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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 60

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. 60

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


Q. We are going to be painting the exterior of our house and roof and would like a light grey/blue colour with some sort of white for the windows and a dark blue roof.

A. These roof colours may appeal to you – Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Coast or Resene High Tide.

There are many other blues available, though blues tend to be more prone to fading and may not come in 10 litre pails. For darker blues you could try Resene Zinzan, Resene Dark Knight or Resene Licorice.

Light grey/blues that you might consider are Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Half Raven, Resene Quarter New Denim Blue, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Quarter Regent Grey.

The best sort of white is Resene White but if you would prefer a less crisp true white then you might like Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Alabaster.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
   
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
   
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Half Raven
Resene Half Raven
Resene Quarter New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter
New Denim Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   
January 2017

Q. What colours would look great on a Summerhill stone home that is currently painted white? We are thinking grey with white around windows. The roof and guttering are New Denim Blue.

A. Because of the roof and guttering being New Denim Blue which has a blue undertone I suspect the best greys to work for you may need to also have a subtle blue edge. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and work well with the New Denim Blue – Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Triple Surrender or Resene Eighth Tuna.

Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Triple Surrender
Resene Triple Surrender
Resene Eighth Tuna
Resene Eighth Tuna
January 2017

Q. We want to repaint our house. We don't like the current colour as it can look quite ‘pinky’ or slightly orange in some lights. We've been looking at neighbouring properties and found one that we really like with the same colour terracotta roof tile, green joinery etc. I knocked on the door and asked them what colour it was - to my surprise it was Resene Spanish White which to be honest seems very similar to what we currently have. I suppose our question is what colour palette would you suggest? We don't want to go into greens or a dark colour as we have a large house and want to keep it looking fresh and clean. As we have an internal courtyard with a plunge pool we can't go to white as it would be too blinding when sunny.

A. Resene Spanish White may well be what was originally used on your house – it certainly would work with your roof and joinery colours. But if to your eye it is annoyingly pinky or orange then you may need to check out these alternative colours - they are similar but aren't as warm toned as Resene Spanish White – Resene Albescent White, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Cararra, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Half Caraway.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
       
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
January 2017

Q. What are the best dark reddish or dark greenish colours to complement Resene Grain Brown?

A. You might look at these colours - they look wonderful with Resene Grain Brown – Resene Trouble, Resene Red It, Resene Seaweed or Resene Half Karaka.

Resene Grain Brown
Resene Grain Brown
     
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Red It
Resene Red It
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Half Karaka
Resene Half Karaka
January 2017

Q. I need a charcoal or brown to go with dark brown aluminium window sills. I'm boarding the gardens with rail bridge sleepers and have trees at the back of the house. I also need a colour for the roof.

A. You might check out these warmer charcoals to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Bokara Grey or deeper toned - Resene Bokara Grey, or Resene Half Ironsand or deeper toned – Resene Ironsand, or Resene Triple Dune, Resene Blackout, Resene Windswept, Resene Monkey or Resene Black Magic.

I strongly recommend that these very dark colours be made as CoolColour™ versions of the colours to minimise heat/UV.

Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
 
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Monkey
Resene Monkey
Resene Black Magic
Resene Black Magic
January 2017

Q. We’ve painted our house in Resene Blanc which looks great. We're considering painting a feature wall in our girls' bedrooms and are after some colour suggestions that would work with Resene Blanc? They like aqua, purple, green and pink.

A. The following suggestions look quite delicious with Resene Blanc – Resene Hope, Resene Renew, Resene Boogie Wonderland or Resene Smitten.

Choosing too pale a colour options may make the Blanc look muddy so the colours suggestion are a little more definite but not super bright.

Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Hope
Resene Hope
Resene Renew
Resene Renew
Resene Boogie Wonderland
Resene Boogie Wonderland
Resene Smitten
Resene Smitten
January 2017

Q. I'm looking at painting my lounge and dining area and really like the colour Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. When putting the testpot colour on the wall it appeared quite cold looking. I would like something similar but warmer looking. Any ideas? I would also like to paint the hallway but it is a very dark space with no natural light so would like a very light complementary colour to whatever the colour of the other rooms will be.

A. Resene Half Duck Egg Blue is quite a greyish colour and can be cool as well. You could check out one of these similar but warmer colours to see if one of them appeals to you – Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, Resene Nebula, Resene Zumthor, Resene Half Emerge or Resene Half Halcyon.

Very light and reflective colours for the hallway might be one of these types of colours – Resene Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White. They work well in association with the other colours I have suggested.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
       
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Halcyon
Resene Half Halcyon
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
     
January 2017

Q. I have just painted our bedrooms and hallway with Resene Linen, which I am very happy with. Can you suggest a colour for wardrobe and bedroom doors? Someone suggested Resene Quarter Spanish White - your thoughts or suggestions. I feel I am more partial to the old world look than modern.

A. Resene Quarter Spanish White is a warm (slightly dense) cream that can throw out a peach or even beige undertone. Resene Linen has a lovely fresh undertone of warm yellow in its green and often looks really nice with fresh pale creams that mimic that yellow/green undertone - i.e. Resene Half Villa White or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.

Please do try and view the samples as A4 sheets of real painted colour at your local Resene ColorShop so you can compare them to each other as well as checking out how they look with Resene Linen.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
January 2017

Q. Most of our interior is painted Resene Spanish White. There is a lot of rimu which goes well with Resene Spanish White. However we are replacing bathroom fittings vanity etched with white. There are rimu panels in the bathroom which we thought we would keep. However we feel Resene Spanish White doesn't go well with white. We wonder about going to Resene Tea or something darker for the limited plasterboard painting in the bathroom. What do you recommend?

A. Between the rimu panels and the white fittings I am inclined to agree with you that the Resene Spanish White may seem a little too creamy. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Linen G80-020-097 (soft greens look lovely with rimu and whites, Resene Half Akaroa (slightly warmer toned than Resene Tea) or Resene Half Tea (softer/lighter than Resene Tea).

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
January 2017

Q. Can you suggest paint colours for a smallish dark bedroom with an antique wooden fireplace and dark grey curtains? White washes the room out.

A. Perhaps one of these colours that have a bit of light and warmth in them may appeal to you - Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Eighth Fossil, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Often when faced with a small dark room the instinctual response is to paint it white but it can make the space seem grim and cool. The dim natural light does influence how colour is seen so you may need to test the colours carefully. I think as long as a true white is used for the ceiling and the woodwork then the soft wall colour options will appear a little deeper - that can equate to warmth and more character.

Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
January 2017

Q. We are painting our cedar house in Resene Lumbersider - black. We have one very large, two medium and one small pine decks on our house, kwila stained. The colour has faded and we are waterblasting them now. What stain colour would you recommend to go well with the black? Our house is a 80s house, but it has quite modern simple geometric lines and we want to bring it up to date and make it look more modern. The trims on our house are being painted white to contrast with the black. Inside is white and grey.

A. Almost any colour might be used on the decks with a black and white house. If you want a simple look that follows on from your interior palette and outside to the black and white then you might look at a grey – Resene Woodsman Bleached Grey, or a lighter warm grey – Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash, or even an aged white look – Resene Woodsman Whitewash.

Alternatively a natural look might appeal to you – Resene Woodsman Natural. This isn't a colour as such - it is more like an enhancement of the colour of the pine.

Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
January 2017

Q. Our home is already painted in Resene Mondo. There are six sets of French doors in the main lounge room of this house and multiple windows in the rest of the house, all of which need painting. The doors face north, west and east with a veranda on all sides. The north side has a terrace and has sunlight all day. The French doors are to be painted but we do not want white or a high contrast colour. We have looked at Resene Truffle and quite like it but we're not sure. Is there a paler colour than Resene Eighth Mondo to keep the look in the same family?

A. I think some of these other colours may work for you – Resene Quarter Pravda, Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Half Napa, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Half Pravda or Resene Fifty Shades.

Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
   
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
January 2017

Q. I have a new build board and batten exterior for the majority of the house and bevel-back weatherboards on the garage. The roof, garage door and exterior joinery are Titania. I kind of like the dark grey/light blackish look for the board and batten but am struggling for the weatherboard and front door colours.

A. Titania is an unusual grey/yellow (almost) light grey colour - sometimes it chooses to conflict with other colours because it isn't as neutral and obliging as you would like it to be. Perhaps these colours might help you - deep grey - Resene Double Tapa used with Resene Ash (very similar but slightly deeper to Titania), or deep grey - Resene Half Fuscous Grey used with Resene Overland (deeper and warmer than Titania).

If you do choose to use the darker colour on the board and batten I strongly recommend that you use the CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour to try and minimise - as much as possible - the extent that heat is absorbed into the surface of the wood. Usually the recommendation for real timber (weatherboards or ply and batten) is for very light colours to be used in order to not void the build guarantee. I recommend you discuss your colour ideas with the builder to make sure they are suitable for the substrate.

Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene OverlandResene Overland
Resene Overland
January 2017

Q. I am painting the exterior and roof of a rural farmhouse and am considering Resene Ironsand for the roof, Resene Bokara Grey on panelling, and main boards Resene Triple Sea Fog. I definitely want contrast. The aluminium windows will stay a chocolate colour.

A. I like the colours that you are considering using but you might also check out these colour scenarios to see if you like one of these better - roof - Resene Nocturnal with panelling - Resene Quarter Bokara Grey and main colour - Resene Fifty Shades. Or roof - Resene Sambuca, panelling – Resene Double Pravda and main colour – Resene Triple Merino.

There is lots of contrast between the colours and a sympathetic association with the aluminium window colour.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
January 2017

Q. Would you please suggest a good colour to paint a small beach bach with complementary roof colour? I was thinking along the lines of a grey/beige colour with blue roof and cream windows.

A. There is a little less available as roof colours as a lot of blue colours are more prone to fading or are not available as 10 litre pails - only 4 litre can sizes. These roof colour options are blue or blue/grey and one of them may appeal to you – Resene Coast, Resene New Denim Blue or Resene Explorer.

There are a lot of options available as grey/beige colours and these are some lovely (and popular) colours to check out – Resene Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

Some cream colours are quite yellow toned and might clash a bit with the main house grey/beiges so these are a little more subdued – Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
January 2017

Q. I have a small 1940s home with open plan lounge, kitchen and dining. I would like to paint the dining room a darker shade than the lounge as it gets lighter but cannot decide on colours which would look good together. I have bought testpots in Resene Half Lemon Grass and Resene Tea but they look too much like army colours! I quite like Resene Robin Egg Blue also. I want my colour choices to be neutral but with some interest and depth, not too pale.

A. All colours in an interior have the potential to look twice the depth you imagine they will do. Perhaps you might look a slightly lighter/cleaner colours so the depth doesn't feel muddy or ‘army' like – Resene Half Robin Egg Blue (dining room) with Resene Quarter Tana, Resene Paris White (dining room) with Resene Half Ecru White, or Resene Nebula (dining room) with Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

The deeper (but not dark) colours suggested for the dining room and the more neutralised colour linked to it are softly attuned to each other.

You do need to test the colours carefully. If you paint them up on large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) using all of the testpot/two coats leaving an unpainted border around the edge then the sample can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how it alters with shadow and light on different walls. Being a super large sample it is easier to appreciate what the colours truly look like.

Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Paris White
Resene Paris White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
January 2017

Q. We have a new roof that is COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey. A friend has used Resene Truffle for their weatherboards with their Sandstone roof which is a combination that I love. Can you suggest something that would work with Gull Grey that might achieve a similar look?

A. Roof colours often look a lot lighter than you might expect them to due to the 45 degree angle of the roof iron to the sun. Gull Grey has the potential to look like silvery unpainted zincalume. This is something for you to keep in mind. It may mean that in order to see a main house colour look particularly effective with the roof colour you need to go much deeper or much lighter.

These following colours follow that line of thought - Resene Gunsmoke (deeper option), or lighter options - Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Quarter Atmosphere or Resene Sea Fog.

COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
     
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
January 2017

Q. I have painted all rooms in Resene Biscotti with white windows and frames. I have just completed the kitchen in the same colours. However I am yet to decide on what colour to paint my cabinets. I am also looking to paint over a horrid burgundy laminate bench at each end of a stainless sink counter top. My thoughts were white cabinets and slate grey laminate.

A. You might consider using a sweet white like Resene Quarter Bianca which looks good with Resene Biscotti - and a laminate like Formica® Elemental Concrete for the work tops. Alternatively you could use exactly the same white for the cabinets that you have used for windows and frames and a laminate like Formica® Italico Nero - this picks up the warmth of the wall colour - for the worktops.

Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
January 2017

Q. We are having trouble picking colours for the exterior of our house. Our major problem is choosing colours that go with the brown window frames. Could you please suggest a few colour scheme ideas that we can get from Resene for the bottom part of the house, the body, trimmings, water tank and the roof? We are looking for a sophisticated neutral look that will go with the area we live in (by the beach).

Our interior colours are Resene Zumthor and Resene Half Pearl Lusta with white ceiling and trimmings. I quite like the navy look or anything that is rich in colour while my partner is leaning towards a contrasting look of caramel brown and dark brown, but we haven't seen anything of these options that look good with brown windows around the streets.

A. The colour of the windows does curtail your freedom of choice a little bit. If you were to paint the roof (and trims) in a deeper charcoal/brown colour then at least the windows would have a 'friend' and not be the only brown on the house – you could use Resene Ironsand.

I am not 100% certain that a navy would work on the house but options that you might check out for the main colour (the water tank could be the same colour) might be one of these colours - Resene Bison Hide (smart neutral #1), Resene Double Truffle (smart neutral #2), Resene Inside Back (stormy sea - but not navy), Resene Howlin Wolf (caramel) or Resene Half New Denim Blue (moody blue/grey skies- but not navy).

For the base, the decision you have to make is do you 'feature' it and make it stand out with a definite colour or blend it in by painting it the same as the main colour of the house? If you are inclined to make a feature of it then you could paint it a lighter version of the roof colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand or paler Resene Gauntlet - this would be sympathetic and harmonising especially if the main house colour was one of the neutral colours.

Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
   
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Howlin Wolf
Resene Howlin Wolf
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
     
January 2017

Q. Can you please advise me on a complementary roof colour for the Mexican inspired colour scheme in your Habitat Plus book? I would like to do something very similar. My thoughts are... Resene Quarter Pohutukawa for the front door, Resene Blue Lagoon for the front steps, Resene Sweet Corn for the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster for door and window trims. My home is a 1949 build, cottage style. The roof is corrugated steel with white plastic gutters and downpipes. If you think the above combinations will not work please suggest any changes and of course, what colour do I paint the roof?

A. I think the colours that you are considering are lovely… but knowing the power of all yellows - and Resene Sweet Corn in particular - and their ability to look twice as bright and three times more attention seeking than you might imagine they will do, might I suggest you look at using a softer (less fluorescent) tone? Perhaps one of these ones - Resene Mellow Yellow or Resene Melting Moment.

Also an alternative red to check out might be Resene Shiraz - it isn't as dusty/pink toned as Resene Half Pohutukawa. Please use full gloss for the front door - when you use a delicious red it has to be as slick and lip smackingly glossy as you can get in the way of paint finishes.

For the roof you could look at using Resene Coast or Resene Rustic Red.

Resene Quarter Pohutukawa
Resene Quarter Pohutukawa
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene Sweet Corn
Resene Sweet Corn
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
 
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Mellow Yellow
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Shiraz
Resene Shiraz
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Rustic Red
Resene Rustic Red
January 2017

Q. We have a Grey Friars roof and Silver Pearl joinery in our new addition, but white painted timber joinery in the older part of the house. We are trying to work out what colour would be best for the weatherboards, some help would be greatly appreciated! We are currently looking at Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Quarter Grey Friars and Resene Half Stack; however we are worried these might be too dark? We would like a grey.

A. I don't think the greys you mention will be too dark. Colours on an exterior can often look much lighter than you might imagine they will look due to bright natural light diffusing the overall depth of the colour.

Have you painted up large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) with the testpots? If you did that - using all of the testpot/two coats - and pinned it on the exterior of the house it may give you a better idea of what the colours look like and how deep (or not) they are. The card is better than applying to the weatherboards as it can be moved from wall to wall of the house so that you could see how changing natural light affects how the tested colour looks on each aspect of the house.

Other greys that you might look at also are these ones - Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Surrender, Resene Quarter Regent Grey or Resene Half Raven.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
 
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
Resene Half Raven
Resene Half Raven
January 2017

Q. We want to use Resene Manuka Honey on the stucco walls of a 1926 bungalow. What would you suggest for the brick base, iron roof and the rafters? We had considered Resene Paddock for the roof but would burgundy or brown work better? The house is long and narrow and a cold white and we would like a much warmer scheme.

A. I like the idea of a green but I think Resene Paddock may be a little too yellow toned. I feel it may compete in regard brightness with the Resene Manuka Honey. Perhaps you could check out Resene Rivergum, Resene Gecko or even a soft/deep green like Resene Canyon.

The doors and windows sills might be the same colour as the roof but if you wanted a complete contrast them you could have a wee bit of muted burgundy - i.e. Resene Avant Garde.

The base of the house, the window sashes/surrounds and the rafters and under the soffits might be a lighter cream to harmonise with the Resene Manuka Honey - i.e. Resene Quarter Dutch White.

Resene Manuka Honey
Resene Manuka Honey
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
     
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Gecko
Resene Gecko
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Avant Garde
Resene Avant Garde
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
January 2017

Q. I am about to repaint my weatherboard/corrugated iron house. I have settled on Resene Grey Friars for the roof and the front door. I am thinking either Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Half Ash for the weatherboards. Can you suggest some colour options for each of those for the windows (lighter preferably)?

A. These light colours would work well with either of the colours you are considering using on the weatherboards - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Merino.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
January 2017

Q. We are looking to update the exterior of our house. Unfortunately the window frames are COLORBOND® Classic Cream. It will be too expensive to replace the windows so we would like some suggestions on colours for the roof and trim that will complement the Classic Cream and red brick. We are not fond of the green/cream look.

A. When there is an element on the house that isn't going to be altered or changed it does severely limit your freedom of choices when you want to make changes. In your case you have two elements that are not changing (bricks and Classic Cream joinery) so it is twice as difficult to come up with appropriate options.

But these colours may suit and appeal to you – Resene Nocturnal (roof), Resene Half Dutch White (trims), or Resene High Tide ( roof) and Resene Revolution (trims), or Resene Templestone (roof) and Resene Bel Air (trims).

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Bel Air
Resene Bel Air
January 2017

Q. We have creamy coloured kitchen cabinets and we would like to paint the surrounding walls. We've been using Resene Half Bianca throughout the rest of the house, but we feel that next to the cabinets, Resene Half Bianca makes them look too yellow. Can you please recommend a colour that is close to white but will down play the yellowness of the cupboards?

A. You may have to test several colours to find out which one works with the kitchen cabinetry. One of these may suit - Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Wheatfield, Resene Double Bianca or Resene Cararra.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
       
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
January 2017

Q. We are pretty sure we are going to go with Resene Ecru White for the exterior - but we need to choose a lighter colour for the trims. I was thinking either Resene Quarter Ecru White or maybe Resene Half Black White? What would be your suggestion on this?

A. Resene Ecru White has a distinctly yellow/green cast to it so I am not 100% certain that Resene Black White will work well with it. It may look too cool and grey toned. You might use Resene Quarter Ecru White as it is the most related whiter colour or alternatively you might use Resene half Rice Cake. It is whiter/crisper than Resene Quarter Ecru White but still carries within it that yellow/green undertone - albeit in a very subtle way.

Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
January 2017

Q. I want a clean 'grey' paint colour that is similar in depth to the COLORBOND® Woodland Grey but without any undertones of other colours. This is to use on a front fence with white trims.

A. All greys carry undertones of colour in them - every single one. It is a case of checking them out - comparing them with each other so you can see the undertones and then judging how they look when you paint large samples up and watch what the natural light does to the colour. Colour is such a chameleon - every change of light also alters how they look.

For greys that are a similar depth as COLORBOND® Woodland Grey you might look at one of these colours - Resene Steel Grey, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Tuna or Resene Half Nocturnal.

Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
January 2017

Q. I am looking for a pale grey/white that will give me a natural lime render tone without going too warm/beige/yellow. I have low light levels due to small windows and large verandas (so nothing too dark), but warm colours are exaggerated by neighbouring bushland. It needs to work well with exposed timber elements.

A. Colour - of any kind - is a chameleon and alters a lot according to other colours seen close to it, angles of walls, and changing natural and artificial light and shade. Any whiter colour should pick up a bit of grey depth on all the walls that the windows are on.

Perhaps you could check out these two whites - they are very popular with those who prefer a whiter look – Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster or slightly greyer in tone – Resene Half House White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
January 2017

Q. Our roof is metal gold and we don't want to paint it at this stage if possible. The current colours of Mission Brown on weatherboards and the white on other exterior boards means two different colours... I think these should be the same.

The gutters are metal COLORBOND® and they are green but I'm not sure if I like that colour, my husband would like to avoid painting the gutters; I'm not sure it matches with the roof though. The bargeboards are another green which I hate. This would need to change. The gutter green would need to continue to other points of the house while the bargeboards are painted another colour if we keep the green. How can we make this house look fresh and modern with that green?

The house is surrounded by foliage and it blends in very well with the landscape. We have bricks which we will not render at this stage but we do have a wall of bricks between the house and granny flat that we wondered about painting with a render paint so that it highlights, modernises and covers over some cracking that has occurred. It would provide a blend of colour... this probably needs to be the same as the woodwork painting.

Is it possible to have several different options and ones for if we don't change the gutter and ones for if we did? I do not know why the previous owners would put on a green gutter when they needed to match with the rock wall of the front entry!

A. I know you say your husband wants to avoid painting the gutters but if you dislike green it will always control your other colour options and make your eyes rest on it constantly. The roof is another very definite colour as well as the windows and both demand your attention and stops your freedom of choice for the new look also. Keeping the roof colour and the guttering colour as they are now means you may never get exactly the look you want on the house.

If the woodwork (and that includes the bargeboards) was a warm neutral in a semi-gloss acrylic (Resene Sonyx 101) and the wall of bricks was the same colour but in a render type of paint (I recommend Resene AquaShield for a soft mineral type of coating or Resene X-200 for a low sheen paint that works well on masonry and helps with the cracking you mention) it may help to simplify the sheer amount of different elements you have already. You might check out these colours – Resene Half Ash, Resene Truffle, Resene Tea or lighter creamier colours – Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Albescent White or Resene Half Spanish White.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
January 2017

Q. We plan to paint our whole house, including the roof and wrought iron fence. Can you please advise us what colours you would recommend for the house? We would like the window frames to be white. Please note there is a garage door to consider too.

A. The following are a few palettes of colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Squall (roof and garage door), Resene Ash (weatherboards) and Resene Half Alabaster (all the windows/door frames/under soffits/wrought iron fence etc). Or Resene Gauntlet (roof and garage door), Resene Villa White (weatherboards) and Resene Half Alabaster (all the windows/door frames/under soffits/wrought iron fence etc). Or Resene Windswept (roof and garage door), Resene Thorndon Cream (weatherboards) and Resene Half Alabaster (all the windows/door frames/under soffits/wrought iron fence etc).

Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2017

Q. We are replacing windows to match in our buildings. What aluminium joinery colour is the same as Resene Alabaster please as there are so many whites to choose from?

A. Have you thought of using a Resene colour match to Appliance White - it is listed on the Resene e-tint colour computer - so you could have that instead of Resene Alabaster?

I mention this in case you haven't got Resene Alabaster already painted up already and could use the Resene match to Appliance White. But if that isn't the case then the difference between Resene Alabaster and Appliance White is minimal so they will still work well in close association.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
January 2017

Q. We are renovating a large 1950s weatherboard house which faces Rangitoto. We are leaning towards greys for the weatherboard and whites for the timber joinery, and will have camo grey bi-form decking around the entrances with feature schist columns. We can't decide whether to have a lighter COLORSTEEL® roof (Gull Grey) and darker weatherboards or darker roof (Grey Friars) with lighter weatherboards - are you able to provide colour suggestions for both please?

A. If you want a classical look to the house the darker roof and the lighter weatherboards might suit you better. You could try Resene Grey Friars - another alternative dark COLORSTEEL® roof might be TernStyle - with Resene Double White Pointer on weatherboards and Resene Alabaster on window joinery. The warmth of the main colour may sit well with the schist and the camo grey bi-form decking.

Or you could try Gull Grey on the roof, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey (weatherboards), Resene Black White (window joinery).

I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour™ reformulated version of the deeper colours to try and minimise the heat build-up. CoolColour™ technology doesn't remove the risk but does modify the extent of heat absorbed into the timber surface and any fading of the colour and damage that can occur to the surface.

COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
   
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
January 2017

Q. We are looking at doing a charcoal/dark grey kitchen with a Calcutta-like splashback and white bench top. We are trying to choose the colour for our kitchen cabinets. The house is a renovated bungalow with white (cool/bright white) walls and NSW spotted gum flooring. We have looked at Resene Double Masala but it looks a little brown and gravel but that looks too light of a grey. We have also looked at Ironsand. Can you suggest any colours for our cabinets? The room gets a lot of natural light - getting the most light in the afternoon.

A. If you are keen on using a charcoal that doesn't carry too much in the way of undertones of green, yellow and brown (like those you have checked out already) you might look at these colours – Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Blackjack or Resene Double Cod Grey.

Resene Double Masala
Resene Double Masala
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
January 2017

Q. I would like some advice on paint colours for the fence around our property - it is a concrete block base, with wooden slats between. Our house is 1960s weatherboard with a brick base. The weatherboards are painted Resene Half Napa, the bricks Resene Double Napa and trims Resene Sea Fog. The roof and chimney (feature at one end of house) are Ironsand. I'm unsure on the best fence colours to complement the house, without adding in too many extra colours. I particularly like charcoal colours, but don't want this on the whole fence as I think it would be too dark.

A. If you were going to repaint the wooden slats then you might consider using Resene Bokara Grey - it is deeper than the Ironsand (but related) that is on the chimney and roof of the house.

The concrete base might be painted to match the weatherboards - Resene Half Napa (not white/much softer look to tie in the house) or a colour midway in depth between the Resene Ironsand and the Resene Double Napa - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand.

These colours are not introducing random others but are staying within the palette you have already used.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
January 2017

Q. We are painting the interior and I am so confused with colours and am hoping for some help. I thought it may be best to leave the kitchen dining white, so I'm after a nice white to tie in with the glossy kitchen and white benchtop. What would you suggest? Then the lounge and bedrooms I wondered about a light neutral. I have testpots for Resene Half Surrender and Resene Concrete but am not sure if they're right. I also wondered about Resene Half Truffle (does that have a beige and grey component?) The carpet is charcoal but has a slight beige fleck I think. The curtains are black with a sheer beigey/golden colour. I'm so confused! Maybe I'm best to just stick to a type of white? I want to stick to a light colour.

A. A white colour with a little character in it for the kitchen/dining room and possibly the lounge as a main colour, (you might paint one or two walls in a deeper neutral to add a focal point), might be Resene Half Sea Fog or slightly warmer toned – Resene Quarter Albescent White. Pure white cabinets and bench tops will look crisper/starker compared to the white colour on the walls but that may be a good thing as it won't be too glary.

The testpots you mention are quite cool toned silvery greys - is that what you want?

Yes, Resene Half Truffle does have a beige/grey undertone but so do Resene Eighth Napa and Resene Quarter Cloudy. It is only when you compare them with each other that you note which is warmer or cooler, which is greyer toned and which is more beige toned.

If you are able to pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour samples in their Colour Library it may be much easier for you to compare and judge the reality of the colours I have suggested.

Colour always looks a little deeper than you might expect it to when the whole room is painted, especially in the corners, around the windows and as the natural light moves away leaving the room in shadow. This needs to be taken into account. Sometimes using lighter versions of a colour you like will stop the rooms from doubling in colour strength - i.e. Resene Half Truffle may look like full Resene Truffle.

Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
 
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
January 2017

Q. We're currently painting our house and trying to work out whether we can find a nice colour to do the window sills with. The roof is Resene Blue Bark; the walls are Resene Spanish White, with Resene Alabaster for the frames. Any suggestions? I had been trying to find a nice shade of blue, but am struggling to find one that works!

A. The house colours are light and warm which often makes choosing a nice shade of blue awkward. You don't mention which colours you have looked at and found to be not 'right' so I have my fingers crossed that I won't be suggesting the exact same ones again. These are worth considering – Resene Tarawera, Resene Navigate, Resene Spinnaker, Resene Bellbottom Blue, Resene Blumine or Resene St Kilda.

Resene Blue Bark
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Navigate
Resene Navigate
Resene Spinnaker
Resene Spinnaker
Resene Bellbottom Blue
Resene Bellbottom Blue
Resene Blumine
Resene Blumine
Resene St Kilda
Resene St Kilda
January 2017

Q. I have painted my weatherboards in Resene Half Breathless and my spouting and base in Resene Half New Denim Blue. I am now after a window trim colour that is either between these two or on the lighter side. The actual windows will be Resene Half Alabaster. Could you recommend a few colours please (on the neutral to grey scale)?

A. Some colours for you to consider might be these ones – Resene Longitude, Resene Tiebreaker, Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Eighth Tuna or Resene Grey Chateau.

Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
   
Resene Longitude
Resene Longitude
Resene Tiebreaker
Resene Tiebreaker
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Neutral Bay
Resene Eighth Tuna
Resene Eighth Tuna
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
January 2017

Q. I have painted the bedrooms Resene Quarter Akaroa and would now like to update the living/kitchen area to be lighter and more modern looking. Currently these areas are in Resene Coral and the kitchen is blue and fawn. I was thinking Resene Merino or do you have any other suggestions?

A. Resene Merino may work with blue and fawn - have you tested it? If you paint it up on a large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and tape it up close to the cabinets you will be better able to judge how it looks. If it looks a little too grey or even green edged it may mean you need to keep looking.

You might check out these colours to see if they work – Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Half Milk White.

Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Coral
Resene Coral
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
January 2017

Q. We are building and I want an off-white throughout the house. Having said that… not too white… almost the dullest hint of brown/beige. I am bringing in soft dusky pinks, mossy greens and browned greys as accents.

A. One of these colours may be just what you are after – Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Blanc or Resene Chalk Dust.

Because they are so pale it may pay to check the samples against a sheet of white printer paper so that you can see the reality of the colour and judge what underlying tints and tones are hiding in the colours.

Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
January 2017

Q. Is it possible to purchase sixteenth Resene Pavlova? I want it lighter than Resene Eighth Pavlova or can you suggest a lighter colour that would tone in with what I have. The kitchen is Resene Pavlova and I want it considerably lighter. The hallway and laundry are Resene Eighth Pavlova and the lounge is Resene Half Pavlova.

A. It may be wiser to test one of these paler colours – Resene Half Wheatfield, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Quarter Parchment. They exist as testpots whereas if you requested a paler variant of Resene Pavlova that doesn't exist at this point in time the smallest size you might be able to purchase might be a 1 or a 2 litre can due to the minimal amount of colourants in.

Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Pavlova
   
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
January 2017

Q. We are about to repaint the exterior of our 1920s red-brick bungalow. We enjoy its traditional character, but our painter thought it was a bit dated and suggested that we might change the colours. The roof is Karaka. Currently the eaves, gable ends and windows are Antique Ivory, and the sills are Mist Green. What alternatives are there to Mist Green as an accent colour? Our painter suggested Karaka but we think this is too dark/modern, and would prefer a lighter option.

A. These colours may appeal to you - not too deep or too bright - and hopefully one of them may be just right – Resene Raptor, Resene Flax, Resene Quarter Karaka, Resene Cabbage Pont or Resene Paddock.

Resene Raptor
Resene Raptor
Resene Flax
Resene Flax
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Cabbage Pont
Resene Cabbage Pont
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
January 2017

Q. We are looking at putting Resene Tea or Resene Half Tea, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Truffle on the bedroom walls in our Queenslander. Can we put a pure white on our windows and trimmings or would that be too stark a contrast? Otherwise what ratio of the colour should we put on our high ceilings, windows and skirting boards?

A. If you would like a white that looks slightly softened and not too stark you might use one of these ones - they work beautifully with your wall colours – Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
   
January 2017

Q. I am renovating a south facing bedroom with one corner window. The room will have polished rimu floors. I was thinking greens for the walls and had chosen three testpots of Resene Paddock, Resene Ravine and Resene Pumice. Would you suggest any other green that might match nicely with the floor? Otherwise Resene Paddock was my number one choice. What white would you suggest I do for the ceiling and trimmings?

A. I like Resene Paddock but perhaps you might also check out these two other greens - just to be certain you have the best green – Resene Half Rivergum or Resene Spanish Green.

Colours in an interior often double in depth by the time all the walls are painted. Are you wanting a strong deep colour - if not then you might like Resene Spanish Green as it is slightly lighter and softer looking. It is a personal choice so test carefully.

A nice white to use as trims and ceiling colour could be one of these ones – Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
 
Resene Half Rivergum
Resene Half Rivergum
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
January 2017

Q. Would Resene Eighth Dutch White look too bright for a whole room? And if I did use it what white should I use for the trim and windows? If I painted a room Resene Half Bianca what white should I do the trim and windows?

A. Resene Eighth Dutch White might look very similar to Resene Bianca and no neither would look too bright for a whole room. If you painted a room Resene Half Bianca you might use Resene Quarter Bianca for the trims. You could use this colour for the trim also if you used Eighth Dutch White. If you wanted a much whiter trim you might use Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.

Resene Eighth Dutch White
Resene Eighth
Dutch White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
January 2017

Q. We are just about to finish our home interior with the following colour scheme - walls Resene Half Tea, window sills, skirtings and ceiling Resene Alabaster and the carpet will be Harrisons Somuri 83 which is a grey base colour. I would like to keep a light and airy feel. With regards to the doors do I go for Resene Tea or stick with the white?

A. If the skirting boards and the door frames are Resene Alabaster then you might consider using the same for the doors. It keeps it really simple and well-co-ordinated. If you have problems with fingermarking (children have very sticky fingers) and it is a worry to you that the marks show up all the time then that might make you more inclined to use Resene Tea. But it may also make the doors pop out more and be eye catching (framed in Alabaster).

If you are unsure then the doors will be undercoated in white so you can see how white doors might look before making a final decision

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
January 2017

Q. I’m planning to paint the exterior of my house. My window, roof and entrance door is matt Lignite, a bronze colour. What is the best colour to complement this for exterior walls, soffits and fascia?

A. These colour suggestions might appeal to you - they do look smart with the Lignite - Resene Triple Merino with Resene Half Merino for the soffits and fascia, Resene Half Tea with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta for the soffits and fascia, or Resene Quarter Bison Hide with Resene Alabaster for the soffits and fascia.

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
January 2017

Q. I love the colour Resene Hokey Pokey and want to use it on a feature wall. Can you recommend a white/neutral that would complement this? Our home has a half round roof so the neutral on the walls will be the same as on our ceiling.

A. These are a few colours that will work well with your feature wall colour – Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Orchid White, Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Cararra.

Resene Hokey Pokey
Resene Hokey Pokey
       
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
January 2017

Q. I currently have Resene Thorndon Cream on my walls which I love but we are moving to new house soon and I want to update the colours. What is a slightly greyer version of Resene Thorndon Cream?

A. You could check out these colours to see if they are what you might like - Resene Quill Grey, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Half Ash.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
   
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
January 2017

Q. We're going to do a dramatic change-up. Exterior weatherboards will be either Resene Chicago or Resene Masala (not sure what current colour is), windows Resene Alabaster (or some other recommendation – current colour is Ironsand, corrugated iron cladding is Ironsand. Would we paint the same colour weatherboards for corrugated iron or choose a contrast colour? Should the garage be Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Tuna? Should the front door be black?

A. Both the colours that you are considering using on the weatherboards are super deep colours - both somewhat earthy - Resene Masala is the browner olive toned of the two colours - Resene Chicago is yellow/green edged grey.

Either way I strongly suggest you get whichever colour you choose made into a CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour. This may help reflect some of the extreme temperature away from the surface of the timber causing less heat stress and damage to the surface.

The iron could be painted (over top of the existing powder coated colour) provided it was washed down well and primed with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer prior to topcoating.

You mention two colours for the garage - Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Tuna. The first one is a rich warm toned black whereas the second one is very steel blue toned. I am not 100% certain about the Resene Tuna - it doesn't associate well with the other colours you have mentioned. Resene Bokara Grey on the garage door might also be used on the corrugated iron if you wanted it darker than what it is now.

Some other options for the weatherboards (that work well with Resene Bokara Grey and Ironsand) might be Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
     
January 2017

Q. We are having Monument or Woodland Grey trim and garage door and have peaks that we want another feature colour in a green. Just wondering what green would match? We're using concrete blocks for the rest of the house.

A. Do you mean match as in exactly the same colour as Monument or Woodland Grey - that is what match means? You could try Resene Nocturnal (match to Monument) or Resene Squall CC (match to Woodland Grey).

Or do you mean a green that 'looks good with' these colours? If this is what you are looking for you could use Resene Climate (lighter but similar to Woodland Grey), Resene Condor (deeper than Climate but could work with either powder coat colour), Resene Half Nocturnal (lighter version of match colour to Monument) or Resene Half Tapa (soft toned colour but could work with either powder coat colour).

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Condor
Resene Condor
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
January 2017

Q. I have just painted my 452 metre block and plaster wall with the Resene X-200 paint, using Resene Triple Sea Fog. I intend to paint the house with the same colour, and would greatly appreciate it if you could suggest colour contrasts for the various parts of the house i.e. eaves, decking (stained), pool pump-house (stained) and doors etc.

A. Perhaps one of these blacker colours might appeal to you for the stained areas – Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Crowshead or Resene Pitch Black. Under the eaves you might use a paler but related variant of the main house colour - Resene Sea Fog.

The doors might be one of these colours - Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Regatta, Resene Countdown, Resene ASAP or Resene She'll Be Right.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
Resene Countdown
Resene Countdown
Resene ASAP
Resene ASAP
Resene She'll Be Right
Resene She'll Be Right
January 2017

Q. I wonder if someone could possibly assist with colours for my house. I need to paint the whole house including the roof and deck. Inside, most rooms are various shades of Resene Thistle, with a Pohutukawa theme in the family room. The carpet is Norman Ellison ‘Kaikoura’. I like an ‘in the bush’ look. We have a lot of trees around the section.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Karaka - roof and garage door, Resene Castle Rock - foundation of the house, Resene Fossil - main house colour, Resene Half Cararra - under soffits/fascia/gables/handrails/post and Resene Scoria - deck (house doors).

Or Resene Lignite - roof and garage door, Resene Triple Thorndon Cream - foundation of the house, Resene Half Thorndon Cream - main house colour, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta - under soffits/fascia/gables/handrails/post and Resene Kelp - deck (house doors).

Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
       
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Kelp
Resene Kelp
January 2017

Q. I am going to be painting my kitchen, hallway and family room very soon but am a bit stuck with the colour choice. I will need to use a light colour as the natural lighting is not the best. I have thought of using Resene Half Black White however am not sure and am wondering if I should have separate colours for the kitchen vs the hallway and family room. The lounge will most likely look to be the colour of the hallway. The trims will be standard Resene White. The carpet is a blue/grey colour. I have put a bit of the Resene Half Black White testpot to the left of the splashback but am also wondering if that may darken it. Any advice would be helpful as I have come to a nervous standstill.

A. You may not notice a huge amount of difference between a standard Resene White and Resene Half Black White but you will see a cool grey undertone in the Resene Half Black White. Is that what you want? You don't mention what colour the kitchen cabinets are. Perhaps if you want a white to create a lighter look in the kitchen and to work well with the cabinets and the lovely wood flooring you might check out Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Bianca.

They both have the tiniest touch of yellow undertone and I have always found those types of colours appear brighter as well as slightly warmer than the cool grey edged whites.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
January 2017

Q. We are after some advice on colour options for the exterior of our house. The roof colour is Grey Friars and the joinery is a bright 'Arctic White'. Our internal walls are Resene Alabaster. We are thinking of a bright 'white' for the exterior cladding to match in with the joinery and a dark grey trim on the bottom of the window panes to tie in with the roof. Can you please provide us with some 'white' colours and a shade of grey which could be good for the trim? We tried the Resene Shuttle Grey but think this is a bit too light.

A. The Arctic White powder coat is a really cool blue/grey white - if you place a sheet of pure white printer paper close to it you will see what it is really like compared to true Resene White. I have always found it a problem to put another white close to it but all is not lost - Resene has done a match colour for Arctic White powder coat. You can ask for it at your local Resene ColorShop.

A grey for trims might be one of these colours - Resene Half Raven, Resene Quarter Tuna, Resene Revolution or Resene Half New Denim Blue.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene White
Resene White
 
Resene Half Raven
Resene Half Raven
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
January 2017

Q. I want to paint our living room/kitchen to freshen it up a bit. I want to go for a white/grey/blue colour on the walls which are light and fresh. The only thing is that the trimmings are Resene Parchment (or Resene Half Parchment I can't quite figure out which one) and I don't want to repaint these as they are throughout the house. The window aluminium frames are sort of a New Denim Blue colour. Any ideas would be appreciated. I got a testpot of Resene Hermitage from the Resene ColorShop the other day, it’s along the right track but it's too blue.

A. It can be difficult finding a perfect ‘new’ colour when you have an existing colour that is exerting a strong influence and compromising your choices. In your case you have two colours doing that. The New Denim Blue is a grey/blue that may make other colours look much bluer by comparison. The Resene Parchment (or Resene Half Parchment) trims are warm and earthy and quite strong in hue.

If you found Resene Hermitage too blue (when it isn't really) it may mean that you need a greyer colour. Perhaps one of these colours may work - Resene Surrender, Resene Duck Egg Blue, or lighter - Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Grey Chateau or Resene Half Gull Grey.

If you found these colours too strong (deep) and felt a whiter type of colour might work better all it may do is emphasise the trims and make them look twice as yellow/brown and possibly a bit 'dirty'.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
   
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Half Gull Grey
January 2017

Q. Our timber clad house sits within angophora and tree fern bushland. We have a flat roof in Woodland Grey with matching downpipes and window frames. The two large decks are Merbau. Can you please suggest an exterior paint colour? I prefer darker colours.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are the type of colours that appeal to you - Resene Climate, Resene Wolverine, Resene Triple Friar Greystone , Resene Double Arrowtown, Resene Rivergum or Resene Scoria.

Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Wolverine
Resene Wolverine
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Double Arrowtown
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
January 2017

Q. We move into our new home next week and are still undecided on our wall colour. We are painting the ceilings and trims Resene Alabaster but are unsure about the wall colour. We have tossed around the idea of Resene Double Sea Fog but my dad who is a painter thinks I'll find it too white and we need to go with something warmer such as Resene Truffle - do you have any suggestions at all?

A. I don't think Resene Double Sea Fog will be too white but it may appear quite grey toned. Are you looking for greyed whites? Not knowing what you will have and what type of coloured furniture you favour you might check these colours out - they are light/warm and inviting and allow you to use any other colours in the way of soft furnishings - Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

Please remember all colours seen in an interior can look a little deeper (often double in intensity) than you might imagine they will do I strongly advise testing colours on large A2 white card. This way you can move it around from wall to wall/room to room to help you see how colours alter in changing light during the day and night and angled areas and shadowy walls.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
 
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
January 2017

Q. I'm going to repaint my kitchen and remove the dated navy and yellow. However I cannot afford to remove the dated bench top! Can you please recommend colours for the cupboard doors? Walls will be a neutral shade (to be decided).

A. You don't just have the bench top to consider - the flooring in the kitchen needs to be taken into account also.

You might use a simple obliging warm toned neutral for the walls - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Solitaire. Perhaps a little deeper/greyer/warmer colour for the cabinets - Resene Rakaia, Resene Pale Slate or Resene French Grey.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene French Grey
Resene French Grey
January 2017

Q. Two years ago I had my bathroom painted in Resene Triple Athens Grey and Resene Quarter Dutch White. I loved the silver tone with the very subtle touch of lavender. I was thinking of maybe doing other rooms in these colours but it seems you may have removed Resene Triple Athens Grey as I can't find it on your website now. Can you recommend similar colours?

A. I found this colour - Resene Triple Athens Grey - listed on the Alphabetical colour listing on the website (Resene doesn’t get rid of colours) and note that it was on the Whites & Neutrals fandeck pre 2005, so you can still have the colour - the formula is loaded on the Colour Tint Computer - but if you want to test it to make sure it looks as you want it to look in the other rooms (colours alter such a lot in a different space) I suggest you request a testpot of the colour so you can check it out. The testpot would have to come from Resene H/O so it may take up to a week.

Or alternatively you might request an A4 drawdown sample of the colour so at least you have a larger sample to check out. If you would prefer to be able to obtain a sample of an existing colour to carefully test immediately you might choose one of these colours - they are a little bit similar - Resene Surrender, Resene Mischka, Resene Half Mischka, Resene French Grey, Resene In The Mauve, Resene Greywacke or Resene Santas Grey.

Resene Triple Athens Grey
Resene Triple Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
   
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Mischka
Resene Mischka
Resene Half Mischka
Resene Half Mischka
Resene French Grey
Resene French Grey
Resene In The Mauve
Resene In The Mauve
Resene Greywacke
Resene Greywacke
Resene Santas Grey
Resene Santas Grey
 
January 2017

Q. We are doing a bathroom renovation and I have chosen a white wall tile with mid grey grout and the floor tile is a mid-grey colour with white flecks. I am feeling unsure of what neutral to choose for the walls. Only half will be painted; the rest will be tiled. Can you suggest a white/neutral to narrow down the options or a contrasting colour?

A. Perhaps after sealing the walls you could undercoat it in Resene White to see if you like the look - sort of a dress rehearsal. If not you will know that you do need a colour statement.

I see a lot of light to mid toned muted colours being used in the bathroom and they can be quite stunning - especially as an offset to all the white in the room.

You could check out these colours to see what you think - Resene Balance, Resene Transmission, Resene Dusted Blue, or a soft light neutral - Resene Double Black White.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Balance
Resene Balance
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
January 2017

Q. We are renovating a 50s house with lots of rimu joinery. We have successfully used Resene Half Tea as the main wall colour. We are adding an ensuite and thinking of using Resene Quarter Tea and then Resene Pearl Shimmer to add some wow. The ensuite is small, on the south side, with rimu floorboards and white bathroom fittings. Alternatively could we warm it up with a slightly warmer metallic wall paint colour?

A. I like your ideas - especially the warmer metallic wall paint colour. Have you seen Resene Time Machine from The Range fashion colours 18? You could use Resene Half Tea as a first coat and then a narrow and wide stripe in the metallic - very glamorous. Perhaps a few copper (this is a very trendy metal at the moment as is warm and lush) coloured containers to hold soaps etc in and thick white fluffy towels.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Time Machine
Resene Time Machine
January 2017

Q. I am designing an office interior for my client, and need a good burgundy colour that will look nice and warm - very luxurious feeling, and a warm white or tan to match.

A. Perhaps you could check out these colours to see if they are the sort of thing you are after - Resene Trouble, Resene Spanish White - warm white and Resene Half Canterbury Clay – tan.

Or Resene Madam M, Resene Quarter Cararra - warm white and Resene Matchstick - earthy tan.

Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half
Canterbury Clay
Resene Madam M
Resene Madam M
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Matchstick
Resene Matchstick
January 2017

Q. I have just re-roofed our board and batten beach bach with Karaka COLORSTEEL®. The new garage door is also Karaka. The joinery is bronze aluminium and I am stuck for a colour for the cladding. I have tried Resene Truffle, Resene Gravel, Resene Half Gravel and Resene Quarter Gravel. The interior is mostly painted Resene Sea Fog with teal blue highlights such as mats and cushions. The bach is not attractive on the outside so I'm hoping the colour will transform it. The driveway will be tar sealed and new fences and gardens to come.

A. From the colours you have already checked out it seems that you are looking for deeper colours - am I correct? Was it your thought to make the bach appear smaller and duller in colour? I think you might check out this colour (related to the interior colour) as a nice harmonising touch - Resene Triple Sea Fog and if you did the battens in a whiter colour - Resene Quarter Sea Fog (aka Resene Double Alabaster) - it would create a nice coastal sea foam, pumice and marram grass look.

Always remember 'not attractive/plain' is in the eye of the beholder - to other folk it will be simple, crisp, classical and timeless - the quintessential Kiwi bach in fact.

Perhaps a large pergola and latticed walls (in the white) would increase the overall footprint of the bach making it seem like a garden room and a softer version of the roof colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Karaka - might be used for fences. Several painted garden chairs (instead of brown or natural wood) might be in quirky colours to add small bits of visual interest.

You could check out a few bright colours to see if they suit, such as Resene She’ll Be Right or Resene ASAP.

COLORSTEEL® Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
 
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene ASAP
Resene ASAP
     
January 2017

Q. We have a small traditional cottage set by the bush and the ocean which has a new Colorcote® Grey Friars roof and we have decided on Resene Bounty for the weatherboards. Is this a good choice to complement our roof? Also do you have any recommendations for a 'white' (for the flashings) and a darker colour (for the front door)?

A. The colours are really nice together. You might use Resene Half Black White for the flashings and under the soffits. The front door begs for a bit of gorgeousness and I am not sure what you favour in the way of colours but the following are a few that you might check out - Resene Trouble, Resene Big Stone, Resene Felix or Resene Pohutukawa.

Resene Bounty
Resene Bounty
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
   
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Big Stone
Resene Big Stone
Resene Felix
Resene Felix
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
January 2017

Q. I am having my exterior painted. We currently have grey paint over plaster finish with New Denim Blue aluminium window frames and exterior wood flashings and posts in the same blue which has faded. We want to paint the exterior white - we wondered if you could advise on a good exterior white that looks fresh and whether painting the wood flashings etc would work or are we stuck with blue.

A. Everyone has their favourite whites - whether they are used on the exterior or the interior but these are some that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Alabaster (not too stark), Resene Half Bianca (very slightly warm) or Resene Quarter Wan White (cool/very slightly grey might look well attuned with New Denim Blue).

Of course you can paint over the blue that is on the wood flashings. If it is faded and powdery it may need a good wash down and a light sand and an undercoat prior to repainting. By using the same colour as the main body of the house it gives the house a very crisp look. You could also paint over the powdered window joinery.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
January 2017

Q. We are painting inside – white. We have a lot of rimu windows, skirting boards etc. How would we go about doing white on white? Would this look good as we want to get rid of the wood frame look? Also given that window frames as outside are New Denim Blue - and we want to go to dark wood floors.

A. I think if you plan to have a dark wood floor then it may be a good idea to sand, seal and paint the rimu to match the wall colour. The walls would be a matt acrylic paint but the woodwork might be a semi-gloss enamel (for durability and ease of cleaning) so the only difference was the sheen level. When a white (Resene White) is the preferred colour for the walls (and by its very nature it is the whitest White) there often isn't anything whiter that might be used for the woodwork.

But - if you choose a coloured white - i.e. Resene Wan White or Resene Double Alabaster then you might use the lightest variant of the wall colour - Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Quarter Alabaster for the woodwork

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
January 2017

Q. I'm looking for a base colour for our 100 year old plus two storey semi with very high ceilings. It is a very dark space particularly in winter. All colours tend to read grey but we don't like cream. The hallway leads to a stairway which leads to upstairs.

A. Perhaps one of these warmed white colours would work for you - certainly they would be worthwhile testing - Resene Merino, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Blanc or Resene Half Soapstone.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
January 2017

Q. I am painting the interior of my house and love the light/white look that is currently in many of the home decorator magazines. My problem is I have a lot of rimu wood joinery, skirting boards and panelling throughout the house and so need a warm white that can work with the rimu and not make it look too yellow. But I do not want cream.

A. I think one of these slightly coloured whites may appeal to you and work well with the rimu - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Wheatfield, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

If you do have the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real painted samples of these colours in their Colour Library it will help you a lot. Comparing them with each other and judging them against a sheet of pure white printer paper will show you the very subtle undertones of colour that are in them.

They will appear very clean and crisp. If they appear too stark all of the colours have deeper versions that you might also check out.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
January 2017

Q. I've had lots of great advice through this service and would like a bit more please. My son is three and a half and we are going to be decorating his room (once we've built it - we're dividing one large room into two bedrooms for him and my daughter).

He has a gorgeous bright blue bed from Mocka and a lovely set of curtains and a cushion my Auntie made for him when he was born. The two blues don't really complement each other (I don't think) but so much love went into making the curtains I'm reluctant to change them.

Anyway can you think of any colours I could use on the walls in his room to complement these two components? The room is about 3.5m x 3m wide and faces SW. It can be one colour or two different. Or if the curtains really don't match I can at least keep the cushion.

A. You know the blues don't match but your little boy doesn't. He just loves what he loves. I think the statement you made about the curtains and the cushion being made by your Auntie for him with love is the key here. You could paint some toy boxes or some furniture for him with some bright colours like Resene Juicy and Resene Limerick.

If you keep the walls really simple and light - perhaps use Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta as it will work with everything - you may find that the accent colours 'forgive' the different blues and you eye is drawn away from blues toward the brighter colours. If he had a chair in his room then the cushion might sit on that close to the window/curtains as a little blue zoned reading area. By moving the cushion away from the blue bed the conflicting blues don't front up to each other.

Resene Juicy
Resene Juicy
Resene Limerick
Resene Limerick
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
January 2017

Q. Is Resene Wan White a good colour for exterior painting my weatherboard house? I'm looking for a beautiful shade of white that isn't too yellow and not too dirty looking.

I would prefer to paint the weatherboards, baseboards and window frames all the same colour if possible, so they blend in. With the exception of the garage door and two house doors that are already dark denim blue.

A. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I suggest you paint up a really big sample of Resene Wan White (to make sure it is as beautiful as you imagine it will be) on to A2 size white card. If you leave a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card it will help you focus on the colour. It isn't wise to paint smaller patches of a testpot onto the weatherboards as the existing colour alters your perception of what the tested colour is like in reality. The card can be moved around from wall to wall of the exterior so you can see how angles, light and shade alter how colour is seen on each aspect of the house. Once you get the sample sorted it can be viewed from close up and much further away. This gives you the very best idea of what the colour is truly like.

You mention using the exact same colour for all parts of the house. Windows (sashes and frames) and door frames are usually painted in semi-gloss or full gloss enamel and all other parts of the house are painted in a semi-gloss or full gloss acrylic paint.

Just in case Resene Wan White isn’t the right beautiful white you might check out Resene Half Barely There and Resene Quarter Merino to see if they may be better.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
January 2017

Q. My partner and I are building a new home. It is our first home and we are going for the modern look. Our carpet is going to be a light grey. We would be using the Resene Double Concrete for the walls and the Resene Half Black White for the doors and trims and ceiling. What do you think about these two colours going with each other?

A. I like your colour choices - they are very smart. Resene Double Concrete is a silvery slightly lilac toned grey - you may not see it this way unless you compare other greys to it - that helps you to see and understand the underlying tints and tones in colours.

Please do check out the colours as testpots - don't judge them by just relying on the digital representation of the colours - you need to see them in reality. Every Resene ColorShop has a Colour Library of A4 real painted samples for you to check out. That is the first step. Then by using a testpot to apply two coats to a larger card you can then move it from wall to wall/room to room in the house to see how it alters with changing light and shade in each room of the house. People are often amazed at how the colour changes. You need to know this in advance of buying large amounts of paint. Taking the sample with you to choose flooring, drapes and kitchen cabinets and work tops will ensure you get everything co-ordinated well.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
January 2017

Q. We have an extension being added to our brick veneer home. The extension is in Scyon LINEA® weatherboards and the bricks shall be rendered on the existing house. We have COLORBOND® Gully on the new guttering and fascias and the existing gutters shall be repainted to match this. I have really liked the Resene Bronco colour for the render over the old brickwork. However, I am having trouble working out the colour for the weatherboards. We would like a contrast between the two and I have considered something like COLORBOND® Evening Haze and Surf Mist for the weatherboards. However, I also need to consider the render colour on the cement blocks that form the foundation for the new extension and wonder whether to continue the colour through or have a darker contrast. We live on acreage with a lovely bush outlook. The pool area/back of house faces north east. There is also a large undercover patio adjacent to the pool. The front of the existing house faces south-west.

A. I think Resene Bronco may be too warm (red influenced) to work well with COLORBOND® Gully and COLORBOND® Evening Haze or Surf Mist - the colours create a discord when seen together.

Perhaps you might look at either of these colours - Resene Settlement (looks lovely with Surfmist), Resene Fifty Shades (looks lovely with Evening Haze) or Resene Double Bison Hide (looks lovely with Surf Mist).

Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Double Bison Hide
Resene Double Bison Hide
January 2017

Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof on our house and LINEA® cladding with corner boxes. The LINEA® and boxes are painted in Resene Akaroa. We'd like to repaint this with a different colour, and have light corner boxes to make the house colour pop. Can you please suggest a colour that works well with the Ironsand? The Resene Akaroa is a bit yellow to us.

A. You might like one of these colours - Resene Craigieburn (Resene Quarter Craigieburn) or Resene Cougar (Resene Quarter Cougar).

I am not 100% sure about the corner boxes being a lighter colour - but if the lighter colour was tonally related to the main colour then it may be just enough to emphasise the boxes without it looking like a whiter stripe on the corner. The bracketed colours might be considered.

COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
January 2017

Q. I am looking for a very pale grey with no lilac or brown undertones. I would like a classic grey that is soft and sophisticated and will go with most other colours. Our trims and doors will be crisp white. Our floorboards will be light oak. Can you recommend a Resene soft grey that might work for us?

A. Perhaps you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene House White, Resene Barely There, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Silver Sand or Resene Quarter Atmosphere.

Please test the colours carefully - I strongly advise you to as colours alter considerably with changing light, angles of walls and with any other colours seen close to it. The best way of testing is not to apply the testpot to the already coloured wall but to paint up large A2 samples of white card (must be white) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. The unpainted white border helps you judge the depth and the underlying tints and tones of the colour. The card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how it alters in different light aspects. If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look at it this way you will see it deeper - as if a whole room was painted - colours always escalate in value in an interior.

Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
January 2017

Q. We have chosen Resene Half Fuscous Grey as an exterior colour for our LINEA® weatherboards but are struggling to decide the roof colour - options are Gull Grey or Sandstone Grey.

A. If these are the only two available for you to choose from then the Gull Grey may be the most neutral. You don't mention what colour the window joinery is? Is it to be the same as the roof colour? It is always difficult if your freedom of choice is somewhat controlled or curtailed - the word that springs to mind is compromise - which is not anyone’s favourite word.

Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
January 2017

Q. We need to paint the exterior of our house. We would like to go for a dark colour, preferably a grey, something that ties in with our creamy bricks and our silver pearl joinery.

A. You might look at one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Chicago or Resene Gunsmoke. They have a similar subtle yellow undertone as the Silver Pearl joinery and may sit well with the warm creamy bricks.

Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
January 2017

Q. We have a master bedroom facing west with one large window. It currently has a feature wall of Resene Double Stonehenge which I find quite depressing and want to change it to a shade of blue. I had chosen Resene Spindle but after painting a sample area it seems to be a bit pale. Can you suggest a shade of a deeper blue which won't darken the room too much please?

A. These are some lovely deeper blues that you might consider using - Resene Jasper, Resene Azure, Resene Panorama, Resene Cruising, Resene Kashmir Blue or Resene Astronaut.

If you are able to pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you may find it helpful in regard which testpot colours to trial.

Late in the afternoon you may notice that the fresh beauty of the blue appears a little greyer - this is what the low sunlight from the west does to blue colours. This may be something you need to take into account - the colours will change during the daylight and again under artificial light.

Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Spindle
Resene Spindle
 
Resene Jasper
Resene Jasper
Resene Azure
Resene Azure
Resene Panorama
Resene Panorama
Resene Cruising
Resene Cruising
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Astronaut
Resene Astronaut
January 2017

Q. We are going to repaint the exterior of our house and need suggestions for a more modern colour scheme. The joinery is a cream colour which won't be changed. The railings and roof trim are a rusty brown colour and will be repainted with the house. The roof is brown and the joinery and garage doors are cream.

A. If the brown roof and the cream joinery (and matching garage doors) are staying as they are now then they will influence what colours might be used on the house. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Grey Olive used with Resene Sambuca for the railings and roof trim, or Resene Double Blanc used with Resene Diesel for the railings and trims, or Resene Triple Tea used with Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
January 2017

Q. Recently my wife and I bought a modest house on a small plot of land as a bit of a doer-upper and a place to run our dogs. We are keen to repaint, but are limited by the fact that the exterior joinery is brown/bronze aluminium type. What we are seeking is a colour scheme that aims to blend the joinery in so that it is less noticeable. Any paint colour suggestions you have would be much appreciated.

I have done a bit of research, and under the ‘inspiration’ section of the Resene website there is a colour scheme that looks quite good titled ‘Colours to join the joinery’ using Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Triple Sea Fog, and Resene Milk Chocolate mixed with Resene Bokara Grey. But, this does look quite dark. I have also noticed a bit of a trend to paint some exterior parts of the house a different colour (two toned). This appears to quite nicely break up a house into sections, provides an opportunity for extra colour variety and accentuates some areas.

I thought of doing that with our house, given that one end of the house is an attached garage now converted into a bedroom, and the other is a covered decked patio area. Both ends of the house are clad with a different material. Rather than trying to hide this fact, I thought painting the house in different colours might suggest the difference in cladding was an intended feature! I have assumed it would look best to do this with only one end of the house, not both.

A. If you did use Resene Triple Sea Fog it certainly wouldn't make the house seem too dark. It has a nice almost green edge to it - a bit like Marram grass. Another colour that works well is Resene Cloud - and possibly blends the window joinery in a little more. If you did favour a two tone effect for the garage wing of the house perhaps you might look at a softer toned deep bronze like Resene Mondo. Personally I like that all the cladding is the same colour - but I am a neataholic/keep it simple kind of person. If however you wanted a deeper trim (than the main house colour) to relate better because of the deep colour on the garage wing then you might consider using Resene Half Mondo.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Milk Chocolate
Resene Milk Chocolate
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Half Mondo
Resene Half Mondo
January 2017

Q. I am looking for a colour to paint the front and back doors of our two storey villa. The house exterior is painted in off white. The back of the house is east facing, receiving early morning sun only, and the front is north facing. A dark navy blue would be nice to add colour while keeping a formal/ traditional look. Also we have built wooden steps up to the front door. Can you suggest colours for the base (sides), risers (face of step) and tread (the flat, deck aspect).

A. For the doors you might check out these dark navy blues - Resene Zinzan, Resene Regatta or Resene Blue Night.

I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour™ reformulated version of these dark colours in order to protect the surface from any heat from the sun and a luscious full gloss enamel paint finish to enhance the gorgeousness of the door colour.

For the wooden steps I suggest that both the base and the risers be painted in your palest colour and the deck treads be a serviceable blue/grey in Resene Walk-on Paving and Deck Paint - perhaps Resene Ebony Clay or a softer grey shade - Resene New Denim Blue.

Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
Resene Blue Night
Resene Blue Night
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene Ebony Clay
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
January 2017

Q. We've recently painted our kitchen cabinets Resene Quarter Delta. We are trying to choose a colour that would complement this without being too dark as the rest of the house is quite neutral throughout.

A. You don't mention what other neutrals you have used in the house so I am unsure whether you want some co-ordination with those or not.

If it isn't all that important and you would prefer the kitchen walls to just relate well to the cabinet colour then you might check out these colours - Resene Quarter Villa White (slightly warm colour enhances the subtle green undertone in the Resene Quarter Delta), or Resene Double Alabaster (slightly whiter colour goes with any other colour at all), or Resene Quarter Titania (this emphasises the subtle warmth that Resene Quarter Delta has in it).

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
January 2017

Q. I have used Resene Spanish White and Resene Quarter Spanish White in my house and would like to paint the trims. Currently the trims are all wood; what colour do you suggest to complement the wall colouring.

A. Several ideas are worth considering - a crisp white for the trims will emphasise the depth of the existing wall colours - Resene Half Alabaster.

Using the lightest of your wall colours (Resene Quarter Spanish White) for the trims in all rooms will soften the look in a modern way and effectively merge the woodwork into the wall colours so the trims are not so noticeable.

Using the deepest of your wall colours (Resene Spanish White) will emphasise the woodwork trims in the rooms that are the paler colour (Resene Quarter Spanish White) and make them a feature but would merge in with Resene Spanish White painted rooms.
I am not at all sure that choosing a random `other' deeper colour would be to your advantage.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2017

Q. We are looking at painting the interior walls of our new home in Resene Quarter Stonehenge, and the trim Resene Eighth Stonehenge. The ceiling is going to be Resene Half White Pointer. What colour would you paint the doors?

A. If you want to make a feature of them so they pop out then you could paint them to match the ceiling but in a semi-gloss enamel finish. If you want them to be seen - as the other trims are seen - but be less obvious then you could paint to match the trim colour.

If you want a deeper colour (as a feature and also to hide finger marking) then you would paint them to match the wall colour but in semi-gloss enamel finish.

Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter
Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
January 2017

Q. We have a new build and have clad the exterior in zinc aluminium type product in COLORSTEEL® Slate and plaster painted Resene Half Foggy Grey. We are building a fence and a large retaining wall and would like to paint them a dark grey colour. I painted a few samples, which I like, however when I put them up against the cladding the charcoal colour of the samples took on a blue tone and the cladding took on a brown hue! Is there a Resene colour which would match the ‘Slate’ better but at the same time not look brown?

A. ColorCote (not COLORSTEEL®) Slate is a very warm toned charcoal. There is a formula match to this colour on the Resene Colour Computer so you can get an exact match if you wanted to. It isn't available as a testpot however.

If you wanted some warmer coloured options that are available as testpots instead, you might check out these colours - Resene Bokara Grey or the slightly lighter version – Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Nocturnal, or slightly lighter – Resene Half Nocturnal, or similar/lighter again - Resene Windswept.

Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
   
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
 
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
January 2017

Q. I am painting my wooden bungalow in Dunedin. The roof will be COLORSTEEL® Karaka.

The main colour will be Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. The lower bits will be Resene Thorndon Cream. The window frames etc will be Resene Double Alabaster. I would like to paint the front door orange. The front door is setback and will be surrounded by Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. I am having a lot of difficulty narrowing it down. I am thinking about Resene Chilean Fire, Resene Tango, Resene Tangerine or Resene Hyperactive. Or should I just do it in Resene Thorndon Cream...?

A. Why not do it in a luscious orange? I like all of the oranges that you favour but I feel the orange needs a little more depth in it - not so much clear/fluoro quality.

Please look at Resene Daredevil and Resene Blaze. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 samples of these colours in their Colour Library it may be easier for you to make decisions.

If you compare the oranges - these ones and the ones that you have mentioned that you like - and play the ‘which one do I like least of all’ game. Remove the colour you don't like as much and continue doing this until there is only one left - that is the one you like the best - that is the one you have chosen.

COLORSTEEL® Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Chilean Fire
Resene Chilean Fire
Resene Tango
Resene Tango
Resene Tangerine
Resene Tangerine
Resene Hyperactive
Resene Hyperactive
Resene Daredevil
Resene Daredevil
Resene Blaze
Resene Blaze
   
January 2017

Q. If my client requires the same colour on the ceiling as the walls should I use full strength of the wall colour or half strength in the ceiling flat?

A. I definitely recommend the lighter version of the wall colour (half or even quarter strength) for the ceilings. The natural light falls away from the ceiling making it look a little shadowy so the lighter the colour the better.

January 2017

Q. We have settled on our internal wall colours as Resene Half Rice Cake for the shadier rooms and Resene Half Sea Fog for the brighter rooms. What trim colour would you recommend for the skirtings doors etc (it is a villa)? I was wondering about Resene White, but can it look cold? Is Resene Quarter Alabaster a slightly warmer option? I don't need a strong contrast between trims and walls but there must be some contrast apparent and a nice light effect overall.

A. Yes you are right - Resene Quarter Alabaster - is just a wee bit warmer in tone compared to pure Resene White. It would work well with both your interior wall colours.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
January 2017

Q. We are keen to use Resene Half Thorndon Cream for the main exterior of our beach house and Resene Alabaster for the windows. We're keen to introduce a contrasting colour for the sills (not sure if that's the right term - but I mean the ledge on the outside and below the window frame (which would be Resene Alabaster white)).

What colours would work as a contrasting colour? We like Resene New Denim Blue... would this work? Also unsure what colour to paint the gable, the veranda posts and the roof?

A. Resene New Denim Blue would certainly work for both the gables and the window surrounds and sills. It might be a bit much to use that colour also on the roof - you could use Resene High Tide which is a little bit deeper and perhaps a little more Resene Alabaster for the veranda posts.

An alternative scenario might be to use Resene Balderdash for the gables and windows surrounds and sills and Resene Grey Friars for the roof - and repeat the Resene Alabaster for the veranda posts.

You might choose to use a `special' colour for the doors - i.e. Resene Clay Creek, Resene Red It or Resene Couture - just to add a bit of contrast.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Balderdash
Resene Balderdash
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
 
Resene Clay Creek
Resene Clay Creek
Resene Red It
Resene Red It
Resene Couture
Resene Couture
 
January 2017

Q. I have used the colour charts to try and match the existing paint in my house, purchased the paint and it is completely different. Is there any way that you could try and help me match the colour as best as possible so i can do some patch up painting?

I have picked the colours – Resene Zircon, Resene Surrender and Resene Pearl Lusta.

A. When you purchased the testpot did you dab a bit of paint onto the colour chart and let it dry - any radical differences would have been noticeable then.

Or did you try using the testpots on the surface of the house (in an unobtrusive area) to see how close the colour was to what was already there to get as close a match as possible? Before purchasing larger amounts of paint? Or did you cut the sample off the colour chart and stick it on the existing paint and view it from a distance - if it was a match you might not have been able to notice where the sample piece was stuck on the existing paint.

I must say that in all my years in the business I have never personally known anyone be able to touch up in patches on the existing paint colour (even when they have the paint stored in the garage and know it is exactly the right colour) as the touch up paint is slightly shinier (existing paint fades altering the colour and gets a flatter surface film as it ages) and it does stand out to your eye as new paint/old paint. Usually I recommend one complete coat over every part of the surface to minimise aging differences.

Resene Zircon
Resene Zircon
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
January 2017

Q. Mexican red to blue? I am asking for advice about my elderly mother’s living area. Presently all walls are painted Resene Mexican Red with a Resene Spanish White ceiling, maybe half strength. She is thinking of retaining the Resene Mexican Red on the south side and painting the remaining walls in a sky blue! She has the beginning of dementia and she wants to feel more cheerful and because she loves the colour of the sky. I am a bit worried about the two colours together but may be able to convince her to stick with one colour only, she is quite determined on blue. Presently she is looking at Resene Shakespeare, Resene Seagull, Resene Picton Blue and Resene Malibu. Do you think any of these blues would look good with the red, if not any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated? She has a lot of paintings on the walls and her house is an old 1800s workman's cottage. She only thought she would keep one wall in the red because her paintings looked good on it. The adjoining kitchen is painted in Resene Equator.

A. Your mother obviously gets a lot of pleasure from colour. Usually I am all about colour harmony and balance but I am inclined to think - in this instance - you should let your mother have her blue.

Resene Shakespeare looks quite nice (it is warm toned) but there is also the slightly lighter/brighter/warmer Resene Seagull - both look lovely with Resene Mexican Red.

I suggest you get the testpots (yes both of them) and some very large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and paint all of the testpots (all the testpot/two coats) up and pin them on the wall. Let her choose which blue she likes best from just those ones and go for it.

Paint can be changed - she may not like the blue in a year or so but it is better she is happy now. That is what colour is all about - happiness.

Resene Mexican Red
Resene Mexican Red
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
     
Resene Shakespeare
Resene Shakespeare
Resene Seagull
Resene Seagull
Resene Picton Blue
Resene Picton Blue
Resene Malibu
Resene Malibu
Resene Equator
Resene Equator
January 2017

Q. We are trying to choose an exterior paint colour from the Resene Exterior Woodcare chart. The garage door is COLORSTEEL® Karaka. The roof is a pale green and the aluminium joinery is a pale green, faded silvery (about 20 years old). There seems to have been a previous stain on the board and batten. Can you please suggest a colour or two? We were thinking a dark charcoal/black or a reddy brown?

A. You might consider using one of these colours – Resene Woodsman Sheer Black or Resene Woodsman Dark Oak. Or if you wanted a slightly tonal colour to merge in with the Karaka garage door and the more faded silvery green on the roof and window joinery you might check out Resene Woodsman Canopy.

COLORSTEEL® Karaka
COLORSTEEL® Karaka
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Canopy
Resene Canopy
January 2017

Q. I'm painting the exterior of an older style weatherboard beach house. It’s on a hill so it's on stilts, a rectangle shape (smaller width facing front) with decking and railing all the way around, stairs at the side, flat roof. Kinda old, very basic. There are two big aluminium windows in the front, and a sliding door and back door at the side. The exterior has been painted in a dark charcoal colour (Monument). I painted the eaves, gutters etc and decking railing white which seems to be the popular choice - but I think the white is a bit boring and common... so I'm looking for colour ideas to replace the white while keeping the Monument charcoal colour as the main colour for the house.

A. Are you thinking of a definite colour - green, yellow, blue, purple, red or orange? Or are you thinking of one of the grey or beige neutrals? A fresh green (perhaps) could be Resene Chill Out, a bright blue (if you are brave) Resene Dauntless or a fizzy lemon such as Resene Moon Glow, a grey neutral – Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or a beige neutral – Resene White Pointer.

These colours might set you thinking - anything will work with your main colour as it is so dark - it is all about what appeals to you.

Resene Chill Out
Resene Chill Out
Resene Dauntless
Resene Dauntless
Resene Moon Glow
Resene Moon Glow
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
January 2017

Q. I want to paint my small double bedroom with a colour that would set off the wood (rimu). It gets a lot of sun and only has front windows. Would Resene Triple Sea Fog be too grey once on or too cold? Can you please tell me what colours the Resene Triple Sea Fog has in it?

A. Resene Triple Sea Fog is a warmed grey. When all four walls are painted it may seem deeper in tone. All colours increase in depth (or brightness) when more than one wall is painted.

It has umber in it - this is an earthy brown colourant - so unlike a cool grey that may have black in it , it may look dense but it will never look too grey. I suggest if you really like it to paint up super large samples onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move it around from wall to wall - especially the window walls - to see if it is ok or if it is too deep. If this is the case you may need to go for a lighter variant - i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog, a warmer colour like Resene Double Merino or Resene Triple Merino - these work really well with rimu.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
January 2017

Q. We are renovating our kitchen/dining and are painting with Resene Black White. I was thinking of painting the right wall in the kitchen and the far back wall another colour. I want a subtle modern colour maybe like a sage green.

A. The fresher greens are becoming very popular - green always looks so lovely in a kitchen - so these ones might be worth checking out – Resene Organic, Resene Coriander, Resen Elixir, Resene Ciderhouse or more muted greens – Resene Spanish Green or Resene Bud.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Elixir
Resene Elixir
Resene Ciderhouse
Resene Ciderhouse
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
 
January 2017

Q. We need to repaint the windows around our Spanish style house. At the moment they are dark brown. Can you suggest another colour? The roof is terracotta, railings are a black stain.

A. You could use lighter (whiter) colours on the windows – Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
January 2017

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