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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 73

Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.

If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 73

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


Q. Last year we painted our house with Resene paints and are very pleased with the results.

The window frames were done in Resene Tea in Resene Lustacryl. We now would like to get flyscreens fitted, but they only do COLORBOND® powdercoat colours. Evening Haze seems to be the closest match. Do you think that will work or is there a better choice?

A. Because there is a limited range to choose from in the powder coat range of colours it is possibly the only option. Evening Haze is slightly yellower in its undertone than Resene Tea. Will it matter to you if the colours aren't totally perfect together? If you wanted a match to the powder coat colour Resene Evening Haze then you might repaint the window frames Resene Overland as that is the Resene match colour.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene OverlandResene Overland
Resene Overland
December 2017

Q. I'd like some colour advice for the bach I'm building on the West Coast (South Island). On the interior we have bare pine plywood with GIB® painted Resene Ash and Resene Rice Cake. I'm after a feature colour for a wall that wraps from the hall to the living area; I was thinking something moody like Resene Tarawera or Resene Raptor (or something else). I also need a floor colour to complement all the colours, as we're painting the plywood floors. I was thinking a dark grey or green grey to compliment the walls and the Karaka exterior.

A. You might consider one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Climate, Resene Cobblestone and Resene Castle Rock or the lightest variant of Karaka - Resene Quarter Karaka or a greyer colour - Resene Half Gravel.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Raptor
Resene Raptor
 
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
December 2017

Q. I want to paint my house ombre grey - with a dark grey on the roof/gutter - then down five colours to white or off-white/light grey. Can you give me five or six colours to use please?

A. You might use the following colours but whether you can achieve the soft diffused merging of colours that an ombre look creates is all about how clever you are with a paint brush. Try Resene Windswept, Resene Double Stack (also known as Resene Triple Silver Chalice), Resene Stack, Resene Half Stack, Resene Quarter Stack, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and Resene Athens Grey (also known as Resene Eighth Silver Chalice).

Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
 
December 2017

Q. I have a white kitchen with a timber floor and a timber feature wall - I plan to paint the wall that links the kitchen and lounge in Resene Half Opal. I'm trying to decide on the colours for the other walls in the lounge. The lounge also has a half timber, feature wall and timber floor. I'm considering a lighter colour to make the room look bigger. The kitchen is North/East facing and the lounge is South/East facing.

I'm considering Resene Half Gin Fizz or similar - would this go with Resene Half Opal?

A. Resene Half Gin Fizz looks very nice in close association with Resene Half Opal. My main concern would be that because all colours in an interior can look almost twice the depth (or brightness) that you might expect, that it appears quite strong. And also the South/East aspect of light can sour or green up a colour.

Please take the time to paint up all the testpot (two coats) onto a white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). It is super large and allows you to see a maximum amount of the colour. The card can be moved to all the walls, so that you can see how it alters at different times of the day (natural light) and night (artificial light) and in association with the timber walls.

It may take a little time to find the right colour that looks perfect. There may be some time during day or night that it is less than perfect - if a colour looks great 80% of the time, then that is a good colour.

An alternative, sunny creamy colour to test if the Resene Half Gin Fizz looks wrong, might be Resene Orchid White or Resene Double Bianca or lighter versions of these colours.

Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
December 2017

Q. My grandson wants his bedroom, painted grey. Can you recommend a grey that has a bit of warmth and is not ‘dark’ please? And also a colour for the ceiling and door trims.

A. I rather suspect your grandson feels he is mature enough to have a dark grey bedroom. In order to make a light to mid-tone grey appear darker, you can use a much lighter/whiter colour for the ceilings and the door trims. This may fool the eye into seeing the walls as a deeper type of colour. The other thing to know is that once all four walls are painted, all interior paint colours can appear to have more depth than you might imagine they will do - often looking like a double version of the colour.

Some colours that you and your grandson might like to check out - Resene Half Jumbo and Resene Snowdrift for ceilings etc, Resene Quarter Friar Grey and Resene Half Barely There for ceilings etc, or Resene Quarter Tapa and Resene Double Alabaster for ceilings etc.

Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
December 2017

Q. Could you please suggest a dark green for my kitchen cupboards? The kitchen has a Black Pearl bench with lots of light, stainless steel appliances and a darkish grey tile floor, with a black tile upstand. The hob splashback is white tile and black.

A. You might check out these dark green colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Holly, Resene Swamp, Resene Celtic, Resene Middle Earth, Resene Midnight Moss or Resene Gordons Green.

Resene Holly
Resene Holly
Resene Swamp
Resene Swamp
Resene Celtic
Resene Celtic
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Midnight Moss
Resene Midnight Moss
Resene Gordons Green
Resene Gordons Green
December 2017

Q. My exterior cedar stain is Resene Bushtrack and we need to choose a slightly darker paint colour for the block base, to ground the house. Can you recommend a colour?

As the corresponding paint colour to Resene Bushtrack is Resene Wood Bark, we painted the downpipes in this colour.

A. Is there any reason that you might choose to not use Resene Wood Bark on the block base, so it integrates the same colour used on the downpipes? If you feel it isn't dark enough, then you could use Resene Blackout.

Resene Bushtrack
Resene Bushtrack
Resene Wood Bark
Resene Wood Bark
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
December 2017

Q. I am painting my walls Resene Half Bianca, I'm not sure whether I should use Resene Quarter Bianca for the trims, doors and ceilings or use a different white for more contrast. I would appreciate your recommendations.

A. The difference between the two colours is subtle and understated but still nice.

If you wanted to see a little more contrast between the walls and trims/ceilings, then you might use a different white like Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
December 2017

Q. We have painted our house in Resene Triple Tea, which I love. We now have to choose a COLORBOND® colour for our air con pipes. All the downpipes are Resene Triple Tea, as well on the brick base. Could you please tell me which COLORBOND® colour; you think would be closest to Resene Triple Tea?

A. There is a limited powder coat range. You might check out Evening Haze (similar but slightly lighter) but if you wanted a deep colour, which looks nice with Resene Triple Tea then you might consider Gully.

Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
December 2017

Q. I have new awnings which are grey, taupe and black stripes. Bearing in mind the roof is to remain unpainted; I have studied colours in varying shades of grey and taupe and am very confused as to what colours I should use on our holiday house (white metal frame windows), garage door, and fences.

A. You may need to test several colours before you find one that appeals to you, as well as looks good with the new awnings. These are some that you could check out - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Cloudy, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Half Friar Grey.

The garage door and the fences might be exactly the same colour - for convenience and to get a tightly co-ordinated look. One of these deeper colours may look good - Resene Eighth Ironsand or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
December 2017

Q. We are building a modern style, brick and cedar home in the beachside suburb of Papamoa. The bricks are a new release, large format 542w x 130h and will be white concrete and stacked. For the roof and garage doors we were looking at COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. I am struggling with exterior stain colours to match the FlaxPod. If there is nothing that would be well matched, we would consider changing to COLORSTEEL® Ebony, with a suitable cedar stain.

A. Do you need to obtain Council consents in regard what type of colour/product that you can use on cedar timber? Often there is some constraints in this regard and it is very wise to enquire about this. For independent advice in regard coatings/appropriate colours for cedar, you can contact BRANZ.

If you wanted a wood stain that looks very similar to COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod, you might use Resene Waterborne Woodsman Crowshead CoolColour™ wood stain.

If you were wanting a paint (instead of a stain) that matched FlaxPod then you could use Resene Element.

With a stain, you do need to recoat after every 2-3 summers in order to maintain a high level of protection to the timber surfaces. A paint finish usually has a much longer life span before recoating.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Element
Resene Element
December 2017

Q. We have painted our roof in Resene Gauntlet, but can't decide on a colour for the Hardiplank® walls. The windows are white aluminium. We are thinking a green/grey colour. We live in a rural area.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and - most importantly - to see how they work with the roof colour: Resene Taupe Grey (or one of the much lighter versions of this colour), Resene Double Ash (or one of the much lighter versions of this colour), Resene Castle Rock, Resene Copyrite, Resene Quarter Chicago or Resene Atmosphere.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
   
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
December 2017

Q. I am wondering what colour my house would look good as, I do not like the green so much and was looking at different types of grey but I am having trouble finding one I like. I am also open to other colours also though and would also like to change the colour of my roof to match the new colour of the house.

A. Perhaps some of these colours might appeal to you - Resene Delta with Resene Windswept for the roof, Resene Double Truffle with Resene Squall for the roof, Resene Quarter Stack with Resene Grey Friars, or Resene Foggy Grey with Resene Ironsand.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
December 2017

Q. We are looking to paint the bottom half of our house (concrete bottom, brick top) and a corrugated iron fence. The top half is a dark red/brown brick and the bottom we are thinking of doing a dark blue/navy. We want the fence to be the same colour too, so need something that suits both. The two we have looked at so far are Resene Dark Knight and Resene Jaguar.

We also have a double garage with roller doors at the front, which I am unsure what colour to do. I think they need to be different to the bottom of the house but am not sure if we do a colour that we try to match to the brick or a lighter version of the house colour.

A. Because of the dark red/brown bricks and dark window joinery, your idea of using a dark blue/navy on the bottom of the house and on the fence as well, my main worry is that it may look really heavy and a bit ominous.

Resene Dark Knight is a good colour - another colour that you might also look at is Resene Grey Friars or Resene Mineshaft. A slightly lighter grey, with a slight blue undertone that might be used could be Resene Half Tuna or Resene Mako.

Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
 
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Mine Shaft
Resene Mine Shaft
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Mako
Resene Mako
December 2017

Q. We have Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Quarter Spanish White everywhere at our house. A new kitchen is going in and we like Resene Black White to go with the granite. Do you have any suggestions on how to integrate the two, or are we going to have to repaint the whole house. Also, would you have any suggestions on a very dark colour for the kitchen cabinets? It needs to go with stainless, white granite and the Resene Black White.

A. I see no reason that you can't use Resene Black White on the walls in the kitchen. If the kitchen was open plan to dining room, family room or lounge (and those spaces were one of the lighter Resene Spanish White colours) it would be more difficult to effect a change. As long as each room is separate, they can each have their own individual look.

I think it may be wise though to use some black, white and grey in the Resene Spanish White rooms - some accessories and artwork perhaps and then there is a co-relationship between the new kitchen and the rest of the rooms. In the lounge you could even use some small square pieces of the white granite as coasters to put hot or cold drinks on or black frames photos or artwork. Resene Black White - even though it is very pale - on the kitchen walls, will take on a nice grey look by comparison to the lighter Resene Spanish White colours.

A few dark colours for you to check out for the cabinetry - Resene Double Foundry, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Element.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Element
Resene Element
December 2017

Q. I am painting my fascia and gable Resene Lonestar, which is the colour of the roof. I was thinking of using Resene White Pointer on the weatherboards and Resene Triple White Pointer on the box corners. Our windows are bronze. Does this sound alright?

A. Your choice of colours sounds lovely. You could reverse the sequence of colours - Resene Triple White Pointer on the weatherboards, which might soften the look of the much deeper bronze windows by blending them in a bit more (instead of them popping out and drawing attention to themselves) and you could use the Resene White Pointer on the box corners if you didn't want each side of the house look 'framed' by the deeper colour.

Resene Lonestar
Resene Lonestar
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
December 2017

Q. I’m looking for a grey for our bedroom that doesn’t have a bluey tone to it? I want it to look neutral and am thinking two walls grey and two walls Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White.

A. I’m not too sure how deep (dark or light) you would like your accent grey wall to be, so instead of giving you specific colours to try, here are some colour ‘families’ that start with dark colours and also have light off-white colours for you to pick from: Resene Stack, Resene Delta, Resene Tapa, Resene Friar Grey or Resene Masala.

Resene Kensington Grey is a nice depth of colour for internal walls and worth a look.

Resene stores stock folders with A4 colour samples of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint. You may need to carefully test colours to see how they respond to light and shadow.

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.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
   
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
December 2017

Q. We are building a board and batten house and I am looking at either Resene Tiri or Resene Bleached Cedar on the walls. Can you recommend a roof, window and trim colour that would go with both options?

A. To go with Resene Woodsman Tiri stain - you could use COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (this is matched as Resene Element) on the roof - possibly for the windows as well if you wanted a dark powder coat colour.

If you would prefer a lighter colour window joinery you might consider either of these colours – COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey (this is matched to Resene Gauntlet) or COLORSTEEL® Bone White (this is matched to Resene Bone White). For trims you might choose to use the same colour as the lighter window joinery options or one of these colours - Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Eighth Ironsand.

To go with Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar stain - you could use COLORSTEEL® Indigo Blue (this is matched to Resene High Tide) or COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars (this is matched to Resene Grey Friars) on the roof - possibly for the windows as well if you wanted a dark powder coat colour. If you would prefer a lighter colour window joinery to add a definite contrast you might consider either of these colours - Silver Pearl or Arctic White which are popular powdercoat joinery colours. For trims you might choose Resene Iron or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
December 2017

Q. I am painting a room that adjoins our lounge in a split level arrangement, and overlooks the back deck and garden. There is a lot of natural light in both rooms. The lounge walls are Resene Quarter Villa White, and I will keep this going into the adjoining room on two walls, but I want to paint the other two walls teal green or dark turquoise as a feature to create some depth and a different mood. The room also overlooks our light coloured decking area, and if I go all white I think it will be a white-out. Floors are wooden and there are white French doors in this area. The house is 1960s and I am going for the traditional villa/bungalow look. The two colours I have tested so far are Resene St Kilda, very pretty but going a bit bright in the light, and Resene Tarawera, a better tone but just slightly too dense. Can you recommend something in a similar tone? I am also considering Resene Oracle.

A. In an interior all colours can appear deeper (or brighter depending on the type of colour) than you might expect them to be - they can often double up in depth or brightness.

When you test the colour do it on a large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops), leaving a white border around the edge, then move it from wall to wall. Each wall will show up the colour in a different way - and this is important as you might find that the wall that you like the colour on most isn't the wall you thought you would paint as a feature.

The following may be worth checking out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Beatnik, Resene Ming, Resene Breaker Bay, Resene Teal Blue or Resene Bismark.

Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene St Kilda
Resene St Kilda
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Oracle
Resene Oracle
 
Resene Beatnik
Resene Beatnik
Resene Ming
Resene Ming
Resene Breaker Bay
Resene Breaker Bay
Resene Teal Blue
Resene Teal Blue
Resene Bismark
Resene Bismark
December 2017

Q. What are the complementary colours for Resene Waikawa Grey and contrast colours for it?

A. The complement to a blue like Resene Waikawa Grey is an orange - this could be one of the softer apricot toned creams right the way through to a dusky terracotta - the following are examples of what might work well as a complementary colour – Resene Sazerac, Resene Romantic, Resene Japonica, Resene Negroni, Resene Tuscany or Resene Sebedee.

Alternatively because browns are the most shaded forms of orange then you might also pursue that complementary option - i.e. Resene Cioccolato.

A contrast could be a warm neutral - i.e. Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Orchid White or a cool neutral - i.e. Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White. Or a contrast could take the form of a dark blue/grey neutral like Resene Midnight Express.

Resene Waikawa Grey
Resene Waikawa Grey
Resene Sazerac
Resene Sazerac
Resene Romantic
Resene Romantic
Resene Japonica
Resene Japonica
Resene Negroni
Resene Negroni
Resene Tuscany
Resene Tuscany
Resene Sebedee
Resene Sebedee
Resene Cioccolato
Resene Cioccolato
   
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Midnight Express
Resene Midnight Express
December 2017

Q. What is the technical and 'layman's terms' difference between Resene Quarter Rice Cake and Resene Black White?

A. They are both very pale neutrals - they are two of many, many colours referred to as 'whites'. They are visibly quite different to each other. Resene Black White is a greyed white with a subtle depth in it. Resene Quarter Rice Cake is lighter/brighter than Resene Black White and has a sharp, clean yellow/green undertone.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
December 2017

Q. We have just bought a new house and I love it but the colour on the walls looks a bit brown/beige for my liking. What are some new colour trends out there at the moment that would be suitable for a bungalow-bach style house surrounded by beautiful tropical flora? My style is probably best described as boho beachy. My default choice would be a nice villa white but I'm feeling daring!

A. Some new colour options to consider for that boho beachy look might be these colours - Resene White Pointer as a main colour used with Resene Chalk Dust and Resene Inside Back or Resene Triple Sea Fog as a main colour used with Resene Eighth Black White and Resene Taupe Grey or alternatively Resene Half Grey Chateau used with Resene Eighth Rice Cake and Resene Gumboot. Coastal influences favour these soft water and pumice hues.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
December 2017

Q. I'm building a new house and because I am not having coving I have been told by the builder that I have to have the same colour on the walls and ceiling otherwise the cost will be higher due to the extra difficulty with the painting. I had chosen Resene Half Sea Fog for the walls, but I have been told that this will this look too dark on the ceilings. Should I go for a whiter white?

A. Resene Half Sea Fog is absolutely fine for the ceilings. If you go much lighter you’ll end up with a house that looks like a gallery, all crisp white! I wouldn’t worry at all, you’ll hardly notice that the ceilings look darker.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
December 2017

Q. Our house colour is Resene Quarter Delta and the roof and spouting is Grey Friars. What deck colour would you suggest?

A. If you are painting I would opt for a darker colour than your house but nowhere near as dark as the Grey Friars – something like Resene Delta or Resene Stack could be great options.

If the timber is new or unpainted, it can also look really great to stain. This adds a beautiful warmth to the scheme that paint cannot provide. If you’re looking at wood stain colours, try these options: Resene Natural, Resene Driftwood, Resene Iroko, Resene Smokey Ash or Resene Tiri.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
   
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
Resene Driftwood
Resene Driftwood
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
December 2017

Q. Our 2008 house has Resene Eighth Dutch White ceilings, architraves and internal doors. We are stripping our lemon coloured wallpaper off to paint. Our kitchen is quite dark (Resene Gravel) so we need a colour to lighten our walls. I love Resene Black White but don't think this will look ok with the Resene Eighth Dutch White. We have a long hall with 10 doors, so there is a lot of the Resene Dutch White. Maybe we should use Resene Sea Fog?

A. The ‘Dutch White’ family is a very definite yellow/orange colour and this will be noticeable if you put a grey white like Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White on the walls. The only way you’re going to disguise the warm coloured ceilings etc is to use another warm colour on the walls. Perhaps something like Resene Half Pearl Lusta? This is fractionally lighter than the Resene Dutch White, not at all orange and will blend in while giving you the soft light look you’re after.

If you want to go for a grey colour on the wall, you’re either going to have to live with the two different undertones throughout the house, or bite the bullet and repaint.

Resene Eighth Dutch White
Resene Eighth
Dutch White
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
December 2017

Q. We are putting a glass splashback in our kitchen and the glazier has asked for the Resene paint colour - we are wanting black but with a sparkle finish (similar to granite with sparkle/flecks). Is there a paint that will provide this effect or does this need to be added prior to painting somehow?

A. Resene have a range of metallic paints which are often used to get that beautiful sparkle effect in splashbacks. You might like to consider the following colours: Resene Blast Grey 1, Resene Catch 22 or Resene Rockstar.

Unfortunately we don’t have a black metallic but these are all dark charcoals, so hopefully one of them is suitable.

Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Catch 22
Resene Catch 22
Resene Rockstar
Resene Rockstar
December 2017

Q. I have a baby blue type green with silver flowers on it kind of wallpaper and I want to paint my headboard. My bed sheets are white but what colour do I have the head board?

A. It may be slightly tricky suggesting a particular colour to relate well to the wallpaper without seeing it. Even if you were to attach a photo of the wallpaper because colours don't represent well that way what I see may not be how it is.

Some thoughts that may help you are these:

  • White - because it will always work.
  • Using the colour charts to find a deeper version of the green/blue in the wallpaper.
  • Using the metallic colour charts to find a very closely related silver to that which is on the wallpaper.
  • Matching the headboard to the colour of the curtains - either with paint or the same fabric.
  • Matching the headboard to your duvet colour - either with paint or the same fabric.
  • Getting a little more wallpaper (if you don't have off cuts you might get a sample piece of the paper) and gluing it on the headboard in a panel with a painted border all around the edges.
December 2017

Q. We'd like to paint the exterior of our ugly house with silver joinery. Could you please recommend a colour combo? Also would you keep the gables white, make them a shade lighter or a shade darker than the exterior? The roof is likely steel grey/charcoal.

A. For the gable, yes, I probably would use a paler/whiter variant of the main house colour so there was a nice soft toned co-ordination. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple White Pointer - main and lower base of house, Resene Quarter White Pointer - gables and barge board fascias, Resene White - under the soffits, handrails and posts on the deck and Resene Half Grey Friars – doors.

Or a slightly more coloured option – Resene Duck Egg Blue - main and lower base of house, Resene Sea Fog - gables and barge board fascias, Resene Quarter Alabaster - under the soffits, handrails and posts on the deck and Resene New Denim Blue – doors.

Or another option - a little bit different – Resene Secrets - main and lower base of house, Resene Quarter Titania - gables and barge board fascias and under the soffits, handrails and posts on the deck, and Resene Pohutukawa – doors.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
 
December 2017

Q. We are painting a personal training studio and want to use Resene Alabaster on the walls and ceiling and want to do trim in Black. Can you advise which Resene black would look best with Resene Alabaster – Resene Black, Resene All Black or Resene Blackjack?

A. Any would work for you but it is possibly wise to know that Resene Blackjack has a definite warmth to it and may flash an undertone of brown under some types of artificial light. Both Resene Black and Resene All Black are similar but Resene All Black is slightly softer toned.

It must be said a lot of people won't see the subtle differences in these blacks - only those with very discerning eyes and an acute colour sense may notice.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
December 2017

Q. I have seafoam blockout curtains and putty blockout roller blinds in my lounge with high ceilings and a medium tan coloured sofa set. Could you please recommend some wall coloured options that will work with the colour scheme but also give a cosier tone than my current Resene Double Sea Fog walls?

A. It can be tricky finding a new colour to work with what you have - those colours will exert a definite influence. Perhaps one of these slightly warmer neutrals may work well with your existing coloured curtains, blinds and sofa – Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Milk White or Resene White Pointer.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
December 2017

Q. We are looking to paint our home and studio building. We recently replaced the roof with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars and the windows and surrounds have been painted white enamel (straight from the tin because we liked the tone). Now we are deciding on the weatherboard and door colour. Now we are deciding on the weatherboard and door colour. I want a really neutral and modern grey while maintaining the integrity of the bungalow. The first grey I tried on the studio was a bit on the beige side and a little too light (although we don't want to go too dark). Our current house colour is too green. There are a lot of trees and grass around us as we are in the country, so the light that bounces around is quite green. We are thinking Resene Half Stack for the weatherboards and Resene Double Stack for the skirt around the base of the home and studio. Do you think this will work with the Grey Friars and look neutral and modern in a green setting? We also considered Resene Stack, Resene Delta and Resene Quarter Friar Grey (which is a slightly more neutral version of what is currently on the studio). Could you also suggest a door colour and colour to go on our porch steps?

A. I do like the colours you mention - Resene Half Stack and Resene Double Stack - they look very smart and modern with real white windows and COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars on the roof.

All colours have the potential to look lighter/brighter on an exterior depending upon how bright the sunlight is on the façades of the house.

If the overall effect looks a bit lighter than you expect it to then you might use Resene Stack and (deeper for the skirting boards) Resene Armadillo. These greys do have a little warm green undertone which you may not have noticed but if they are seen close to any of the Grey Friars palette of colours (which is bluer in its undertone) it may be noticeable.

Doors can be a 'special/personal' colour - you know the colour that you are in love with and really, really want but are not sure where it is appropriate to use it. The wonderful thing about grey and white is that they are fundamental neutrals that will allow any other bright colour to harmonise with them.

Or alternatively you may want a deep colour like one of these ones – Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Foundry.

Ideally the doors must be more eye catching than the porch and steps as it is the entry point to the house.

A porch and steps have a flat surface to walk on and a riser that is the vertical part of the steps as well as the handrails and posts. All of these can be the same colour or they can be different. If they were different then you might use Resene White on the risers and handrail and posts and a grey (perhaps the same as the skirting boards) on the steps and the porch itself.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene White
Resene White
December 2017

Q. I have just painted the bathroom Resene Iron on the walls and Resene Alabaster on the trim and ceilings. I am doing a black and white chequerboard floor, and was wanting a black for the vanity cupboard (will be Resene Alabaster on the top) and laundry tub, which black would you suggest? I also need a bright blue that will go with the Resene Iron as I am doing an under trim on the vanity for a splash of colour.

A. For a black you might check out these colours – Resene All Black, Resene Nero or Resene Double Cod Grey.

Some brighter blues to consider - Resene Torea Bay, Resene Resolution Blue or Resene Bondi Blue.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Torea Bay
Resene Torea Bay
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Bondi Blue
Resene Bondi Blue
   
December 2017

Q. We have contracted a professional painter to paint our older heritage house. We would like to get some advice from you as to what colours to use for the paint job. The house is on a busy street corner and we’d like the house to stand out and show her character.

A. The following are several options for you to consider - the first is very heritage inspired hence the very strong trim colours and the second is a modern look that is rather striking and the third is contemporary but timeless.

Option 1 – Resene Merino - main weatherboards, Resene Quarter Merino - window sashes/surrounds, door surrounds and under the soffits, Resene Earth Green - barge boards/window sills (possibly window surrounds if a dark colour is preferred) and Resene Burnt Sienna – doors.

Option 2 - Resene Truffle - main weatherboards, Resene Half Rice Cake - window sashes/surrounds, door surrounds and under the soffits, Resene Inside Back - barge boards/window sills (possibly window surrounds if a dark colour is preferred) and Resene Dark Slate – doors.

Option 3 – Resene Athens Grey - main weatherboards, Resene Half Alabaster - window sashes/surrounds, door surrounds and under the soffits, Resene Silver Chalice - barge boards/window sills (possibly window surrounds if a dark colour is preferred and Resene Armadillo – doors.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Earth Green
Resene Earth Green
Resene Burnt Sienna
Resene Burnt Sienna
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
December 2017

Q. I'm currently looking for a colour to paint over my purple feature wall. Three walls are a warm medium grey in my bedroom. I want either a dull blue or dull rose colour, which aren't too dark, do you have any suggestions on what colours could be a good choice?

A. The following colours are some that may work for you but without knowing exactly which warm medium grey you have on the other walls they may not be appropriate - but they are certain a good start point - Resene Wedgewood, Resene Kashmir Blue, Resene Astronaut, Resene Biscay, Resene Merlot, Resene Quickstep, Resene Renaissance and Resene Tempt.

Resene Wedgewood
Resene Wedgewood
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Astronaut
Resene Astronaut
 
Resene Merlot
Resene Merlot
Resene Quickstep
Resene Quickstep
Resene Renaissance
Resene Renaissance
Resene Tempt
Resene Tempt
December 2017

Q. I am trying to establish what colour to paint our lounge ceiling. The walls are Resene Sea Fog and the ceiling is currently white. The ceiling has some imperfections (slight ridges) and the current white paint seems to highlight these.

A. You might consider using the same colour as the walls or a half tone version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog. Any tinted white that is slightly shadowy may disguise surface imperfections better than a pure real white. Usually ceilings are painted in a totally matt paint ceiling paint (not a low sheen or semi-gloss) to stop any reflectivity from the natural light from the windows and shadows caused by light fittings across the ceiling.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
December 2017

Q. I want one or two shades darker than Resene Double House White.

A. You might check out one of the following colours to see if they are what you have in mind – Resene Pale Slate, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Half Jumbo.

They all have the warmth that is in Resene Double House White and are deeper tones.

Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Jumbo
Resene Half Jumbo
December 2017

Q. We are a childcare centre in an old building and are trying to freshen it up. One area has Resene New Orleans mainly with one wall of Resene Tory Blue. Other areas are Resene Tory Blue, Resene Lima and Resene Fire Bush. We want to keep Resene Lima and Resene Tory Blue.

A. You could try Resene Half Pearl Lusta (to take the place of Resene New Orleans) and Resene Candy Floss (to take the place of Resene Firebush).

The Resene Half Pearl Lusta being a clean bright neutral would enhance the bright colours.

Resene New Orleans
Resene New Orleans
Resene Tory Blue
Resene Tory Blue
Resene Lima
Resene Lima
Resene Fire Bush
Resene Fire Bush
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Candy Floss
Resene Candy Floss
   
December 2017

Q. I have used Monument for our roof, Resene Tea for the eaves, Resene Mondo for back of house and am considering Resene Stonehenge for the front of the house. Would this look ok?

A. If you are asking whether Resene Stonehenge would look good with Resene Tea, Resene Mondo and Monument on the roof then the answer is yes. It will look very modern. The garage doors could be the same colour as the roof.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
January 2018

Q. We are doing a new build (small beach house) and are intending for it to be all white but I am having difficulty in finding compatible whites. I think the roof will be COLORSTEEL® Cloud and the aluminium joinery and garage door Matt Appliance White (unless you can recommend a better option). What colour white would you suggest for the weatherboards?

A. You might consider one of these whites to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Merino or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Or the Resene version of COLORSTEEL® Cloud – called Resene Helium, or a Resene version of Appliance White (which can be requested at Resene ColorShops and resellers).

The roof colour may look much brighter/whiter depending on the angle of the roof to the sun - this is true of all colours on an exterior - they are very much lightened by strong sunlight. This may be something to bear in mind - you may prefer your main house colour to be a slightly deeper tint of the ones I have mentioned so that you get less glare.

Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Helium
Resene Helium
January 2018

Q. I recently painted my Summerhill stone (brick) house, but need some help picking colour for the brick sills. The brick is painted Resene Quarter Napa, the soffit/fascia is Resene Sea Fog, the roof is Karaka, and the aluminium windows are a bronzy colour.

A. One of the following colours may appeal to you – Resene Karaka (same as the roof colour), Resene Triple Napa (deeper version of the house colour but not as dark as the windows), Resene Double Mondo (similar to the window colour but softer toned), Resene Triple Stonehenge (darker but similar to the windows) or Resene Eternity (darker than the roof colour).

Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Triple Napa
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Double Mondo
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Eternity
Resene Eternity
 
January 2018

Q. I'm wanting to repaint my walls in the open plan dining, family, kitchen. My kitchen is a vivid blue close to Resene Portage and the benchtop is a chocolate brown granite with subtle blue flecks in it. What crisp white colour would best go with this blue-brown combination? The ceiling is Resene Alabaster. I tried Resene Double Sea Fog based on a recommendation, but it looks too grey so now I don't trust my instinct or advisors. There are lots of windows in the room with a distant sea view. I want a fresh look that is modern but not stark.

A. I am inclined to agree with you in regard Resene Double Sea Fog looking too grey. It might be good in some situations but perhaps not in yours.
The choice of a new wall colour may be compromised by the colour of the cabinets, both of the granites bench top and table) and the floor.

It can be tricky testing colours when the existing colours are a very definite hue - this can influence how you see the tested sample. If you are testing colours I always recommend that they be painted on to large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) so you can move it from wall to wall to see how natural and artificial light alter how it is seen. If you leave a narrow unpainted white card border all around the edge of the card it helps your eye to focus on the reality and depth of the colour.

If you like the whiter types of colours then you could check out these ones to see if they appeal to you and work with the existing elements in the room - i.e. flooring, cabinets and both granites – Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Bianca, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Portage
Resene Portage
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
 
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
January 2018

Q. We are trying to decide on exterior paint colours. I wanted dark colours so the house recedes - it is not a pretty house by any stretch of the imagination. We are limited by the brown windows; however our builder has put surrounds and sills around the doors and windows to give it some contrast. We are not thinking of doing the Shadowclad® a different colour.

We have had new garage doors put in - they are New Denim Blue and I was planning to paint the roof the same colour.

We intend leaving the wooden decks/balusters to weather/silver over time. There is brown fencing around the back of the house. At this stage our thoughts are: roof – Resene New Denim Blue, weatherboards – Resene Half New Denim Blue, window trim and barge boards – Resene Cloudy and under the eaves/soffit – Resene White Pointer. I would appreciate your thoughts and advice as I really don't want to get this wrong - the house is quite ugly and really needs a lift!

A. You are right in your decision to paint the roof to match the new garage doors. I like your colour choices - they are smart and well thought through. However before you start the painting might I suggest you check out Resene Quarter Sandstone for the window trim and barge boards. All colours on an exterior can look lighter than you will think due to bright natural light. I am worried that the Resene Cloudy will look paler - more like Resene Cloud - which will draw more attention to the dark brown joinery - not less.

The manufacturer’s recommendation for painting Shadowclad® is that it be painted in a light reflecting colour to stop the surface from `checking' which happens with darker colours - are you aware of this recommendation? The window trim colour (the one I suggested) or the Resene Cloudy (the one you are keen on) is light enough to comply with the recommendation for Shadowclad®.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
January 2018

Q. We are painting novices and we have a 1930s classic weatherboard villa. It needs a complete paint job to the windows, boards and front door/back door. We have replaced the roof with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars and have a blank canvas for the rest. We like the creams and light greys.

A. Because Grey Friars can reflect in bright sunlight a steel blue undertone I am inclined to think a grey may also need to reflect this kind of undertone. The following are some creamy colours coupled with interesting greys.

Option 1 try Resene Villa White (main) with Resene Quarter White Pointer (trims) and Resene Half Tuna (contrast), or option 2, try Resene Spanish White (main) with Resene Quarter Spanish White (trims) and Resene Double Cod Grey (contrast), or option 3, try Resene Thorndon Cream (main) with Resene Half Rice Cake (trims) and Resene Triple Rice Cake (contrast).

Or a reversal - grey main colour/cream trims, using Resene Grey Chateau (main) with Resene Half Rice Cake (trims) and Resene Triple Rice Cake (contrast).

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
January 2018

Q. I am trying to pick a colour for the exterior of my house. I want a fresh crisp grey and white beachy look. The colours now are cream with blue and green trim. I trialled a wall with Resene Half Grey Chateau which is nice and I kind of liked it but am not sure if it will work for the whole house. Might be too dark and military looking and not fresh enough. I was also thinking about doing something different like a salmony coloured front door.

A. For the roof you might consider one of these colours – Resene High Tide, Resene New Denim Blue or Resene Grey Friars.

For the main colour on the house these greys are worth checking out – Resene Quarter Grey Chateau, Resene Iron or Resene Half Surrender.

Something for you to take on board is the fact that all colours on an exterior can look much lighter and brighter due to natural sunlight stripping back the depth. You would be wise to use real white - Resene White - for the trim work on the house if you want a crisp clean contrast. A tinted white (even one that appears to be hardly coloured at all) may blend into the main house colour and look indistinguishable at certain times of the day.

It may take a while to find the perfect salmony coloured front door colour but these are worth looking at – Resene Sakura, Resene Birthday Suit or Resene Wax Flower.

Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene White
Resene White
 
Resene Sakura
Resene Sakura
Resene Birthday Suit
Resene Birthday Suit
Resene Wax Flower
Resene Wax Flower
 
January 2018

Q. If I have Resene Concrete on walls and white ceilings what colour would work for the door and window sills?

A. I think you have three options – Resene White like the ceilings - this will enhance the grey on the walls but make the look very airy and bright. Or Resene Concrete like on the walls - this will merge/blend in the doors and sills and the only difference will be the sheen of the enamel paint on the doors and sills compared to the more matt look of the walls. Or Resene Double Concrete - a slightly deeper variant of the wall colour. This will emphasise the doors and the sills but be a tonally co-ordinated look.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
January 2018

Q. I want a warm blue colour that is versatile and can be used on ceiling and walls. Something like Resene Tasman... quite light.

A. Light colours that are similar to Resene Tasman might be the following ones – Resene Harp, Resene Zumthor, Resene Swans Down, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Gull Grey or Resene Midwinter Mist.

Resene Tasman
Resene Tasman
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Swans Down
Resene Swans Down
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Midwinter Mist
Resene Midwinter Mist
 
January 2018

Q. We are looking for a colour for our master bedroom. We have used Resene Sea Fog in the hall and the doors are Resene Eighth Friar Grey. We like the blue green tones, duck egg is ok.

A. There are some really lovely blue/green and duck egg colours. The following are some that you might check out to see if they appeal to you and - most importantly - suit the master bedroom – Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Gull Grey, Resene Nebula, Resene Half Opal, Resene Ashanti, Resene Tiara or Resene Half Dusted Blue.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
January 2018

Q. We have an American designed home built in the 1980s, which suits Hampton and Cape Cod style. I would like some help on colour schemes for our ‘adult/living’ areas through the formal lounge, relaxed lounge, kitchen, dining and master bedroom/ensuite.

Downstairs, we have pale terracotta tiles in a formal lounge with a really lovely feel to it which I want to retain. The lounge has a vintage shabby chic feel to it - suite is a pale mint green and the curtains are floral with green and a pale apricot colour (which I hate but like the colours of).

I would like to choose a neutral colour we can use on the walls throughout the downstairs with both the tiles and the vintage shabby chic lounge and would also like some suggestions for what we should use on the doors (which are currently timber coloured but we want to change them), trim and ceilings.

We have made a bit of a start with some testpots and really like Resene Linen (and quite like Resene Titania) and Resene Half Thorndon Cream together. We felt the Resene Quarter Tea had a bit of a muddy tinge to it, Resene Blanc was a bit pinky and Resene Sea Fog and Resene Half Sea Fog a bit grey and Resene Parchment looked yellowy. Also considering Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Sisal.

A. You seem to be quite advanced in your colour considerations. As you have already got coloured elements that you have to work with - i.e. tiled floors, suite, drapes etc - it is all about finding a neutral that works with what you have.

Colours in an interior can appear deeper/more coloured when all four walls are painted - this often doubles their depth so sometimes you need a lighter version of a colour that you have found appeals to you. Or do you want a deeper wall colour?

If you thought the Resene Parchment was too yellow you might also find that Resene Sisal is too yellow also - it is a much yellower palette of colour than the Resene Parchment palette.

Resene Half White Pointer is similar to Resene Half Thorndon Cream but it has less yellow/green undertone and has more of a muted/greyed undertone by comparison. If you like Resene Titania you might also like Resene Half Titania, Resene Merino and Resene Half Ecru White.

It is all about testing colour in an appropriate way so you see enough of it to judge what it is like in reality. I always recommend that you paint all of the testpot onto large white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). Don't paint to the edges of the card - leave a narrow unpainted border all around the edge of the card. The white card border allows you to judge the depth of the colour and acts as barrier between the existing wall colour and the tested paint sample so there is no negative reaction between them. The card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so you can see how the colour changes on each angle and as the light alters. And it does - often to a surprising amount. The other thing that you can do is roll the card into a tube with the colour innermost. Looking into the tube shows the colour deeper (or brighter} and this is a good indicator of what a whole room of colour will look like.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
   
January 2018

Q. I want to paint lounge walls in a lavender. I have rich cream curtains and dirt brown carpet and a dark brown leather suite. What colour would you suggest?

A. Your request for a lavender colour is tricky - you may need to try quite a few before you find one that looks harmonious with the cream and the browns you have in the lounge. Sometimes it isn't enough that you like a colour - they must all like each other.

Perhaps you could start your search by checking out these colours – Resene Essence, Resene Abbey Road, Resene Poet, Resene Heartbreaker, Resene Alaska and Resene Wistful.

The last three have more blue undertones whereas the first three have more mauve undertones - they are all referred to as lavender types of colours.

Resene Essence
Resene Essence
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Abbey Road
Resene Poet
Resene Poet
Resene Heartbreaker
Resene Heartbreaker
Resene Alaska
Resene Alaska
Resene Wistful
Resene Wistful
January 2018

Q. We have a small 1890s cottage with timber floors which has average to low light levels throughout. We are trying to choose between Resene Black White and Resene Half Merino for the walls - what would you suggest? What would you suggest for the trims and ceilings with either of these colours?

A. Resene Half Merino is lighter/brighter and warmer in tone than Resene Black White. Resene Black White has a shadow of grey in it so in areas that aren't blessed with very bright all day sun the colour may look both cool and greyer than you might imagine it will do. Do you want a subtle grey look in the rooms?

If you want to emphasise both the amount of light in the rooms and the wall colour then you might use Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White for all the trims and ceilings.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
January 2018

Q. Can you suggest some colours for our joinery and front door? The exterior is Resene Triple Concrete and the roof is blue. We also want to paint the interior doors a darker colour so that marks don't show up so easily. The lounge walls are in Resene Half Tea and bedrooms are in Resene Geyser with Resene Quarter Spanish White trims.

A. For the exterior you might consider one of these colours for the window joinery to make a crisp contrast with the Resene Triple Concrete – Resene Alabaster or for a warmer white – Resene Half Sea Fog.

The front door colour is often a bit of a statement colour - something that really appeals to you personally - but if you don't have any particular colours that appeal to you then you might check out the following suggestions – Resene True Blue, Resene Trouble or Resene Colonial White.

The interior doors could be a soft grey that may work with both Resene Geyser and Resene Half Tea. Perhaps this one might suit you – Resene Quarter Regent Grey.

Or you could use the same colour as the wall colour in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel (enamels are easy to clean fingermarks off) or the same colour as the trims - Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
   
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Colonial White
Resene Colonial White
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
January 2018

Q. My roof is olive green. The siding is a brownish colour. What colour would go with the roof? I'm thinking of a white.

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and work well with the roof colour – Resene Half Cararra, Resene House White, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Ecru White.

They are all quite different from each other in their undertones of unique colour but may appear very 'white' by comparison with what is on the house exterior now. If you liked one colour in particular but felt it may look too white then the suggested colours are all available as deeper toned variants which you might also look at.

Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Ecru White
Resene Quarter Ecru White
January 2018

Q. We have a new COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey roof and are wanting to repaint the exterior of our 1910s villa. I have Resene Alabaster as the trim on the windows and Resene Shark (gloss) for the front door. I'm wanting a nice grey colour for the weatherboards (nothing too dark) and maybe a darker highlight for the windows. I had been looking at Resene Surrender with Resene Stack as the highlight but am not sure if I am on the right track.

A. Resene Surrender is a beautiful soft grey for weatherboards and definitely works with your roof and front door colours. Resene Stack would be too dark for the weatherboards but is perfect as a highlight colour for either the sills or facing boards all the way around the window. If you have any other detail on the house, that would also look great in the Resene Stack. The two colours come from the same type of blue-grey family range so work well together.

You have created a great colour scheme, I don’t see any reason to change. From here I would either pop into a Resene ColorShop and ask to see A4 sizes of each of those colours in their colour library or grab a testpot of each and try at home before buying bulk paint.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
January 2018

Q. I am painting the second storey of a rough-sawn ply clad upper and concrete block lower floor. I have Resene Quarter Joss for the ply upper, Resene Groundbreaker for trim on the ply (possibly too dark) and want a complementary colour for the block lower walls. I think we would like the lower walls to be lighter coloured to help float the building a bit. We also already have many greys inside and wonder if you can think of a complimentary lighter greyish shade for the block. We also have Resene Groundbreaker on the deck and Resene Quarter Joss on the end gable. I am stuck with a bad grey on the windows and am very limited. I also have a yellow wall I would like to change to something else.

A. I believe the best thing to do when looking at a lighter grey for the concrete block is to pick one that has an element of warmth to it. The colours I’ve recommended below have small amounts of warmer undertone (brown) which blends with the Resene Quarter Joss and Resene Groundbreaker, giving you a cohesive look. If you weren’t worried about having a lighter bottom, my recommendation would be different – I’d probably aim to give you a mid tone grey to balance out the depth difference between railings and ply.

Here are the light grey options: Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Half Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Delta.

For the yellow wall I think a deep colour would look great – something like Resene Casal, Resene Coast or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

Resene ColorShops stock colour library folders with A4 sizes of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a Resene testpot or paint.

Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Groundbreaker
Resene Groundbreaker
 
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Casal
Resene Casal
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
January 2018

Q. I want to paint my master bedroom in a soft relaxing green/grey tone and would love some advice please. It is a northwest facing bedroom in a 100 year old villa with a 3 metre high white ceiling and plenty of light.

A. With a higher stud and plenty of light, you can afford a slightly deeper colour for the walls. When dealing with grey colours there are two different types of colours to choose from: Greys from the natural palette – these tend to be earthier and typically have some brown undertone to them. Then there are pure colours that have some grey tone added, these tend to be cleaner and softer.

Some colours you could try: Resene Pumice, Resene Haven, Resene Rainee or Resene Robin Egg Blue. Or for neutrals – Resene Quarter Lemon Grass, Resene Tana or Resene Terrain.

Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Haven
Resene Haven
Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Terrain
Resene Terrain
 
January 2018

Q. We are renovating a bathroom. We have a small amount of tile above the bath edge and the sink and then the plan was to split the room with a tongue and groove lower and straight coloured upper. We are exploring colour combinations for the T&G and upper. The floor is a grey. There is a small amount of blue tiles. We want to contrast the blue not try and match.

A. If you did the upper wall and ceiling the same colour it may be a simple solution which would emphasise both the tile and the colour on the T&G. Had you thought of doing that? Some whites for you to consider – Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White.

The T&G lower walls could be a more definite colour - perhaps a soft warm stone grey like Resene Quarter Stonehenge or a warm charcoal like Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or a deep teal based charcoal - Resene Dark Knight.

Alternatively you could use the same colour as the upper wall and ceiling but in a different sheen - i.e. Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss enamel for the T&G and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for the upper wall and ceiling. It is an interesting way to use the same colour paint but because of the sheen difference it has an eye catching elegance.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
January 2018

Q. I have just painted my hallway in Resene Eighth Pavlova and I have Resene Pavlova in the family room and lounge. A friend suggested I paint my doors Resene Alabaster to make them pop (not the frames). I am not sure if this looks good. Would it be better to repaint doors a different colour or maybe painting the frames would make it look better? My home has a rustic look (Tuscan).

A. Resene Alabaster may be a bit stark. In a hallway there are often quite a few doors and my main worry is that the doors will look like little soldiers all standing to attention - if that is what you mean by 'popping' then they may attract a little too much attention.

If the skirting boards, door frames and doors were painted in a soft warm toned white that was lighter than the walls [but not too stark] it may look a bit better.

Perhaps one of these colours might be appealing – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
January 2018

Q. What colour would best go with COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars roof and garage doors and rustic oak stain on all the wood above the windows and gable ends and fences?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Spanish White, Resene Biscotti, Resene Half Akaroa or Resene Sandspit Brown.

Alternatively if you were wanting a deeper colour - related to the roof - you might consider Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
January 2018

Q. I want to style my lounge and entranceway with some subtle pops of orange and teal blue - do these colours go together? And if so, which Resene colours do you recommend? The rest of my colour scheme is Resene Half White Pointer on the walls, Resene Alabaster trims, white, cream and brown in the curtains and couch. Then we have rimu flooring.

A. I think it depends upon which particular types of orange and teal you favour and how they look in association with Resene Half White Pointer and what form these 'pops' of colour will take - i.e. accessories, artwork, cushions and throw rugs, drapes or blinds, wallpaper or painted feature walls.

Some colours to try to get you started:
· Brighter colours – Resene She’ll Be Right and Resene Adrenalin.
· Deeper colours – Resene Retro and Resene Clockwork Orange.
· Muted colours – Resene Retreat and Resene Japonica.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene Adrenalin
Resene Adrenalin
Resene Retro
Resene Retro
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Retreat
Resene Retreat
Resene Japonica
Resene Japonica
January 2018

Q. We have painted our house shades of Resene Thorndon Cream. I want an impact colour in that entry. Can you give me a few ideas of a bold or vibrant colour that might work well?

A. Some bold colours to try – Resene Seaweed, Resene Wishing Well or Resene Trouble. Or some vibrant colours to try – Resene Green Leaf, Resene Sea Green or Resene Jalapeno.

Some muted but interesting colours you could try – Resene Whirlwind, Resene Crail or Resene Undercover. Colours in an interior can often look deeper or brighter (sometimes as much as double their intensity) so it does pay to carefully test them to ensure you know what a larger amount of the colour will look like.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Green Leaf
Resene Green Leaf
Resene Sea Green
Resene Sea Green
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
 
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Crail
Resene Crail
Resene Undercover
Resene Undercover
 
January 2018

Q. We are painting the exterior of our house. It is an older weatherboard house with brown aluminium joinery and we are after some colour ideas. We like the idea of possible grey colours but are open to any colour combo ideas. We would like to do the boards at the bottom a contrasting colour as well as around the windows.

A. I’ve put together three different colour schemes for you to consider.

Option 1 – Resene Quarter Atmosphere (main) with Resene Half Gunsmoke (windows/foundations).
Option 2 – Resene Duck Egg Blue (main) with Resene Timekeeper (windows/foundation).
Option 3 – Resene Thorndon Cream (main) with Resene Dusted Blue (windows/foundation).

Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
January 2018

Q. Our front door/window is painted in Resene Woodstock, and I chose Resene Pale Leaf for the interior walls, thinking it would be a lighter complementary colour. But now that I have finished, the Resene Pale Leaf looks bluish next to Resene Woodstock... I guess I stuffed up. I don't want to repaint all the walls, so I am thinking the best option is to re-do the front door, but I want to make sure I get a matching colour this time. Can you please advise whether Resene Amulet, Resene Highland or Resene Norway would be a suitable match to Resene Pale Leaf, or if not, could you suggest something else?

Looking at the colour palettes, Resene Pale Leaf and Resene Woodstock still look okay to me, but the Resene Pale Leaf on the walls looks closer to Resene Surf Crest or Resene Ottoman.

A. Colours can be very tricky.

There is a lot of bright yellow undertone in Resene Woodstock and nowhere near as much of that influence in Resene Pale Leaf which appears cooler - or slightly bluish as your eye sees it.

Resene Norway may be too light to act as a contrast and Resene Amulet may make the Resene Pale Leaf look yellowish (and colours will always look lighter/brighter in bright sunlight) so I think you might be better off looking at either Resene Highland or Resene Glade Green.

Take the time to test the colours very carefully. If you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto large white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card. The unpainted border helps you see the true depth of the tested colour compared to white. It also acts as a barrier to stop another colour from unduly influencing how you see the sample colour.

The large card can be taped to the front door (and then moved to the Resene Pale Leaf wall inside) and you will see enough to really judge the colour and see how it works with Resene Pale Leaf. The tested samples will alter at different times of the day under natural light and at night under artificial light. You need to see this so there are no surprises for you.

Resene Woodstock
Resene Woodstock
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Pale Leaf
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Surf Crest
Resene Ottoman
Resene Ottoman
Resene Amulet
Resene Amulet
Resene Highland
Resene Highland
Resene Norway
Resene Norway
Resene Glade Green
Resene Glade Green
January 2018

Q. I am looking for variations on your colour Resene Timekeeper. Can you suggest alternatives that are a bit lighter from your blue and green palettes?

A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Pewter, Resene Thor, Resene Destiny, Resene Undercover, Resene Streetwise or Resene Emerge.

Resene Timekeeper
Resene Timekeeper
Resene Pewter
Resene Pewter
Resene Thor
Resene Thor
Resene Destiny
Resene Destiny
Resene Undercover
Resene Undercover
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
 
January 2018

Q. I have a small bedroom/study that I have decided that the main colour will be Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous. I would like a contrast colour a little like Resene Bliss but maybe a little darker. What do you suggest?

A. Colours inside bounce off each other and appear darker / brighter once in a room, so the Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous will end up more like a hot pink on the walls. Due to the brightness of this colour, I would pair it with something deeper and muted like the Resene Tempt or Resene Lipstick. Both of these colours have the same undertone to the pink, that raspberry kind of colour as opposed to the orange look of the Resene Bliss.

Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous
Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous
Resene Bliss
Resene Bliss
Resene Tempt
Resene Tempt
Resene Lipstick
Resene Lipstick
January 2018

Q. We are looking to paint our holiday house. The roof and guttering have recently been redone and are COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. The aluminium windows are a reddish brown colour. We are looking for something that would suit the surrounding bush and coast. It’s a damp area also so we’re also looking for something that won’t show up grass stains or a little bit of mould.

A. Here are some colours you may want to look at for the main cladding colour: Resene Templestone, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Quarter Stonewall, Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Inside Back.

While viewing these colours I have been using Resene Mighty as your window colour and this could work quite well as a fresh coat of paint on the barge and fascia to tie the windows into something else on the house.

Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Inside Back
Resene Inside Back
Resene Mighty
Resene Mighty
January 2018

Q. What colour should I choose for the exterior of my house and the windowsills? The roof and window frames are COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars.

A. Without indicating your preference for warmer or cooler types of colours, I have given you a range of colour options to consider: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Sisal, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Half Tea, Resene Ash, Resene Half Lemon Grass or Resene Foggy Grey.

I suggest you pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask the staff to show you larger sizes of each of these colours, along with a sample of the Grey Friars so you can see what they look like together. All of these colours have lighter and darker ‘family’ members you may prefer, however colours do tend to look about half a shade lighter once they are outside in the sunlight, so keep that in mind when deciding. It’s best to get a couple of your favourite colours in testpots and try at home to ensure you’ve made the right decision.

Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
January 2018

Q. I am planning to paint the interior of our new home with Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster but do not know what the best ceiling or trim colour would be. I do want there to be a whiter trim. Also we have a wide coving and should the paint from the ceiling cover the coving or the wall paint cover the coving?

A. You will need to use Resene Double Alabaster for the walls and pure Resene White for your trim and ceilings in order to see any type of contrast. I suggest you use the Resene White for the ceiling and scotia, that way you’re getting the most amount of white to contrast with your walls. Using your wall colour on the scotia will elongate your wall but you will not see a difference between colours.

Be sure to tell your painter that you would like pure white (and why), otherwise they may tint it slightly and you’ll end up with similar colours for all areas of your house.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White

January 2018


Q. We have renovated and replaced exterior plaster with weatherboards - painted in Resene Half Nocturnal, roof and flashings/down pipes in FlaxPod and all joinery and box corners in Arctic White. We would like a vibrant orange front door. Would you please make some suggestions of an orange that would match (we won’t be having Arctic White trim around door - that will be FlaxPod)?

A. You might check out these oranges to see if they appeal to you – Resene Vesuvius, Resene Rock Spray, Resene Rose Of Sharon or Resene Ecstasy.

Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Half Nocturnal
Resene Vesuvius
Resene Vesuvius
Resene Rock Spray
Resene Rock Spray
Resene Rose Of Sharon
Resene Rose Of Sharon
Resene Ecstasy
Resene Ecstasy
January 2018

Q. We have two small bedrooms, on the south side of the house. Each room has rimu skirting and doors. It is a modern house with high ceilings but small windows. I want to bring some warmth and lightness into these rooms. I tried Resene Villa White but it still wasn't warm enough.

A. South facing rooms often have a quality of natural light that is sour or grim and a little bit cold. Warm colours of any kind need to be carefully tested to ensure they don't change because of that aspect. Resene Villa White has a sharp undertone that may look less warm and sourer.

One of these colours may work better for you - Resene Double Bianca, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Quarter Solitaire.

If they don't work - and you will need to test them to see how they respond - you may need to use a denser type of colour to achieve the warmth you are seeking - perhaps one of these ones - Resene Nougat, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay or Resene Eighth Drought.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Nougat
Resene Nougat
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
 
January 2018

Q. I'm trying to understand all the different colour schemes that are on your website like achromatic, monochromatic etc. I understand what they all are, however it’s the trying to understand the codes on the colours that I'm having trouble with the most.

If I want to put together a monochromatic colour scheme using blue as my colour, how do I know by reading the codes, what shades and tints I can use to go with that blue?

Do they all have to start with B at the beginning?

Or if I'm using an achromatic colour scheme, how do I know if some of the whites/ blacks or greys have another colour added to them?

I looked at your examples in your booklet and one of the examples has Blackout as BR25-010-052 and Zulu N70-007-327 and Archive Grey N70-007-100. So the first colour has brown and the next two are neutral base colours? If one is a brown base colour, then isn't that adding in a colour? Does this then no longer make it achromatic?

A. It often makes a lot of sense to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the real painted A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. You can see a lot more of the colour, which makes it easier to see the unique undertones of colour (and the brightness or depth) of each colour. You mention greys in particular - and achromatic palette of colours. This type of palette depends upon a whiter grey, a pale grey, a mid-toned or deeper grey and a blacker colour. Personally I have used unrelated whites, greys and blacks but it is easier to achieve a balance and co-ordination if the colours come from a related palette. If you were to follow through by checking out these colours, which are a good example of an achromatic palette, it might make it easier for you to understand. And it is tricky and unless you have an academic interest in the colour coding, the toned bases that colours are made into and the various colourant that are used to create each hue to make particular colours which can require someone of a technical bent to understand. All greys are 'coloured’. The following colours are all on a colour chart that presents colours as graduated tints tones and shades - it is called the Resene BS5252 Colour Range.

Resene Quill Grey, Resene Silver Sand, Resene Mountain Mist, Resene Jumbo, Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Ship Grey and Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Silver Sand
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Jumbo
Resene Jumbo
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Ship Grey
Resene Ship Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
 
January 2018

Q. Can you please advise me on a COLORSTEEL® colour for a new roof for my house? My house is painted Resene Lemon Grass. The exterior is brick, not smooth brick but more like Summerhill Stone, which is textured. The windows are an old silver colour. The wide soffits are Resene Half Spanish White and the trim above the windows is Resene Tapa, as is the front door. The house is quite a plain design from the 1970s. There are a lot of faded terracotta cobbles around the house, including the driveway, paths and raised terraces. The house sits on a large section with lots of green garden. There is a Wisteria covered pergola joining the house to the garage, which is painted Resene Kilamanjaro. The garage is separate from the house and its roof is faded Lignite, this won’t be changed. I don’t think it will matter if the house roof is not the same as the garage but I am not 100% sure. The house roof is currently old Decramastic tiles.

A. You could have Ironsand or Karaka or TernStyle for a new COLORSTEEL® roof colour. Or the default choice would be Lignite like the garage roof.

Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Kilamanjaro
Resene Kilamanjaro
January 2018

Q. We have a rental property and we want to paint the interior one colour throughout the house. The front of the house, which has the lounge/dining rooms, gets full sun. The bedrooms and bathroom are at the rear of the house and have large windows on one wall that are southeast facing. There is a hallway connecting the bedrooms, which only has natural light that comes from the bedrooms and bathroom windows. There is beige carpet throughout the house and we are considering using Resene Villa White on all the walls. What are your thoughts on this and any ideas for the ceiling colour?

A. Resene Villa White is a good colour choice if a light/bright/yellowish neutral is what you want to use. For ceilings and any painted woodwork you might use Resene Quarter Villa White for a tonal, co-ordinated look. Or a crisper white like Resene Alabaster.

Another light neutral worth considering is Resene Sea Fog. It is a lot less yellow and more flexible as a main colour. It looks charming when used with Resene Alabaster - this white is also known as Resene Eighth Sea Fog.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
January 2018

Q. Is Resene Tall Poppy an orange or red?

A. Resene Tall Poppy has a yellow undertone, which warms the red up. It is red, not orange but if you are unsure what it truly looks like, then might I suggest that you compare it to several other reds so that you get a better idea of what it is like?

Compare it to Resene Raspberry (this has a bluer undertone), Resene Monza (this has a clear purity to it) and Resene Whizz Bang (this is more of an orange/red).

I described Resene Tall Poppy when it was first released, as an ambiguous red - so it is changeable - if it was painted on a west facing area that receives late afternoon sunlight, the yellow undertone in the colour may well make it seem more orange/red.

Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Raspberry
Resene Raspberry
Resene Monza
Resene Monza
Resene Whizz Bang
Resene Whizz Bang
January 2018

Q. I want to paint three of my bedroom walls in Resene Half Tapa and would like the fourth to be a feature wall in a bold, rich red or metallic. What colours would you suggest?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Jalapeno, Resene Salsa, or Resene Pohutukawa. Metallics to consider might be one of these colours – Resene Blast Grey, Resene Basalt or Resene Copper Fire

Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
 
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 1
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Blast Grey 2
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Basalt
Resene Basalt
Resene Copper Fire
Resene Copper Fire
January 2018

Q. We have recently bought a 1910 villa in a character area of Napier. We want some ideas for painting the exterior of the house. The house has had all its windows replaced with dark brown aluminium windows and presently has dark green trim. There are a lot of dark green fences around it, so we would like to tie the dark green in somewhere. We are keeping the inside neutral. We will be keeping the roof the same colour.

A. Because of the existing colours on the house and the fences you are somewhat compromised in regard choosing new colours.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you and work well with the existing colours - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Napa, Resene Half Lemon Grass, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Merino or Resene Quarter Stonewall.

Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Quarter Stonewall
January 2018

Q. We have a classic 1950s bach in the Marlborough Sounds. We are about to re-roof and re-clad it. We want to maintain the essence of the bach and era, while complementing the bush and water surroundings. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of COLORSTEEL® Lichen for the roof and Resene Cloud Burst for exterior cladding but I have concerns about it being too dark, and Titania for the cream joinery.

I am open to any inspiration, as apart from the joinery we are an open book.

A. I like the idea of Titania for the joinery. I’m not so sure about Lichen, especially if you were intent on using Resene Cloud Burst. Lichen is a yellow/brown colour and may not look super with the much bluer Resene Cloud Burst.

Perhaps you could check out these colours – COLORSTEEL® BasaltBase for the roof and garage door and Resene Quarter New Denim Blue for the cladding or reversing the colours – COLORSTEEL® Indigo Blue for the roof and the garage door and Resene Double Truffle for the cladding or COLORSTEEL® Bone White for the roof and garage door and Resene Explorer for the cladding

Just in case you are having metal corrugated cladding on the house (instead of some other type of cladding) and want to stay with existing available COLORSTEEL® colours for the main body of the house, you might look at COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue and COLORSTEEL® Lichen - they seem to co-ordinate well with each other.

Resene Cloud Burst
Resene Cloud Burst
Resene Quarter New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter
New Denim Blue
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
January 2018

Q. We are painting our exterior and I want a gloss finish and a reasonably dark grey with an even darker base. Is there any reason why I should not go darker? The advice I have had so far is that the darker colours attract the sun more and the paint peels faster.

A. If you have a timber clad house – weatherboard/plywood/cedar etc, it is not advised to paint using a colour with an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) lower than 50%. LRV is essentially how much light a colour retains or reflects – so a dark colour is 0% - i.e. Black, and White reflects 100% of the light out.

When a dark colour is painted onto an unstable substrate such as timber, the heat it retains will cause the substrate to warp, move, shrink, expand etc. This in turn causes the coating to bubble, flake, blister etc. So the safest thing to do is to not paint your timber house a dark colour, however the choice is entirely yours. If you do want a dark colour, we suggest you strip the coating off entirely and start from bare timber. This ensures the existing coating will not fail and cause the new paint to bubble.

If you don’t have a timber house, then yes, you can have a dark colour. If you have a concrete house, you could even have black.

January 2018

Q. I’m trying to decide on a colour for my kitchen cupboards in a small area. A friend suggested Resene Pearl Lusta but I’m wondering if it’s too light a colour?

A. If you want a nice warm off-white then Resene Pearl Lusta is great. I would personally paint in two different colours. Use a white (perhaps Resene Pearl Lusta) for the lower cabinets and an accent colour for the uppers. I’d also paint the door and unit in the same colour, not picking the doors out. This will give you a more modern look. Try a warm charcoal, deep red or teal – something a bit fun and a colour you really love.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
January 2018

Q. We are renovating my parents two bedroom home that has a flat ceiling, with exposed beams painted white in the lounge. Mum is after a soft grey. We tried Resene Surrender but it is too dark and has a blue look to it. Can you recommend a lighter grey? The house is filled with light.

A. I recommend Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. I’ve just recommended it for my parents’ place and it looks amazing. They have white beams in an open plan living/dining and white ceilings/trim etc and the Resene Quarter Foggy Grey is so soft and beautiful.

Other suggestions would be: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Atmosphere and Resene Quarter Truffle.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
January 2018

Q. We have a small holiday home we are now looking at extending. The external cladding is Sea Foam with the roof and all joinery in Resene Ironsand. We are extending and changing the cladding to Axon panel. We can’t change the joinery or roof colour so what colours go well with Resene Ironsand for cladding?

A. Resene Ironsand is a brown based charcoal and quite a warm colour so the following are colours that may appeal to you - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Napa, Resene Taupe Grey and Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
 
January 2018

Q. I am planning to change the colour scheme of my bathroom including its small wooden floor. Do you have special paint for bathroom tiles, a vanity and granite counter-top?

A. Generally speaking bathrooms require enamel paint to be applied if you want a tough easily cleaned surface that can tolerate moisture, soap and steam. You can choose from a semi-gloss or a full gloss sheen. You would need to use a etch primer on the tiles and possibly also on the cabinet if is a melamine finish – Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer before topcoating because the paint needs to be bonded to the ceramic surface. I think you may need extra special preparation, special base coats and possibly even a two pot paint if you were considering painting over granite. I suggest you contact the Resene Technical Advice line if you need further advice.

January 2018

Q. We have a plaster house that needs repainting. We have an Ironsand corrugate roof, and the same Ironsand colour on the front door, fascia, and garage. Our joinery is unfortunately Rivergum Beige. Our concreted pool area has concrete in dark sandstone. So we are wanting to paint our house which is currently a beige/light taupe to a grey colour that goes well with the Ironsand and doesn't clash with the surrounding joinery, coloured concrete and pool tiles. We are open to mid to light grey but would prefer it darker.

A. You say unfortunately in regard to Rivergum Beige joinery and I must agree with you - although it is neutral it is still a definite colour that will influence (and compromise) your freedom to choose a new colour for the house.

It may take a bit of effort on your part and a lot of careful testing of colours to find one that suits the joinery and the Ironsand which is a dominant colour on the house.

These may be a good start point - they are warmer greys - Resene Friar Grey, Resene Concord or Resene Triple Truffle.

Deeper colours might be one of these - Resene Mortar or Resene Tundra.

Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Concord
Resene Concord
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Mortar
Resene Mortar
Resene Tundora
Resene Tundora
January 2018

Q. I am painting a rental house that needs a spruce up. It is a smaller two bedroom house that is currently painted a mushroom/beige colour that looks a bit drab and dark to me. I have got some Resene Half Merino paint to brighten it up and get it looking fresh and inviting, but it’s come out looking quite white. I even wondered whether the tint had been added as it looks a bit different to the colour swatch. I do want a bit of colour in there and love the creams. I love Resene Spanish White. I have it on the exterior of my house, so was thinking maybe Resene Quarter Spanish White, but thought it could be a bit too yellow.

I don’t want to use any grey or anything with a bluish tinge as I would like it to be more uplifting.

A. I agree with you in regard greys or colours with undertones of blue in them - these types of colours might be a little too cool and de-motivating if your tenants are feeling low in spirits.

Resene Quarter Spanish White is a warm neutral colour that is very easy to live with. However before you make a decision you might check out Resene Quarter Solitaire which is a similar type of colour to Resene Quarter Spanish White but has a lovely candlelight glow to it.

If you paint the ceiling and all the woodwork in a very crisp white - Resene White - it will enhance the wall colour (whichever one you decide to use) and give the rooms a very clean look.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene White
Resene White
January 2018

Q. We have just renovated our outdoors by adding new fences and decking, and the backyard was excavated with a new retaining wall built next to the fence line as well.

I have gone through your colour tips and could not find something similar because we have a brick exterior wall. By any chance you have any advice that you can propose to us on colour selection for all below areas:-
1. Front fence
2. Side and rear fence
3. Skirting under the front deck
4. Right gate access to the backyard
5. Rear retaining wall

A. I think you might consider painting the gates and tops of the front fence posts to match the deck balustrades/post which is Resene Alabaster - it would be a good thing to do.

If the base of the deck was the same colour as the front fence - Colour #1 - and the side and rear fences and the rear retaining wall were Colour #2 it would look smart but not too fussy.

You could use the colour of the shutters for the front fence, and the colour of the barge boards and fascias for the side and rear fences and the rear retaining wall. This way the house and fences all relate to each other.

If you are planning on changing the colours on the house then you might consider the following colours:

Gables, base of deck and front fence - Resene Double Lemon Grass, guttering, fascias, shutters and side and rear fences and retaining walls - Resene Half Gravel.
Or gables, base of deck and front fence - Resene Jurassic, and guttering, fascias and side and rear fences and retaining walls - Resene Woodsmoke.
Or gables, base of deck and front fence - Resene Scarpa Flow and guttering, fascias and side and rear fences and retaining walls - Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
 
Resene Jurassic
Resene Jurassic
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
January 2018

Q. I need help in choosing colours for our main house and trim. I would like there to be a contrast. I like Resene Rice Cake and Resene Eighth Rice Cake but the contrast is not enough. I have also looked at Resene Alabaster for the trim and Resene Whiteout and Resene Thorndon Cream for the main.

A. The first thing we need to ascertain is how much contrast you want between the main colour and the trim. If you want something similar to what you have now, then you’ll need to put a bit more colour than Resene Rice Cake on the house. You also need to decide if you want to keep to a warmer palette or something cooler and greyer. The Resene Rice Cake and Resene Thorndon Cream ranges are great because they are like little hybrid colours – both warm and cool.

I would suggest Resene Half Thorndon Cream as a weatherboard colour and Resene Eighth Rice Cake for your trim. You’ll end up with something similar to what you have, just without as much yellow. A ‘dirtier’ version perhaps.

If you would like other options, please let me know which direction you’re headed in and I can provide colours.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
     
January 2018

Q. We are currently building beachfront accommodation. We have picked Ironsand already for the roof and wanted some paint recommendations for the cladding (Shadowclad®). We would like to do the front of them in a timber stain and a solid colour around the sides and back. Perhaps sticking with Ironsand for our joinery/windows and door frames. Our resource consent conditions mean we have to blend into the landscape, being a dark palette with dark browns, greens, greys and black. Our main building onsite is the restaurant, which is painted red and the accommodation will be around the restaurant, partially hidden into the natives.

A. I do think it is a good idea to use Ironsand for the joinery so that it matches the roof colour. Shadowclad® does have some restraints in regard to what depth of colour is recommended. If you do want some independent advice on Shadowclad®, then you might contact BRANZ. The colours I am suggesting are based on that information.

Option #1 - Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain - Iroko for the front and Resene Quarter Mondo for the other walls.

Option #2 - Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain - Limed Gum for the front and Resene Triple Thorndon Cream for the other walls.

Option #3 - Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain - Grey Green for the front and Resene Double Ash for the other walls.

If there is the opportunity to paint the entry doors (if they are wooden) on the units, then you might use a reddish colour to tie into the restaurant colour - Resene Pioneer Red.

Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Quarter Mondo
Resene Limed Gum
Resene Limed Gum
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
 
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
January 2018

Q. We have an Ironsand roof and O’Keefe Grey on our aluminium windows and doors. What colour would look best on our outside walls?

A. These are some colours that may suit with the roof and window joinery colours that you have - Resene Half Sandstone, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Triple Merino.

Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
January 2018

Q. Our 17 year old home's interior paintwork is in need of freshening up. One option is to repaint in the same colours but it would be nice to update the look to a fresh modern look. The main colours are Resene Sisal walls, Resene Malta doors and trim in Resene Blanc or Resene Parchment. The feature walls are in Resene Finn, Resene Piper and Resene Putty. We have the joy of brown and blue terracotta tiles throughout the house. What is a modern fresh interpretation of this sisal based theme, and feature colours that are likely to work in with carpets, curtains etc which were chosen to match the current scheme? Maybe a little lighter would be good.

A. Lighter versions of the Resene Sisal you have now may be the way to go - Resene Half Sisal for the doors and Resene Quarter Sisal for the walls and trims.

These colours are much lighter and are tonally related so the doors, walls and trims will be very harmonious, so the doors and trims will merge more. This new look is soft, light and fresh in ambiance.

If you like your feature wall colours and want to keep them that may be okay, but they will seem either deeper or brighter because of the other colours being much lighter. You may like to leave the choosing of the new feature colours until the last - just in case you decide not to make changes.

If you would like some new options for the feature walls then you could check out these colours - Resene Mulberry, Resene Wishing Well or Resene Rock Spray.

Resene Double Sisal could be used if you wanted a deeper version of the wall colour.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Malta
Resene Malta
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
 
Resene Finn
Resene Finn
Resene Piper
Resene Piper
Resene Putty
Resene Putty
Resene Double Sisal
Resene Double Sisal
 
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Mulberry
Resene Mulberry
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Rock Spray
Resene Rock Spray
January 2018

Q. We are doing up a bathroom in an old villa. We chose the Botanicals wallpaper for the top half above the trim that goes around the walls.

We have painted all trim and windows Resene White. We chose Resene Whiteout for the bottom half (this is anaglypta). All the colours look great, except I did not take into consideration the tile flooring, which stands out more than ever now, and has a slight terracotta tinge to it. Could you suggest a colour from the wallpaper that would blend better with the tiles rather than Resene Whiteout?

A. You might use one of these colours - Resene Sea Fog (a white with a soft undertone), Resene Eighth Lemon Grass (a greyed green a little bit like the leaves in the wallpaper) or Resene Quarter Rice Cake (a slightly yellow edged white to pick up on the flowers).

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
January 2018

Q. Currently our house roof and trim is a dark green. I want to change this to the Resene Element roof colour. The exterior of our house is Resene Tea and white around the windows. Would you keep with this, as a modern but still cottage look or would you change the white to Resene Tea or Resene Element?

A. I would be inclined to stay with the Resene Tea and the Resene White and just use Resene Element in place of the green trims.
Alternatively if you wanted a slightly lighter trim colour, you might use Resene Windswept.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
January 2018

Q. I have a quirky, wee old beach bach, which sits cheekily on top of a rise. It is dearly in need of a makeover. I am looking at loads of colours and am aware of needing to be mindful of LRVs. What LRV number range should I be ideally looking at, to maintain the integrity of the weatherboards, which are going to be replaced?

A. The recommended LRVs are between 100 (White) down to 45 (light/mid toned colours) so you do have plenty of scope for choosing colours. Obviously any pale colour between 80-100% are more beneficial than those from 45-79%.

January 2018

Q. I have just painted the exterior of my house Resene Baltic Sea and was wondering what a good colour to paint my roof would be?

A. A lighter warm toned grey could look really smart - perhaps one of these colours? Try Resene Gauntlet, Resene Mountain Mist, Resene Scarpa Flow, or one of these random 'other' colours - Resene Paddock or Resene Lichen.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
       
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Lichen
Resene Lichen
January 2018

Q. I would like to paint the internal walls of our newly bought house. The house already has paint on its walls (looks ok), and we would like to repaint them in a white colour. Are there any tips for paint choice please? I heard that acrylic paint is a good option, is it so?

A. It does pay to carefully test your colours - yes even whites as they are all coloured a little bit - it is only real white Resene White that doesn't carry undertones of other colour in it. There are a great many colours to choose from, if you can go to a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library books, it may give you some idea of what is available. You still would use some testpots and large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) to paint up options of colours, so that you could see how the colour looked with the flooring, drapes, kitchen cabinets and bench top etc.

Interior walls are usually painted in a matt or low sheen acrylic paint. It is only service rooms - i.e. kitchen, bathroom and laundry and woodwork like doors that require enamel paint.

Resene White
Resene White
January 2018

Q. We live in an old rural villa. We have a new COLORSTEEL® roof in Friars Grey. We have started painting the weatherboards in Resene Iron, with Resene Alabaster window sills. We are wondering if we have chosen enough contrast.

A. On the exterior of a house, bright natural light strips the differences between colours away and lightens everything, so going a little deeper and a little lighter is a good idea.

If you wanted more contrast between the main house colour and the window white, you could look at these colours - Resene Quarter Grey Chateau and Resene Half Grey Chateau. These two are a double and triple version of Resene Iron. Use with Resene Half Alabaster, this is a brighter crisper white.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
January 2018

Q. Our 1980 style HardiPlank® house is currently painted white, with the lower boards painted Resene Karaka. The aluminium window frames are brown. The exterior white part of the house is desperately in need of painting. What colour would go with the Resene Karaka, as this is in good condition and not needing painting. The house has a white picket fence in front; decks are painted brown, with the hand rails white and green.

A. Some of the interesting pale neutrals might be worth checking out - Resene Kangaroo, Resene Half Caraway, Resene Half Tea, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Copyrite.

Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Kangaroo
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
 
January 2018

Q. Could you please give advice on an exterior paint scheme for a weatherboard and stucco house? We would like to move away from white.

A. You might like to check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Caraway, Resene Half Tea, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Copyrite or Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Caraway
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
January 2018

Q. We need some help in choosing a colour scheme for our bathroom in our 1950s house. It is a small, rather dark, south facing bathroom, with deep golden matai floorboards. We are currently renovating the bathroom but also want to honour the era of the house, so we are keeping the original white porcelain basin and two inbuilt wall cupboards in the 1950s style. The bathroom is off the hallway, which is painted Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, so ideally the colour of the bathroom will transition nicely from the hall. We want a warm colour for the bathroom walls given it’s a south-side room, and are leaning towards greens or blues, rather than yellow. At first we thought yellow would be good to give a warm cosy feeling to the room but we have tried several testpots of yellow and none of them have looked right! We want to paint the wall cupboards a different colour from the walls, and would love some advice on good colour combinations for the walls and cupboards. We like colour, but also want to achieve a peaceful feel in our bathroom and a colour scheme that is modern, but still consistent with the mid-century feel of the house.

A. Had you considered using a slightly deeper colour to try and make the south facing bathroom look and feel warmer?

Perhaps one of these ones might be worth checking out - Resene Unwind, Resene Awash, Resene Robins Egg Blue, Resene Yucca or Resene Rainee.

The cupboards might be painted to blend in with the walls, but have a 'surprise' colour on the interior and because it isn't immediately on view, it could be a real 1950s 'pop' - Resene Sebedee, Resene Cream Can, Resene Vibe or Resene Wild Willow.

Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Robin Egg Blue
Resene Unwind
Resene Unwind
Resene Awash
Resene Awash
Resene Robins Egg Blue
Resene Robins Egg Blue
Resene Yucca
Resene Yucca
Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
Resene Sebedee
Resene Sebedee
Resene Cream Can
Resene Cream Can
Resene Vibe
Resene Vibe
Resene Wild Willow
Resene Wild Willow
January 2018

Q. I live in an old villa and I want to paint a lean-to bedroom. I like Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Linen and Resene Lemon Grass. I want it to feel calm but warm (it is on the south side of house). I want a colour that I could use throughout the house in time. I love colour, my husband isn't that adventurous.

A. South facing rooms often make colours look sour or grimly grey. I like the colours you are considering but do they like the room and the south facing aspect? If you test the colours very carefully by painting up very large sample cards (A2 card available from Resene ColorShops) with all of the testpots (two coats) leaving a narrow unpainted white card border, all around the edges it will help you a lot. It is super large and can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how it alters in changing natural and artificial light. The unpainted border of the card helps you focus on the reality of the colour without any existing wall colour negatively influencing how you see the colour. If you roll the card into a tube or cone shape with the colour innermost and look into it you will see the colour deeper - this is a good indicator of what four walls of colour would look like. Colours are always seen deeper (or brighter) depending on what type of colour it is in all interiors.

Sometimes lighter versions of the colours are required to stop the 'looking deeper' aspect from colours happening.

If the colours do look too deep and also too grey etc, you may need warmer colours - i.e. Resene Half Joanna or Resene Eighth Tana (these have a little yellowish undertone so are warmer/cleaner/brighter) or Resene Zumthor, Resene Narvik or Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue (these have a tiny bit of brightness/less grey undertone in them).

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
   
Resene Half Joanna
Resene Half Joanna
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Narvik
Resene Narvik
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
January 2018

Q. I’m in the process of building a new home and I’m going for a modern Industrial kind of look. The exterior is ‘FlaxPod’ vertical COLORSTEEL®, with Silver joinery and a Grey Friars roof, front door and garage door.

I want to bring similar colours through the home without making it too ‘cool’ feeling.

I was thinking of doing the interior walls lighter, with white skirting, door jambs and darker doors but am lost as to colour. I was wondering if Resene White Pointer would have enough of a contrast to the white on the jambs, or if I should go with a slightly darker wall colour towards a ‘warm grey’?

And do you have any recommendations for interior doors that will tie in with the front door but perhaps not be quite as dark?

A. Generally speaking, colours appear deeper (double what you expect them to look like) in an interior, so it may pay to carefully test both Resene White Pointer and a lighter version - Resene Half White Pointer. Either of these would contrast with pure white - Resene White. A slightly warmer grey might be Resene Eighth Truffle.

A lighter version of the front door colour might be Resene Quarter Grey Friars. If you choose to use semi-gloss enamel for the doors, the sheen would make the door colour seem slightly lighter/brighter, whereas a low sheen or matt finish would make it seem deeper/more shaded.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
January 2018

Q. Would you be able to make some suggestions on colours to paint our house - rural lifestyle block, coastal, roof likely to be Ironsand or similar, existing white aluminium frames and HardiPlank® cladding?

A. These colours may appeal to you - Resene Zumthor, Resene Emerge, Resene Tasman, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Quarter Grey Olive.

Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Tasman
Resene Tasman
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
January 2018

Q. We are painting the exterior of our Oamaru stone house - the roof, the concrete at the base of the house, window sills, wooden doors and wooden panels. The house is a bit mismatching, and has brown aluminium windows. I would appreciate your advice with which colours to go for.

A. Because of the window colour I recommend that there be another brown toned colour on the house. It doesn't have to match but must befriend the brown joinery, so it isn't the only brown on the house. It could be the roof - Resene Ironsand or Resene Touchstone, and it could be the concrete at the base of the house as well, but if you choose to do that a brown then perhaps a lighter variant of the roof colour might be a better way to go - Resene Eighth Ironsand or Resene Friar Grey, so the house isn't segmented into a sandwich.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
January 2018

Q. We are renovating our house, which we have raised and enclosed under with weatherboards. Upstairs is mostly existing timber windows and the downstairs windows are powdercoat Pearl White.

We have selected almost all colours but are stuck on the trims. The roof and fascia, gutters and barge rolls are complete and are COLORBOND® Surfmist.

We have primed the weatherboards in Resene Half Friar Grey and have ordered the topcoat as Resene Sonyx 101 with the same Resene Half Friar Grey, with CoolColour™. We have also ordered Resene Sonyx 101 in Resene Eighth Titania for soffits and gables.

We will strip the upstairs windows and finish in Resene Lustacryl, probably in Resene Eighth Titania. For the FC walls around the three entrance areas we are proposing a darker grey (maybe Resene Triple Friar Grey).

The trims on the gables and the window sills upstairs are a darker grey again and we are thinking Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Double Gravel (or maybe Resene Double Masala if not too brown).

What do you think about the colours proposed for the above areas? We need help choosing between what we’ve selected but equally you might suggest something better.

A. I like Resene Half Bokara Grey for a little bit of 'wow' on the trims and window sills and Resene Triple Friar Grey for the walls at the entries. The colours work nicely as a graduated palette of colours from the lightest to the deepest, with tones in between which is an understated, elegant and timeless look.

Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Masala
Resene Double Masala
January 2018

Q. We have 1920s stucco home. What white paint do we use and do we use semi-gloss, flat or satin as it does get dirty from fires and traffic?

A. If you were to use a semi-gloss acrylic (Resene Sonyx 101) or a full gloss acrylic (Resene Hi-Glo) you may find that the paintwork resists grubbiness a little more, and is much easier to clean down annually.

One of these 'whites' may provide a clean look without road film and smoke stains showing up too much - Resene Sea Fog*, Resene Barely There, Resene Black White*, Resene Merino*or Resene Half House White*.

The colours I have suggested that have an asterisk beside the name are also available as slightly more shaded variants if you should decide the ones suggested are too white looking.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
January 2018

Q. I want to paint the interior of my new house. It is a small 1930s cottage. Which neutral colour would work best to get a bright airy spacious feeling? Should I paint the trims the same colour?

A. These are a few neutral colours that you might consider - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Half Merino.

If you wanted the wall colour to look slightly more definite then you might paint all the ceilings and trims in a white to create more light and contrast – try Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
January 2018

Q. What wall colours would you recommend for a large office with no natural light? There are fluorescent lights on the ceiling. The office is shared by 5-6 people so would need to be neutral.

A. You might check out these light/bright neutrals to see if they will work with any other colours (furniture/flooring etc) that you have – Resene Half Orchid White. Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
January 2018

Q. We have an old seaside bach which needs some love. We would like to paint the lounge walls a nice soft bright modern white. There is an old rimu fireplace and rimu doors in the room and it is small but with a wonderful view over the estuary and out to sea.

A. All whites carry unique undertones of colour in them and play with the natural light to create an array of chameleon like hues. You may need to carefully test several whites and watch how the light - natural and artificial - alters them over a 24 hour period of time.

These are a good start point for you – Resene Wan White, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
January 2018

Q. I would like some advice on what colour to paint the internal walls of my garage. The exterior is a standard white with a Grey Friars roof and New Denim Blue door. The floor is predominantly black.

A. I think it depends upon whether you want the interior to be light and bright or a colour that may disguise grubby finger marking. The predominantly black floor will suck up most of the available light. I would suggest you look at one of these colours to see if it fits well with the function of the garage – Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Black White or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
January 2018

Q. I have a 1940s bungalow. I have painted the exterior window and door frames in Resene Alabaster, weatherboards in Resene Quarter Surrender and the front and back doors in Resene All Black and the roof is in Resene Grey Friars. I have a small deck at the back and stairs leading up to my front door and I'm unsure what colour to paint them. It's previously been painted in the same colour as the house which was a blue grey... I'm tempted to paint it white but this colour is most probably not practical or scared it may not look good.

A. As you say - being tempted to paint the deck and stairs white may not be practical - unless it was on the handrail/posts only on the stairs. Have you considered using one of these colours that are related to those already on the house, such as Resene Surrender or Resene Quarter Grey Friars?

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
   
January 2018

Q. We have an elevated west facing lounge which gets a lot of light. The room has a high stud, white decorative cornices and ceiling rose, a bay window, and rimu doors/windowsills/flooring. There is reddish orange brick on the fireplace. We really want a dark moody colour in the lounge to anchor it, having had light neutrals in our past two homes. I am struggling to find something that complements the rimu interior and makes the ceiling detail lift and pop. I am open to any suggestions of darker colours from any palette.

A. These assorted colours may offer you some inspiration – Resene Viktor, Resene Coast, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Tapa, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Tiki Tour, Resene Easy Rider or Resene Wireless.

Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Tiki Tour
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Easy Rider
Resene Wireless
Resene Wireless
January 2018

Q. We are moving into a house with hardwood floors throughout. The current colour has quite a yellow tinge to it and we want to brighten up the place. Just looking for some guidance as to whether cool or warm would be a more suitable match with hardwood floors. We quite like the look of Resene Quarter White Pointer. We just don't want a wall that throws off a yellow tone.

A. I like Resene Quarter White Pointer and it definitely doesn't throw off a yellow tone though you may find in a room with a westerly aspect (late afternoon sun) it looks slightly creamier and in a room with a southerly aspect it may look more grey toned. Some other colours for you to check out - just so you can judge them against Resene Quarter White Pointer - are Resene Wan White and Resene Eighth Truffle.

Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
January 2018

Q. We have bought a home with open plan kitchen dining/living most of which is painted in varying strengths of Resene Thorndon Cream. It has two walls in the dining/entrance painted on one side with Resene Evolution. I want to add more colour. How can I do this without it looking patchy but giving it warmth?

A. Do you want to replace the feature colour (Resene Evolution) with another colour? Or just dress up the walls a bit so they have some other colours close to them to create more of an ambiance? If it is the latter then a beautiful and colourful artwork and an ornate metal framed mirror hung on the feature walls could do that for you. Or accessories in bolder warm colours might do the same thing.

These are some of the colours that work well with Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Evolution – a whiter variant of Resene Thorndon Cream - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, lighter variant of Resene Evolution - Resene Quarter Evolution. Some ideas for contrast colours are: Resene Ayers Rock, Resene Clockwork Orange, Resene Intrepid, Resene Curiosity or Resene Discover.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Evolution
Resene Evolution
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Evolution
Resene Quarter Evolution
 
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Intrepid
Resene Intrepid
Resene Curiosity
Resene Curiosity
Resene Discover
Resene Discover
January 2018

Q. We are painting our house in Resene Clotted Cream with a dark green roof and trim and I would like to paint the front door in Resene Clockwork Orange - would that work?

A. Yes that will definitely work. The cladding closest to the front door will take on an even creamier look due to the colour reflecting from the door, but that is absolutely fine. I’d also paint the door in a semi or full gloss for even more effect (and durability).

Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clotted Cream
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
January 2018

Q. I'm looking for a fence colour and batten colour for a 70s Tudor style townhouse. We want a charcoal which embraced the red clinker brick first storey. What charcoal grey would you advise?

A. Perhaps one of these charcoals might appeal to you - Resene Double Cod Grey, Resene Double Foundry, Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
February 2018

Q. We have an old seaside bach, which needs some love. We would like to paint the lounge walls, a nice soft bright, modern white. There is an old rimu fireplace and doors in the room. It is small but with a wonderful view over an estuary and out to sea.

A. You have so many options available. You might check out these whites to start - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Bianca and Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.

If you have the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library (comparing the colours and judging the level of coloured undertone they all have in them) it may make decision making a little easier. Carefully test the colours by painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) and moving the painted samples from wall to wall/room to room, so you can see how the changing qualities of light alter how they are seen.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
February 2018

Q. I wanted an antique cottage look for my house. I have used Resene Thorndon Cream on the walls with Resene Rustic Red on the roof and some trim and inside windows. I am really stuck on my third colour for the window architraves and the front fence. I don’t like white, so a really nice brown perhaps?

A. Perhaps some earthy green based browns like these ones might appeal to you - Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Triple Truffle or some rich warm browns likes these ones - Resene Rebel or Resene Barista or some grey based browns - Resene Eighth Ironsand or Resene Half Masala.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Rustic Red
Resene Rustic Red
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Rebel
Resene Rebel
Resene Barista
Resene Barista
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
 
February 2018

Q. Can you please help with a 60s Beazley house? I want to get the stone veneer and weatherboards painted. It's hopefully going to be sold at some stage, but it needs a new roof etc, so could you help with a roof colour also - from the Endura range NZ Steel long run style? I would also like some help with the house colours - exterior, trim and accent please. The roof colours I like so far are Slate, Cloud and Ironsand and the house colour, a white or a natural stone colour. I would prefer not to have a grey colour, as there is too much grey and concrete around the house already.

A. If you were to use Ironsand for the COLORSTEEL® roof, you might consider using these colours for the house - Resene Quarter Cougar for the veneer, the weatherboards and the stucco base of the house and Resene Double Alabaster for under the soffits, eaves, windows surrounds and sashes, door frame and Resene Scoria for doors etc or a 'whiter' main colour option - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for the veneer, the weatherboards and the stucco base of the house and Resene Eighth Rice Cake for under the soffits, eaves, windows surrounds and sashes, door frames and Resene Viktor for doors etc. These colours may also work with a Slate COLORSTEEL® roof.

If you were to choose COLORSTEEL® for the roof - which is very, very light - you may need to create a contrast by using a deeper main house colour - i.e. Resene Double Ash and a stark crisp, real white for all the trims - Resene White and for the doors as well.

Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
   
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene White
Resene White
February 2018

Q. We are having our house plaster job redone and want some colour advice please. The house is currently coloured in Rockcote Triple Spanish White. The roof is ColorCote Pebble, and the aluminium joinery is ASL 002 Off White. We have the fascia, portico and handrail in Resene Double Nullarbor. The house is very prominent on the side which is a large green field. I wondered what colour you would suggest to tone the cream down. As the product is Rockcote, we need to keep the house a light colour.

A. It is sometimes a bit tricky to make a lot of changes when some of the elements on the house (in your case, both the roof and the window joinery) are definite colours.

The window joinery colour may take on more of a creamy look if you don't use creamy colours, but you might look at these colours to see if they work and most importantly if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Grey Olive, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Cougar.

The fascia, portico and handrail could be changed to a deeper brown to tie the colours together - i.e. Resene Lignite.

Resene Double Nullarbor
Resene Double Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
February 2018

Q. We need to paint the outside of our house and want to know what colours would look good with the brown window frames we have. We are most likely going to paint our fences a dark charcoal, so need to take that into consideration too.

A. Some colour ideas to get you started:
House options - Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Half Napa, Resene Tea or Resene Triple White Pointer.
Fence options - Resene Ironsand, Resene Bokara Grey or lighter in tone - Resene Half Bokara Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

These are warm toned charcoals, which may relate to the brown of the windows.

Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
February 2018

Q. We have 20 foot cathedral ceilings and large north east windows in our kitchen/family room. When we built our house, we were told to paint the cathedral ceilings in a diluted version of the walls. I think the suggestion was a sixteenth or eighth. The house is very open plan, so I would like to paint all the walls throughout the same colour. I have picked out Resene Eighth Joss because it goes well with our kitchen and laundry cabinetry. What colour should I paint the cathedral ceiling? Can Resene Eighth Joss be diluted any further?

A. I think seeing as there is no lighter variant of Resene Eighth Joss, you might look at using one of these colours that look to have a sympathetic relationship with the wall colour - Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
February 2018

Q. I have a 60s house that I painted 13 years ago in Resene Half Napa on the horizontal boards, Resene Mondo on the vertical boards and Resene Eighth Napa around the windows and it was lovely. But we are now going for a change. I quite like Resene New Denim Blue for the vertical boards and I have some Resene Merino left over that I thought would be okay for the windows but I am not sure what to do on the horizontal boards.

A. For a crisp, modern look you might want to try a nice mid-tone grey for the remaining horizontal boards, here are a few options: Resene Truffle, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Foggy Grey,

I’ve also included one grey-green colour (Resene Secrets) and one which is slightly warmer (Resene Rascal) for a point of difference.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Rascal
Resene Rascal
February 2018

Q. We have a small rental property with Summer Stone Grey brick exterior. At this stage there is no plan to paint the roof, which will stay as galvanised iron, but I require some suggestions for the foundation, soffit, garage door, and trim colour. The aluminium joinery is Pearl Grey (anodised silver) in colour.

A. Here is a colour scheme for you:
Foundation/garage door – Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, cladding around garage/front door – Resene Regent Grey, and soffit/front door – Resene Double Merino.

The gable end, I would either paint in the Resene Double Merino or the Resene Regent Grey. You’ll just need to see how well those colours sit with the brick.

If the white cladding isn’t changing, then I would paint the foundation and garage door in a dark colour and the soffit/gable in something like Resene Quarter Friar Grey.

Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
February 2018

Q. I painted our toilet walls Resene Half Duck Egg Blue - I had painted a testpot on a board and it had looked really nice - but it dried a pastel powdery blue. Not the subtle grey with a hint of blue that was promised at all. So I bought more testpots and settled on Resene Quarter Surrender - a delicate light grey. This would surely tone down any blue, I thought. I painted the testpot directly onto the wall this time and it looked fine. I bought the paint and it looked light grey. I painted it on the walls and again – it’s powder blue. I'd like to know why this is happening.

A. Colours are tricky - they are chameleons and constantly surprise you and they alter themselves - especially when seen close to other colours or when more than one wall is painted or when the light - both natural and artificial - changes. Colours always look lighter when wet so seeing it dry and large enough to judge is the best way to know what they are like.

In each Resene ColorShop there is a Colour Library where larger samples (A4 size) can be viewed and compared to each other prior to painting - I always find this to be a good thing as a start point. Seeing larger samples of real paint colour and comparing the colours with each other helps you see the differences in them. Without comparing colours it is very easy to misjudge them.

Colours look deeper (or brighter depending on the type of colour) in an interior because of the shadow lines and close proximity of the walls which emphasises the colour, so I always suggest that the testpot (all of it/two coats) be applied to super large, white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops), leaving a unpainted border all around the perimeter, so it is easier to judge what the colour is really like.

The unpainted white card border helps your eyes see the reality of the colour - compared to real white. The unpainted border also acts as a barrier between the existing wall colour and the painted sample when you pin it on the wall, so that the existing wall colour doesn't negatively influence the test colour and make you misjudge it. A testpot paints up 1 square metre - and you need all of that to see its potential and unique undertones. The super large card - once painted - can be rolled into a cone or tube shape with the colour innermost - when looking into the cone shape the colour appears deeper and more of the coloured undertones are apparent. This helps by indicating what four walls of the colour might look like. Colour always intensifies in an interior.


Certain types of natural light aspects in rooms - north/south/east/west - also influence how colours are seen - the early morning light (east) makes more blue or blue/green appear in a colour and south facing rooms often grey up colour - even pure white - because of the aspect of light and its influences. So the same colour when painted in several rooms may look quite different because of the aspect of natural light.

When you tested the colours, you may not have tested them in a way that identified their unique undertones of colour, so when the small room was completely painted you got a surprise as the colours didn't look as you expected them to look. Every situation is different - and unfortunately no one can know in advance or second guess which way a colour might alter.

Testpots are still the best way to see and understand more about a colour - but the right way of testing them is very important.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
February 2018

Q. I have a sunny lounge which is around 6 x 9m and a bright kitchen/ diner of the same size; I also have a dark hallway. My carpet is dark brown with a fawn/grey fleck and my home is a 80s colonial style, with lots of dark brown doors and stairs. I like Resene Breeze, Resene Half Cut Glass, Resene Zumthor, Resene Foam, Resene Tranquil and Resene Half Duck Egg Blue and wondered if you could tell me which one would suit, which bright and dark areas? Could you also tell me what kind of white to use for the ceiling and skirting?

A. You may need to consider lighter/brighter colours in the hallway and slightly more shaded or toned colours in the other rooms, due to the different qualities of natural light they receive. Most importantly - colours will need to be carefully tested in each situation and viewed during the day and night, so you can see how they alter - and they will do. The carpet colour and the dark brown doors and stairs will have a marked influence over what looks good. It is often a case of not what you like or want but what looks best in a situation.

Resene Half Cut Glass or Resene Foam both have the brightness that the hallway may need.

If the lounge and dining room were larger and much lighter, you may want a colour that has a little more depth. It is a personal choice however, and you may be happy to use exactly the same colour as the hallway and not mind that the spaces look different to each other because of the natural light or lack of light.

If the ceiling and the painted woodwork were a crisp white like Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster, then the pretty pale blue of the walls would be enhanced.

Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Foam
Resene Foam
Resene Tranquil
Resene Tranquil
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
February 2018

Q. We have a cedar/brick house that we have recently painted in Resene Surrender, with black doors and Resene Alabaster frames for contrast. The house is built into a hillside so you see a lot of the roof from the road, as well as the black double garage doors. You actually see a lot more roof than the Resene Surrender cladding from the roadside. We are about to replace the entire roof and would love to know what COLORSTEEL® colour you would recommend that best suits Resene Surrender, bearing in mind the house has a lot of roof (due to being three storeys and all the angles) and it's very visible. We were wondering if Thunder Grey might work.

A. If you like COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey (which has an earthy olive base to the colour) then that is all good - but I think you should look at these other COLORSTEEL® colours, to see what they look like with Resene Surrender as they look to be very compatible – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle and COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars.

Roof colours look lighter and the unique undertones of colour may be emphasised due to bright natural light and the angle the roof presents to the sun. If you are looking at COLORSTEEL® metal samples, it pays to hold them up high, at a 45 degree angle outside in bright daylight to see what they look like.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
February 2018

Q. We want to paint a very large 30 square metre deck next weekend, as I like the idea of not having to stain/maintain it as often. The house colour is Resene Half Silver Chalice with Resene Alabaster on the window frames. The deck is north facing, with French doors leading to the lounge and also another set into a bedroom and it gets very hot underfoot. We are also putting a swimming pool in adjacent to the deck, which will have glass pool fencing with greyish/ beige (still finalising) coloured concrete. The fences in the area will be white. I like the idea of a grey deck to complement the Resene Silver Chalice. We have a 1930s bungalow and I like the beach/Hamptons type feel.

A. You could look at one of these greys for the deck to see if they appeal to you - they are not too dark a colour so that the paint doesn't get too hot underfoot - Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Half Stack.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
February 2018

Q. If the walls are painted Resene Double White Pointer, would it be better to paint the skirting and architraves Resene White Pointer or Resene Half White Pointer? What version of white would be best for the ceiling?

A. Resene Quarter White Pointer may be the right 'white' to use. Colour on a ceiling often looks slightly deeper because of the way the light falls away from the ceiling creating shadow, so Resene Quarter White Pointer may look like Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Half White Pointer may look as deep as full strength Resene White Pointer.

Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
February 2018

Q. I am struggling with colours for my beach house. I have a COLORBOND® roof and guttering in Surf Mist (I think the equivalent in the Resene range is Resene Titania). The front door and future deck will be a stained mahogany colour. The external walls are render and weatherboard. I have tried Resene Double Tea on the weatherboards with Resene Quarter Tea on the render walls but I’m finding that the Resene Quarter Tea is a bit too creamy. Would I be okay to choose a different colour for the weatherboards like Resene Double Ash, with Resene Half Joanna on the render walls or Resene Triple Spanish White for weatherboards and something else for the render walls?

A. Your second set of colours (Resene Double Ash and Resene Half Joanna) is very nice with your roof and guttering colour. Another set of colours that would also look good is Resene Bone White and Resene Half Titania or Resene Double Rice Cake and Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Half Joanna
Resene Half Joanna
Resene Triple Spanish White
Resene Triple
Spanish White
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
February 2018

Q. I am trying to find a wood stain to match Ironsand roofing and windows. It will be used to stain all the pergola, entrance ways and carport area posts. I can find paint but not a stain. What do you suggest?

A. Paint always appears to be deeper and more substantial compared to a stain, which allows a certain amount of timber grain to be seen.

You might check out these colours - and I do advise you to test the colours on off cuts of timber, so you can place it alongside the Ironsand joinery and can judge whether they like each other - Resene Woodsman English Walnut, Resene Woodsman Banjul or Resene Woodsman Sheer Black.

Resene Colorwood English Walnut
Resene English Walnut
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
February 2018

Page 73

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

 

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