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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 77

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. 77

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


Q. What neutral colour best matches stainless steel appliances?

A. Stainless steel is very hard to match because it’s a very fine metallic coating, so the shimmer cannot be replicated with standard wall paint. If you’re looking for a grey wall paint to sit behind appliances and look similar, here are some options: Resene Surrender, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Forecast.

If you’re looking for a metallic to paint on appliances, we will need more details so that we can recommend a paint system.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Forecast
Resene Forecast
June 2018

Q. Our kitchen has matai floors, black white cupboards, a mottled grey breakfast bar and stainless steel around red Belling stove. Should I keep the splashback greyish because the floor is quite bold?

A. I would look to add some depth to the room, and possibly balance out the flooring. How about looking for a mid-deep tone from your benchtop and using that for the splashback?

The other way to go would be to use a colour very similar to your wall colour (providing that isn’t changing any time soon) and not make another statement in the room.

June 2018

Q. I am redecorating the interior of our home and have started painting the lounge, hallway and kitchen walls Resene Sea Fog. What trim, door and ceiling colours should I do? I also want to paint the bedroom walls Resene Spanish White. Maybe with a feature wall but am unsure at this point what would you suggest? The curtains and carpet will eventually be replaced to match. It’s a small home but all open planned.

A. A really great off-white for trim and doors etc. is Resene Alabaster. This colour will provide you contrast with the Resene Sea Fog, but also work with the warmer tones of Resene Spanish White.

Resene Spanish White is a warm neutral and perfect for bedroom walls. Full Resene Spanish White can look quite dark once it’s painted on all four walls (colours inside appear darker once painted) so perhaps consider Resene Half Spanish White. Colours for feature walls would be any kind of blue (green-blue through to purple-blue), deeper neutrals, greens or even an aubergine type colour.

Resene ColorShops have a colour library 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 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 Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
June 2018

Q. I am renovating an old Tudor villa style house. My kitchen cabinet colour is Resene Alabaster. I am thinking about using Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Triple Alabaster for the wall. How do I match the ceiling /skirting/corner line?

A. You could use Resene Alabaster for the ceilings and all painted wooden trim work. Or if you wanted these areas to look much whiter/crisper than the Resene Alabaster kitchen cabinets and Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Triple Alabaster also called Resene Half Sea Fog on the walls, you might consider using one of these colours - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
June 2018

Q. We have joinery and trim that is very similar to Resene Half Spanish White. We have a medium/dark flecked grey carpet. Our walls are currently green, but we were thinking grey would be a nice soft colour. We don't want to go too dark as we also have dark furniture, but are having trouble finding a grey that isn't ‘too bright’ against the cream. Resene Half Stack is a little too dark and Resene Quarter Delta is too bright against the cream. We may also use the same colour as a feature wall at the end of the hallway.

A. The combination of the mid-toned green on the walls (that is there at the moment) plus the quality of natural light you have in the room may make the joinery and trim look much lighter than it actually is. The changeover to a grey emphasises the depth of the creaminess of the joinery and trims.

A lighter grey makes it seem to be a more coloured/richer/warmer type of colour and makes the grey look brighter/lighter or cooler by comparison. A deeper grey (especially on the shadowy walls and on all walls that have windows on them) looks too deep.

Putting test samples onto already coloured walls, doesn't allow you to see what the colours are truly like. Sometimes when you are trying to find the right colour and the existing wall colour is dominating; it may also stop you seeing the reality of the tested colours.

If you were to undercoat all of the walls (white undercoat) it stops what may be a negative influence and allows you to see the reality of a tested colour.

Using a warm toned grey may work better with the joinery, trims and the carpet colour.

You might check out these greys and carefully test them to see if they appeal to you - Resene Cloud, Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Friar Grey and Resene Foggy Grey.

It must be noted that where there are existing coloured elements that are not changing in a room, they do control your freedom of choice. Compromise may be needed - even though you may not want to do that.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
 
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
June 2018

Q. Is Resene Sea Fog a warm or a cool colour?

A. It can be either cool or warm, depending upon what other colours are seen close to it or whether it is bathed all day in warm sunlight or is only seen in shadow. To judge it independently of these influences, if you paint up a sample and compare it to a sheet of white printer paper (true optic white) it may appear warmer.

The proof of what it is like is in the testing. Testpots are your best friend when you use them and judge how the colour alters by painting up large samples and looking at how they alter during a 24 hour period of time. Colour is a chameleon and will change if it can.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
June 2018

Q. I am redecorating a very small ensuite with a 1.6m long mahogany stained cabinet with white vanity top, white taps, a tile border from turquoise to silvery blue glass mosaic, turquoise accessories and floor that will be finished in probably light grey planking. Can you suggest colour paint colours for the walls please?

A. Perhaps one of these slightly coloured whites may look well in the ensuite and not detract from the turquoise and silvery blue glass mosaic, the turquoise accessories and light grey planking on the floor - Resene Quarter Iron, Resene Wan White, Resene Black White or Resene Half Athens Grey.

Even though these colours are very pale, they will still show as being different compared to the ceramic white of your ensuite fittings.

Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
June 2018

Q. I have a 1890s villa and the roof has just been replaced with 'Slate' iron and the weatherboards are about to be painted. I have chosen Resene Double Merino for the weatherboards and white for the trim, fretwork and around the windows and doors.

The garage door is black. Around the boundary, I have painted a new timber fence Resene Half Bokara Grey but it looks too brown, so I'll need to repaint it. There are also three other fences to be painted - one is currently black and the other two are green. What colour do you recommend the fences please? I'd like a dark charcoal or near black to complement the slate roof and black garage door. I'd like to use this on the horizontal baseboards and shingle shades over the sash windows on the house also.

A. Perhaps one of these colours that are a match to black, slate and charcoal from the powdercoat range of colours - Resene All Black, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Element.

I strongly recommend that you use a CoolColour™ reformulated version of these colours, to minimise the extreme heat that very dark colours attract to the surface they are painted onto.

Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Element
Resene Element
June 2018

Q. We are in the process of building a house on the beach. The roof is Castle Grey, with all white trimmings, windows and garage door. For the main house colour, we were thinking maybe Resene Truffle or Resene Double White Pointer but we are not sure which one will look the best.

A. The colours that you have mentioned lean more towards the taupe (beige/grey) so these following options favour a slightly greyer hue, which may be harmonious with the roof colour - Resene Quarter Friar Grey or lighter - Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
 
June 2018

Q. I have done some repainting and after analysis, have decided the main colour chosen was just right and is allowed to stay. It is an open plan lounge room painted Resene Eighth Napa. But I'm thinking a feature colour on the back wall could be an improvement.

The room is a rectangle, six metres deep and four metres wide, stepping out wider at the front of the room where there is a light giving, very large window space. I wondered if painting the back wall a darker colour, maybe Resene Bluff would give the room (optically) a better shape by seemingly bringing the back wall in a bit. What I don't want is to make the room look even deeper. Will the darker colour do what I'm hoping for or is it a mistake? I thought about Resene Bluff to work in with Eighth Napa because I think it is a warm colour.

The back wall is furnished with a big, dark chocolate brown leather couch, dark chocolate brown side table and a very big, mostly slate blue rug in front. There are other blues in the room in paintings and a blue couch can be seen in an adjoining room. There are tiny accents of a burnt orange, not unlike Resene Clockwork Orange which is also in paintings, in some cushions and a throw. Is there anything you think could be considered, or would work better?

A. Blue colours do appear to advance, so visibly they can alter your perception of a space. Blues do work well with browns. Resene Bluff is a mid-toned warm type of blue, but if it is only ever seen in shadow or in a dim space, it may appear a little bit greyer in hue. How does Resene Bluff look with your slate/blue rug? They should ideally look very harmonious together and if one or the other looks like a bad match, then a clash or colour discord may occur.

If you like Resene Bluff and it works for you, it may still require light sources [lamps or spot lights] to enhance it so it doesn't look too deep or too grey toned. Had you thought of that?

The following colours might be worth checking out to see if they appeal to you or look more appropriate than Resene Bluff does - Resene Lynch, Resene Escapade, Resene Tsunami or a slightly lighter colour - Resene Dusted Blue or Resene Bounty.

Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Bluff
Resene Bluff
     
Resene Lynch
Resene Lynch
Resene Escapade
Resene Escapade
Resene  Tsunami
Resene Tsunami
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Bounty
Resene Bounty
June 2018

Q. I have recently moved into a new house and am in the process of installing double glazed windows and new carpet. The interior will need painting. The entire house, doors, walls, wardrobe doors and interiors are painted in the same beige colour. I would like to update to a neutral that sits better with my blue furniture. I am a short dune walk away from the beach, the house is 60 square metres in total and I am keen to have a relaxed look. The current paint is in perfect condition and if possible, I would like to avoid painting the doors, although you may suggest this is impossible. Can you please give advice on some neutral shades that would go well with my suite? The carpet colour is still completely undecided.

A. The wall colour may have been chosen to go with the kitchen cabinets and work tops and carpet and other flooring. You mention changing the carpet - will you be changing everything else as well so it all co-ordinates in a harmonious way?

By changing the predominant wall colour and hoping that it will go nicely with the existing colour on the doors, other floors and kitchen worktops and cabinetry, you are taking a calculated risk.

My main worry is that by choosing a new colour for the walls, it changes how the other colours are seen (but not in a positive way) and if you don't like it but do not have the opportunity to change them over.

So, seeing as coming up with solutions is what my job is all about, the following are a few things you might consider doing. It is called 'sneaking up on changes'.
1. The ceilings look as though they may be a colour. If this is the case, then you might paint them white - perhaps Resene Alabaster. This will add lots more light and will make everything seem fresher.
2. Very carefully choose a new carpet. Bring home lots of samples and see how they look. You may find the carpet you most like isn't as flexible in regard working with everything. You may need to compromise.
3. Remove the influence of the existing wall colour by undercoating in white, so that everything that is coloured is seen next to 'non-colour neutral' main walls and then live with it for a while. If it makes the kitchen, other flooring and existing painted doors look totally different and even (possibly) not nice at all, then keep testing colour samples until you find one that doesn't make the other colours look bad.
4. Remember - the new colour has to be best friends with the doors, the kitchen, any other flooring and the lounge suite and any other coloured things you may have. This is a BIG EXPECTATION for a paint colour to try and achieve.
These are a few neutrals for you to test - they are a starting point. They are not beige. They are not creamy. They are not grey. Resene Merino, Resene Half Titania, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Half White Pointer.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
June 2018

Q. I want to paint a large bedroom (3 x 5.2m) that gets no sunlight and limited natural light. The large sliding door at the end faces south east and is shaded by a large deck. The window along the long wall is at shoulder height in the interior and at ground level on the outside close to the boundary which has a large fence. This is on the south side. Being a 70s house, there is a single button light in the centre of the ceiling. The rest of the house is painted Resene White Pointer, with trim and ceilings Resene Eighth Black White. I feel Resene White Pointer would be too dark in this space. What neutral colour should I paint this room to complement the rest of the house, without it feeling dark and cold?

A. Lower storey south/east facing dim rooms are sometimes very sad. It really is all about the quality of light and sun that makes a space feel appealing.

A single light fitting in the centre of the ceiling can have a new light fixture with several bulbs in it, to help with the lack of light and at night, soft warm shaded lamps either side of the bed can create a really lovely warm glow.

Is the room well insulated - in the walls and in the ceiling? Being dim and cold would make most people feel the room was an unloved and forgotten space. This may need consideration now before any other work proceeds. Is it a guest room or a room that is used by a member of the family? This may also have an input into what ambiance the room requires. Painting dim rooms that don't receive sunlight a lighter/whiter colour often works against you as it increases the chilly/dim aspect. Making the room feel interesting and inviting may be better than painting it lighter/whiter and having it feel unfriendly.

A wall without windows may be a wall that you could paint (or wallpaper) in a rich warm colour. If it was wallpapered, it could be dramatic or quirky to add the ambiance that is missing from the room. If it was painted, then an unusual colour with character could work for you really well and the other walls could be a much lighter variant of your main colour like Resene Quarter White Pointer, with a crisp white ceiling to add as much light as possible - i.e. Resene White. Using textured bed linens can make a room seem more cosy and intimate, so that is an idea worthy of consideration.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene White
Resene White
June 2018

Q. We have Resene Half Akaroa on all walls throughout the house, including on the skirting and Resene Eighth Oilskin on all internal doors and window sills. The carpet is very close to Resene Akaroa. We are keen to introduce some colour, maybe through a feature wall and painting some of our furniture. Also with using curtains etc. We are attracted by Scandinavian/soft colour schemes and blues. What colours could you recommend?

A. You might look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Inside Back, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Emerge or Resene Eskimo. If you were to use a much lighter variant of your main wall colour - i.e. Resene Eighth Akaroa in a room on three walls and have the Resene Half Akaroa as a feature wall, that also gives you another option as well. This might work well for you in a cooler or shadowy room, as the overall look is lighter/brighter with the deeper Resene Half Akaroa on one wall only as a warm feature.

Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Eighth Oilskin
Resene Eighth Oilskin
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
   
Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Eskimo
Resene Eskimo
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
June 2018

Q. I am repainting the whole inside of my house. I have Resene Villa White on my kitchen cupboards and don't really want to change those.

We have solid macrocarpa polished floors, in a rural country property. Could you suggest please a light wall colour that would work with Resene Villa White, I had thought Resene Quarter Parchment but I am now second guessing myself. My husband said the walls had to be lighter than the trim and kitchen, but I would prefer slightly darker walls and lighter trim and kitchen.

A. Apart from Resene Quarter Parchment (which is very similar to the Villa White on the cabinets) you might also consider one of these colours - Resene Half Akaroa, Resene Half Sisal or Resene Half Tana. These three are a little bit deeper than the Resene Villa White.

Or a lighter variant of the kitchen cabinet colour – Resene Villa White - could be used - Resene Quarter Villa White.

This could be used for the kitchen walls and the painted wooden trims. This is a very simple look that relies upon the sheen of the walls being different to that used on the woodwork and trims. Use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel for the walls and Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel for the wooden trims.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
June 2018

Q. We have white brick with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof, joinery and garage door and Ironsand painted LINEA® just at the front part of the house, with white brick pillars either side. Shall I keep the gable end of the roof Ironsand too, or change it to a brown like Lignite? What colour would you suggest for the paving area in front? And what neutral warm colours do you suggest for the internal walls or should we use a splash of colour? The brand new house is north facing with pines at the south end.

A. If you wanted a related - but lighter - variant of the roof, joinery, garage door and Linea colour, you might consider one of these colours - Resene Eighth Ironsand or slightly deeper - Resene Quarter Ironsand.

But if you preferred a definite brown similar to the Resene Lignite, you could check out Resene Mondo which has an olive undertone to it like Ironsand does.

Have you chosen all the flooring, the kitchen cabinetry and kitchen work tops and drapes and blinds? What you choose for these elements, will help you make a colour choice for the walls - wall colours come last not first, otherwise you remove or compromise a lot of your options in the more limited and far more expensive elements for the house.

The following are some good neutral warm colours for the interior - Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Fossil, these are all quite different to each other.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Lignite
Resene Lignite
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
June 2018

Q. I have a villa with a high stud and big skirting boards. I'm looking at a tone on tone, interior colour scheme in Resene Pearl Lusta. Is it correct to start darker at the bottom and go lighter the higher you get? I'm thinking Resene Half Pearl Lusta in semi-gloss waterborne enamel on the skirting boards and joinery (windows and doors), Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta on the walls and Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta on the ceiling.

A. Generally speaking, ceilings and woodwork trims are the lightest of the colours and the walls are slightly deeper. But I don't think there is a right or wrong in these ideas of what you want. It is your house/your choice - as it should be.

The colours you mention are very subtle variations, so the look would be simple with minimal levels of contrast. The sheen levels of the different colours would create a tiny bit more eye interest - i.e. semi-gloss enamel woodwork, low sheen acrylic walls and totally matt ceilings.

Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half
Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth
Pearl Lusta
June 2018

Q. We have a 1930s villa with high ceilings (2.7m with a picture rail at 2.4m) and a large lounge, with double opening doors into the dining and kitchen. We are thinking about Resene Tangaroa below the picture rail in the dining room and Resene Quarter Spanish White above the picture rail and ceiling. We are also thinking of doing the opposite in the lounge, Resene Tangaroa on the ceiling and above the picture rail, and Resene Quarter Spanish White below the picture rail. Is this a good idea? Do these two colours work together or is Resene Tarawera or Resene Barometer a better option?

A. The colours - Resene Tangaroa and Resene Quarter Spanish White - do look good together. The contrast between them is acute – very, very dark and very, very light. You might consider using Resene Half Spanish White as a slightly warmer, softer toned colour with Resene Tangaroa. The overall effect would be the same. If the ceiling lights are ornate, all the better, as the look will be grand and lush.

You mention Resene Tarawera and Resene Barometer - they are both brighter, bluer colours. Do you want brighter/bluer colours? They are slightly more modern but still very exciting. Perhaps if you are unsure, you might purchase all three colours and some A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and paint up all of the testpot/two coats and pin up the samples so that you get a better idea of what they look like.

The deep colour on the ceiling will look different on the upper wall compared to the ceiling, as the angle change makes the colour look deeper on the ceiling. Take the time to test very carefully before doing your project - testpots applied in the way I have mentioned are your best friend.

Resene Tangaroa
Resene Tangaroa
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Barometer
Resene Barometer
June 2018

Q. What is the best colour scheme for small bedrooms? We live in a town house and the current paint is like a buttery yellow (not very pleasant). The rooms are very small, so we are trying to make it look bigger as well as complementing our brown bedroom furniture.

A. All colours chosen have to work with flooring, drapes, bed linen etc. I do know, that trying to test colours and get a good idea of what they are truly like, is very difficult when there is an existing wall colour altering your perception of what the tested colour is like.

You could undercoat the entire wall in white, to get rid of the buttery yellow colour and then look at testing these options, to see if any appeal to you and look good with your other coloured components in the rooms - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Merino, Resene White Pointer or Resene House White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene House White
Resene House White
June 2018

Q. I am working on a large house renovation. It has a big hallway space with Resene Half Gin Fizz. The new carpet, Cavalier Bremworth Troika in St Petersburg (a wheat shade), makes the walls look even more yellow. Can you please suggest some alternative neutrals which will balance the carpet colour and not look too yellow? The trims are in Resene Half Bianca.

A. You could use a slightly more toned version of the trim colour – Resene Half Bianca - Resene Bianca or slightly earthier toned colours - Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Half Gin Fizz
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
June 2018

Q. I have a 1938 bungalow with a new Grey Friars roof and spouting, soffit and the 400mm down to the first weatherboard is also Grey Friars. I need a colour for the fascia, weatherboards and windows. I was also going to paint the sills grey, front only. The house is currently white and I don't think I want to depart from off white. Would you have any suggestions please?

A. This is a nice palette of cool crisp colours worth considering - main weatherboards - Resene Half Iron, fascia - Resene Half Black White and windows - Resene Half Black White.

Or this palette is a warmer off white option - main weatherboards - Resene Half White Pointer, fascia - Resene Double White Pointer and windows - Resene Quarter White Pointer.

You could paint the window sills to match the roof - a slightly lighter variant - Resene Half Grey Friars.

The doors on the house could be more of a standout feature colour if you desired - perhaps a red? You might look at Resene Salsa.

Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
     
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
June 2018

Q. My cedar-board house is painted in Resene Friar Grey and I’m looking at new aluminium joinery but don’t know what colour is the best to go with.

Can you please give me some recommendations? The door is red and the roof is currently green, but I will look to do that in a darker colour at some stage.

A. You might consider using Titania or Pearl White if you wanted a lighter neutral or Gull Grey if you wanted slightly more of a colour.

Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
June 2018

Q. We are looking to paint our timber fire surround to achieve a white French, possibly distressed or antique look. What is the best Resene colour to use please? We have Resene Alabaster already for our skirting and architrave. This seems too white and bright though, and may match in too much.

A. The colour you use on the surround will depend on your wall colour – do you need a warmer or cooler colour? A ‘French’ distressed look generally uses deeper off-whites, perhaps Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Triple Sea Fog (grey) or Resene Albescent White (warmer).

Given that your surround is currently timber, you have two options. You can either paint and sand back to give you that distressed look. You will need to apply a primer (Resene Quick Dry) and one or two topcoats in your desired sheen level. Or you can apply Resene Colorwood Whitewash – this is an interior stain giving the appearance of a washed look. You can also sand this back if needed. This product is best overcoated with Resene Aquaclear varnish to give you added protection.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
June 2018

Q. We have board and batten cladding in Resene Double Cod Grey and want to know what COLORSTEEL® roof colour would match. We want the roof a dark grey or black, so maybe Slate/Windsor Grey?

A. Yes, Windsor Grey would work - but so would Slate. Windsor Grey is slightly softer in tone and Windsor Grey slightly blacker.

Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
June 2018

Q. I want to find a good colour to paint bedrooms - two are on the sunny side of the house and the other on the darker side, but I want to use the same colour throughout. Is there a warm light grey colour that you would recommend? What other neutral colour would suit a teen bedroom - we want to accessorise one with a blush (this is the darker room) and the other with blues and gold (sunny room), so the colour ideally needs to suit both colour schemes. I intend painting the ceilings white.

A. There are definitely warmer grey tones that will look great with other accent colours, warmer or cooler rooms. Here are some options: Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Athens Grey.

If you would like off-white with a grey undertone, here are a couple for you: Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Merino.

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
June 2018

Q. We have an older 60s house and have Resene Swivel Blaze curtains and roman blinds. The interior is painted cream, Resene Spanish White I am guessing. We have an older kitchen with rimu edges. I would really like to paint the walls and doors some sort of grey. The kitchen won't be updated for a while so I will either paint the cupboards grey, or get a grey that will not clash with the cream.

A. To match in with the curtains and the existing warmer tones of the kitchen, I would recommend using a grey with a browner undertone, rather than a cooler, bluer/purple type of grey. Here are some colours that I think would look great: Resene Truffle, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

These colours all have either darker or lighter family members, and those may work better in your house (or areas of your house), so I advise you pop into your Resene ColorShop and ask to see A4 sizes of these colours in their colour library, along with your curtains. Another colour to consider is the Resene Masala family range. This is very similar to the background of the curtain fabric and may work well as accent walls/kitchen cabinetry or door colour etc. Also ask to see a sample of Resene Spanish White and view the grey colours next to this.

Resene Swivel - Blaze curtains
Resene Swivel - Blaze
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
     
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
June 2018

Q. We are in the process of completing a renovation to the downstairs entranceway and bedroom in our house. We are planning to paint the walls Resene Villa White, to tie in with our upstairs rooms. What colour do we paint the doors that lead off the entranceway and would Resene Half Villa White be suitable?

A. This will depend on what kind of look you’re after. Do you want something softer, less contrast and warm overall? If so then use the Resene Half Villa White for doors. There will be a slight difference between the two colours, enough to notice but not enough to stand out.

If you prefer more contrast (this will make the walls seem darker) then you could use something like Resene Half Bianca. It is still a warm neutral, but much lighter, giving you contrast.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
June 2018

Q. We are renovating a character home, which has a large kitchen dining area, oak wood flooring, white/greyish marble benchtop and Lattice Bramble carpet. For the kitchen cabinets I'm thinking Resene Sea Fog, as Resene Rice Cake makes the bench look a dirty grey. Would Resene Half Thorndon Cream work for the walls or would Resene White Pointer be better? Is Resene Sea Fog a good cabinet colour? We have very high ceilings, so do we need to have a picture rail to allow for two tones on the wall?

A. Resene Sea Fog is a good colour choice. Another one that you might also check out is Resene Black White.

Resene White Pointer is a nice warm greyed/white - possibly slightly better as a wall colour than the Resene Half Thorndon Cream unless you preferred the yellow/green undertones that are in that particular colour.

If you did choose to paint the ceiling and the upper quarter of the wall above the picture rail, then you could use the same colour as the kitchen cabinet colour to tie it all together in a simple way.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
June 2018

Q. I want to paint a bedroom that is east facing and has average light. There are dark brown aluminium French doors and a window in the room. The flooring is bronze brown laminate. What colour do you suggest? The rest of the downstairs area has white walls but I’m not sure of the colour.

A. You might consider one of the following colours to see if they appeal to you and look good with the flooring and the joinery - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Merino or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

East facing rooms have a very sharp clear light with the rising of the sun and once the sun moves to the north the room can become full of shadow. The early light can green up colours (yes, even those that appear to have none of this colour in their undertone), so the suggested colours do have to be carefully tested.

The last colour listed is the most complex in its undertones and the deeper of the pale colours - I have included it as a warmer option whereas the others are the lighter colours.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
June 2018

Q. I was hoping that you could help me with some advice regarding the exterior colours for our house. We have chosen the colour 'FlaxPod' for both our roof and garage door and would like some advice about complementary colours for the weatherboards, fascia, soffit and guttering.

A. You don't mention the window joinery - is it a powder coated metal or is wooden joinery that needs to be painted?

You might check out these colours to see how you feel about them:
Weatherboards - Resene Half Tea, fascia - Resene Windswept (if you want a deep but not too dark colour) or Resene Half Tea (if you wanted a simpler lighter colour), soffits - Resene Half Rice Cake and guttering - Resene Half Rice Cake.
Or weatherboards - Resene Triple Thorndon Cream, fascia - Resene Element (if you want a colour like the roof) or Resene Half Thorndon Cream (if you prefer a lighter colour similar to the main house colour), soffits - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and guttering - Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
June 2018

Q. We are undertaking renovation and repainting the whole of our house, inside and out. It is a 1930s solid brick home. For outside I am thinking of a dark (not black) for the windows and a grey for the walls. We do have black wrought iron work, some red brown feature bricks, and a red brown tiled roof.

Inside I am having white panelling on the bottom of the walls and would like to paint a dark colour on top with a trim. The kitchen cupboards will be charcoal grey, general living areas will be in a silver grey, with no blue or pink tones. Then the hallway will be in a charcoal, navy, and grey or green (this is not an overly bright area). This leads to a formal sitting room and then to a formal dining room, these rooms are bright with large windows and not much wall area. I am totally undecided on the master bedroom and a guest powder room.

A. For the interior, you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Athens Grey for the living areas - you might consider using this colour or a deeper variant - i.e. Resene Silver Chalice also in the master bedroom or the guest powder room and using accessories, artwork, linen or drapes to add extra colour in these spaces.

Hallway suggestions - Resene Dark Side, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or Resene Viktor. You mention that the hallway is not overly bright and these types of colours will make it darker - is that what you want?

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
June 2018

Q. As part of a major renovation we have just painted our old stucco house. It was a dirty white with Air New Zealand blue windows and wood trim. It is now Resene Taupe Grey with Resene Rice Cake trim, new charcoal concrete tile roof and stone coloured paving and it looks amazing!

We were going to go with a standard black door which will look great but we were wondering if we could be a little braver. Perhaps a blue but it would have to be the perfect blue. Are you able to please give us some out-of-the box suggestions?

A. Perhaps these suggestions may be the 'out of the box' colour that appeals to you - Resene Redemption Blue, Resene Bastille or Resene Billabong.

Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Redemption Blue
Resene Redemption Blue
Resene Bastille
Resene Bastille
Resene Billabong
Resene Billabong
June 2018

Q. We are building and have chosen White Snowdrift doors and Frosty Carina Caesarstone® benches, with feature cabinets in Polytech Tasmanian Oak. The floor is hybrid New England Black butt. I wanted to paint the kitchen, adjoining family and dining rooms in a darker neutral. In our current house, we have Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream throughout with half on the doors etc. I love the colour; however should I use a full strength Resene Thorndon Cream to contrast the white cabinetry? Or would you have any other suggestions please? The room is to the north with a deck, so it will get lots of light.

A. If you want to see the contrast between the kitchen cabinets and work tops and the wall colour, I do recommend that you use Resene Thorndon Cream for the walls in the kitchen, adjoining family and dining rooms. If you wanted to go to a deeper neutral (than full strength Resene Thorndon Cream), then you might also check out Resene Double Thorndon Cream. I do suggest you carefully test the stronger colours, because they are more yellow/green and rich in their creaminess. If you wanted to go deeper than these colours, it may be necessary to work carefully with the colour of the flooring, upholstered furniture and drapes to see what other options appeal to you.

You could use a whiter variant - i.e. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream for all painted woodwork trims and ceilings and have Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for all the walls in the other rooms in the house - these pale colours are very versatile and allow you to furnish rooms with a lot of other coloured elements without creating a discord or clash.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
June 2018

Q. We are painting our entire interior, Resene Half Black White. I'm a bit indecisive over the trims and doors. I thought about doing the trims Resene Alabaster, with the doors Resene Quarter Black White. How close is Resene Alabaster to Resene Quarter Black White? Would the difference be noticeable? With both the doors and the trims would we use a glossier finish?

A. There is little difference between Resene Alabaster and Resene Quarter Black White. You will not see a different colour if one is painted on doors and the other on trim.

I would advise using Resene Alabaster for trims and doors, not over complicating things by including a third colour. If you wanted darker doors, use Resene Black White or Resene Double Black White so that the difference is visible.

Resene Enamacryl gloss or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss, are perfect for doors and trim. They are water based and easy to clean – perfect for ‘white’ colours.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
June 2018

Q. I am planning to paint one of our bedrooms. At the moment the ceilings, walls and skirting are all Resene Black White. The carpet is green/blue (more green than blue). I would like to keep the white on white but would prefer something a little warmer and also a feature wall. What would you suggest? The hallway (small and no natural light) is cream with orange undertones, which we hate. It has the same carpet i.e. green/blue. I would like to lighten/lift the hallway with a more modern colour. I bought testpots of Resene Sea Fog but it was slightly grey looking and Resene Merino, but it was slightly mustard looking. What would you suggest?

A. If you have tested Resene Sea Fog and found it too grey, we need to head in a warmer direction (without being yellow!). A great colour in this situation is Resene Rice Cake. It’s a little grey and a little yellow mixed together. You could get away with not painting the ceilings if you wanted – otherwise I would advise using Resene Half Rice Cake or even Resene Quarter Rice Cake on the ceiling, so that it doesn’t darken the room too much.

Other colours for you to look at for the bedroom: Resene Cararra or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Almost any colour will look great as a feature wall in here. The only type of colour I would avoid is a citrus type of colour. Try these options: Resene Casal, Resene Tangaroa, Resene Half Forest Green or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

For the hallway, you might like to try Resene Half Rice Cake. This will give you an off-white and modern kind of look, without having to be grey. It will also create a sense of flow and continuity throughout the spaces.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Casal
Resene Casal
Resene Tangaroa
Resene Tangaroa
Resene Half Forest Green
Resene Half Forest Green
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
June 2018

Q. What lighter colour would be best to use in living areas that are currently painted Resene Half Tea? We want to lighten and update our house before selling. All our furnishings are in warm, earthy tones.

A. If the current colour - Resene Half Tea - looks really good with your furnishings and flooring but you feel it is a little too deep toned, then you might just freshen up the interior by painting it Resene Quarter Tea.

Alternatively, you could check out the following suggestions to see if they look better - Resene Eighth Fossil, Resene Merino or Resene Half Albescent White.

Sometimes (because people will often repaint the walls to suit themselves the moment they buy a house) it is enough to freshen up ceilings with a crisp clean white and repaint all the woodwork, as this is the work people don't want to do as they consider it too hard.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
June 2018

Q. I would appreciate your advice on a colour scheme for the exterior of our new build. I love Resene New Denim Blue, which we currently have. I would like it as a feature on the upper storey, with the down boards. What cream colour would work next to it, on the outer part of the upper storey? I would like a white for the render lower storey. The garage door will be white and the roof COLORBOND® Dune (I think) and the windows, white. Nothing is locked in and I am open to ideas.

A. You don't mention which of the white powder coat colours you prefer, so it would pay to pick up some metal samples and view them with the suggested colours. Some are almost icy/blue toned and some are slightly warmer. Please don't make colour decisions from brochures or from online sources, as they are not really perfect representations of the colours and you can choose thinking you know what something will look like and find out - too late - that it isn't as you expected it to be. Likewise - you don't mention which particular 'white' the garage door will be - have you seen powder coated metal samples? Sometimes they aren't the same as the window joinery whites.

Resene New Denim Blue options to consider - Resene New Denim Blue or possibly the lighter variant - Resene Half New Denim Blue.

If you do use Dune as a roof colour - seeing as it is a warm taupe beige - the whiter or creamy colours that may look good, may need to pick up a little of that undertone - had you considered that?

Try Resene White Pointer and a whiter/lighter version - Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Half Tea and a whiter/lighter version - Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Merino and a whiter version - Resene Quarter Merino.

But if you wanted a real warm yellow based cream, then the following colours might be considered - Resene Double Bianca and a whiter/lighter version - Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Pearl Lusta and a whiter/lighter version - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.

I have included a whiter/lighter version of all the main house colour suggestions in case you should like to co-ordinate each storey in a harmonious way.

If you have time on your side in regards to the colours you choose, then it is usually helpful to view larger sizes - these can be seen in all Resene ColorShops in their Colour Library.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
   
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth
Pearl Lusta
 
June 2018

Q. Could you please suggest an industrial theme, warm wall neutral colour, to suit my taupe grey carpet and dark walnut wooden skirting/door joinery?

A. You might check out these colours. As each individual has a different idea of what is an industrial theme, they could be a good start point for consideration - Resene House White, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Double White Pointer.

Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
June 2018

Q. We have recently purchased a 1930s bungalow in Hamilton, and have plans to do some renovations and extensions in the future, but in the meantime are simply going to paint the interior, keep it simple and live in it for a while. I would like to layer/use various shades of warm off-whites (preferably not yellow based, as I want a clean modern look, not too country) and would like to use this range of off-whites throughout the house. I was wondering what you might suggest for a living and dining room - fairly small rooms, ceilings not very high, that both face north and get tonnes of light. I was also wondering which off-whites you think might work in two bedrooms, both south facing, but one gets light from the west, and the other gets some additional light from the east in the late afternoon. Both of the rooms have higher ceilings. There is also a wide return hallway that is not too dark but is currently painted a ghastly shade of pink.

We have an eclectic mix of furniture, lots of colourful artwork and things in a rich mix of colours - with a preference for blues/blue, particularly teal greens - fresh greens and green/yellows - I actually love all colour, and are thinking about adding some pink/mauve in a bedroom. So any warm whites or neutrals that work with an eclectic mix of other colour accents. The house has mostly polished floor boards (rimu) and timber trims. I am also thinking about painting a lot of the timber trims/skirting and would have a preference for painting the trims a slightly deeper shade than the walls, rather than the other way around.

A. I think you are wise to do a simple repaint for the present time, so that you can get a feel for the house. The light within the rooms and how your existing furniture looks and any new things that you might decide to purchase, will have a marked influence as to how you eventually want the rooms to look like. You may change your mind over what colours you prefer. This is not unusual.

Also, it must be noted that the south facing bedrooms may look better in the slightly deeper variant of the colour you eventually choose, because the quality of light can be less warm and bright which may make the palest/whitest colour take on a chilly look in some instances.

Some warmer off-whites (that don't use a yellow to warm them) that you might check out are these ones - Resene Quarter Albescent White (there are two deeper variants of this colour), Resene Half Merino (there are tree deeper and one lighter variant of this colour), Resene Quarter White Pointer (there are four deeper variants of this colour) or Resene Sea Fog (there are two deeper and three lighter variants of this colour).

Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
June 2018

Q. We want to paint our new fence black. What is the most common black shade, to go with? Is there the option between a slight gloss and matte black?

A. Most fences are painted with Resene Lumbersider low sheen waterborne paint. You could use a standard black - Resene Black CoolColour™ version.

A stained fence may look slightly more matt. This product is called Resene Waterborne Woodsman oil stain and you could use the colour Resene Pitch Black, in the CoolColour™ version.

The stain needs to have an additional coat applied after every second summer, in order to maintain the protective factor of the stain. It is a thinner type of coating compared to the paint.

I strongly recommend that you use the reformulated CoolColour™ version of the product/colour, in order to minimise the extreme heat that is attracted to the wooden surface of the fence.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
June 2018

Q. Could you please recommend a warm white paint colour that does not look yellow when all four walls are painted?

A. You might check out these warmer whites to see how they look when tested - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Eighth Tea or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

All rooms have different aspects of natural light in them. Some rooms have a cool light; some have a warm light. This is why the 'right' colour in one room, may look totally different in another. If a room faces west toward the low setting sun, any colour may take on more warmth (yellow/orange/red) and look yellow or peachy or pink, which may be worth thinking about. Only blinds and curtains obscuring the windows completely would stop this from happening.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
June 2018

Q. I am building a very modern home and have two boys 8 and 10 years old, who want blue and green rooms. I have got light cement grey window blinds in their rooms and would like to do a pastel type palette with geometric shapes.

A. If you were considering using grey/white as the main colour in the room (similar to the blinds but lighter), you may find that the feature colours have a base to work off of.

You might look at the following pastel colours to see if they appeal to you and the boys - Resene Reflection, Resene Hope, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Spring Rain, Resene Spray, Resene Seagull or Resene Hemisphere.

Using a little sharp yellow with blues and greens, may add a little POW! to the colours.

Perhaps in a much smaller sized shape so that the blues and greens are still dominant overall - Resene Moonbeam.

If you take the boys to your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the super large A4 real painted colour samples in their Colour Library, it may be easier for you and the boys to see the reality of the colours and choose which ones you favour the most. They may also quite like to do a dummy run with testpot paints, on large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) to see how the colours and shapes look when displayed together.

Resene Reflection
Resene Reflection
Resene Hope
Resene Hope
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Spring Rain
Resene Spray
Resene Spray
Resene Seagull
Resene Seagull
Resene Hemisphere
Resene Hemisphere
Resene Moonbeam
Resene Moonbeam
June 2018

Q. I am moving into a new house in a couple of months. The wallpaper is in good condition and our painter has advised it will be fine to paint over. It is currently a tea type colour.

I am looking for a neutral grey white or black based white (I think) for the walls, with brighter white skirting boards and ceiling etc, and ideally the same neutral through the whole house with some statement walls in the bedrooms (I prefer deep soft colours like dusky pinks and deep soft greys over bright colours). The living area is north facing and sunny with a sea view, the bedrooms are also quite light with the exception of the smallest one, which only has a south facing window.

Could you please advise on a colour palette or a few, as I am not sure where to start, all the grey whites look lovely and I wouldn't know where to start with the ceiling and trims and statements?

A. The south facing room will look greyer/cooler because of the natural aspect of light, so even if a colour works well in most rooms, there are definitely rooms where it may not work as well. You will have to carefully test these options, as the existing curtains and carpet and all other flooring will influence how you see the wall colours.

These colours are worth looking at - Resene Double Black White or Resene Double Sea Fog. Both of these have lighter variants that you might consider for rooms that are not blessed with walls bathed in all day sunshine.

For a really crisp contrast for the ceilings and all the woodwork you could check out these options - Resene Eighth Black White, Resene Quarter Alabaster or 'real white' - Resene White.

And a few dusky pinks and soft/deep interesting greys for feature walls could be like these colours - Resene Balance, Resene Always,
Resene Half Stack and Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Balance
Resene Balance
Resene Always
Resene Always
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
 
June 2018

Q. We have Resene Quarter Tea doors and frames and would like to modernise the walls. We have tried Resene Sea Fog but it is too icy and we are wondering about Resene Half White Pointer or Resene Quarter White Pointer.

A. Because the door and frames are such a definite warm colour it is being bossy. It may take quite a bit to subdue the colour, so that the walls look modern. The paler Resene White Pointer palette of colours has a taupe/yellow undertone which doesn't sit well with the Resene Quarter Tea but strangely enough, Resene Double White Pointer does look ok with Resene Quarter Tea.

If you wanted a minimal understated look then using exactly the same colour on the walls as the door and frames would be one way of making the woodwork look less obvious. Other options may need to be deeper and carry a similar warm tone. You might check these colours out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Eighth Pravda.

If you keep looking for paler/whiter colours, Resene Quarter Tea will look stronger and warmer. That may be ok if you want them to be a 'feature' that attracts the eye. Is that the look you are wanting? Think it through very carefully. It may be that the best way to modernise is to repaint the doors and frames in a much whiter colour, so that you can use that type of colour on the walls. Had you considered that?

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
 
June 2018

Q. We need to paint our house exterior. We have painted the roof COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars and are thinking of painting the weatherboards grey. Can you recommend a warm grey, with no hint of blue or lilac? We have some Resene Alabaster from another project which we are happy to use for the window trim, or can you suggest an alternative colour for the trim? We are also open to any other suggestions for a warm, neutral colour for the weatherboards and trim. The house is south west facing, which is why we are tending towards warm colours.

A. Resene Alabaster is perfect for the window trims. You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Delta, Resene Mountain Mist and Resene Friar Grey.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
June 2018

Q. We are mid-way through removing the upper level cladding and re-cladding with vertical Linea® Oblique 300m wide. We have brick on the lower level and we have a dark roof (which is quite visible). Initially we thought to go Resene Half Masala but we now think this may be too dark against our roof. We are now exploring a lighter option in Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White but are not sure how this will look on the brick.

A. I tend to agree with you in regard a lighter colour being used on the new LINEA® cladding. It will create a harmonious break between the brick on the lower portion of the house and the deeper tone of the roof.

Perhaps you might look at slightly more toned versions of the colours you mention - just so that the white isn't too stark - Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Double Black White. Or these two might also be considered - Resene House White or Resene Barely There.

Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
 
June 2018

Q. I have painted the outside of our house, the roof is Resene Grey Friars, the walls are Resene Silver Chalice and windows are Resene Sea Fog. I would like some ideas for a contrast colour for the doors please.

A. You don't mention what types of colours you favour, so the following are a few options to get you started - Resene Whizz Bang, Resene Jalapeno, Resene Celebrate, Resene Cello or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
   
Resene Whizz Bang
Resene Whizz Bang
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Celebrate
Resene Celebrate
Resene Cello
Resene Cello
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
June 2018

Q. I am painting an editing suite for colour grading and I need a specific, middle grey paint that is half way on the colour scale between white and black. This colour needs to be neutral and not tinted in either warm or cool shades, so that it has 18% reflectance in visible light. Does Resene have a middle grey paint that I might be able to use?

A. The following greys fall into the mid tone bracket - Resene Quarter Tapa (LRV 45%) or Resene Mountain Mist (LRV 42%).

All greys carry undertones of colour within them. The first suggestion is very similar to the neutral grey isolator cards Resene use in their fan decks of colour, so that viewing colours through the window in the grey card makes the colour look 'true'. The second option is from the universal BS5252 palette 00 which is referred to as a neutral with nearly nil undertones of colour in them.

I have included the Light Reflectance Value information in case you need that. Resene White has a LRV of 91% and Resene Black an LRV of 4% so a mid-range grey scale would be between LRV 45% and LRV 42%.

If these are too coloured for you, you may be best to request a 'special' colour from Resene’s Colour Lab to meet your very specific needs. If this is the case, please contact your nearest Resene ColorShop or the Resene Architectural Representative who works in the area you are in.

Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
June 2018

Q. I have vinyl flooring which throws chocolate and grey tones. We have a small house, with low ceilings. I am after a warm, neutral colour that would go well.

A. All colours alter on each wall/each room and with any colours seen close to them.

These colours may be worth checking out - beige/taupe neutrals - Resene White Pointer, Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Truffle, or for paler soft warm neutrals - Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Eighth Fossil.

If the ceilings are low, I recommend that you use a soft toned white to make the ceiling look higher. Either of these are good options - Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Eighth Black White.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Eighth Fossil
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
 
June 2018

Q. We have a flat roofed stucco house, with dark brown aluminium joinery. What colours would you recommend to go with the windows? I want a funky look. If the joinery was white, I would go with a dark colour but I have to work with the current colour.

A. When there are existing colours on the house that aren't being changed, sometimes it is about compromising. This is not always what we want to do.

Funky may be a tricky look to pull off successfully. Plus everyone's version of what constitutes 'funky' is uniquely their own.

You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you and look ok with the window joinery - Resene Chicago, Resene Organic, Resene Whirlwind or Resene Fifty Shades, or alternatively a nice light neutral might be considered - Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Sandspit Brown.

Resene Chicago
Resene Chicago
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Fifty Shades
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
June 2018

Q. What colour could you suggest to paint our LINEA®? The roof is Ironsand and it is also going with brick.

A. If you wanted a soft toned deep colour - because with LINEA® you have that option - you might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Ironsand or slightly lighter in tone - Resene Quarter Ironsand. These variants of the roof colour relate well in a harmonious way.

Two much darker variants could be one of these colours - Resene Double Ironsand or Resene Zeus.

Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Zeus
Resene Zeus
June 2018

Q. What colour from your range would best work as a Scandinavian pink?

A. There are a few pinks that feature in Scandinavian colour palettes. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Paper Doll, Resene Soothe, Resene Ebb or Resene Cest La Vie.

Resene Paper Doll
Resene Paper Doll
Resene Soothe
Resene Soothe
Resene Ebb
Resene Ebb
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Cest La Vie
June 2018

Q. I am using Resene Skydiver on my fencing which is 45 metres long, and wish to know what colour I should use on the fence capping please?

A. A crisp white, painted capping can look very effective with beautiful blues - Resene Half Black White or Resene Alabaster.

Alternatively, if you are keen on using another blue you could use one of the following colours - Resene Breathless or Resene Scandi.

Resene Skydiver
Resene Skydiver
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Breathless
Resene Breathless
Resene Scandi
Resene Scandi
June 2018

Q. We have painted the weatherboards Resene Double Tana. What colour could you suggest for the door and window frames? We have silvery aluminium joinery.

A. This can sometimes be tricky. Traditionally windows (sashes, sills and surrounds) were wooden and it was possibly to tie in the surrounds to the house colour or use the same colour as the sashes.

The colour of the powder coated windows [if they are silver] may be too hard to find an exact match in a metallic silver/aluminium paint to paint the surrounds. So that leaves the option of using the main house colour or a colour that is used elsewhere - i.e. the roof colour.

So - this begs the question - do you want the surrounds to be a 'feature' colour like the roof so the windows present as a two colour detail - #1 silver aluminium and #2 other colour. Or, do you want to blend in this detail and paint to match the house so the surrounds are there but don't say 'look at me'? It is your choice.

Resene Double Tana
Resene Double Tana
June 2018

Q. Currently the exterior of the house is a peach/cream colour with bronze joinery and concert tile roof. The roof is a brownish red colour. I'm looking for a latte type colour to paint the house and they all seem to be grey in tinge.

A. Warmer toned beiges like the following might appeal to you - Resene Tea, Resene Half Cougar, Resene Akaroa, Resene Drought, Resene Bronco and Resene Antidote.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Antidote
Resene Antidote
June 2018

Q. I have been using Resene paints for years, thank you. My latest project is updating a 80s Shadowclad® home, with brown joinery that sometimes shows a hint of gold. Can you suggest a colour scheme? I am happy with dark colours, green and also light or dark. Can you also suggest the closest colour match to the 80s joinery?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Talisman, Resene Triple Stonehenge, Resene Sambuca, Resene Haka, Resene Double Pravda, Resene Triple Ash, Resene Half Evolution and Resene Cabbage Pont.

Resene Talisman
Resene Talisman
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Sambuca
Resene Sambuca
Resene Haka
Resene Haka
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Cabbage Pont
Resene Cabbage Pont
June 2018

Q. We are painting our 1970s weatherboard home in the Coromandel inside and out. The house is in an urban beach side community. We want it white, but also to blend in with the surrounding trees. It overlooks the sea to the east but most of the house is either north or south facing. We are thinking of a Resene Gauntlet roof, Resene Half Concrete walls with either Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog windows and railings, and Resene Triple Concrete on the deck. Is Resene Half Concrete going to be light enough, we want a hint of colour so it’s not stark white but not too dark either as it’s set amongst trees and shrubs? It will be either Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster for the inside throughout. The living area has lots of windows and the bedrooms are not huge and are set back behind the living room, so are not so light.

A. All colours on an exterior can appear lighter/brighter than you might imagine they will do because of the sunlight stripping the colour so it appears lighter - i.e. in your case it may look like Resene Quarter Concrete or possibly whiter. Is that ok with you? I like your choice of grey - Resene Gauntlet - for the roof.

If you like the cool silvery toned urban white/greys like Resene Half Concrete as a main colour with a white, you may need to consider using a crisper white so that the main house and the trims don't merge together and appear in some lights to be exactly the same colour.

Perhaps one of these 'whites' for trims might be considered - Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

If you used Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster - and wanted the ceilings and painted woodwork to provide a lighter/brighter contrast, then you could use the same white as that used on the exterior.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaste
     
June 2018

Q. I am facing choosing paint for three bedrooms. We have used Resene Half Merino on the walls in the living area and have painted the ceiling Resene Alabaster. We are pleased with the effect and the living areas are very bright and sunny, with lots of glass.

I painted the hall Resene Half Merino and Resene Alabaster on the ceiling but think I should probably have gone for Resene Quarter Merino, as this area has less glass and is quite pokey and dark in comparison with the living areas.

Is it ok to have a change for the bedroom? I think I’d like to have a change but do not want to make an error and have the house look bitty. The two bedrooms are small doubles, with built in cupboards and dressing table. I will have a mid-toned grey-blue carpet on the floor. Also, outside the window is very green. My current plan is to paint the desk/dressing table top and draw a colour that I can repeat with cushions, bed linen etc. I plan to have Roman blinds for the window. I think the whole alcove might be too much to paint another colour but would take advice on this.

I wondered about linking with the other colours in the house… the blue of the kitchen (I think its Resene New Denim Blue), the Resene Diesel of the front door or perhaps even Resene Linen. Although I don't have yellow anywhere, I do like the idea of having one of the bedrooms used by the grandchildren having some yellow somewhere.

If I were to move away from Resene Half Merino, given that it is in the hall, what colour would you suggest for the walls and ceilings?

A. It is perfectly ok to change colours for bedrooms. I would however, maintain the use of the Resene Alabaster for the ceilings and any wooden trims, so there is continuity in the house.

I like your idea of using Resene Linen or Resene Merino in the bedrooms, but you might need to consider a much lighter variant as colours always appear to have more depth in an interior of a house - often doubling up in intensity.

Perhaps you might carefully test either of these - Resene Quarter Linen or Resene Quarter Merino. Or if these just don't feel right, you could paint both rooms in Resene Half Sea Fog - it is a triple strength Resene Alabaster, so the relationship will still work for you. It is very slightly cleaner toned than Resene Quarter Merino and it doesn't have the tendency to pick up shadows like Resene Quarter Merino can do.

Using Resene Diesel may be a bit too much as a feature, as it is very deep toned but the prospect of using Resene New Denim Blue or a lighter variant is an idea with merit. Resene Quarter New Denim Blue looks lovely in a muted tone and a soft yellow like Resene Half Colonial White is a child friendly colour that you may also find appealing.

You may decide to seek out fabric for a Roman blind, and have cushions, duvets, rugs, or other accessories in one or another of these colours (or both together) in the muted blue grey, and the soft yellows.

Sometimes the finding of fabric drives the colour choices, so I am hoping that by suggesting definite colours before you go shopping, they won't curtail or compromise your options.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter
New Denim Blue
June 2018

Q. I am looking for a kitchen colour that goes with oak cabinets, matai floor, and probably a mix of stainless and rimu benchtops. I was thinking Resene Arrowtown, but it may be a bit dark.

A. If you like Resene Arrowtown but feel it may be a little too dark; you could look at a lighter variant or, alternatively, some similar earthy colours like the following ones - Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Half Pravda, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Foggy Grey.

Resene Arrowtown
Resene Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
June 2018

Q. We are painting our walls in Resene Eighth Truffle. Can you please give me some suggestions for the trim colour?

A. If you want a crisp contrast to the wall colour, you could use Resene Quarter Alabaster. If you want a subtle tonal colour, you could use Resene Quarter Truffle. If you want the trims to completely merge in, you could use a semi-gloss enamel version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Eighth Truffle.

Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
June 2018

Q. Doors/trims are Resene Quarter Wheatfield. I painted the walls Resene Quarter Bianca but the doors now look too cream. The curtains are a neutral brown colour. What colour should I paint the walls so the doors look whiter? Would Resene Half Wheatfield work?

A. The only wall colour that would make a definitely coloured (creamy) white trim and doors look whiter would be a much, much deeper colour which would force your eye and brain to see the cream as whiter by comparison.

All of the Wheatfield colours - even the Resene Quarter Wheatfield or Resene Eighth Wheatfield (which is the palest) will always look yellow/cream especially compared to Resene Quarter Bianca which is a much, much whiter colour. Had you considered painting the doors and trims to match the wall colour? That would work.

Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Half Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
Resene Eighth Wheatfield
June 2018

Q. I'm searching for the perfect ‘Black’ for my front door and top rail of the internal stairway. I am tossing up between Resene Blackjack, Resene All Black or Resene Ironsand. Our exterior walls are Resene Mountain Mist with white trims and a black COLORBOND® roof.

A. I would be inclined to pick Resene All Black. It is a match to the COLORSTEEL® powdercoat colour Ebony. Or you might use Resene Black which is absolutely standard black. The other two you mention are 'coloured' blacks and are browner. Do you want blacks with brown under tones??

Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Black
Resene Black
June 2018

Q. I have a villa in Grey Lynn and want to repaint the inside white - but making a decision on which one is just so confusing. A friend went Resene Black White for walls and Resene Alabaster for trim. I have quite high ceilings as well as dark floors - any solid suggestions?

A. Even though the whites used by your friend are very nice and popular they may not look the same at your place so it does pay to approach the vast amount of options with caution.

I always recommend painting up all the testpot/two coats onto a white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) so you see a large sample. The large card can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how the natural and artificial light alters how the colour looks - and it will often to a surprising degree.

Perhaps you could test these whites which are all slightly different so you can see whether you want a cool white, a stark white or a warm white – try Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Half Merino.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
June 2018

Q. I am trying to decide on a feature wall for my living room. It is a good sized space with an elevated outlook. The kitchen and dining on one side looks to the ocean - the feature wall would be in the other half of the room and I was thinking of a blue to bring the ocean through. I don't want it to look like a childish colour though, and I don't want it to be a dark colour. I know I need to see colours in person but I like Resene Regent St Blue, Resene Spray, Resene Morning Glory and Resene Refresh - they remind me of the ocean and the Pacific. I also was wanting to do a feature wall in the bedroom - originally I wanted to do a soft grey but I am wondering if the blue is better in the master and a more neutral feature in the living... help! The rest of the walls will be white - still choosing one. I found Resene Double Sea Fog too dirty and am looking to testing some brighter very light grey whites this weekend.

A. Try one of these whites to see if one of these is the right one – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino or Resene Barely There.

The blue may be better in the bedroom and a more neutral colour in the living room but you won't know 100% until you carefully test the colours and move them around from room to room. The paler/light blues can look a bit childish as can the very very bright blues so do take the time to carefully check them.

Some other blues to look at – Resene Shakespeare, Resene Seagull or Resene Hemisphere. Some soft greys to look at are Resene Mischka, Resene Half Grey Chateau or Resene Quarter Regent Grey.

Resene Regent St Blue
Resene Regent St Blue
Resene Spray
Resene Spray
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Morning Glory
Resene Refresh
Resene Refresh
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Shakespeare
Resene Shakespeare
Resene Seagull
Resene Seagull
Resene Hemisphere
Resene Hemisphere
Resene Mischka
Resene Mischka
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
 
June 2018

Q. I have an open plan living and kitchen area where all the kitchen cabinets are painted in a light grey and I wanted to paint all the walls in some sort of white and wondered what shade would go with the grey?

A. It depends upon what type of grey you have on the kitchen cabinets - they are all slightly coloured. You might check out these whites to see if they work with your particular grey – Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Quarter Bianca.

If you find one that works well but is too 'white' then you might look at the variants of these colours to see if one of those might be better.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
June 2018

Q. We need to repaint our house. The colour at present is Resene Half Acropolis with Resene Acropolis as a trim. What would you advise to perhaps modernise to a slightly more grey neutral (not grey) bearing in mind the roof will remain the same?

We have been very happy with the look but just want to freshen it up. The windows are bronze. I have looked at Resene Cloud in the white/neutrals colour palette.

A. I think these grey/beige colours may be the sort of colours you have in mind. You could check them out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Cloud and Resene Cloud - these are the same depth of colours as you have on the house now, or Resene Truffle and Resene Double Truffle - these are slightly deeper and fall between the Resene Tea palette and the Resene Cloud palette in hue, or Resene White Pointer and Resene Triple White Pointer - these colours are slighter lighter main colour and slighter stronger (more of a contrast) trim colour.

Resene Acropolis
Resene Acropolis
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
   
June 2018

Q. We are painting most of our house in Resene Duck Egg Blue. We are want a striking splashback in the kitchen, so wanting something that will coordinate with that. The other main colour in the house is wood - wooden floors, doors, etc.

A. Yes Resene Duck Egg Blue is a soft colour with a certain gentle ambiance and looking for 'striking' to go with it can sometimes be tricky.

You could use a metallic paint colour – Resene Blast Grey 3, or a deep red – Resene Red It, or a deep teal – Resene Teal Blue.

Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Blast Grey 3
Resene Red It
Resene Red It
Resene Teal Blue
Resene Teal Blue
June 2018

Q. What would work well with Resene Half Emerge? I am looking for a darker colour to use as a feature wall.

A. One of the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Half Innocence (or the full strength version) - Resene Innocence or Resene Dark Slate, Resene Elephant, Resene Cod Grey, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Wanted or Resene Zinzan.

Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Half Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Innocence
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Elephant
Resene Elephant
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Wanted
Resene Wanted
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
 
June 2018

Q. I have a COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod roof and Nearly Black joinery on a 1930s bungalow we are renovating. I would like grey weatherboards, white fascia and facing boards etc. What would you suggest for the grey and the white with this roof colour?

A. One of these combos might appeal to you - Resene Half Friar Grey and Resene Half Barely There, Resene Eighth Masala and Resene Sea Fog or Resene Gauntlet and Resene Black White.

Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
June 2018

Q. We have Resene Parchment on the walls in our hallway and stairwell, as well as on the skirting and door frames. We would like a lighter colour for the walls (keeping the skirting and door frames as Resene Parchment). Can you please suggest a lighter colour that would go with existing Resene Parchment? We are also putting in a new splashback in the kitchen as we want to replace the existing stainless steel splashback. The wall colour is Resene Alto. Could you please suggest a colour for the splashback?

A. Because Resene Parchment is such a definite colour; I think you need to take care in choosing a lighter wall colour. Too light a colour will emphasise the Resene Parchment a lot, so it is not only deeper but a dirtier type of colour. The following are a few options that would work - Resene Half Parchment, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Some splashback colour suggestions that may appeal to you are these - Resene Rhino, Resene Trouble or Resene Steam Roller.

Or as an alternative, you could use crystal clear low iron oxide glass directly over your wall paint. Crystal clear low iron oxide glass is totally clear, so it doesn't take on a greenish cast like standard float glass does and alter how the paint colour behind it looks.

Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Alto
Resene Alto
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Steam Roller
Resene Steam Roller
   
June 2018

Q. I am seeking advice for a shade of white, for the ceiling of my one room bach. The walls are painted Resene Linen. There's plenty of light but the ceiling is quite low. I want it to look crisp. Would you have any ideas please?

A. If you are after a ‘crisp’ white, you’ll want to use Resene Alabaster. This is a very standard choice for ceilings and trim. It will however, make your walls look greyer and darker, because of how ‘white’ it is. If this doesn’t appeal, just use a colour that is slightly greyer, like Resene Black White.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
June 2018

Q. Our bathrooms and mud room, in our new build in the country, will be having Interno Mud tiles on the floor and Interno Pearl tiles halfway up the walls. The vanities are rimu. What colour paint do you recommend for the walls above the tiles? I was considering Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Quill Grey. The rooms are all on the south side of the house. The main colour for the living area is Resene Spanish White, with Resene Quarter Spanish White for the doors and trims. However I am considering toning down these colours, to Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Eighth Spanish White.

A. My small concern is that grey colours in a south facing room will look grim. The south aspect is not known for its' warmth. The other concern I have, is that using a grey wall colour may make the floor tiles look much browner.

If you are keen on using a grey, please test the colours very well by painting up large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) with all of the testpot/two coats leaving an unpainted white card border all around the perimeter. The white card border helps you judge the reality of the colour and its true depth in comparison to white. The card can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how the colour alters with different angles. You can also see what changing natural light and artificial light do to the colour as well. If you roll the painted card into a cone shape, with the colour innermost and look into it, you see the colour deeper. This is a very good indicator of what four walls of colour will look like. Colour is always deeper in an interior than you might imagine it will be.

A few other warm greys for you to check out might be these ones - Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey.

Lightening the main wall and trim colours will add a brighter look to the interior. Please test Resene Eighth Spanish White in case it is too peachy to go with the other variants of Resene Spanish White. As an alternative, if a lighter/whiter colour is required for the trims, you might check out Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
June 2018

Q. I am just wondering if you have a pink that would best complement Resene Quarter Karaka.

A. Some of these pinks may appeal to you – Resene Paper Doll, Resene Sakura, Resene Dust Storm or Resene Pink Terrace, or a full bodied peach pink – Resene Dawn Chorus or Resene Wax Flower, or paler tints – Resene Tuft Bush or Resene Pot Pourri.

Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Paper Doll
Resene Paper Doll
Resene Sakura
Resene Sakura
Resene Dust Storm
Resene Dust Storm
Resene Pink Terrace
Resene Pink Terrace
Resene Dawn Chorus
Resene Dawn Chorus
Resene Wax Flower
Resene Wax Flower
Resene Tuft Bush
Resene Tuft Bush
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
 
June 2018

Q. We are building a new home and we have chosen Sandstone Grey for the window joinery and want to paint the weatherboards Resene Merino or Resene Half White Pointer. We want a modern look with a light colour but not too white. Do you think the colours I mentioned work with the joinery? The interior will be Resene Sea Fog for walls, Resene Double Alabaster for ceilings and doors and Resene Alabaster for trims. There will be a lot of windows, so will these colours be too light?

A. The interior colours will display a very subtle palette of colours - they are very closely related whites, so they will look very good together. All colours seen in an interior appear slightly more 'coloured' because angles of walls, and smaller or dim rooms, emphasise the depth more.

The exterior main colour will look a lot lighter/whiter than you might imagine it would look. Bright natural light robs them of their depth. Put in a simpler way, they may look like lighter versions of the colours you mention. If this is a worry to you, I suggest you test the slightly deeper variants - Resene Double Merino, Resene White Pointer and possibly the following greyer toned colours to see which appeals to you the most - Resene Half Foggy Grey and Resene Atmosphere.

If you can pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop, to view the larger A4 real paint samples of these colours in their Colour Library, with a real metal sample of Sandstone Grey to compare it, I am sure it will help you a lot.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
 
July 2018

Q. We are renovating and have painted our entire walls Resene White Pointer. I am putting in warm white kitchen cabinets, with a marble look bench. It’s a galley style kitchen and I want to paint one wall ‘black’ which will go from the kitchen down through to the dining room wall. What ‘black’/dark colour goes with Resene White Pointer please?

A. Almost any black will work for you with Resene White Pointer but you might check out these slightly warmed blacks to see if they appeal to you - Resene Blackjack, Resene Element and Resene Blackout or just plain ordinary black - Resene Black.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Black
Resene Black
July 2018

Q. We are building at the moment. The house has a black tile roof and aluminium, with bricks with slurry over top which I am painting. We also have Titan board above three gables, outside the back door, two living areas and the front door. I don't want to paint as dark as Resene Nero. I love Resene Jaguar, but feel it may throw too much purple/navy and I want something softer than black.

A. You might check out these warmer black shades to see if they appeal to you - Resene Blackjack, Resene Element, Resene Blackout or Resene Bokara Grey. Or softer charcoal colours may appeal more - Resene Nocturnal, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Foundry.

Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
   
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
 
July 2018

Q. Could you please suggest Resene paint colours that would match this green wall and white ceiling?

A. It is a rich olive green, and depending upon the natural and artificial light - which can alter it a lot - it could be similar to one of these colours - Resene Seaweed, Resene Log Cabin or Resene Scrub. The white is easier to define - Resene Alabaster or perhaps a crisper variant - Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Seaweed
Resene Seaweed
Resene Log Cabin
Resene Log Cabin
Resene Scrub
Resene Scrub
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
July 2018

Q. We are painting our weatherboard home and replacing old wooden window joinery, with aluminium. Our roof is COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. What colour weatherboards and exterior wooden frame around the aluminium joinery would you suggest and what colour aluminium on window joinery, to complement?

A. You will need to choose your aluminium window colour first, before the weatherboard colours.

Generally these days, houses either have light or dark aluminium coloured windows. You could use Ironsand and match the roof – this always looks smart and very modern. If you wanted the windows to resemble a classic timber look, then opt for Appliance White colour. Silver Pearl is another popular colour; just remember that whatever colour you choose, you will see it on the inside as well. You’ll need to think about what kind of look you want overall. Find some pictures you like the look of and note what colour the joinery is.

Do you know what type of colour you want for the weatherboard? It needs to be a light colour, so that the timber doesn’t warp and the paint doesn’t fail come summer time.

Once you have found an aluminium colour you like do let me know and I can provide further advice.

July 2018

Q. I want a white that will brighten up my home. We have a garden out the front and lots of trees surrounding, but also a white washed deck directly outside the house. Our floorboards are a brown/orange original timber. I'm looking for the Scandinavian style of house/ mixed rustic. So far I’ve looked at Resene Quarter Tasman and Resene Half Rice Cake.

A. For that white Scandi look, you’ll want to use something like Resene Half Sea Fog on the walls and perhaps Resene Alabaster for the trim (semi-gloss finish). Resene Half Sea Fog is a white with a hint of grey, slightly more colour than typical Scandi, which is almost pure white.

Resene Half Rice Cake is also a great colour, but is has more yellow than Resene Half Sea Fog. If you want a warmer white, then use Resene Half Rice Cake. Resene Half Sea Fog won’t feel ‘cold’ though, it’s a warm grey. It works with everything, every colour, texture etc.

Colours such as Resene Quarter Tasman could be used for spare rooms or your master, if you wanted a slightly different colour while still maintaining that grey undertone.

Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Quarter Tasman
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
July 2018

Q. We have a new build with COLORSTEEL® Titania joinery. We were thinking of Resene Half Napa, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Tea but what do you think is best with Titania? Normally we use Resene Quarter Alabaster on the ceiling and Resene Double Alabaster on doors and architraves. An alternative to Resene Alabaster is Karen Walker Resene Wan White. Do you think it would be too grey?

A. Resene Half Napa and Resene Truffle work the best with your window colour. Resene Truffle is greyer, slightly more modern than Resene Napa, but if you’re after a slight brown undertone then Resene Napa is a great option. If you like the warmth of the Resene Tea family, you’ll need to increase the strength to full Resene Tea instead of Resene Half Tea.

Have you chosen a main wall colour yet? This will need to be done before deciding on the trim colour.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
     
July 2018

Q. I have no idea what colours (plural) to paint my home. I am also lacking storage and that is another story. I prefer modern and clean. Greys from white to black with leather, brick, or rock accent wallpaper on a few walls is what I have envisioned for my little suburban home.

A. You might check out these modern clean looking whites, greys and blacks - Resene Half Black White (this is the ‘white’), and the following are greys that go from lightest to deepest – Resene Athens Grey (also known as Resene Eighth Silver Chalice), Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Double Silver Chalice.

A charcoal and a black that you might look at to use with the preceding greys and white might be these ones – Resene Grey Friars or Resene Double Cod Grey.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
 
July 2018

Q. I plan to paint the exterior of my cottage in Resene Pumice with Resene Rice Cake around the windows and would like a blue to match for the door. I live right on the sea. My problem being the cottage has a Karaka green roof so I need a blue to match that. I do love Resene Blue Bark but am not too sure of this with Karaka.

A. Resene Blue Bark might be alright once it gets outside with some sunlight on it, but otherwise it is too dark when seen with the Karaka. You could try Resene Elephant or Resene Tarawera which are lighter versions of Resene Blue Bark. Something a little greener would be the Resene Casal which is a gorgeous colour. A little greyer but that would most definitely work in with your colour scheme.

Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Elephant
Resene Elephant
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Casal
Resene Casal
July 2018

Q. My guttering and front door are Ironsand, with Silver Pearl joinery and a black roof. I have tried Resene Half Masala, Resene Cobblestone and Resene Castle Rock. Would you have any suggestions please?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Gauntlet, Resene Quarter Ironsand or deeper - Resene Half Ironsand and Resene Eighth Masala or deeper Resene Quarter Masala and Resene Quarter Gravel.

Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Castle Rock
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
 
July 2018

Q. I need a white with a brown tint. Any suggestions where to look please?

A. Perhaps you could check out the Resene Multi-Finish palettes to look at pale colours that have BR in the colour codes. BR indicates a brown undertone. The lightest colours with a brown undertone are usually referred to as beige - not white.

The palest colours in the Whites & Neutrals collection that may be worth checking out are these ones - Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Eighth Truffle.

Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
July 2018

Q. I would like a dark grey paint to complement Resene Akaroa and Titanium (white). We also need to replace old terracotta tiles in our entry to go with these colours.

A. You might check out these dark greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Windswept, Resene Element or Resene Ironsand, or lighter warm tones - Resene Half Ironsand, Resene Half Gravel CC or Resene Half Baltic Sea.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
 
July 2018

Q. I have a rental property which is on a hillside and gets a lot of sun and wind. I would like to change the colour from its current green and white, to something earthier - I'm thinking of lighter tones of grey or brown but I am open to different ideas. We are repainting the weatherboards, roof (also green) and garage door (also green).

A. The following are two palettes of colours to try. The first one greyish and the second one favours brown a little more.

Palette 1 - Resene Eighth Friar Grey - main colour, Resene Double Black White - trims and any 'white' detail and Resene Gauntlet - roof and garage door.

Palette 2 - Resene Half Bison Hide - main colour, Resene Sea Fog - trims and any 'white' detail and Resene Ironsand - roof and garage door.

Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
July 2018

Q. My kitchen renovation has Resene Quarter Iron on the walls, Resene Snowdrift cupboards and white with a grey ‘swirl’ bench top. It is a small kitchen, but I am thinking about a blue colour for the glass splashback to make it pop and not make the kitchen feel cold or closed in. Would you have any suggestions please?

A. There are some gorgeous blues available. Brighter or deeper richer blues are warmer than paler blues. Perhaps one of the following might appeal to you - Resene Point Break, Resene Resolution Blue, Resene Tory Blue, Resene Bondi Blue, Resene Into The Blue or Resene Wet N Wild.

Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Point Break
Resene Point Break
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Tory Blue
Resene Tory Blue
Resene Bondi Blue
Resene Bondi Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Into The Blue
Resene Wet N Wild
Resene Wet N Wild
July 2018

Q. Our entrance way and hallway are painted Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, and I am looking for advice on a yellow and a brick red/orange that would go well with it. The yellow is for the walls of a large, light bedroom that is off the hallway. The brick red is for the doors in a hallway. As you can probably tell, we like colour, but we also want to create a sense of peaceful harmony (rather than a dramatic in-your-face feeling) between all the colours. Also, we are rather sold on the idea of the yellow bedroom, but if you think there is a better colour than brick red for the hallway doors, then please let me know!

A. I have used the orange/green-blue combination before and it looks fantastic, so hopefully you like one of the colours below for your doors - Resene Ayers Rock, Resene Fire, Resene Kamikaze or Resene Bonfire.

Some yellow options to try for the bedroom are Resene Egg Sour, Resene Dairy Cream, Resene Apache, Resene Splash or Resene Half Melting Moment.

Something to consider is that colours inside will look darker and more intense once painted on all four walls – this is very important when dealing with strong colours such as yellows!

Resene stores 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.

Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Robin Egg Blue
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Fire
Resene Fire
Resene Kamikaze
Resene Kamikaze
Resene Bonfire
Resene Bonfire
Resene Egg Sour
Resene Egg Sour
Resene Dairy Cream
Resene Dairy Cream
Resene Apache
Resene Apache
Resene Splash
Resene Splash
Resene Half Melting Moment
Resene Half
Melting Moment
July 2018

Q. We are building a new home and we are looking for a dark colour for a feature wall in the master bedroom. The other walls are Resene White Pointer. What colour do you suggest for the feature wall?

A. You could go for a dark colour or a dark neutral. For colours try Resene Shadowy Blue, Resene Trouble, Resene Atlas, Resene Templestone or Resene Coast. For charcoals try Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Gumboot, Resene Foundry or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
       
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Trouble
Resene Trouble
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
July 2018

Q. We are painting our whitish bach to freshen it up to a more modern look. We are thinking Resene Double Silver Chalice for the main house weatherboards with Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the trims. Our roof is Grey Friars. Would it be safe to choose a statement colour for the external doors, such as Resene Shadowy Blue? Would all those colours blend nicely? It is a seaside bach surrounded by bush, so we wanted a darker house paint to hide a bit more than white. We also have a funny plaster strip below the weatherboard and around the garage. What colour would you recommend we paint that? It is currently a darker shade.

A. Resene Double Silver Chalice will give you enough colour to disguise any dirt on the boards from surrounding bush and is a great neutral grey. If you want a softer, classic looking scheme, using Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the trim will give you this look. The colours will be closer together, not as much contrast. If you are going for more of a modern and crisp look, use Resene Athens Grey for the trim. This is actually Resene Eighth Silver Chalice, so still within the same family, but offers just a bit more difference in colour.

Resene Shadowy Blue for the door is perfect; it’s a beautiful colour and great for coastal baches.

As for the plaster foundation at the bottom of the house, I would make that a darker colour, but not from the Resene Silver Chalice family – it will be too much of the same. Try Resene Double Stack, Resene Tuna or Resene Half Mako.

Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Half Mako
Resene Half Mako
July 2018

Q. We live in an unsightly block with 1960s green peeling paintwork! I was thinking of painting it a dark grey with something else, but I think I’d like to be more adventurous. Plus I notice some grey blocks I used to admire are now turning white!

We are going to strip the interior foyer wallpaper, sand the wood wall panelling back, remove carpet and polish the concrete floor entering block. We're also hoping to replace an outdated fence with a black fence.

The windows should probably stay white for wear and tear reasons. Are there any new off-whites or popular shades that might appeal to this block, or can you offer any thoughts please?

Alternatively, it could be one of the new neutrals with black windows which might be nice. I have to agree with three owners but if I come up with something interesting, they would probably like the suggestions.

A. I agree about the wooden window frames staying a white. My mind skitters away from wooden window frames painted black because of the strong likelihood of heat related damage occurring to the wood.

If you looked at the following neutrals you may see something that appeal to you – deeper/earthy neutrals - main colour - Resene Quarter Ironsand, lighter contrast colour - Resene Triple Merino and window frames, door frames and under soffits - Resene Quarter Merino. Or try whiter modern neutrals - main colour - Resene Triple Black White, lighter contrast colour - Resene Black White and window frames, door frames and under soffits - Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
July 2018

Q. We have a large open plan living area, with light oak floors in the kitchen and dining area, and navy carpet in the living areas. The area is very well lit. All the walls are Resene Quarter Pavlova with curtains/blinds in dark beige (shades similar to Resene Double Pavlova, Resene Triple Thorndon Cream and Resene Double Tea). We are looking for slighter fresher wall colours and also a colour for new kitchen cabinetry. We have painted Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and Resene Half White Pointer on the walls in test patches, but they both look almost identical and a bit clinical.

We tried Resene Sea Fog and Resene Double Sea Fog but they were too cool for the curtains. Can you please suggest light neutrals which could be used for all the walls and something white/neutral for the cupboards which will go with the walls? The kitchen bench is a very neutral white, with a bit of warm grey veining and a few bits of brown and flecks of gold.

A. When you paint a colour straight onto existing painted plasterboard, it distorts how you see it and often puts you off using that colour, even if it was the right one. The best way to test is to paint onto a large piece of A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and leave a white unpainted border around the edge. This allows your eye to see the difference between new and old colours.

Here are some wall colour options that are still warm but lighter - Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Double Villa White. Some options for the kitchen cabinetry are Resene Cararra, Resene Bianca or Resene Half Rice Cake.

Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Double Pavlova
Resene Double Pavlova
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
 
July 2018

Q. We have a black and white kitchen, engineered stone white/grey marble bench top, exposed aggregate polished concrete floor throughout, open plan kitchen/dining/living with lots of grey/black/white/ochre/brown stones. The joinery is like your colour Resene Element. We will use Resene Element for board and battens outside. There is lots of light with north/west facing glass doors/windows. What mid-tone colour would you suggest for walls? I don’t want to go yellow tones.

A. You could check out these mid-tone colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Double House White or Resene Triple Sea Fog.

They may appear - at first glance - to be a little too light, but all colours in an interior have the potential to look twice the depth that you might imagine they will do once all walls are painted. If you have a north/west aspect, the late afternoon sun will warm up any wall colour, so it is really important that they be carefully tested so that you can see how a colour might alter.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Double House White
Resene Double
House White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
 
July 2018

Q. I am struggling with finding a good wall colour to go with aged polished American Oak flooring that has become quite honey toned over time, and now throws a lot of yellow onto surrounding surfaces.

A. Late afternoon light - west - will warm up and possibly yellow a wall colour or flooring even if there is absolutely no yellow in it.

You might check out these colours to see if they subdue the yellow effect but please be aware that the 'culprit' may be the flooring and the natural light aspect. Try Resene Half Truffle, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene White Pointer.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
July 2018

Q. I am renovating a Queenslander weatherboard period house. Outside I am proposing Resene Double Concrete/Resene Triple Concrete with white trim and a Resene Indian Ink front door. What neutral do you suggest inside? I am looking for a Hamptons feel with a very slight grey tone - I have looked at Resene Half White Pointer which looks good, but I am just concerned it may look more greige, and I want to avoid brown/yellow tones. But I also don’t want a house of blanket grey!

A. You might check out several greyed whites and compare them to each other so that you can identify the underlying tints that are in each colour – Resene Double Black White, Resene Barely There, Resene House White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Half Athens Grey or Resene Half Concrete.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
 
July 2018

Q. Our 1990s house is being updated. It has a Grey Friars roof (which we are keeping). We are replacing the cladding and all the joinery is being replaced. I was wondering what Resene Atmosphere with Grey Friars joinery and balustrades would look like or are we better to go with light grey joinery. Originally we liked Resene Gauntlet for the cladding with silver pearl joinery. The roof is mainly noticeable from the east. We have views of the sea and greenery.

A. If you like strong contrasting colour schemes, Grey Friars joinery/balustrade with Resene Atmosphere for the cladding will look fantastic. It will give you a very clean and sophisticated look because you’re only using two or three colours. The more colours you use, the busier the scheme. Generally character homes etc work well with multiple colours because there are places to put them, but 80s and 90s homes don’t typically have too many ‘pretty’ areas to highlight, so this combination is perfect. Darker joinery is great inside too, it works with pretty much every other colour and actually when you look out the window, you don’t notice a darker colour like you notice white. You look past the joinery to the view.

If you want to create a little bit more of a ‘feature’ with the claddings, use Grey Friars for the new cladding, silver pearl for the joinery and Resene Sea Fog for the existing cladding.

Resene Gauntlet is a really nice mid-tone warm grey that works well with the Grey Friars. You could use that for the new cladding, keep the existing cladding colour and use Silver Pearl for joinery. This will give you a tonal look for the cladding and hide the window joinery.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
July 2018

Q. I have been slowly redecorating and have come to the upstairs family bathroom and I am a bit stuck for the wall colour. In the downstairs living areas and upstairs spare bedrooms I have Resene Alabaster ceilings, doors and trims and walls in Resene Quarter Truffle. The bathroom will have ceiling, doors and trims done in Resene Alabaster and I want the walls to be fresh and light but the long vanity top is cream and the current yellow tone walls are not my taste. I also would like some advice on painting over the fish tiles (the white ones are ok for now) around the bath. Maybe i could paint these the same as the wall colour or maybe white to match the other tiles. The bathroom has a separate toilet with its own door and the shower area, with a shower over the bath and a normal shower in the other corner. It also has a separate door so the total bathroom is made up of three rooms.

A. What an interesting space you have there. Painting walls is easy enough, but I assume the painting of tiles is a temporary fix? If the tiles are going to get constant moisture/water running over them, we don’t advise you paint at all. For tiles that aren’t in water contact you can paint over them by cleaning the tiles, apply Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, then overcoating with Resene topcoats, such as Resene Enamacryl gloss.

Here are some light and bright warmer neutrals to try with your cabinetry benchtop: Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Cararra or Resene Half Albescent White.

You might want to consider a light colour for the walls as a bit of a change from the neutral elsewhere in the house, something that is reasonably common in bathrooms – even one of the rooms perhaps. You could then use a deeper version of that wall colour for the tiles in the shower to link the spaces. Of course you could do the same with the neutrals too. Try Resene Paris White, Resene Cut Glass, Resene Umber White or Resene Half Secrets.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Cararra
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Paris White
Resene Paris White
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Umber White
Resene Umber White
Resene Half Secrets
Resene Half Secrets
 
July 2018

Q. Mum is going to paint her Hardiboard house. She likes pale yellow. I’ve suggested Resene Akaroa to modernise. What colours do you suggest for the garage door, front door, gutters, facings, and front concrete porch? Mum fancies a black door but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

A. Resene Akaroa will give you a nice depth of colour on the boards while still being warm and sneaking that little bit of grey undertone in. Try Resene Quarter Akaroa for the facing boards/fascia etc. This will give you contrast between the cladding but an overall softer appearance rather than using white and having it look too stark and modern. The garage door would look great in Resene Half Masala which is lighter than the roof but darker than Resene Akaroa. It also has a decent amount of grey tone to modernise but still being a brown. For the front door – let her have a dark colour! Instead of black, you could try using Resene Bokara Grey, a very dark brown that will tone better. Full gloss, go all out.

For the concrete, you can either leave it unpainted or if it is currently painted and needs redoing, then perhaps paint using Resene Eighth Masala.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
July 2018

Q. I'm after a warm white for an older home that gets very little natural light and has green/blue carpet, and a lot of wood. What colour/colours would you suggest? It also has dark ceiling beams I'm hoping to paint over to lighten it up, should I stick with the same colour as walls or do a contrast?

A. To simplify the look in your house it might be a good idea to use the same colour for both walls and ceilings. Try these colours to see how they appeal to you – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Villa White or Resene Half Orchid White. These colours lighten and brighten rooms as well as work well with wood trims and green/blue carpets.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
July 2018

Q. I am going to paint my 1970s Summerhill stone house Resene Half Cougar. The roof is Ironsand and it also has Resene Quarter Black White. Can you please suggest some ideas for the contrast colour for the gable and window sills?

A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Pravda or a completely different definite hue to create more of a statement – Resene Coast or Resene Viktor.

Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
July 2018

Q. What colours would go with our roof? We have a COLORSTEEL® roof and gutters in Sandstone Grey and white aluminium joinery, with a white fascia and soffit.

A. Try the following to see if they appeal to you – Resene Atmosphere, Resene Tana, Resene Double Merino or Resene Half Friar Grey.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
July 2018

Q. We are choosing carpets/curtains for retirement units. At the moment, we have slate and taupe carpets and complementary curtains in the living room/bedrooms. We are aiming for a simple colour scheme and are looking at Resene Double Black White for walls, skirtings and architraves and Resene Black White for ceilings. Are these colours too close in range?

A. I think if you used Resene Black White for the walls you might consider using a crisper white for the ceilings so there is some measure of contrast. Try Resene Quarter Black White.

You could use a deeper variant for the doors - it may be an aid for the elderly whose eyesight may be not as good as it used to be - perhaps Resene Double Black White or Resene Triple Black White.

By using variations of the same colour it creates a livelier look.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
July 2018

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

 

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

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