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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 66

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. 66

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


Q. We want to repaint our interior. The colour on the walls is Resene Quarter Akaroa and we now want something lighter/whiter. We have Grey Friars joinery and similar coloured carpet as well as a polished rimu floor. Would Resene Sea Fog on the walls with Resene Alabaster ceiling and trims work? Also we are thinking of a featured wall in the main bedroom. What contrast colour would you recommend?

A. Changing from a light but warm beige - Resene Quarter Akaroa - to a slightly greyed white like Resene Sea Fog is quite a drastic colour change. Please test the colour carefully to ensure it looks as you imagine it will look. If you paint all of the Resene testpot (two coats) onto large A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops) you can see a good amount of the new colour. The card can be moved from wall to wall room to room so you can see how it looks under changing qualities of light.

If it is perfect then making sure that the ceilings and trims is the perfect 'other' white and isn't too stark is the next step. You do have the option of a slightly more toned version of Resene Alabaster - i.e. Resene Double Alabaster - aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog if you are unsure about Resene Alabaster.

A feature wall in the main bedroom may require a bit of thinking about. Certainly anything would work with Resene Sea Fog - but it may depend upon the look you want to achieve as to which colour you use. Or it may need to co-ordinate well with your duvet and drapes. Paint is only one option - you might also consider a bit of unique, exciting and gorgeous wallpaper.

You haven't indicated what colours you favour but here are some ideas to get you started: Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Mesmerise, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Quarter Coriander.

Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Mesmerise
Resene Mesmerise
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Coriander
June 2017

Q. The colour we have now is Resene Half Spanish White and we would like to go creamier but not the yellower colour we have now. We have tried several testpots i.e. Resene Pearl Lusta (it looks too dark when applied) also Resene Half Pearl Lusta. Can you please help make some suggestions? We also don't want a full on white as we think our dark green windows will stick out like a sore thumb.

A. Creamier colours are often yellower as well. Resene Pearl Lusta is a creamier, yellower and brighter colour compared to Resene Half Spanish White. You might check out these colours to see if they are the type of colour you are hoping to have: Resene Half Villa White, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Rice Cake. If you like one of these colours but feel it may be too light white all of the colours come as deeper versions also. It may pay to check those as well, just to be sure.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
 
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
June 2017

Q. We are building a new house finished in cedar with black window frames and some black iron on sides. It has a large black roof and large eaves. Inside we have recycled our thick rimu doors. We want to go yellowy light cream on the walls. Do we do the same under the eaves? Which do you suggest? What colour do we paint around rimu door frames and other doors e.g. lift doors that are not rimu?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Bianca. I think it would be appropriate to use the same colour under soffits (eaves) and allow a flow through which is nice.

If you used the same colour (in a semi-gloss enamel paint finish) for the painted doors and frames it keeps the look simple, elegant and streamlined. If you preferred a lighter colour than the walls (this will make the wall colour seem a little more ‘coloured’) you might look at these ones to relate to which ever wall colour you have chosen - Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
June 2017

Q. We've painted our house and fascia in Resene Bokara Grey. What would you recommend as a roof and gutter colour? I am keen to keep it within the COLORBOND® colour range.

A. You might check out these COLORBOND® colours to see if they appeal to you - Evening Haze, Bushland, Jasper, Dune or Woodland Grey.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
June 2017

Q. Our house is a three bedroom A frame and the lounge has a large high ceiling (and gets a lot of light). We are repainting the entire interior and we are planning to use Resene Pearl Lusta and Resene Half Pearl Lusta on the ceilings. We have a smallish dining room with a high ceiling that we wanted to be a warmer intimate space and want to use a colour that complements Resene Pearl Lusta. I like the warmer colours and my partner likes the greener colours. Can you give us any suggestions?

Finally, we also plan to paint the various bedroom doors throughout the house, what colour would you suggest complementing the Resene Pearl Lusta?

A. Dining rooms often can have a 'special' look. You might check out these colours to see if any of these are appealing - Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Coriander or Resene Half Caraway. Bedrooms often have coloured duvets or curtains. Usually I suggest quite light colours so that any other colours in the room don't create a clash or discord.

Because the ceilings in Resene Half Pearl Lusta are quite a definite cream colour it may be slightly trickier to find appropriate 'other' colours. The easy option you might choose to use exactly the same colour on the walls as the ceiling. Or one of these options - Resene Half Titania, Resene Merino or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Coriander
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
 
June 2017

Q. I have a client who has chosen Resene Triple Black White as their wall colour but they want to go a shade darker than this now. What would be your suggestion colour wise?

A. You might look at these colours - by colour code they are similar to what I would expect a deeper version of Resene Triple Black White to look like - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Eighth Tapa.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
June 2017

Q. I have painted my kitchen cupboards Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and was wondering what colour would complement this on the kitchen walls. I would like something neutral. The space is quite large with a lot of natural light.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Albescent White, Resene Eighth Ash, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene White Pointer, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Merino.

Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
 
June 2017

Q. I am wondering what white the soffits of our house should be. The roof is Ebony COLORSTEEL®, the joinery is Matt Black and the ply and batten cladding is going to be stained Resene Pitch Black or Resene Sheer Black (haven't decided, maybe you could help with that too?). I’m not sure which white will go with black. Do I do the same as the inside ceilings?

A. Resene Sheer Black is warmer and lighter than Resene Pitch Black. What do you prefer? Everything is Black, Black, Black or Not So Black with Black and Black. Sometimes, seeing subtle, tonal colours are a softer look than the one dimensional, everything the same look. It is something you may need to think through carefully.

You might check out these whites - they will all work with the blacks you have chosen for the exterior - Resene Black White or Resene Sea Fog. It does depend upon what wall colours you are considering for the interior, as to whether or not these colour suggestions will work on the interior ceilings. When in doubt, go lighter in the interior - half and quarter tones of Resene Black White and Resene Sea Fog may be better.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
   
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Sea Fog
aka Double Alabaster
June 2017

Q. I have Resene Eighth Sisal throughout my home. I am replacing my kitchen and want to know what neutral colour to have on my kitchen cupboards and walls, so it works with Resene Eighth Sisal but is lighter?

A. As the walls in the rest of the house are quite yellow, you might consider using a warm toned lighter/whiter look in the kitchen. The walls might be one of these colours - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Villa White or Resene Eighth Fossil. You don't mention whether your cabinets will be lacquered (painted) or made from a laminate. Whichever type of finish you choose to go with on the cabinetry, it may be a good call to use a white (quite traditional/timeless/goes with everything) like one of the following colours - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or laminate option - Bestwood Melamine Arctic White.

These whites allow you to have almost any other colour for the work tops, flooring and splashbacks and won't clash with the warmer light colour on the walls.

Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
June 2017

Q. Can you please give advice on a colour choice for a four bedroom farm house, built in the late 60s which has had hardly anything done to it? I would like warm neutral colours that will go well with a young family. I've been advised not to go with white. I’m not sure if that's correct.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and - most importantly - if they work with flooring, curtains and furniture. Try Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Half Solitaire, Resene Quarter Drought or Resene Quarter Fossil.

Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
June 2017

Q. We're renovating our kitchen/dining area - having waited for over 14 years to do it. We have a very light grey, almost beige, melamine cabinetry. High cabinetry (pantry, fridge and benchtop pantry) is against one wall and the adjoining wall has a window, under which is the sink and then a bit of wall under which we've got the cook top. Next to this is a three panel bifold door in Matt Black. There is an island in the middle and the dining area is next to it. All appliances are brushed stainless steel.

The walls are all in Resene Quarter Spanish White - much the same as the rest of the house. The benchtop is Granite Steel, which is a dark grey. The floor is Quickstep Laminate in Natural varnished oak; it's a yellow brown. We want to put a glass splashback over the sink and cook top. I quite like the look of the metallic colours and was wondering if they would work in our space? I'm wondering whether to have something with colour (like Resene Glitterbug) or more neutral (like Resene Silver Aluminium). Or would it be best to stick to the non-metallic range?

We will have red barstools against the island for a pop of colour. And some artwork with red in it on the dining room wall. I am worried the colour scheme will be too monochromatic and cold. I want it to feel warm. It's not a big space so I also want to stick to lighter/neutral colours to give it an airy feeling.

A. Having a colourful splashback or having something that is more neutral is very much a personal choice. You may need to consider which option will not date and will look appropriate with your other colours. A monochromatic colour scheme isn't always a bland or cold statement unless you have absolutely nothing else in the room that has colour in it.

I think these are the options available to you:

  • Brushed stainless steel like your appliances.
  • A deeper version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Spanish White - warm toned like the floor.
  • Black exactly like the doors and window frames.
  • A really dark charcoal metallic colour - Resene Blast Grey.
  • A photo realistic graphic scene on glass - I have seen some beautiful coloured ones which might appeal to you.
  • A warm metallic colour - Resene Pure Pewter - which may tone in better with the main wall colour and the warm toned wood floor.
  • A red exactly matching your bar stools. So you do have a few options to check out.

Take your time to think about the look you want to have.


Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Glitterbug
Resene Glitterbug
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
   
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
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 Pure Pewter
Resene Pure Pewter
June 2017

Q. I would like to seek some colour advice from you. We have a stucco house which was built in 1930s and has recently been painted in Resene Thorndon Cream. The trim under the windows is painted in Resene Pohutukawa. The base of the house which is smooth stucco is painted in Resene Stack. On each window there are shutters and my question is what colour to paint the shutters? I was thinking of a deep blue but would appreciate your advice.

A. You might check these lovely colours out to see if they are the type of blue that appeals to you - Resene Blue Bark, Resene Licorice, Resene Big Stone, Resene Tangaroa or Resene Bunting. These blues look stunning with the Resene Pohutukawa.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
   
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
Resene Big Stone
Resene Big Stone
Resene Tangaroa
Resene Tangaroa
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
June 2017

Q. In the top 20 colours, what colour/s would you recommend go with Grey Friars joinery and polished rimu floors? The carpet is a similar shade to the joinery.

A. Grey Friars is a steel blue toned charcoal. It is versatile enough to work with almost any of the top 20 Resene colours. If you wanted a cool crisp look then the following are good colours to use - Resene Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White. If you wanted a warmer ambiance, then these colours might be considered - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Quarter Tea.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
June 2017

Q. We are repainting the exterior of our cedar weatherboard/monolithic clad (no weather/water damage at all) house. Currently the cladding is Resene Gargoyle and we want a sympathetic colour in either paint or stain for the weatherboards, which are currently Resene Woodsman Dark Oak. We plan to stay with Resene Gargoyle. Soffits and windows are Titanium and the garage door is a dark brown.

A. I am inclined to recommend that you stay with a stain colour as that is what you have already. Stain colour options - Resene Woodsman – Resene Nutmeg or Resene Bark. Or if you prefer to paint - Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Lignite.

Resene Gargoyle
Resene Gargoyle
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
   
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Bark
Resene Bark
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
June 2017

Q. We are painting a house in Resene Half Cloud as my main wall colour throughout, using Resene Alabaster on the ceilings. We have an upstairs attic type bedroom which we intend painting all one colour, as there is no distinction between wall and roof line. I would like to continue the same colour theme but feel Resene Quarter Cloud would be too intense in this light filled room. As Resene doesn't have a Resene Eighth Cloud, can you please suggest the next best colour for us to use?

A. You might use Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Sea Fog. Any of these may work, but the acute angle change that relates to the roof, will make the colour look slightly deeper on the ceiling than the vertical walls will do.

Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
June 2017

Q. We are getting the exterior of our house painted and are very stuck on colour choices. We know we want grey, but are stuck with which grey.

A. Colours on an exterior often look much lighter than you might expect. There are a huge amount of grey colour options. Check out these ones to see if they appeal to you - Cool greys - Resene Half Iron or Resene Half Surrender, Warm greys - Resene White Pointer or Resene Quarter Truffle or Whiter greys - Resene Black White or Resene Half Sea Fog. All of the suggested greys are available as deeper versions and sometimes lighter versions.

Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
June 2017

Q. We are building a new house. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars and our windows are in Aluminium (light pearl). I'd like to stick with a grey palette throughout the house and would love some ideas.

A. Perhaps you could check these greys out to see if they are the type that appeal to you - Resene Concrete with lighter for trims and ceilings - Resene Quarter Concrete, or Resene Double Black White with lighter for trims and ceilings - Resene Quarter Black White, or Resene Hint of Grey with lighter for trims and ceilings - Resene Half Alabaster, or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey with lighter for trims and ceilings - Resene Half Wan White. There are many more to choose from but these may give you a start point.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Quarter Concrete
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
 
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Hint of Grey
aka Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
 
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
 
June 2017

Q. We are currently building. The house does not get much sun, the rooms are all large and we have a skylight in the kitchen area. I’m keen on the whole place being light and bright and (think) I have decided on Resene Double Alabaster for the walls and Resene Half Alabaster for the ceilings, doors and trim. I would however, quite like a wall of colour in the entrance way and like warm grey. Do Resene Alabaster and Resene Silver Chalice like each other?

My 12 year old daughter is having a grey feature wall in her bedroom and is also keen on a warm grey, so we could potentially be using it a couple of times throughout the house. The floors are loosely longboards in a light grey oak and the carpets are Paua, which is a taupe/grey shade. The kitchen is white with Caesarstone® Snow bench tops.

A. Resene Silver Chalice is a warm, pewter grey and it looks lovely with any of the Resene Alabaster whites. Please test the colour carefully as it can look quite different according to where it is placed. All rooms have their own unique quality of light and any other colours within the rooms may also alter how the colour is seen. Generally speaking, all colours in any interior have the potential to look twice the depth that you might imagine the colour will look - so this does need to be taken into account.

If you paint up all of the Resene testpot (two coats) onto very large white A2 (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card, you will be able to focus on it. It is important to see it as it really is. Moving the card from wall to wall/room to room allows you to see how it alters with changing light, shade and wall angles. There are paler versions of Silver Chalice available should you decide that it looks too deep.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
June 2017

Q. I am looking to paint the interior of the house we have just bought. It is yellow now with varnished wood and we want to make it much lighter and fresher. What white would you recommend, that would not be too modern, but not too cream? I was thinking Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream but am not sure. I also want blue bedrooms - either Resene Half Duck Egg blue or Resene Half Dusted Blue. And for the upstairs lounge room – Resene Half Gunsmoke or another rich grey, as I want this room to be cosy and warm and the rest of the house fresh and light. All rooms will be painted with Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Milk White on the trim and Resene White on the ceiling. Do you think all these colours will work together or do you have any suggestions for good colours? All rooms will have white shutters.

A. Be cautious of Resene Milk White as it can pick up a mushroom/pink undertone and that may be emphasised if it is close to the warm gold of the varnished woodwork. Is that type of colour what you want? If Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream looks too stark you may need to use Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Gunsmoke may look twice the depth of colour - often in an interior this is what happens - will you mind if it looks much deeper? An alternative mid grey to check out might be Resene Half Jumbo or Resene Jumbo - they are warm greys.

Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
June 2017

Q. I am about to renovate a single bay villa in Herne Bay. I would like to paint the inside and outside white, including all trims. The door would be black. All picket fences would be white. The roof I would like grey. I will replace some of the roof with COLORSTEEL® and paint the rest. What colours do you recommend?

A. If you look at what is available in the COLORSTEEL® roof range of grey colours you will note that there is a limited choice. These colours have a Resene colour match so you can paint the older part of the roof to match the new COLORSTEEL® - COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (Resene Element), COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars (Resene Grey Friars), COLORSTEEL® TernStyle (Resene Windswept), COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey ( Resene Gauntlet) or COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey (Resene Atmosphere). They are listed in relation from dark to lightest.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
June 2017

Q. We are planning the exterior of our new house. We are using Ironsand COLORSTEEL® roofing and Midland Fossil Brick. We are would like to find a paint colour for use on LINEA® weatherboards to complement/contrast the above colours. However the colour must have a LRV under 50 to meet Council regulations. Do you have any suggestions?

A. It is always slightly more difficult when you have two definite colours (Fossil bricks and Ironsand roofing) and the criteria for the other colour needs to meet Council regulations. Are you saying that even though LINEA® allows for deeper colours to be used that the Council want you to have much lighter colours between 50-100 LRV%?

These are some very light colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Truffle (LRV 64%), or darker Resene Truffle (LRV 54%), Resene Quarter Cougar (LRV 63%) or darker Resene Half Cougar (LRV 53%).

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
May 2017

Q. I want to have a colour that lightens up a living area to help create more of an open space in a unit that I am building underneath a house. There is not a lot of light but we will be having quite a few windows. There is a lot of greenery outside. I quite like light greys, whites, browns, blues, greens.

A. Most colours will respond to the quality of natural light or lack of light. You may have to test colours very carefully by painting very large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and watching how the light and different wall angles alter how the colours are seen.

It may not be enough to have lots of windows if the sunlight can't reach into the room because of factors that stop it. The greenery directly outside the windows may well make the colour reflect more of a green hue - even if it isn't a green colour. The dim light may make whites look cool and greyish and light greys look slightly deeper. Would this worry you?

You could look at using warmer toned whites with more reflective factor to see if it lightens up the living area. Perhaps these may be worth checking out - Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream which have a slight green undertone, or Resene Half Orchid White.

Or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, which are slightly warmer, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Eighth Biscotti.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
May 2017

Q. I have a rental investment which I am going to paint the whole interior. The dining room and lounge carpet is a dark gravel tone and the curtains are lemon. Three bedrooms have curtains in solid black, navy and red. All the curtains are good quality so I do not want to change them. I am thinking of one warm neutral throughout the house. The doors and door trims are rimu, window trims and skirting boards are white as are the bathroom fittings.

Could you please suggest some colours that would work with the colours mentioned and also a contrast colour for the kitchen cupboards? My rental is in Invercargill so warmth is crucial, perhaps steering away from greyish colours. I have used Resene Spanish White a lot but I’m not sure if this would go with the lemon curtains. The kitchen cupboards at the moment are painted a cherry colour with grey walls.

A. You are right - the colour you have used before may not sit comfortably with lemon coloured curtains. It may be that you need to use a different colour for the dining room and lounge because of that.

The following colour for the lounge and dining room allows for the lemon curtains - lounge/dining room walls - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta (this is quite 'white') and a warmer hue for all the other rooms - Resene Half Pearl Lusta.

Or alternatively for all rooms - one colour only - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream (slightly more coloured than Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta so it may look earthier in the lounge and dining room when seen close to the lemon curtains). Some ideas for the kitchen cabinets - these colours look lovely with rimu and white - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Linen or Resene Joanna.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
 
May 2017

Q. I would like to paint our far kitchen wall a grey colour. The floor will be natural wooden boards and the other walls are painted Resene Black White. I tried Resene Fuscous Grey but it was too harsh. I don't know if a soft grey or deeper would look better. The only other factor to consider is ideally I would like a dark grey clock sitting on the windowsill to sit above the door. It would be great if the colour complemented it.

A. I can only suggest some more greys but they will need to be carefully checked out to see if they are appropriate or not. All greys carry coloured undertones, so it is necessary to carefully test them. Testpots are your best friend in this regard. You could try Resene Half Shark, Resene Quarter Foundry, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Shuttle Grey or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
     
Resene Half Shark
Resene Half Shark
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
May 2017

Q. We have a brick ex-state house with typical rendered block base. The base, including the concrete steps is painted in Resene Diesel and we would like to repaint the brick in a light complementary shade. The roof is old concrete tile but as it's fairly close to Ironsand, we are thinking of replacing the guttering in that colour. We have tried various testpots of colours like Resene Tea and Resene Triple Thorndon but as the front is north facing and very sunny, they look white. Resene Napa seems to look the right depth and match nicely but I'm wondering if there are any warm greys or greige colours that might work? Also, can you suggest a good strong white for the window frames?

A. Colours that are a similar depth as Resene Napa that might be worth checking out are these ones - Resene Quarter Sandstone or Resene Half Stonehenge. A good white might be Resene Eighth Black White.

Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
 
May 2017

Q. I am planning to paint our house Resene Half Thorndon Cream and I want to paint my girl’s room a pale pink that will go with this colour. I had decided on Resene Vanilla Ice but a couple of people have since told me the two colours clash. I want a light pink that is warm.

A. Some pinks that might appeal to you for the girl’s room - Resene Half Pot Pourri, Resene Cest La Vie or Resene Devoted.

I think as long as the Resene Half Thorndon Cream isn't used in the pink room and you use Resene White for all the trims, window surrounds, wardrobe doors and ceilings, then it will be fine.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Vanilla Ice
   
Resene Half Pot Pourri
Resene Half Pot Pourri
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Devoted
Resene Devoted
Resene White
Resene White
May 2017

Q. I have installed a new kitchen at my mother’s home. The colour she has chosen is dusky pink beige. What Resene colour would be suitable for her splashback?

A. It does depend very much on what the type of dusky pink beige it is - is it the cabinets, work tops and walls that is this colour? Or is it only the walls? You might check out these colours to see if they work with the main colour - Resene Ringo, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Inside Back or Resene Dusted Blue.

If it is too difficult to choose a colour, then the default option would be just to use the glass over the wall colour - so it is a protected surface but not a coloured feature.

Resene Ringo
Resene Ringo
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
May 2017

Q. Have you got suggestions for an off white with a warm undertone? It is meant to go into a lounge with panoramic windows north, east and west (lots of sunlight all day but freezing in winter) surrounded by a lot of greenery. The western facing wall is meant to be woodstock green as a feature wall. The northern, eastern and southern walls I would like to be a creamy/milky warm off white but without taking on too much of the green reflection.

A. You may always get some green reflection - not just from the feature wall colour but also from the greenery outside. Perhaps you could carefully test these colours to see if they work for you – Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Spanish White and Resene Quarter Merino. If you paint up all of the Resene testpot onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and move them from wall to wall so you can see what changes that occur during the daylight hours and at night.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
May 2017

Q. We are looking at repainting our house which is two thirds LINEA® board and one third plasterboard and we are thinking either a grey-blue colour or a dark but not bright blue. Is it best to paint the LINEA® board a lighter colour and the plaster board a darker colour (which most of our neighbours have done) or vice versa or does it depend on the colour?

A. Generally the LINEA® board is painted a deeper colour (people like LINEA® because it allows for darker colours) and the plaster board a lighter colour, but it is a personal choice. You might check out these colours to see if they are the type of colours you favour - lighter toned colours - Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Dusted Blue or Resene Gull Grey. Or medium toned colours - Resene Steam Roller, Resene Raven or Resene Revolution. Or darker shaded colours - Resene Grey Friars, Resene Tuna or Resene Dark Side.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
May 2017

Q. We have purchased a house. The exterior is painted plain white. We are looking to keep it white for now as it was painted not that long ago. We are also looking to keep the wooden windows white. We would like to paint the concrete steps and add in some colour around the bottom of the house and along the bottom of the windows. We would use some colour on the garage door and paint our front door. We were thinking of grey for the steps and bottom of the house, with a charcoal almost black for the door, the bottom of the windows and garage door. We would like something that would go with stark white but that will also look good when we repaint in a year or two (we will still use a light colour on the house when we repaint).

A. These colours may be the greys and charcoal/blacks that appeal to you - please check them out – Resene Quarter Foundry/Resene Double Foundry, or Resene Quarter Grey Friars/Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Boulder/Resene Bunker.

Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Boulder
Resene Boulder
Resene Bunker
Resene Bunker
May 2017

Q. I'm looking for some colour help as I just don't seem to be able find anything that works for us. We have an open plan kitchen/living area that we want to repaint. I would describe the house as modern country, built in 2003. The trims of the whole house are Resene Parchment so we don't want to repaint these. The aluminium windows are New Denim Blue and so are the kitchen cabinets, with a rimu bench top on the island and white subway tiles as a splashback. The room has very high ceilings and a heap of light with a big bay window at one end and windows all along one side. I am looking for a colour that will modernise the style from what was painted in 2003 but to keep the Resene Parchment skirting so the whole house flows. I also want a colour that will not date.

A. Because the trims are a definite colour it seems to me that your options might be a much lighter variant of the trim colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Parchment but this would make the trims stand out as a deeper feature.

The other option is to use a deeper colour so your eye perceives the trims as lighter and more neutral - i.e. Resene Half Craigieburn. Or you could try some options that use a greener/beige - i.e. Resene Double Ash or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
May 2017

Q. I want to paint a lounge/living area that is east/north facing, gets lots of bright morning sun and then is quite shadowy from mid-afternoon. I have cards of Resene Double Alabaster - a bit flat and too cool in daytime but OK at night, Resene Quarter Rice Cake - a bit yellow in the day and OK at night, Resene Quarter Blanc which is too brown in the day time, Resene Eighth Spanish White is too yellow in daylight. Resene Double Alabaster is best as it doesn’t have the colour tones of the others but it would be good to find something just a bit warmer. Should I try Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Quarter Bianca?

A. The last two colours you have mentioned are definitely worth testing. They are light and warm. The options might be Resene Half Sea Fog (aka Resene Triple Alabaster) and Resene Quarter Merino. You probably need to decide when you use the room the most (day or night) and how the colour looks then. It may not be 100% perfect at other times but you may be able to accept the colour and compromise a little.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
 
May 2017

Q. I’ve purchased a house with the interior in a monochromatic scheme – Resene Akaroa on all walls, Resene Half Akaroa on skirting and Resene Triple Akaroa on doors, window frames and trims. Can you please recommend some greens, blues, reds (Resene Pohutukawa or similar), browns and greys I could use on feature walls to inject colour? The lounge, office and main bedroom get bathed in sun. The bathroom and spare bedrooms are on the south side. The kitchen is open to the lounge but is not open plan. I would like to use green and grey on the exterior with red doors, hence would it be good to repeat the same colours on the interior? We have the standard silver aluminium joinery. Can you recommend greens and greys which would work with this? I am keen to use just one colour per exterior wall and alternate i.e. block colours.

A. Some feature wall colours that you might check out to see if they are what you have in mind - Resene Viktor, Resene True Blue, Resene Trouble (inside and outside), Resene Flintstone or Resene Half Gunsmoke (inside and outside).

And some of these colours may look good on the exterior - Resene Quarter Chicago, Resene Chicago, Resene Templestone, Resene Condor or Resene Jurassic.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Triple Akaroa
Resene Triple Akaroa
   
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Flintstone
Resene Flintstone
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Condor
Resene Condor
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
May 2017

Q. We are renovating our 1920s railway cottage and are adding a lounge room at the back. We're thinking of laying new charcoal coloured carpet throughout the house. We are not sure what white/neutral wall colour would suit the carpet. We were thinking a warm white such as Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream might be good on the walls with Resene Half Alabaster on the ceiling, doorways and skirting but are not 100% sure. We would like to use the same white colour for the ceiling, doorway and skirting in the bathroom too. We will probably choose either Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue for the bathroom walls. What wall colour would you suggest and a shade of white for all the ceilings, doorways and skirting throughout the house?

A. The colours that you have mentioned are really nice and would work well. The difference between Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and Resene Half Alabaster is subtle. If you wanted a little more crisp contrast you might change the Resene Half Alabaster to Resene Quarter Alabaster.

An alternative main wall colour might be one of these options - Resene Milk White or Resene Sea Fog. It is a good idea to compare colours and test them carefully to ensure they work well in the natural and artificial light in the house.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
 
May 2017

Q. We have painted our two storey weatherboard house Resene Double Truffle and the windows, sills and trims Resene Wan White. Our roof is Grey Friars as are the shingles above the bay windows and the front porch area. We have gone Resene Jaguar on the front glass panelled door. What colour would you recommend for the ring foundation (approx 300mm high)?

A. I think the options for the foundation may be these -
Same as the house colour - Resene Double Truffle - this is a simple look and may make the house appear taller in height.
Same as the windows - Resene Wan White - this is a traditional option.
Much lighter version of the roof colour i.e. Resene Quarter Grey Friars - this will make it more of a feature.

Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
July 2017

Q. We are completing a new build. We quite like the colour FlaxPod for our roof and are looking for our external colours to go with this. We will either have white or silver aluminium joinery. The house is a modern house, and will have a mix of weatherboards and brick (plastered) cladding. We are thinking a dark colour for the weatherboards, and a lighter colour for the plaster. We are thinking greys. What colours do you recommend that are ‘on trend’ at the moment?

A. Your colour ideas for a modern look are great. You may need to see how a sample of white joinery looks with dark and light greys to see if it is ok or whether the silver suits better - that is a personal choice.

These dark and light colours look quite nice with FlaxPod which is an earthy dark roof colour - Resene Quarter Ironsand and Resene Half Gauntlet, Resene Windswept and Resene Jumbo, or Resene Baltic Sea and Resene Scarpa Flow.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Half Gauntlet
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
May 2017

Q. I am after a neutral colour for all interior walls in a new house (yet to be built). In previous houses we have had Resene Quarter Tea on walls and Resene Half Tea on doors and surrounds, which I liked, but in some lights it shows muddy/greenish tints. I was after a more 'crisp' off-white look for our new house, though I definitely don't want a stark white! Our furniture is mostly black/light cream and our preferred carpet colour is Taupe.

A. For a new neutral look you might check these colours out - they are more muted with a grey or taupe undertones and they may appeal to you - Resene Eighth Truffle - main room walls, Resene Quarter Truffle - doors etc and Resene Double Alabaster - ceilings and possible choice for service rooms, or Resene Double Sea Fog - main room walls, Resene Triple Sea Fog - doors etc or Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
   
May 2017

Q. We just bought a house with Scoria coloured aluminium joinery windows and doors. The current internal frame colour is minty green; we'd like to change that. Would you suggest a white, or a darker colour to go with the Scoria? It would have to be a neutral colour to go with the powdery grey/white I'm planning to paint the inside walls.

A. You don't mention which particular powder grey/white that you are considering for the main interior colour. It may be that there is a deeper variant of that colour that could be used for the window frames. Had you thought of that? I am not sure about a random darker colour around the window frames as it may make too much of a feature of them and they are already a feature aren't they?

The following are examples of this white/neutral type of colour palette - Resene Sea Fog/Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Cloud/Resene Cloud or Resene Eighth Truffle/Resene Half Truffle.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
May 2017

Q. I'm painting the exterior of my villa and I would like colour suggestions for the white trim, base boards and front door. The new roof is COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey and the weatherboards are Resene Half Craigieburn. I was thinking a crisp white like Resene Alabaster for the trim, Resene Afterglow for the front door (stained glass red, blue, green and white) and Resene Mondo or Resene Double Mondo for the baseboards. Do you have suggestions on what may work better with Resene Half Craigieburn?

A. I really like Resene Alabaster used with Resene Half Craigieburn. I think you could check out both, Resene Gauntlet or Resene Double Friar Greystone as an option for the base boards. They are warm greys (not a brown/olive like Resene Mondo) but they relate really well with Resene Half Craigieburn and help tie in the pale grey roof colour. A deeper red like Resene Dynamite might be considered as a door colour - it is very nice and worth looking at as well.

Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Afterglow
Resene Afterglow
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Double Friar Greystone
Resene Double Friar Greystone
Resene Dynamite
Resene Dynamite
   
May 2017

Q. We are selling a house and wish to paint the stucco at the bottom to try and modernise the look from the cream Palisade and sage green joinery. I was looking at colours such as Resene Triple Friar Greystone - any suggestions welcome!

A. You might check out Resene Double Tapa and Resene Half Gravel as alternative options for the stucco bottom of the house, as they are interesting colours with a bit of deep green/grey in their undertones which might help tie in the green windows.

Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Triple Friar Greystone
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
May 2017

Q. I have a seaside property that I want to give a new colour scheme. It has white aluminium windows (these will remain at this stage) and a New Denim Blue COLORSTEEL® roof. I am thinking of Resene Tiara (main) with Resene Quarter Black White, and wondering about Resene Atomic or Resene Rolling Stone (porch), fence - same colour as the porch or trim colour? Do all of these colours work with the New Denim Blue roof? Lastly, do I use a semi-gloss finish and being an exterior, should I get the main body colour in a shade darker?

A. I think the front fence may look crisper and more in tune with the seaside cottage look if it is painted Resene Quarter Black White like the trims and posts. I do like Resene Tiara as the main colour - it works well with the New Denim Blue roof and the white and it has a soft faded look just like Cape Cod seaside cottages. The porch colours that you are considering are good but perhaps you might look at these alternative colours - just in case you like them better - Resene Trout, Resene Half New Denim Blue or Resene Dark Slate.

Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Rolling Stone
Resene Rolling Stone
Resene Trout
Resene Trout
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
 
May 2017

Q. We would like to repaint our lounge and kitchen area, which are north facing rooms with rimu flooring. The kitchen cabinets have been painted with Resene Bianca and have stainless steel benches. The door and window frames are painted with Resene Alabaster. The roman blinds in the kitchen area are a beige colour and the ceiling is white. My furniture in the lounge is mostly greyish brown. I also have a few green pot plants in the room. Can you recommend a good paint colour please? I prefer whites and neutrals. They are small rooms so I would like to make them appear more spacious.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Eighth Ash, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Eighth Fossil or Resene Double Sea Fog.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
     
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
May 2017

Q. I want to paint an enclave and a wall with two big slider doors, Resene Dark Knight. Then I want to paint the other walls, trim and ceilings a light colour to keep it bright and not bring in too many colours. I have testpots of Resene White, Resene Eighth Black White and Resene Half Alabaster but they look glary and ‘white’. Could you suggest some others that might work? It is a large space with lots of natural light and neutral sisal carpet is being installed. The ceilings are very low with a big beam running through the middle.

A. It may be an optic effect created by the extreme contrast to the feature wall colour which makes the whites look too stark and glary. You might try the more toned versions of the same colours to see if the look is softer and less stark - Resene Half Black White or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
May 2017

Q. We are repainting our kitchen and need advice on the colour of the cupboard doors and walls. We have a dark polished wooden floors and brown/black granite benchtop. Ideally, we would like the ceiling Resene White or Resene Black White but we are open to all suggestions.

A. The ceilings - if they were painted Resene White - would always look very crisp and clean.The walls and the doors could be exactly the same colour (gloss or semi-gloss on the cabinets and a low sheen on the walls); this is a simple look. Or alternatively, the cabinets could be a little deeper with a much lighter colour on the walls.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Spanish White/Resene Spanish White, Resene Quarter Biscotti/Resene Biscotti or Resene Eighth Akaroa/Resene Half Bison Hide.

I have not suggested greyer or grey/beige colours as I am fearful that they might make the floors and granite take on a very red/brown or gingery/brown look.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
May 2017

Q. I would like to use Resene paints to paint the Italian flag onto a piece of furniture and would like to get the colours as close to the real flag, as possible. What Resene paints should I use for the red, white and green?

A. You might use these colours - they are quite similar - Resene Pursuit, Resene Howzat and Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Pursuit
Resene Pursuit
Resene Howzat
Resene Howzat
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
May 2017

Q. Next week we are painting two houses on our property. One is a 60s weatherboard house and the other, a plaster clad house with copper down pipes, black shingle roof and a brownish black fascia, soffit etc. I feel that both houses need to be the same colour, apart from the windows. The weatherboard house has had an addition put on it at some stage; half the windows are silver aluminium (which I don't want to change at this point) and the other half white wooden frames. The plaster house has black aluminium windows. I have been considering Resene Half Black White on the weatherboards and plaster and Resene Double Concrete on the wooden window frames to match the silver aluminium but I’m not sure what colour roof for the weatherboard home. All the blacks are on the browner side. We are in more of a rural setting, so I am a bit worried this may too much of a suburban colour scheme?

A. The colours that you are considering are good. You mention that you are in a rural setting and are worried that the overall look might be too suburban - it is a timeless palette of colours and I don't think it is too urban for the area you live in.

The roof colour on the weatherboard house might be one of these colours - Resene Element, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Windswept.

Please do check the Resene Double Concrete colour and the silver aluminium to see they are very close in colour. My sample of silver aluminium is warmer looking than Resene Double Concrete - more like Resene Quarter Delta.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
   
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
May 2017

Q. Can you tell me if New Denim Blue has grey undertones? I am building a colonial style villa that I am thinking of painting the weatherboards Resene Iron with Resene Alabaster for the trim. I like the look of the New Denim Blue for the roof, but I'm not sure if it is blue rather than grey? Also, are all three of these colours a good match?

A. The colours are nice together. Resene Iron is a lilac/grey colour and the roof colour - New Denim Blue - is a grey/blue. If you put a definite blue close to it, it looks like a dusty grey but conversely if you put it next to a grey it looks blue.

If you wanted a more definite charcoal grey, then Grey Friars looks greyer (but in bright sunlight it may still look a little bit blue). All colours on an exterior look somewhat lighter also. This is something to think about.

Please test your colours very carefully by painting them (all of the testpot/two coats) on A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and look at them outside at different times of the day and on different sides of the house - it is amazing how the light alters them.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
May 2017

Q. I have a white weatherboard 1970s home with a white picket front fence. I need to paint the side and rear timber fences and I'm not sure how to tie these in i.e. can the picket fence remain white but side fences be a different colour? The roof is also due to be replaced in the short term and I expect this will be a charcoal colour. Presumably, I will paint the bargeboards, garage door, front door and front deck balustrade the same charcoal colour but again this all needs to tie in with the fences.

A. If you favour a charcoal colour for the replacement roof then that may lead you into COLORSTEEL® options like these ones - Grey Friars, FlaxPod or TernStyle. The fences and trims on the house might be the same colour but in a paint colour - the following are listed to correspond to the above COLORSTEEL® colours - Resene Grey Friars, Resene Element or Resene Windswept.

Lighter greys that are a little related might be these ones - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. In order to soften the effect of the deeper greys on the fences you might consider attaching some white trellis detailing on the fences to tie into the picket fence and house white colour.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
May 2017

Q. We are looking to paint our whole house white. The floors are Jarrah, medium brightness throughout (a bit shady as in Darwin and elevated to avoid too much sun). I was thinking Resene Alabaster, but is this too stark? Also, would you recommend doing skirting in the same colour but high gloss?

A. If you are a little unsure about Resene Alabaster and feel it may be too stark then perhaps you could use slightly more toned colours - Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog (aka Resene Triple Alabaster).

You could use the same colour as the walls or lighter (Resene Alabaster) in a glossy finish for the woodwork. The slight contrast is nice and crisp and creates a bit visual interest.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
May 2017

Q. We have Wunderlich Modern French Terracotta roof tiles which are a sort of brown colour, though I have been advised by a roofer, that the colour is Manganese. The window frames, door architraves and guttering are Mission Brown. How can my wife and I modernise the front of the house as we are stuck with the roof colour? We are thinking of spraying the aluminium Mission Brown windows and the door architraves white? Will this go with the roof colour? What should we paint the gutters or should we leave them Mission Brown? The garage door we will likely replaced later with a timber style door.

A. The roof colour looks good with the bricks. Changing the Mission Brown joinery and trims would modernise the house but it isn't just the roof colour that you need to co-ordinate with. You must also consider the bricks and the paving as they are a very definite range of colours.

I wouldn't suggest using a pure white for the windows and trims - it may look too stark. A soft warm toned off white may be a better option. Perhaps you could check out these subtle colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Titania, Resene Half Cararra or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
May 2017

Q. I want some help with toning greys on my walls please. Do dark greys on walls with white floors and trims make a room look smaller?

A. It depends on how dark the grey is/how big the room is/how bright and full of sunshine the room is. If you use a dark grey in a small room or a room that is not blessed with lots of sun then the dark grey will suck up all the natural light and appear very grim as well as making the room feel much smaller.

Some nice toned greys that you might look at using are these ones - Resene Delta (not too deep and looks amazing with Resene White), Resene Double Stack (a deeper type of grey which looks good with Resene Double Alabaster), Resene Jumbo (a warm deep grey which looks lovely with a slightly warmer white - Resene Quarter Bianca) or a much blacker grey - Resene Half Shark (nice with Resene Black White).

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Shark
Resene Half Shark
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
May 2017

Q. I want to paint my laundry, it’s small with one door and window. Could you suggest a colour?

A. You don't mention what colours you favour or what you have used in other rooms so these colour suggestions are a start point for you - Resene Half Cut Glass, Resene Scandi, Resene Secrets or Resene Gin Fizz.

Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Scandi
Resene Scandi
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Gin Fizz
Resene Gin Fizz
May 2017

Q. We are painting a reception room for a beauty therapy clinic (approx 5 x 3.5m) the logo colours are blues, teals, white and grey. So, for the room we are wanting a dark, midnight blue feature wall (maybe Resene Coast) and then wanting to paint the walls plus ceiling and skirting in a very light grey. In our house a few years ago we used Resene Eighth Tea but we are not sure if this would work. We'll then use cushions etc for pops of teal and other blues. We want the room to have a warm, welcoming feel and not be too cold.

A. You might check out these warmer light greys to see if they are what you had in mind for the main colour - Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Barely There or Resene Black Haze. Some delicious dark blues to look at - Resene Licorice, Resene Elephant or Resene Bunting.

Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
 
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
Resene Elephant
Resene Elephant
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
May 2017

Q. We have an old weatherboard house which has some new windows and doors. It has dark brown joinery, some original wooden windows and our roof is Ironsand. We are looking for a colour to paint the weatherboards.

A. You could check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Half Tea, Resene White Pointer, Resene Double House White, Resene Secrets or Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
May 2017

Q. I have Resene Quarter Merino on all my walls and am now looking to get my kitchen cabinets resprayed white (from their current green). The bench top is black granite and the room faces north, so is sunny most of the day. Should I specify the same Resene Quarter Merino for the cabinetry or something else? Ultimately, the floor tiles will also be changed to a neutral marble-like effect.

A. You could use the same colour as the wall for the cabinets and just have a different sheen level making the difference. Alternatively you might consider a slightly crisper white for the cabinets - one of these perhaps – Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
May 2017

Q. My house was last painted 26 years ago (so it's definitely due!) It was built about 1968/1969 and is mostly concrete block with some 'lovely' vertical wood panelling and aluminium windows. The house is currently cream (both the concrete blocks and the wood panelling - I assume painting them both the same colour would be preferable to painting them different colours?) I was thinking a lighter colour would be preferable to a darker colour (as wouldn't the darker colour make the house look like a prison?), but as I've never painted a house before I don't know where to start in terms of what colours are best for concrete block houses.

A. I am inclined to agree with you - both in regard using one colour only and a lighter one. I think that you do have a lot of options so the following are a few colours that you might look at to see if they appeal to you – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Half Cloudy or Resene Half Tana. The colours are soft toned warm neutrals and look very smart.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
May 2017

Q. We are building a new house and are looking for some help with interior colours. We are wanting to paint our walls in Resene Concrete with white ceiling and trim. The laminate flooring is light oak in colour and the carpeted area is a mix of grey, blue and black pattern. We plan for this paint scheme to be all of the house except for the retreat where the floor colour is burnt plank and we were thinking of Resene Perfect Taupe plus a contrasting white. There are various ceiling heights with both flat and steeple ceilings. What shade of Resene Concrete would you recommend and which white we should use for both ceilings, internal doors and trim?

A. A great white to use with both Resene Concrete and Resene Perfect Taupe might be Resene Half Alabaster. Resene Perfect Taupe is a very warm toned colour - it is a rosy toned grey/beige. You might compare it with another option - i.e. Resene Cloudy - just to make sure it is the right colour because it is only by comparing colours that your eye truly can judge what they are like.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
May 2017

Q. We are painting our house and need colour advice on weatherboards, window trims, fascia etc. Our roof is COLORSTEEL® Karaka, windows are Arctic White - very tricky! The house is 1950s but has had renovations done in the 90s. The house sits in a bush setting.

A. I think it is the Arctic White window joinery that is a little trickier than the Karaka roof colour because it is a very cool blue/grey toned white. You might check out the following colours to see if they are appeal and work well for you - Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Delta, Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

If you were to use a lighter variant of the roof colour for the window trims and fascia it may tie in the roof colour - Resene Quarter Karaka or alternatively a greyer earthy colour - Resene Taupe Grey.

I am unsure about suggesting a white - Resene White - for these areas as the very cool window joinery colour may make a real white look cream - which it isn't - by comparison.

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene White
Resene White
   
May 2017

Q. We are getting our roof replaced with COLORSTEEL® and need to make a decision on colour by end of the week! We have old paint tins from the previous owners so we believe the house colour is Resene Quarter Nullarbor. We are deciding between COLORSTEEL® Slate and Windsor Grey. I feel that Grey Friars is too light and too blue (although our iron gate is Grey Friars so we will eventually need to paint it to match the roof). I think Ironsand is too brown (particularly if we want to paint the house another colour in the future).

A. You may be right about Grey Friars - it can take on a steel blue element in bright natural light. Either colour that you mention will work. In the COLORSTEEL® range there are two warm charcoal colours that may be ok as well - they are not as brown as Ironsand – TernStyle or FlaxPod.

Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
May 2017

Q. We are building a new house and I need some help deciding on colours for the inside and out. The roof and window will be Ironsand. The house will be LINEA® so it can be a bit darker. Then, for the inside I’m thinking of neutral colours for the walls and ceilings and maybe a soft colour for doors.

A. There are a great many colours available. These are some mid toned colours that you might consider for the exterior - Resene Schooner, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Greige or Resene Double Stonehenge. Or lighter - Resene Archive Grey, Resene Quarter Arrowtown or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .

Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Double Stonehenge
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
 
May 2017

Q. We have brown aluminium windows and would like to know what colour roof would work better out of Ironsand and FlaxPod. We are adding on an extension at the back, so should the new windows be the same as the rest of the house?

A. If you like the brown aluminium windows then by all means use the same on the extension. It will make the new and older part of the house tie together. But if you don't like the brown aluminium windows it may be worth considering what other colour windows you could have on the new part of the house - with the thought that eventually the older windows might be replaced so the house looks totally re-furbished.

The colours you mention for the roof are good - the FlaxPod is darker and thereby more neutral, whereas the Ironsand is still a very dark brown/charcoal. If you want a browner roof then Ironsand may be an appropriate choice.

May 2017

Q. We have just bought a coastal two storey, board/batten house. It is a large house on the street with a small section. The cladding is currently a reddish/brown stain which looks old and is not a colour favourite. The roof, joinery (stays) and the front fence which is timber and the iron roof is in Ironsand (more like Half Ironsand now as faded somewhat). We wish to modernise the house colour cladding. The interior scheme/style is close to Cape Cod and I was thinking of a cool colour Resene Half Bokara Grey on the cladding, Resene Sea Fog on the soffit with a modern natural stained timber door and a painted Resene Bokara Grey fence. My concern is, will it all be too dark and one dimensional? At the same time, I'm not sure a lighter grey would work either, on the style of the home.

A. If the house is definitely oil stained now (not painted) then it might be wise to stay with that type of coating. Some dark stain colours that you might consider - Resene Woodsman Sheer Black or Resene Shadow Match.

But if the timber has been painted in an acrylic product like Resene Lumbersider (not oil stained) then you might look at these colours - they are lighter than those you mention so the look will be less dark and heavy - Resene Half Masala, Resene Nest Egg or Resene Quarter Ironsand.

Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
 
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
May 2017

Q. What grey/stone, grey/green colours will go best with the red rata deck I have painted? I'm looking at house colours and wanted a grey base and light grey house colour with white windows. I'm also looking for a matching stain to paint the retaining walls that will blend with the house and the deck.

A. The following colours might be checked out to see if they appeal to you and work with the redder deck - Resene Copyrite and Resene Cobblestone, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey and Resene Tapa, or Resene Quill Grey and Resene Foggy Grey.

A stain colour might be Resene Woodsman Iroko, Resene Tiri or Resene Grey Green.

Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
 
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Grey Green
Resene Grey Green
May 2017

Q. We have black and white bathrooms and a kitchen with light marble bench tops. The ceilings are white and the carpet will probably be a light brown. What light shade of grey would you suggest on the interior walls?

A. You might look at using soft grey/beige colours rather than an industrial or cool grey. The carpet colour will have a huge influence on what colour suits best so you may need to test several colours to see how the relate to each other. If you paint up large samples and stand them vertically on the carpet, it will show the relationship from the appropriate angle.

Try Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Pale Slate or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Friar Greystone
May 2017

Q. My front door is painted Resene Code Red and I would like to paint a vibrant aqua/turquoise trim around it. I like the colours Resene Zomp, Resene Origin and Resene Landmark. Can you advise of a colour similar to any of these that compliments Resene Code Red?

A. Apart from those that you mention you might also look at these ones - some are greener and some are bluer but they are all gorgeous - Resene Surfie Green, Resene Seeker, Resene She’ll Be Right, Resene Bingo or Resene Dali.

Resene Code Red
Resene Code Red
Resene Zomp
Resene Zomp
Resene Origin
Resene Origin
Resene Landmark
Resene Landmark
 
Resene Surfie Green
Resene Surfie Green
Resene Seeker
Resene Seeker
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene Bingo
Resene Bingo
Resene Dali
Resene Dali
May 2017

Q. I am renovating a bedroom at home, turning it into my yoga room, where I will take classes. I need advice on colours, please. It's a reasonably small room, dark, as its downstairs and at the back of the house. I need it to feel warm, light and relaxing. What colours should I be looking at?

A. You might look at colours like the following - they glow and have intimate warmth - Resene Anglaise, Resene Sazerac, Resene Oscar or Resene Egg Sour.

Resene Anglaise
Resene Anglaise
Resene Sazerac
Resene Sazerac
Resene Oscar
Resene Oscar
Resene Egg Sour
Resene Egg Sour
May 2017

Q. I'm thinking about using Resene Quill Grey in our living room (gets lots of sun) and the kitchen (south facing - so less sun). Our house is a 1950s cottage that has been renovated. Will it work in both of these rooms, given one gets more sunlight than the other?

A. You may notice in the south facing kitchen that the Resene Quill Grey looks a little more yellow/slightly sour or greyer. It depends on what other colours are in the room (flooring, cabinets, work tops etc) and how they may alter how the wall colour is seen. It pays to carefully test colours by painting an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving it around the room so you can judge for yourself, as the light changes, how the colour will look. If you find it doesn't look as nice in the kitchen, then you might check out Resene Double Sea Fog to see if it looks better.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
May 2017

Q. We are building a beach house and had chosen the exterior colour scheme with Ironsand for the roof, Resene Quarter Pravda for the weatherboards and Appliance White Matt for the window frames. However, the builder has made a mistake and installed Grey Friars window frames. To try and avoid pulling these out, could you suggest some colours for the weatherboards, that would go with the Ironsand roof and Grey Friars window frames please?

A. The builder’s mistake doesn't sound like a good thing for you. Ironsand and Grey Friars are discordant - one being a warm earthy brown based charcoal and the other a cool steel charcoal with a blue undertone. If the roof colour can't be seen because of the angle of the roof, it may not be so bad. The warm toned neutral look you were hoping to have for your house, will be completely different because of the window joinery - is this ok for you? If you look at cooler greys or whites like the following colours they might work - Resene White Thunder, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Double House White, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Half Stack.

Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene White Thunder
Resene White Thunder
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
 
May 2017

Q. We are looking to repaint the walls in our small hall. The white is an off white. The additions to the hall are in knotty pine, with aluminium Mission Brown joinery. Are you able to recommend some heritage whites that would complement the knotty pine? Also, the trim and under stage is currently a red maroon. What are your thoughts on this? And finally, I don't like that the maroon follows the trim up around the doors. It makes a feature of the hollow core doors that are the mop cupboard and side of stage. The feature is really the original Cathedral ceiling and the stage area. Someone suggested painting the ceiling white on the panels between the beams in the entrance. I'm also considering adding in some white barn pendants and picture frames in the entrance, to tie it in with the main building. I'm aiming for a country heritage, sophisticated with a touch more modern look.

A. It seems to me that there is a lot going on in the hall and the very dominant factor is the knotty pine, which compromises colour choices a lot. I am inclined to agree with you about maroon trim around the door. It will make too much of a feature of those utility doors. Some heritage inspired whites, that you might look at, that are not too white (as they could look stark when seen close to the golden hued knotty pine) might be these ones - Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Clotted Cream, Resene Chalk Dust or Resene Rice Cake. If you used the same colour, on the panels between the beams, in the entrance, it would lift and lighten this area.

You might use a heritage inspired fresh toned green instead or the deeper maroon on the trims and stage area - just to tie in the knotty pine and Mission Brown joinery colours - Resene Clover, Resene Paddock, Resene Bach or Resene Dingley.

Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Clover
Resene Clover
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Bach
Resene Bach
Resene Dingley
Resene Dingley
 
May 2017

Q. Our roof is Slate ColorCote® and the window frames are Matt Charcoal, on a classic single storey house. Our neighbour has a black roof and black window frames, with cedar and cladding in Resene Half White Pointer, which looks good. We think this is too toned down to look smart with our charcoal colours. The house is U shaped, so we don’t want the cladding to be too stark, as it will be glary in the courtyard.

A. Some colours that you might consider for the exterior could be these ones - they are slightly deeper and emphasise the charcoal very nicely - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Tea, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

All colours on an exterior look quite a bit lighter than you might imagine so it is really important to test the colours carefully to see how they alter as the natural light changes.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
May 2017

Q. I’m looking for a pale yellow/lemon to go with Resene Quill Grey. Currently, most of the house interior is painted in Resene Quill Grey. I have a darker east facing bedroom, which I thought I would like to introduce a bit of warmth to, perhaps with a feature wall or painted furniture. Can you suggest a colour from the Karen Walker Paints collection?

A. Darker east facing rooms can be a challenge to find the right yellowish colour for - they can develop a lot of sour or green edge to them because of the type of natural light. All yellows - even the palest - can look a lot brighter also - so more reason for caution.

If you do favour a Karen Walker yellow, the only one that immediately springs to mind is Resene Weathered Yellow, which throws out a yellow/green undertone and may look a little too bright with the gentle Resene Quill Grey colour.

You could try these ones to see how they respond to the light and the Resene Quill Grey predominant wall colour - Resene Beeswax, Resene Hampton, Resene Sidecar or Resene Half Melting Moment.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Weathered Yellow
Resene Weathered Yellow
 
Resene Beeswax
Resene Beeswax
Resene Hampton
Resene Hampton
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Half Melting Moment
Resene Half
Melting Moment
May 2017

Q. We have an early 1930s weatherboard house in Napier and we want to paint it in a creamy off-white with grey accents, as the roof is grey. We would like a darker grey rather than a light grey. We're thinking maybe Resene Thorndon Cream for the weatherboards and Resene Half Thorndon Cream for the window frames. We'd appreciate some suggestions for a colour scheme (not necessarily Resene Thorndon Cream) and a dark grey to complement. The grey will mainly be on the window sill bases, as an accent, and around the base of the house, as well as above the bay windows.

A. If you want to see a definite contrast between the main house colours and a lighter version for the window frames you may need to use Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream formulation. Sometimes, in bright natural light on the exterior, the differences between a full strength colour and a half strength version isn't very apparent.

Apart from the Resene Thorndon Cream option you have mentioned you might look at these options - Resene Merino/Resene Quarter Merino/Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Rice Cake/Resene Eighth Rice Cake/Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Sea Fog/Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog)/Resene Foundry.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
 
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
 
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
 
May 2017

Q. I want to redecorate our master bedroom but do not know what colours will go with the solid rimu furniture.

A. You don't indicate what the colour of the flooring, drapes or bed linen is - and whether you want the wall colour to co-ordinate - or what you personally favour. However, these colours do look good with rimu so they are worth checking out - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Quarter Akaroa, Resene Kangaroo, Resene Ash or Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
May 2017

Q. I am unsure what colour to paint a new plaster fence. I have a new house with a very light brick (antique white), a small amount of LINEA® painted Resene Stack and a roof in a dark charcoal. Should the fence be a colour match for the brick or Resene Stack to match the LINEA® board?

A. I am not 100% sure about painting the fence to match the bricks - unless you were able to get an exact match to the bricks which may be difficult. Even choosing a colour that you thought was like the bricks may look a bit 'off'.

Using the same colour as the LINEA® - Resene Stack or even a slightly deeper variant - i.e. Resene Double Stack might look smart.

Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
May 2017

Q. We are renovating a cedar clad house which has a Pale Eucalyptus COLORBOND® roof. Could you please suggest an external wall colour? The windows and doors are a natural cedar.

A. Your roof colour does compromise your freedom of choice but there are still plenty of colours to choose from. You might check out these ones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Triple Rice Cake, Resene Lemon Grass or Resene Double Truffle.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
May 2017

Q. What colours should I paint my house and my new deck? The house has a new Ironsand roof. The concrete stairs are to be covered over, by a new wooden deck, which will run the length of the two bedrooms (along the side of the driveway where the garden has been removed). Most of the aluminium joinery is bronze.

The white wooden windows are to be replaced with a Pioneer Red aluminium stacker door and a normal window. The wooden front door is also being replaced with a solid Pioneer Red aluminium door. The house is large but it looks small and has zero street appeal because of the colour and lack of landscaping.

A. I think your house will have a lot of interest once all the Pioneer Red joinery is added. Because of the bronze windows and Ironsand roof, you may need to use a very neutral colour to try and tie in all of the coloured elements. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and - most importantly co-ordinate well with everything else - Resene Truffle, Resene Tea, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Bison Hide or Resene Eighth Arrowtown.

The deck might be stained in one of these colours - they work well with the neutral colours, the bronze joinery, the Ironsand roof and the Pioneer Red - Resene Woodsman Iroko or Resene Tiri.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
     
May 2017

Q. I have a medium sized room, facing west, with a Resene Burnt Sienna feature wall for aboriginal art. The other main colour is a gold/mustard leather Chesterfield and armchair. There is also an Afghan tribal rug - the colours are faded blues and reds. The ceiling is a creamy colour. Would you have any other wall colour options please?

A. If your ceiling is a creamy colour (do you know what colour it is?) it may pay to use this again or a colour that is very similar, but slightly deeper. I am a bit worried that the wall colour might not like the ceiling colour, but if you don't mind too much, then you could use one of these colours - Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Villa White, Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Eighth Fossil.

Resene Burnt Sienna
Resene Burnt Sienna
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
May 2017

Q. I have a coastal home with large trees either side. Our home is cedar on the walls and we are oiling these in Wood-X Veil. The window joinery is being repainted in a warm white and we are looking for a colour to paint our roof, guttering and spouting. We are thinking of using Resene Mid Grey or Resene Jumbo. Do you think a mid-grey will work? We are hoping for a Cape Cod look.

A. The roof colours you mention will look lighter than you might imagine they will do. Bright natural light and the angle of the roofing iron toward the sun will do that. Perhaps a slightly deeper grey might be considered - Resene Grey Friars or Resene Windswept.

Resene Mid Grey
Resene Mid Grey
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
May 2017

Q. We are doing repairs to a small weatherboard cottage by a lake. We selected Resene Black White as the outdoor weatherboard colour with Resene Alabaster on the window trims. The front door will be Resene Blackjack. The outdoor decking will be stained with a black stain. We are looking to take this colour scheme inside, and are seeking advice on whether Resene Sea Fog would be a complementary colour for the inside walls and if so, what would you recommend for the ceiling and trims inside?

A. Colours look a little deeper in an interior and lighter/brighter on the exterior. If you wanted to use Resene Sea Fog and needed a white to show a clean contrast, you could use Resene Half Alabaster. This might also be used for the trims, on the exterior, if you wanted to see a difference between the main colour Resene Black White and the trims. Another option for the interior could be to use Resene Double Alabaster for the main colour and Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceiling and trims.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
 
May 2017

Q. Could you suggest some of your warm grey colours, preferably not too light or black? It needs to go well in a small kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The room doesn't get much sun.

A. Colours often look a lot deeper than you might imagine they will do in an interior and slightly more so if the room in question doesn't get much sun so perhaps these paler warm greys might be good ones to check out - Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quill Grey or Resene Flotsam.

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
May 2017

Q. I am after a warm off-white for my teenagers' play room. The couches and squabs are a beige colour.

A. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you and work with the existing beige couches and squabs - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Half Soapstone or a little deeper toned – Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
May 2017

Q. We have decided to paint our house in Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Triple White Pointer. What would the best white be to go on the facings? Our roof is Grey Friars. I want to create a Scandinavian/Boho interior with white walls, not sure if this will affect the exterior trim/facings colour.

A. You might look at using one of these whites for the exterior trims - it might also be used with a slightly deeper version of itself as the main interior wall colour - Resene Quarter Merino - looks good with Resene Triple White Pointer, or Resene Half Black White - looks good with Resene Quarter Delta.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
May 2017

Q. What colour works well for skirts/trims with Resene Eighth Napa on the walls?

A. These are a few to check out - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Double Alabaster or Brushed stainless steel like your appliances.Resene Half Black White. The first colour listed is the warmer option and the middle is less so and the last is a cooler one.

Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
May 2017

Q. We are setting up an industrial recruitment agency and we are looking at painting the interior walls. We are looking at a yellow feature wall behind reception (not too garish) and a neutral but hard wearing paint for the walls. The doors and trim are currently grey. Would you have any suggestions?

A. Whether or not these suggestions will work for you really does depend upon what type of grey has been used on the doors and trims. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they suit - Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black Haze.

Some yellows to look at - Resene Sidecar, Resene Hampton or Resene Astra. These colours are very happy and mellow - not all garish.

Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Hampton
Resene Hampton
Resene Astra
Resene Astra
May 2017

Q. We have a small 1955 cottage with a Resene Half Grey Friars roof and exterior window frames in Resene Half Rice Cake. I can’t decide on an exterior weatherboard colour. The house is close to the water. I quite like soft dove grey/blues but not too blue.

A. These colours may be the sort of grey you have in mind - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Half Surrender.

Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
   
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
May 2017

Q. I have all white trim, including the ceiling. What would be nice not too cold wall colour for the kitchen, dining and lounge?

A. I don't know what colour all your flooring is, or the colour of the kitchen cabinets and work tops or drapes so these colours may be a little bit random. But they are a starting point for you to consider – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Sandspit Brown or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
May 2017

Q. I'm looking for an inky blue that complements Resene Pearl Lusta for our small but light filled bedroom.

A. Some inky blues that might appeal to you are – Resene Dark Side, Resene Midnight Express, Resene Blue Night, Resene Indian Ink or Resene Bunting.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
       
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Midnight Express
Resene Midnight Express
Resene Blue Night
Resene Blue Night
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
May 2017

Q. I am looking to paint the exterior of a new build - left wing in a dark blue and right wing in a white. There are so many options, I just want a common choice that people use. White not too bright, blue not too blue? The bricks used around the garage are a dark bronze type colour. Current thinking is Resene Black White and maybe Resene Rhino.

A. The colours that you mention are good. Perhaps look at a slightly warmer white to help tie in the dark bronze brick colour - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Merino, and a few other deep blues – Resene New Denim Blue or Resene Avalanche.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
   
May 2017

Q. We are looking for advice on getting the right colour for our house and a recent addition. We prefer a natural look as it is now, but our builder has told us to paint the house.

A. If you want a natural look - a little similar bur deeper to how the wood looks now - then you might check out these colours - Resene Brown Bramble, Resene Milk Chocolate or Resene Bronze. Or lighter neutrals like these might be considered - Resene Schooner, Resene Slate Brown or Resene Cement.

Resene Brown Bramble
Resene Brown Bramble
Resene Milk Chocolate
Resene Milk Chocolate
Resene Bronze
Resene Bronze
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene Slate Brown
Resene Slate Brown
Resene Cement
Resene Cement
May 2017

Q. We are looking to paint our kitchen Resene Black White, with dark blue cabinetry. What would you suggest for the ceiling colour (quite a low ceiling) and also for the window frames, skirting and architraves? We are trying to maximise light.

A. You could use either of these whites - the first is the lightest version of the wall colour and the second is 'real' white - Resene Quarter Black White or Resene White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene White
Resene White
May 2017

Q. We would like to paint the exterior of our house a really dark blue/green colour, but we have dark brown aluminium windows and doors. Would Resene Racing Green work with the brown aluminium; if not, what similar colours could work? Also, what would a good light contrasting colour be to paint the trim?

A. The colour you mention is good but you might also check out the following (slightly softer) colours, as they carry more blue in their green-blue and are often used with brown as they complement each other - Resene Atomic, Resene Casal or deeper colours - Resene Coast or Resene Woodsmoke. A true white would look too stark a contrast - so perhaps using a soft complex neutral to try and tie together the brown aluminium window colour and the blue/green main colour may be the way to go - Resene Double Merino, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Half Titania.

Resene Racing Green
Resene Racing Green
Resene Atomic
Resene Atomic
Resene Casal
Resene Casal
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
   
May 2017

Q. What colour would go with Resene Bush for our windows and roughcast?

A. Using a complex white with subtle undertones of colour may be a soft approach. Perhaps you might check out these colours - Resene Merino, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Ecru White, Resene Albescent White, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Barely There.

Resene Bush
Resene Bush
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
 
May 2017

Q. Our new white kitchen will have some high cupboards above a south facing window and we have the option of using a contrasting colour. This colour will be repeated under the island where we have bar stools. The room (part of a large open kitchen/dining/living space) will be some degree of Resene Alabaster on the rest of the walls and ceiling. Do you think the deep navy Resene Zinzan would be too strong as the contrasting colour?

The open rooms face east to a wide rural/beach and sea view. We have many original artworks in strong primary colours, reds/blues/oranges. Floors/carpets/furnishings will be light/neutral.

A. Colours seen above (around/below) windows will always look darker than the same colour seen in an area where natural light falls upon it. Would it worry you if the cabinets looked darker than the same colour under the island?

If you paint up all of a testpot of Resene Zinzan on to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and tape the sample in the above window position, you might get a better idea if it was ok - or not.

Perhaps a slightly lighter/brighter type of blue might be tested also - this would give you the option of an alternative choice if the Resene Zinzan seemed too dark - Resene Regatta, Resene True Blue, Resene Barometer or Resene Madison.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
   
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Madison
Resene Madison
May 2017

Q. I would like a suggested colour scheme for my heritage listed terrace.

A. You could consider the following heritage colour palettes:
Palette 1 - Resene Slate Brown (main colour), Resene Merino (trim #1), Resene Burnt Umber (trim #2) and Resene Ivy Green (trim #3).
Palette 2 - Resene Buff (main colour), Resene Beeswax (trim #1), Resene Nelson Red (trim #2) and Resene Olive Green (trim #3).

Resene Slate Brown
Resene Slate Brown
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Burnt Umber
Resene Burnt Umber
Resene Ivy Green
Resene Ivy Green
Resene Buff
Resene Buff
Resene Beeswax
Resene Beeswax
Resene Nelson Red
Resene Nelson Red
Resene Olive Green
Resene Olive Green
May 2017

Q. We have a two storey house and have painted the walls upstairs in Resene Double Sea Fog. We want to paint the downstairs wall white and the trim grey or taupe. Do you have any suggestions for the downstairs wall and trim? Initially, we wanted to use Resene Double Sea Fog on the trim but we are concerned that it will not stand out.

A. Perhaps you could consider these colours - Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog), Resene Triple Sea Fog or deeper Resene Half Foggy Grey. These colours are all related so appear interesting but very harmonious.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
May 2017

Q. I'm looking for a colour that's almost a mix between a burnt orange and a dark muted pink, something that resembles warm terracotta but slightly more pink. I've seen pictures of Resene Contessa and Resene Adore and both are a bit too pink and bright.

A. If you look at these colours they may be the sort of thing that you are looking for - Resene Coral Tree, Resene Quickstep, Resene Ameile, Resene Bonanza, Resene Apple Blossom or Resene Copper Rust.

Resene Contessa
Resene Contessa
Resene Adore
Resene Adore
Resene Coral Tree
Resene Coral Tree
Resene Quickstep
Resene Quickstep
Resene Ameile
Resene Ameile
Resene Bonanza
Resene Bonanza
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Copper Rust
Resene Copper Rust
May 2017

Q. We are doing up the exterior of a 1960s brick and concrete house. I am having a problem deciding on a neutral colour for the base of the house, which would also go on some weatherboards, on the top level. I like Resene Double White Pointer for the soffit and around the windows and would like a mushroom tone for the bottom.

A. If you were to use just one colour, it might make a nice tight co-ordination rather than using several colours, which may make it look a little 'busy'. You mention Resene Double White Pointer as being a colour you favour for the fascia and around the windows - it is a lovely warm grey toned beige (a bit like creamed mushroom soup) so it could be used on the stucco also.

If you wanted a deeper or lighter colour, then you might use Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene White Pointer as either could still work well with Resene Double White Pointer that you have used around the windows and on the roof line fascia.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
May 2017

Q. If I was using Resene Silver Sand on walls, frames and doors, what colour white could I use on the ceiling? I was thinking Resene Half Wan White; do you think that would work?

A. Resene Half Wan White is a lovely choice for the ceiling. Another alternate colour which is lovely as well, that you might check out, could be Resene Half Barely There.

Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
May 2017

Q. We have just renovated and have mid stained floors, a black kitchen bench and cream cupboards. I'm at a loss for a colour scheme for the rest of the two storeyed house we are painting. We have ceiling to floor windows in nearly all the rooms, so it's very light. I would like a feature wall in the lounge and up the side of the staircase. We are also re-carpeting. We have a brown leather suite and no curtains at the moment.

A. Feature wall colours are often tricky unless you are using a colour theme that may already be in the house or a personal favourite of yours. Sometimes it is nice to investigate the possibility of using a wallpaper feature wall, as it often offers several colours/pattern and texture which can be very exciting.

A main colour for the walls throughout the house might be one of these colours – you will need to check that they will work with the carpet colour and curtains that you choose. Sometimes it is wise to choose the carpet and the curtains first - so that you have total freedom of choice - instead of having to have something that you may not have chosen (or even particularly liked) because you have already picked a paint colour for the walls.

You could try Resene Half Tea, Resene Quarter Joss, Resene Quarter Drought or Resene Double Blanc.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
May 2017

Q. I have a large house with a terracotta tile roof. Can you suggest colours that would look good on the walls with this roof colour? I wish to paint over the mock Tudor battens that are currently painted brown as I think the house will look more sophisticated without them. All the joinery is wooden.

A. Many colours will work with the roof colour. Painting the mock Tudor battens is a good idea. Warmer neutral colours that may look good on the house might be these ones - Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Eighth Bison Hide, Resene Half Solitaire or Resene Half Spanish White.

If you maintained a much lighter/whiter colour on the window joinery, it might (if you felt it was appropriate) be used also on the battens - but only if you felt they looked ill-defined and needed to have more than one main colour on all the exterior surfaces.

Both of these would work - the first is a cool crisp white and the second option has a tiny bit more warmth to it - Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
 
May 2017

Q. We have a house that was built in 1926 and we want to paint the interior in warm neutral colours as it is currently blue and yellow. Any advice for colours would be greatly appreciated. We like Resene Eighth Malta and Resene Alabaster but have no idea what colours to use.

A. The colours you mention in your query are very nice - soft, warm and gentle. Others of a similar kind might be these ones - Resene Albescent White with Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Joss with Resene Quarter Bianca, or Resene Half Sandspit Brown with Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Eighth Malta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
May 2017

Q. We have a small two bedroom rental and are looking for some advice on exterior colours for a COLORSTEEL® roof, weatherboards, soffit, bargeboards, window frames, base of house and balustrades on the deck. We could also have contrasting vertical boards, but that may be a bit much on a small house. I like the modern greys such as Resene Tapa.

A. If you did decide on colours like Resene Tapa as the main house colour, I think it might be wise to use a lighter/softer version of the colour - i.e. Resene Half Tapa with a clean crisp contrast colour for all the soffits, bargeboards, window frames and balustrades so they pop out in a nice way when seen close to the main colour - Resene Merino looks very nice.

The roof - if it is to a COLORSTEEL® colour - it might be Thunder Grey - the Resene match to this colour is Resene Squall. The base of the house might be one of these colours - not as dark as the roof - Resene Double Tapa - or alternatively it might be the same as the weatherboard colour which will make the overall size of the house look taller and less segmented.

Another option might be Resene Overland (a warmer neutral) - this could still work with the roof colour mentioned previously. The soffits, bargeboards, window frames and balustrades might be a pale coloured white so they pop out in a nice way when seen close to the main colour - Resene Half Rice Cake. The base of the house might be Resene Double Thorndon Cream which creates a soft transition from the main house colour - neither starker nor darker.

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene OverlandResene Overland
Resene Overland
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
   
May 2017

Q. We are looking at painting our entrance in Resene Midnight Express and living spaces in Resene Foggy Grey. I was wondering what colour to do on the trims, doors and ceilings. I had thought Resene Half Wan White. Do you think this would work? Or is there something better you might suggest?

In the hallway I thought Resene Wan White with the ceilings, doors and trims in Resene Half Wan White like the rest of the house.

A. If the main living spaces in the interior of the house are a deeper colour - Resene Foggy Grey (which may look twice the depth you imagine the colour will look unless you have dual aspect windows or skylights) then the ceilings and trims might look better in Resene Wan White or Resene Half Merino. The second colour suggestion has a little more warmth to it compared to the first suggestion. In the hallway (these areas often look dimmer because of lack of windows) you could definitely use the Resene Wan White on the walls and either Resene Half Wan White - lighter for a slightly more defined contrast or Resene Quarter Wan White. Another option is to use Resene Merino for walls and Resene Half Merino for the ceilings etc.

Resene Midnight Express
Resene Midnight Express
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
 
May 2017

Q. We are doing a major renovation. The house has a Grey Friars roof and Appliance White powder coated joinery. A designer has recommended we paint the HardiPlank® weatherboards Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Triple Sea Fog. Is there something similar that would provide slightly more of a contrast to the joinery?

A. Similar but deeper colours that you might check out are these ones - Resene Quarter Pravda, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Pravda
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
 
May 2017

Q. We have a 1940s post-war knock up home. We need options for our living area. We are keeping our rimu floors, trims and windows. It is currently painted in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. We like white (makes it look spacious) but it’s VERY white. We are considering sticking with a white for the ceiling, and an ever so slightly deeper white/or light tint on the walls. We don't want it to be too warm as we also have rimu cabinetry in the kitchen which sets off loads of warmth. We like relaxing colours.

We also have an alcove for our fire that will need painting. We would like something in there that will help hide the smoke smudges for a bit longer than what white will, and that will go with the rimu and other colours also. This will alter what colour carpet we select too. We are currently painting the exterior weatherboards in Resene Spring Rain with white windows, which is too bright for inside. I do like colours that suit the era of the home but are more towards green/blue based colours and very light greys.

A. Have you considered using a slightly deeper version of the colour you have now - i.e. Resene Half Thorndon Cream with a much lighter/whiter version for the ceilings - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream? If you like what you have, but just feel it is too white, it may work for you. A colour for the alcove might be Resene Half Ash.

Alternatively you might consider one of these options - Resene Double Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster (and an alcove smoke disguising type of colour might be Resene Quarter Taupe Grey), or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue with Resene Half Black White (and an alcove smoke disguising type of colour might be Resene Half Inside Back), or Resene Quarter Delta with Resene Quarter Rice Cake (and an alcove smoke disguising type of colour might be Resene Half Delta). They will allow many types of coloured accessories to be used to add pops of interesting post war - mid-century eye interest.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
 
May 2017

Q. I am looking at painting a feature wall in a navy, not too blue, but deep enough. The alternative is a soft blue green. The room is north facing. I have one other bedroom which I would also like to paint with a feature wall, in a warm grey as the room faces south and dark. I was looking at Resene Jumbo or Resene Trojan.

A. Navy (but not too blue) is a little bit of a challenge as navy is blue. Do you mean a greyer/blue or a greener/blue? Perhaps one of these colours might be what you are imagining - Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Rhino, Resene Dark Side, Resene Coast or Resene Zinzan, or a soft blue/green colour - Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Periglacial Blue.

A warm grey might be either of the colours that you have mentioned or it might be - Resene Half Scarpa Flow or Resene Suva Grey.

Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
 
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Suva GreyResene Suva Grey
Resene Suva Grey
     
May 2017

Q. I want to paint the lounge and dining room of our new house. The painting would come right to the kitchen which is painted in Resene Avocado. The lounge has rimu panelling halfway up the walls and is quite a dark room. I know Resene Half Tea is popular, but I'm worried it will look a bit grey/green and cold. Would Resene Quarter Drought look good/better? Are there any other colours you would suggest? I want it to be lighter and warmer than it is now (it is currently papered in quite a dark dated wallpaper), but I would like something darker than a ‘cream’ equivalent.

A. Resene Quarter Drought is warmer and so are these other colours - Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Half Fossil, Resene Quarter Cougar, Resene Eighth Napa.

Resene Avocado
Resene Avocado
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
 
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
May 2017

Q. I am trying to decide on a black colour I am planning to use for my new kitchen. I have realised that some black kitchens look so wrong; either a strong black or bluish or purplish. I want a soft matte black.

A. You might check out these blacks - they have softer look to them - Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Foundry or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
May 2017

Q. I am looking at using Resene Quarter Spanish White on the skirting and door trim, and Resene Half Spanish White on the doors. Could you give me some idea what white would complement these colours?

A. If you want the trims and doors to look paler than the wall colour you may need to use a slightly deeper colour. You might check these ones out - Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Drought or Resene Fossil.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
May 2017

Q. Can you suggest an exterior colour scheme for a 1960s stucco house? Our roof is brown.

A. If the roof colour isn't changing from the brown it is now then perhaps these colours might be possibilities – Resene Tea, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Pearl Lusta.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Triple Blanc
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
May 2017

Q. I have a feature wall that has black sparkle wallpaper and would like to know what would be a good colour to paint the other three walls please.

A. If you want all the attention to be focused on the black wallpaper then you might use a white like one of these colours - greyer whites - Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
May 2017

Q. I would like to repaint my apartment. The ceiling was painted with Resene Eighth Tea and I would like to keep it that way. I am now looking for whites for the walls, doors and skirting boards to match the white of the ceiling.

A. The only way to match exactly the grey/pink toned white you have on the ceiling (Resene Eighth Tea) is to use the exact same colour. If you used a lighter/whiter colour it may make the ceiling look a lot more grey coloured and deeper toned. Is this what you want? If it is then you might use one of these colours – Resene Soapstone, Resene Half Milk White or Resene Black White. If you wanted a wall and trim colour that made the ceiling look paler/whiter then you might consider one of these colours – Resene Whiteout, Resene Half Rakaia or Resene Flotsam.

Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Soapstone
Resene Soapstone
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
 
May 2017

Q. We would like to update our internal wall colours. Our house has primrose (cream) aluminium windows (and light cream plantation shutters). We are looking at updating to white walls but I am concerned about the cream aluminium window frames. Is there any particular shade of white that would be acceptable?

A. You are right to be a little worried as it is really important to have good co-ordination with what is already part of the house and can't be changed or removed. You might check out these whiter types of colours to see if they appeal to you as well as work with the windows and shutters - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Ecru White or Resene Quarter Bianca.

Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
May 2017

Q. We would like to match the powdercoat aluminium colour Warm White Pearl Matt in exterior timber joinery. What would be the closest or exact Resene match?

A. It is a tricky request as Warm White Pearl is pearlescent - not a standard colour - as well as a powder coat. The pearlescent sheen reflects light differently and the colour alters in a different way to standard paint when the natural light changes. The powder coat finish ages off differently to standard paint. You might try Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and as long as the paint colour and the Warm White Pearl aren't too close together it may be acceptable.

Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
May 2017

Q. We are putting a new façade on our home. We already have ordered our Barwon Brown bricks. Someone else recommended Basalt for the bottom and Shale Grey for the boards that run horizontally on the top. The windows are black. The roof would be Monument. I feel this is all very dark. I would love a light idea that would go with the bricks. We have to have a timber look garage door as it is heritage overlay. We thought we would have the same coloured front door. We have to have the bricks around the garage and the front post by the veranda.

A. The roof colour - Monument - is ok. Can you get the same colour for the windows? The colours that have been suggested to you are greyer colours and the bricks are definitely browner. Some colours that you might consider are COLORBOND® Dune, Gully, Wallaby or Jasper is browner colours and more in tune to the brown coloured bricks.

Resene paint colours that you might look at for the base and boards are the following - Resene Settlement (matches to Dune) or Resene Groundbreaker (matches to Jasper).

Resene Settlement
Resene Settlement
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
May 2017

Q. Could you suggest a front door colour for my house that I’ve painted in a Resene Smokescreen predominant colour with Resene Canterbury Clay (decks), Resene Hammerhead (lower storey) and Resene Bianca (windows)? I’d really like something bright and exciting.

A. I think part of your problem in regard finding an exciting colour for the front door is because the colours you have are already very exciting and quite unique when seen together and that makes choosing another exciting colour difficult. The default (otherwise known as the safe option) is to use the same colour as the windows - but of course that isn't exciting, is it? It would be well co-ordinated and the look would be balanced and harmonious and make the main house colour look even better - but not exciting.

A deeper but related colour to Resene Hammerhead might be considered - i.e. Resene Avalanche or Resene Dark Side or a deeper version of Resene Canterbury Clay - i.e. Resene Triple Canterbury Clay.

Resene Smokescreen
Resene Smokescreen
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Triple Canterbury Clay
Resene Triple
Canterbury Clay
 
May 2017

Q. I purchased a colour-back painted glass splashback second hand so it is 5 or more years old. I would like to match the colour which I was told was Resene Quarter Malta. Does it matter that it was painted several years ago or will the colour still be exactly the same if a get some new paint now to match it?

A. Yes as long as the original paint used to coat the splashback did in fact match the Resene colour. Suggest you check with a testpot of the colour.

Resene Quarter Malta
Resene Quarter Malta
May 2017

Q. We want to repaint the walls in the kitchen, dining and lounge area. It is all open plan and is an L shape. In the kitchen area at the moment, there is darkish charcoal vinyl on the floor and the benchtop is also charcoal. The kitchen joinery is similar to Resene Tea or maybe more like Resene Half Tea. I'd like to paint the walls something light and bright, but think anything that is too white looking might clash with the Resene Tea kitchen. I’m now thinking a similar colour for the walls, maybe Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Eighth Tea, but I am worried it might look all too much of the same.

A. Perhaps not Resene Eighth Tea - it has far more grey/mushroom in it compared to the warm beiges of the others in the Resene Tea palette. Resene Quarter Tea is a good choice and if you did want a lighter/whiter colour that did work well, then you might check out Resene Chalk Dust or Resene Half Albescent White.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
   
May 2017

Q. We are painting our whole house and I need to buy testpots, however I need help narrowing it down. We have a dimly lit house currently painted a creamy yellow colour, which becomes quite glary when the sun hits the wall, and shadowy the rest of the time.

Bedrooms all have a large window opposite a wall of cupboards which will be painted white (not sure which one). The children’s bedrooms are west-facing. I'm after something that will grow with them, not too soft, but not too intense. I am thinking of the following colours, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Chinook, Resene Secrets, Resene Panache, Resene Altitude, Resene Comfort Zone, Resene Polo Blue or Resene Tropical Blue? I can’t tell how the lack of light will affect it. The parents’ bedroom is east-facing. I'm thinking a light medium blue, possibly Resene Shinto or Resene Polo Blue.

For the east-facing lounge, dining and kitchen area, I'd like to bring a little more colour through to add warmth, but I would like to lighten it so I don't have to turn the lights on in the early afternoon. The hallway will be same/similar to lounge, perhaps with a feature wall. The south-facing kitchen will be the same wall colour as the dining and will probably have white cabinetry and grey-black counter tops. It also has a skylight. Floors will become a light-medium wood.

We are thinking a greenish neutral in the living or dining with a neutral complementary in other, with both colours being used in the kitchen somehow (wall, splashback and decor). We seem to like our earthy tones - lots of mixed wood toned furniture and a dark couch. I have started to bring in little pops of colour (blue, green and orange), to stop the room feeling too heavy. We have sheer white curtains. I like combinations of Resene Half Fossil/Resene Parchment, Resene Parchment, Resene Tana, with Resene Half Linen or Resene Secrets or Resene Half Beryl Green maybe (though not neutral), but not sure if will work the way I envision.

Is there a white combo that will work for all trims and ceiling?

A. Sometimes when natural light is not bright enough or even too bright altering the artificial lighting and using sheer curtains will lift and soften the look of rooms. A white that will work well with the types of colours you favour might be one of these ones - they are slightly warmer as well as bright - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Bianca. Deeper versions of these colours might be considered for a room (possibly the hallway) where it relies heavily upon the doors to the brightest/lightest bedrooms being open during the day because it isn't blessed with natural light - Resene Rice Cake or Resene Bianca.

Colours that might be considered for lounge/dining might be these warmer but light colours - Resene Half Secrets, Resene Quarter Coriander or Resene Quarter Tana. If you wanted a feature colour in the kitchen, you might use the palest warmed white as a main colour and that would make the feature colour seen more dynamic.

Colours for the children's bedrooms might be very fresh so that they aren't insipid - all colours in an interior have the potential to look twice the depth or brightness that you will imagine they will do so it is really important to carefully test them. Try Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Renew or Resene Morning Glory. The very warm westerly, late afternoon light (yellow/red toned) will definitely alter how you see the colours in the children’s' rooms and without testing them it would be difficult to second guess just how much they will change. If you test by painting all of the testpot (two coats) on to A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted white card border you will be able to focus on the true reality of the colour and you can move the card from wall to wall to see what changes occur. Testpots are your best friend when tested this way, but can be seen 'wrong' if they are applied directly to an already coloured wall.

Your east facing bedroom has very clear sharp light in it, and it will make the blues you favour seem much greener than you might imagine in the first light of day. That will alter as the light leaves the room and it has more shadow in it. One of the blues - Resene Shinto - that you favour may grey up when there is shadow in the room whereas Resene Polo Blue is a warmer, clearer type of blue and will maintain its prettiness even when seen in shadow.

Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Chinook
Resene Chinook
Resene Panache
Resene Panache
Resene Altitude
Resene Altitude
Resene Comfort Zone
Resene Comfort Zone
Resene Polo Blue
Resene Polo Blue
Resene Tropical Blue
Resene Tropical Blue
Resene Shinto
Resene Shinto
   
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Half Linen
Resene Half Linen
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
   
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Renew
Resene Renew
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Morning Glory
 
May 2017

Q. We have a very big A-frame house (4 storeys high) and we are currently repainting the exterior and interior. We have painted the roof (which covers the top three storeys and is the most visible part of the house) and the fascia in Thunder Grey.

We were thinking of painting the house cladding (the ground story and the front and back walls of the top three stories) in Resene Bokara Grey. The soffits or underside of the eaves will need to be a very light, white colour that ties in with both Resene Bokara Grey and Thunder Grey. We were thinking of Resene Half White Pointer or maybe even Resene Alabaster. What would you suggest for a dark charcoal house colour and white soffit colour to complement the Thunder Grey roof?

The front side of the top three stories is mostly glass, so you don't see a lot of the house cladding, but the back side and other two sides have more visible cladding.

A. You might use one of these colours for the soffits - they are lovely when seen close to Thunder Grey which has an olive undertone - Resene Triple Merino or Resene Double Sea Fog. Apart from Resene Bokara Grey, which is a lovely warm charcoal, with a red/yellow undertone you might check out these other options - Resene Nocturnal or Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
 
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
May 2017

Q. I am about to paint the exterior of a pre-1900, rusticated weatherboard, simple worker’s cottage. It has a front veranda and a wooden, unpainted door and wood stained decking and steps. I want to have just one main colour and an off white, cream or something light around the two front windows. The roof can be anything which matches. I have been tossing up between greys, light blues, and slightly green blue greyish colours but am open to suggestions – I want something fresh and pretty.

A. I like your colour ideas. You might check out these suggestions to see if they appeal to you - Resene Duck Egg Blue with Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Atmosphere with Resene Black White, Resene Hermitage with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Geyser with Resene Half Alabaster. The roof could be a deep grey - Resene Grey Friars or lighter - Resene Lattitude.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
   
May 2017

Q. We are painting the outside of our cottage in Queenstown and we were wondering about using Resene Bokara Grey with a contrast colour, such as Resene Truffle or Resene Double Truffle on the trim, bargeboards and the deck railing. What do you think – is this too dark? If so, could you suggest another contrast colour please?

A. These colours sound nice. If you wanted a main house colour that wasn't as black toned as Bokara Grey - perhaps an earthier charcoal, you could try Resene Windswept with Resene Triple Sea Fog.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
May 2017

Q. We are building a new house with a COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof, black aluminium joinery, and white brick walls, which match the Resene Black White paint colour. I need to choose a feature colour for the LINEA® walls on the garage and surrounding the front door. Will Resene Lattitude complement? Or would you have some other suggestions? Also, will Resene Dark Oak stain suit for the front door and pergola posts and beams?

A. The following are a few grey options that you might check out for the LINEA® - Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Quarter Grey Friars. Resene Woodsman Dark Oak is a lovely rich stain that would look lovely with the white brick and Resene Quarter Grey Friars. Another colour that you might also look at is Resene Bark - it is less red toned but still looks really smart.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Lattitude
Resene Lattitude
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Bark
Resene Bark
May 2017

Q. My house is being painted as we speak, in Resene Nomad on the vertical cedar, Resene Quarter Wheatfield for the horizontal weatherboards and Resene Titania for eaves etc. We have a trailer port - what colour would you suggest? I would like a dark green.

A. If you are keen on using a dark green for the trailer port, then perhaps a green that is earthy and relates well to the colours on the house might be considered - Resene Karaka, Resene Seaweed or Resene Middle Earth.

Resene Nomad
Resene Nomad
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Middle Earth
May 2017

Q. I am building a new house and have chosen Midland brick, colour Limestone Hue. The roof, spouting and windows are in COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. I have timber trim in the front porch, veranda and above the windows. I want a complementary colour for the timber areas. I have been looking at using one of Resene Streetwise, Resene Balderdash or Resene Bluff.

A. Grey Friars is a charcoal with a distinct undertone of steely blue to it. Your bricks are a creamy colour. Any of the colours you mention will provide a contrast, but the colours do have a little more green or yellow/green undertone in their blueness. Is this ok? I quite like Resene Bluff; it has a lovely moody early morning sky ambiance to it.

Perhaps check out these colours and compare them with the ones you have mentioned and alongside the Grey Friars and the brick - the colours do take on quite a different look when seen in association with each other - Resene Revolution, Resene Lynchpin, Resene Rhino, Resene Cello, Resene Tsunami or Resene Clouded Blue.

COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Balderdash
Resene Balderdash
Resene Bluff
Resene Bluff
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
Resene Lynchpin
Resene Lynchpin
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
 
Resene Cello
Resene Cello
Resene  Tsunami
Resene Tsunami
Resene Clouded Blue
Resene Clouded Blue
 
May 2017

Q. I'm looking to update our lounge/kitchen/dining area; it's all open plan and currently very brown. I think it was last decorated in the 'Tea' era, whenever that was. The ceiling is even some sort of Tea. It's a fairly dark room. We're looking to paint the walls, ceilings and skirting and to get new curtains. The carpet is also a tea brown but we're leaving that for now. I'm definitely more of a greys and whites person over brown. I'd like the walls to be fairly crisp and neutral, but we do have very young children, so not too white. I currently like the look of colour swatches Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Half Black White, or even maybe Resene Half Rice Cake for a bit more warmth, are they too white for walls? What colours do you recommend for a nice light ceiling and trims?

A. Now that you are ready for a new look and have started checking out the slightly warmer types of grey/white like Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog and the crisper white like Resene Half Rice Cake, you do need to see larger samples in the rooms. The testpots paint up 1 square metre and if you applied two coats (all of the testpot) to an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and taped it up on the wall, you might get a better idea of what works in the fairly dark room. The card allows you to move the sample around, which helps also, as the colour changes in different angles and during the day. You may need to go up a notch with your wall colour if the samples show up as too cool, or as far too 'white'.

Because you are getting new curtains, it might pay you to short list some possibilities, as it may also help you to fix on the right wall colour. If you used a standard white - Resene White - for the ceilings at least (trims can be the same as the wall colour if that is the look you prefer - but in a semi-gloss enamel version of the wall colour) you may notice the rooms looking much brighter. Real white looks really fresh and clean - especially after having had a coloured ceiling - and goes with any other pale colour.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
May 2017

Q. We need some colour options for our weatherboards and plaster. The roof and garage door are a light grey. I'm keen for something a bit different, not so bland. My husband likes green.

A. You might check out these 'not bland' and slightly different colour options - Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Ash (for your husband who likes greens), Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Organic (another more definite green for your husband), Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Double House White or Resene Quarter Gravel.

Any of these colours would look really smart with crisp clean detailing in a colour such as Resene Quarter Black White (windows, under soffits, guttering fascia, and possibly the plaster if it is a lesser detail on the house) as it emphasises the depth of the weatherboard colour and works well with the grey roof.

Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
 
May 2017

Q. I am planning to paint the walls of my living spaces in Resene Eighth Akaroa, hoping this will give me a warm neutral look. What would be a good trim colour that's not too bright-white? I planned on Resene Black White but am now questioning if this is too grey.

A. Perhaps a lighter version of Resene Black White - i.e. Resene Half Black White - may be better. If you would like to check out these alternatives (slightly warmer whites) also you may find one that really appeals to you - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
May 2017

Q. I want to use Resene Dark Side for my front door and in my kitchen. Could you please suggest an exterior colour to match it? Looking at something pale. My original colours were door Resene Baltic Sea and main house colour Resene Quarter Grey Olive.

A. You might check out these suggestions for the main exterior colour – Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Double House White, Resene Half Grey Chateau or Resene Half Cloud.

Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
May 2017

Q. I want to re-paint my grandson's bedroom. He is 12 years old. The room is small, approx 310 x 315. I was thinking neutral colours. It has a beige carpet, white ceiling, and a cream window frame with light grey vertical blind and a light grey door.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Concrete, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Albescent White. If your grandson wants a bit more of an exciting look - 12 year old boys are a bit action packed with definite ideas about what they like, aren't they - then you might consider a bold coloured new duvet.

Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
May 2017

Q. I want to paint a smallish bedroom with east-facing windows a warm white - not too yellow and not green. It has a light, raw umber coloured carpet and rimu trim. Would Resene Half Bianca do the trick? I'm wanting something bright that won't look grey in dim light.

A. Resene Half Bianca is often my 'go to' warm white so I am pleased that you are considering using this colour. Another couple that I have found that may work also in an easterly facing room is Resene Half Soapstone and Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
May 2017

Q. We are building a new build. The outside is a mix of cedar and black COLORSTEEL®. We are to use the same colour throughout the house, what do you recommend? I'm thinking Resene Half White Pointer on the walls. Do I use Resene Quarter White Pointer on my doors, door frames etc. Or do I go with Resene White Pointer and use Resene Half White Pointer on doors etc? I'm also wondering if you could add some colours for possible feature walls.

A. Colours in an interior can often look twice the depth that you might imagine they will do. Some rooms or parts of rooms will have a different aspect of natural light and more shadow in them which alters how the colour looks. It may be wise to carefully test colours by painting all of a testpot (two coats) onto A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops). This will give you a super large sample to move around from wall to wall/room to room so you can see what the colour truly looks like.

You could use Resene Half White Pointer for walls and Resene Quarter White Pointer for the wood trims. There may be a super bright sunny room where Resene Half White Pointer looks too bright - this effect can be modified by using a deeper or warmer feature wall colour on a wall that receives the most sunlight.

You don't mention what colours you particularly favour but here are some feature colour ideas to get you started - Resene Emerge, Resene Chapta And Verse, Resene Timekeeper, Resene Quarter Foundry or Resene Double White Pointer.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
 
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Chapta And Verse
Resene Chapta And Verse
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
May 2017

Q. We're to change our internal colour scheme. Presently we have a light beige carpet with Resene Quarter Tea. We have lowish ceilings (2.32m) and lowish light so would like to go whiter to ensure the room doesn't feel too small. We will be replacing some of the carpet with laminate flooring but some will remain in the house.

A. Lighter/whiter colours that you might check out to see if you like them - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Bianca or Resene Eighth Parchment. If you maintain a crisp white - Resene White - on the ceiling and perhaps all the wooden trims the rooms should appear much brighter.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene White
Resene White
May 2017

Q. I want to paint our dark hallway in an old villa. We have wooden floors and doors and very little natural light coming in directly. Currently it is a cream shade but I am after something lighter to brighten up the space. Should the skirtings and trim be the same or a shade lighter?

A. You might check out these lighter/brighter colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Villa White. Old villas often have lovely skirting and trims. If that is the case with your villa you might choose a paler version of the wall colour or a real white to draw attention to the nice architectural features. You could try Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene White.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
May 2017

Q. What is the best exterior colour scheme for a new roof and weatherboards and a new front door, to offset the house on either side of us? One neighbour has a black house (and would ideally like us to stay with a light colour) and the other house is beige.

A. Some colour ideas to try: Resene Perfect Taupe (weatherboards), COLORSTEEL® FernFrond (roof), Resene Sea Fog (trims), Resene Mighty or alternatively Resene Canyon (paint colour matched - same as roof) for the door. Or Resene Half Lemon Grass (weatherboards), COLORSTEEL® TernStyle (roof), Resene Half Rice Cake (trims) and Resene Windswept (paint colour matched - same as roof) or alternatively Resene Double Rice Cake for the doors. Or Resene Tea (weatherboards), COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars (roof), Resene Black White (trims) and Resene Quarter Grey Friars (lighter variant of roof colour) or alternatively Resene Double Napa for the doors.

Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Mighty
Resene Mighty
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
May 2017

Q. What white paint do you recommend for my bedroom? I've silver grey drapes and a grey duvet cover with pink to complement with accessories.

A. You may need to carefully test several 'whites' to see how they look with the other colours you have but these might be a start point for you to check out – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Half House White or Resene Eighth Blanc.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
May 2017

Q. My entire house is painted Resene Quarter White Pointer. I have a dark grey black slate floor and I want to paint a feature wall. The living room is north facing. The windows are only on the north wall. The feature wall is on the west wall. It's a large open plan room. I want a colour that's blue black maybe, quite dark. I like Resene Foundry, Resene Masala, Resene Shady Lady, Resene Nero, not brown. The colour on the corner behind the door is Resene Double White Pointer and it's quite muddy brown.

A. Some other options for you to check out are these ones – Resene Tuna, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Double Foundry, Resene Cinder or Resene Double Cod Grey.

Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Shady Lady
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
       
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
May 2017

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

 

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

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