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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 64

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. 64

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


Q. I am trying to find a wall colour that complements a travertine tile floor and a white kitchen with honed back granite bench tops. We don't want anything too yellow but something that gives some interest. We are considering Resene Solitaire. Resene Quarter Solitaire seems a bit light for the kitchen cabinetry and benchtop.

A. If you want a clear peachy cream then any of the Resene Solitaire palettes will give you that sweet pastel look.

Alternatively you might look at this colour - Resene Quarter Spanish White. It has less yellow/orange in it compared to Resene Solitaire. Or if you don't want as much warmth in the colour you might look at Resene Albescent White.

Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
March 2017

Q. I am looking for ideas of Resene colours to do my kitchen. We are creating a larger space and replacing all units. Cabinets will be white with a Caesarstone benchtop in Vanilla Noire. Floors are polished rimu. I have a black Belling range going in as well. Do you have any recommendations on colours I could use for the walls?

A. If you used a light coloured off white it may work with the cabinets (if they are a true optic white) and the lush looking bench tops and the polished rimu floors. You might try one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Albescent White.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
March 2017

Q. Our house exterior is Resene Grey Green. I would like to pick out some features and window sills in a burnt orange and maybe repaint the roof dark grey. Which oranges and greys would go well with this dark green?

A. If the main colour is the Resene Woodsman stain colour Grey Green you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Roof options - Resene Chicago, Resene Squall, Resene Ironsand or Resene Windswept. Trim options - Resene Rumour Has It, Resene Desperado, Resene Ayers Rock or Resene Countdown.

Resene Grey Green
Resene Grey Green
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Countdown
Resene Countdown
 
March 2017

Q. We have recently purchased a Lockwood house and want to paint the interior white. Would you recommend Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Tea? I have recently painted another house Resene Quarter Tea and was happy with it (it wasn't a Lockwood), however I see that there was a Lockwood recently shown that was renovated in Resene Quarter Merino.

A. So to give your Lockwood interior a makeover, you want to sand, seal and paint the varnished pine walls? That will make a very modern, light Scandinavian ambiance in the house.

I suggest you paint up some A2 with several 'whites' and then tape them up on the walls to see how they look. You can move the card from wall to wall and room to room and it will help you see how the colours alter in different areas and at different times of the day.

All colours look deeper in an interior and it is for this reason that you need to see the colour changes. Some very bright rooms with massive windows on three sides of the room may need to have the slightly deeper version of the colour to balance the possibly glare made by the bright light whereas other smaller or dimmer areas may need to have the lightest variation of the colour.

How colours look to your eye - bright, clear, too stark, slightly muddy etc and the undertones with in the colour that make it unique need to be judged.

I like the Resene Merino palette of colours in all its many variations but some people find it too green edged or milky/grey looking. These undertones may be emphasised by the colour of the flooring, drapes, upholstered furniture, and duvets etc so all the more reason to test them carefully. Testpots are your best friend.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
March 2017

Q. What colour would you recommend for the walls for a bedroom with a turquoise bedspread with splashes of red and green? At present they are painted Resene Duck Egg Blue but I want something lighter. The carpet is a warm beigey neutral. I was either going to try Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue or go for something like Resene Eighth Bison Hide to tone in more with the carpet.

A. The colours that you have mentioned are quite grey - and the colours in your soft furnishing and bedspread feature a turquoise. Will you mind if the room looks grey? If you wanted to test a few colours that are more turquoise and less grey toned then you might check these out - Resene Half Cut Glass or Resene Swans Down.

If it is too difficult to find that elusive soft tint of blue/green then certainly a neutral like Resene Eighth Bison Hide or even Resene Albescent White would work for you.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
 
March 2017

Q. We want to repaint a three bedroom cottage house; it is about 100 square metres in size and has a low ceiling. We want it to look bigger and brighter; it gets lots of sun and has some shade from trees but not too badly. Could we put Resene Eighth Tea on the walls with Resene Quarter Black White on the doors and trim and Resene Alabaster on the ceiling? Is it okay, or too grey, not too cool?

A. If you have carefully tested the colours and like them and they go with all the flooring, drapes, upholstered furniture and duvets etc I can see nothing wrong with them.

Some people find that Resene Eighth Tea has a little too much grey/mauve undertone which makes a slightly cool look but if you are ok with that then I am sure it will be fine. If this worries you and you are not sure about the colour then you could use one of these alternatives on the walls - Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Soapstone or Resene Sea Fog.

All colours have the potential to look deeper than you might imagine they will do in an interior. Testpots are your best friend as they allow you to paint up about 1 square metre of colour onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move it from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how the colour alters on each different angle/wall/room. If you leave a narrow unpainted white card border all around the edges of the card it helps you focus on the reality of the colour and acts as a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour. This is helpful so that the existing wall colour can't make you see the tested sample 'wrong'.

Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Soapstone
Resene Soapstone
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
March 2017

Q. We have a Grey Friars tile roof and would like to paint our house a grey colour. Do you have any suggestions? The aluminium joinery is a pale green (unfortunately!)

A. A new grey colour on the house will work splendidly with the roof colour but (and there is always a BUT isn't there?) it will allow the pale green windows to pop and be very noticeable.

Some greys for you to consider - I am rather hoping they appeal to you and work reasonably with the pale green joinery - Resene Transmission, Resene Half Gunsmoke or Resene Half Stack.

Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
March 2017

Q. We have a conservatory with a slate floor and Appliance White window frames on two sides, looking out at garden greens and blue grey sky (most of the time). What colour would you suggest for the other two walls? We thought Resene Double Concrete as a grey but we also like the idea of a little green, perhaps Resene Quarter Lemon Grass.

A. If you have carefully tested Resene Double Concrete and like the faint undertone of romantic lilac silver that there is in this grey then all is well.

But - if you don't want a faint undertone of lilac silver in the grey - then I suggest that you check out the following colours to see if they work for you and respond well to the changing qualities of natural light that you have in the conservatory - Resene Secrets, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Periglacial Blue or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

If you compare them to each other and the Resene Quarter Lemon Grass, you will have a varied assortment of pale greens and blues that slide from clear to muted and slightly grey edged.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
March 2017

Q. We are renovating the interior of a house for sale. Our house has wooden ceilings and a wooden staircase. We wish to tile a number of floor areas such as the main entrance, bathrooms laundry etc. In addition we need to select a colour for new carpet throughout the rest of the house. Of course we will begin painting all the interior walls, ceilings and door as previously they were painted a hideous pink colour. I think we need to go for light colours for the carpet, walls, ceilings and tiles because of the dark timber ceilings in some of the rooms and main staircase.

A. If the areas that are pink are all undercoated in white you may start to see the way ahead better - it is really difficult to choose colour options when one particular colour dominates. The trend at this point in time is whiter/brighter colours and seeing as the wood panelled ceilings and balustrades and handrails are staying as they are now, I suggest you use a soft pale green edged cream/ almost beige as a main colour. This is because of the influence of the wood and the dark green aluminium window frames.

Painted ceilings need to be very light to stop all the wooden surfaces from appearing too 'brown' and heavy. Walls need to be slightly deeper (but not dark) as people like light and space so their own tastes in soft furnishings and drapes can be exploited. Doors, if they are slightly deeper than the walls, forgive constant touching and finger marking and in this case they co-ordinate well with the timber panelled ceilings and staircase timbers.

You could try Resene Half Thorndon Cream – walls, Resene Eighth Rice Cake – ceilings and Resene Thorndon Cream - doors.
These colours will allow you a huge amount of colour options in tiles and carpets. You might avail yourself of the advice of flooring specialists as they have the expertise to find a range of possible flooring options.

Don't choose too pale or too dark a colour for flooring but mid tone colour for both the tiles and carpets will appeal to the majority of the population who may be viewing the house with the idea of purchasing it. You need to know that it isn't too 'trendy' or unusual to put people off. It isn't about what colours you might choose to have in your own home but more about what will sell.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
March 2017

Q. I have a project under construction. We have specified the fascia in Resene Ironsand (COLORSTEEL® co-ordinate colour) to match some other steel claddings on site, but I am considering altering this as the Ironsand has quite a brown tinge in the direct sunlight. Do you have any suggestions for more of a neutral grey-black tone? I have used Resene Tuna previously which worked well. The fascia is cedar paint finish and I am aiming to use CoolColour technology.

A. Colours like Resene Tuna or Resene Grey Friars both have quite a steel blue undertone. Is that what you are wanting on the house? In some types of natural light the blue edge to these colours is very noticeable.

There are two newer colours in the COLORSTEEL® range that are proving popular - a warmer charcoal but not a browner colour – Resene Windswept (COLORSTEEL® TernStyle), or darker in a blackened shade - Resene Element (COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod). They are both CoolColour™ formulated colours.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Element
Resene Element
March 2017

Q. I painted a testpot of Resene Gauntlet onto a Resene A2 sheet, and it was perfect. I then painted it onto some Anaglypta wallpaper (which I'm planning to use) and the Resene Gauntlet looked washed out and pale - even a different tone. Should I undercoat the Anaglypta wallpaper to get a true colour?

A. If the Anaglypta paper is not previously painted then it may just be the texture on the surface that is causing the colour to soften or lighten a little bit. But this is not generally the case - any surface texture makes the colour appear more shaded or slightly deeper than a smooth surface that is painted does.

If the Anaglypta paper is painted already and you are applying the testpot over this colour in a small patch, then it is probably the greater amount of existing wall colour that is influencing how you see the colour. You mention undercoating the Analglypta which makes me think this is the case. All testpot colours need to be applied onto a white back ground (pure white not a coloured white) so that nothing interferes with how the colour is seen. Perhaps try again and see what the colour looks like.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
March 2017

Q. I'm looking for an off-white solution for a natural health clinic. We are doing a complete repaint of the interior. I'm after something that is light and fresh but not as clinical as white. The space is used for counselling, massage, reflexology and other natural health mediums.

A. You might look at these whites - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Bianca. If you are able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real painted samples of these whites in their Colour Library and can compare them to each other whilst viewing them with a sheet of white printer paper (true white) you will be better able to judge their unique colour qualities.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
March 2017

Q. I would like to use Resene Triple Black White as my wall colour. Which white would be the best trim colour? Our house on the outside will be Resene Black and I would like the joinery/trim colour on the outside to match the inside.

A. I do not think you will go far wrong by staying within the Resene Black White palette of whites. Resene Half Black White or Resene Black White will provide definite contrast and will work well with the black exterior and the deeper variant of the colour that you are using in the interior.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
March 2017

Q. I'm painting an old 1950s house that has the shot, wavy bottom, pressed fibre cement cladding. We are painting the trim a warm white. I was wondering what would be a good colour that won't draw attention to the cladding as it's not the nicest. I was thinking of a warm grey, lighter blue grey or anything really, that will look nice.

A. The following suggestions are worthy of being checked out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Cloud, Resene Eighth Pravda, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Rakaia, Resene Duck Egg Blue or deeper tones - Resene Half Regent Grey or Resene Half Grey Chateau.

Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Regent Grey
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
 
March 2017

Q. I need a neutral colour for an interior concrete floor. I have just removed my carpet as I have three inside Alaskan Malamutes. Ideally, a cream would have looked nicest to match French Provincial pale cream and wood furniture with turquoise curtains and other turquoise decorations as well as rugs but I need a colour that won't show up the dirt so easily and not too dark as I only have a very small house, plus the fur they shed is white. I was thinking a pale grey may be suitable. I also need to be able to sweep and wash frequently and I am worried a non-slip surface may make the dog hair hard to sweep? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A. If you use Walk-on Paving and Deck Paint on the concrete floor you will find it is easy to maintain, mop (wet or dry) and vacuum clean.

Soft toned warm greys are possible options - perhaps you could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and are appropriate - Resene Rakaia, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Whiteout, Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, Resene Double House White, Resene Quarter Atmosphere or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
 
March 2017

Q. I want to paint my bedrooms a subtle grey. I have looked at some houses but I think the colour is too harsh or too cold. I am after a very light, warm grey.

A. You might check these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Athens Grey, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Whiteout or Resene Quarter Rakaia.

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
March 2017

Q. I want to paint a weatherboard 60s era house in something similar to Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe with Resene Quarter Black White window surrounds. It has a silvery coloured roof. Can you recommend any other wall colours please? I will possibly put a darker grey on the window sills.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are the sort that appeal to you - Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Pale Slate, Resene Flotsam, Resene Tide or Resene Half Cloud.

Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
     
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Tide
Resene Tide
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
March 2017

Q. The interior of my house was last painted 25 years ago - in a creamy off-white. I am about to have my kitchen fully renovated and need to come up with a colour scheme. I am tending to think of using a more contemporary white - rather than the yellowed cream my walls have become. A friend has suggested Resene Alabaster. If I were to use this very 'white' white, what would you suggest as a slightly stronger white to use for the kitchen cabinetry?

A. You might try a slightly more coloured/warmer white for the walls - it may work better for you and relate well to the wood that you have in the house - perhaps you could look at these ones - Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog

You could use a lighter variant for the cabinets - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Alabaster or you could reverse the colours if you wanted a slightly more coloured white on the cabinets.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
March 2017

Q. I need to paint my open plan living room/kitchen. It's a 1920s villa with a low light level, mostly southerly. Black, cream and blue kitchen, which I hope to update one day, dark blue floor and teal/grey carpets. Dark brown lounge suite and I'll get new curtains. I want a white/light neutral that warms and brightens. I have been looking at Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Truffle.

A. Any colour that is too white or shadowy may look cool in the rooms but Resene Half Bianca is quite a light reflecting warm white.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream may be too deep and could look a little sour/green edged in the southern light aspect. Much lighter versions may be slightly better - i.e. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. Alternatively you could look at Resene Half Orchid White.

Do test them very carefully by painting them up on an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving them around from wall to wall - seeing larger samples and watching how they alter in changing qualities of light is very helpful.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
     
March 2017

Q. I’ve just painted my living room and kitchen in Resene Solitude. It’s a nice blue but it is way too blue. I want to repaint it all again. What colour would you suggest? Do you think Resene Half Solitude, Resene Quarter Solitude or Resene White? I do like it and had thought about using white but I didn’t want it to look like a hospital.

A. I am sorry you have had a hard lesson. Testpots are great to sort out what is right and what is wrong in this regard. If you apply all of the testpot/two coats onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops), it allows you to see a lot of the colour and the card can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how angles and changing light alters the colour. Colours always look deeper (or brighter depending on the type of colour) in an interior - often doubling in intensity.

Resene Solitude is a lovely blue - very clear and a definite blue - even though it appears at first glance to be very pale.

I think you may need a less definite blue colour. Perhaps you might test (carefully in the manner I have suggested) another pale blue to see if plays up on you or works out better - Resene Half Breathless might be worth trialling. If a pale blue still looks too baby boyish then it may mean you can't have it on the wall but perhaps as drapes or other accessories or furnishings in the room.

A white that you might consider could be Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Black White.

Resene Solitude
Resene Solitude
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
March 2017

Q. We have a property that has three dwellings on it - a 1940s weatherboard bungalow with a corrugated iron roof and two 1970s brick/fibrolite/aluminium joinery attached units. We have decided to paint the exterior of the bungalow Resene Edward with Resene Alabaster for the timber joinery. We are also replacing the roof and wonder what colour you could suggest to paint the roof? We intend to use the same colour for the long run roofing of the units. Also, we would like to modernise the exterior of the units – could you suggest colours to paint the fibrolite above the windows and doors? We will keep the doors, bargeboards and soffit white.

A. The roof colour could be one of these options - Resene Grey Friars (a classic charcoal), Resene Jurassic (soft toned green) or Resene Lattitude (a mid-toned grey with a little green edge to it). The fibrolite above the windows could be a deeper version of the type of colour you have on the bungalow - Resene Innocence or Resene Dark Slate.

The doors could be a little bit ínteresting like one of these colours - Resene Burgundy, Resene Pizza or Resene Half Bokara Grey.

Resene Edward
Resene Edward
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Burgundy
Resene Burgundy
Resene Pizza
Resene Pizza
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
March 2017

Q. We are building a two level, two pitched roof house by the beach. The outside of the house is platinum cedar and plaster, joinery is Metropolis Electric Cow Matt, inside will be natural stained wooden floors upstairs in living space, grey carpet in bedrooms and grey polished concrete downstairs. I am looking at paint colours for the interior and the plaster outside. I like Resene White Pointer for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the ceilings and trims. I also thought Resene Alabaster for the outside plaster and chimney which features inside as well as outside. My questions are:

1. Is Resene White Pointer a nice light modern colour and does it go with Resene Alabaster?
2. Is it the trend to use the same colour for walls ceiling and trims? Or would it be best to use Resene White Pointer and Resene Alabaster for a contrast.
3. For external plaster is Resene Alabaster a good choice? I have seen Resene Wan White on a house which looks great but I am not sure if this would work internally on the chimney plaster, with Resene White Pointer on the walls as the sample I have looks quite creamy.

A. Yes, Resene White Pointer is a nice light modern colour and it does look lovely with Resene Alabaster.

The trend seems to favour using lighter/whiter colours to provide a contrast rather than all one colour on everything in an interior. Mind you, in saying that, it is still very much a personal choice.

In an interior, colours often look deeper than you might imagine they will do - and they can look quite different in each room in the house due to the aspect of natural light and the size of the rooms. If you were to test a colour by painting all of the testpot/two coats onto a large white card leaving an unpainted border all around the edges of the card it helps a lot:
You see a large amount of colour. The unpainted (white card) border helps your eye to focus on the reality of the tested sample of colour. The white unpainted portion of the card acts as a barrier that holds the tested sample away from any other colour that may negatively influence it - even unpainted plasterboard is a colour. It can be pinned up on the wall. By moving it from wall to wall/room to room you can see how different angles and light and shade alter the colour.

If you roll the card into a cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you see the colour deeper. This is a good representation of what a room (four walls) might look like.

On the exterior of the house all colours look lighter/brighter - and it is important to move the sample around each side of the house to see how it really looks. You may need a slightly deeper version of the colour so it doesn't look too stark - i.e. Resene Double Alabaster. Resene Wan White isn't creamy at all - it has a cool grey undertone to it. It does make the Resene White Pointer look warmer (less grey/beige) and they don't like to be seen together all that much.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
March 2017

Q. I wish to repaint my family room, kitchen walls and ceiling. The walls are presently painted Resene Half Sisal and the ceiling might be Resene Spanish White. I wondered if the ceiling could be painted Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White. We would like suggestions to lighten the walls. The curtains are a light taupe colour and the kitchen joinery is a light wooden colour with neutral carpet throughout. I would like to go through the whole house with the same colours.

A. If you repaint the very warm cream ceilings with a much lighter whiter colour it will make a huge difference to the light within the rooms. Either white will work well. You may need to test colours carefully in order to see which new look will work best for you.

Several taupe colours that you might start to look at to see if they appeal to you and work with flooring, drapes and coloured furniture might be these ones - Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene White Pointer, Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cloudy.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
March 2017

Q. Could you give some colour suggestions for doors and a handrail when using Resene Double White Pointer and Resene Stonehenge on the exterior of the house, weatherboard and red brick? The window joinery is dark brown aluminium. The deck is unpainted kwila.

A. You might check out these colours for the handrails - Resene Alabaster (a white), Resene Quarter White Pointer (a pale neutral), Resene Eighth Stonehenge (a mid-toned neutral) or Resene Triple Stonehenge (a deep colour).

The doors might be the same colour as the hand rail or one of the other suggested options - or a random 'other ' colour as a feature such as Resene Coast or Resene Atlas.

The Kwila deck could be refreshed with Resene Kwila Timber Stain to enrich the natural colour if it has never been coated.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
March 2017

Q. We are painting our exterior soon; we have Charleston rustic red brick with Palladium silver aluminium and a Grey Friars COLORSTEEL® roof. Along with the red brick, we have LINEA® board and our soffits are Resene Half Sea Fog but I am not sure what colour to do the LINEA®? Originally I was thinking Resene Quarter Stack but with having a red front door I think it may contrast a little. Would you have any ideas and do you think Resene Double Sea Fog would look ok?

A. I think Resene Double Sea Fog is nice but please check out these neutrals also - just in case you like one of them better - Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Double House White. They have slightly more depth - but they are not dark - and look really smart.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double
Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
 
March 2017

Q. We are looking for an exterior (first) and interior (later) colour scheme for our new build. Our theme is modern coastal - so a very neutral colour palette. The house is located around 300 metres from the beach.

The exterior has a bagged brick base. We are thinking white or off white Cedar cladding - thinking Resene Woodsman Whitewash. The aluminium joinery could be a very pale silver/grey.

A. Is the joinery anodised silver aluminium or is it a powder coated colour? This may have quite a bearing on what colours will look good on the exterior. For the bagged brick base you might check out these two options - they are coloured whites - on an exterior real white can look quite glary so these options give a greyed off white look - Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene House White.

The cedar is a very warm toned wood and if it was stained in Resene Woodsman Whitewash it may pick up that warmth and look a little 'rosy' coloured - is that what you are wanting? You may need to do a much heavier application in order to have a 'white look' on the cedar. You might check out a soft ash colour i.e. Resene Woodsman Riverstone - but I do suggest you take the time to do test samples (two coats) on cedar off cuts so you know exactly what Resene Woodsman Whitewash and Resene Riverstone look like. Stain is semi-transparent (see through) and still shows the colour of the wood in some cases. It isn't like a paint colour which totally covers the wood colour.

Resene Whitewash
Resene Whitewash
Resene Riverstone
Resene Riverstone
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene House White
Resene House White
March 2017

Q. We are about to paint a part rendered, part weatherboarded California bungalow style house. We have chosen Resene Half Grey Olive for the main colour. The roof is COLORBOND® Woodland Grey. We will use this for the door and spouting but want a white for the windows and other trims. Can you suggest one that isn't stark white but not too yellow.

A. You might check out these whites to see how they look with the Resene Half Grey Olive and Woodland Grey - Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Half Merino, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Half Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
March 2017

Q. I'm demolishing our guest bathroom next week. I have chosen the tile, polished, for the floor; shower to the ceiling and up to the window on the window wall only. The bath, floating vanity and toilet are all white. The room is fairly bright but it is on the cool side of the house. It is a big modern contemporary house. There is chrome tapware and towel rails. I have blue window joinery. The wood window frame will be painted white to go with white wooden blinds. (We changed all the blinds in the house to white last year). My hallways throughout the house are painted Resene Thorndon Cream, the rooms Resene Tea. I'm struggling to decide on a paint colour for the untiled walls in the bathroom. So far I've thought of a warm blue, or using the Resene Thorndon Cream in maybe a different strength. I want the bathroom to be timeless with elegance but inviting and lovely for our guests.

A. A warm blue carries a little green undertone (not grey or purple) and you might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Cut Glass, Resene Half Eskimo, Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue or Resene Foam.

Lighter versions of Resene Tea and Resene Thorndon Cream would work as well - they may be more of a timeless elegant statement than the warm blues. You could try Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
   
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Half Eskimo
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Foam
Resene Foam
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
   
March 2017

Q. We have Resene Spanish White walls in the kitchen and are having the cabinetry painted. We want a light neutral colour.

A. Because of the very definite warm biscuit cream you have on the walls your kitchen cabinet colour options are a little limited but these are worth checking out - Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Tea, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Drought or Resene Tana.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
 
March 2017

Q. We have a two storey plaster home. It has dark charcoal powder coated windows that are tinted and has a schist base about five feet high. The garage door and front door are stained a cedar colour. Can you recommend a colour to paint the exterior - I am thinking maybe Resene Soapstone.

A. If you carefully tested and like the pale soft undertones of almost pink/mushroom/grey in Resene Soapstone and its work really well with the charcoal windows, schist and cedar then it sounds as though it may be good. Another couple of options to check out and compare to Soapstone - are these ones - Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Merino.

Resene Soapstone
Resene Soapstone
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
March 2017

Q. We want to repaint our 80s style small home exterior and interior. Can we have a recommendation for colours that would still look modern and classy with dark brown aluminium windows? We can't afford to replace them at this point.

A. You might check out these neutral colours and the lighter versions which may be appropriate for the interior of the house - Resene Double White Pointer (Resene Quarter White Pointer), Resene Thorndon Cream (Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream), Resene Tea (Resene Quarter Tea) or Resene Cloud (Resene Quarter Cloud).

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
March 2017

Q. What colour would go well with Resene Tiri wood stain if I use Titania for window joinery?

A. Some colours to consider - Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Ironsand.

Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
March 2017

Q. Our house will have a COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey roof and Ghost Grey window frames. We would like a cream for the weatherboards. We originally thought Resene Clotted Cream but now we are thinking it will look too white. We were hoping for a slightly more cream look but not browny.

A. If you feel that Resene Clotted Cream is too white then you might compare it to several other creams. It’s only by comparing that you can truly judge colours. Try comparing it to Resene Half Spanish White and a deeper version - Resene Spanish White, or Resene Half Dutch White, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Eighth Pavlova.

COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
 
March 2017

Q. We are building, using all LINEA® on the outside. I want a lighter grey house with a darker roof. We have chosen Windsor Grey as our roof colour. What colour grey would be good on the house?

A. You don't mention what colour the powder coated windows will be. Without knowing that, I don't know whether these colours will be 100% right for the house but you might look at them to see if they appeal to you. Try Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Surrender, Resene Quarter Grey Friars or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey.

The first two are soft light colours and the other two are deeper toned charcoals. Your other option would be to use a much whiter main colour which is a classic look with such a dark roof colour.

These options may be something to consider - Resene Double Black White or Resene Half House White.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
March 2017

Q. Our decorator has suggested Resene Alabaster walls, with Resene Sea Fog on the sloped ceilings, for our holiday home. I have Resene Alabaster in my apartment, I've discovered (coincidentally) this morning... so know it well, but how does it compare to Resene Sea Fog, and do you agree that it's a common and good contrast/match?

A. Most people use a paler colour on the ceiling rather than a deeper one. Is there some reason that the decorator has suggested the deeper version of Resene Alabaster – Resene Sea Fog - as the ceiling colour and not the other way around – walls, Resene Sea Fog and ceilings, Resene Alabaster? Do you want a greyer colour on the ceiling and a much, much whiter one on the walls? Resene Alabaster is also referred to as Resene Eighth Sea Fog.

Colours don't represent as well when seen in print or on the computer - if you need to see what they look like, the best way is to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 samples of real painted colour in their Colour Library. It is the very best way to judge colours.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
March 2017

Q. I'm stuck! I want to repaint our living room and hallway an off white colour, but our doors and trim are Resene Half Blanc. I don't want the walls to look too pink but they need to tone in. There are cream and off white tones in the room and the ceiling is Resene Quarter Blanc.

A. You might try these two options – hopefully the definite pink/mushroom colour of the ceiling and woodwork doesn't look more coloured than it is now – Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Or if the existing paintwork does look pinker than you want it to it may be time for a new colour for the ceiling etc - perhaps Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
March 2017

Q. We need a fresh, modern colour scheme for a 1970s motel complex we have just bought. We need something that ties it in with the very white newly painted manager’s house in the front. The problem colour is the brown aluminium windows which must stay. The roofs can change but hopefully not too much from their green as some are in good condition. The units are built with versions of Hardiboard®, some have a galvanised finish. We really need something to lift the complex.

A. A green option for the roof may be Resene Canyon, Resene Squall or Resene Jurassic. The green might be used on fences also.

Any colour will tie in with the white on the painted house that the manager of the motels lives in - white is like that - super obliging and totally neutral. You might use a mid-toned colour on the units – you could try Resene Triple White Pointer (main colour on all the units), Resene Alabaster (trims - under soffits, roof line fascias, guttering, porch posts on the units that are metal), Resene Quarter Lignite (trims) - perhaps the gable ends on the manager’s house and any painted door frames or window frames on the units (to link in the dark brown aluminium windows) and Resene Double Cod Grey (wooden separating walls between the units, metal hand rails on the units that have them and possibly painted doors on the manager’s house).

Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
 
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
March 2017

Q. Can you paint old exterior plastic chairs?

A. Yes they can be 'freshened up' if they are looking faded or weathered by painting them Resene Alabaster - they will look crisp and clean.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
March 2017

Q. We would appreciate your advice on the exterior colour for our 1960s weatherboard house. It is on a sloping section and has a garage under the house at the rear and an iron roof. At the front it has a timber framed glass front door and a covered timber deck. We have painted the interior Resene Half Rakaia and Resene White. We would like to continue the grey and white outside also. We would appreciate your colour suggestions for the walls, decking, front door, garage door, base boards and roof.

A. Perhaps you might check out these colours - Roof and garage door - Resene Nocturnal, main house colour - Resene Half Jumbo, window frames/sashes/sills/door frames/under soffits/guttering fascia - Resene White, all deck posts/roof beams/hand rails - Resene Flotsam or they might be Resene White like the deck and basement of house – Resene Half Baltic Sea.

The front door could be the same as the base of the house - but in an enamel gloss finish - or alternatively a fresh colour to highlight the door/entry, such as Resene Ciderhouse.

Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
 
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Ciderhouse
Resene Ciderhouse
March 2017

Q. We are painting all trim Resene Spanish White and I'm looking to do the front door in Resene West Side. I'm looking at Resene Nocturnal or Resene Shark for the main body of the house. Are these all compatible in terms of cool, warm, blue based and yellow based etc?

A. Your lightest colour - Resene Spanish White is quite a definite yellow/brown biscuit cream. Usually I find the depth of the colour is a little too strong to work with a very dark charcoal - instead of creating a clean crisp contrast (which a whiter/lighter colour would do). It makes the overall look a bit heavier. But if you like it, then all is well.

I like Resene Nocturnal a bit more than Resene Shark but that is a personal thing.

Resene West Side will work well with the dark charcoal. It may not like close association with Resene Spanish White - the clear brightness may make the Resene Spanish White look dirty by comparison.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene West Side
Resene West Side
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
March 2017

Q. My plaster exterior house is painted in Resene Pearl Lusta and the roof is Desert Sand. I would like a more modern look for my house. What roof colours match Resene Pearl Lusta?

A. You are fortunate in having Resene Pearl Lusta on the exterior of your house. It works well with most colours. You might check these colours out - Resene Windswept, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Squall, Resene High Tide, Resene Canyon or Resene Ironsand.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
 
March 2017

Q. I am repainting the exterior of a batten and board 1916 villa, with sections of about 80cm between battens. I am of thinking of using Resene Freestyling for the walls with Resene Alabaster around the sash windows. The roof and fence is COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. I am hoping the Resene Freestyling will not be too dark.

A. Resene Alabaster is a lovely contrast with Resene Freestyling. I don't think it will be too dark. It is a light/mid toned colour from a white base (so it can’t ever look too deep) and it has a reasonable LRV of 48%. Colours often look lighter on an exterior in bright natural light.

If you are unsure please paint up all of the testpot (two coats) onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and tape it to the house (move it all around each side of the house) and look at it at different times of the day to see how it alters in different qualities of natural light.

Resene Freestyling
Resene Freestyling
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
COLORSTEEL®New Denim Blue
COLORSTEEL® New
Denim Blue
March 2017

Q. We are building a new house and I’m trying to pick my paint colours. I’m having a lot of trouble trying to find the right interior wall colour for the house that will go with our carpet that is nearly black (Calluna Mystery) and also work with feature wallpaper walls I am yet to choose. The house is done in black, white and grey and bits of royal purple and lime green. The master bedroom will feature red. We want a grey, possibly with a slight hint of blue or lilac but definitely no brown. I like Resene Iron but next to our carpet sample it turns brownish and I also think it’s too dark. I like Resene Half Iron on pictures on your website, but it doesn’t come in a testpot so I’m not sure if it will throw off the same brown tinge next to the carpet. Can you help? What about maybe Resene Sea Fog? We also like Resene Half Breathless but I’m worried it might not go with the other colours, as it’s fairly blue.

A. I suggest you may be wise to find the wallpaper first - there are less of these options to choose from before you find a paint colour. You may find it easier to get the right paint colour when you have found every other thing in the house first.

I am not at all sure why a colour that is a cool/blue edged-silvery grey would look brownish. I have checked out the carpet and it appears to be a warm black - not a blue black. That may be why the colour picks up brown.

When you test colours, if you paint all of the testpot onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops), leaving an unpainted (white card) border all around the edges, it helps you to see the reality of the tested colour. Always stand the painted sample vertically on the carpet (don't lay it flat as that isn't how you would see the walls when they are painted) and move the sample to the right and to the left. Shadows from each angle make the sample look quite different - as it would on each wall/each room of the house.

Resene Sea Fog is a warmer colour (no lilac or blue in it) so it is quite different from Resene Iron. There is a testpot available in Resene Half Iron and Resene Quarter Iron but they may need to be ordered in for you - they are on an older Whites & Neutral fan deck - not the current one.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Half Breathless
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
March 2017

Q. I have painted the fence and planters on my balcony Resene Woodsman Pitch Black and the seat bench is Resene Woodsman Iroko. I would like to paint the floor and the back wall. I am after a colour that is light but not too bright and fits in with the planter/seat bench. The first testpot I picked was Resene Concrete and that was too light.

A. Your stain colours are warm tones. The grey that you have tested is a very cool/light colour. It may be that you need a little bit more depth and warmth in your grey in order for it to work with the other colours. All colours on an exterior that gets a lot of natural sun light on it appear much lighter than you might expect them to. This is something to keep in mind.

Perhaps you could check out these colours - Resene Quarter Friar Grey, or lighter - Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Half Jumbo.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
 
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
March 2017

Q. I have an old 1900s period villa with high gable roof lines and a big double garage to match. The roof and surrounds are in Resene Scoria. I want to find the right colour to paint the house, so as to match the white sash windows and Resene Scoria roof. I have experimented with Shale Grey on the garage but believe it may be too dark a colour.

A. Perhaps you might check out these ones - they are lighter variants of COLORBOND® Shale Grey/Resene Atmosphere - Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Half Atmosphere, or for something a little different/warmer - Resene Quill Grey, or for something a little different/warmer/green edged - Resene Ash.

All colours seen on an exterior have the potential to look lighter than you might imagine - bright natural light strips the depth away - so test colour very carefully - but not on a coloured background as you won't see it correctly. Paint it on white card and leave a narrow unpainted (white card) border all around the edges and move it around the house. Colours change with angles and light and shade. The unpainted border acts as a barrier to stop existing colour from negatively influencing how you see the tested colour.

Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
March 2017

Q. We are painting the interior of our house. On the walls and skirting is Resene Eighth Stonehenge, with Resene Half Black White on the ceilings and trims. I want to create two feature walls. The one in the lounge will be a light feature wall and I am thinking about Resene Black White. The one in the master bedroom I would like a darker colour, in the brown/grey/black range.

A. You don't mention what colour the flooring, drapes or furniture is and how those elements might exert an influence on what you want to use as feature walls. If you did use Resene Black White with Resene Eighth Stonehenge, it will look quite stunning because of the contrast but it will make the main colour seem much more like Resene Quarter Stonehenge. Is that ok with you?

A darker feature wall might be almost any darker colour - do you have any preferences or are you thinking of maintaining a tonal related influence? If that was the case then your default might be Resene Stonehenge. But as alternatives you could consider using one of these warm darks which don't feature brown undertones - Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Half Nocturnal.

Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
 
March 2017

Q. We want a nice white for our splashback, to go with our new white kitchen. I'm after a nice crisp white (it will have a slight green tinge from the glass but that's ok). Could you suggest a few to choose from please?

A. Are the walls in the kitchen white as well as the cabinets? If that is the case, rather than choosing another white, you might just use the glass splashback over the wall colour so you have what looks like an aqua/mint green splashback - because of the standard float glass you are using. It does seem a little strange to ask for a white when all you will get is a green glass coloured version that alters what you have searched so carefully for. It won't look like the white colour.

If the walls are coloured and you want a real white for the splashback then by using crystal clear low iron oxide glass you will have a real white (because the glass isn't a green standard float glass) and you could use Resene White. This is real true white. It is nice, crisp and totally white. The type of glass I have mentioned allows you to see the true reality of the colour.

Any other 'white' is a little bit coloured and to suggest a colour we would need to know what particular white the cabinetry is and what colour is on the floors and the main wall colour.

Resene White
Resene White
March 2017

Q. I can’t choose between Resene Quarter Rice Cake/Resene Half Rice Cake and Resene Quarter Bianca/Resene Half Bianca. They look nearly identical in colour. This is for both the lounge and kitchen. What’s the difference in these two colours please?

A. Resene Rice Cake and the much paler or deeper versions show a distinct sharp green/yellow edge - they are fresh. Resene Bianca is a soft almost fleecy creamed/white in its lighter versions and as a sweeter gentle cream in its deeper versions. It is mellow.

If you have the time you might paint up all of a Resene testpot of each colour onto pure white card - and by comparing larger samples you may notice their unique undertones of colour - especially if you roll the card into a tube with the colour innermost and look into this. They will appear slightly deeper as they would if all four walls were painted and their colour will be easily identified.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
March 2017

Q. We have a galley kitchen. We want a matt black/charcoal splashback with an abstract red pattern, and grey work surfaces but are unsure about the cupboards and walls. The joiner has suggested two different strengths of your Resene Spanish White, but I'm unsure how it will go with the grey. My husband has sight problems so we need to keep it light.

A. You may need lighter /brighter colours so that your husband can see and appreciate the contrasts more. You might look at these options to see if they appeal to you - Warm options - Resene Half Pearl Lusta for the walls and Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta for the cabinets, or for cooler options - Resene Sea Fog for the walls and Resene Quarter Sea Fog (aka Resene Double Alabaster) for the cabinets.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Sea Fog
March 2017

Q. I have a house painted in various intensities of Resene Thorndon Cream. I would like to paint the roof in a deeper colour to match. Resene Triple Thorndon Cream is not dark enough. Can you suggest a darker colour that would go well? The roof pitch is quite steep so it will be visible.

A. Colours on an exterior often look half the depth and this is especially true of the roof - the acute angle to the sunlight strips back the colour so you may need a bit more depth in order to see it as a distinct colour.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Overland, Resene Bone White or Resene Climate.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple
Thorndon Cream
Resene OverlandResene Overland
Resene Overland
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
March 2017

Q. We have black aluminium joinery on a farm cottage with a board and batten cladding. It has previously been stained Cedar but has faded. We are cleaning it as per instructions from the Resene ColorShop. Would black stain look okay with the New Denim Blue joinery, I have seen it with black joinery and like the look? What colour do you think we should stain the deck?

A. You could do the ply and batten a black - it will make the black joinery disappear and it will emphasise the blueness of the New Denim Blue roof colour - is this what you are hoping to achieve?

There are several black options - Resene Woodsman - Sheer Black (this is a warm brown based black), Resene Woodsman - Crowshead (this is a darker warm black) or Resene Woodsman - Pitch Black.

I strongly recommend that you use the CoolColour™ modified version of the dark colours to minimise the extreme heat and fading that can occur. Stains need to be re-applied after every 2-3 summers in order to protect the timber.

An alternative colour - not as dark - that may appeal to you is Resene Woodsman - Bleached Cedar to tie in the mid blue/grey of the roof. The deck could be stained in a lighter colour - so it isn't too hot to walk on in summer when you are barefoot - try Resene Woodsman Silvered Grey or a very natural look without too much colour input so the look is lighter and not so dark and heavy - Resene Woodsman Natural.

Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene Silvered Grey
Resene Silvered Grey
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
   
March 2017

Q. I have a client struggling with a gutter or gutter/fascia colour to complement Resene Half Napa on weatherboards and Resene Half Villa White on windows.

We have tried Resene Taupe Grey (too green) and Resene Triple Masala (too dark). She likes the tone of the Resene Taupe Grey if that helps. It’s a 1940s weatherboard home.

A. You might check out these colours which are more related to the main house colours - Resene Stonehenge, Resene Pravda, Resene Schooner or Resene Fifty Shades.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
March 2017

Q. My kitchen cabinetry is Resene Alabaster. The kitchen is open plan into the lounge and dining. My thought was to have Resene Alabaster trim and ceilings, and a softer tone such as Resene Double Alabaster for the walls throughout to avoid a too clinical a look while staying fresh and white.

A. You will see a very subtle difference between the kitchen cabinets - Resene Alabaster and the walls if they are painted in Resene Double Alabaster. It will be subtle. You might like to check out Resene Triple Alabaster (aka Resene Half Sea Fog) to see a little more tonal shade also.

The very best way to view the reality of colour is by popping into a Resene ColorShop to see the large A4 real painted colour samples in their Colour Library and comparing them. Testpots when applied to very much larger an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moved from wall to wall and viewed in changing light and shade in your home help you to see how they may work - or not - in a true reality way.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
March 2017

Q. Resene Surf Crest – is this a good colour to use in a west facing living/dining/kitchen area in Brisbane? I have a neutral grey to soft greyish white floor tile with marble island bench top and black kitchen cabinetry. My leather sofa is also black.

A. I think it is a lovely minty colour but I do advise you to paint up a testpot (two coats) onto the largest size white card you can find (A2 at least) and move it from wall to wall and watch how it alters on different walls and at different times of the day. Colours in an interior can look a lot deeper than you might imagine so it does pay to test them.

Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
March 2017

Q. I am rebuilding an old corridor kitchen with white stone benchtops and pale aqua floor tiles. I would like to have white lower drawer fronts, with a pantry at each end and a bargeboard at the top, joining side cupboards.

I'm having Alucobond brushed Natural Aluminium as my splashback and would like the upper cupboards in a pale grey to match. I'm wondering how your Resene Silver Aluminium would work for my upper cupboards.

A. Metallic paint looks amazing (very sparkly) but when you place a colour like Resene Silver Aluminium, it won't match real Aluminium. Your brushed Natural Aluminium splashback will look better if it is the only amazing metal (apart from cupboards handles) in the kitchen. If you are really intent on having a metallic colour, I suggest you use a colour that 'allows' the brushed aluminium be lighter/brighter and not try to match - i.e. Resene Blast Grey on the lower cabinets - that way the depth of colour won't appear to make the upper cabinets feel heavy as though they are coming toward you.

I feel it would be better if you were to use the same 'white' on both the upper and lower colours. This would make the narrow space seem lighter and more spacious.

You might check out these options to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Black White or slightly cooler/greyer - Resene White Thunder.

Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
 
March 2017

Q. I want to repaint the kitchen of my 1952 ex-state house in Lower Hutt. Currently, the walls, doors and cupboard doors are painted in a shade similar to Resene Triple Spanish White, and the wallpaper looks like something from the 1970s! I was thinking of painting the ceiling Resene White, and the walls and doors Resene Hawkes Blue, with the cupboard doors and drawers painted with Resene Zephyr. I was wondering, firstly, if these two shades of blue would complement each other, and, secondly, if the Resene Zephyr would be too dark for my kitchen, and perhaps I may need to select a lighter shade like Resene Delta Blue or Resene Time Out.

A. If you are a fan of the definite purple toned blue - Resene Hawkes Blue for the walls you do need to know that it will look deeper than you might imagine (it may even look like Resene Perano) especially in the corners - colours always do look stronger in an interior. If you do love Resene Hawkes Blue on the walls but want a colour slightly deeper than Resene Perano for the cabinets you might consider using Resene Portage.

A similar but slightly lighter blue that you might use instead if you feel the Resene Hawkes Blue does look too deep or too purple is Resene Linkwater. If you feel this is too deep also you could use Resene Solitude.

A slightly deeper colour that is related (to Resene Linkwater) if you should want to paint the cabinets might be Resene Echo Blue or Resene Relax.

Resene Triple Spanish White
Resene Triple
Spanish White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Hawkes Blue
Resene Hawkes Blue
Resene Zephyr
Resene Zephyr
Resene Delta Blue
Resene Delta Blue
Resene Time Out
Resene Time Out
Resene Perano
Resene Perano
Resene Portage
Resene Portage
Resene Link Water
Resene Link Water
Resene Solitude
Resene Solitude
Resene Echo Blue
Resene Echo Blue
Resene Relax
Resene Relax
     
March 2017

Q. We have an old villa with large rooms with tongue and groove walls. Most ceilings and walls up to the dado line at about one metre are unpainted timber with the wall above the dado painted. We are painting a bedroom that has lots of light that is already painted. Do you have any ideas for above and below the dado line? The ceiling is painted in Quarter Bianca.

A. I think colour suggestions for the bedroom might need to be in relationship to whose bedroom it is, what they like in the way of colours and what colours the drapes, flooring and bed linen are.

The following are some colour suggestions to get you started - Resene Secrets - below the dado rail and Resene Bianca - above the dado rail, or Resene Duck Egg Blue - below the dado rail and Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue - above the dado rail , or Resene Always - below the dado rail and Resene Eighth Spanish White - above the dado rail.

Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
Resene Always
Resene Always
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
     
March 2017

Q. We have put in a new recessed fire and lowered the ceiling in our lounge. The room only has one wall of doors/windows where it lets in lots of morning sun but not much more through the day. This room is connected to a living, kitchen and dining area (with internal doors to close it off if we choose.) I wanted these rooms to complement each other – to be light in colour (neutral) but to have a bit of colour and not be stark. The living, kitchen and dining has very dark wooden floors. Our thought is to paint the ceilings doors and skirting/door surrounds a white.

I thought the area where the fire is recessed may have a slightly darker tone to the walls. I want these rooms to be relaxing but elegant. I like the look of the blends of Resene Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Truffle and Resene White Pointer.

A. It must be noted that no 'whiter/brighter' colour will make a shadowy room seem as though it is flooded with warm natural light. The new fireplace links two walls so if you were considering a slightly deeper colour, it may need to be used on both these walls, rather than just the immediate area around the fire. Is this a possibility?

Relaxing (light/bright/casual/wooden floors etc) might be more the kitchen/dining room ambiance and elegant might be more the lounge ambiance - are these your thoughts? In the lounge the furniture, drapes and accessories is what adds elegance to the room.

You mention particular colours and based on these indicators you might look at using them in this way - lounge main colour - Resene Eighth Truffle, lounge feature wall/s colour - Resene Half Cloudy (you didn't mention this colour but it is warm toned and nicely related to Resene Eighth Truffle) or alternatively:
Resene Truffle (slightly brighter looking than Resene Cloudy). For the ceiling and woodwork trim colour try Resene Quarter Sea Fog (aka Resene Double Alabaster) and for the much brighter living room/dining room/kitchen you might check out these colours:

Main colour - Resene Truffle or Resene Half Cloudy with ceilings and woodwork trims in Resene Quarter Sea Fog (aka Resene Double Alabaster).

Or both rooms could be painted in Resene White Pointer. It will appear much deeper in the lounge (when you are looking from the living room through the open door way) because of the lack of sunlight and look deeper again when you are in the lounge looking through the doorway to the brighter/lighter living room as the wall framing this view will be doubly shadowed. The colour will appear quite different in each space so rather than choosing different colours for the different rooms the natural light will achieve that for you.

If you did decide to do this then I think you will need to have a lighter/brighter 'white' to create a clean contrast - i.e. Resene Alabaster.

Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Quarter Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
     
March 2017

Q. I have just bought the colour Resene Triple Concrete for my interior and have done one layer (old paint was light cream). After one layer, it seems the colour of the Resene Triple Concrete turns towards a slight purple colour... which is not what I expected. Could you please let me know if this could be due to applying one layer instead of two?

A. Resene Triple Concrete has the type of undertone that may look slightly lilac and this may be emphasised if you were painting it on (or close to) a yellower colour like cream. Yellow and purple are directly linked across the Colour Wheel as complementary colours so any tiny bit of yellow in a colour draws forth a purple edge to a colour.

It is the nature of colour to be reflective and have a chameleon like ability to alter itself when other colours are close to it. Colour is tricky - if it can change it will do so.

When two coats are applied and all existing previous wall colours are totally covered it may make a difference in how you perceive the Resene Triple Concrete or it may still be wrong. Are you close to a Resene ColorShop? If you are, then you could pop in and view larger A4 samples of greys (and compare them to each other) in their Colour Library. This would help you see all the under tones of colour that is in each and every grey.

Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
March 2017

Q. My lounge walls are painted in Resene Sisal and I would like to paint two cane chairs to complement them. Would something like Resene Stonewall be a good colour?

A. Resene Stonewall is a good choice. Another that you might check out is Resene Pravda, it is less yellow/brown/olive and slightly more muted.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
March 2017

Q. I need to get a new COLORSTEEL® roof for my 1895 villa/cottage and would like to know which out of Thunder Grey (Resene Squall) and Slate (think it might be Resene Nocturnal) would go with Resene Double Sea Fog on weatherboards which I will have painted later.

A. Both of those colours are appropriate to go with Resene Double Sea Fog. Resene Ironsand or Resene Flint might also be considered.

Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double
Sea Fog
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Flint
Resene Flint
March 2017

Q. We are about paint the inside of our two bedroom house. The walls, doors etc are all in Resene Half Cut Glass. We want to do white ceilings but aren’t sure which white to go with. The alloy joinery is white. Could you please help?

A. I think you could use either of these 'whites' - they both look good with your main colour - Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
March 2017

Q. We are looking for a grey/greige/beige interior wall colour for our open plan kitchen/dining/living area. It will need to go with a Resene Half Black White ceiling, Resene Black White kitchen cabinetry and trims, oak flooring and a Viscount White granite benchtop. We have tried Resene Quarter Stonehenge and Resene Eighth Stonehenge but both seem to be throwing a slight lilac tone (especially in the darker areas) and are making the Resene Black White kitchen cabinetry look a bit grey. The kitchen is at the back of the north-facing open plan room and it has a window facing east. The same wall colour will need to continue up our stairwell and we have grey carpet (Godfrey Hirst Grand Luxury in Concrete) on the stairs.

A. Both the Resene Quarter Stonehenge and Resene Eighth Stonehenge have warm grey/beige tones. Resene Black White is a cool grey/white. When you carefully tested the colours did you compare the colours with cooler greys like Resene Quarter Friar Grey (and lighter variants) or Resene Silver Chalice (and lighter variants) because it is only by comparing like with like that you see the different underlying tones within each individual colour?

North facing rooms are often quite shadowy apart from a small portion of the room closest to the windows - look at where the sunlight comes into the room at the floor level. Colour responds to light.

Perhaps you need to think through the plan of action. Change the colours? The closest related grey/beiges are Resene Cloudy, Resene Half Cloudy and Resene Quarter Cloudy - they may throw slightly less warmth. If they are still too warm, then perhaps the Resene Friar Grey palette may be right.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter
Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth
Stonehenge
 
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
March 2017

Q. What roof colour would you select for a house painted in Resene Black White or Resene White Pointer?

A. The colours that you are interested in are very versatile and allow just about any roof colour to be used on the house. You could use charcoal - Resene Windswept, deep olive green - Resene Karaka, deep brown/charcoal - Resene Ironsand or soft toned mid green - Resene Canyon.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
   
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
March 2017

Q. We are about to build and like COLORBOND® Wallaby for the roof, gutter, fascia and garage. The exterior will be rendered and bagged. Is there a light colour that will get away from the brown in the Wallaby towards grey but that goes well? What is a good darker grey shade to match for feature posts etc?

A. You might check out these colours – Resene Quill Grey, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Foggy Grey and darker warm greys for the fence might be one of these colours – Resene Triple Dune or Resene Fuscous Grey.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Triple Dune
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
March 2017

Q. We are going to repaint the exterior of our house and need some advice on colours! Our roof is dark grey, a lot of the house is red/orange brick, and the aluminium windows are burgundy! We are prepared to change the window colour, either by painting or replacing the windows. We will also be painting the fence. We had thought of doing a grey with a darker grey on the trims, front door and garage doors, and the fence.

A. Light greys and mid toned charcoal and much blacker greys are always going to be elegant and timeless on the body of the house so perhaps you could look at these ones as a start point – Resene Quarter Gravel – main grey, Resene Gravel - trims/doors etc and Resene Double Gravel – fence, or Resene Jumbo - main grey, Resene Scarpa Flow - trims/doors etc and Resene Baltic Sea – fence, or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey - main grey, Resene Bokara Grey - trims/doors etc and Resene Blackout – fence.

You might consider using just two greys and make all the house trims the same colour as the fence.

Windows - if they were painted might be painted an off greyed white - Resene Half Atmosphere or slightly lighter - Resene Quill Grey or Resene Triple Sea Fog but if you were considering new powder coated metal windows perhaps you might check out these colours - Titania, Silver Pearl or Gull Grey.

Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Half Atmosphere
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
March 2017

Q. I have an older house near on the beach. I want to repaint the whole interior. I like white. But what white should the ceilings, doors and trim be? Different or the same?

A. It might be exactly the same white with just the different surfaces having a different sheen level product applied to them. This difference allows surfaces to look a little bit different but not be coloured differently.

You could use:

Resene Ceiling Paint – flat - for main living room ceilings.
Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom formula waterborne enamel for the kitchen, bathroom, laundry (mould and stain resistant, tougher more easily cleaned and maintained in service rooms), ideal for ceilings.
Resene Zylone Sheen low sheen acrylic for walls in the main living rooms.
Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom formula waterborne enamel for the kitchen, bathroom, laundry (mould and stain resistant, tougher more easily cleaned and maintained in service rooms).
Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel for all painted woodwork - i.e. doors, door frames, skirting boards, window frames etc.
You could use a standard Resene White or a slightly toned white like Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White or alternatively the real Resene White for ceilings and woodwork and one of those mentioned for the walls.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene White
Resene White
March 2017

Q. We've just bought a house with 2.4m ceilings. They are painted an off white - not sure what colour, but they don't seem pure white to me. In an attempt to make the ceilings feel higher, should I paint them a very glossy white? Have read this can give the illusion of more height. Ceilings are in good condition, no flaws that I can see.

A. I am not sure about very glossy paint on a ceiling - though it is often used in a bathroom, kitchen and laundry as it is easier to scrub clean - but definitely a crisp clean Resene White will lift and brighten the rooms.

Resene White is always right - it is as white as it can look.

 

Resene White
Resene White

March 2017

Q. We love Resene Half Napa for weatherboards but are struggling to choose a colour for the fascia and gutters. We have a black front fence, front door and a match to Woodland Grey on the side fences. The deck is stained merbau. Not sure whether to paint the gutters and fascia the same colour or not and whether to go dark or light?

A. Do you want the fascias and the gutters to be a feature that draws the eyes? If you do then you might use a deeper colour like Woodland Grey - the match colour is Resene Squall. If you want them to just merge in and not draw attention then you could paint them the same as the main colour on the house or a slightly deeper version - i.e. Resene Napa.

Also it is still a popular choice to paint them Resene White for a clean crisp line between the house colour and the roof.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene White
Resene White
March 2017

Q. I have a bungalow door that I am painting. My door and window trims are Resene Eighth Ash but I feel that I want a whiter shade for the door, rather than using the Resene Eighth Ash. Which white shade would look good for my door?

A. You don't mention what the other colours are on your house so these suggestions are designed to complement well with Resene Eighth Ash, but you would need to check them with your other colours - Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Quarter Wan White, Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
April 2017

Q. I want to paint a north facing bedroom grey; I am quite keen on doing it a dark grey. I have looked at Resene Half Fuscous Grey and Resene Half Baltic Sea. Do you think these would be too dark a grey for a bedroom, or could you suggest a nice grey for this bedroom?

A. All colours in an interior appear deeper (twice the depth you might imagine they will be) and north facing rooms can have a lot of shadow in them which may make a dark colour seem darker. It is only in winter that the sun penetrates right into the room because of its lower arc across the sky. So - a moody dark grey may need to be a mid-tone colour rather than being really black based grey.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Mortar, Resene Tundora or Resene Ship Grey.

Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
     
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Mortar
Resene Mortar
Resene Tundora
Resene Tundora
Resene Ship Grey
Resene Ship Grey
April 2017

Q. We have painted the outside of our house with Resene Bone White and are about to do a new COLORSTEEL® roof. What colour would you recommend? We painted our porch Resene Grey Friars but now I am thinking that it may be too blue.

A. If you like the idea of a grey then perhaps a warmer one may work well for a roof colour - and the porch as well – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle - Resene match colour is Resene Windswept or COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase - Resene match colour is Resene Touchstone.

Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
April 2017

Q. We are renovating and were thinking of repainting with Resene Double Sea Fog with Resene White trim and ceilings for both interior and exterior. Parts of the house do not get a lot of light and we want to make sure we are not picking a colour that will suck even more light out of the rooms.

A. In some smaller or dimmer rooms you may need to use Resene Sea Fog or even Resene Half Sea Fog.

Colours in an interior often look double the depth that you might imagine they will do. Test the colours carefully by painting all of the testpot onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving it from wall to wall/room to room to see how the colour alters in each space and with changing light during the day. This will help identify which rooms need lighter/brighter colours.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double
Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
April 2017

Q. I have a new home and I am painting the interior with Resene paint. I am getting light grey carpet throughout and would like to know what colour to use on the walls and trim. The kitchen is black and white and I want a light colour on the walls, throughout the house. I am looking at your whites and neutrals.

A. You might consider one of these colours - Resene Triple Black White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Merino.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
April 2017

Q. My whole house interior is painted in Resene Tea. I would like help to choose a very neutral light colour to go with stark white trims for my children’s bedrooms.

A. There are quite a few colours that might be suitable - Resene Albescent White, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Thorndon Cream. They are quite different from each other - this may not be apparent until you compare them with each other and with a true real white.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
April 2017

Q. I'm remodelling my kitchen and I am keen to use a shade of green on the walls. I'm attracted to Resene Frontier, but I can't sense if it will make the room look cooler or warmer. Do you have any shades of green that are ‘warm’?

A. If the room is flooded with sunshine all day long then a lot of yellow toned greens will look really warm. The same colours in a room with a shady or cool aspect (south facing or east facing) may pick up a cooler or grey/blue edge to them. You need to carefully test colours by painting the testpot (all of it) onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move the card from wall to wall and watch how the colour alters during the different times of the day.

You mention Resene Frontier - this has a yellow undertone so it is referred to as a warm colour. The important thing to know is that all colours in an interior can look double their intensity - so this particular colour may look like Resene Flax. Usually a little lighter is better when choosing a colour inside so that you don't end up with a colour that is much deeper than you might have expected it to be. Perhaps you could test these ones to see if they are warm enough for you - Resene Aspiring, Resene Coriander or Resene Elixir.

Resene Frontier
Resene Frontier
Resene Flax
Resene Flax
Resene Aspiring
Resene Aspiring
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Elixir
Resene Elixir
April 2017

Q. I am painting the interior of a 1960s farmhouse. The living area and hallway have plywood veneer wood halfway up the wall to a dado board which is varnished and is a dated golden/ginger colour. I have already painted the wall above the dado Resene Blanc as well as the walls in the open plan kitchen nearby with Resene Quarter Blanc on the cupboards. Do I sand and select a Resene Colorwood stain for the plywood or do I paint the plywood - what colour? I want a rustic/country look, so feel using Resene Quarter Blanc, if painted, may be too white for this area.

A. You might paint the plywood veneer - after a light but thorough sand you could apply Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer over what remains of the varnish then two coats of a topcoat in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel (for a more matt look) or in Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel in a semi-gloss. Resene Quarter Blanc may look a little nondescript. Had you thought of using a slightly deeper version of the upper wall colour? Resene Double Blanc may give you a little more depth and warmth but not be too strong a colour - it wouldn't cut the wall in half making it look shorter in height.
If you sanded all of the old varnish off - this would be a big job but not impossible - to restain the plywood veneer area of wall it all really comes down to which Resene Colorwood stain would look best with the upper wall colour. Staining is a little bit of an art and you need to be skilful to get it really evenly coated and not patchy. Do you want a 'woody' colour? It will be a stronger (browner) more definite look but it would be rustic/country looking.
Another option - one that is proving popular to get the French country/aged/shabby chic look people like - is to use Resene Colorwood Whitewash (this is not a stain but is more of a white tinted varnish) over the existing varnish to get the pale milky look. If you were able to pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop you could see this look on the Wood Finishes stand to get an idea of what it might look like.

Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
April 2017

Q. We are building a new weatherboard house, and are looking for colour advice. The roof is a dark Ironsand colour. I have seen quite a few other new houses in the neighbourhood which are soft grey beige type colours; is there a popular colour like this at the moment? The house is only 60sqm 2 bedroom. Would Resene Half Tea be too dark for the interior of a smaller house? Would Resene Quarter Tea be better?

A. Because colours on the exterior always look a lot lighter than you might imagine - and conversely the opposite is true in an interior - I think the colours that you have seen on the exteriors may be slightly deeper than you think. You might check out these colours for the exterior - Resene Half Tea, Resene Truffle or Resene Quarter Cloudy.

And these for the interior - Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Albescent White or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

If you would prefer much more pale/whitish colours then they might be used for the exterior. But you would then need to use much whiter colours like Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Albescent White in the interior.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
 
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
April 2017

Q. I will be installing a new white gloss Classic White kitchen with a Caesarstone bench top - Frosty Carina. The walls will be Resene Milk White from Karen Walker Paints. The opposite wall in the family room is Resene Quarter Sandstone. I had intended to use Resene Quarter Sandstone for the glass splashback but having painted some on the kitchen splashback wall, I do not like this colour in that area. The glass will go up behind a stainless steel rangehood and across the rest of the bench. I am thinking neutrals, maybe a grey but am not sure, and if grey, which would work with the stainless steel rangehood - not too green/blue/etc. I am open to other suggestions but I am acutely aware that while a bold colour would inject some playfulness, the cost of a replacing a glass splashback would be prohibitive if I were to tire of the colour. I feel any ‘colour’ would need to be ‘soft’.

A. If the glass for the splashback was crystal clear low iron oxide glass then any colour used behind it would be seen true to reality and if it was standard float glass any colour used behind it would have a greenish cast and could look deeper (or dirtier) so this is the first thing that you may need to ascertain. It would be sad to choose a colour thinking you knew exactly what it would look like then find out (too late) that it was totally wrong because you weren't aware about the different glass and how it made colours look.

You could check out these colours - Resene Half Cloud, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Flotsam or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

Take the time to paint up large samples and ask for a sample of the glass (or both types of glass) to lie over the top and tape it to the wall so that you can see how light and shade and both types of glass alter how the colours look.

Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
   
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
April 2017

Q. I am painting our house Resene Half Sea Fog and I need to choose louvre colours. Should I choose Appliance White or Arctic White?

A. Definitely Appliance White. Arctic White is a very cold grey/blue and makes most other whites look warm by comparison.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
April 2017

Q. I am about to paint the exterior of my 1935 bungalow house. I was thinking of painting the base colour Resene Double White Pointer with white around the windows and Resene Foundry for the gables. I would like to know if they will go together.

A. I like the colours you are considering using. They are very smart. I especially like the main house colour and the white - they provide a nice contrast.

If you are uncertain about the colours, which particular colour is worrying you? If it is the Resene Foundry because it is very dark then I recommend that you request the CoolColour™ reformulated version of the colour to ensure the gable timbers don't absorb too much heat/U.V. Or you might consider a softer toned warm charcoal that is slightly lighter - Resene Fuscous Grey - I would still request that it be a CoolColour formula though.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
April 2017

Q. We are renovating and extending our bungalow, I'm thinking of using Resene Black White in the new extension which is mainly north facing and will have lots of windows and glass doors. We will have concrete bench tops and some reclaimed wood in this kitchen/living area. I'm a little unsure if I should use the same white in the entrance and hallway as there are no windows down the hall and you will be able to see some of the kitchen area when you enter the house. What would you recommend and do you feel the Resene Black White is a good choice?

A. The same colour will always look different in each area - sometimes it will look totally different on each wall in a room - that is the nature of colour - even the most subtle tint of white.

In an area without natural light the Resene Black White may take on a greyish look. It will still look good when looking into a much brighter/lighter adjacent room which looks much whiter. I think your choice is good. It is a very modern and popular 'white'.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
April 2017

Q. I'm going to use Resene Half Thorndon Cream for all my walls. I want to use one colour for the windows sill, doors and frames. What do you suggest please?

A. If you want to use one colour for all the woodwork you could use any of these colours - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
April 2017

Q. We are using Resene Robin Egg Blue on the walls in our living areas. The windows and the door frames are natural timber, in a 1930s house. What's a good ceiling colour to use with it? I’m not sure if it needs to be taken into consideration but the walls in the hallway are painted in Resene Rice Cake.

A. Thanks for sharing the information about Resene Rice Cake - it does lead me to think that it may be best to use one of the paler variants of this colour - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

These 'whites' will look really nice with Resene Robin Egg Blue.

Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
April 2017

Q. We have an open plan kitchen with a dark stone kitchen island, Blue Denim joinery and a salt and pepper floor. It has deep grey carpet with a dark tiled wet area. What colours could go in the living space and wet areas?

A. You could consider using white/greys like these colours - Resene Half House White, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Concrete, or warmer off whites - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Half Albescent White.

Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
April 2017

Q. I have painted my bathroom Resene Gunmetal trimmed with Resene Black White. I would like to use tones of this colour in the rest of the apartment which is small, but I want a smart stylish look. I have linen curtains in the bedroom in white and wondered if Resene Gunmetal could work as a contrast wall?

A. You might use a slightly deeper variant of the trim colour as a main colour so there is a nice open/light flow on effect in the apartment - i.e. Resene Double Black White. Resene Gunmetal could definitely be used as a contrast wall - it may look best on a large wall with no windows on it - then it could be a backdrop to furniture or artwork. If you do find it a little too blue/black you could check out a similar but slightly lighter charcoal like Resene Cinder.

Resene Gunmetal
Resene Gunmetal
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
April 2017

Q. We have Resene Boulevard on the wall near the kitchen. The kitchen joinery is white and we want the walls to be white also as the splashback is going to be Resene Boulevard as well. What colour white should the walls be, should they be lighter or darker than the joinery?

A. There is no white lighter than white (cabinetry) so I suggest if the walls are a slightly coloured white that the kitchen cabinets are crisper/whiter so they will stand out a little bit and so will the Resene Boulevard. Try Resene Black White, Resene Half House White or Resene Wan White.

The ceilings and all the woodwork can be real white for a crisp contrast - then the whole look is Scandinavian influenced, tranquil and dreamy – try Resene White.

Resene Boulevard
Resene Boulevard
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene White
Resene White
April 2017

Q. We want to repaint our house. The walls are currently Resene Sisal and the doors and trims are Resene Spanish White. We are keen to leave the doors the same and wondered what suggestions you had for a neutral colour for the walls. We are struggling with choosing a colour.

A. Resene Spanish White is a very definite colour. If you are using it as the 'whiter/lighter' colour (which it isn't) then the walls must be a much deeper colour in order to maintain that contrast. Is this what is causing you to really struggle? Do you want a paler/lighter colour in quite a different hue on the walls and the Resene Spanish White is making your options look wrong because Resene Spanish White is so much more of a colour than you originally thought it was?

You could use the same colour or a deeper version or just slightly lighter - i.e. Resene Double Spanish White or Resene Half Spanish White so your colours are related. Or you could check out these deeper tones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Akaroa, Resene Napa or Resene Quarter Gargoyle.

If using more of the Resene Spanish White or deeper colours doesn't appeal to you, then it may be that you need to change the doors so you have freedom and flexibility to move into other lighter colours.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
 
April 2017

Q. I am having trouble picking a light grey that will go with my Basalt roof and Monument gutters. I was going to do something like Shale Grey.

A. You might look at these Resene colours - Resene Atmosphere, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Kensington Grey or Resene Half Jumbo.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
April 2017

Q. I have an apartment that is undergoing renovation. The walls are Resene Half Spanish White and ceiling Resene Black White. I am getting new skirting put on and I thought I would paint the skirting the same as the walls. My builder said that would make it stick out and look odd? What do you think?

A. If the skirting boards are ornate and architecturally gorgeous - like in a colonial villa - then highlighting them in the lightest colour (or a much darker colour) is appropriate. If they are a simple profile, narrow or minimal (like in most modern or contemporary homes) then by all means use the same colour as the walls - but in a semi-gloss paint finish so the sheen is the only difference - not the colour.

Using the same colour helps them merge in - not stick out - so definitely not odd by any means.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
April 2017

Q. What colour would you recommend for an Arts and Crafts building hallway which currently has dark stained panelling?

A. If the dark stained panelling is staying as it is now then rather than have an optically challenging look with a very pale or white wall colour I suggest you look at using light/warm mid toned colours. Arts & Crafts houses often used colour in a very interesting and unique way - plus the painted wall areas in the hallway may be a much smaller amount of space compared to the wood panelling also, so it can afford to be 'different'.

You might need to think through how the wall colour will relate to the adjacent room colours so the space appears to link the house rather than be a random ‘other' colour.

Some colours to try - Resene Miso, Resene Thistle, Resene Unwind, Resene Moscato or Resene Apple Blossom.

Resene Miso
Resene Miso
Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene Moscato
Resene Moscato
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Apple Blossom
April 2017

Q. Can you please recommend a white for the exterior of my house to complement a Grey Friars roof? I don't want it to look too grey or too cream.

A. Almost any type of 'white' will work with your roof colour. You might like to check these options out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Milk White or Resene Eighth Truffle.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
April 2017

Q. We have extended out the back end of our villa to install a new classic kitchen. The cabinetry is being coated in Resene Delta, our Kauri floors are being sanded back and left their warm natural colour, they look like a pale oak (kind of) - our kitchen is an engineered stone - I will try to attach a picture. It essentially is white with grey veins. There will be a lot of natural light in the room. In other parts of the house we have Resene Alabaster ceilings and Resene Silver Chalice on the walls in the hallway. What colours do you suggest that we should put on the new walls in the kitchen?

A. You could try Resene Double Black White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half House White, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Catskill White or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. These colours offer you a wide spectrum of possible options.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Catskill White
Resene Catskill White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
 
April 2017

Q. We are painting our Californian Bungalow in Resene Triple Tea. What colours do you recommend for the bargeboards and the gable battens?

A. You could use these colours - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (battens) and Resene Half Masala (bargeboards) or Resene Quarter Tea (battens) and Resene Triple Napa (bargeboards).

Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
April 2017

Q. We wish to paint our house interior. The trim (skirting and window frames) and ceilings are currently Resene Half Merino (with a gloss). We want to change the walls to Resene Double Alabaster. We don't really want to go to the expense of painting the trim. Would it look ok to leave the trim as Resene Half Merino against Resene Double Alabaster walls? We are more dubious about leaving the ceilings Resene Half Merino unless you thought that would work against Resene Double Alabaster walls? If not, we were thinking Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceilings. That would leave the scheme as Resene Double Alabaster walls, Resene Quarter Alabaster ceilings, and Resene Half Merino trim. Would that all tie in ok?

A. Resene Half Merino will appear warmer and slightly greenish when Resene Double Alabaster is used on the walls. Is this what you want? If you wanted to see a contrast between the walls and the trim work you may not as they are a similar weight of colour - just different. If you were keeping Resene Half Merino on the ceiling it would appear deeper (colours appear that way on a ceiling) so it is a very good idea to re-paint with Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
April 2017

Q. What colour could we do for the walls and niches in our theatre room? The carpet is charcoal and the ceiling will be optical lights with a black ceiling. We are not sure what colour to use for the curtains.

A. If the walls were a glorious deep red like one of these colours, it would create a warm intimate environment - Resene Trouble or Resene Salsa.

The niches could be the same black as the ceiling and they could feature artwork related to the film world or for a bit of fun stencilled metallic stars using Resene Gold Dust to follow the theme. An idea for curtains could be Resene curtain fabric - Tease - colour Flame.

Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
Resene Gold Dust
Resene Gold Dust
Resene
Resene Tease -
Flame
April 2017

Q. I need to urgently make my mind up on which grey to paint our lounge. It has lots of natural light and a 2.7m stud. I'm torn between going gently with a subtle Resene Whiteout or more determined with Resene Surrender? I definitely don't want the grey to look blue or lilac. I have charcoal carpet and silver joinery. I will also need a white match for the ceilings please.

A. Both Resene Surrender and Resene Whiteout feature subtle undertones of blue/lilac. If you are trying to make a quick colour decision without being able to test the colours to find out what they are really like and what the room makes them look like, you may be in danger of making a wrong choice. Will this matter? If this is not ok then you might check out Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Triple Black White. They are definitely not blue or lilac toned.

A white for the ceilings is an easy choice by comparison - Resene White is always good and if that feels a little too `white' then you could use Resene Quarter Alabaster which is slightly less stark.

Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
April 2017

Q. We are trying to modernise our Summit Stone house and have started painting the roof and garage doors in Resene Grey Friars. The windows are painted in Resene White and we will continue with Resene White for the bargeboards, the ceiling under the roof and the door frames. I would like to keep the entrance door in wood or is that too old fashioned? My question now is, what colour should we paint the deck and steps and what colour would work for the side door, railing and the outside of the sleepout? I thought I would leave the door and frame Resene White and the walls in Resene Grey Friars or would that be too dark? Should we keep the frame on the garage doors Resene White or Resene Grey Friars? I did try out Resene Gunsmoke on the porches but I feel the colour is too yellow. Would Resene Stack, Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Eighth Gravel be an option?

A. Any of the greys that you have mentioned will look green or yellow compared to the steel blue edged charcoal – Grey Friars - of the roof and garage doors. Had you considered using a paler variant of Resene Grey Friars so the porches were related tonally? You might look at using Resene Quarter Grey Friars or a similar toned colour (but lighter) like Resene Raven or Resene Half Raven.

The front door (no it is not old fashioned to keep it in a wooden finish) if painted in Resene Grey Friars would still stand out as a feature with the mid toned or lighter [related grey] on the porch. The sleepout could be painted the same as the porch and steps so it ties in that building back to the main house. It would not look too dark or heavy and the white trims and sleepout door and the Grey Friars garage doors would provide the contrast of very pale and very deep.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Eighth Gravel
Resene Eighth Gravel
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
Resene Half Raven
Resene Half Raven
April 2017

Q. I have a small country cottage with wooden floors. I would like to keep it as light as possible to make it look larger. I am thinking Resene Alabaster (Double, Half, Quarter or whatever you suggest). I have nearly 10 litres of ceiling Resene Black White left over from a recent job elsewhere. Can you suggest a wall, skirting/door and ceiling colour?

I would also like to paint the kitchen cabinetry, which at the moment is a pale cream with a hint of peach. The overall look I want is French country farmhouse chic.

A. Will you mind if the ceiling colour that you want to use, Resene Black White looks quite a bit greyer than the Resene Alabaster on the walls?

If you can find another home for all that Black White ceiling paint then I would suggest it may be wise as it will then allow you to use the Resene Alabaster or Resene Double Alabaster on the walls, Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceilings and all the painted woodwork.

If however, you are constrained and absolutely have to use the Resene Black White on the ceilings then perhaps if you used the same colour on the walls it may not look too greyish. The painted woodwork could be Resene Quarter Black White or paler Resene Eighth Black White.

A colour option for the kitchen cabinetry (whether you use Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster) might be subtly different - just a little deeper than the walls so constant finger marking doesn't show up and drive you crazy constantly trying to keep it spotless – try Resene Double Sea Fog.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double
Sea Fog
   
April 2017

Q. I am interested in using Resene Double Tana as the main colour on the exterior walls of my house, and would like to use Ironsand on the bargeboards, guttering and deck posts with Resene Double Pearl Lusta on the windows surrounds. I am also considering painting the deck floor Resene Double Flint. Will Ironsand be complementary to Resene Double Tana?

A. Yes, it does look nice with Resene Double Tana.

Resene Double Tana
Resene Double Tana
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
April 2017

Q. We have a large open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen space with high ceilings. The window and joinery aluminium colour is Off White Satin and the floor is a light golden wood tone. The furniture is an assortment of dark and mid rimu. We also have a brick terracotta feature wall behind fire place. The kitchen bench has green, grey and black in it. Could you please suggest a wall and ceiling colour to tie all this together?

A. You might use Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White for the ceiling and one of these colours for the walls - Resene Linen, Resene Joanna, Resene Fossil or Resene Wheatfield.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
   
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
April 2017

Q. We are building a new home and are unsure of a white shade for the kitchen and adjacent family room and lounge. We were thinking of a warm white but the ones we looked at were too cream for the cabinetry which is a Luxe Product White and some units in Charcoal. The flooring is a warm honey coloured timber with a Charcoal carpet. The white that is similar to the cabinets is Resene Alabaster and we thought to go with Resene Double Alabaster to give a bit more depth. We are still concerned it will be too white for the living areas and entrance/hallways etc and would like to know if there are other shades that would work with the white cabinetry, maybe with a hint of grey or something. Colours we have used for other rooms in the house are Resene Cloud in all three strengths and Resene Half Fuscous Grey.

A. Perhaps you could test out Resene Half Sea Fog as it works really well with the other colours that you have already chosen and it won't be too white.

I think it is important to have a main colour that doesn't try and be as white as the kitchen cabinets. So it can be warmer toned because the other colours are as well as the wooden flooring.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
April 2017

Q. We have a two storeyed Pavilion style home in cedar with aluminium windows. What colour would you suggest for the windows and roof?

A. You don't mention whether you want a dark contrasting colour for the roof and the windows or a lighter less dominant colour so perhaps you might check out both options – COLORSTEEL® Ebony, COLORSTEEL® Ironsand, COLORSTEEL® Bone White or COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey.

COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Ebony
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Ironsand
COLORSTEEL® Bone White
COLORSTEEL® Bone White
COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
April 2017

Q. What do you think of this colour choice? Roof – Resene Ironsand, gutter/fascia/door – Resene White, joinery - Pearl White, brick – Terracotta and weatherboards - slate/light brown.

A. I think it is nice. Which particular colour have you been looking at for the weatherboards? You could check out these ones if you haven't already made a decision - Resene Eighth Arrowtown (light brown) or Resene Quarter Friar Grey (greyer/more like pale slate).

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
April 2017

Q. Our house exterior is painted in Resene Coffee Bean (cedar weatherboards). I am looking for a ‘pop’ colour for our front door that complements Resene Coffee Bean. Our front door is next to the garage door, and both have white timber trims. The garage door is COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey.

One option is to stick with neutrals i.e. grey tone to match Sandstone Grey, but another option is going with a ‘pop colour’ if you have any colour suggestions? Previously we had an orange front door (Resene Tangerine) but we are looking for a new colour option to complement our colour scheme.

A. Some colours that 'pop' might be one of these ones - Resene Kakapo, Resene Blue Lagoon, Resene She’ll Be Right or Resene Smashing. Neutrals with a grey tone to consider - Resene Atmosphere or Resene Gauntlet.

Resene Coffee Bean
Resene Coffee Bean
COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
Resene Tangerine
Resene Tangerine
 
Resene Kakapo
Resene Kakapo
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene She'll Be Right
Resene She'll Be Right
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
   
April 2017

Page 64

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