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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 67

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. 67

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


Q. I have no idea what colour to use on our walls. I think white would be too glaring. The kitchen cabinets are glossy white with black stone tops. The floor is oak.

A. You may need to carefully test several colours in order to find out what works best for you. Warm toned pale greys may be a start point for consideration - they work well with glossy white and black stone tops. Try Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene House White, Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Quarter Cloud.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
June 2017

Q. We have a 1945 home, and are loving these colours for our living area – Resene Half Duck Egg Blue for walls, Resene Half Black White for ceiling and Resene Paris White for the doors. Our flooring, cabinetry in kitchen and door surrounds/windows are rimu. We also like Resene Half Periglacial Blue and Resene Half Emerge but can't make up our minds on how best to use any of the above colour combinations or if they will work. Which one on the walls, which one on doors? It’s a sunny area.

A. Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Periglacial Blue and Resene Half Emerge are slightly cooler greyer toned colours which may make the Resene Paris White look a lot brighter, greener and cleaner by comparison. Resene Paris White for the doors appears to be the `odd man out'. Have you thought about the possibility of using Resene Half Black White for all the doors so that each room wouldn't have a discord colour on the doors? That way you could use the Resene Paris White in a room that needs a cleaner brighter colour (perhaps because it is a little shadowy or has a cooler aspect) and the other colours in brighter sunnier rooms.

Please do test your colours carefully to ensure they work well in the rooms you want to use them in. If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges your eye can focus on the reality of the colour. You can move it from wall to wall/room to room - the aspect of light in each room and the wall angles will alter how the colours are seen.

You may need to see them at different times of the day or night because they can look totally different. Seeing the super large sample this way helps you to judge what the colours are truly like. Please don't paint the testpot directly onto a coloured wall it will only confuse you and make the colour look 'wrong'.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Paris White
Resene Paris White
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Periglacial Blue
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
June 2017

Q. I am building an open plan north facing house. The entire north wall is a glass door so there is lots of light. The floor is Luna White vinyl plank flooring (very light grey/white) with an all-white kitchen with grey veined stone tops. My husband wants white walls and I need something to bring in some warmth but keep the walls feeling light and bright. We have already chosen a mid grey lounge with teal accents. It also has grey stone counter tops and white cabinetry. I have thought about both Resene Sea Fog and Resene Truffle. I have also been told to look at Resene Greige. I am trying to avoid a cold grey look which we had in a previous home and hated.

A. You might look at these soft toned grey/beiges Resene Eighth Truffle or possibly Resene Quarter White Pointer or the slightly whiter toned Resene Sea Fog. The best way to see how these colours respond to the light in the house, the flooring and white kitchen is to paint up large A2 samples and see how they look in relationship. Sometimes a colour will work really well in one room but not in others this is why you must test it in each space by moving your sample room to room.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
June 2017

Q. We need your colour advice whether our colour combination is right as we just bought the house and want to change its colour. You see a lot of the roof. The colours we are thinking of painting - exterior wall: Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, exterior wall base: Resene Half Perfect Taupe, roof: Resene New Denim Blue, entrance door: Resene New Denim Blue, or should I go with Resene Half Perfect Taupe? Garage door: Resene New Denim Blue, or should I go with Resene Half Perfect Taupe? All window and door frame/trims: Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, soffit: Resene White, fascia board: Resene New Denim Blue and downpipes: Same as the wall/base colour.

A. I really like the roof colour and your main house colour. I do think you might consider using (full strength) Resene Perfect Taupe for the base of the exterior wall. For the front door sometimes seeing a little more definite contrast is visibly appealing but it is your personal choice. If you have a large amount of roof showing and with the garage door as well that might be enough of the Resene New Denim Blue and any more may be too much. Using the same colour on the window and door frames/trims as the main house colour will help them blend in. Perhaps you could disguise the downpipes by painting them the same colour too.

Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
June 2017

Q. We would like to repaint our front steps. I like the Resene Soft Apple colour to paint our house and would like a colour to paint our front steps. Are you able to recommend us a colour please?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Ciderhouse, Resene Rhino, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Balderdash, Resene Jurassic, Resene Rivergum or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Soft Apple
Resene Soft Apple
Resene Ciderhouse
Resene Ciderhouse
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Balderdash
Resene Balderdash
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
June 2017

Q. I have just seen the new colour Resene Chalk Dust. Without a sample pot, it's hard to tell if it would work with the tiles in our new build. I have ordered an A4 brushout but it's still on its way. I was wondering what to pair with Resene Chalk Dust for the cabinetry - perhaps Resene Alabaster? The window frames are black and the kitchen pendants are black marble. There is a basic white stone in the kitchen. Upstairs has a neutral carpet so I think Resene Chalk Dust will work.

A. By now, you may have received the A4 brush out. Please look at it against a true white (like a sheet of printer paper) and the sample of the bench top. By seeing them together, you will be better able to see the undertones of subtle warm colour in the Resene Chalk Dust. It will help you to judge whether it will work with the colours in the stone benchtop colour. If you find it is not as perfect as you would like (perhaps too warm) to work with the benchtop, you might check out Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and compare them also with white paper, to see if one of those looks better to your eye.

I think you may need a white that is less coloured than full strength Resene Alabaster for the kitchen cabinets - perhaps Resene Quarter Alabaster may look crisper and provide a clean contrast.

Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
June 2017

Q. We would like to use metallic finished paints such as Resene Deep Space (boys) and Resene Pure Pewter (girls) on all the walls of our pre-teen's bedrooms. Will these colours make the rooms be too dark? The house is a modern new build. All the bedrooms are sunny, north facing with good sized windows. We plan on using Resene Rice Cake for the ceilings. The carpet is a soft brown colour, with a yellow/gold base to it.

A. Without testing the colours very carefully, it may be difficult to judge whether they will work or not. All metallic paints require a standard coloured basecoat to be used under the metallic colours. This colour is written alongside the metallic colour on the chart. If you applied a good coat of Resene Masala on an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and then applied two coats of Resene Deep Space over this, and likewise Resene Chicago the same way with Resene Pure Pewter on it, then you would have very large samples. By moving the colour sample from wall to wall in the room, and checking how it looks at different times of the day and night under changing light, you will be better able to judge whether it works or not.

All colours in an interior have the potential to look far deeper or brighter, depending on the colour. Four walls of paint intensify all colours, which can be a bit of a surprise if you are unaware that this generally happens.

The reason why metallic colours require a coloured base coat, is because the large metallic flakes make a 'see through' effect unless they are spray applied (2-3 coats over a coloured base) to get a really good even coverage. They can be brushed or rolled but coverage is less perfect - application like this creates more of a random paint effect look.

Resene Deep Space
Resene Deep Space
Resene Pure Pewter
Resene Pure Pewter
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
June 2017

Q. I have a light/medium brown carpet, black lounge suite and wood furniture. The room is small and I want to paint it in a warm white.

A. You might look at these colours to see if any appeal to you - Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

It is often really helpful to view the A4 real painted samples of these colours, in the Colour Library at a Resene ColorShop. If you were able to compare them with a sheet of white printer paper, you get a better idea of what subtle undertones of colour are in them, prior to testing them carefully at home.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
June 2017

Q. We are currently building a contemporary house. The ceiling height is high and the skirting boards are extra wide. I am thinking of using Resene Half White Pointer on the walls and wondering what the skirting boards should be, white or the same colour or slightly darker? What colour and paint type would you recommend?

A. If the skirting boards are a rather unusual architectural feature, you might choose to highlight them in semi-gloss enamel, so the sheen draws attention to them against the low sheen or matt wall paint – you could use Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel.

You might use a standard white - Resene White - or a white with a subtle undertone to it - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
June 2017

Q. We are struggling to come up with colours for the exterior of our new house. There will be two different surfaces – LINEA® and plaster. We're in a semi-rural area and the house is north-facing.

The only colour we have decided on is for the roof and downpipes/spouting - they will be Grey Friars. We'd like a light colour for the plaster, and a dark contrast for the weatherboards. We're not sure whether to go with a green-grey or a browner-grey. We are not sure about the joinery yet - most of the windows will be in the plastered areas.

A. Perhaps these types of green/grey would suit - Resene Eighth Lemon Grass and darker - Resene Half Tapa, or Resene Half Ash and darker - Resene Greige, or browner/grey - Resene Dusted Grey and darker - Resene Friar Grey, or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey and darker - Resene Masala.

You do need to check out real powder coated metal samples - not just a brochure which may not give a true example of the colour.

These may be worth looking at - they are flexible in their neutrality so may work with either colour palettes - Silver Pearl or Appliance White.

Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
June 2017

Q. We recently painted our kids' playroom in Resene Golden Sand, but it hasn't quite turned out as we imagined after using a testpot. It looks perfect under artificial light at night, but when the sun hits it, it becomes a full on, way too bright yellow. It's a big, sunny room with rimu skirting and windows. Can you suggest a colour that will give us a sandy, honey, caramel and earthy yellow, rather than something we need sunglasses for?

A. You have found out that all colours in an interior can be far deeper (or much, much brighter) than you could ever imagine they could be. Yellows are a bit notorious this way.

You might test very carefully some of these suggestions - Resene Hampton, Resene Sidecar, Resene Popcorn, Resene Chamois or Resene Melting Moment.

Please paint up large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted white border, all around the edges, so you focus on the sample colour without the Resene Golden Sand altering it in a negative way, and pin on the wall, and check it out at all times of the day and the night, so you can judge how they alter with the light.

Resene Golden Sand
Resene Golden Sand
       
Resene Hampton
Resene Hampton
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
Resene Popcorn
Resene Popcorn
Resene Chamois
Resene Chamois
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
June 2017

Q. I’m looking for a couple of blues, one that is not as grey/muddy as Resene Comfort Zone, and the other that isn’t as bright as Resene Splat. I really like both colours, but they don’t quite work in the bedrooms. Our other bedroom has Resene Surf Crest. I was thinking of getting a testpot for Resene Metamorphis, as it looks pretty in photos.

A. If you are judging colours by seeing them in a photo or on the computer screen, it could be very misleading as they are not at all like they are in reality. You might carefully test these colours by painting them on A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). Applying them to an already coloured wall, also alters them and makes you see the colour 'wrong' which can be very frustrating.

Try Resene Sail, Resene Reflection, Resene French Pass or Resene Morning Glory, These blues are lovely clear colours.

Resene Comfort Zone
Resene Comfort Zone
Resene Splat
Resene Splat
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Metamorphis
Resene Metamorphis
Resene Sail
Resene Sail
Resene Reflection
Resene Reflection
Resene French Pass
Resene French Pass
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Morning Glory
June 2017

Q. What is a warm, yellow based cream to paint in a cold South Island villa to warm it up, maybe an ecru shade or clotted cream?

A. Resene Clotted Cream may be warmer toned than Resene Ecru White, which is greener/earthier looking. Another two options worth considering are these ones - Resene Quarter Dutch White or Resene Double Bianca.

These are lighter than Resene Clotted Cream, but as colours generally can appear to be more intense (often as much as double their depth) in an interior, they may be better ones to consider.

Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
June 2017

Q. We have just painted the inside of our house in Resene Alabaster and we can’t decide on what colours to paint the doors. The carpet is charcoal coloured. We had thought maybe Resene Double Alabaster, but in a semi-gloss sheen.

A. Semi-gloss enamel on your doors is a really lovely sheen to go for. If you only want a subtle colour change for all the doors, then I agree with you in regard to using Resene Double Alabaster. Another slightly more toned version of your wall colour that may also be worth checking out, is Resene Half Sea Fog (Triple Alabaster).

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
June 2017

Q. I would like to use Resene Half Coriander to paint the walls of my family room. Can I use Resene Organic to create a feature wall? Are the two colours compatible? My kitchen cabinetry is off white and the carpet is a dark shade of brown. Will these colours all work together?

A. Apart from Resene Organic which is nice you might also consider one of these slightly yellower based greens - Resene Flax, Resene Bud or Resene Bitter.

Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Flax
Resene Flax
Resene Bud
Resene Bud
Resene Bitter
Resene Bitter
June 2017

Q. We need to paint the doors on our beach house. Could you suggest a colour to go with the house that is painted in Resene Bitter Lemon, with Resene Half Ironsand on the windows and Resene Ironsand on the roof?

A. You have a very bright, effervescent house colour. Probably the simple default colour, would be to use the same colour as the windows, but if you are wanting something more dynamic, then one of these may be worth considering - Resene Wishing Well, Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Saratoga, Resene Deep Teal or a paler yellow version of the house colour - Resene Shalimar.

Resene Bitter Lemon
Resene Bitter Lemon
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
   
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Saratoga
Resene Saratoga
Resene Deep Teal
Resene Deep Teal
Resene Shalimar
Resene Shalimar
June 2017

Q. We are in the final stages of completing our new build and are having trouble with our exterior colours. We have a black roof with black windows and we really want the Stria® to be white and the LINEA® to be grey. I would love something similar to Resene Half Stonehenge, but we painted testpots of the colour onto the house and it looked purple. Is there any colour you can suggest that is more of a true grey that would go with the black and white, which does not have a purple tone to it?

A. All greys carry unique undertones of colour within them. You may need to carefully test several to find the one that works best for you. I do think you may need to stay away from any greys that carry brown, yellow, or red tones in them if you want a cooler type of grey.

These greys may be worth checking out - Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Stack, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Half Scarpa Flow or Resene Trojan.

Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
       
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
June 2017

Q. We are looking for a dark grey, to paint our new rural home, which will be clad in LINEA® and Axon®. We have seen a photo of a villa with Resene Baltic Sea which we like but are not sure if it is dark enough. Do you have any recommendations for a dark grey, which would look good in a rural/native bush environment?

A. Colours never look completely true to reality when seen in photos, so I do suggest you trial Resene Baltic Sea, before judging it on the basis of how it looks in print.

Colours that suit a rural situation may need to reflect the environment, and be a little earthier rather than the urban/contemporary dark theme - Resene Ironsand, Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Foundry.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
June 2017

Q. I live in London and I am getting my villa in Ponsonby, Auckland painted. The roof is Scoria and I need a colour to go with this. Currently the house is dark green and I would like something different. I am wondering what colours you would recommend.

A. You might consider some of these colours - Resene Flintstone, Resene Templestone, Resene Triple Truffle, Resene Spanish White, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Triple Rice Cake. The colours all work with Scoria, even though they are completely different from each other.

I am a little bit worried, that if the only way you can view these colours is on the computer screen, it may not represent the true reality of the colours and you may misjudge what they are really like. Do you have a friend or family member here in New Zealand who can check them out for you and give a trusted opinion as to what may look good?

Resene Flintstone
Resene Flintstone
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
June 2017

Q. We are renovating a 1920s villa/bungalow in Masterton. We have recently put on a new roof in Grey Friars and need to decide on an exterior colour scheme. We are thinking a lighter grey and then white trims with a bright red, yellow or berry door. Which greys are great for older villas?

A. These lighter greys look stunning with pure white - Resene White trims, Grey Friars roof and a yellow or red front door – Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Surrender, Resene Athens Grey or Resene Geyser.

Some front door colours for you to consider - Resene Pohutukawa - or brighter red - Resene Jalapeno, or Resene Wild Thing or lighter yellow - Resene Teddy.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
 
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
Resene TeddyResene Teddy
Resene Teddy
 
June 2017

Q. My kitchen is a mussel colour off-white colour and my walls are Resene Calico. My doors are pine and I would like to paint them to fit in. What colour should I choose? Would it be ok to paint architraves and the door a different colour?

A. The architraves, skirting boards and window frames could match the kitchen cabinet colour and the doors could match the wall colour. This is a neat, simple way to tie together the kitchen cabinets and the trims, and have doors that are deeper, so they don't show as much finger marking as a whiter colour might do.

Resene Calico
Resene Calico
June 2017

Q. We have a sixties styled house, which we want to paint in a warm mid-grey, and then gables etc in an off-white/cream. We have just installed a garage door in Grey Friars and eventually the roof will be the same. We are also about to replace our large front windows with French aluminium doors, which I think can only be done in Arctic White. We are looking for a colour way for the main house, windows, trim and front door.

A. It may be wise to ask at the local Resene ColorShop for the Resene paint colour match to Arctic White, for all the white trims. They have a Resene version of the colour logged on their colour computer. Arctic White is a unique, really cool blue toned grey/white that makes real white look warm by comparison.

Some main colour options for you to consider might be one of these - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Flotsam, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Athens Grey.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
June 2017

Q. We have a 1930s villa with an Ironsand coloured roof. What colours do you suggest we paint the weatherboards and windows?

A. The following colours coupled with window colours may appeal to you - Resene Eighth Arrowtown and Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Triple Sea Fog and Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Tea and Resene Eighth Black White, or Resene Triple Merino and Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
June 2017

Q. The colour we want to use on our walls is Resene Alabaster white. What colour would you recommend for the ceiling and architraves?

A. You could use Resene White if you want to get as much crisp contrast with the wall colour as possible.

If you wanted to soften that level of contrast, you might use a pale version of Resene Alabaster - i.e. Resene Half Alabaster, so the difference between the walls and everything else was not so obvious.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
June 2017

Q. We are building a new house and want it to have a modern fresh look, but warm; we don't like grey colours. We want to have white furniture, the wooden floors are chocolate and the carpet is Mussels. The colours that were recommended are Resene Rice Cake for the interior walls and Resene Half Rice Cake for the celling and doors. Although I like them, I'm not sure if these are too yellow. What other colours would you recommend?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Thorndon Cream and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Milk White and Resene Quarter Milk White, or Resene Half Bianca and Resene Quarter Bianca.

You may need to compare the colours with each other and use a sheet of white printer paper placed partially over them, in order to see the undertones of subtle colour within them.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
June 2017

Q. We want to repaint the exterior of our character bungalow, that has a New Denim Blue roof. Our interior is painted Resene Half Alabaster trims and the walls Resene Quarter Truffle. I want to keep the exterior trims Resene Half Alabaster. I would love your opinion of a modern grey to paint the weatherboards please. I feel like Resene Truffle has more brown in it than I like, I'd prefer a true or maybe a blue grey.

A. These greys are definitely worth looking at - they are cooler and some have the merest undertone of blue or silver with in them - Resene Half Iron, Resene Concrete, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Delta.

All of these colours have deeper versions available and you may need to look at them also. Colours on an exterior are inclined to look a lot brighter/lighter than you might expect, so that is something to keep in mind.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
 
Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
June 2017

Q. We are building a new home. It will be clad in a combination of weatherboard and brick (rendered plaster over the top for smooth finish). We have selected our roof and joinery colour, and are now trying to choose an exterior colour, or two colours, to finish our look. Our roof colour is COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (Resene Element equivalent) and the aluminium joinery looks like Ghost Grey. We are also having a bright yellow door.

Currently we are thinking of having dark weatherboards (possibly also FlaxPod) and a mid-grey on the plaster. But we are open to suggestions. What would you suggest that would look good? It’s a modern home but we want it to feel inviting and family friendly. We also want to go with splashes of turquoise and yellow inside.

A. Ghost Grey is a powdercoat colour. It has warmth that may well be seen in a slightly grey/mauve way - especially on the westerly side of the house as the low sun will emphasise its colour. I feel, because of the specific colour cast, it may well be wise to embrace that in a grey for the plastered surfaces. The following are colours that look harmonious with the joinery colour - Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Jumbo, Resene Half Scarpa Flow, or deeper - Resene Scarpa Flow.

Dark colours for the LINEA® weatherboards - if you didn't use Resene Element - might be one of these colours - Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Nocturnal.

Have you chosen your yellow front door colour? You might check these amazing yellows out - Resene Good As Gold (a rich deeply delicious gold/ochre), Resene Celebrate (a joyous egg yolk yellow) or Resene Starstruck (an extravagant rich gold).

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Good As Gold
Resene Good As Gold
Resene Celebrate
Resene Celebrate
Resene Starstruck
Resene Starstruck
June 2017

Q. We have a south-east bathroom - so very dark. We have a classic white toilet bath etc, one wall has a shower over the bath, one wall is plasterboard and the rest are original tongue and groove. We have a black and cream deco vinyl going on the floor; we were going to go for Resene Double Concrete for the walls. I’m thinking this may look too cold? It’s a 1945 home. We like to keep with colours that suit that era (nothing too out there) please can you suggest some other options?

A. You may need to carefully test the Resene Double Concrete by painting it onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) (all of the testpot/two coats) and taping it up on the wall. You will need to move it around the room. Checking how it looks in natural light and artificial light to see how the colour alters is the only way to find out what it truly looks like as well as seeing if it is too cold looking in the room.

Perhaps you could also check out these other pale white/greys to see if they may appeal to you - Resene Double Black White or Resene Triple Black White. They may be slightly warmer.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double
Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
June 2017

Q. Can you give me some colour advice for my fireplace? It has tiles that we want to paint and a wooden mantelpiece and edging which we will either paint or leave varnished. The walls will be a shade of white (probably Resene Sea Fog) and I'm planning to repaint the mirror above it too. I'm tossing up between painting the whole thing white but I'm concerned that it might be impractical for an open fireplace. Or maybe I could paint it a practical dark grey. I'm not sure what to do for the wood.

A. I think the tiles may need to be a bit deeper in colour if you have a working fireplace - all the carbon and smoke will mark it and it may be look very obviously 'grubby'.

If you were to re-varnish the wooden mantle and hearth surround are nice. Some warm toned greys to check out for the file surround might be these ones - Resene Half Masala, Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Half Nocturnal or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

The tiles themselves will need to be etch primed with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer before 2-3 coats of colour is applied. If you don't want a very shiny finish you might consider using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel or for a semi-gloss finish (more sheen) Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
June 2017

Q. I need to paint an old metal barn red. What colours do you suggest?

A. These are traditional red barn type colours for you to check out - Resene Red Planet, Resene Red Oxide, Resene Pioneer Red or Resene Dawnbreaker.

Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Planet
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Red Oxide
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Dawnbreaker
June 2017

Q. Can you tell me if Resene Sooty is the best black/brown you have?

A. You might check out these other black/brown colours - Resene Blackout, Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Diesel or Resene Black Sheep.

Resene Sooty
Resene Sooty
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Black Sheep
Resene Black Sheep
June 2017

Q. We are looking at repainting the exterior of our house. We have Ironsand on the roof and our aluminium joinery is Silver Pearl which is more like a grey. We have been looking at the Resene Tea range but it looks very pink next to the Silver Pearl. What colours would you recommend?

We want a lighter colour for the weatherboards on the first storey and a darker shade for the base of the house. We are also looking for advice on the garage doors which are currently Resene Mondo. Would you paint them silver to match the joinery (only on first floor), Ironsand to match the roof, or the base colour?

A. Silver Pearl is yellow based silver and the Ironsand is an olive/brown based charcoal so perhaps the following colours may relate a little better to them - Resene Truffle, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Eighth Stonewall.

The base of the house might be one of these colours - Resene Quarter Ironsand, Resene Double Friar Grey or Resene Greige. The garage door might be the same colour as the lower storey (not feature colour) or to match the roof - Ironsand.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
   
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Double Friar Grey
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
   
June 2017

Q. We are looking at painting our house Resene Half Jumbo with Grey Friars spouting and downpipes, and Resene Black White trim on window and door frames. We have a small fence which we also want to paint - looking at either Resene Blackjack or Resene Ironsand. Just wanted your advice on this combination, will it work well? We are also considering a mustard yellow type colour for the front door.

A. I am not 100% certain that Resene Ironsand would work as it is really quite an olive/brown charcoal and not that well related to the steel blue based charcoal (Grey Friars) of the roof and the warmer undertones of Resene Half Jumbo.

Resene Blackjack may be better or Resene Baltic Sea. Or you might consider relating the fence to the roof colour - but much deeper if that is what you prefer - i.e. Resene Double Cod Grey.

Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
   
June 2017

Q. I have Resene Alabaster walls, white ceiling, doors and trim, I need to know the best colour to paint the bricked fireplace surrounds?

A. You don't mention whether you want the surround to be more of a feature or to blend in and not be noticeable. A definite strong statement colour that always looks amazing with an all-white colour scheme could be one of these colours - Resene Baltic Sea, or softer toned charcoal - Resene Half Baltic Sea. If you prefer a much lighter colour then you might consider using a slightly deeper variant of Resene Alabaster to hide any fire related staining that may occur - i.e. smoke/carbon/finger marking. Try Resene Triple Alabaster (aka Resene Half Sea Fog) or Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
June 2017

Q. Can you give me the name of a few warm greys? I want to paint near Resene Sandspit Brown.

A. These greys look lovely in association with Resene Sandspit Brown - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Half Cloudy.

Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Cloudy
Resene Half Cloudy
June 2017

Q. We are painting our entire interior of our house and have used Resene Half Foggy Grey in my daughter's room. I had an interior designer who suggested Resene Half Stack and have had that painted today however I am finding it perhaps not to my liking. The room is big and sunny and will have white shutters. I was wondering what you think of Resene Quarter Stack. The carpet is Cavalier Bremworth Evening Shade which is sort of a browny grey.

A. I feel that the cooler undertones of colour in the Resene Stack palette may be what is slightly discordant with the deeper/warmer colour of the carpet. I am not 100% certain that a lighter colour - Resene Quarter Stack will work better for you. It may do but it might not. I suggest you defer making a decision on a different colour until you have the opportunity to look at these colours alongside the carpet to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Friar Grey or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
June 2017

Q. I want to paint my lounge, dining and kitchen walls. The kitchen is Melteca® natural mist colour. The lounge/dining area get plenty of light and sunshine. The roller binds are a light beige colour. I have just had the walls plastered ready for painting.

A. Melteca® Mist is a very obliging neutral. That hue and the beige toned blinds lead into these types of colours which you might consider for the walls – Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Cararra, Resene Rice Cake or Resene Merino.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
June 2017

Q. We have almost finished renovating our open plan kitchen/dining/living room, and have opened up a doorway for a cavity slider door between this space and a separate lounge. The lounge is painted Resene Pravda. The current open plan space is painted Resene Akaroa however I am keen to freshen this up. The new kitchen is a cooler white (cabinetry is a Snowflake colour) which doesn't really tone well with the current wall colour. The island bench is Smartstone Arcadia and the rear bench is Caesarstone® Jet Black. The open plan space gets a lot of sun and opens out onto the deck, pool and garden beyond. I think a plain white might be too stark. I like natural colours. I was thinking perhaps of a duck egg blue. The house is a pre-1910 villa with polished wooden floors.

A. Even though the room faces out to the deck all of the walls with windows on them are in shadow so it is very necessary to carefully test your colours as they will look quite deep on this particular area of the kitchen/dining /living room and much lighter on the walls that are bathed in sunlight. This may not worry you but it is wise to see how the colours can alter with shadowed angles within the room.

These colours may appeal to you – Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Emerge, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Periglacial Blue.

If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving an unpainted white card border all around the edges and move it from wall to wall during the day and the night it would help you see how the colours alter. This allows you to see the reality of the colour without it being negatively influenced by any existing wall colour or plasterboard walls.

Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
   
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
June 2017

Q. I have selected Resene Rice Cake for my wall colours in my new build, with Appliance White on all the windows, ceiling trims etc. I am wondering about having a different shade/colour on the doors.

A. Are you referring to the interior of your house or the exterior? For the interior you could use exactly the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel finish so there is a sheen difference but not a colour difference. Or alternatively you might use a slightly deeper version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Double Rice Cake. I am not 100% sure about using a lighter colour - unless it was exactly the same as the window joinery colour. It may confuse the palette to use two whites. Your eye would pick up the difference and it may annoy you.

If it is the exterior you are referring to then the colour options are huge - people will often use a more definite colour for the front door to make an entry point feature of it. But if the doors are powder coated metal or fibre glass the same colour as the window joinery is chosen.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
June 2017

Q. Does Resene Thorndon Cream go with Ironsand?

A. Am I right in thinking that you are picking exterior colours? Is the Ironsand being considered for the roof? Resene Thorndon Cream is a very versatile colour. It does work well with Ironsand as well as several other COLORSTEEL® colours - i.e. COLORSTEEL® TernStyle or FlaxPod.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
June 2017

Q. We've been slowly repainting our interiors with Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Half Sea Fog for the trim. We are looking at updating our kitchen and were wondering what white you would recommend for the cabinetry? Our kitchen people have said Arctic White - do you think this would be ok with Resene Sea Fog?

A. Are you having a laminate finish on the cabinets? If it is a laminate like Melteca® or Bestwood® then you might check out ALL whites to make sure you get the right looking white to work with your paint colours. Comparing white colours with each other and alongside a sheet of white printer paper may help you see the subtle undertones within each white colour.

If you are having a paint finish on your kitchen cabinetry then you might choose a paler version of your wall colour – Resene Alabaster.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
June 2017

Q. I am looking for a red or violet (can also consider blue) for accents in an interior painted in Resene Half Thorndon Cream (walls), Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream trims and white ceilings. Carpets are grey (similar to Resene Stonehenge). By accents I mean a hanging room divider and small furniture items. I'm looking for a colour that would liven up the space but without disturbing the calm and balanced look.

A. If you are favouring a calm well balanced look then your choice of accent colours may need to be a slightly muted rather than bright hues. The following colours may offer you some options – Resene Melodic, Resene Fandango, Resene Ringo, Resene Trouble, Resene Whirlwind or Resene Hendrix.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Melodic
Resene Melodic
Resene Fandango
Resene Fandango
Resene Ringo
Resene Ringo
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Hendrix
Resene Hendrix
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
 
June 2017

Q. We are building a new house with a large shed beside it and want to blend the shed with the house. We are thinking of COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod for all the roofs. We would like silver pearl or grey joinery. What colour do you suggest for all the remaining LINEA®. We need a colour that will also match in with cedar garages too.

A. If the shed and the house were exactly the same (roof/joinery/LINEA®) then they would look nicely blended. These colour suggestions may be worth checking out - they do work well with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod and cedar – Resene Half Gravel, Resene Double Tapa, Resene Half Masala, Resene Triple Friar Grey, Resene Windswept or Resene Chicago.

Silver Pearl joinery would work well with these colours but if you wanted a warm toned neutral you might look at using Bone White or Gull Grey.

Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Double Tapa
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
June 2017

Q. We are renovating our house have used Resene Half Tea in a bedroom which looks good but looks a bit pink or grey. We were going with brown carpet we would like the house to flow so not sure if we want to use Resene Tea all the way through. The aluminium is brown and the curtains we have chosen are shades of brown or linen. Our internal doors are brown as well. We don't really want to change these because of expense.

A. Resene Half Tea may be picking up a greyish cast if it is in a south facing bedroom and a pinkish look if it is in a westerly facing room or because of the other colours (like the doors) in the bedrooms. Do you think that may be the case?

Sometimes you have to test several other options of colours that are a wee bit similar to see how they compare with each other. If you look at these colours they may provide some other options for you to take the place of Resene Half Tea if that is what you want to do - Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Half Sandspit Brown.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Sandspit Brown
June 2017

Q. Could you please recommend a white to be used as a main wall colour to go with Resene Alabaster (skirting/architraves), Resene Half Stonehenge (feature walls in various rooms) and American Oak timber flooring. I think the Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Stonehenge tone well, but please advise if they don't.

A. Your wall colour might be a slightly more toned variant of Resene Alabaster – Resene Half Sea Fog (aka Resene Triple Alabaster) or slightly grey/beige toned to help associate well with Resene Half Stonehenge – Resene Half White Pointer, or Resene Eighth Truffle.

I like your colours - and as long as you do and they work with existing flooring, furniture and drapes then that is the main thing to consider. Each colour needs to be carefully tested (testpots are your best friend in this regard) and this will always help you to judge what the colours you are thinking of are truly like within the rooms you want to put them into.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
June 2017

Q. We're building a house in the Pacific Islands, and I'm developing the decor around the secondhand kitchen and tiles we bought. The tiles are brown and the kitchen I would describe as cream cabinetry with a green benchtop. Could you please suggest interior wall and trim colours, I'm thinking a light neutral with a hint of green. Will a CoolColour paint make a difference in the tropical climate? For the exterior, will Resene Bison Hide work with the same brown tiles on the verandah and a Zincalume roof? Or we’re open to other colour suggestions.

A. You could check out these colours for the interior – Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Joanna.

CoolColour™ formulated colours will make a tremendous difference to the exterior in a tropical climate. Resene Bison Hide or even Resene Quarter Craigieburn would work. You might consider a slightly cleaner contrasting colour also which may work with the tiles but be different enough to allow the tiles to be more of a feature colour - i.e. Resene Joanna or Resene Half Tana - these neutrals do have a yellow/green flaxen look which is very natural looking. I think because the tiles are a definite warm brown colour you may need to test several colours to see which ones harmonise best with them.

Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
June 2017

Q. Please help me out with exterior colours. We are keeping our old roof and our gutters are Cottage Green. I am thinking maybe Resene Triple Truffle, but am worried it might be too dark. The front of our house faces south, so doesn't get much light. The back of the house has large aluminium coloured doors - so I need a colour and trims that work with both front and back. I don't like a really stark contrast between cladding and trims. I am just thinking one colour for body and trims, but am wondering if I should use two colours for trims. Something beautiful that will also work with the period lead glass. And a wonderful door colour suggestion too please!

A. Resene Triple Truffle may look a little too deep on the south facing aspect. You might use a slightly lighter variant – Resene Double Truffle, or a softer tone - Resene Truffle. To create a gentle contrast rather than a stark contrast on the house you might check out this colour to replace the lighter/whiter window colour – Resene Chalk Dust, or even a lighter green to help tie in the roof colour - Resene Gecko.

Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Gecko
Resene Gecko
June 2017

Q. I am going to build a fence and paint it in Resene Half Napa. I was thinking about painting the posts a slight darker colour to the pailings, for contrast. Can you advise what a good contrast colour would be?

A. The simple option would be to use a deeper variant of the main fence colour. You might consider either of these colours – Resene Double Napa or Resene Triple Napa. If however you had a dark coloured roof colour i.e. a deep charcoal - then you might use that same colour to tie in the house and fence.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
June 2017

Q. We are looking for colour suggestions to work in our south and south east facing bedrooms. These are 1940-1950s era with Resene Orchid White trims and Resene Quarter Orchid White ceilings.

A. South and south east facing rooms will emphasise the yellow in your Resene Orchid White trims and ceilings. Colours that work well in south and south/east facing rooms may need to be warmer and slightly deeper - these are a few you might check out – Resene Always, Resene Quarter Coriander, Resene Paris White or Resene Quarter Biscotti.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Always
Resene Always
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Paris White
Resene Paris White
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
June 2017

Q. What accent colours can I put with Tobacco (kitchen colour) and Resene Eighth Colins Wicket? I would like to introduce some blue, yellow or peach tones. What do you recommend?

A. Because the colours you already have are so definite, the blues are easier to find than the yellows and peaches. You might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Seachange, Resene Coast or Resene Barometer. A lighter colour that may work - not yellow or peach - but warm toned - Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Eighth Colins Wicket
Resene Eighth
Colins Wicket
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
June 2017

Q. We are painting our weatherboard home and would like a very light colour, like a grey. I'd like ideas for the window frames as well please.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice (this would be the main colour) with Resene Double Alabaster for the windows. And with a little bit of deeper colour for the sills and doors - Resene Half Grey Friars (this may relate well to the roof colour) or a distinctly different contrast colour - Resene Pohutukawa.

Or a warmer type of grey for the main house colour - Resene Double House White with Resene Half Black White for the windows. And with a little bit of deeper colour for the sills and doors - Resene New Denim Blue (this may relate well to the roof colour) or a distinctly different contrast colour - Resene Trouble.

Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
June 2017

Q. We are currently getting new light grey concrete surrounding our house with lots of new green hedging. We are keeping the brown joinery but will get new garage doors and roof (dark grey). The surrounding fence is being painted black. Which white would you recommend for the house? I want it to be crisp but not blinding. We live beachfront with a big park next door.

A. These whites are definitely worth checking out – Resene Merino, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Milk White. Colours on an exterior exposed to bright natural light can appear lighter/brighter so if you feel one of these colours is nearly right it may pay to check out the slightly deeper (or slightly lighter) variant of each colour.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Milk White
Resene Half Milk White
June 2017

Q. We need to repaint our open plan living area and hallway due to an earthquake. We currently have Resene Parchment on the walls and will be keeping that colour in the rest of the house. I want something that will tie in with that. Can you please recommend some colours to use that are still light and bright but also a little more modern? I find Resene Parchment is quite yellow. We need wall, ceiling, trims and doors. A little more info: our house is approx. 15 years old and our kitchen is blue (hope to update that in the next 2-3 years) and our new carpet is a dark brownish/grey, which was matched to Resene Parchment before the earthquake. The curtains are a brownish grey depending on the light on how you see the curtains and carpet. Our home has lots of natural light.

A. You may like to try Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Tea. These light neutrals are a lot less yellow toned than Resene Parchment. They are slightly more warm beige, with a subtle muted grey undertone. They are also a lot lighter than Resene Parchment which is quite a definite stronger colour. If you felt they were too light, they do also come in slightly deeper variants - i.e. Resene Quarter Bison Hide and Resene Half Tea.

For the ceilings and woodwork you might consider one of these whiter colours - Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
 
June 2017

Q. I want to find a terracotta colour from the Resene range. Do you have any recommendations?

A. Everyone has a slightly different idea of what they think a terracotta colour is. You might check out these colours to see if they are the sort of thing you have in mind - Resene Tuscany, Resene Kalgoorie Sands, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Twizel, Resene Dawnbreaker or Resene Apple Blossom.

Resene Tuscany
Resene Tuscany
Resene Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Twizel
Resene Twizel
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Dawnbreaker
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Apple Blossom
June 2017

Q. We are repainting the interior of our 10 year old home. It's currently all in Resene Half Sisal with a Resene Spanish White trim. We want to replace the carpet with either the Kwila wood that we have in the family room and formal lounge, or with slightly darker carpet. I am thinking Resene Triple Sea Fog for the walls and Resene Double Alabaster for the window trim, etc. with Resene Tapa as the feature wall behind the master bed. I'm worried it may look too cold? The Resene Half Sisal is too buttery for me now. Your advice is welcome! Also, thinking of a darker colour in the indented areas by the fireplace. We are also redoing the furnishings and drapes.

A. Your concerns in regard the colours you are considering are reasonable. Your new colours are cooler by comparison to what you have now. BUT - and there is always a but isn't there - without doing a very careful test of the colours it is difficult to ascertain how they may look.

It is almost impossible to judge tested colours if you paint up test colour patches on already coloured walls, as the greater amount of colour will always (mostly negatively) influence how you see the new colour. If you were to apply the entire testpot (two coats) of Resene Triple Sea Fog onto an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) it would help you a lot. It is a good idea to leave a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card, as it will act as a barrier to stop the tested colour from interacting with the existing wall colour. Your eye will focus on the reality of the new colour and that will help you judge its depth and under tones of colour. The large card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how it alters in all types of light - natural and artificial - and on angles where more shadow is. The card can also be rolled into a cone shape or a tube with the colour innermost and you will note when you look into it that it looks stronger than you might imagine it will do. This is a good representation of how the colour will look, when all four walls are painted.

Colours in an interior mostly appear deeper - the opposite is true when they are on the exterior of a house because of bright sunlight stripping back the depth of colour. After doing all of the things I have listed, you will be better able to work out how the colour looks and whether it works all of the time/some of the time/in all rooms or only in some rooms.

I love the idea of a deeper colour in your alcoves around the fireplace - it will enhance any items that are displayed on the shelves. An alternative colour option to check out - if the Resene Triple Sea Fog doesn't play 'nice' - might be Resene Thorndon Cream, which is slightly warmer toned. If it suited your rooms it might be used with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for the ceilings/window trims etc and it looks lovely with Resene Tapa.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
     
June 2017

Q. My whole house has been painted in a blue/grey. While it's a nice colour I find it too dark, especially when combined with the dark grey carpet. We have a beautiful bush and sea outlook. I wish to create a cosy beach cottage vibe, clean and fresh yet inviting!

We are looking to replace the carpet with a wooden floor (possibly recycled rimu but not sure). As a starting point I'd like to paint our stairwell and landing which is on the ground floor that the stairs lead to. The stairwell has virtually no light, and is very cold. The landing has a small window but as you can see, this is underground. I am looking for a colour that is bright yet warm. Also, as the top of the stairs leads to open plan living, it needs to be a colour that will go well with other colours when we come to paint this area. Or indeed we may do the same colour throughout. I realise this is a bit impossible but I'm not sure where to start! I quite like the Resene Rice Cake range and Resene Pearl Lusta but wonder if white is too cold and whether a warm colour would be better?

A. Some of the Resene Rice Cake and Resene Pearl Lusta palettes of colours can be warm - usually those that are full strength and not halved or quartered. Of the two colours you have mentioned, Resene Pearl Lusta is the warmer option.

I think you may need to carefully test colours by painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto an A2. It is a good idea to leave a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card, as it will act as a barrier to stop the tested colour from interacting with the existing wall colour.

Some other alternative colour options that may be worth checking out are Resene Double Bianca or Resene Villa White. They may not appear vastly different to Pearl Lusta or Rice Cake, but they do have undertones within the colour that may feel warmer.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half
Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth
Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
   
June 2017

Q. We have recently purchased a house in need of a do-up. I am after advice on modern popular colours to go with brown 1970s joinery. I would like it to stand out and have the 'wow' factor. We can repaint the roof, and the exterior. Also, what colour would you do the deck?

A. In order for the windows to have a 'friend' and not be the only - lonely - brown to be seen on the house you might check out these colours for the roof and the garage door - Resene Ironsand, Resene Windswept or Resene Triple Friar Grey.

To give a more modern look to the house you might consider using the one main colour on both the house and base of the house (a feature green now) so it has a simple look and doesn't resemble a sandwich. These colours are worth checking out - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Tapa. The deck could be very dark - Resene Element or very pale - Resene White Pointer.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
   
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
June 2017

Q. We are having a new house built with a saw-tooth roof. Clad in LINEA®, it has cedar each side of the ranch slider which opens into the open plan living area. I was thinking of keeping the colour scheme mid-range for LRV, with a lighter roof than walls and lighter joinery than roof. How would a COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey roof go with Resene Sirocco walls and Titania or Appliance White joinery? Interior walls will be mainly Resene Double Merino with Resene Quarter Drought in the bathrooms.

A. I do like your colour ideas. If you want the window joinery to pop out in a crisp way then the Appliance White might be a better choice than the Titania - but it is very much a personal choice. Resene Sirocco also looks lovely with COLORSTEEL® Smokey as a roof colour.

It is a little bit deeper but seeing as all colours on an exterior look a lot brighter/lighter it might be considered. The interior colour may need to be carefully tested and checked out against other more limited and often far more expensive options - like flooring, kitchen cabinets, drapes and furniture - in order to make sure your choices are well balanced and harmonious. FYI - just as colours on the exterior can look much lighter the interior colours can look double their depth due to angles of walls, the shape of rooms and the changing natural and artificial light.

Resene Sirocco
Resene Sirocco
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
June 2017

Q. I have just had my roof replaced with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friar. The brickwork is yellowy. I am getting the external and gutters of my house painted later this year - with Resene paint, and I need some inspiration for colour. I was thinking of a blue, maybe Resene Wanaka or Resene Wedgewood for the base and trims, but would like your expert advice.

A. The blues you mention are quite strong but could work with the yellowy bricks on the house - but possibly not so well with the charcoal even though at some times of the day it too may appear blue toned.

The following colours are somewhat softer and more grey based and they may be worth checking out - Resene Bermuda Grey, Resene El Nino, Resene Escapade, Resene Rhino, Resene Steam Roller or Resene Avalanche.

Take your time looking at colours - each Resene ColorShop has a Colour Library with large A4 real painted colour samples. It is wise to look at these and compare the colours so you get a good idea what they are like in reality.

Resene Wanaka
Resene Wanaka
Resene Wedgewood
Resene Wedgewood
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene Bermuda Grey
Resene El Nino
Resene El Nino
Resene Escapade
Resene Escapade
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
June 2017

Q. We have painted our lounge/kitchen/dining area in Resene Robin Egg Blue, with rooms going off it, in Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Albescent White respectively. Around the doors and windows (Matt Black joinery) we have done Resene Alabaster which looks awfully white, but it’s too late to modify and is probably ok. The floor is heart rimu. My question is – what colour to paint the doors? The obvious one seems Resene Double Alabaster, but I wondered if you have any innovative ideas?

A. You are right - the obvious choice might well be Resene Double Alabaster. The optically challenging contrast between white (Resene Alabaster) and the Matt Black joinery is possibly the stumbling block and using a white (Resene Double Alabaster) that has some soft toned edge to it, might be wise.

Or - seeing as your lightest room colour is Resene Albescent White you could possibly use a lighter variant of that colour on all painted woodwork and doors - i.e. Resene Quarter Albescent White. It might be an alternative worth thinking about. It does work well with your other colours and isn't as sharp a contrast as Resene Alabaster or Resene Double Alabaster when seen close to the black joinery.

Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
June 2017

Q. I am trying to find a colour to match Dark Bronze joinery.

A. If you are hoping to totally disguise the Dark Bronze joinery (match) so it isn't so noticeable, you might check out these colours - Resene Double Mondo, Resene Nest Egg or Resene Creole. But if you would prefer a lighter, but harmonious co-ordinated colour, then you might look at these options - Resene Schooner, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Friar Grey or Resene Stonewall.

Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Nest Egg
Resene Creole
Resene Creole
 
Resene Schooner
Resene Schooner
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
June 2017

Q. What colour would you recommend that is a close match to concrete colour? We are painting a plaster exterior and want to give it a concrete panel look.

A. Perhaps one of these colours may suit you - Resene Quarter Delta or a slightly deeper variant - Resene Half Delta, or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or a slightly deeper variant - Resene Half Silver Chalice, or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
June 2017

Q. We have a house with teal joinery, similar in colour to something half way between Resene Bismark and Resene Teal Blue. To try and tie in with this, we painted the house Resene Half Pavlova with Resene Double Pavlova on the skirting and windows. We'd now like to look at colours like Resene Half Reservoir for the bedrooms, and shades of white for most of the other rooms. Can you please suggest what type of edging would complement the Resene Half Reservoir, and could also work in the joinery and a white/neutral shade for the rest of the house?

A. If you favour using Resene Half Reservoir - which is a lovely opalescent green based aqua - you could look at using Resene Eighth Rice Cake for the edging and a slightly deeper variant of this colour the other rooms - i.e. Resene Half Rice Cake.

An alternative main colour (instead of Half Reservoir) that may also work well with the white might be slightly bluer toned colours - Resene Foam or Resene Cut Glass.

Resene Bismark
Resene Bismark
Resene Teal Blue
Resene Teal Blue
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Half Pavlova
Resene Double Pavlova
Resene Double Pavlova
Resene Half Reservoir
Resene Half Reservoir
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Foam
Resene Foam
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
June 2017

Q. We have a split level house, which was built in 1968 with quite a bit of light/medium coloured wood still in the interior. Currently the interior is painted in Resene Half Tea with Resene Quarter Tea on the trims and ceiling white on all ceilings. All bedroom walls are painted in Resene Half Pearl Lusta, which will change at a later date. We want to paint the lounge, hall and entrance-way an off white (not a stark white and without yellow undertones). The carpet is light beige; it seems to have slight pink undertones, rather than yellow. To tone with rooms that will still be Resene Half Tea, we were thinking of Resene Half White Pointer for the lounge hallway, entrance walls and trims. We want to lighten these areas and are not keen on a cream colour. Do you think Resene Half White Pointer is the white to choose and what about the ceiling colour?

A. I think Resene Half White Pointer may be ok but I do strongly advise that you carefully test the colour. If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edge of the card, it will be large enough to get a good judgment of what it really looks like. Stand it vertically on the carpet, and check out whether it is harmonious. Move the card from wall to wall, so you can see how it alters with changing natural and artificial light. If it appears slightly too grey toned, then you might check out Resene Quarter Truffle, as it is slightly warmer toned but will still work in association with Resene Half Tea.

You might look at using Resene Double Alabaster for the ceiling - it will maintain the off white theme that you want to use.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
June 2017

Q. We need some advice about wall paint that will lighten and brighten and modernise our living room. Our house was built in 2003 and has the original neutral/beige wallpaper. The French doors, skirting board and joinery are all an off-white, similar to Resene Solitaire colour.

Can you please advise which paint colours would work well on our walls? We want it to feel modern and light but not cold. The previous owners painted the wallpaper in the family room/kitchen area in a warm duck egg blue (similar to your colour Resene Paris White). This works, but we don't want to put this colour in our living room.

A. If your wooden joinery is similar to Resene Solitaire - which is a peach toned cream - if you go to a lighter colour the woodwork would stand out as a deeper colour. Is this the look you want to achieve? You might look at these following colours to see if they appeal to you - and most importantly see if they work well with the warm Solitaire type colour on the woodwork trims - Resene Half Tea, Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe or Resene Rakaia.

Or you might use more of Resene Solitaire - not just on the woodwork trims - on the walls so you have a soft glowing colour that merges all the trims in instead of highlighting them.

Resene Solitaire
Resene Solitaire
Resene Paris White
Resene Paris White
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
 
June 2017

Q. We are building a house and we have a Grey Friars roof and spouting with a Cloud fascia and downpipes. We have denim blue windows and Rockcote on the outside and are wondering what colour is best to paint it we don't like beige or pinky or browny colours. We were thinking Resene House White or Resene Half House White or a white with a grey in it.

A. Will you mind if the greyer whites like Resene House White or Resene Half House White make the Cloud powder coated fascia and downpipes look a little yellow/green toned by comparison? If you did want to harmonise with Cloud (so it didn't look as coloured as it is) you might consider using one of these colours - Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Whitewater or Resene Black Haze. Or a slightly deeper toned grey - Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Atmosphere.

Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
 
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Whitewater
Resene Whitewater
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter
Atmosphere
June 2017

Q. I have Resene Alabaster on my walls but would like a whiter white for my trims and architraves. Can you suggest a white that will be a nice contrast to Resene Alabaster?

A. The lightest/whitest version of Resene Alabaster is Resene Quarter Alabaster. If this white doesn't provide enough contrast then you might use real White – Resene White. There isn't anything whiter than .

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
June 2017

Page 67

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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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