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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 61

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. 61

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


Q. I like Resene Merino, but I am concerned it is too dark (we have a dark two bedroom unit). Would Resene Half Merino be a lighter colour? We are looking to use it on the walls and to use Resene Alabaster on the ceilings, trims and doorframes etc.

A. Resene Half Merino would definitely be lighter than the full strength version. If you go for the lighter wall colour you might also need to lighten your white as well - i.e. Resene Half Alabaster - especially if you want to see a contrast between the walls and the ceilings and trims.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2017

Q. You recently recommended some interior paint colours for our south-facing house with bush outlook: Resene Orchid White and Resene Double Bianca. Would you be able to suggest a ceiling/trim colour to go with those?

A. If you were using Resene Double Bianca or Resene Orchid White you might use Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta - or a 'whiter' colour - Resene Quarter Alabaster. These colours would work with either of the wall colours mentioned.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
January 2017

Q. Please advise if Resene Alabaster would be a suitable colour for both ceilings and walls, keeping doors white?

We are selling, so we just want to freshen up the house and keep the costs down by doing the same colour on the ceilings and walls. The walls are now an eggshell colour with carpet a blue/green tone very similar to our kitchen cabinets. The tiles are grey/white tones. I would like a neutral colour to tone in correctly with the carpets and cabinets. I also was wondering about Resene Eighth Akaroa but maybe that might be too dark or earthy.

A. I suggest you use a subtle coloured tint of white like Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Merino so that the white doors show as being a little different and create a tiny bit more contrast. You are right - Resene Eighth Akaroa is quite a warm earthy colour compared to the whiter colours mentioned previously.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
January 2017

Q. We have purchased a brick home (similar colour to terracotta). We do not want to paint the brick but would like to change the colour of the woodwork. The windows are bronze, the roof, spouting and garage doors appear to be 'faded' Ironsand. Could you please suggest some colours for us to consider for the timber? We will be putting up new spouting (and could change the colour), but are not painting the roof or garage doors.

A. These are a few colour suggestions to see if they appeal to you - they will work with the windows, the roof and the garage door - Resene Pravda, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Friar Grey or Resene Rockbottom.

I suggest you stay with Ironsand for the guttering - to introduce another colour may just cause colour confusion. The roof and garage door if they are very faded can always be painted over - i.e. Resene Ironsand - to freshen up the existing colour at some point in the future.

Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
January 2017

Q. I want a dark exterior colour. The large deck and pergola are stained a black bean type colour and the joinery is a mix of old light bronze and dark brown. The house is fibre cement. I love the thought of black, but wonder if it would be too dark if used all over. What do you think of Resene Oilskin or Resene Triple Stonehenge?

A. Some blacker colours could look amazing. But they may not be totally right for you. Apart from the colours you are already looking at you might also check out these ones - Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Sambuca, Resene Double Friar Grey, Resene Half Masala or Resene Half Gravel.

Resene Oilskin
Resene Oilskin
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
     
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
January 2017

Q. I've painted a small bedroom stark white and it looks like a hospital now. How can I paint something like a geometric form or pattern in a soft colour to break up the white? Would I use a template? There is no furniture in the room.

A. Anything is possible if you are patient and artistic - are you? A straight line, a ruler, a pencil and masking tape will allow you to mock up vertical random sized stripes or odd sized square and oblongs or diamonds that could be painted with a small roller. You might use a series of soft warm whites and soft greyed tones -- these can look really amazing on a stark white back ground.

Perhaps these colours might be considered - Resene Double Black White, Resene Eighth Joss or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

This is a very gentle look using soft subtle colours. But if you feel you aren't that creative you might use a wonderful wallpaper on one or two walls to create the wonderful look you are after.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
January 2017

Q. What would you recommend to sample as a light warm grey to offset white in a lounge/kitchen area?

A. You might check out these warmer greys - Resene Concrete, Resene Rakaia, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene White Pointer or Resene Half Athens Grey.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
January 2017

Q. We have purchased a new beach house with beautiful views, and want to repaint the interior. In our current beach house we have used Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for walls with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream on ceilings. I like it but am also happy to try another shade of white. I want the feeling to be rustic, warm and a little chalky looking. What is your best coastal white recommendation for interiors?

The exterior has cedar boards on the top storey and we intend to bag the bricks below and paint them a white shade, we also have a garage to be repainted... possibly white?

We are also after a stunning front door colour which is currently a very ordinary brown. Joinery is 80s brown at present.

A. If you would like a little bit of a change from the colours you have used previously for the interior you might check out these ones - Resene Rice Cake used with Resene Eighth Rice Cake. This is a fresher look. Or alternatively you might use this white - Resene Double Alabaster used with Resene Half Alabaster.

You mention wanting a chalky look - that might relate more to the type of paint you use also - perhaps a flat finish instead of a low sheen - like Resene SpaceCote Flat finish which could be used on both walls and ceilings and is a really tough paint film.

I like your idea of using a white on the exterior. But it might be wise to have one that is not too stark because of sun glare and because it probably would show windblown dust etc - perhaps Resene Sea Fog? The garage door could be a slightly deeper variant - i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog or even Resene Triple Sea Fog - from a purely practical consideration - garage doors often get quite grubby dirty fingers, exhaust fumes, etc. If you have metal windows (brown/bronze) you may need to have a bit of that colour somewhere - as a friend for the windows so they aren't the only brown on the house - on the roof or a fence or something close to the house?

For a stunning front door colour - well you could be spoiled for choice - you might check out these ones - Resene Wheel Of Fortune or Resene She'll Be Right.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
 
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Wheel Of Fortune
Resene Wheel Of Fortune
Resene She'll Be Right
Resene She'll Be Right
January 2017

Q. I'm repainting the interior of my house. I've looked at show homes and a very pale grey seems to be a current fashionable neutral for walls. Can you please advise which colour you recommend for this? I'm also looking at doing white subway tiles in the kitchen with grey grouting.

A. There are some really lovely pale greys available. They all have undertones of colour in them. You might check them out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Black White, Resene Half House White, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Barely There, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Half Concrete.

If you are able to pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real painted samples of these colours in their Colour Library it would help you a lot. It does pay to compare them with each other so you can then identify the type of grey they are. You do need to test colours carefully by painting large samples up and looking at them - in your home - with any existing flooring, drapes, kitchen cabinets and work tops to see which colour suits these elements best. Any other major changes that you are considering may need to be chosen first (flooring especially) so you have choices.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
January 2017

Q. We have a timber kitchen that is a similar look to an orangey toned rimu look with a newly installed Carrara marble look bench. All appliances and handles are stainless steel. The walls are going to be Resene Ash which looks fabulous with the bench and timber cupboards. The rest of the house has trims and ceilings in Resene Quarter Spanish White and Resene Half Spanish White but as it is yellow based will this work with the kitchen walls being Resene Ash (Resene Spanish White for the window trim and ceiling of the kitchen)? I now have to choose a glass splashback colour. Resene Thorndon Cream goes beautifully with the benchtop and Resene Ash but won't work with the trim being from the Resene Spanish White family.

A. You are right to be concerned about whether or not the existing ceiling and wood trim colours will suit the new kitchen colour. Personally I would be inclined to change just the ceiling and wood trims in the kitchen to enhance the Resene Ash.

Please check out Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - much lighter/fresher than Resene Ash, Resene Half Pearl Lusta - this is fresh and very clean looking, or Resene Eighth Spanish White - but this may look a little peachy toned - but it might work for you.

These colours are pale - but they may double their intensity however as this what happens to interior colours - especially when they are painted on a ceiling. If you attempted to stay with the trims in Resene Spanish White you may find it looks very yellow/earthy/almost muddy toned compared to the wall colour and the marble look bench.

I like your idea of using Resene Thorndon Cream for the splashback. There are two kinds of glass used for splashbacks but only one will show the colour true to reality - this is called crystal clear low iron oxide glass. The other one - standard float glass - has a distinctly green (almost minty) look to it and all colours look unlike how you would imagine them to look - i.e. deeper, earthier or minty.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
   
January 2017

Q. I am looking for advice on whether the colours we have chosen for the outside of our house will actually look any good. The colours we are looking at are Resene Nero for our brick and garage door, Resene Half Black White for our weatherboards, Resene Double Concrete for the architraves and concrete blocks that go around the bottom of the house (currently green), Resene Trojan for the doorstep and Resene Steel Grey for the roof. Please let me know if you think this will work.

A. I think some of your greys are a little bit unrelated and may carry undertones of colour within them that may be slightly discordant.

Perhaps you might consider using Resene Quarter Grey Friars for the door step and a deeper version of that colour for the roof - Resene Grey Friars and Resene Double Cod Grey for the brick and garage door. These colours work really well with Resene Double Concrete.

Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
   
January 2017

Q. Can you please give me some suggestions for a fence paint colour? The house is Resene Double Tea with Resene Sea Fog windows and an Ironsand roof and trim. We are stuck with the red/brown COLORSTEEL® fence but can paint the others. The previous owners have used Resene Double Tea on the carport and block walls and it is Resene Double Tea overload. I'm reluctant to use Ironsand because the block wall is high and the back yard is small so I think that would close it in.

A. It is possible to paint over the COLORSTEEL® fence if you wanted too. It may need a wash down, rinse off and two coats of another colour - not so onerous if it is the sticking point in the new look that you are wanting.

If you are over Resene Tea - double or any strength - you might consider using a lighter version of Ironsand - Resene Quarter Ironsand, or perhaps a colour between the house colour and the roof colour - Resene Gauntlet, or Resene Stonewall or a deeper version of the Resene Sea Fog - Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
 
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
January 2017

Q. For a little retirement house the carpet will be grey and the internal walls will be Resene White Pointer. What would suit for the doors? Ideally it would be a colour with a bit more oomph or depth than Resene White Pointer with the grey carpet, but still quite conservative.

A. Some of my thoughts for the door colour – Lighter - Resene Half White Pointer, or deeper Resene Double White Pointer, or deeper/greyer in tone - Resene Cloudy, or a distinctly different (but interesting) contrast colour - a steady natured blue/grey - Resene Steam Roller.

The colours aren't too full of oomph as there are often a lot of doors and it is easy to get tired of a bolder or brighter colour.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
 
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
January 2017

Q. I need to paint my small cottage which is a 1910 weatherboard home. I want a soft dove grey on the weatherboards, creamy white window and door surrounds and a black door. There are little wooden awnings which need to be a darker grey. The roof will need painting too. Will I achieve the result choosing Resene Half Grey Chateau weatherboards, Resene Alabaster windows, Resene Nero front door and Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey awnings? I want a soft, pretty, result.

A. I really like the colours that you have mentioned. If you wanted a softer alternative to Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey you might check out Resene Shuttle Grey.

Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene Shuttle Grey
January 2017

Q. We are choosing colours for both the interior and exterior of our new house. For the interior we are looking at something like Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Truffle for the walls, and considering painting sills, trims etc a darker shade rather than whiter.

Do you think this is a good idea and would you suggest we stick to the same colour e.g. Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for walls and Resene Double Thorndon Cream for trims?

Exterior - the roof is made from orange ceramic tiles. Could you suggest any neutral colours to complement this? It's a 1950s style house.

A. If you did decide to do deeper trims in the house it will draw a lot of attention them. Are they really attractive - is that why you want to draw attention to them? If you were using Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream on the walls then I would be inclined to just use Resene Thorndon Cream so it was a little deeper but not too dark.

I do think that a deeper colour on the exterior might be a good way to go - perhaps Resene Triple Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Truffle - then you could use Resene Quarter Rice Cake for under the soffits, all the windows and on the door surrounds, you might even consider using a cheerful deep orange/tan colour for the front door to add a bit of wow factor - i.e. Resene Ayers Rock or even a bit earthier - i.e. Resene Alert Tan.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Alert Tan
Resene Alert Tan
   
January 2017

Q. I have a very small double bedroom. My furniture is cream and I have a white ceiling and windows, cream walls, cream bedspread and drapes. It is styled French Provincial. I would like a feature wall on the wall furthest away from the door. The room gets lots of sun. What colour would recess the wall and make the room seem bigger? On the opposite side of the room from the intended feature wall is a large cream framed mirror. I like warm colours but I am not into pinks or greys.

A. Colours that work well to make spaces seem larger by making walls recede are often blues tones. You might consider one of these suggestions - they fit well with the French Provincial them you have - Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Bermuda Grey, Resene Ship Cove or a slightly more green toned blue - Resene Unwind.

Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Ship Cove
Resene Ship Cove
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
January 2017

Q. We are renovating our lounge and looking to paint this a shade of white. We quite like the contrast between a grey toned white on the walls and then a bright white on the ceiling and on the rest of the woodwork. Our lounge doesn't get a whole lot of light (but isn't totally dark either) so probably a low light area, and we aren't into creams. Are there some colours you could suggest?

A. If you like the more grey toned whites you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half House White, Resene Black White or Resene Half Concrete.

If you used a really crisp true white - Resene White - for all the ceilings and the woodwork you would achieve the look you have your heart set on.

Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene White
Resene White
January 2017

Q. We are now the proud owners of a 1900s semi-commercial building. It was once a shop and is currently two flats. We would love to paint it and give it a new look. We are based in Auckland and I have noticed it is very popular to do the old buildings dark colours, but I don't want it to look cold. Have you got any suggestions?

A. Deeper or dark colours on large buildings are a trend at this point in time. A lot of charcoal colours can look a bit hard edged and very commercial - is that what you had in mind?

I think if the building is primarily of a residential role then an interesting - but not too dark - colour may look nice and not date too quickly. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Inside Back or Resene Double Stack.

If they are used with lots of true white for contrast and feature door colours that are a bit unique - to capture attention and eye interest - it may be set the building up as 'out of the ordinary' - a bit more special and desirable. You could use these sorts of colours as a contrast - Resene Intrepid, Resene Conundrum, Resene Wanted or Resene Half Bokara Grey.

Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
 
Resene Intrepid
Resene Intrepid
Resene Conundrum
Resene Conundrum
Resene Wanted
Resene Wanted
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
January 2017

Q. We have a 1910 villa and the master bedroom is the room with the least sunlight. We have painted the living areas, hallway and one bedroom in Resene Quarter Spanish White which we love... great warm colour and good to showcase our art. I want to make our master bedroom lighter with maybe feature wallpaper behind the bed. Would Resene Quarter Spanish White be too cold or would you recommend another colour? The drapes are swirly patterned and a golden yellow colour.

A. No, I don't think the lighter colour would make the room look too cold. It will allow you lots of opportunity to choose feature wallpaper which is a good thing. It may be slightly more of a challenge to find the right wallpaper to go well with the drapes but given that there are so many wallpapers to choose from I am sure you will succeed.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
January 2017

Q. We are building a new large COLORSTEEL® shed close to our 1980s ranch style house. We need to pick shed colours but will also be replacing all house joinery. The house tiles are brown. We want a modern clean look. We will also paint the house to complement the shed. We like the dark houses/shed and white joinery but are not sure where to start.

A. As you will have found out there aren’t a huge amount of colours available in the COLORSTEEL® range. The deepest colours that have paint colours to match are the following colours – COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (Resene Element), COLORSTEEL® Ironsand (Resene Ironsand), COLORSTEEL® TernStyle (Resene Windswept) or COLORSTEEL® Ebony (Resene All Black).

The joinery options are somewhat similar - it may pay to check which manufacturer’s range you are dealing with. You could try Arctic White.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
January 2017

Q. We need to select a stain colour for a Shadowclad® board and batten chimney feature. The roof and garage door are FlaxPod, windows are Metropolis Coaldust, and the bricks are Euro Modus - Nieve (white). We are considering Resene Woodsman Pitch Black, Resene Shadow Match or Resene Crowshead. We do not want the chimney feature to look too brown. We will also be staining the deck (made of pine). What colours would you recommend for the deck?

A. If there are no constraints upon how dark you can colour the Shadowclad® board and batten (it might pay to check this with the builder in case you are in danger of voiding the build guarantee on the surface substrate) then you might consider using Resene Woodsman Crowshead. It is a warm black and looks good in association with the roof colour. The pine deck might be a softer/lighter stain colour - for a pleasing level of contrast as most everything else is so dark - i.e. Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash or earthier - Resene Woodsman Tiri.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
January 2017

Q. After much deliberation we have decided on the main colours to paint our house. We need some help on choosing a roof and trim colour. The bottom half of the house is going to be Resene Friar Grey and the top Resene Half Triple White Pointer with white windows.

A. The roof colour might be one of these colours - Resene Squall, Resene Windswept, Resene Ironsand and trims - depending upon where they are situated - might be one of these colours - Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Friar Grey or by default they might be the same colour as the roof.

Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
     
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
January 2017

Q. We have Resene Silver Sand throughout our house except our bathrooms which are red (yuck); I want to change the colour. The rooms are quite dark and the tiles are beige. Would it be ok to use a white in there and if so what would you suggest? Doors etc. are also a darker shade of grey.

A. The tiles may - to a certain extent - control what white will or won't work for you. Take your time to test colour so you achieve the new look you are seeking. As the bathrooms are such an intense and definite colour I strongly suggest you undercoat the rooms in white to remove that colour influence so any tested colour can be seen in reality and not be negatively influenced. This is probably the most important thing that you can do in order to get a good idea of what will suit the rooms.

You might check out some white/grey/beige influenced colours to see if they appeal to you, and to see whether they work with the darker grey doors and the beige tiles - Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Eighth Truffle or Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
January 2017

Q. We are refreshing a small sized bathroom. It doesn't get a lot of natural light for much of the day. Currently the walls are Resene Black White. We are seeking a neutral but warm colour, possibly a warmer shade of white or something that keeps the room bright, light and warm.

In conjunction with this we are looking at tiles for the floor only, a dark charcoal, or a lighter concrete/grey or a light sandstone tile.

A. I am slightly concerned that a dark charcoal floor may suck up more light in the bathroom and negate the effect of a warmer white on the walls. It is very much a personal taste thing so I suggest you sample several coloured tiles in the room - lay them flat on a white sheet so you can appreciate the reality of their colour tones and what other influences they may bring to the room.

For warmer tones of white that may help to lighten and brighter the bathroom you might look at these colours - Resene Half Wan White, Resene Alabaster, or warmer - Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Because 'whites' are tricky to judge I suggest you view the large painted samples close to real white - like the vanity - and at different times of the day and night to see how they alter.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
     
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
January 2017

Q. I’m about to embark on converting a small east facing room two and a quarter metres square, cork floor (light brown) into a study for myself. Have been looking at a colour with a bit of a punch but that will not be overpowering. The colours I have contemplated are Resene Gulf Stream (probably too strong) or more safely Resene Conch. I am also looking at Resene Half Kumutoto and Resene Half Opal. I plan to paint a plain pine table white for my desk and have a simple bookcase also painted white.

A. I really like your colour ideas. Two things that I must ask - have you painted up large samples of the colours that you favour - and are you aware that easterly facing rooms cast a clear white light which enhances green (in any colour) and after the natural light moves away the room can have a lot of shadow in it?

Seeing painted samples large enough to judge what they look like and how the light alters the colour during the day is incredibly important. I usually suggest that samples be painted on to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) - this means two coats covering 95% of the card. The unpainted portion of the card is the edges which remain as white card. This helps you judge the depth of the colour and also acts as a barrier keeping the sample away from any existing wall colour so there is no negative influence. The card can be moved from wall to wall - colour does look quite different on each wall.

I have a slight feeling that your 'safe' colour - Resene Conch - may look a little greyer during the main part of the day. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is about how you see it. Resene Half Opal is the greener of the colours you mention - so it may be much greener first thing in the morning - so another reason to test the colour. Resene Half Kumutoto has the most blue in it (but not first thing in the morning) but again the blueness will be obvious when there is shadow in the room. You might check out Resene Jet Stream and Resene Half Periglacial Blue - just so you can see what these may do for the room also.

Resene Gulf Stream
Resene Gulf Stream
Resene Conch
Resene Conch
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
   
January 2017

Q. What is the whitest non shiny white you can buy?

A. You can buy pure white – Resene White. The most popular Resene near white is Resene Alabaster. You can opt for a lower sheen level – e.g. low sheen or flat – to get a less shiny finish.

Resene ColorShops have A4 screenprinted paint samples of our paint colours to view in store and this is a good way to compare the different off whites.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
January 2017

Q. We are looking to match up a colour for touching up some walls. How can we find out the existing colour?

A. The best idea to get an exact match is to take a small piece of the paint (from an inconspicuous area) into your local Resene ColorShop. They can then match up the paint flake for you.

January 2017

Q. We have a 1865 Sydney sandstone house with slate roof. We are adding a barn style extension, linked together by a glass passage. The extension will be weatherboard. We are planning to use Resene Tapa however we like COLORBOND® Basalt for the roof - will these work together?

A. If the weatherboards were lighter (not as dense and heavy a yellow toned grey/green as Resene Tapa) perhaps more like Resene Half Tapa or even Resene Quarter Tapa then it might work with the roof colour. Or even if the weatherboards were painted Resene Half Delta or Resene Half Foggy Grey they might sit better in relationship with the roof colour.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
 
January 2017

Q. I've recently bought a house and am looking to get my bedroom repainted, but am having trouble deciding on colours. I'd like the back wall behind the bed to be in Resene Edward but then the other three walls to be a softer neutral or possibly a soft grey-green. The furniture is cream-coloured and the flooring is a soft oak laminate.

A. You might check out these soft grey/greens to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Tasman, or paler – Resene Quarter Tasman or Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. Or you could have a very pale creamy/off white to enhance the colour of the feature wall – Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Edward
Resene Edward
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
January 2017

Q. We have a block base and brick house with some vertical wood areas and a highly visible fence. Can you suggest some colour combinations using grey? We are undecided about painting the brick. I do like Resene Half Baltic Sea. Would this be too strong to do the top half of the house and fence? Should the fence colour be the same as the bottom half or top? What colour would you suggest for the bottom half? Or would Resene Stack with Resene Concrete look better?

A. Resene Half Baltic Sea is a good colour and yes if you were painting the fence it may be a neat tidy look to use the same colour. A lighter option which may work well for you is Resene Quarter Baltic Sea if you are worried about the depth of colour. A much lighter colour for the concrete base of the house might be Resene Quarter Friar Grey.

Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea

Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
January 2017

Q. We are adding an extension to our existing house which will house an open plan living kitchen dining. I can't figure out whether to go with Resene Miso or Resene Coriander and what other colours would complement these for other areas - for example benchtops, kitchen units and splashbacks.

A. Resene Miso is quite a sour yellow/green and Resene Coriander is a muted green with an undertone of yellow. Colours that might work for cabinets and works tops might be white, charcoal, navy or deeper greens.

Kitchen cabinetry seems to be favouring white a lot these days and certainly it always looks really clean and fresh - it doesn't date and works with any other colours - so no wonder it is popular. Alternatively charcoal is a timeless option - another fundamental neutral that works with many colours.

Always remember the wall colour can be repainted when it doesn't appeal to you any longer but the cabinetry and work tops usually stay for a very long time so it pays to consider that when choosing these elements.

Resene Miso
Resene Miso
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
January 2017

Q. I desperately need some colour advice. We are soon painting the exterior of our old cottage again. It is currently Resene Tea, with Resene New Denim Blue on the roof and gutters with O'Keefe Grey joinery. We have an enormous covered deck off one side of the house and the poles and structure are white (and staying white because it’s a nightmare to paint again!) So I am searching for a brown/grey I think for the exterior that will match the O'Keefe Grey and the Resene New Denim Blue. I would like to paint the roof too but that will have to wait!

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Dusted Grey, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Triple Truffle.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
     
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
January 2017

Q. My external window frames are Jasper and l am currently painting our interior walls white but don't know what colour to paint the internal windows as white does not look good against the Jasper when looking from outside. What colour would you suggest keeping in mind that we have small rooms and l feel black is too dramatic?

A. You could paint the interior frames to match the Jasper - the match colour is Resene Groundbreaker. Alternatively if you favoured really dark frames to offset the Jasper window joinery you might check out these colours – Resene Lignite, Resene Double Mondo, Resene Sambuca, or a softer/lighter (but not White) colour such as Resene Quarter Oilskin.

Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Quarter Oilskin
Resene Quarter Oilskin
January 2017

Q. What colour should I paint my ceiling if my walls are going to be Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Concrete?

A. You might use any of these options – Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Quarter Alabaster or real White – Resene White.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
January 2017

Q. We have just bought a house with a painted Summerhill stone exterior (painted a green we really don't like!) and dark brown stained wood. We are thinking of possibly leaving the wood as it does match the brown aluminium window colour and we have seen some more modern houses with this look lately. If we leave it what colours would you suggest to go with it for the stone? We were wondering a white or beige type colour? What colour trends might help us?

A. Dark brown stained wood and brown aluminium windows do relate well. Perhaps you might look at these beige colours to see if they appeal to you to repaint the green painted areas – Resene Quarter Napa, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cougar.

If you preferred a much paler/whiter/greyer colour you could look at these ones – Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Barely There.

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
   
January 2017

Q. We have a child that can only see in black and white. This makes seeing contrasts in the environment and on the concrete area difficult to differentiate and hard to see where the steps are. What would be the best colour to paint the edge of the steps so he can see them? We are thinking the road colour yellow. Is high density best?

A. I think you may be on the right track using Road Marking Yellow. This type of yellow is brighter (and is seen from a greater distance) than pure White and it imprints on the rods in the eye as 'brightest' which may be what is needed. High density is exactly what I would recommend but it will not only be very yellow and very shiny but will be very slippery as well when wet. I mention this because it could cause a problem. If the concrete steps were abraded to a rough surface - this allows the eye and brain to perceive that the texture means `Be careful' - and the child was taught to step over the yellow strip and down to the next step that may solve the problem of a potential slippery hazard.

January 2017

Q. My bathroom is painted in Resene Scooter with a white ceiling and accents as well as a cream coloured floor. I want to now paint the adjoining tiny hallway/laundry but am not sure what colour I should choose. Something equally colourful as Resene Scooter or something more toned down as a quiet lead-up to the bathroom? The hallway/laundry gets no natural light, is 2.3m long by 1.2m wide, has three white doors of which two open into the room. It will have the same cream floor tiles as the bathroom, white laundry appliances and possibly a white cabinet above the appliances. I am also thinking about having a narrow cabinet with a large mirror above it on one wall. Effectively this would mean paint would only be visible above the doors and small strips beside them as well as behind one door when it is shut. I have an unopened tin of Resene Bianca available but wonder if this would make it too white/boring. Any advice around darker/lighter colours I could look at/something to tie in with the bathroom colour/something not too bland but also maybe not too out there?

A. I really love the colour in the bathroom. Have you thought about using it as a ceiling colour in the laundry? It is a bit quirky but it might make it a bit special. Ceilings are so often ignored when it comes to using a really striking colour. If the walls (and the doors etc) were all painted in Resene Bianca to keep the space light and open - this is always a good idea where natural light is at a premium - then the bright colour wouldn't steal the natural light in the room.

Having the cabinet with a mirror is a good idea - it makes spaces lighter by reflection. Don't be frightened of the beautiful blue - it can be used very well in two adjacent rooms.

Resene Scooter
Resene Scooter
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
January 2017

Q. I am building a new house in a bushland setting. The roof, fascia and window trims are in COLORBOND® Woodland Grey. The front courtyard has a lot of natural sandstone rock and I’m hoping you can recommend one or two external paint colours that will go with the Woodland Grey and Sandstone?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Bone White, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Napa or Resene Parchment.

Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
January 2017

Q. Do you know what colour I should use to match my 'white' pebble look ceiling tiles?

A. All `whites' - whether it is paintwork or ceiling tiles - discolour as they age. Rather than strive to patch or match it if you were repainting it all over in a new coat of white paint it would then look very clean and new.

There are many `whites' that you might choose but if you didn't want a stark white you might look at using one of these slightly soft edged whites – Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
January 2017

Q. Is it uncommon to paint the back of a house a different colour?

A. If you are asking whether or not you can do so then the answer is - you can choose to do anything you want to do. It is your house. Is it common? Probably not - but I have seen it done.

January 2017

Q. We are about to paint the exterior of a little old country colonial cottage we have with a central front door and casement windows both sides and a veranda.

We like soft colours and have lived happily for a while with our home painted Resene Double Surrender, Resene Grey Nurse and white with cedar frames etc. We are unlikely to move much from that sort of colouring but we thought perhaps on the cottage soft lavender grey with cream on the window frames? We like Resene French Grey and Resene Ghost.

Inside we have used Resene Half Thorndon Cream on the walls with deeper shades in the interior frames - Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Double Thorndon Cream. Shall we stay with Resene Thorndon Cream with a grey on the outside? We are really blue, white and cream people not green.

A. You may notice some of the Resene Thorndon Cream palette throws a bit of a muted earthy green undertone - this may be emphasised more if it was used with the very pretty lilac hued greys. I think you may be better using Resene Half Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White with either Resene Ghost or Resene French Grey - the sweet cream looks lovely with the greys. It is a matter of personal preference of course but I suggest you carefully check out the colours I have suggested and compare them to the Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Resene Double Surrender
Resene Double Surrender
Resene Grey Nurse
Resene Grey Nurse
Resene French Grey
Resene French Grey
Resene Ghost
Resene Ghost
 
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
January 2017

Q. You gave me such a lot of help last year. We did paint our room walls Resene Half Ash with Resene Eighth Rice Cake for the ceiling and window frames and it looks great.

We have had Warm White bi-fold doors put in. When I tested Resene Eighth Rice Cake on the door frame, it really seemed too bright for it. I actually think Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Sea Fog look better. I'm not sure if you know the colour of the doors from my description and if you can give any advice for them. I am also trying to decide if I use a Resene Origin blind in Resene Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster over the bi-fold door. I'm sure the obvious choice is Resene Alabaster if using Resene Sea Fog on the door frame, but am wondering if it is just too white. Also I still have my feature wall of Resene Tosca which is in the space opposite. If I decided not to put Resene Half Ash on my walls in this area, what ‘white’ would you suggest works with Resene Tosca and my bi-fold doors? Would the Resene Thorndon Cream range work with Resene Tosca on walls and not be quite as dark as Resene Half Ash?

A. Resene has a Resene version of Warm White Pearl on their e-tint tinting system which you can request at your local Resene ColorShop. This way you might be able to get a colour much better as a 'white' to go with the doors. Warm White Pearl is an unusual colour - it would look slightly deeper than most creams - especially Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Or you could look at Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream as it may be slightly warmer than Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog. You may need to lay the colour samples of these colours against a sheet of white printer paper taped to the bi-fold doors in order to see the undertones of very subtle colour in them. Please do check also the Origin blind colours against the bi-fold doors and choose the one that suits them best.

If you were wanted a colour slightly deeper than the bi-fold door colour (so they are a lighter colour not a matching colour to the wall) then you might look at using Resene Thorndon Cream which relates really well to Resene Tosca. Yes it is slightly cleaner (less grey toned) than Resene Half Ash.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Tosca
Resene Tosca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
   
January 2017

Q. We have a downstairs guest bedroom we would like to paint. We want to keep three walls white/off white and do one wall with a colour. It is quite a dark/cold room so are looking for a ‘warm’ colour.

A. Warm light colours - but not too white as these can grey off and look chilly in a dark cold room - might be one of these options – Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Bianca.

Feature colours for the one wall might be like these ones – Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Secrets, Resene Moscato or Resene Baroque.

The feature wall - ideally - should be the wall that receives the most natural light so the colour is enhanced not seen in cool grey shadow.

Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Moscato
Resene Moscato
Resene Baroque
Resene Baroque
January 2017

Q. I have just repainted the interior walls of my 1920s home, which has wooden floors and features, using Resene Eighth Malta. Can you recommend a colour for a feature wall in the lounge dining area? We currently have a charcoal grey feature wall.

A. Colours that sit well in relationship with Resene Eighth Malta are these ones – Resene Inside Back, Resene Renaissance, Resene Snapshot, Resene Steam Roller, Resene Coast or Resene Couture.

Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Renaissance
Resene Renaissance
Resene Snapshot
Resene Snapshot
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Couture
Resene Couture
 
January 2017

Q. We are building a one level weatherboard house in a Landscape Protect Rural Zone. The colours must be recessive. Our outlook is fields and bush. Could you please suggest a couple of colour schemes - preference is grey/blue or grey/green with either black or soft white joinery?

A. You don't mention what colour you have chosen for the roof and whether the window and door joinery is metal powder coat. You will need to ensure the colours work with both of those elements.

These colour suggestions may give you a start point – Resene Eighth Tapa (a grey with a undertone of green in it), Resene Duck Egg Blue (a grey/blue/green subtle colour), Resene Half Dusted Blue (a muted blue/grey colour) or Resene Ash (a smoky green with a grey/beige undertone).

All of the colours have deeper versions that you might also check out. A soft white for the joinery might be Warm White Pearl or Appliance White, or for black joinery Gravel or Ebony.

Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
January 2017

Q. What colour should we paint our garage door? The block work is Resene Terrain and the wood and deck are Resene Nero. Neither colour seems appropriate.

A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Climate (a deeper variant of Resene Terrain), Resene Raptor (an olive green - deeper than Resene Terrain), Resene Red Berry (a bold contrast) or Resene Helium (a lighter neutral - warmer than white).

Resene Terrain
Resene Terrain
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
   
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Raptor
Resene Raptor
Resene Red Berry
Resene Red Berry
Resene Helium
Resene Helium
January 2017

Q. I have a common question but still can't work it out for myself. We have COLORSTEEL® Mist Green roof and joinery. We're going to paint the Hardiplank® from cream to something more modern. Would you please supply a couple of colour choices?

A. Mist Green roof and joinery does curtail your freedom of colour choices on the exterior. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Truffle, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
January 2017

Q. We want to paint our new house interior – Resene Half Tea. The floor is rough timber parquet. The kitchen benchtop is White Oak. Which colour would you advise to go with this for the kitchen front and doors?

A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Alabaster (a white that goes with anything), Resene Napa (deep beige but not too dark tonal colour), Resene Inside Back (a contrasting grey/green) or Resene Wireless (a deep warm charcoal).

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
January 2017

Q. I have an easterly facing large open hallway. The house is a Scandi style with lots of light wood, which I love. The current wallpaper is patterned and shiny and the ceiling is also gloss. The carpet is grey/blue. I'd like a light hue that goes well with the wood and feels warm as the hallway is also open to the living room.

A. You don't mention whether or not you plan to strip the wallpaper off, sand and seal the walls and paint or just paint over the wallpaper.

If it is the latter you will need to use Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer first. If you just paint the paper the acrylic paint and the vinyl wallpaper will react against each other you will have a very, very shiny paint finish with a plastic/tacky finish - this will be when fully dry. It is another type of reaction between the acrylic paint and the vinyl wallpaper. Even with the wallpaper sealer applied first you will still see all the texture on the surface - the paint won't alter that.

Or you are going to strip, sand, seal and plaster before painting.

As the hallway is lovely and large and light you might use a soft slightly warm toned white, such as Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Quarter Villa White. These colours will work well with grey/blue carpet and light coloured woodwork.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
January 2017

Q. We have painted our lounge and bedrooms Resene Half Parchment and Resene Eighth Parchment on the ceilings throughout and the doors and window frames. The hallway is Resene Quarter Parchment on the walls. I want to change the lounge colour and possibly some of the bedrooms to more of a white. The lounge has polished grey concrete floors and grey concrete benchtops with white kitchen, but due to expense I am looking at just doing the walls a lighter colour so what would go with Resene Eighth Parchment on the ceiling etc. The Resene Half Parchment just doesn't blend in that well with our concrete floors and furnishings. We would prefer a paler colour.

A. You are somewhat limited by the coloured ceiling and woodwork. A lot of other pale (whiter) colours will make the Resene Eighth Parchment look deeper and more yellow in tone. Is that what you want? If you want a lighter colour that will work with Resene Eighth Parchment you could use more of the Resene Quarter Parchment or exactly the same as the ceiling colour – Resene Eighth Parchment.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment

 

February 2017

Q. We want to paint the outside of our house. We have brown aluminium windows. We do like Resene Double Friar Grey, but was hoping for a darker greyer colour.

A. Will you mind if the darker greyer colour makes the brown windows more noticeable? It might do. You could look at one of these colours - Resene Ironsand, Resene Double Gravel or Resene Half Masala.

Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
February 2017

Q. We have a cream house with New Denim Blue roof and aluminium joinery. We want to repaint the decks but are unsure of the right colour? We have black fencing and green plants surrounding the property.

A. If it is stained it would need to be stained again. You might check out these stain colours - Resene Woodsman – Bleached Cedar (similar to the New Denim Blue colour) or Resene Woodsman - Bark (a deeper brown which looks good with white and New Denim Blue).

If it has been painted to mimic a faded stain then you might use Resene Lumbersider low sheen acrylic wood finish or for a tougher paint you might use Resene Walk-on paving paint - Resene Quarter Tuna, Resene Oilskin or Resene Rough N Tumble.

Please do ensure that you use the same product that was originally used on the deck in order to have a compatible system that doesn't react or have adherence problems.

Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene Bark
Resene Bark
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Quarter Tuna
Resene Oilskin
Resene Oilskin
Resene Rough N Tumble
Resene Rough N Tumble
February 2017

Q. I'd be grateful for your help choosing an exterior paint colour for a couple of LINEA® feature walls on our house. The LINEA® replaces cream coloured texture board. The rest of the house is cream brick facade (in a colour similar to Resene Pearl Lusta/Resene Double Pearl Lusta) with concrete coloured mortar.

The joinery is aluminium in IPT Wizard (mid greyish-blue). The roof is Corona Shake in Storm Grey (a dark charcoal). The gutters and garage door is Grey Friars. The soffits are Resene White. We would like a modern light-mid grey colour for the LINEA®. Both feature walls have a large window with the Wizard joinery.

We've replaced cream wallpaper on the inside with Resene Merino which looks good with the joinery but it's far too white for the exterior (we live in Mt Maunganui so very bright light).

A. The Wizard joinery is the definite blue/green /grey colour and anything on the LINEA® walls would have to co-ordinate with it or be darker than it - unless you want the windows to pop out and be more noticeable. Is this what you want?

You might check out these soft greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Atomic, Resene Cape Cod, Resene Regent Grey or Resene Gull Grey. Or a lighter version of the Grey Friars that you have used on the gutters and garage door - Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
 
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Cape Cod
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
February 2017

Q. I'm updating our master bedroom and I love the look of a deep dark blue feature wall behind the bed. I've been looking at Resene True Blue but the bedroom is in the south-east corner and surrounded by trees so isn't flooded with natural light. In additional the ceiling heights are normal (low) and I wonder if a darker smaller ceiling can cope with this sort of a blue colour? What other rich deep colour could you recommend and what might complement with it?

A. You don't mention what colour the other walls are and what colour the ceiling is. They will definitely play a part in whether the deep blue works or not. Perhaps you could paint all of a testpot (two coats) onto a super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and pin it behind the headboard and check out what it looks like during the day and the night under different types of light.

If the headboard wall is in deep shadow always it may not be the best wall to see how lovely a deep blue looks. Usually the lightest/brightest wall shows up the colours to best advantage.

Take your time to test a deep colour - and if it doesn't work and look as great as you would like it to then perhaps you might consider a new duvet or bedspread in a deep colour instead.

Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
February 2017

Q. I am building a new house and want to choose a serene colour scheme, but I also want to be adventurous. I thought about using Resene Thor in the hallways and bedrooms, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Iron in the living and dining areas, and Resene Double Alabaster on door and window frames, etc. For the bathroom and my office (I work in a creative field) I wanted something inspiring/stimulating and was looking at Resene Opal, Resene Conch, Resene Sea Nymph or something similar. Would any of these colours work with the rest of my choices? Am I using too many colours in one house?

A. Firstly I must say that you can have as many colours as you like - it is your house.

But with any new build the wall colour decisions come after you have made all the decisions for the hard and soft flooring, the kitchen cabinets and work tops and the drapes and blinds. There are far less of these options available to you - and they are more expensive - so it pays to make your best pick from these then tie it together with wall colours.

So - in regard Resene Thor - please do take into account that all colours in an interior are strongly affected by light and shade as well as what other coloured elements are near them - and they always look much deeper than you might imagine they will do. With that thought in mind Resene Thor might be fabulous as a feature wall in a bedroom or as a main wall colour in a very large bright space. It may make you feel as if you need to slide sideways down the hallway carrying a torch as it will - like a lot of deeper colours - gobble up the light and make the walls appear closer to you.

You may need to lighten Resene Silver Chalice to half strength - Resene Half Silver Chalice - in order for it to not deepen up to much. Testing colours by painting all of the testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted border all around the edges will allow you to focus on the true reality of the colour and it can be moved from wall to wall/room to room to see how much it alters with changing light and angles.

Take your time to choose colours - testpots if used the way I have indicated, are your best friend in regard knowing exactly what the colour is like. The card is readily available at all Resene ColorShops for a really minimal cost and it is the perfect size for judging colour.

Resene Thor
Resene Thor
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Opal
Resene Opal
Resene Conch
Resene Conch
Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
February 2017

Q. We are looking at replacing our kitchen. The cabinetry will be Resene Half Tea with composite benchtops in a similar tone and colour. What colour would you suggest for our dining room and kitchen walls, all one space? We want nothing too out there but a little different; also ideas for the splashback. Our adjoining lounge is in Resene Tea.

A. You might look at using a warm but pale neutral - Resene Albescent White. Or a whiter colour - Resene Double Alabaster. Or a slightly lighter variant of the cabinet colour - Resene Quarter Tea. These are not different - but are not out there.

A definite - different - colour might be Resene Half Periglacial Blue for the walls which might relate to a splashback in Resene Inside Back. Or a warm grey/brown for the splashback - Resene Taupe Grey - this would work with any of the three neutral wall options.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
   
February 2017

Q. I'm a big Resene fan and have been using your paint and website for many years. I've got a curly one I'm hoping you can help me with please? We’re painting our house and would really appreciate some guidance on a few things. We've just done the roof tiles in Resene Quarter Sandstone which we're really pleased with and the brick is summit stone so we need to match a couple of things to that. The soffit is Resene Alabaster.

We're getting a new garage door. The available colours are COLORSTEEL® ones, but we're not sure if any of them are a fantastic match. Do you think Surfmist will work? Or do we need to go for the more expensive option of getting it powder coated to match.

Above all the windows, doors and a few other larger spots (entranceway, alcove window) there is a textured area that will need painting. I think it needs to blend in nicely to so it doesn't become a feature. Since Resene Sandstone doesn't go lighter than Quarter what would be the equivalent of Resene Eighth Sandstone? Or do you have any other suggestions?

If we ended up powder coating the garage door I was thinking I'd go with the lighter version, rather than the Resene Quarter Sandstone, so that it didn't stand out and then would be the same colour as the painted bit directly above. Do you think that is the best approach?

A. COLORSTEEL® garage door colours are also available as Resene paint colour matches. A standard COLORSTEEL® colour - apart from COLORSTEEL® Titania (aka Surfmist) might be COLORSTEEL® Sandscape - Resene colour match is called Resene Lighthouse.

If you wanted a more related colour between the house colour and the roof colour it might be better to paint - that way you do get a choice that may suit better rather than a default colour from a small standard selection.

That is what I would recommend - a lighter colour that looks similar to the Resene Sandstone palette might be Resene Cloudy.

Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Lighthouse
Resene Lighthouse
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
February 2017

Q. I am looking for a modern colour palette for the exterior of our home. It is a weatherboard and painted brick 1960s home, on a sloping section. Two sides of the home are mostly weatherboard with a touch of brick and the other two sides are more brick than weatherboard. I have tried a few sample pots in shades of grey, but am struggling to find two colours that look fresh and modern together (i.e. one shade for the weatherboard and one for the brick) and also that don't look strange when you reach the sides where the brick overpowers the weatherboard.

I had looked at Resene Silver Chalice - which we loved on the weatherboard, but struggled to find a matching colour for the brick, After a few weeks however, as we live in a very busy main road, we noticed that where we had placed the Resene Silver Chalice test section on the house, that it is not suitable as the road pollution shows up clearly and would require a lot of cleaning. Therefore we are looking for something darker, but not too dark (especially as we are of the thought that the brick should be slightly darker and grounding). In saying that we would not be opposed to one colour all round if there is a colour you think would work well here.

We definitely want white windows and would like a feature front door - perhaps something like Resene Shark.

We are also looking to replace the deck using composite wood in a grey shade.

A. Are you painting the roof of the house as well? If you are then you might check out this colour - Resene Nocturnal.

A colour suggestion for the weather boards - a little deeper and with a bit of earthy undertone so perhaps the road pollution won't show as much - Resene Half Friar Grey.

For the brick base you could do it the same as the weatherboards in order to blend it in a bit more. Or a slightly deeper colour might be Resene Friar Grey. If it isn't too much deeper than the weatherboards it won't cut the house into slabs of colour - like a layer cake, just a thought.

A white for all the trims and windows could be Resene Half Black White, the doors could be Resene Element.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
 
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Element
Resene Element
February 2017

Q. We are looking for help with an exterior paint colour please. We are looking to have one single colour instead of two currently used. We have a blue roof; not sure of the colour but the blue on the house was matched to tie in with the roof and that is Resene Blue Whale. Our fencing has now been painted black. We have brown aluminium joinery. I'm looking for a darker colour to disguise rather than enhance the joinery.

A. Some browner based neutrals that you might consider in order to blend in the brown aluminium joinery are these ones - Resene Stonehenge, Resene Pravda, Resene Settlement, Resene Napa, Resene Double Tea or Resene Half Stonewall.

Resene Blue Whale
Resene Blue Whale
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Half Stonewall
Resene Half Stonewall
 
February 2017

Q. We live on a bush section with a water view. The double storey house is board and batten with a steep and high pitched iron roof. We will be using Resene Truffle on the main house with Resene Triple Truffle on the deck balustrades and Resene Alabaster on the wooden window frames with a black gloss front door. Can you suggest a good dark roof colour please? I think Resene Ironsand is too light and too brown? Resene Bokara Grey looks like it might be too severe a black when painted. And Resene Nocturnal looks fine on the paint pot sample but I think may be too light a grey when on the roof. Do roofs usually look much lighter than the paint pot samples would suggest once painted? We tried the pots on the Resene card and they looked very dark and then on our stone wall and iron outbuilding and they looked far lighter. I also need a colour for our stone wall and fence that is either the same as the roof or tones in with those above.

A. If the angle of the roof faces toward the sun at a 45 degree angle any colour will look lighter. Do you see a huge amount of roof? I personally don't think Resene Nocturnal will look too light. The darkest alternative colours might be Resene All Black (this matches COLORSTEEL® Ebony) or Resene Bokara Grey (a black that is warmed up) but they might be too black. You might check out them out to see if they appeal to you.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
 
February 2017

Q. What colours are closest to Resene Wombat which I have used but would like to try either a slightly darker or very similar tone?

A. Slightly lighter colours might be these ones - Resene Cement, Resene Bronco or deeper - Resene Deep Bronze.

Resene Wombat
Resene Wombat
Resene Cement
Resene Cement
Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Deep Bronze
Resene Deep Bronze
February 2017

Q. We are building a home and using Shadowclad® battens (Resene stain Crowshead) with a pitch black roof and appliance while windows. We are just unsure if we have picked the right grey for our weatherboards. We have Resene Delta in mind. Do you have any other greys you could recommend to suit better?

A. If you like Resene Delta, then there is no reason to not use it. It is a little deeper than what is recommended for real timber weatherboards. Real timber requires quite light colours with a Light Reflective Value of between 45-100 % and Resene Delta has a LRV of 39% but as long as you are aware of that and don't mind that it may conflict with the Build Consent approval. Have you gone over these requirements with your builder and painter? Any wood surface - this includes the Shadowclad® - has specific requirements in regard depth of colour. If the weatherboards aren't real timber (LINEA® or some other cementitious cladding) then it is not a problem - they can have deeper colours applied to them without jeopardising the surface.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
February 2017

Q. I have Resene Double Sea Fog walls in my house and was looking at painting either a Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Half Robin Egg Blue feature wall. Do either one of these colours work well with Resene Double Sea Fog? I have Resene Black White trims and ceiling.

A. Either colour will look nice with Resene Double Sea Fog - the Resene Duck Egg Blue may lose a little of its blue edge and just look grey unless it is painted onto a wall that gets a lot of direct sunlight all day. Resene Half Robin Egg Blue is a warmer colour and may create more of sense of contrast and visual interest when used with Resene Double Sea Fog.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
February 2017

Q. We live in an old triple brick homestead with 3.5 metre stud walls. I love the scandi design approach to homes and want to create a modern country interior to our home. All the floors are rimu wood throughout the house. The long hallway has a ceiling which has a dark wood stain. I want a colour that flows through the whole house into the bedroom and sitting room to complement the old and new furniture. I love Resene Triple Black White but want to know if this would work in the hallway which has light at one end and a fire burner at the other. How do I get the hall lighter? Do I use the same paint colour throughout? Would you paint the ceiling dark or white? What would you do with the skirting boards and doors? This room get the sun in the morning. An identical room opposite gets the afternoon sun - would you paint them the same?

A. Hallways are always a bit lacking in natural light - they don't have windows letting in lots of light so they will always make colours appear deeper - often doubling in depth. I strongly recommend that you lighten the hallway a little bit by using Resene Double Black White and spend the time and the labour involved in painting the ceiling and all woodwork in a whiter colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Black White. The slightly lighter colour on the walls may well look like Resene Triple Black White - but it won't look deeper or greyer.

If you are keen on using Resene Triple Black White you will find that in the room that gets early morning sunlight the colour may take on a greener look (possibly resembling Resene Triple Merino) and when the sun moves away leaving the room in shadow it will look like a cooler grey.

The room that gets afternoon sun the same wall colour will look much warmer - possibly more of a yellow grey tone - it may resemble Resene Quarter Ash. So the same colour in multiple rooms will always look totally different in each room.

Testing the colour by painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges will help you see a large enough sample to truly judge what the colour looks like. The unpainted border acts as a barrier that keeps existing wall colour from negatively influencing what the colour looks like. The large sample can be pinned up in every room/every wall so you can see just how much the colour will alter - and it will. If you roll the card into a tube or a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you will see it deeper - as if all four walls were painted. Colours always look deeper than you imagine they will do. You need to know this before you commit to buying the colour and being disappointed that it doesn't behave and look as you would like it to.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
 
February 2017

Q. I'm painting walls/kitchen cupboards in Resene Half Sandspit Brown - what colour do I paint ceiling trims. I'm keen on Resene Quarter Albescent White but is there not enough contrast? Would Resene Alabaster or Resene Double Alabaster be better?

A. Using Resene Quarter Albescent White as a ceiling and trim colour with Resene Half Sandspit Brown maintains a soft warm colour and a soft light co-ordinate. I don't think it is too similar but if you do and would prefer a cleaner/crisper whiter colour contrast then yes, Resene Alabaster will achieve that look for you.

Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
February 2017

Q. We are building a new house. The kitchen will be painted Resene Double Alabaster. The kitchen island will have tongue and groove on the outside painted in Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. The joinery is Matt Titania. I am thinking of painting the open plan living and kitchen area walls Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. What colours do you think might work for the walls? Would Resene Double Alabaster be good for the walls and if so what should go on the ceiling?

A. You could use Resene Half Duck Egg on the walls in the open plan kitchen/living room but it will steal away the feature colour aspect of the kitchen island - do you want the island to merge in with the walls and be less noticeable?

I think it could be a good idea to use Resene Double Alabaster as a main colour on the walls in most rooms (but not all) and if you use Resene White for all the ceilings then you will see the main wall `white' colour look a little bit more coloured and it will emphasise the Resene Half Duck Egg Blue on the kitchen island.

It would allow you to accessorise with colours with total freedom. It would also work with almost any flooring options. You could use more of the Resene Half Duck Egg Blue - as a feature wall in the living room, or as a main wall colour in a large very light sunny room - or you might just find drapes or blinds in that sort of colour to use in the living room.

If you like the idea of a slightly deeper - but related colour - you might use the full strength version of Resene Half Duck Egg Blue - Resene Duck Egg Blue - in the master bedroom. It can look really stunning with white woodwork.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
February 2017

Q. I want to know the best white that will go with dark flooring. I don't want anything that will throw a yellow, brown or pink.

A. Any of these clean crisp whites would work - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Wan White. These whites have deeper versions in their ranges also if you want to use more colour.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
February 2017

Q. I have used a standard ceiling white and on the walls I have used Resene Black White. I am now not sure what colour to paint my trims/skirting and doors.

A. You could use Resene Quarter Black White for wood trims and doors in the house. Many colours will work with the white that you have chosen as the main colour in the house - but possibly not creams as they may make the Resene Black White take on a grey look. You can use bright fizzy colours to pop and be cheerful (limes, oranges, reds, yellows), soft muted colours (pale, mid and deep greys, soft duck egg blues, mysterious mushrooms and mauves) and deep rich colours (deep plum reds, navy and deep green).

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
February 2017

Q. We are going to paint our interior walls and replace our mocha coloured carpet and we want to stick with a neutral palette. The house is small and won't get much sun so we are hoping to enhance more light and space through the paint colour. Would you be able to suggest something for the walls and ceiling?

A. You may find these colours appealing - Option #1 - Resene Eighth Sisal – walls and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta - ceilings and all painted wood trims, or Option #2 - Resene Half Spanish White – walls and Resene Half Bianca - ceilings and all painted wood trims. The colours are warm neutrals and having a tiny bit of colour in the ceilings and woodwork colour makes a soft modern look.

Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
February 2017

Q. We are currently painting the exterior of our villa. We have painted the weatherboard in Resene Quarter Stack and the windows and fences in Resene Black White. I would like some help in finding a suitable colour for our windowsills, garage and roof (ideally we would like these painted the same colour although would consider other options too). We painted the roof in Resene Gauntlet but when the sun hits it, it is way too light and not enough of a contrast so we will change it. We like Grey Friars but our neighbour is painting their roof in Grey Friars so we don't want to paint ours the same colour. Can you please suggest a dark colour for our roof etc? We like Resene Steel Grey but we are worried that it may not be dark enough when the sun hits it.

A. All roof colours can appear lighter due to the sunlight and the angle of the roof. Deeper colours can too - not just lighter ones. You might check out these colours - listed in order of darkness - to see if they appeal to you - Resene Element, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Tuna.

Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
 
February 2017

Q. What colour should the roof and garage door be? I think the current colour is Resene Explorer on the roof and garage and Resene Coast on the spouting. Our roof painter has recommended Resene Grey Friars for the roof (did not suggest repainting spouting. I don't think a blue spouting and grey roof would be very pleasing to my eye however. I’m not sure about the garage door but continuity would be good.

A. You may need to do the roof, guttering (spouting) and garage door the same colour. To leave one part of a previous colour palette isn't always appropriate as it is the odd man out in the scheme. Colour choices for these elements need to be carefully considered in order to work with the main house colour.

Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
February 2017

Q. I want to paint the exterior of our house. At the moment I love Resene Paddock from The Range. I wondered if there was a muddier or darker version of it and what it is called, if it exists. Our house is currently Resene Tapa and I want to go a bit darker. I like the sage greens.

Also, what is a nice white to go with it for the trim? I am thinking white with a bit of green in it, but more like an eggshell (Resene Merino)? The roof is being replaced with grey COLORSTEEL®.

A. Resene Merino is a nice option as a white with an earthy undertone. Another one that you might consider is Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Colours that you might check out for the main house colour might be one of these – Resene Port Phillip, Resene Rivergum, Resene Templestone or Resene Canyon.

Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
 
February 2017

Q. We have two double storey properties in the Mt Cook area which we are about to repaint and we wish to use Resene. I am wondering whether you have a gold paint for some of the feature bits and pieces on the houses similar to the gold on The Hermitage in St Petersburg.

A. Yes, Resene paints do have gold paints in their Metallic range - these are a few you might check out - Resene Gold Dust, Resene Gold, Resene Gold Mine or Resene Bullion.

Resene Gold Dust
Resene Gold Dust
Resene Gold
Resene Gold
Resene Goldmine
Resene Goldmine
Resene Bullion
Resene Bullion
February 2017

Q. I'm wondering what exterior colour scheme you could suggest for our new house. It will be made up of plaster finish largely with Shadowclad® grooved features surrounding two large windows which front onto a wetlands reserve.

We are thinking of an Ebony or FlaxPod COLORSTEEL® roof. It’s been suggested Resene White Pointer for the plaster and Resene Bark stain for the Shadowclad - we want a nice brown/chocolate colour - with no red/orangey tones.

We would like an earthy tone, but still a modern concept.

We would love a brave splash of bright colour on the front door, looking at everything from turquoise to red to orange, or a cooler coastal tone blue.

A. I like the colours that have been suggested to you - Resene White Pointer and Resene Woodsman – Bark but you might also check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Truffle and Resene Woodsman - English Walnut or Resene Quarter Craigieburn and Resene Woodsman – Treehouse.

Bold colours with a bit of WOW to them for the front door could be just about anything you favour but these colours might be considered and checked out - Resene Wheel Of Fortune, Resene ASAP, Resene Clockwork Orange, Resene Red Berry or Resene She’ll Be Right.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Bark
Resene Bark
     
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut
     
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Treehouse
Resene Treehouse
     
Resene Wheel Of Fortune
Resene Wheel Of Fortune
Resene ASAP
Resene ASAP
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Red Berry
Resene Red Berry
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
February 2017

Q. I’m looking for a simple colour suitable for an art deco stucco dwelling in a cold environment. It’s currently blue, window frames will be white. Any suggestions much appreciated, I'm a man and it won't be pretty if I have a crack at it.

A. Please check out these colours - they may give you the new, simple, light and warm look you want - Main colour - Resene Biscotti.

Window frames, sashes, window sills, door frames and any raised flat decorative detail across the house might be Resene Eighth Spanish White - yes it is a little bit coloured so it isn't as stark as pure white but will look amazing with the main colour. All doors - Resene Trouble - this will give you a little Wow on the doors.

Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
February 2017

Q. We are renovating our 1970s home and have three doors at the bottom of narrow stairs which we thought would be fun to paint different colours. The walls in the rooms will be Resene Half Sisal like the rest of the house and the carpet brown. The stair walls leading down to them currently feature Resene Pohutukawa but need redoing so could change. Thinking a red for the bedroom door but open to ideas for the office door (maybe blue?) and internal access laundry door (maybe orange or green?).

A. Do you want to have two reds in a small area - the Resene Pohutukawa on the stairwell and another red on the bedroom door? This could be a bit of a clash - reds are often too strong natured to have several that close to each other. Using the same red – Resene Pohutukawa - on the door and the stairwell may be a `red overload'. Have a look at these three colours - all of which look good close to Pohutukawa and see what you think – Resene Hashtag, Resene Discover or Resene Malarkey.

If the stairwell colour was going to change then you definitely could use the Resene Pohutukawa on the bedroom door. The stairwell might be repainted into a more neutral colour so the doors were more exciting to look at. Perhaps using a paler version of the colour you have used in the rest of the house - Resene Quarter Sisal.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
   
Resene Hashtag
Resene Hashtag
Resene Discover
Resene Discover
Resene Malarkey
Resene Malarkey
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
February 2017

Q. I have a south facing rimu kitchen - vaulted ceiling, beams, floor and cupboard doors. The navy Formica® bench must remain. The walls are currently Resene Wanderlust. Can you suggest what colour to paint the cupboards as I find it all too dark and want to lighten it up. I don't want cold stark white, but something light.

A. You might look at these colours to see if one of them appeals to you - Resene Cararra, Resene Half Wheatfield or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

They are light, warm neutrals that should work with the rimu and the Resene Wanderlust. If you did want to lighten the walls - no you don't have to - I do like Resene Wanderlust - you might consider another (slightly) fresher type of green like Resene Westwood.

Resene Wanderlust
Resene Wanderlust
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Westwood
Resene Westwood
February 2017

Q. I am looking for some greys for a plaster and weatherboard exterior. What do you recommend?

A. You could try Resene Stack - for the weatherboards and Resene Quarter Silver Chalice - for the plaster (lighter colour on the plaster gives a nice contrast), or Resene Taupe Grey - for the weatherboards (a warm earthy stone grey) and Resene Triple Sea Fog - for the plaster – (a mist/fog grey white).

Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
February 2017

Q. We want to paint the exterior of our house and we want some help in choosing the right shades. We have decided that the window frames will be Resene Sea Fog. Our new roof will be Grey Friars and we like the look of copper spouting. We want neutral colours, maybe with a darker base and a lighter shade for the middle portion of the house. Our front door is a new aluminium one and the closest colour to it would possibly be Resene Half Cougar or Resene Quarter Cougar. We like the shades of the Resene Tapa family and the Resene Gravel family.

A. I like the idea of the copper spouting as it will look warm. Resene Sea Fog for the windows is a good off white with a grey undertone.

Will you mind if the colours you have mentioned for the house are quite different to the front door colour - darker and more olive green toned greys - and not that well related?

Will you mind if the bright sunlight makes the roof colour - Grey Friars - take on a blue undertone?

These are some things for you to consider carefully before proceeding.

I always suggest to people that if they can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 sheets of colour in their Colour Library - all of them (even the white and the roof colour) and judge their suitability and how they respond to each other that way it can be very helpful. Please take a metal sample of the front door colour with you at the same time as it is an integral part of the colour palette and you need to see them all together.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
February 2017

Q. We are building a new COLORSTEEL® house that we are planning on doing in New Denim Blue. We are going to put some cedar boards above the windows and doors but are not sure this is enough to break up the blue. What would you recommend we use to paint under the eaves and posts? We are located in Central Otago.

A. Is your whole house - walls, windows, doors and roof - all going to be New Denim Blue? If this is the case it may take a lot more than a small amount of cedar and the eaves and posts to minimise the blue impact of the house.

You have a very bright quality of natural light in Central Otago so your house will reflect the sky a lot and sometimes - depending on the site aspect - it will merge into the horizon. Is that your plan?

Were you planning on painting the cedar or staining it? If you were planning on staining the cedar then the mid browns would work to balance all the blue on the house - i.e. Resene Woodsman - Nutmeg or Resene Woodsman - Bark. If you were planning on painting the cedar then you might consider using Resene Half Lignite or Resene Groundbreaker.

For under the soffits/eaves and posts on the house you could use a light (but not too white) colour like Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Half Titania. These types of colours stop the stark contrast that a true white might exert on the New Denim Blue making it appear much bluer.

COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Bark
Resene Bark
Resene Half Lignite
Resene Half Lignite
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
   
February 2017

Q. I have painted one coat of Resene Half Linen in my kitchen dining area. Now I’m wondering if it’s too dark. We still need to add the edging around the floors and tops of the walls which I wonder might lighten up the room as I will paint a white colour. I have considered painting over the Resene Half Linen with Resene Quarter Linen which may lighten it? Or my other option is to just repaint with a lighter colour. I have a white floor tile, light beige brown swirl, tongue and groove wood ceiling, medium colour wood and a white bench top. I have not chosen a splashback colour yet. I was looking at the green metallic colour which Resene Raptor is, for the base for but now wonder if that’s too much green. We are planning to purchase thermal blinds and they are most likely to be a dark colour. I guess I’m wondering if you have any suggestions about whether it’s possible to stay with this colour and lighten with either option above or am I best to start the colour process again and find a lighter warmer colour.

A. I personally don't think that Resene Half Linen is too dark. It is a very light colour but other things may make it appear deeper. If you see it on a window wall then any colour (even white) will look a bit deeper than you though it was going to be. Natural light from the windows throws shadow on the walls (around the windows) and that often makes a colour feel deeper. Electric lights - especially if they are normal incandescent bulbs - make colours look warmer (more coloured) also. LED lights or daylight cool light bulbs have brighter/white light and that helps combat that night time yellowed look.

If you use a crisp clear white - i.e. Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster - that would lighten up the look overall. The fact that you have a tongue and groove wood ceiling steals a lot of light from a room. Wood is a strong colour. Most ceilings are lighter/brighter/whiter which reflects a lot of light into a room and also makes the room seem larger.

If you are worried about the splashback colour then perhaps choosing a lighter colour - it still could be a green - might work better for you - have you looked at Resene Proton - it is very similar to the Resene Half Linen so not such a radical feature more a soft transitional colour.

If you favour thermal blinds that are dark then there are times when the room will look darker - whereas lighter/brighter/whiter blinds add more brightness overall and don't gobble up the light.

Think things through carefully. Take your time. Look at colour over several days. Try throwing a white sheet over the stair balustrades so it covers a lot of the wood on that wall and see how you feel when the influence of the wood is lessened.

Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Raptor
Resene Raptor
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Proton
Resene Proton
February 2017

Q. We are shifting to a dark 1960s house with chocolate/mocha brown carpet. I would like to paint the interior a modern white to match the carpet already there. Currently where we live now, we have Resene Merino and Resene Double Merino throughout which I just love, but I don't think this will match the next place so well. Any thoughts on a good solution to brighten the house but match the carpet?

A. Existing natural and artificial light in the rooms, the angles of the walls and any other dominant colour (apart from the carpet colour) will alter your view as to what the colour is really like so I suggest you take your time choosing a colour.

Without being in the house and testing samples of colours right up against the carpet it is almost impossible to get it right. Match is possibly the wrong word to describe what you want - if you say 'match' to someone trying to help you then it is quite possible they will offer you a colour that is very very similar to the carpet colour.

A good co-ordinating coloured white may be one of these - but when you test it, it may be wrong so please take it slowly - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Quarter White Pointer.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
February 2017

Q. Please could you recommend a good neutral colour paint to go with brown carpet that is light to make the room seem bigger but a warm colour as the room may not get a lot of sun?

A. You might check out these light warm neutrals to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
February 2017

Q. We are looking at redecorating our house at the beach - just the walls and ceiling. It is currently wallpapered in the mid 1997 look. We are keeping the carpet and linoleum as they are in good condition. We need help with colours, wallpaper, feature walls. Not sure which way to go. All the doors are timber as is the kitchen. The upstairs bathroom has just been refitted all white with timber features.

A. Choosing a new palette of colours needs to relate to the existing flooring - you need to harmonize as much as possible - and with any new flooring - which ideally must also harmonise.

It is relatively easy to repaint a ceiling and possibly the window surrounds in a crisp clean white - Resene White - because it instantly freshens up these surfaces. Skirting boards and door frames - and any painted doors - might be more related to the wall colour. It could be a semi-gloss enamel version of the low sheen acrylic wall colour so the sheen is the only difference - not the colour. But if that is too difficult by all means undercoat these surfaces in white to see if you like that look - sort of a dress rehearsal - and if you don't like white then you know you can use the wall colour - whatever it is. A lot of people use one colour in all rooms - something for you to think about?

You mention using wallpaper and if you favour a room or even just a wall being done in wallpaper I suggest you spend a little time checking out what is available in the Resene in store wallpaper library and ordering some samples. This may be the inspiration that the new paint colours relate to. By choosing paint colours first you may inadvertently find it stops you having certain wallpapers that you really want to have.

Stripping old wallpaper, fixing up bumps and dings in the walls and sealing old plaster, hard boards and plasterboard so that the next stage looks marvellous is not a waste of time. If you plan on painting over the old wallpaper it may need to be sealed with a specific wallpaper sealer if the paper is a vinyl coated paper. Some people undercoat in white all the walls so that they can better see their spaces, the light in the rooms and what tested colours and wallpapers look like on that truly neutral background.

Resene White
Resene White
February 2017

Q. We are still struggling to find a colour scheme for the exterior of our home. It's a mishmash of products – the majority is white Palisade®, then we have feature areas of hideous brown stone. We also have vertical timber cladding that is solely in in the front entry. We have two large deck areas that also need repainting, one of which leads upstairs to the front entry. The Palisade® will stay as is but we want to paint the stone as it dates the house, the vertical cladding and also decks. We live near the beach so want to keep it coastal with greys. The front door is really light timber with frosted horizontal glass inserts and the joinery is silver. The roof I think is New Denim Blue as is the garage door. The garage door we'll paint the same as the stone and the roof at some stage. We were thinking Resene Black White for window trims, decking balustrades and posts at the front entry area etc (it matches the Palisade® quite nicely) and a light grey on the vertical cladding in the entry.

I have tried Resene Athens Grey and Resene Quarter Silver Chalice on the front entry vertical timber cladding and it looks great so are leaning towards one of those perhaps for that area, however we are struggling to find a grey for the stone - have tried Resene Half Baltic Sea and full Resene Baltic Sea but it's throwing up blue and purple. I think for the stone we need a more grey grey if that's possible rather than blue grey and something with a bit of depth so it doesn't look to plastic. We also painted a section black and it looks horrendous. Maybe a charcoal type grey would look better? The decks are currently painted black so will need repainting a grey so they're cooler to walk on. We will eventually paint our fencing and timber garden edging dark too.

A. I think if you use too black a tone on the stone work you may find it looks too harsh in the environment. Some paints do look plastic on a stone or concrete surface especially the darker colours. The testpot paint is Resene Lumbersider (low sheen).

If you went with the Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Athens Grey you might consider using a soft toned deep grey like one of these colours – Resene Quarter Foundry, Resene Wireless, Resene Double Trojan or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

I like the whiter trim colour and would actually consider it appropriate for the trellised fences for a traditional coastal look.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Double Trojan
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
 
February 2017

Q. I need a warm white to paint the entire inside of townhouse at the beach without it looking sterile or cold.

A. Perhaps one of these warm whites may appeal to you – Resene Half Soapstone, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Chalk Dust.

Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
February 2017

Q. I am redoing our very small bathroom with not a lot of natural light and separate toilet with no natural light. I like Resene Half Coriander for the walls but I'm unsure what to use on the window frame, door and door frame. I was thinking of Resene Coriander but then wondered if something lighter may look better.

A. In order to increase the light and make the spaces seem brighter I would be inclined to use a much whiter colour with a very little undertone of yellow warmth to it. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
February 2017

Q. I have just painted my lounge walls with Resene Jet Stream and now want to repaint my ceiling. My ceiling is currently Resene Anakiwa and it makes the Resene Jet Stream look white. What colour(s) would you recommend I look at for the ceiling? I'm after a white/neutral colour.

A. Colours like Resene Jet Stream - because of their fresh cool ambiance - often look good with these types of white neutrals – Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Black White or Resene Chalk Dust.

Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Anakiwa
Resene Anakiwa
   
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
February 2017

Q. What colour should we paint the door frame… white? Or the same colour as the exterior or the same colour as the door?

A. You could do any of those. Often the door frame is painted the same colour as the window joinery.

February 2017

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

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