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.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. I have four raised vege gardens I want to paint and prefer to keep an earthier look. I have got a few ideas from Pinterest and have tried several testpots. The wall at the background surrounds three sides of the raised beds. It has now been painted black (fence paint from Resene that needed using up). A. I personally think a stain would look best on your garden beds, it’s a much softer and natural approach. You could try these colours: Resene Iroko, Resene Banjul or Resene Bark. If you want a paint colour, you could try these colours: Resene Spanish Green, Resene Half Forest Green, Resene Double Tapa or Resene Stonewall. For a bit of fun, try these three colours which will give you a graduation of hue: Resene Black Forest, Resene Mangrove and Resene Ravine.
August 2017
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Q. Just wanting some advice on what tone of white to paint the ceiling and a matching colour for the walls. The building is a church which was built in 1978. It has dark brown window frames and steel beams, a brown Formica® type board above the windows and gold/yellow coloured glass on the windows. The carpet is red/gold. The panelling on the altar area is rimu and the pews are also rimu. A. The ceiling white might be Resene Eighth Rice Cake and the walls a more coloured version of the ceiling using Resene Rice Cake. These two colours are related so the look overall is more closely co-ordinated and soft. Alternatively you might have pure white ceilings Resene White and a deeper colour on the walls - Resene Cararra. The contrast between these two colours would be more defined. The wall colour would look stronger because of the contrast. The coloured whites throw up a crisp yellow/green which I feel could relate well to the gold colour in the carpet, the rimu altar and pews and the dark brown windows.
August 2017
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Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® Stone garage door and I want to know what colour would go best with this for the exterior garage walls. A. You might check out these colours to see if the appeal to you - Resene Flintstone, Resene Tea, Resene Half Sisal, Resene Triple Parchment or Resene Outback (this is a Resene version of COLORSTEEL® Stone).
August 2017
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Q. I have a living/dining room painted in Resene Half Drought. I have just redone the adjoining kitchen with white cabinetry and a dark grey granite benchtop. I plan to tile in white tiles in the kitchen and would like to paint what little wall space remains in a white or off white. I have seen Resene Bianca in a friend's home and wonder if that would work. The ceiling is Resene Alabaster but I need to change the window frame from rimu stain to the same colour as the walls. Any ideas please? The kitchen is not large and it opens into the lounge dining room. A. Depending on the undertones in the white tiles (white tiles always have an undertone/check them out against a sheet of white printer paper to see what I mean), Resene Bianca may look creamy by comparison. Will that be ok? I think you may be wise to look at all types of white colours with the tiles to ensure you get the right white. Don't go for an exact match but look at a slightly deeper version of white so that the white tiles look sympathetically co-ordinated but whiter overall. The window frames could be the same as the ceiling colour but in a semi-gloss enamel to keep it simple.
August 2017
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Q. I'm searching for a colour to paint my exterior that will match a basalt roof. I like the idea of grey with white trims; will this suit the basalt or be too much grey? A. The only reference I have to ‘Basalt’ is the COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase colour, which I would describe as a dark green/brown charcoal, so my recommendations are to suit this colour. If I’ve referenced the wrong colour, please let me know and I’ll give you some new colours. Yes, you can use grey and white with this colour. It just needs to be the right type of grey, so the colours don’t conflict. You might like to look at these options: Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Ash, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Foggy Grey. These greys all have earthy undertones of brown and green to work in with the roof colour. Colours outside are going to look lighter, approximately half a shade, so use a colour that has a bit more depth in order to get the result you want. You can match any of these colours with whites such as Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster. If you are after a crisp looking scheme, use a whiter colour. If you want a softer feel, use a white that has a bit more colour in, such as Resene Rice Cake. All Resene ColorShops have in store colour libraries of A4 swatches of Resene colours and it’s very helpful to view larger samples before purchasing testpots.
August 2017
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Q. We have a modern house, which is 3-4 years old. The doors and trim are painted in Resene Foggy Grey. I'm looking for an all over 'white' to work with it. I would like nothing cold and something to uplift the Resene Foggy Grey, to stop it overpowering everything. I've looked at Resene Double Alabaster. Would you have any other suggestions? A. You might like to look at these colours: Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Cararra or Resene Half Bianca. I’ve chosen colours that will help to lift the interior, warm it up slightly. Resene Bianca is a clean yellow white, only a very small amount though; it’s not going to look yellow. The Resene Half Cararra has a brown undertone and the Resene Half Rice Cake sits right in between. It can look grey or warm, and is a great little colour. All Resene ColorShops keep A4 sizes of these colours for you to look at in their in store colour library; it makes a difference if you can view larger samples. Ask to view a sample of the Resene Foggy Grey at the same time, and whatever colour your ceiling is. That way, you’ll see the whole scheme at once.
August 2017
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Q. I am considering using Resene Half White Thunder on our interior walls, and would like a darker grey as a feature wall. I am a bit concerned that the Resene Half White Thunder will be too cool, but I don’t want a green or brown based grey. Can you suggest another grey that may be warmer, or will it be about what light bulbs I use? A. You might want to look at these colours: Resene Merino, Resene Barely There or Resene Eighth Ash. And these as possible feature wall colours: Resene Windswept, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Double Trojan or Resene Ship Grey. The Resene White Thunder is quite a blue/purple based colour, so it can come across as a cooler off-white. I’ve suggested three different grey whites, trying to stay clear of the browner undertones, however in order to achieve a ‘warmer grey’ you’ll need to have a hint of brown. Lighting definitely is a factor to consider - kitchens and bathrooms tend to have whiter lighting, task lighting, so colours will be greyer. Evening light is warmer, so colours that have a brown undertone will look warmer still. The Resene Merino is probably the warmer of the colours I’ve suggested.
August 2017
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Q. We have purchased a home that needs a full interior update. Ceilings and trim will be white, with some natural wood features. There are black light feature fittings, black furniture with some light colour wood furniture and mid brown carpet. Could you advise on a neutral tone colour, for wall paint please? A. Please check out these lovely neutral colours to see if they work with the carpet and the wood features and furniture - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Drought, Resene Half Tea, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Quarter Cougar.
August 2017
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Q. I am re-roofing my 1960 two bedroom weatherboard house with a COLORSTEEL® roof in Sandstone Grey. The original, wooden framed windows are painted white. Which colours that are not too light, would you recommend for the exterior walls, to create a modern look and not make the house appear smaller? A. If contrast between colours is removed then overall, it often appears larger. Any strong level of contrast breaks the 'whole' into smaller blocks. Smaller blocks define size. Light to mid tones in muted colours, often make something appear larger. You might look at these types of colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Cloud, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Truffle, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .
August 2017
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Q. I am trying to choose colours for a lounge room, a parent’s room and two children’s rooms, for a house built in 1915. They are not big rooms (3.6 metres square) and do not get much direct sunlight. So far, we have painted a sunny north facing room that opens into the garden, in a shade of white and we have painted a centrally located kitchen white, with kitchen cupboards painted in Resene Envy. I think I will continue the white through the centrally located hallway, to provide a connection through the guts of the house – is this a good idea? My daughter has her heart set on a colour like Resene Tusk – something pretty, pastel, and in the green/lime range. The other child’s room is for my 12 year old son. The lounge room has a deep red blind and a patterned fabric lounge, which is earth toned. Colours that I am thinking about are, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Heathered Grey (but this may be too dark) and Resene Blanched Pink, then I just get stumped. I would like warm colours for these rooms that don’t get much sunshine, and they don’t need to be necessarily ‘safe’ colours. Could you please suggest four colours that will work with the existing colours and will also provide continuity and flow, throughout the house? A. An option that you may not have considered is to continue using the 'white' in all rooms and use drapes, fabrics, furniture, artwork, flooring and accessories in each space, in a specific range of colours for the ambiance of a room. This is a way of ensuring the harmony and balance of all rooms. But if you prefer each individual room to have its own specific colour identity, then it can make it slightly more tricky, to provide continuity and flow throughout the house. Perhaps as a start point, you may need to address the natural light factor in each room - for example, dim or shadowy smaller rooms may make a colour appear twice the depth (or brightness) that it is - or that you could ever imagine it will look like. This is often a surprise, especially when you realise too late that the colour doesn't look as you thought it would look. Lighter may be better - because of this factor. The lounge room with the red blind and patterned fabric lounge may look nice in Resene Half Sandspit Brown or even lighter - Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown. Resene Blanched Pink may look a little too heavy and muddy toned, unless it is in a very large room with lots of windows. A lighter - but similar – colour that you might check out is Resene Dawn Pink. It has a delicate chalky look to it. Resene Heathered Grey is a lovely dense colour, but it will 'develop' a lot more depth, so you might look at Resene Quarter Heathered Grey. In the corners of a room and on the window wall, this colour will double up in depth, but will still look very nice overall. If your daughter has her heart set on a crisp, bright, yellow based green like Resene Tusk, it may look stunning as a feature wall in a white room, but if it was a whole room, it may need to be softened/lightened, unless you are both ok with a room that may resemble Resene Pine Glade. Please take the time to carefully test the colours. If you paint all of a testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops), you will have a super large colour sample that can be moved from wall to wall/room to room, so that you can see enough of it to make a judgment, about how it looks in reality. Please leave an unpainted white card border, all around the edge of your sample - this will act as a barrier between the painted up portion and the existing wall colour, and it helps you to focus on the true depth of the colour. You can roll the card into a tube with the colour innermost and when looking at it this way, you will see it deeper - this is a good indicator of what a whole room will look like, if all four walls are painted. August 2017
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Q. I would appreciate some assistance with choosing an exterior colour for our new build. The roof is COLORBOND® Wallaby, which is a purple based grey. I love Resene Half Napa, but I am worried it all looks a bit brown. I am looking for the best, neutral greige to complete a Hamptons/modern bungalow style. I would like something not too cool, grey or purple. I have looked at Resene Stonehenge, Resene Friar Greystone and Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, but would be open to any suggestions. We want to get this right! A. Perhaps you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and - most of all - look good with the Wallaby: Resene Half Cloudy, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone .
August 2017
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Q. I would like advice on colours for the walls and piers/posts (fascia and gutterings too), for the exterior of our house. It was face brick, we did an extension and the bricklayer did such a shoddy job it had to be rendered. We currently have a Dune roof and fascia, Basalt gutterings, which we chose to suit the original bricks. I don’t mind repainting the Basalt something else, if it helps, but I would like to keep the roof Dune. The aluminium windows and doors in the original part of the house are Primrose and White Birch in the extension. I could repaint the old windows in White Birch – the difference wasn’t as noticeable when the house was brick. We were thinking of painting the walls a similar depth of colour to the roof – as the roof is quite high and makes the walls look low. We would like a colour scheme that will give it a lift; as we’re trying to make it look a bit grander. A. I think it might be a good idea to repaint the Primrose windows to White Birch, if that colour is less of a distinct colour. It will be less intrusive and allow you a little more flexibility - in choosing your main house colour. Your roof colour - Dune - is a soft toned, brown colour. The Basalt is more of a warm toned, deep grey. I think the guttering (Basalt) may be what is making the house look cut down in height - a deep horizontal colour will often do that, as it draws the eyes. If the guttering was a lighter colour, and perhaps the posts and pillared entry detail as well, then that may lift the exterior a bit. A light colour that might work for you is Resene Lighthouse, or alternatively, it could match the re-painted windows. The main house colour might be one of these options - they are similar in depth to the roof. However, the roof (because of its angle to the sun) will always appear lighter/brighter - Resene Double Truffle, Resene Cougar, Resene Perfect Taupe or Resene Settlement.
August 2017
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Q. We have a Grey Friars roof, garage door and front door. The joinery is Appliance White. We are thinking Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Eighth Masala for the weatherboards, or possibly Resene Half Tapa. The house is two levels and has a small plastered area on the bottom level - we may paint this a darker colour or the same as the weatherboards. Would the Resene Masala or Resene Tapa work with the Grey Friars and Appliance White? A. Grey Friars is a steel blue edged charcoal. This steel blue undertone can be very apparent in some qualities of bright natural light. Perhaps you might check out the following colours and compare them with those you have mentioned, and then test them carefully alongside the Grey Friars - perhaps beside the garage door - so you see how they look - Resene Half Scarpa Flow, Resene Stack or Resene Kensington Grey. All colours on an exterior look quite a bit lighter because of bright natural light stripping back any depth in the colour, so it is really important to paint up large samples and move them around the house. Each facade will have different qualities of natural light, so the colours will alter - this is important to see before making your final colour choice.
August 2017
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Q. The walls in our villa have been identified as Resene Tea. We need to redo the ceiling and skirting before re-carpeting and I'm wondering which Resene ‘white’ you would recommend as the trim colour, which would also go on the door. A. You could use any of these 'whites' - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Tea.
August 2017
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Q. I would like some advice of which colour to paint a pine chest of drawers, in a north facing bedroom. The walls are painted in Resene Blanc, the carpet is a light charcoal, and the bedding is white with silvery grey. I have not decided on curtain colours, but would like to bring in turquoise, navy and lime green. I have tried Resene Matisse, but it looks too light in the afternoon sun. What colours would you recommend? A. You may need to try several colours, and decide when you are mostly in the room (time of day) how the colours look then. They may alter, and not look as you might like them to at other times of the day or night - colours are chameleons, so they will change when the natural and artificial light alters. If Resene Matisse looks too bright, you might check out these slightly deeper blues - Resene Spinnaker, Resene Wanaka, Resene Arapawa or Resene Blumine.
August 2017
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Q. I would like some advice of what colour to paint a pine cabinet in my lounge. I have stained glass windows and the walls are painted in Resene Eighth Truffle with a Resene Kumutoto feature wall. The curtains are a silvery grey, and the carpet is a light charcoal. The furniture is greige with two teal accent chairs. The other colours in the room are a pop of turquoise and yellow. Should I go with a darker grey or Resene Half Kumutoto? Would you have any ideas for the hardware, maybe brass or black? A. I think you may be better to use black, pewter or chrome hardware, rather than the brass. I am not 100% sure about painting the pine cabinet in a darker grey. It is a personal choice however. If you did favour a darker grey, you might check out Resene Ebony Clay. Had you thought of using a deeper sea/blue/green like Resene St Kilda or a saffron yellow like Resene Galliano? These colours may look stunning when seen close to Resene Kumutoto.
August 2017
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Q. I have a small, old house and have chosen Resene Quarter Truffle for the walls, in semi-gloss enamel. It is such a beautiful neutral! I hope it's not too dark for a small space. I am now wondering if there is a shade of white for skirting and window frames etc that isn't too stark next to Resene Quarter Truffle and that would match it well. What do you recommend? A. Resene Quarter Truffle is a fantastic grey to use inside, because it has so much warm undertone, that even small spaces don’t feel cold or dark. For your off-white skirting and windows, you might like to try these colours: Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Bianca. The Resene Half Sea Fog is a grey white, the Resene Bianca is a yellow white and the Resene Half Rice Cake sits in between. I personally think the Resene Half Rice Cake will be the best choice, just because it has both grey and warm qualities, much like the Resene Quarter Truffle. However, if you want to move in a warmer direction, the Resene Bianca is also nice.
August 2017
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Q. We are building and I was after some advice for the house exterior colour scheme. We are using Rockcote and have James Hardie Linea® Oblique panelling, featuring on our mono pitched H shaped house. We wanted to keep to our black, white and grey colour scheme for both the interior and exterior. We want near white Rockcote, with near black panelling, as we want it to go with our Matt Black aluminium window frames, downpipes, front door, garage door and possibly roof. Do you have any suggestions of colours that are not so 'black and white', but very close to? I know black can be quite hard looking, and I am not 100% set on it. I don't really want a dark grey look, though there seems to be a lot around. I have looked at Resene Foundry, Resene Double Foundry and Resene Element as the dark colour for the panelling. A. On the exterior, white may look very stark - blindingly so at times. With that in mind, perhaps you might check out these subtle toned whites, which will give the look but not the need to wear sunglasses when viewed - Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Black White or Resene Half Wan White. Some nearly black colours also for you to look at - Resene All Black, Resene Nero or Resene Double Cod Grey. Lighter versions of the whites I have suggested, might be considered for the interior. All colours develop a bit more depth/colour/brightness inside the house, so it is wise to test them carefully, to see how they react with changing light and shade.
August 2017
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Q. We have started building a two storey home in Hamilton, and have chosen COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod for the roof, garage door and front door. The joinery is Ghost Grey. We are unsure of a darkish colour to paint the Linea® weatherboards, to tie in with the upper storey, which will be oiled cedar. At this stage, we are looking at Resene Fuscous Grey for the weatherboards and Resene Barely There for brick features. What are your thoughts on this colour scheme and do you have any other options? A. Resene Fuscous Grey and Resene Barely There are good choices. Another palette of colours worthy of consideration, are these ones - Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Athens Grey.
August 2017
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Q. I am renovating a penthouse in North Queensland. It has lots of natural light and very high ceilings in the main area. It is right on the beach, so I want to give it a modern beach feel, with a touch of luxe. I am thinking of laminate timber flooring, in a driftwood colour. The kitchen will be white (not sure what white) with a smart, stone Cararra marble looking benchtop with black appliances, black sink and brass taps, huge brass feature pendant lights and a dark (black?) pressed metal splashback. I want to paint the interior doors a matt black - what colour do you recommend and what colour for the walls? I've used Resene Eighth Blanc in another house and like the greyness of that white, but would like something with a little more depth but still white - what do you recommend? A. You might like to check out Resene Half Barely There, it is similar in tone to Eighth Blanc but doesn't have the underlying mushroom tint - it favours grey more. Alternatively, Resene Quarter White Pointer which has subtle warmth in its greyness. Both of these colours are also available as slightly deeper variants, if you should decide you need a little more depth in your 'white'. Black colours for you to check out - Resene Double Foundry or Resene Blackjack. Your doors (if you use a matt finish), may show up fingermarking. If you do use a matt finish, you will need it to be an enamel so it can be wiped frequently, without it looking tired or shabby – you could use Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel. Neither of these will be shiny - if that is your concern.
August 2017
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Q. We are painting the interior of our 1950s weatherboard house Resene Rice Cake. We have some wooden floors and grey carpet (Alabama Mist). What colour do you think we should paint the doors to complement this? A. Possibly the simple option, would be to use 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 a paler, whiter version of the colour could be considered also - Resene Quarter Rice Cake which will show as a contrast. Alternatively, you might use a slightly shaded grey/white - Resene House White. This will enhance the wall colour and bring up a subtle yellow/green edge to the colour which may not be apparent at the moment.
August 2017
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Q. We are repainting our house soon and are having trouble picking a new colour. Our roof is orange concrete tile. Our windows are being replaced with PVC-U, which will be white and I will likely paint the frames white. We are having trouble picking a colour, which fits with these three. I don't want anything cold but I don't mind contrast. A. You could check out these warmer types of neutrals, to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double House White, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. These colour suggestions stand out nicely, when seen close to pure Resene White windows and trim.
August 2017
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Q. We are painting a bedroom in Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. Immediately off the bedroom through a door, we have a walk through wardrobe and a bathroom. I am trying to figure out whether I should: If I was to paint one or both of them in a different colour, could you please recommend a good colour for that – ideally I was thinking the bathroom would be nice in a light blue, but I am not sure how that would tone with the Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. A. I think option #c has some merit. A light blue might be nice in the bathroom - perhaps you might check out these colours - Resene Half Cut Glass or Resene Quarter Frozen. The wardrobe possibly needs a neutral white colour to link the bedroom and the bathroom colour - had you considered that as an option? Clothes usually provide a lot of colour, pattern and texture. Check out these colours - Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. A random thought - have you thought of using the bedroom colour and the (new) bathroom colour for painting His and Her wooden coat hangers or some smaller shelf units (the kind that you keep small items like shoes in) in the wardrobe. You may not like the idea - but you might - it could be your personal style statement, as well as linking both differently coloured spaces.
August 2017
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Q. We have an early 1980s house we are renovating. In the downstairs lounge area, there are three walls with rimu panelling on them, and we need to paint the fourth wall. We are looking for something neutral, as it is a long narrow room; the painted wall will be on the north east facing side - long wall. Also something for our kitchen as well, which opens up into this room. We had thought of Resene Thorndon Cream. Would this work with the rimu panelling? What other neutrals would you suggest for the kitchen, which will have Resene Alabaster white cabinets and a darker, still undecided benchtop? The flooring in kitchen will be lino, with beige/brown/charcoal/grey hints in it. A. Resene Thorndon Cream will look good in association with rimu panelling. You might also check out Resene Double Merino, as another alternative option. It’s wise to see all colours together, in order to judge, what unique undertones of colour they have in them. All colours - when seen in an interior - have the potential to look deeper than you might imagine so please do test the colour very carefully. You might look at these (grey/beige) colours to see if they appeal to you for the kitchen - Resene Half Truffle, Resene White Pointer or Resene Eighth Napa.
August 2017
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Q. We have had your advice a number of times and it’s never let us down so we’re back. We would like to paint our kitchen cabinets a really nice neutral colour and need your expertise please. Our kitchen is a large open plan place and here are the colours that surround it:
I love the thought of a really neutral colour that makes the space look large and open and complements the other colours. The shades we do like are grey (silver), white or cream. I like the idea of having a different colour toekick too and if you can advise on a bench colour also that would be great. A. Because of the wallpaper, the rimu and the other wall colour you might start by looking at these options – Resene Eighth Sisal (the palest of the Resene Sisal palette) or Resene Eighth Parchment (similar but lighter). Or - and this is a default because you already have the colour - Resene Alabaster. If the idea of a 'white' is too stark for you then you might check out Resene Rice Cake which is slightly crisp but warmer in its undertone and looks good with your other colours. I am not 100% sure about the kick space being a different colour - it may just look fussy.
August 2017
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Q. We have a small bedroom/nursery at the back of the house that we are wanting to paint. The house is a 1930s house. We would like to keep the white windows, doors and ceilings in keeping with rest of the house. The nursery furniture is also white and grey. We quite like they greyish tones and were thinking Resene Quarter Truffle but then friends have painted Resene Black White with white ceilings. We want some contrast with the white trims but not too obvious. A. Resene Eighth Truffle may be a little better than Resene Quarter Truffle. It will still be a contrast to the white ceiling and all the woodwork. Colours in an interior can often look deeper than you might expect (sometimes double their depth) so the colour I have suggested may look like Resene Quarter Truffle. Resene Quarter Truffle may look like Resene Half Truffle. It depends whether you want a deeper colour - because that is what you like - or a paler colour. You may need to carefully test colours to see how they respond to the light and shadow of the room as well as how they look with the nursery furniture. Don't apply a testpot to the already coloured walls - it won't look true to reality because of the greater amount of existing colour influencing it negatively. If you paint large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with all (two coats) of the testpot it lets you see a huge amount of colour. Please leave an unpainted white card border all around the edge of the card to act as a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour. You can move it from wall to wall so you can see how it alters during the day and night. Each wall may show the colour in a different way. If you want to try some other alternative greyish toned neutrals you might check out Resene White Pointer or Resene Double Sea Fog. Both of these colours are also available as slightly lighter versions if after testing they are a bit too deep for the small room.
August 2017
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Q. We have a 100 year old villa with matai floorboards and three metre high wooden ceilings in some of the rooms. The rooms are south facing rooms that are fairly dark so we are trying to find a warm neutral colour that looks smart and suits the period of our home. Would you suggest we paint the ceilings also? A. If you paint wooden ceilings the effect can double the amount of light with in a room so it is a good idea. With such high ceilings (three metres) you might consider painting walls and ceilings the same colour - as long as it is pale. These colours might be a good start point for you to check out – Resene Bianca, Resene Half Villa White, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Soapstone.
August 2017
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Q. We want to repaint the interior of our small house. The lounge, dining and kitchen are north west facing and get good afternoon sun, but the bedrooms, bathroom/toilet and a connecting hallway, that runs the length of the house, face south east and get very little sun. We want to use a neutral tone that we can use for the interior that won't make the rooms at the rear look dark. What can you suggest for this? We are happy to use half strengths or lower, where you think appropriate. A. In an interior, all colours have the potential to look stronger/deeper or brighter (often doubling in depth depending on the type of colour) in rooms when all four walls are painted. This is even more evident in small or dim spaces. You might have to consider a much lighter version of your main colour. You might look at these colours to see if they are the type of neutral that appeals to you - and most importantly - harmonises with your existing flooring, drapes and furniture - Resene Thorndon Cream and lighter version - Resene Half Thorndon Cream, or Resene Half Akaroa and lighter version - Resene Eighth Akaroa, or Resene Half Spanish White and lighter version - Resene Eighth Spanish White, or Resene Half Truffle and lighter version - Resene Eighth Truffle.
July 2017
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Q. I want to try a half of Karen Walker Smoky Green - is that possible? Or is there another colour you could suggest? I feel like the full Resene Smoky Green will be too dark in my bathroom. A. There isn't an official half toned version of Resene Smoky Green. But you might check out these colours to see if they may work for you in the bathroom - Resene Pewter, Resene Edward or Resene Haven. Alternatively, you might paint just one wall in Resene Smoky Green. The wall opposite the window may be the lightest wall or perhaps a wall with a huge expanse of beautiful mirror on it. That way, you get the colour without too much of it which may deepen (often doubling in depth) and it is manageable.
July 2017
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Q. We are building a new house and are having vinyl plank flooring in the bathroom. I was going to paint it in Resene Half Emerge with Resene Quarter Alabaster on the ceiling and trims. Would a white tile feature wall work with the Resene Half Emerge and wood floors, or would I be better off sticking to a white paint for the bathroom walls? I don't want it to date or appear too busy, but I love the Resene Half Emerge colour. A. I like your colour ideas very much and think the look in the bathroom will be beautiful. I personally feel that white tiles are a fundamental design element that never dates, because it isn't a colour. The white tiles will always allow you to make colour changes, as they work with every other colour without challenging it or creating a discord.
July 2017
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Q. We want to update the exterior of our home - roof, exterior walls and joinery. We like the look of a dark grey roof (i.e. Slate) and light grey or white exterior with white joinery. Can you please advise on what colours could suit? A. It sounds as though you are considering a new modern look. Greys, whites and charcoals are very popular smart colours to have. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - main colour - Resene Double House White and joinery - Resene Alabaster, or main colour - Resene Quarter Delta and joinery - Resene Black White, or Resene Half Silver Chalice and joinery - Resene Half Black White. If you are able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the larger A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library, it will help you judge the reality of the colours, plus by comparing them you will see the different undertones of colour within them.
July 2017
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Q. I am thinking of using Resene Red Berry on the trim and windowsills in our small bedrooms, with a rich cream for the walls. What would you suggest? A. You may need to carefully test several right cream colours to make sure you get the right one. These ones are a few to start you off - Resene Double Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay or Resene Half Dutch White. All colours in an interior can look much stronger (deeper or brighter) than you may imagine they will do. If you paint all of the Resene testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edge of the card it would 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 you like a colour but feel it is slightly too strong, then many have lighter variants that you might also check out.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting our open plan lounge/dining/kitchen area Resene Quarter Black White. The kitchen will have white subway tiles and Silver Grey kitchen cupboards and tongue in groove against the bench, which faces into the lounge (also painted Resene Quarter Black White). One wall in the lounge will have silvery grey wallpaper with fine white abstract lines. We have Charcoal carpet and vinyl planking in the entry way/kitchen with tones of grey and white and fawn. I'd like to have a warm, but not too strong colour in the entranceway, which is not very big and leads into the living area. What thoughts do you have for us? A. In order to make the space seem lighter and possibly larger, you might put a very large mirror on the wall to capture the natural light from the sidelight window and reflect it around the entranceway. Because of the rooms leading off it being very white, you could use almost any colour without it upsetting the balance of the interior theme. The following are some warm, but not too strong neutral colours that may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Triple White Pointer, or a mid-toned but dramatic colour - Resene Undercurrent (blues work well with the warmth of wood). Alternatively, you might choose to use a wallpaper - this would add maximum oomph to the space - had you considered doing that? Even using the same wallpaper as the feature wall in the lounge is a possibility, as it would link the spaces together.
July 2017
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Q. We are renovating a two bedroom bach and have picked for the roof COLORSTEEL® Slate. I have thought of going with Resene Half Shark for the exterior walls. Do you have any other suggestions? As the property gets a lot of sun into the lounge and main bedroom (I think it faces north west) I was thinking of a light grey interior wall. I want it to flow from the outside in. A. If you do favour a dark colour on the exterior, I strongly recommend that you use the CoolColour™ re-formulated version of deep colours to try to minimise (as much as is possible) the damage from UV light. The cc in the colour code indicates colours that have this recommendation. You could try Resene Half Shark cc (your indicated colour suggestion), Resene Half Baltic Sea cc or Resene Steel Grey cc. Light greys for the interior that you might check out to see if they appeal to you are these ones - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quill Grey or Resene Concrete.
July 2017
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Q. How can you tell if a colour has warm tones - especially if a cool colour? I am after a light, warm, green/grey shade. A. Colours that are colour coded Y or G (or sometimes BR) are warmer than those coded N or B. But sometimes a colour with N colour code will carry a yellow (or red) undertone which makes it warmer. The following colours are examples of light/warm/green/grey shades - Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Double Ash, Resene Greige, Resene Dusted Grey, Resene Quarter Chicago, Resene Copyrite or Resene Castle Rock.
July 2017
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Q. Could you please help with selecting paint colours? Currently the interior roof, walls and trim are painted with Resene Half Spanish White and the doors are in Resene Eighth Spanish White. The aluminium joinery is the colour similar to Resene Spanish White. We have white venetian blinds throughout the house. We recently renovated the bathroom and toilet with plain, very white tiles on the walls and on the floor, a white/grey marble effect tile. My thinking was to take the interior from a warm yellow based scheme to a cool – slight undertone of grey. In the bathroom and toilet I painted the ceiling, around the window and doors with Resene Eighth Black White - which is a great match for the tiles. My problem is that this colour clashes with the aluminium joinery similar to Spanish White. As we are going to do up the ensuite next, and then the rest of the house I need to find a wall, trim, and roof colour that will match the joinery, the white tiles, and preferably the already painted Eighth Black White (although I guess this could be repainted if required). I am looking for a lighter, rather than darker, colour - more grey undertones rather than yellow or brown. A. It seems to me, that the bathroom is the start to a completely new look, that you are wanting to have and the only thing that stops it being exactly how you want it to be, is the existing aluminium joinery which is a warm colour. It is possible to paint powder coated joinery. It would have to be cleaned very well and etch primed with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer prior to being painted with two coats of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss enamel in Resene Eighth Black White. Had you considered doing that so that you can have the 'new look' you have your heart set on? If you aren't keen on doing this, then the house may always have that colour drawing attention to it. Changing your colour palette to a cool/neutral grey type of colour will emphasise the warm yellow/beige of the joinery, making it a bit of a stand out feature. Lighter neutrals may need to be warmer grey tones - and I am not 100% certain they are what you want - but they do work slightly better with the joinery. Perhaps you could check out these colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Half Delta or Resene Quill Grey. The ceiling and doors and painted woodwork could still be Resene Eighth Black White with any of these greys.
July 2017
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Q. We are thinking of painting our modern house in Resene Half Silver Chalice. What would be a good bright contrast colour for our entrance way? A. You don't mention particular types of colours that you favour, so these ones are just ideas to get you started: Resene Saratoga, Resene Geronimo, Resene Elephant, Resene Retro or Resene Clockwork Orange. And any of the whites like these ones look good as well - Resene Rice Cake (warmer/sharper) or Resene Half Barely There (greyer/muted).
July 2017
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Q. I have a bright interior with timber features and lots of plants inside and out. I have decided to use Resene Double Alabaster on the walls; however, I need to make a final decision on the kitchen cabinetry. I had thought to use Resene Half Sea Fog, but am a little worried that this might be too bright? I don't want the cabinetry to look lighter than the walls. Can you please advise if these whites will work, or if there would be a more suitable alternative? A. The first thing you need to discuss with your joiner is, if they use Resene paint for the cabinetry. This is important because everyone’s paint is slightly different, so if you request Resene paint colour, but they use another brand of paint, it is very unlikely to match our colour, and you’ll end up with a kitchen cabinet colour that’s different to what you thought you had confirmed. Now to your colour – there won’t be too much difference between Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Half Sea Fog. When a colour is painted on all four walls of a room, and done so with low sheen paint, it will come out looking slightly darker. Cabinetry is usually finished in either a gloss or semi-gloss (to help with cleaning) which will reflect the light and colour, making it appear lighter than your walls if you stick to using Resene Half Sea Fog. I would suggest you choose either Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog. If you have a sample of your benchtop and flooring, take that into your local Resene store and ask one of the staff to show you an A4 size of those colours, to ensure that everything works together. Kitchens can very easily have multiple ‘whites’ and they need to work well with each other for a cohesive scheme.
July 2017
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Q. We have Artic White joinery and a black roof with Obsidian metal tiles. We are struggling with a colour for the LINEA®/plaster; I think we want a grey but would be OK with a darker colour. A. You might look at these cooler dark charcoals to see if they appeal to you - I have suggested them because they work well with the very cool blue/grey undertone of the Arctic White joinery. They are able to be used on LINEA® because it can tolerate very dark colours. Try Resene Grey Friars, Resene Tuna, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Double Stack. There are lighter variants of all these colours that you could check out also. I suggest you pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop to view the larger A4 colour samples of the suggested colours in their Colour Library. That way, you will see enough to judge exactly what the colours are like and can compare them with each other, in order to see their unique undertones. The colour recommendation for plastered surfaces requires a much paler colour. If there isn't a huge amount of plaster compared to the LINEA®, you might use a match to Arctic White. Resene does have a Resene version colour formula that can be used.
July 2017
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Q. If I use Resene Merino for my interior wall, what colour is best for the interior doors? My ceiling I’m thinking Resene Black White. All frame and skirting boards are Resene Merino as well. A. You might use exactly the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss enamel - i.e. Resene Merino or slightly deeper toned version of the same colour - Resene Double Merino. This is a simple approach to colouring the doors - they will merge in more than stand out and the enamel finish will tolerate lots of touching and not show finger marking too much. Alternatively you might choose to use the same colour as the ceiling - Resene Black White or a paler/whiter version of the wall colour - Resene Quarter Merino - so that the doors 'pop' out in a clean crisp way.
July 2017
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Q. We have COLORSTEEL® Titanic garage doors and we are about paint the exterior of the house. We are painting the doors in a teal colour. I was wondering what lighter neutral would tone in with the garage doors and the whole external colour scheme. Resene Black White has been suggested but I'm not that keen on it. A. Perhaps you could check out these colours - they are similar but much lighter than Titania - and they may appeal to you – Resene Double Sea Fog or lighter - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Helium, Resene Half Titania or lighter - Resene Quarter Titania.
July 2017
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Q. We have Arctic white joinery and a black roof, Obsidian metal tiles. We are struggling with a colour for the LINEA®/plaster, I am thinking we want a grey and would be OK with a darker colour. A. LINEA® board (concrete, not timber) can be painted a dark colour, there are no restrictions from the manufacturer. Plaster however does have restrictions, so will need to be kept to a light colour. You could try Resene Baltic Sea – warmer charcoal, Resene Tuna – blue undertones, Resene Armadillo – slight green/brown, Resene Half Ironsand – brown undertones or Resene Ship Grey – similar to Resene Baltic Sea but lighter. If you would like the plaster to be a similar colour to your joinery, you could look at Resene Alabaster. If you would like to see a light grey option for the plaster, perhaps look at these colours: Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Eighth Tapa or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop one of the staff will be able to show you A4 sizes of each of these colours. It helps to see all of your design elements at one time, so take in a sample of your roof and window colours.
July 2017
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Q. My 12 year old son wants a blue wall in his room. It is Resene Quarter Biscotti, south facing and quite small. Any suggestions that will warm it up without repainting the entire room? A. Blue is a great choice of accent colour for Resene Quarter Biscotti, and it won’t make the room appear colder or smaller. In this case, we look at blues that have warmer undertones, like green or some purples, and avoid ‘baby blues’. I imagine a 12 year old might like a colour with a little bit of depth, nothing too dark. Here are some suggestions: Resene Kumutoto, Resene Awash, Resene Norwester or Resene Wavelength. If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop, one of the staff will be able to show you A4 sizes of each of these colours. From there, I would suggest you grab a testpot and paint on a piece of A2 sized card, leave a white unpainted boarder, and place it on the wall you’re thinking of painting. Have a look at it in the morning and night time under different lights, because the colour will change throughout the day.
July 2017
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Q. My ceiling will be Half Black White and walls in the hallway Resene Seashell. What is a matching door colour? A. To avoid using too many different whites in the same space, I would use one of the existing colours. If you choose to use Half Black White on the doors, it will make the wall colour look slightly pinky/purple, that’s just the undertone of the Resene Seashell. If you choose to use Resene Seashell on the doors and walls, you will avoid the purple look coming through because there is nothing white to contrast and bring out the colour. Choose either a semi-gloss or gloss for the doors, this will help reflect some more light down the hallway but also make the doors much easier to clean than a low sheen. Your walls are probably a low sheen or flat, so even if the walls and doors end up being the same colour, at least there will be a contrast in the gloss levels.
July 2017
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Q. I'm looking for a colour for an art installation at a contemporary art gallery. I've spoken to the artist and they would like a colour that's similar to Resene Home Run green but with a 25-50% reduction in colour depth/strength. Could you recommend a colour? A. You could look at Resene Silver Tree (a little dirtier) or Resene Zeal (lighter). You could also look at Resene Vista Blue which is roughly 25% on the bluer side of green. The other colour is Resene Fringy Flower also roughly 25% but greener. Your artist could also experiment with a few testpots to create a colour suitable. Using either Resene White mixed with Resene Home Run, or a lighter green (Resene Pale Leaf or Resene Surf Crest) as a base, and then mixing with Resene Home Run. If the artist is going to create a colour, make sure they keep a record of exactly how much of which colour has been used in order for it to be recreated. Alternatively, once a custom colour has been created, bring that into your local store and ask for it to be colour matched.
July 2017
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Q. I am building a Hamptons style two storey home. The roof is Monument and the trimmings are white. I need a neutral grey with LRV under 40. What would complement these? A. I just need to clarify with - under 40 LRV indicates 39 down to 0 LRV which are deeper or much darker colours - is this what you mean? Or are you inquiring about colours that are lighter - over 40 LRV - 41-100 LRV which are lighter brighter colours? Monument and White are examples from the strongly contrasting fundamental neutral range (black/charcoal/grey/whites) which will work with any other colours as they are true neutrals. These colours are listed from lighter to deeper with the relevant LRV % alongside for reference: Resene Quill Grey (LRV 65%), Resene Silver Sand cc (LRV 57%), Resene Mountain Mist cc (LRV 42%), Resene Jumbo cc (LRV 32%), Resene Scarpa Flow cc (LRV 22%), Resene Ship Grey cc (LRV 13%) or Resene Baltic Sea cc (LRV 10%). The cc in the colour codes indicates colours that can be made using the CoolColour™ technology to reflect more heat. I do recommend that you use this technology to minimise the potential for heat/U.V. related problems.
July 2017
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Q. I need to know which darkish colour would suit Resene Quarter Tea in the brown range? A. You might check out these colours: Resene Tea and the deeper versions of this colour, Resene Quarter Gargoyle and all the deeper versions of this colour, Resene Half Stonewashed and the slightly deeper version - Resene Stonewashed, Resene Rockbottom, Resene Eighth Mondo and all the deeper versions of this colour, or Resene Half Napa and all the deeper versions of this colour.
July 2017
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Q. I have a bright interior with timber features, and lots of plants inside and outside. I have decided to use Resene Double Alabaster on the walls however I need to make a final decision on the kitchen cabinetry. I had thought to use Resene Half Sea Fog, but am a little worried that this might be too bright. I don't want the cabinetry to look lighter than the walls. Can you please advise if these whites will work, or if there would be a more suitable alternative? A. The first thing you need to discuss with your joiner is if they use Resene paint for the cabinetry. This is important because everyone’s paint is slightly different, so if you request a Resene paint colour, but they use another brand of paint, it is very unlikely to match our colour, and you end up with a kitchen cabinet colour that’s different to what you thought you had confirmed. Now to your colour – there won’t be too much difference between Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Half Sea Fog. When a colour is painted on all four walls of a room, and done so with low sheen paint, it will come out looking slightly darker. Your cabinetry will be finished in either a gloss or semi-gloss (to help with cleaning) which will reflect the light and colour, making it appear lighter than your walls if you stick to using Resene Half Sea Fog. I would suggest you choose either Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog. If you have a sample of your benchtop and flooring, take that into your local Resene store and ask one of the staff to show you an A4 size of the Resene colours to ensure that everything works together. Kitchens can very easily have multiple ‘whites’ and they need to work well with each other for a cohesive scheme.
July 2017
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Q. I want to repaint our interior. Our kitchen cabinets are close to a Resene Tea colour and I would like to paint the walls in a light/bright/white. Can you recommend a colour that would go with Resene Tea? A. You could try Resene Half Sea Fog (grey), Resene Half Rice Cake (in between) or Resene Bianca (warm). You might like to consider the colour in your flooring and benchtop, before making a final decision. I’ve given you three different whites for a cooler, yellow or in between finish. All of these colours are available in different variations i.e. full strength, double etc. If you pop into your local Resene store and ask one of the staff to show you the A4 sizes of each of these colours, it will be easier to see the colour difference. Also, ask to see a white piece of card, and place that behind the colour you’re looking at. This will show you the difference between the two colours.
July 2017
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Q. We are in the middle of painting our interior Resene Concrete, with Resene Alabaster trim. We need advice on a colour we could do a splashback. The kitchen cabinetry is black, the bench top is a stormy blue marble colour and we have Grey Friars windows. We want to stick with the colour theme, and are not keen on a bold change in colour. What would you recommend? A. I suggest you choose a colour that you absolutely love. But if you have no absolute favourites these options may be worth checking out - Resene Triple Concrete (deeper than main wall colour for a tonal effect), Resene Quarter Tuna (this colour may pick up the stormy blue of the marble benchtop), Resene Space Station (a metallic silver grey), Resene Meridian (a slightly deeper metallic grey) or Resene Steam Roller (slightly bluer grey - this colour may pick up the stormy blue of the marble benchtop). Alternatively, you might just use a large sheet of crystal clear low iron oxide glass (this is the only one of the two types of glass that doesn't alter any colour seen behind it) over the wall colour. The area is protected and allows the wall colour to show through.
July 2017
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Q. I am building a brick home with LINEA® . The brick is Bronze from the Austral Metalix range. The joinery is Ironsand, with the front door Dark Cedar. The LINEA® is in the front entrance and down the middle of the front of the house. I was thinking of a neutral colour, but I am not sure. Can you suggest colours that will complement the brick and the front door? A. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Foggy Grey.
July 2017
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Q. I am unable to decide on the best neutral wall colour that would match my kitchen, which is mushroom in colour. The kitchen faces north and I have narrowed it down to Resene Quarter Black White. Could you recommend something better? I would prefer to paint the ceiling and wall with the same colour. However, if it’s better to keep the ceiling and wall separate colours, I will do so. Getting the best colour is the priority. A. If you wanted to use a very crisp, cool white to provide a strong contrasting look, then Resene Quarter Black White on all the surfaces would work well for you. But you might also check out these other whites to see if they appeal to you: Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Half Merino or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.They aren't quite as stark, but would add a subtle undertone of warm colour.
July 2017
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Q. I want to paint my home interior grey throughout with white trim, ceiling, and window frames etc. The floor is currently wooden but in the bedrooms it's black carpet (not my choice) and the house is painted white throughout (unsure what shade of white) over textured wallpaper. At some point there will be white venetians, white roller blinds or light grey linen look romans/ drawers in the house. For the walls, I want a light grey as the home is a 1950s character home, some rooms are quite dark and it's not a large home and I don't want to close in the space. I want to keep it light and fresh, but add a bit of warmth. Are there any colours you would suggest? Also, what colour white would work? A. You might check out these light/fresh warmer types of grey - Resene Barely There, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Concrete or Resene House White. In some of your rooms, you may find the suggested colours look cooler rather than warmer because of the natural light aspect. Please do take the time to carefully test the colours. Colours when seen in an interior can look much deeper than you might imagine they will do. These suggestions would definitely work well with white trims and ceilings. Check these ones out - they are a little bit whiter and crisper than Resene Black White, which is a greyer white - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Rice Cake.
July 2017
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Q. I am planning to paint our master bedroom Resene Breeze, Resene Conch, or possibly Resene Sorrento. The floor is tawa and the ceiling is distressed whitewashed timber. I need a colour for the woodwork - cupboard doors, room door and window frame. I'm thinking of grey - which colour would you suggest? Or should I stick with white, or go to a beige or taupe? A. Using a grey is trickier than using a white. I have looked to see what might look appropriate, and there aren't a lot to choose from, that would sit well with the wall colour, and not attract all of the visual interest. You might check out these ones - Resene Shuttle Grey, Resene Snapshot or Resene Hit Grey. If you wanted a white so that the wall colour was more interesting than the trims then you could use one of these cooler whites - Resene Half Wan White, Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster. If you used beige or a taupe, those types of colours might compete with the wall colour and create a discord, as well as minimising the pretty watery influence of the room.
July 2017
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Q. I'm painting my home and garage soon. I've got all the material to paint the house roof, house fascia, garage roof, and garage doors. These will all be in Ironsand. I'm just unsure of a colour to use on the cladding (stucco). I was thinking a mid-grey - nothing too brown. Do you have any ideas? A. If you do use a grey, it may still need to be harmonious with all the Ironsand you have on the house, because that colour is an earthy brown/olive charcoal colour. You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you, as well as look good with the Ironsand - Resene Friar Greystone , or the lighter versions of this colour – Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Eighth Friar Greystone , or Resene Double Truffle, or the lighter versions of this colour – Resene Truffle, Resene Half Truffle, or Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Dusted Grey. July 2017
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Q. I am getting a new house built and need some suggestions on an interior colour. I have an open plan kitchen, which is super high gloss white. The benchtop is white too. The wall colour I have picked is Resene White. I am now looking for a colour to use for both the splashback in the kitchen and for a feature wall. There will be lots of light in the lounge with a northerly aspect and large windows on three sides. The feature wall would be the wall behind the lounge suite. Can I ask for any suggestions in the red or purple palettes? The furniture stain would be rimu or neutral. For the flooring colour, I’m leaning towards Chocolate Oak but have not decided, so I am open to any suggestions. A. You might like to check out these colours - they are gorgeous and will pop out nicely off the white main colour and be very exciting - Resene Full Monty, or another red based purple - Resene Fascinator, or a spicy red - Resene Pohutukawa, or a slightly softer toned red - Resene Red Letter, or another option - just because it is such a wonderful colour - and you may decide it is worthy - Resene Double Resolution Blue (this is a warm rich blue with a purple undertone).
July 2017
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Q. Would Resene Rascal look okay with Resene Rice Cake? I was thinking of doing my son's room with a feature wall in Resene Kermit with Resene Bianca, and possibly Resene Rice Cake on the other three walls. In the lounge, I’m thinking of using Resene Bianca with Resene Rascal on a feature wall, but then I'd rather have the off white be the same throughout the house. Could I get away with Resene Bianca on all the neutral walls or would Resene Rice Cake be better? Would Resene Rice Cake clash with Resene Rascal because of the green undertone? A. I am inclined to agree with you in regard to Resene Rice Cake. I think you may be better off using Resene Bianca as your main neutral colour. It works well with both of the colours you are considering for the feature walls.
July 2017
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Q. We are building a new house and are thinking of painting all the interior walls with Resene Half Rice Cake. Most of the rooms will get a lot of sun. Do you think Resene Half Rice Cake will work and would you paint the ceiling the same colour? A. Resene Half Rice Cake is a nice blend of modern grey, with added warmth and a great choice for interior walls if you want off-white. It will look different in each room – greyer in the morning and yellower in the evenings. If you paint your trim in Resene White or Resene Alabaster, you will see the contrast between your walls and the trim. What happens when you paint something that is above you i.e. a ceiling, the colour tends to look darker. If you would like the ceiling and walls to look the same, then I suggest you paint the ceiling in Resene Quarter Rice Cake. If you would like some contrast, opt for the Resene Alabaster. Something to consider is, if you are square stopped or not – this is when there is no scotia/trim at the top of the walls. If this is the case, it usually looks a lot cleaner if there is minimal contrast between wall and ceiling, so I would paint the ceiling in Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. That way you avoid any wonky lines around the top of the room.
July 2017
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Q. I am building a house on the West Coast, with large amounts of native trees in close proximity. It will have a COLORSTEEL® roof and walls in Ironsand. Can you suggest a suitable product and possible colours to go on large, rough sawn, veranda posts and beams? A. I think with the amount of solid colour being used, it would be nice to break that up with a softer element and use a stain on the timber. For this I would recommend Resene Waterborne Woodsman. In terms of colours, if you would like to continue the dark theme, I suggest Resene Sheer Black or Resene Shadow Match. Resene Sheer Black has a nice brown undertone, so would work in with the Ironsand really well. Resene Shadow Match is a nice charcoal and would work well if you wanted to have a slight difference in colour palette, not everything has to have the same undertone. Two lighter options in the stain range would be Resene Tiri which is a grey, or Resene Iroko which has a slight green undertone. If you would prefer to paint, there are restrictions on colour due to the fact you’re painting timber, and timber moves and warps with heat. The darkest you could safely go is Resene Half Friar Greystone and I’m not sure a light colour would do the house much justice. I would just make the veranda stand out and become a feature. If you have some left over timber/off cuts from the job, I would use these to test the stain colours on. All stain colours are available in testpots, from your local Resene ColorShop.
July 2017
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Q. We are building a house in Clyde with an Ironsand COLORSTEEL® roof and Wood-X Dray weatherboards. All the other walls are rammed earth (a yellow tone). What would work well for the soffits and bargeboards? A. I suggest you look at these colour families, and determine which strength will work best with the rammed earth – Resene Sisal, Resene Spanish White, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Canterbury Clay. Your palette is nice and warm so I’ve chosen colours to work in with those. Resene Pearl Lusta is the ‘cleanest’ of these options, a nice soft yellow. Resene Spanish White has a hint of brown, as does Resene Sisal. Resene Sisal is a darker colour than Resene Spanish White; it has a brown/green undertone. Resene Canterbury Clay is a dark brown/yellow. I’ve given you different depths of colour to choose from, because I’m not sure how yellow the rammed earth is. The best thing you could do is take a sample of all of your finishes into your local Resene ColorShop and ask to see the A4 sizes of each of these colours and decide which depth of yellow works best for the soffit and bargeboards. Remember, they don’t have to be the same colour. You might use Resene Half Spanish White for the soffit (generally a lighter colour is used here because it reflects some light into the house) and Resene Double Spanish White for the bargeboards.
July 2017
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Q. We have a bungalow which needs painting, apart from the roof, which was repainted recently. The roof and bargeboards are painted Resene Karaka. Could you please suggest a colour suitable for the walls? A. There are masses of possible colour options for you to choose from. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you: Resene Quarter Grey Olive used with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for trims/windows/under soffits etc, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey used with Resene Half Villa White for trims/windows/under soffits etc, Resene Triple Black White used with Resene Quarter Black White for trims/windows/under soffits etc, or Resene Albescent White used with Resene Quarter Albescent White for trims/windows/under soffits etc. July 2017
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Q. We are building a new home which will have polished concrete floors in the bathrooms and living areas. Most of the house will be Resene Black White but I would like some colour in the bathroom. Can you suggest some blue colours that have warm tones? I do not want it to be too dark. A. I have actually just painted my own bathroom in a very similar colour and it looks fantastic. I painted in Resene Half Duck Egg Blue which is a green/blue colour with a hint of grey to it and just deep enough to contrast with the white trim and still look like an actual colour on the wall. Similar colours to try would be: Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, Resene Breeze, Resene Cut Glass or Resene Half Kumutoto. The best thing to do would be to visit your local Resene ColorShop and ask to see these colours in A4 size. Take in any other samples you have, so that you can get an idea of what your whole scheme would look like. Be sure to view these colours alongside a Resene White or Resene Alabaster piece of card, that way you can see the depth of each colour and what they will look like against a white ceiling.
July 2017
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Q. Could you suggest a suitable exterior colour and trim for a two storey rendered home, with Classic Cream windows and garage doors. The roof is COLORBOND® Monument. I am desperate to find a colour which will not emphasise the Classic Cream windows. The house also has walnut timber gables and railings. A. The best way to disguise the cream of the windows would be to put a similar tone on the house, that way everything blends in. Here are a few colours that you may like: Resene Spanish White, Resene Half Popcorn or Resene Double Villa White. The warm exterior will work well with the walnut, but if these colours are too yellow for you, opt for something like Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Spanish White. A lighter house colour will add depth to the windows, but as long as you keep to a warm tone, everything will work harmoniously. To finish the look off, it would be nice to link the roof colour into the scheme somewhere, like a front door, or charcoal pots.
July 2017
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Q. We have Resene Thorndon Cream in our home and have a white kitchen going in, with cream tiles. Would you be able to suggest colours for our kitchen please? A. You might choose to use a more definite colour on the walls so that you create a contrast with the white kitchen and cream tiles. You don't mention what types of colours you favour - apart from the fact you have used Resene Thorndon Cream in the rest of the house - so these suggestions are just to get you started: Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Tea, Resene Half Grey Chateau or Resene Ash. Or alternatively, a deeper toned variant of your main house colour might provide a sense of harmony and cohesion - Resene Triple Thorndon Cream.
July 2017
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Q. It is a new build; there are four kids’ rooms. I am planning on painting one feature wall in each room and the rest of the walls and ceiling will be in Resene Half Sea Fog. The girls are nearly seven, twin girls, but I am trying to create something individual for them and they both want pink, although one may want a purple. I want something they will not grow out of too quickly, and I don't want anything too vibrant. I was thinking of muted colours. The carpet colour is a very dark grey/charcoal. The boys are 5 and 1 1/2 years old. I was thinking of an adventure type theme for them but I am not really sure. I would like slightly darker colours in the boy’s room, probably greens or blues. A. A few suggestions to get you started – girls’ pink: Resene Suzie Q, Resene Turkish Delight, Resene Tempt, Resene Glorious or Resene Minnelli. For the girls’ purple try Resene Wonderland, Resene Sassy, Resene Pompadour or Resene London Hue. For the boy’s green try: Resene Wheel Of Fortune, Resene Rivergum, Resene Xanadu, Resene Aquamarine, Resene Smoky Green or Resene Beryl Green. For the boys’ blue try: Resene Unwind, Resene Moby, Resene Kumutoto, Resene Tarawera, Resene St Kilda, Resene Bismark or Resene Half Smalt Blue. Every Resene ColorShop has samples of Resene colours in A4 sizes; I’d pop into your local Resene ColorShop with this list and ask to see each of these. July 2017
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Q. Our house is multi-brown brick, with light tan aluminium around the windows and the front door. It is painted blue/grey but we would like to change the colour, to give the house a lift. Also, we are requiring a trim around the windows, to make it look like a colonial style. A. You don't mention what part of the house is painted - how much of the exterior by comparison to the bricks? Or, what part makes up the trim around the windows - does it have wide wooden window surrounds and sills? Do you want a pale colour or a much deeper colour? You might use a soft grey/green like this colour - Resene Lemon Grass, or a soft wheaten beige - Resene Parchment, or a warm yellow/beige - Resene Spanish White. Some dark trim colours to consider might be these ones - Resene Seaweed or Resene Haka. Or some paler trim colours - Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Quarter Spanish White.
July 2017
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Q. We are considering painting our house in Resene Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster ceilings and trims. The carpet will be Valencia Metallic and we are yet to decide on the curtains. My husband is worried that Resene Sea Fog will make the house feel cold. A. Resene Sea Fog is not a ‘cold’ grey in the way that it does not have blue or purple undertones. Those are generally your cold grey colours. Resene Sea Fog is a warmer grey; it’s made with a grey tint instead of black. It makes for a great modern off-white, allowing you to accent in any colour throughout the house. I would recommend that you look for curtains prior to painting, just in case you need to alter the wall colour slightly. There are thousands of paint colours, but only a handful of fabrics will work in with your scheme. It’s easier to choose curtains, kitchens and flooring first.
July 2017
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Q. Could you please suggest some cool, neutral 'beach/ocean' colours? I had a go myself, but it seemed that every colour I tried ended up being varying shades of turquoise/green (and I wanted a little more variety than that)! A. Coastal colours tend to have an element of grey to them, instead of cleaner greens and blues. Resene have some beautiful colours that fall into this category, you might like to try these. Karen Walker’s range of colours is quite coastal and moody, you might find other colours within her range, but here are a few to start with: Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Powder Blue or Resene Clouded Blue. Or you could try Resene Unwind, Resene Whirlwind, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Breeze, Resene Moby or Resene Awash.
July 2017
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Q. Do you think Resene Bianca would be alright for a very sunny room? I was thinking of using it with Resene Quarter Bianca for the trims and Resene Countdown on a feature wall, but would it be too bright in a room that gets a lot of sun? A. Resene Bianca is a soft warm white; I’m not worried at all that it would be too bright in a sunny room. What will happen when you paint Resene Countdown on a feature wall is that the light will reflect off the orange and project a warm glow onto the other walls, creating a beautiful warm room. When you paint walls and trim in the same type of colour, like Resene Bianca and Resene Quarter Bianca, you end up with a soft scheme with no crisp lines throughout the room. If you use Resene White or Resene Alabaster for the trim, your walls will look like a colour because they have something lighter to contrast.
July 2017
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Q. We have a 1980s Almond Ivory spa bath and a 1.5m vanity top that is the same colour, with the tapware in Gold. Is Resene Unwind going to be ok for the wall? Which white would we use for the vanity, and should we do the doors and drawers in Resene Unwind? A. Resene Unwind is a great choice of colour for this room. It has a nice depth of colour, so it’s not too dark for a smaller area like a bathroom, and it’s also a nice clean colour, so there isn’t a lot of grey or black making the room feel cold. I would keep this colour on the walls only and use a cream on the cabinetry and doors. You might like to look at these colours: Resene Cararra, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Quarter Pavlova or Resene Wheatfield. All of these colours have additional ‘family’ members which you may also want to look at; that means there are halves, quarters, doubles etc that might suit the colour better. All Resene stores have A4 sizes of these colours that you can look at, although you may want to start by taking home some colour swatches of these suggested colours, to determine which colour best suits the Almond bath and go from there.
July 2017
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Q. We want to modernise our 1980s home by painting the exterior a dark grey. We need a colour that will tone in with (and hide) our Bronze aluminium joinery. The rest is timber. We like Resene Bokara Grey, but we are nervous the house will look too dark, and mono-toned with the dark joinery. We have white guttering and would paint the bargeboards/trims white. A. It is always a bit of a risk painting a house in a very dark colour. Are you planning on painting only the brick work? If it was all the timbered areas, then than, might make it very dark and heavy looking. I am inclined to think as long as there is lots of white trims and timber work on the house, it could look very smart. Had you thought of doing a lighter variant of Resene Bokara Grey - Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey? Alternatively (because of the bronze aluminium joinery) you might look at using one of these colours as they pick up a bit more warmth like the joinery - Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Half Ironsand.
July 2017
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Q. The walls throughout our house are Resene Sea Fog and as the wood is all different, I want to paint out the door frames, doors and skirting. What colour would you suggest for the hallway? Should I paint the end wall of the hallway in a feature colour? Could you also give some colour ideas for those areas in a bedroom or in the living areas, which would match Resene Sea Fog? The roof is white and the floor will remain wooden. A. I am inclined to think these may be the options for the woodwork -
Bedrooms and living areas may already feature colour in the areas - drapes, mats, bed linen, upholstered furniture, art work etc. You may need to consider what colours, patterns and textures these are - so that wall colours work well with what exists already. You could continue using the Resene Sea Fog because it allows any other elements, without having to consider whether it will harmonise well or not. Or you might use other variations of this colour - i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Triple Sea Fog if a soft change is favoured.
July 2017
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Q. We have a Hinuera Stone and weatherboard clad house, with bronze aluminium joinery and some timber joinery. The roof is dark green tiles. It has a bush/rural outlook. I am at a loss as to what colour to paint it all. I would like to modernise it and also to paint the old sleep out the same, to bring it all together. A. In regard to the Hinuera Stone on the house, I am inclined to think of it as rather a nice feature, if the main house colour has a bit of depth to offset it. So because of the green roof, the bronze aluminium joinery and the rural bush backdrop which surrounds your property - I have suggested the following colours to try: Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Arrowtown, Resene Half Evolution, Resene Double Friar Greystone or Resene Tapa. For the trims (under the soffits, bargeboards, wooden window frames, door frames etc) the following colours might be considered - Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Merino. These much lighter colours would offset the depth of the main house colour (whichever one you chose) but not be too stark/white and will hopefully pick up on the subtle tones within the Hinuera stonework.
July 2017
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Q. We have just purchased a house and hate the existing external colour scheme. The roof is only four years old, so although the colour of the roof is not ideal, we need a colour palette that will complement it. I think the roof colour is COLORBOND® Brunswick Green. The whole place needs lightening up and modernising in its colour scheme. A. Perhaps it might be wise to minimise the amount of green that is seen on the house. You might just do the window sill edges, or a door in a matching colour to the roof - that may be enough to be a harmonising 'green friend' to the roof colour. You might check out these palettes of colours to see if they appeal to you - main house colour - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, trim - Resene Friar Greystone and Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, or main house colour - Resene Triple White Pointer, trim - Resene Double Tapa and Resene Half White Pointer, or main house colour - Resene Parchment, trim - Resene Schooner and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. July 2017
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Q. I would like to paint my son's bedroom a blue. It is a colder room, so I would like a warm colour, but it is also a small room, so I don't want it to be too dark. A. Brighter, more vibrant blues are warmer than paler blue colours. If the room is very small and cool, you might consider using a bold blue on one wall only (opposite a window) and a lighter warm toned neutral on the other walls so that the room isn't gobbled up by the blue. Had you considered that as an option? The following are colours that might be used together - Resene Resolution Blue with Resene Gin Fizz (a sunny neutral to warm up the room), or Resene Into The Blue with Resene Rice Cake (a crisp neutral to emphasise the blue). But if you and your son are hanging out for a total blue everywhere room then you might look at these playful bright blues - Resene Point Break or Resene Freefall.
July 2017
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Q. I am having trouble choosing a colour to paint the walls and trim. The kitchen cabinets are very close to Resene Tea and I am unsure about what would match in nicely. I love neutral, earthy tones. It’s rather a dark, cold, older home so I want a warm colour without it being too dark. I have a lot of artwork as well, so I don’t want a colour that will take away from them. A. If a paler, but warm colour is what you want to have; you might look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Albescent White, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Spanish White. They would definitely allow you to have your artwork, which would provide the 'feature' aspect of the house. Trims could match the wall colour - but it is wise to use semi-gloss enamel instead of a matt finish. Using the same colour blends in the woodwork so it doesn't stand out in any way. Alternatively, you might use white for all the trims - this would enhance the wall colour a little bit by providing a crisp contrast so the woodwork would be emphasised – try Resene Half Alabaster.
July 2017
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Q. I would like to update my house. What colours do you suggest for the front door, garage door, bargeboards and eaves? It doesn't need to be the latest trends, as not all colours will look good. I would like something that suits being with brickwork. A. You might check out these earthy toned neutrals to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Forest Green, Resene Half Gravel, Resene Double Tapa, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Templestone or Resene Flintstone.
July 2017
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Q. My 18 year old son wants a feature wall in his bedroom, of Resene Delta Blue. I am having problems finding a lighter colour to go with the Resene Delta Blue for the other walls in the room. What do you suggest? A. A white would always work - this would enhance the Resene Delta Blue without competing with it. You might check out these whites to see if they appeal - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White or Resene Half Rice Cake. Alternatively, a really sharp yellow/green like Resene Willow Brook or Resene Chill Out could add quite a different contrast to the beautiful blue.
July 2017
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Q. We're repainting our house exterior from Resene Deja Vu and would like some hints on colour selection. The roof will remain COLORSTEEL® Terracotta and the driveway/tiling will also remain the current colour, but the dark orange garden walls will be changed and need to be complementary - though preferably darker than the house as they will get mould/lichen growth etc. We were thinking of Resene Thorndon Cream but are now not sure, as it may look a bit old fashioned and the darkest tint (Resene Triple Thorndon Cream) isn't really dark enough for the garden walls. A. It is always tricky when you want to make changes and part of the existing palette of very definite colours is remaining - it does control and compromise your options. If you were keen on using Resene Thorndon Cream (which is lovely/timeless and not at all old fashioned) and wanted some alternative colour options for the garden walls you might check out these sympathetic colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Greige, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Quarter Evolution. Some other alternative colours for the house might be one of these - Resene Half Spanish White (with Resene Mongoose), Resene Quarter Taupe Grey (with Resene Taupe Grey for the walls), or Resene Quarter Craigieburn (looks good with Resene Greige for the walls). July 2017
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Q. We're getting new cladding (Heritage PrimeLine James Hardie® profile) and white aluminium framed windows on our single storey house on the NSW Central Coast. We have a COLORBOND® Pale Eucalypt roof and gutters. What colour would you recommend for the external walls and frames around the windows, as well as for the new front door (it has two glass rectangular panels in it)? I was thinking a light colour for the external walls. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - they are light but not too white or stark and they look great with the roof colour you have - Resene Triple Merino, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Bison Hide. I would be inclined to use the same colour around the window and door frames (to keep it simple and timeless) and make more of a feature of the new front door. Front doors are often painted a colour that particularly appeals to you - it creates a personal stamp upon the house. If you have absolutely no favourite or preferred colours then you might look at one of these options - Resene Seaweed (a deeper green that ties in the lighter green roof colour), Resene Trouble (a deep interesting red), Resene On Track (a warm golden/brown) or Resene Groundbreaker (a dense warm brown).
July 2017
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Q. I am working through concepts for a client, who wishes to deliver a Hampton/Shaker style look to the extensive renovation. Could you please suggest a couple of options that might work for an old and pretty dark arts and crafts style bungalow? I need kitchen joinery, architraves and wall colours specifically. Some solutions I have come up with are too white and cold, and there is still a lot of feature timber in the house, that they don’t want to paint. They love the Hampton Colour palette, but want a NZ twist to it - have you used any combo successfully that you could share with me? A. You don't mention which colour options you have already trialled and ruled out as being too white and cold. Hopefully I won't suggest exactly the same colours again. An Arts & Crafts style interior that is dark and has lots of feature timber may need sweeter, warm toned colours rather than the regular cooler Hampton/Shaker palette. These suggestions are a few that have been used successfully to create a warmer palette of colours.
The colours suggested, work well with both pale and dark wood, and off white sheer and textured fabrics and natural elements that many Hampton houses feature - i.e. bamboo, coir, hessian and split cane furniture. In New Zealand, we already have certain clarity of natural light, but if the orientation of the house isn't obliging and there is a lot of shadow inside the house, you may need to use the slightly deeper/warmer (more coloured) variants of the colours mentioned for the walls in order to balance those aspects.
July 2017
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Q. I have a weatherboard house and have decided on using Resene Eighth Akaroa as the main colour. I was thinking about using Resene Akaroa as a contrasting colour, but I'm not sure. Can you suggest some other colours that would go with Resene Eighth Akaroa, that are not too dark? A. Resene Eighth Akaroa is a warm neutral that has almost lost the yellow/green/beige that the deeper versions of the same colour has. If you wanted to emphasise the warmth/depth but not have too much yellow/green/beige in the deeper contrast colour you might check out this option - Resene Half Drought. If you use a much sharper/cleaner contrast as a 'white' the palette of colours has a nice harmonious balance - Resene Quarter Bianca.
July 2017
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Q. I want to find out what is the most common ‘white’ colour for ceiling, architraves, skirting and cornices. A. There are a couple that are used a lot - Resene Quarter Black White and Resene Quarter Alabaster.
July 2017
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Q. We have a very large area to paint, high raked ceilings with exposed jarrah, big jarrah logs inside to support the roof, and the floor is a black brown slate. We are putting in a new kitchen with white cupboards. I want to keep the walls light but I am not sure what colour white to use. Walls are currently cream. I prefer something fresher. There will be patios going up the front and back and am not sure how this is going to affect the light. I was looking at Resene Quarter Tea and was suggested Resene Alabaster. The walls are textured, Spanish style. The paint will be used throughout the house. A. Resene Alabaster is the most popular of all Resene 'whites'. It is also available as lighter and more toned (slightly deeper) variants - Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Half Alabaster, and Resene Double Alabaster. Resene Alabaster is much 'whiter/lighter' than Resene Quarter Tea which is a pale but definite muted warm beige colour. If you want the white kitchen cabinets to 'pop' out and be the whitest white then choosing a slightly coloured 'white' might be appropriate as it will give a softer look and not be as stark as the cabinetry. It may also associate well with the jarrah and the slate floor. Some other fresh whites that you might check out are these ones – Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Rice Cake.
July 2017
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Q. We're having a garage added to our 1920s bungalow. The garage door will be Surfmist, with Resene Eighth Tana on the weatherboards, and the roof is COLORSTEEL® Slate. The new aluminium front door will be Metropolis Coal Dust. I'm looking for a dark colour to repaint the front fence. What would look best with Coal Dust that is not a blue tone? Resene Nocturnal, Resene Squall or Resene Baltic Sea? Or if you have any other suggestions in a deep charcoal (as close to coal dust as possible) which goes well with Resene Eighth Tana as the predominant colour. A. Resene Squall is a deep olive charcoal colour and would look nice in close association with Resene Eighth Tana. Resene Nocturnal is a warm charcoal as is Resene Baltic Sea. They are not blue toned. If you wanted a blacker charcoal (with less warmth in it) then you might also check out Resene Double Cod Grey.
July 2017
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Q. I am working on a healthcare new build, a beautiful facility which is architecturally designed. It has quite a Scandi influence and a significant amount of ash timber veneers as features. I have the opportunity to add some colour in the alcove return of the entrances to each of the patient rooms and am looking for inspiration. I have chosen Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream as the main wall colour and will use variations of this throughout, but I just need some gorgeous blue/green/brown accent colours for these small areas which will help identify the rooms without looking garish but still need to be identifiable if the patient is confused due to their medical state or medications. I want to be able to bring a fresh new and modern approach to healthcare and not just default to mint and baby blue. A. You might check out these colours to see if they work for you - Resene Coriander, Resene Unwind and Resene Half Stonewashed, or Resene Summer Green, Resene Awash and Resene Quarter Oilskin.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting our new house and think we have settled on Resene Stack for one half of the house as we want a grey that is pure grey with no brown/green/blue tones. We need an LRV of lower than about 35% due to glare restrictions. Are there any other greys you would suggest? Our roof and joinery will be Ebony and the other half of the house we want to do black to match the roof and contrast the Resene Stack. We thought about Resene Black would that be too stark what black would you recommend to go with Resene Stack and Ebony? A. Another grey you might check out is Resene Half Scarpa Flow, it has a LRV 31%. If you compare that with Resene Stack you would have a better idea of the underlying colour undertones that are in both greys. The colour on a roof can look lighter than you might expect it to depending upon the angle of the roof to the sun. Ebony may look slightly more charcoal/less black. If you want an exact match colour to the Ebony roof and joinery then it is Resene All Black. You might also check out Resene Blackjack.
July 2017
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Q. I was wondering if you could please give me some colour recommendations for our new house. It's a double mono pitch with James Hardie Axon® and Stria® cladding. I quite like a dark almost charcoal for the Axon and something with a mild contrast for the Stria (although I'm open to suggestions). I'm not sure on the roof and joinery colour just yet either, so any recommendations would be helpful. A. You do have a much more limited range of colours in both the roof and joinery powder coat. It may pay to check out what is available. You may find the colour that you favour doesn't work as well as you would like with the suggested main colours on the house - will that matter? These dark charcoal colours may be appealing - Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Foundry or Resene Bokara Grey. A mild contrast (for the Stria) might be one of these colours - Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.
July 2017
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Q. We have a 1980 weatherboard home, with a charcoal Gerard tile roof and bronze aluminium windows. The interior has charcoal carpet and black floor tiles in the bathroom. We need advice on some colours for the exterior and a continuous wall colour for all the interior walls that is natural. We plan to sell the house in four years. The whole house will be painted inside and out. The ceilings and the trims will be white. A. You don't mention whether it is just one colour that is needed on the exterior, so I have included two, just in case there are other elements apart from the weatherboards that may need painting. You might check out these colours to see if the appeal to you - Resene Truffle weatherboards and Resene Stonehenge - trims/fences/other, or Resene Half Taupe Grey – weatherboards and Resene Quarter Ironsand - trims/fences/other. For the interior these smart light neutrals may be considered - Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Sea Fog.
July 2017
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Q. I would like advice on an exterior colour scheme for our new house. The weatherboards are a creamy off-white and the trims are a bright white and they don't need repainting, so I want colours that will work in with that for the roof, base of house (currently Resene Tuna I think), concrete patio and fences. The garage is Resene Tuna too, so I will probably need to repaint that as well. The fences are rough, so I will need a colour that doesn't stand out. A. If the deeper steel blue toned greys (like Resene Tuna) that you have now are not the look you favour, then you might consider some of these soft toned warmer toned greys, or earthy green/beige colours. For the house roof and garage - all of it but not the door - Resene Gauntlet, base of the house/concrete patio and garage door - Resene Atmosphere and fences - Resene Quarter Ironsand. Or house roof and garage - all of it but not the door - Resene Windswept, base of the house/concrete patio and garage door - Resene Double Trojan and fences - Resene Element. Or house roof, garage - all of it - but not the door - Resene Squall, base of the house/concrete patio and garage door - Resene Taupe Grey and fences - Resene Karaka.
July 2017
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Q. I'm hoping you can give me some advice. I'm looking to paint my house and am considering using Resene Stack on the walls and Resene Ironsand on the roof. Will these work together, and if so, what colour would you recommend for the window frames? A. Colour choices are a personal thing, and if you really like the original colours indicated, then they will work together - but you might check out these other options, to see if they might appeal to you. The warm brown based charcoal - Resene Ironsand - for the roof might look better with a slightly warmer grey/beige for the main colour on the house - i.e. Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Scarpa Flow. However, if you feel that Resene Stack for the main colour on the house is a 'given' then you might find it looks better with a roof colour that is slightly more harmonious. Perhaps you might consider one of these colours - Resene Grey Friars or Resene Steel Grey. For the windows you couldn't go far wrong by using Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster.
July 2017
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Q. I have painted my bathroom Resene Solitaire and would like to put a painted glass splashback between the vanity and the mirror. Could you please give me some ideas for the colour I could use, either contrasting or complementary? The floor tiles are a neutral colour. A. Some of these colours may be worth checking out - Resene Double Solitaire, Resene Triple Solitaire or Resene Quarter Kalgoorie Sands these three are tonally related and you can view A4 swatches at your local Resene ColorShop in their colour library. Or you could try Resene Half Kumutoto, Resene Unwind, Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Copper Fire (metallic). The glass that is used for splashbacks comes as standard float glass or crystal clear low iron oxide glass. The standard float glass has quite a greenish cast to it and it alters how colour is seen behind it - but not always in a positive way. The low iron oxide glass shows the colour behind it, true to reality. If you can get a sample of each glass and lay it over a paint sample you will see how the colour truly looks.
July 2017
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Q. Our bedroom is painted Resene Buttermilk but I was thinking of painting a feature wall behind our bed. Could you give me some suggestions of colour? A. These colours may be worth checking out - they all look good with Resene Buttermilk - Resene Half Innocence, Resene Chapta And Verse, Resene Avant Garde, Resene Undercurrent, Resene Green Meets Blue and Resene Fire.
July 2017
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Q. I want to update the décor throughout my 25 year old home with a classy, warm neutral colour and preferably one tone throughout. The ceilings have recently been painted white and the doors are Resene Half Iron, which I would like to retain if possible. There are light grey tiles in the entrance hall and grey tiles on the bath surround. There is a long dark hallway. The lounge, dining, and kitchen are open plan. I like to experience warmth, light and brightness and am not a great fan of the coolness of greys as a main wall colour, but I am not sure how to work around this, with the existing grey features. I also need to consider resale in the future. The carpets and curtains also need replacing. A. Any warmer neutral colour, may emphasise the slight purple/blue undertone of the Resene Half Iron - would that worry you? The door colour favours being paired up with crisp clean colours or cooler denser blue/ greys and from what you indicate, that may not be what you want. The following colours are indicators of what I know will work - Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Half Grey Chateau. You might consider using a very simple off white, like Resene Chalk Dust, which isn't as 'white' as the first two I have previously mentioned, but it does have a mellow warm ambiance. You will need to be very cautious when choosing carpets or curtains, as the door colour and the tiles lead you towards more grey - albeit deeper charcoal tones.
July 2017
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Q. I have an old villa painted Resene Cloudy and I am re-roofing with an Enduro colour scheme. I was thinking of Grey Friars or Ironside for the roof colour. My windows are Resene Black White and the front door is Resene Fuscous Grey. Which would you recommend? A. Either of the colours you mention would work. I think Grey Friars may have a slight edge, as it is a lovely, classical charcoal compared to Ironside, which has more of a blue/grey undertone.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting our kitchen walls Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, the kitchen joinery will be Resene Half Thorndon Cream, the ceiling Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and flooring will be polished matai wood. I am looking for a complementary contrasting colour, for some open shelves and I want to know if either Resene Grey Friars or Resene Foundry would work and if so, what intensity would be best? A. Your kitchen sounds really lovely. If you want to highlight the open shelves, then either of the colours you mention would work. Resene Grey Friars is a steel charcoal with a blue edged undertone and Resene Foundry is slightly warmer. A half tone version may be better than full strength, as colours in an interior can look a lot deeper than you might imagine they will do. Resene Half Foundry is deeper in tone compared to Resene Half Grey Friars. If you wanted a soft toned lighter charcoal, then Resene Half Grey Friars presents that way, whereas Resene Half Foundry may look a bit blacker.
July 2017
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Q. We have an older 80s home, which is a combination of Supercladding and a timber exterior. We have painted the COLORSTEEL® roof in Resene Element (match to FlaxPod) and the pergola in Resene Quarter Ironsand. I have tried testpots of both Resene Bark and Resene Sheer Black stain and have had recent advice from a painter, that we would be best to paint the timber exterior in Resene Lumbersider. I like the look of a black home and have tried a testpot of Resene Black on a small area of timber that is to be replaced under a bay window. I see there are several black options and wonder what you would suggest? We have been advised to paint under the eaves with Resene Sea Fog. A. Generally speaking, where you have already chosen warmer neutrals for the roof and trims then looking for a black that has an element of warmth in it, works better to create a well balance co-ordination. You might check out these colours - Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Blackout or Resene Chimney Sweep. I strongly recommend that your 'black' be made as a CoolColour in order to minimise the extreme heat problems associated with very dark colours on a surface that is very easily jeopardised - i.e. timber. The CoolColour technology won't remove the problems associated with dark colours/heat/UV etc on the timber but it will help.
July 2017
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Q. I quite like the colours Resene Bathurst and Resene Scrub, but would rather have something in-between, so I went to your online colour creator tool and made a slightly different green changing the RGB slightly. My question is - can you make a formula from this info? Or is it only an online electronic colour system? A. If you print and bring it in our staff can create a colour match to the printed sample. We can't create a colour match to an online swatch as every screen shows the colour differently. The other option is if you experiment with your colour at www.resene.co.nz/findacolour - you can then find the closest Resene colour to the one you have made - it may be worth trying that and seeing if you can find a colour to suit. Or you could get testpots of each colour, and mix them in portions until you get a colour you are happy with. Then take that to your local Resene ColorShop and they can arrange a colour match of it for you.
July 2017
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Q. I want to paint my internal doors; I am keeping the rimu frames. I have thought of Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Black White. What colour would you suggest? I don’t want the doors to look dirty and I don’t want them too beige, which absorbs the light. What can you suggest? I prefer a matt finish, but I have read this is harder to wipe down. Would it be better if I used high gloss enamel? A. You could use a semi-gloss enamel paint finish on the doors (Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel) or an enamel low sheen (Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne), though most people use Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss rather than the low sheen on doors. Your colour choices as indicated are all good - Resene Eighth Rice Cake is slightly crisper/warmer than the other colours, which may look very slightly grey toned by comparison. If you visit your nearest Resene ColorShop, to view the large A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library, you would be better able to compare with each other and this may help you make the decision.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting our house and have selected Resene Foundry for the bottom half of the house. We would like the top half to be a white colour or pale grey but we don't want the white to look like undercoat. Can you please suggest a colour that would work with Resene Foundry? A. Because colours on an exterior can look lighter/brighter due to reflection from the sunlight, I suggest you look at these colours which have a little underlying tone to them, so the look you get isn't too stark by comparison to the lower storey Resene Foundry. You might check these ones out (and compare them to a true white like a sheet of printer paper, so you can better see their underlying tints and tones) to see if they appeal to you - Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White, Resene Black Haze, Resene House White, Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Concrete.
July 2017
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Q. We are repainting a four bedroom rental property, which is 12 years old. We want it to look fresh, inviting and appealing enough, that if we decide to sell, it will appeal to most people. We have picked Resene Half Sea Fog for all the trims. We picked Resene Half Delta for all the walls throughout the house, but now think this may be too dark. This colour will be in all the rooms, so we need to be happy with it. The carpet is a pale brown which we aren't keen on, and we would like the paint to subdue this somehow. A. Colours in an interior can look quite a bit deeper (almost double their depth in some cases) than you might expect them to. If you are keen to stay with a slightly green, edged grey colour for the walls, you might use the lightest version of Resene Delta - i.e. Resene Quarter Delta. Alternatively, you might like to check out these colours - Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Black Haze or Resene Double Sea Fog.
Any of these colours will work with Resene Half Sea Fog.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting a new weatherboard house. The roof is going to be Grey Friars. For the walls we are thinking of Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, as we need a higher than 45% LRV. We also have brick around the bottom to paint and want this a couple of shades darker than the roof. The brick is currently blonde/sandy in colour. A. The roof colour - Grey Friars - may appear a little lighter due to the angle that the roof presents to the bright natural light. So Resene Grey Friars - if it was used on the base of the house - may look deeper than the roof because of the different surface so please don't rule it out. Test it carefully to see if it might work for you. Some blacker greys to check out also might be these ones - Resene Foundry, Resene Double Foundry, Resene Cinder or Resene Double Cod Grey.
July 2017
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Q. We are painting the interior of a cafe. The ceiling and a feature wall are going to be painted in a stand-out colour but we are not so keen on the very strident blue chosen and want to put forward some alternatives. The other walls are either tiles in a grey/white or windows. A. If you are unsure indicated why don't you ask him to provide several other blues for you to consider - in order to ensure you get the one that looks best to your eye? These are some you might check out with him – Resene Whale Tail, Resene Limitless, Resene St Tropaz and Resene Wet N Wild.
July 2017
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Q. I would like to pair a grey tone to my ceiling lining which is Resene Half Black White. I'm looking for a grey tone for the soffit. What are your thoughts to have Resene Half Black White (ceiling) with Resene Triple Sea Fog (soffit)? A. There is certainly enough difference between the two colours to create a contrast if that is what you are trying to achieve. Resene Triple Sea Fog has a warm grey/green look to it. If you wanted a colour that was slightly greyer (with less of the warm green undertone) then you might consider using Resene Triple Black White.
July 2017
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