like when all the walls are such a deep and definite colour would make it more difficult. If you undercoated the whole room to remove the deep red colour it might serve you well - it would help you see the reality of any tested colours.

When a colour was chosen it would be easier to paint over the white undercoat rather than try and obliterate the existing colour. Your impression of the room (how light the room was/which walls got all day sun on them/which walls were in shadow part or most of the day/how the space and shape of the room really looked etc) could alter radically when the deeper red colour was removed.

Some greys that you could check out might be these ones - Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Titania, Resene Barely There or Resene Quill Grey.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
   
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
October 2016

Q. My lounge is currently painted in Resene Half Sisal with ceiling and trim in Resene Quarter Sisal. It's all a bit bland and I would dearly like to update the look of the room. My sofas are a silvery grey and my accent colours are blue. I have been trailing testpots in blues and greys (last testpot was Resene Quarter Powder Blue) but I'm worried about the overall effect being ‘cold’. The room is west facing so gets no sun in the morning and that just makes the room look like cold porridge.

The room is only really used at night so needs to feel cosy. I even wondered about making a feature wall of the wall housing the fireplace/ bookshelf.

A.I think if you want a cosy room whether it is in the evening when you are in there or during the morning you may need to have deep colours or very warm colours.

If you have blue accents the complement of this particular colour (directly opposite across the colour wheel) is orange. In any form. It can be peachy, tawny, ginger biscuit, rich terracotta reds or brown - brown is the deepest shade of orange. If you absolutely detest any of these warm cosy colours - some people do - then the alternative is to go really deeply into greys or blues. Deeper colours cocoon you and make spaces feel intimate.

Perhaps you could check these colours out to see if there is anything that appeals to you - Resene Spanish White (a warmer neutral than Resene Half Sisal), Resene Biscotti (biscuit), Resene Nougat (tawny), Resene Wrangler (warm brown), Resene Double Stack (deep grey) or Resene Dark Side (deep rich blue).

If you used a warm white for the ceiling colour - i.e. Resene Bianca - the room may respond to the sweet reflected light and feel nicer and cosier.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
Resene Quarter
Powder Blue
 
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Nougat
Resene Nougat
 
Resene Wrangler
Resene Wrangler
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
October 2016

Q. I bought a testpot of Resene Cut Glass but on my wall it looks more like Resene Tranquil and is too light. I have also tried Resene Half Kumutoto but this is too dark. I am looking for this colour way. Is there something that may fall in between?

A. You might need to try several colours and watch closely how the natural light in the room alters the colour. These colours may give you options - Resene Half Eskimo or Resene Half Escape.

Or if you are very inventive you could intermix testpots of Resene Half Kumutoto and Resene White together to see if the lightened version of this colour works for you.

Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Tranquil
Resene Tranquil
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Escape
Resene Half Escape
Resene White
Resene White
October 2016

Q. We have Appliance White joinery with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand garage. The roof is asbestos so we won't be touching that at all. What Resene colour would match these two colours to paint the house (we do like white and would consider a light grey)? We are building a kwila deck at the back which will be oiled; the balustrades are pine and we are looking at painting them white. Would you colour match the balustrade with the Appliance White joinery or the house colour?

The downstairs is painted but not sure if this really matches the garage. Would you keep the same colour upstairs and downstairs?

I think I would like to paint the brown brick to match the garage. Would you recommend this? If so what colour would you do?

A. If you inquire at a Resene ColorShop about a match colour to powder coat Appliance White there is a Resene version of this colour on the colour computer.

For COLORSTEEL® Ironsand the match colour is Resene Ironsand. There are also lighter variants of this colour available - Resene Half Ironsand and Resene Quarter Ironsand.

Match means exactly that - an exact identical match. But if you are really asking about what other colours will harmonise with these colours then you are very fortunate as a huge amount of colours will do so. Perhaps you could check out these colours as a start point - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Black White, or slightly greyer colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene White Pointer, or a bit warmer/deeper grey beige - Resene Eighth Friar Grey.

Matching the balustrades to Appliance White will keep all the 'white' exactly the same and will give a clean crisp look to the house.

In order to keep a simple well balanced look I would suggest you painted the downstairs level the same as the upper level. It will stop the 'sandwich' look that halves the overall height of the house that can occur when you paint each level a different colour.

I think you must decide whether highlighting the brown brick with the same colour as the garage will make it look a fabulous feature or not. Essentially is it worthy of being highlighted? If you decide that the answer is yes, then by all means do so.

For a concrete patio and steps you might consider using the softer/lighter variant of Ironsand - perhaps Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Ironsand - to co-ordinate but not match exactly.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
 
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
October 2016

Q. I want to paint a concrete fence at a farm house. The house is Resene Merino and I think the windows are Resene Double Sisal. What would you suggest I paint the fence in?

A. Either the main house colour or the window colour would possibly be the first options to consider relating the fence to the house.

If that wasn't appropriate then perhaps deeper colours like one of these ones:

Resene Craigieburn (deeper but not as yellow toned as the window colour), Resene Triple Merino (deeper than the main house colour) or a much darker feature colour - Resene Wireless.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
 
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
October 2016

Q. Our house needs an exterior facelift. I would like to paint it a crisp, refreshing, modern white. Can you please advise a suitable white? I would like the roof to be a charcoal/dark grey colour. It should tone in with the COLORSTEEL® garage door which I don't want to change. Could you also suggest a colour for the front fence, probably white also, and something to cover the hideous light green decking out the back?

A. If you can identify the COLORSTEEL® colour on the garage it would be a great help to me - then I could ensure the roof colour is the same colour. If you are unsure possibly using the Resene Roof Colour Chart to see if the door looks like any of the colours listed CS in the brackets under the paint name might be of assistance.

These crisp refreshing modern white colours for the main house colour might be worth checking out - Resene Double Black White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

If you wanted the front fence to be exactly the same colour as the house, that is quite a good idea. Alternatively you could just use Resene White which would be a sharp contrast to the house colour.

For the deck, it could be painted in Resene Quarter Masala or stain in Resene Woodsman stain – Resene Sheer Black.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
     
October 2016

Q. I have read that bedrooms facing east that get the morning sun look good with a white with a blue tinge as they look brighter in the afternoons when there is no sun. Can you suggest a colour from your range please?

A. You could check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Scandi, Resene Zumthor, Resene Half Eskimo or Resene Half Cut Glass. These colours will look green some of the time and blue some of the time.

Warm light neutrals that work really well might be considered as alternatives - Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Quarter Tea.

Resene Scandi
Resene Scandi
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
   
October 2016

Q. Our house is a 70s weatherboard house, painted Resene Robin Egg Blue, with Resene Smalt Blue on the roof and fascia boards and Resene Quarter Milk White wooden joinery. We have extensive wooden fencing around the entire property that we wish to paint in a dark colour which tones in with the house.

A. You could check these colours out - Resene Coast, Resene Dark Knight, Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Tuna.

Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Smalt Blue
Resene Smalt Blue
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
 
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
October 2016

Q. I have decided on the walls of our villa being Resene Half Rice Cake in the shady rooms and Resene Half Sea Fog in the sunnier rooms. I think they are tonally ok together in the same house but please let me know if it wouldn't work. My question is what fresh white to use on the trims? Resene Alabaster looks fine with the Resene Half Sea Fog but I'm not sure it works with the Resene Half Rice Cake as the Resene Alabaster isn't really lighter at all, just different in tone. Can you suggest a nice white trim that works with both and doesn't add another tone to the mix?

A. Real white - Resene White - works well with both 'whites'. Have you considered using that? It is as light and white and clean and crisp as you can go in the world of paint.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
October 2016

Q. I'm looking for a colour for our glass backsplash. I'd like a light blue green colour.

A. Some colour ideas to get you started - Resene Half Tasman, Resene Half Emerge or Resene Zumthor.

If you use crystal clear low iron oxide glass you will see the colour true to reality. If you use standard float glass (which is a green toned glass) the colour will look greener or slightly dirtier (less clear/pastel) in tone.

Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
October 2016

Q. I have an entry which flows into the combined dining room and lounge. The house is split level with cathedral ceilings and some changes in ceiling height. The entry faces west and has a glass pane and clerestory window surrounding the door. The dining area is along the western wall which has one window in the corner touching the floor. The lounge area has an ESE facing wall of full length sliding doors. At the end of this area is a north facing wall with two narrow windows touching the floor. Because of the ceiling I think it would work best painted in one colour. All windows are planned to have white shutters.

I am thinking of painting the walls and ceilings Resene Athens Grey with architraves and doors white. I have a china cabinet which I intend to paint for a pop of colour. I tend to like blue/green/turquoise tones e.g. Resene Awash. I also like blue/greys.

A. I am inclined to agree with you in regards to painting both the ceiling and the walls in the same colour. The changing qualities of natural light will play off very nicely on your colour choice so it will never be boring or bland. Using pure white - Resene White to offset Resene Athens Grey is a perfect pairing of light and subtle shaded whites.

If you like Resene Awash you might also check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Whirlwind (slightly deeper blue/green), Resene Bermuda Grey (more grey blue) or Resene Wishlist (slightly greener turquoise).

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene White
Resene White
   
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Wishlist
Resene Wishlist
October 2016

Q. We want to paint the exterior of our plaster house - walls, roof, wooden joinery and garage door. Could you please recommend colours?

We are wanting a dark roof colour and to get away from the green entirely with something neutral and contemporary.

A. You could check out these colour palettes to see if they appeal to you - Roof and garage door- Resene Nocturnal, plaster - Resene Foggy Grey and wooden joinery - Resene Wan White, or roof and garage door - Resene Windswept, plaster - Resene Double White Pointer and wooden joinery - Resene Half White Pointer, or roof and garage door - Resene Ironsand, plaster - Resene Triple Sea Fog and wooden joinery - Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
October 2016

Q. We are doing up a farm cottage and it has been suggested to paint the walls Resene Quarter Spanish White and skirting/architraves and internal doors Resene Eighth Spanish White. Would that look ok? We have all new carpet, vinyl and a new kitchen. The other suggestion is Resene Eighth Spanish White walls. What would be another white (slighter whiter) for skirtings, architraves and internal doors? These skirtings etc are quite detailed so hence the suggestion to make them a bit whiter to stand out.

A. I really like Resene Quarter Spanish White but am a little wary of Resene Eighth Spanish White as it can throw out more pink than cream tone. I suggest you substitute it with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta as it looks crisper with Quarter Spanish White.

However if you do favour the sweet warm slightly pinky undertone of Resene Eighth Spanish White and want to use it for the walls you could use Resene Alabaster for all the trims - this will look clean and very smart on the detailed skirting boards.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
October 2016

Q. I am trying to select a colour for our beach house that has white trims, Surf Mist gutters and garage door. Someone has suggested Resene Rice Cake. What would you advise?

A. Resene Rice Cake is very nice. You might check out these two colours also to see if you like them better - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Ecru White.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
October 2016

Q. We are looking for colours to paint our beach house to tone it down a bit so it’s more fitting with the environment. The roof is red but we will likely also colour this grey/charcoal subsequently. Can you recommend a colour scheme? We are thinking light grey block base, top remains white, dark grey sills/fascia/deck and as mentioned charcoal roof.

A. I really like your idea - it is a very traditional type of house and the charcoal and grey with white is a timeless classic. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - roof - Resene Element, block base - Resene Mountain Mist. For other trims - i.e. sills/fascia/deck – you could use Resene Ship Grey.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Ship Grey
Resene Ship Grey
October 2016

Q. What white would look good with beige/brown marble tiles?

A. You may need to check out several to see how they look with the tiles and any other things that are close by that are coloured. You might start by checking these ones - Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene White Linen or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene White Linen
Resene White Linen
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
October 2016

Q. I am looking at Resene Eighth Pravda for plaster on our house with a slate coloured cedar. We are looking to paint our fascia and soffits a lighter colour. Would Resene Sea Fog or another lighter colour match this colour choice on the exterior?

A. Resene Sea Fog is a good choice and you might also check out Resene Half House White and Resene Quarter White Pointer.

Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
October 2016

Q. We are looking for a paint colour for a small bathroom and an adjacent separate toilet. We were thinking a blue and have considered Resene Emerge, Resene El Nino, Resene Eskimo and Resene Dusted Blue. Would you suggest a two tone for the bathroom and toilet? Or stay all one colour? Do you have any other colour suggestions? We are planning to have a wooden vanity top.

A. I think it is up to you whether you use two colours or just one colour. If the rooms are adjacent to each other it may be more of a simple well balanced look to just have one colour. There are so many blues to choose from. If you like the soft muted blues you might also like these half tones – Resene Half Eskimo, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Dusted Blue or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. All colours in an interior can look deeper (sometimes double their depth) than you expect them to look - especially in smaller rooms. Perhaps you could check these colours out -

These soft watery colours look lovely with wood and lots of clean white accents.

Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene El Nino
Resene El Nino
Resene Eskimo
Resene Eskimo
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
October 2016

Q. We have recently bought a 1930s bungalow style house and are giving our kitchen a new colour scheme. Our aim is to paint the walls one colour, the ceiling and door frames in another colour in gloss, and the cabinets and drawers in another colour. The blue floor and green stove will be staying. I need a colour scheme which won't clash with the floor or stove, but will feel light, warm and inviting. I've been looking at Resene Quarter Tea, Resene White Pointer, or Resene Sea Fog for walls and possibly a slightly darker grey/silver colour for cupboards, but now I'm getting overwhelmed and completely confused with complementary colours.

A. The very modern whiter cool toned neutrals would certainly emphasise the largeness of the room as well as drawing maximum attention to the blue of the floor and green of the range. Is that your intention?

Have you considered using a warmed white for the walls so it relates well with both the floor and the range? These are two that would work really well as the main wall colour and possibly the carcasses of the cabinets and cupboards - Resene Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White.

These are some colours that you could consider for the cabinet and drawer fronts - Resene Quarter Stonehenge ( browner tone that likes the blue and the green), Resene Triple White Pointer (a warm toned grey/beige that sits well with the bright blue floor), Resene Steam Roller (this is a blue toned grey but may look far less blue toned compared to the bright blue floor) or Resene Bush (a deep traditional green to be-friend the lighter green on the range).

Or as another option and to relate as a triadic palette with the blue and the green colour you could try Resene Red Letter. Or for a simple option, try Resene Spanish White (because it is a warm neutral that works well with all of the colours).

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Bush
Resene Bush
 
Resene Red Letter
Resene Red Letter
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
     
October 2016

Q. We have just moved into our new house, which has strong colours, and will paint the whole interior but I am unsure on a colour. I would like a grey tone but I don't want it to look too blue or too cold. I have tried all the Resene Concrete family and they do look quite blue next to the rimu finishing we have. I don't want the rooms to look too dark either as the wood is already quite dark. I would like to leave the architraves and have the top of the walls the same colour as the ceiling. If you could recommend colours to try, which will look nice next to the rimu that's not too blue or brown and has a warm feel that would be great.

A. Because of the strong colours already in the house I think it would be exceptionally difficult when testing colour to see how they look in reality. Have you considered undercoating (all surfaces) to make the colours go away - the white of the undercoat would make the project you are undertaking so much easier.

You would see what the natural dimensions (the spaces) are like in the rooms. Existing colours make you see spaces in a different way.

You would see how the light falls in the rooms i.e. what rooms or walls were shadowy and which ones were lighter.

You could test colours on a white (undercoated) backdrop and see what they are truly like. Existing wall colours alter your perception of colour when painted on top of them - usually in a far from positive way.

Because of the rimu (yellow/brown and warm toned) all greys will look cooler and possibly bluer, greener or even purple toned.

If your heart is intent on the greyer palettes of colours then I suggest you check out those greys that feature yellow or green in them as they may enhance the rimu. You could try Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

If the ceiling and upper quarter of the wall were a 'white' you would double the brightness in all the rooms. You might check out these ones - Resene Double Alabaster or slightly warmer/brighter - Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
   
October 2016

Q. We have bought a brick and tile house that we'd like to paint as we really don't like the colour of the brick. Unfortunately the joinery/garage door/roof is brown, we need to modernise the house but also make sure it matches the brown features. What exterior colour do you suggest? We're not sure if we should go dark or light. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A. Unfortunately you may need to consider more brown tones in order to lessen the effect of strong brown on the house.

I suggest you consider mid toned colours to work with the deeper browns. I am fearful that lighter colours will emphasise the brown a lot more. You could check these ones out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Akaroa, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Rockbottom, Resene Half Napa, Resene Settlement, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Triple White Pointer.

Resene Double Akaroa
Resene Double Akaroa
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
 
October 2016

Q. Can you suggest a colour to paint a front door? It faces south.

A. You have lots of options available to you. Here are some ideas to get you started - Resene Good Life, Resene Sea Crest, Resene Simply Red or Resene Malarkey.

Resene Good Life
Resene Good Life
Resene Sea Crest
Resene Sea Crest
Resene Simply Red
Resene Simply Red
Resene Malarkey
Resene Malarkey
October 2016

Q. I am looking for an off white warm slight cream tone for a bedroom. The paint needs to work on walls and ceilings and go well with exposed oak beams. We are thinking of using a white for the trim. The rooms have some natural light but not lots.

A. You could check out these colours to see if they are the off white warm slight cream that you are looking for - Resene Half Bianca or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Both of these colours do come as deeper and lighter variants so it may pay you to check them out also.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
October 2016

Q. What colour do you suggest for the roof of our house? I am reroofing in corrugated COLORSTEEL®. I would like a reasonably traditional colour, but one that is up-to-date with roof colour trends. The house is white and slightly below the road. I expect it to stay painted white (or maybe a light neutral colour in future). I would probably like a grey roof. The colours I have looked at are Grey Friars (looks too dark?), Sandstone Grey or Gull Grey.

A. I think the Sandstone Grey and the Gull Grey may be too light. All colours when seen on the exterior look lighter than you might imagine they will do because of the way bright natural light stripes the depth away.

If you are a little concerned about Grey Friars you might check out COLORSTEEL® TernStyle. It is a warm charcoal and doesn't throw the steel blue undertone that Grey Friars does, as well as being slightly lighter.

October 2016

Q. We are looking to paint our weatherboard 1930s bungalow. We have recently extended and are trying to find a light to medium soft grey that will look good with a black roof and white windows. We have looked at Resene Mountain Mist and Resene Half Stack. Are these colours going to look too dark? Should I look at Resene Half Mountain Mist?

A. Resene Half Mountain Mist is softer and warmer than Resene Half Stack. All colours seen on the exterior can look quite a bit lighter than you might imagine due to bright natural light stripping the depth from colour.

The colour will appear lighter. So paler - not mid toned. You would need to test the colour to see whether it is the full strength version or the half strength version that suits you best.

Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack

Resene Half Mountain Mist
October 2016

Q. Can you please help with an exterior colour for a new home? The outside will be a mix of brick and LINEA® board. The brick colour is Firth Devonstone Antique White, a white with a bit of grey fleck in it. The roof, garage door and front door are matt charcoal. What do you suggest would be a fresh, modern colour for the LINEA® board?

A. You might consider mid toned greys - they would fit between the lightest colour on the bricks and the darker colour on the roof, garage and house doors. Perhaps you might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Gauntlet, Resene Half Tuna, Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Gravel or Resene Half Nocturnal.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
October 2016

Q. We are repainting the exterior of our 120 year old cottage. At the moment we are thinking of using Resene Juniper for the weatherboards with maybe Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Half Spanish White around the windows and doors. We're then thinking Resene Jaguar for some accents and French doors at the rear but would like a colourful front door on the side of the house - maybe a red or orange. Any suggestions you could give us? Also just wondering what might work for the roof – Resene Jaguar is perhaps too dark? Do you think this scheme would work overall?

A. I do like your colours - they are lovely. Resene Jaguar is a really inky blue black - if you are having it on the house I do strongly recommend that you use a CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour to minimise as much as possible the heat absorption that the extremely dark colours attract.

The roof might need to be lighter and 'less out there'. Have you considered using colours like Resene Jurassic or Resene Woodsmoke - they look nice with Resene Juniper?

A colourful front door (red or orange) could be one of these colours - Resene Blaze or Resene Jalapeno.

Resene Juniper
Resene Juniper
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
October 2016

Q. I'm building a new house. The roof and window joinery are COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. The brick is Electrum. Across the front there is an 800mm overhang which is LINEA® board on the top level. What colour would be best for the LINEA® board area and garage door?

A. Is the garage door going to be a metal powder coated one? If so have you considered using the same colour as the roof and window joinery? It is the first option - it keeps all of the coloured metal the same colour.

The LINEA® might be lighter but related to the roof and joinery colour - Resene Quarter Ironsand or alternatively a light warm neutral that (hopefully) works with the colour of the bricks - Resene Half Spanish White or totally random (it will stand out as a feature) really dark colour - Resene Bokara Grey. It really depends upon what effect you are trying to create.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
October 2016

Q. We are having a new kitchen installed and the joinery colour is Feather White. The benchtop is Caesarstone Osprey. We have a light charcoal carpet and would be looking at putting in ash coloured kitchen flooring. We'd like to go light and neutral on the walls of the open plan kitchen/family room, which takes us through to the lounge/dining. We currently have Resene Half Tea, with Half Spanish White through the rest of the house. The kitchen/family/lounge all north facing.

A. When I look at a sample of Feather White and Resene Half Spanish White, the Feather White doesn't have quite the same yellow undertone. When I look at a sample of Feather White with Resene Half Tea, they seem to respond to each from the slightly muted almost beige undertones they both carry. But the lighter/whiter versions of both these colours don't work well with Feather White as they seem to 'pink' up a little too much.

A much lighter/whiter colour that works with the new kitchen and the existing colours in the house might be Resene Quarter Albescent White. It would be worth checking out.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
October 2016

Q. We are painting the whole house. My partner likes Resene Cloudy but I like the grey tonings. If we paint the kitchen which has a large opening into the lounge in Resene Shady Lady would this match in? I would like a darker grey and a lighter grey than Resene Shady Lady in other parts of house. What do you suggest?

A. One colour carries more beige - Resene Cloudy - and Resene Shady Lady carries more black/red. If you like them in close proximity to each other, then that is all that matters.

If I was doing it I would probably change the lounge colour to one that is slightly warmer and more of a grey beige - i.e. Resene Pale Slate or a much lighter variant of Resene Cloudy - i.e. Resene Quarter Cloudy so it didn't challenge Resene Shady Lady so much.

Colours in an interior often look much deeper that you would imagine they will do. Resene Shady Lady will be a lot deeper than you expect it to look - possibly closer to Resene Monsoon - is that ok with you? There is no reduced (lighter) version of Resene Shady Lady but you might check out Resene Rakaia or even Resene Double Rakaia.

Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Monsoon
Resene Monsoon
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Double Rakaia
Double Rakaia
 
October 2016

Q. I have an elongated weatherboard home that I wish to paint. I am open to changing the roof colour. There is a lot of woodwork, decks and lots of fences etc. I was wondering what ideas you would have as for colour options (for the house, fences, deck and roof) that would go with the brown aluminium.

A. Some suggestions for the main colour on the house (they may help absorb the brown windows a little bit) might be like these ones - Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Tea or Resene Caraway.

I know it is very popular to have a dark coloured roof but in this particular case I think it might be a wrong thing to do - it might make the house look very skinny and long and close to the ground. Perhaps a roof colour that pulled up towards the sky might work better for you. You could try Resene Innocence or Resene New Denim Blue.

Decks and fences might need light to mid toned colours and these are a few that you could check out - Resene Jurassic or Resene Half Tuna.

Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
 
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
 
October 2016

Q. We are currently in the process of deciding an exterior colour for our 70s clinker brick home. The brick itself is an ugly brown and we want to make it a bit more contemporary. Inside our home, we have Resene Alabaster trim and Resene Black White walls so we want a clean and modern look. We want to stay with white windows but change the brick colour to a dark grey. We want to stay away from blues.

A. Here are a few colours to get you started - Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Gumboot, Resene Foundry, Resene Blackout, Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
 
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
October 2016

Q. We want a black roof on a new build, and are unsure what grey to use on the LINEA® boards. We like Silver Pearl joinery and have an exterior garage wall in Stria board maybe in Resene Triple Black White? We were thinking black on the garage door and entrance door? What do you recommend?

A. I like the ideas you have - I think the Resene Triple Black White would be very smart on the Stria board. A few greys for you to consider for the LINEA® might be these ones - Resene Half Gravel, Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Wireless or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
October 2016

Q. I have Resene Half Pavlova walls in the kitchen/dining area and just had a new kitchen installed with white cabinetry, marble and stainless steel counter tops. The new ceiling is Resene Half Alabaster. I want to repaint the old window frame/door and frame (Resene Spanish White at present) in a new colour. What do you suggest... Resene Alabaster? Also, if I did a feature wall what would be a good complementary colour? The floors are dark brown oak and the new carpet will be neutral brown/green earthy colour.

A. If you want to see the crisp clean contrast of Resene Alabaster emphasising the rich warmth of Resene Half Pavlova and relating to the white kitchen cabinets then it would look very smart. A complement to the yellowy Half Pavlova might be one of these colours - please check them out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Pravda, Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Castaway, Resene Fifty Shades or Resene Templestone.

Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
 
Resene Castaway
Resene Castaway
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
 
October 2016

Q. We are looking to paint the inside of our home. There are lots of windows however it is not a 'light, bright' house. We really like the grey tones and in particular Resene Concrete however I have put up a testpot and it looks a bit blue in some rooms. Is there something you would recommend that is still a greyish tone but would look less blue on the walls? Any help would be much appreciated! We will do skirtings and ceilings in Resene Alabaster.

A. You may have to carefully test several colours before you hit on the right one. Greys are often cool. Hopefully these ones have less of that potential - Resene Whiteout, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Rakaia or Resene Triple Black White.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
October 2016

Q. Can you please tell me what colour can I match with Jasper roof COLORBOND®?

A. Resene has matched Jasper using Resene tinters and paint - the match colour is called Resene Groundbreaker.

If you want to know what colours would look nice and co-ordinate well with your roof then you might check out these colours - they all look very nice with Jasper - Resene Triple Merino, Resene Tea or Resene Double Thorndon Cream.

Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
October 2016

Q. We have a fairly modern home where the ceilings, walls, door frames and doors all appear to be painted in 3/4 Resene Drought, with the main living room having been painted a slightly lighter colour a few years ago. We have a similar colour carpet. We want to keep the doors the same colour, but lighten the ceiling, as well as repaint walls. What colour do you suggest to go with the door colour? Would you suggest painting the walls, door jambs and skirting all one colour or different?

A. It is often considered a clean modern look to paint the walls, skirting boards and door jambs all the same colour. The woodwork would be a semi-gloss enamel – Resene Lustacryl - and the walls would be a premium low sheen acrylic – Resene Zylone Sheen- so the woodwork would have the tougher enamel type of paint like the doors.

If the ceilings were painted a soft warm white and the walls were a softer version of the door colour it would lift and lighten the look of the home. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Drought - walls and woodwork and Resene Half Bianca – ceilings, or Resene Quarter Spanish White - walls and woodwork and Resene Alabaster – ceilings.

Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
October 2016

Q. My home has a red COLORBOND® roof and heritage green gutters and spouting. It is currently a light green colour. I am after colours for a red front door/veranda posts and an earthy colour for the weatherboards. What do you think about Resene Butter as a selection?

A. Resene Butter is quite a popular choice for Heritage inspired houses as it is a lovely strong yellow. Other earthy colours that you might check out are Resene Sand and Resene Double Parchment.

Colours for the front door and the veranda posts might be one of these - Resene Burnt Crimson, Resene Red Planet or Resene Burgundy.

Resene Butter
Resene Butter
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Sand
Resene Sand
Resene Double Parchment
Resene Double Parchment
Resene Burnt Crimson
Resene Burnt Crimson
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
Resene Burgundy
Resene Burgundy
 
October 2016

Q. We have started painting a number of the rooms in our home, some in Resene Half Truffle and others in Resene Quarter Truffle. We chose Resene Alabaster for our skirting boards, but this looks stark along with our joinery which is a creamy/bone colour. I would appreciate a couple of suggestions for a skirting board colour which would sit more comfortably alongside our aluminium joinery. Could I also ask for some colour suggestions for our hallway area?

A. I think that one of these colours may work for you and go well with the colours used in the house and the window joinery – Resene Barely There, Resene Quarter Titania or Resene Eighth Truffle.

Have you considered using a deeper version of the colours used in the rest of the house - i.e. Resene Truffle? Alternatively you could try a soft interesting blue colour - Resene Half Dusted Blue or an interesting green Resene Secrets.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
 
October 2016

Q. Our render is setting in for another 1.5 weeks and I'm looking for a colour to render. The colour I'm after is a French Provincial beige exterior with white trims. It looks like a beige colour.

A. The colour on the exterior of the beautiful French Provincial house as shown in the daylight photos could be similar to one of these colours – Resene Sandspit Brown or Resene Triple Blanc.

If you were to use a softer paler type of white for all the trims - i.e. Resene Quarter Albescent White and a deep colour for the awning - i.e. Resene Half Grey Friars your house could look really smart in the French style.

Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
October 2016

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

 

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

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