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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 79

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. 79

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


Q. I am using Resene Eighth Akaroa on my architraves and skirting and Resene Half Akaroa on the walls. What colour would you use on the ceiling and scotia? I feel Resene Black White and Resene Half Black White is too grey based. Was considering Resene Quarter Albescent White. I also looked at Resene Eighth Thornton Cream. What are your thoughts?

A. I like the Resene Quarter Albescent White as it picks up a subtle warmth in a similar way to the Resene Akaroa palette of colours that you have used.

I am not 100 per cent certain that the Resene Eighth Thornton Cream would work as it has a subtle yellow/green undertone to it which may conflict with the warmth of the Resene Akaroa palette of colours.

Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
September 2018

Q. I am looking for suggestions for a contrasting colour that will go with Resene Half Sandspit Brown.

A. If Resene Half Sandspit Brown is your main colour then the following suggestions are a few that work really well with it - Resene Half Malta, Resene Sandcastle, Resene Coffee Break, Resene Wolverine, Resene Stack, Resene Viktor or Resene Wishing Well.

Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Malta
Resene Half Malta
Resene Sandcastle
Resene Sandcastle
Resene
Resene Coffee Break
Resene Wolverine
Resene Wolverine
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
 
September 2018

Q. I need help in choosing a new colour to complement biscuit coloured bricks, dark brown aluminium joinery, garage door, and roof.

A. Perhaps you might prefer a lighter colour. It might be a better way to go as all deep colours will fade with our extreme sunlight. A few options for you to consider - Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Triple Spanish White, Resene Double Drought, Resene Sandstone, Resene Stonewashed, Resene Double Napa or Resene Stonehenge.

This selection of colours endeavours to relate to all the many colours in the bricks and the grout between them as well as associating reasonably well with the dark brown aluminium joinery etc.

Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Triple Spanish White
Resene Triple
Spanish White
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
Resene Sandstone
Resene Sandstone
Resene Sandstone
Resene Sandstone
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
September 2018

Q. We are repainting the ceiling and above the picture rails in a 100 year old slightly cool dark villa, but in each room we have wallpaper that we’d like to leave for the moment. What warm white could we use which would work ok with greens, reds, golds and creams? What cleaner white would be ok for two dark bathrooms, usual white fittings? We want to leave as much natural wood as we can doors, windows, trim and skirting.

A. Some warmer whites that you might consider using are these ones - Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Alabaster.

You might consider checking these options out in regards to the bathrooms as well to see if they work in the dark spaces.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2018

Q. We are building a new extension onto our existing house and the entranceway consists of an atrium which has floating stairs made of kauri treads and a black painted central backbone of steel that will have a glass balustrade, which leads up to a snug upstairs. It looks a big space as it has a raking ceiling. I am concerned that painting the whole area white/light colour will make it look like an office building. We have lots of art to display but I wonder whether we should paint the big wall (without the stairs) another colour or a deeper shade of the chosen colour. We have gone with Resene Alabaster for the ceilings but are at a loss to pick a colour for the walls. I like clean clear colours and the front door is the same as the joinery - FlaxPod (blackish), the carpet chosen is Bremworth Levante, Glazed Gray. Help the painter is on his way!

A. You might consider using a toned up white (related to the ceiling colour) as the main colour - Resene Half Sea Fog (aka Resene Triple Alabaster) or Resene Sea Fog, and a rich deep blue, dark green or warm deep charcoal on the large wall – try Resene Zinzan, Resene Indian Ink, Resene Atlas, Resene Midnight Moss, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey or Resene Fuscous Grey.

Because of the depth of the feature wall colours suggested, artwork can look amazing on it as it projects the colours at you visually.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
Resene Midnight Moss
Resene Midnight Moss
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
 
September 2018

Q. Can you suggest a triadic colour scheme using Resene Half Canterbury Clay as the dominant colour please?

A. You’ll need to use a blue green and a red violet to complete the scheme. I’m not sure what theme you’re going for or which room this is for, so it’s a little tricky to answer. I would personally look to use a deeper jade/teal in my accessories and find some artwork that had the violet in. If you want wall colours, these could work: Resene Gecko, Resene Undercover, Resene Gum Leaf, Resene Couture, Resene Blackberry or Resene Arthouse.

Aim to use a light, mid and deep colour scheme. If all three colours are the same depth it’s not as interesting as if you use a dark green with a pastel purple etc.

Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half
Canterbury Clay
Resene Gecko
Resene Gecko
Resene Undercover
Resene Undercover
Resene Gum Leaf
Resene Gum Leaf
Resene Couture
Resene Couture
Resene Blackberry
Resene Blackberry
Resene Arthouse
Resene Arthouse
 
September 2018

Q. I have a brick house that I want to paint. The joinery and the partial weatherboard is Ironsand. What colours would suit this?

A. Here are some options: Resene White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Ash, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Half Dusted Blue.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
 
September 2018

Q. Is Resene Half Sea Fog considered a warm colour tone?

A. It could be described that way if you were comparing it to a true white. I describe it as a soft edged white as it isn't as stark as real white.
It might also look slightly warm on the west facing facade of an exterior that receives the yellow/red sun’s rays in the late afternoon. But if it was used in conjunction with cool toned blues or greys it might look cooler. If it was in a south facing room interior it might look cooler also.

Deeper variants of this colour could be considered warmer than this very white version.

All colours are chameleons and alter to suit whichever situation they are seen in.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
September 2018

Q. I need some help choosing exterior colours for my house. It's an old school building (1911). I am looking for a warm white for the windows (Resene Alabaster) and a light grey or cream for the walls (Resene White Pointer or Resene Thorndon Cream). The building will be re-roofed in COLORSTEEL® (light grey) of some sort.

A. Resene Alabaster (or Double) for the windows is absolutely fine, a good choice. It works with everything, and isn’t so bright that it will blind you.

For the roof, you may want to look at Sandstone Grey. This is a nice depth of colour; the Gull Grey is often too light and harder to work around.

For the cladding, Resene Thorndon Cream would be a perfect option. It has a slight green undertone while still being yellow and grey all at the same time. If you don’t want to see too much colour, use a half version. Other colours you might like to try are: Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Tea and Resene Eighth Arrowtown.

For a little bit of something different, you could think about painting your soffits in a colour rather than the typical white. Barge boards etc could stay white, easier for maintenance, but here are some colours for the soffit: Resene Port Phillip, Resene Wanaka, Resene Green House or Resene Stetson.

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

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL®
Sandstone Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Port Phillip
Resene Wanaka
Resene Wanaka
Resene Green House
Resene Green House
Resene Stetson
Resene Stetson
 
September 2018

Q. We would like a warm grey for our new home and like the colour Concrete, we also have considered Resene Double Concrete or Resene Triple Concrete. We also have exposed concrete floors. Would you suggest that Resene Concrete will be a warm tone or can you suggest another colour that is similar?

A. I personally find Resene Concrete to be a cooler type of colour, however it is a very popular tone for interiors throughout. I’d say most people would use a half strength, full Resene Concrete at most. This will give you an off-white/light grey look.

If you want a warmer grey, here are some options: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Atmosphere.

Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
 
September 2018

Q. We are recladding and reroofing our house and are having some trouble deciding on the paint colour for the cladding. Our windows are Matt Canvas Cloth and our roof will be Sandstone Grey. Do you have suggestions for the cladding colour?

A. There are two different ways of approaching this. Firstly, if you want to hide the colour of the windows, choose a colour within those tonings – depths will depend on the type of cladding you have. Have you clad with timber or fibre cement?

If you don’t mind about seeing the windows, use a lighter neutral or a pale colour which could also look really nice. I’ll give options below for everything:

Option one: Resene Caraway, Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Quarter Bison Hide.

Option two: Resene Merino, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Pumice, Resene Breeze or Resene Halcyon.

Resene Caraway
Resene Caraway
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
 
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
Resene Halcyon
Resene Halcyon
September 2018

Q. Looking for a white to go with Gull Grey roofing for a barn style house. It will also have black colonial windows and a small amount of charcoal grey bricks.

A. Colours outside look about half a shade lighter, and this is most accurate for off-white and light colours. Most ‘off-whites’ like Resene Half Sea Fog will look quite bright outside, so you need to decide how ‘white’ you want your house to look. Choosing a colour just slightly deeper than you think you want is often a good idea for the exterior. Below are some different depths of colours. All will have a grey undertone due to the roof and charcoal already in use.

Try Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Eighth Ash, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Athens Grey or Resene Black White.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
 
September 2018

Q. What would be a good colour for our house in a street with similar looking houses that are all white or cream?

A. I have chosen colours that will still work with your charcoal roof and trim. These colours vary in depths but most have an element of grey undertone in keeping with current trends. If you wanted to change the window colour, you could either use a deeper version of the new house colour, or something to contrast – everything will work with the charcoal on the barge and roof.

Try Resene Half Halcyon, Resene Pumice, Resene Sorrento, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Carefree or Resene Beryl Green.

Resene Half Halcyon
Resene Half Halcyon
Resene Pumice
Resene Pumice
Resene Sorrento
Resene Sorrento
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Beryl Green
Resene Beryl Green
September 2018

Q. Our bedroom has Resene Quarter Tea on the walls and Resene Alabaster trim and curtains. The ensuite and the bedspread are Resene Quarter Powder Blue and the floor is taupe. I want to paint the wall behind a bed something darker to anchor the room as it is all a bit light at the moment. What are your suggestions?

A. You might check out the following colours for the wall behind the bed to see if they appeal to you - Resene Powder Blue, Resene Tea, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Raven.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
Resene Quarter
Powder Blue
 
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Powder Blue
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
September 2018

Q. I need help picking a paint colour for my home that matches Grey Friar. This colour is used on my fence and will be used on our roof. I just need help with choosing a colour for the fibre cement weatherboards. We have old aluminium windows so I'm finding it difficult to find a colour that doesn't clash with them.

A. The base of the house could be a similar sort of grey as the roof and the fence but much lighter. Perhaps one of these colours - Resene Quarter Grey Friars or Resene Half Tuna.

The main colour for the house could be one of the following - Resene Triple Black White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Surrender or Resene Half Tea.

These selections of pale neutrals are modern and look really nice with the Resene Grey Friars.

Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
     
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
September 2018

Q. If the lounge walls are painted in plum with a recycled rata tongue and groove floor, what white is best for the ceiling? The north picture windows show lots of sky and sea and the west glass door opens on to green hills and bush with a little bit of sea/sky. There is no lighting from the south. There is green native forest in the east.

A. You may find an off-white appealing for the ceiling - a colour that lifts the look of the room and makes the wooden floor glow - try Resene Quarter Rice Cake or alternatively one of these whites that could be used throughout the house on all ceilings - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2018

Q. Our upstairs bedrooms are all high enough to get mountain, sea and sky views. All have north facing windows with either end facing east or west. What whites should I use for walls and ceilings? The floors are plywood. How can I make the best of these?

A. You need to consider whether you want a cooler look or a warmer look for the upstairs bedrooms. If you keep the ceilings throughout the house the same colour it makes for a much simpler and more cohesive look throughout. Either of these would work - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White.

And for the walls perhaps one of these may appeal to you - Resene Half Carefree, Resene Half Barely There, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Bianca, Resene Seashell or Resene Eighth Tana.

Some of these are warm and some are cooler. This may not be apparent if you are only looking at really small chips on a colour chart. The best way to view colours is to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their colour library and to compare them with each other.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Half Carefree
Resene Half Carefree
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Seashell
Resene Seashell
Resene Eighth Tana
Resene Eighth Tana
 
September 2018

Q. We are currently building and we have matt Sandstone Grey joinery and COLORSTEEL® roofing. We have mica green stone pillars outside and feature walls inside the house. We have Sandstone carpet to go in the bedrooms and England Oak pergola sensation laminate flooring to go in the living areas etc.

We have a number of internal doors and large sliding doors which we are thinking of painting with Resene Atlas this would complement the stone feature walls inside. Can you recommend an internal wall colour that complements the Resene Atlas green and also a whitish colour for the plaster outside?

A. Resene Atlas is a rich deep green and will make a very, striking statement in the house. Colours that you might consider using on the internal walls might be one of these options - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Eighth Drought or Resene Quarter Biscotti.

You might look to use one of these colours also for the exterior so there is a nice flow through effect. They look very nice with the colours in the carpet and vinyl wood flooring.

Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Biscotti
Resene Quarter Biscotti
September 2018

Q. I want to paint my baby boy’s room but I don't want anything that will date too quickly. We have dark blue carpet and dark wood grain furniture and the room is small. Do you have any paint or palette colour you'd recommend?

A. Some of the following colours may be appealing - Resene Half Orchid White (a sunny cream - works well with dark blue carpet or if a room is on the shady side of the house), Resene Eighth Drought (warm beige works well with dark blue), Resene Quarter Truffle (a beige/grey looks good with dark wooden furniture) or Resene Sea Fog (a white with a warm grey edge to it - goes with any other colour).

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2018

Q. I have a small fifty square metre renovated bach and I am confused as to what colours to paint the exterior weatherboards. I need to replace the roof which will be COLORSTEEL®. I’d quite like a funky scheme. Any suggestions would be great. The interior is teal, blue and neutral.

A. You could check out these COLORSTEEL® options for the roof - COLORSTEEL® Smokey, COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue or Sandscape.

Some slightly funky colours that you could check out for the exterior weatherboards - Resene Whirlwind (looks good with COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue), Resene Quarter Coriander (looks good with COLORSTEEL® Smokey), or not so funky but very nice - Resene Truffle (looks good with COLORSTEEL® Sandscape).

Have a look at some of these for the door colour - Resene Atlas, Resene Happy, Resene Jalapeno or Resene She’ll Be Right.

Resene Whirlwind
Resene Whirlwind
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
 
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
Resene Happy
Resene Happy
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
September 2018

Q. I have a farm cottage with white weatherboards and a Permanent Green roof. We want to paint the roof Ironsand and wondered what the best options would be? We were thinking of Resene Triple Thorndon Cream or perhaps Resene Concrete. Would there be any other options?

A. Resene Triple Thorndon Cream looks nice (warm and earthy) with Resene Ironsand whereas Resene Concrete may not sit as harmoniously.

If you really like grey colours the following are ones that look really smart with Ironsand - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Friar Greystone .

Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Triple Thorndon Cream
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
September 2018

Q. We want to repaint our large house and need advice. The front of our house faces south and obviously the back faces north and gets all day sun. It’s a large house. We want to paint it in greys (we’ll be putting trims around the windows). Our current colours are brown and cream. Could we get some advice on colours to use as it’s a large area, plus do we need to use two tones on the lower and upper level or keep it one colour?

A. The house is very large and the base of it does need a little bit of colour, otherwise the second storey could appear to float.

Perhaps if you were to use a slightly deeper version of the grey main house colour, it may help link both storeys together. It is a soft contrast not a visual 'jump' colour wise, so that both levels tie together.

You could look at the following to see if they appeal to you - Resene Athens Grey (aka Resene Eighth Silver Chalice), Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Surrender and Resene Surrender.

You may prefer the slightly deeper colour as the main house colour and the slightly lighter option on the base of the house - that is your choice - it works either way. The soft tones of the grey colours look very smart and elegant when they are paired with a real white - Resene White.

You don't mention whether you are painting the roof and the garage doors or not, but just in case you are, the following dark charcoal colours might be considered - Resene Grey Friars or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
 
September 2018

Q. We are repainting our home, including the ceilings and trim. Currently the walls are Resene Half Parchment which looks a little too 'yellow'. The living area is north facing, open plan with lots of light. We love the colonial/East Indies look and have a lot of antique brown furniture and also wicker and cane accessories. Our curtains are charcoal and we have tiles on the floors throughout, apart from the bedrooms. I would prefer the same colour throughout. The hallway through to the bedrooms is dark with no natural light. The ensuite has brown/taupe tiles and could use the same shade in there also? It needs a clean fresh look as it doesn't get much natural light.

A. You may have to carefully test several colours in order to see which one works best. The existing coloured tiles, the furniture and the drapes may cast their influence upon the wall colour. And, as well, all different rooms have different aspects of natural light that also alters how colours are seen. You could find a colour that works reasonably well in most rooms, but may still have to use paler or deeper versions in certain rooms because of the light aspect.

You might check the following colours - Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Bianca.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
September 2018

Q. I have a 1930s 820 square foot house, with a honey coloured, tongue-n-groove pine ceiling and floors in warm reclaimed wood in various colours of brown, taupe, beige with espresso brown as veins. I have to keep the honey brown wood panelling but want to lighten the interior. I was thinking a warm light grey, trimmed in a white on the walls. And with it being open concept with the kitchen cabinets also a deep honey colour, I was thinking all white cabinets with the countertop a darker grey. What do you think and would you have any other suggestions?

A. Wood - no matter how lovely it is - can be a very dominant factor in a house and the more of it, the more it makes its presence felt. You mention using a warm light grey on the walls - if this is going to be painted over the existing varnished wood panelling, you will need to use a varnish sealer prior to topcoating it. The use of lots of white for trims and for the kitchen cabinets is a good idea, as it will lighten up the heavy gold/brown look you have.

You might check out these warm greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Cloud, Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Double Sea Fog.

It is important that the white not look too stark (because of the remaining rich golden wood that is in the house) so these suggestions are warmed whites - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2018

Q. I have painted my wooden windows Resene Akaroa. What darker colour can I paint our roughcast part of the house? It is red brick and roughcast.

A. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Akaroa, Resene Half Sandstone, Resene Pravda, Resene Tapa or Resene Half Evolution.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Triple Akaroa
Resene Triple Akaroa
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Half Evolution
September 2018

Q. I have orange concrete floors, dark grey joinery - what white would be suitable?

A. I would imagine something in the Resene Black White family would work quite well. I’m not sure what you need the ‘white’ for, but the Resene Black White family starts at a Triple and goes all the way down to an Eighth version (Resene Eighth Black White being very, very white) so you may end up using a couple of different shades within your home.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double
Black White
   
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter
Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
September 2018

Q. Can you please suggest a fence colour to team with my home colours of - house Resene Athens Grey, roof Ironsand and porch poles Resene Grey Friars?

A. I think it depends whether you want to emphasise the steel blue charcoal of Resene Grey Friars or the olive/brown charcoal of the Ironsand.

Both of these colours come as lighter variants - half and quarter tones - so you could check them out first to see what appeals to you.

I would think that the Resene Grey Friars palette of colours may be better and more harmonious with Resene Athens Grey, as the Ironsand is the 'odd man out' because of its very earthy tone.

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
September 2018

Q. I'm specifying Resene Quarter Delta for an external house colour, with Resene Alabaster for window frames. I need a third colour for the guttering as an accent colour and would like to go a very dark charcoal or black - what would you recommend? I was thinking Resene Nero but I'm now thinking that may be a bit too purple?

A. You might check out Resene Foundry or Resene Gumboot to see if they appeal to you. Blacker colours to look at are Resene Black or Resene Double Cod Grey.

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
 
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
September 2018

Q. Can you recommend a warm light greyish green colour for a living area?

A. The following suggestions may be helpful - Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Tiara, Resene Tasman or Resene Harp.

Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Tasman
Resene Tasman
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
September 2018

Q. Our house is Resene Scotch Mist and the aluminium joinery is French Grey. The French Grey joinery is around the front door. What colour front door would you choose?

A. If it is a wooden door that is to be painted, then you might look at one of the following colours - Resene Scoria, Resene Teak, Resene Black Forest or Resene Gordons Green.

Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
Resene Teak
Resene Teak
Resene Black Forest
Resene Black Forest
Resene Gordons Green
Resene Gordons Green
September 2018

Q. I would like to know what coastal/beach colours you think might suit our bathroom. It is a large room with lots of light and now has light coloured polished rimu floors. I will put white tiles around the bath. I'm thinking warm blue-green-grey.

A. Perhaps one of these colours will appeal to you - Resene Half Emerge, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Gull Grey, Resene Zumthor, Resene Tiara or Resene Nebula.

Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Zumthor
Resene Zumthor
Resene Tiara
Resene Tiara
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
September 2018

Q. We are repainting all our interiors, and our painter is using Resene paints. He has suggested repainting all our walls Resene Quarter Foggy Grey; he also suggested Resene Double Alabaster for all ceilings, window frames, door frames, doors and skirting.

Can you suggest any variations please? Could we vary whites/greys on the walls for the different rooms, to create a slightly different feel moving from one area of the house to another? In general, we'd like a warm, neutral feel: warm particularly for the family lounge. In terms of the aspects of the rooms – the family lounge one window is north-west and another south-west facing, kitchen - adjoins family lounge and is south-west facing, formal lounge - north-west facing, master bedroom – north-west facing and bedroom 1 and 2 – south-east facing.

A. Colours in interiors have the potential to look quite a bit deeper (often double the depth or brightness depending on the type of colour) and this can be a bit of a shock to the unwary. e.g. Resene Quarter Foggy may look as deep as Resene Half Foggy Grey. Do you want deeper toned colours? Are you wedded to the idea of using greys or could you compromise?

The reason I ask is that it takes time to test colours and to see how they respond to changing aspects of natural light in the rooms, as well as seeing how they work with existing flooring, drapes and your furniture and accessories etc.

Bedrooms 1 and 2 (south-east facing) get a cooler type of natural light. The master bedroom and the formal lounge (north-west facing) may get more sunlight during the winter months, as the north sunlight is lower in the sky and gets further into the room. During the summer the arc of the sun is higher, making more shadows in the room until late afternoon, when the westerly aspect warms the room with its very warm peachy glow.

The family lounge because of its windows providing a dual aspect of light may get the best quality of light. But the kitchen which is south west facing is full of shadow (until very late afternoon in summer) and has very distinctive coloured cabinets which need to be taken into account.

Undercoating the feature wall colours out with white undercoat, may also help you get a different feel for the rooms and see them in a different way once the feature colour has been removed.

You might look at the Resene Truffle and Resene White Pointer palette of colours (because they are warm grey/beige) to see if they appeal to you and look good with existing coloured elements in the house. They do offer lighter and deeper variations of colour that you could use in different rooms. Please take your time to test colours carefully before making decisions.

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
September 2018

Q. I have just painted my living room with Resene Half Biscotti, but now I wish to change the colour of one wall to make it a feature. A safe option would probably be Resene Biscotti, but could you recommend some alternative colours?

A. Blue would be the best colour to work in with the Resene Biscotti and give you a nice feature wall. Green would also work quite well. Resene Biscotti won’t give you enough of a contrast for a feature wall, you would need to use Resene Double Biscotti, but even then, it wouldn’t be much of a ‘feature’.

If you don’t want too much impact, perhaps a deeper brown might suit. I’ll give you some colours below which you can look at - Resene Blue Moon, Resene Sorrento, Resene Rascal, Resene Antidote, Resene Twizel, Resene Organic, Resene Xanadu or Resene Stetson.

Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Half Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
 
Resene Blue Moon
Resene Blue Moon
Resene Sorrento
Resene Sorrento
Resene Rascal
Resene Rascal
Resene Antidote
Resene Antidote
Resene Twizel
Resene Twizel
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Xanadu
Resene Xanadu
Resene Stetson
Resene Stetson
September 2018

Q. I am putting in a new kitchen (white cupboards and Caesarstone Nougat - basically white - benchtop). I will need to repaint the kitchen afterwards and since my kitchen/dining/lounge is open plan, it will all need to be redone. I have navy carpet and a deep purple wallpapered feature wall, with rimu windowsills, doors and trims. I’m after a neutral colour, but am finding it difficult to find a match with the existing mix of colour. What paint colour would you suggest please?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Black Haze, Resene Seashell, Resene Half Concrete, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Merino or Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

The first three are cooler colours that would work with the white kitchen, navy carpet and purple wallpaper. They may look a little stark next to the rimu woodwork. The second three are warmer and would work well with the carpet, the wallpaper, the white kitchen and all the rimu.

Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Seashell
Resene Seashell
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
September 2018

Q. We are building a new beach house and have Resene Half Truffle or Resene Quarter Truffle interior walls with Resene Black White doors and architraves and skirting. In the master bedroom where there is a lot of natural light, we want to paint a feature wall behind the bed in a dark blue/navy. Do you have any suggestions for such a colour, as there are a bewildering number of dark blues available? We have been looking at Resene Shadowy Blue, Resene Zinzan and Resene True Blue but would appreciate your suggestions.

A. The three dark blues you have mentioned are really lovely but you might check out these others to see how they compare - Resene Wishing Well, Resene Licorice, Resene Madison or Resene Regatta.

The only way to choose is to compare them with each other and then purchase testpots of the ones you like the best, paint up very large samples and tape them to the wall and watch how they alter during the daylight hours and again under artificial light.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Shadowy Blue
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
Resene Madison
Resene Madison
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
September 2018

Q. What is a good shade of white for a west facing master bedroom?

A. West facing rooms get warmer late afternoon natural light and can appear more shadowy during the earlier part of the day.

Depending on the look you want and what the white has to work with - i.e. existing flooring, drapes, bed linen etc. You might check out these tints of white to see if they work in the room and appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Half Merino.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Blanc
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
 
September 2018

Q. I have a 1880s cottage which currently is shades of beige. I am thinking of painting it a shade of grey with white trim and posts, and a red door. I am thinking of Resene Pohutukawa for the door and for the grey – Resene White Pointer or Resene Silver Chalice. What are your thoughts?

A. Resene White Pointer is more of a warm grey/beige compared to Resene Silver Chalice, which is a deeper toned yellow/green edged grey. They are radically different to each other. Which type of colour do you prefer?

Either would work with Resene White and Resene Pohutukawa. You don't mention what colour the roof is and that may have some bearing on what main colour you use on the exterior.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
September 2018

Q. I have purchased a testpot of Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue (some time ago as I have been deliberating on this decision) and would like your colour advice please on a very light mauve that is in the same hue/tone/colour (not sure what the correct terminology is). From an amateur home painter, thank you and I’m excited to make this decision and try something bold (for me).

A. Some mauve colours carry more purple, red or mushroom beige in them. You could check out the following selection of very light mauve colours to see if one of them appeals to you - Resene Sonique, Resene I Do, Resene Bon Jour, Resene Alto or Resene Always.

These colours are delicate, nostalgic, feminine and full of gentle ambiance.

Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
       
Resene Sonique
Resene Sonique
Resene I Do
Resene I Do
Resene Bon Jour
Resene Bon Jour
Resene Alto
Resene Alto
Resene Always
Resene Always
September 2018

Q. I’m painting my house and would like some advice on which colours would suit. It’s a 1980 house with brown aluminium windows and a brown tiled roof. I’d like to paint it either grey or beige, with a dark charcoal base. Are there other colours I should consider?

A. Because of the brown roof and joinery you have on the house any colour chosen must harmonise with it. Even the grey must carry some warmth and possibly a brown undertone.

Some of the following colours might be worth checking out - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Cloudy, Resene Half Napa, Resene Half Friar Greystone or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

You mention wanting a dark charcoal base - do you mean the foundation of the house? If this is the case, the following are good warm charcoals - Resene Half Ironsand, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Bokara Grey.

Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
 
September 2018

Q. What is a good colour to go with a rimu vanity and door and that would go well with chosen tiles? Also, what is a good paint type for bathroom? I like terracotta, cream and green. I don't like blue or yellow and I am interested in your ideas.

A. Some colour suggestions to check out - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Emerge or Resene Baroque.

The type of paint that is recommended for service rooms like bathrooms is an enamel. The new enamels are waterborne so they dry quicker than the older oil based enamels and are lower odour. You could use one of these products - Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom formula, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel or Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom semi-gloss waterborne enamel. These products have anti-bacterial silver protection and mould inhibitor in them. Please allow an extended dry/cure time before you start using the bathroom as moisture can cause 'trickle marks' that spoil the look of the paint. It is also recommended that you wipe down the walls (I use a towel) after the first couple of showers.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Baroque
Resene Baroque
September 2018

Q. What colour shall I paint the house face and the gable frontage of our off-white, neutral brick house? We have Ironsand joinery, roof and garage door.

A. Try these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Half Napa, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Double Ash, Resene Half Pravda or Resene Eighth Ironsand.

Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
September 2018

Q. I'm doing up a contemporary town house, which is open plan. I've painted the ceiling, doors and surround Resene Alabaster and want to paint all the walls a white/neutral to complement. I am looking to put a warm grey carpet throughout. What would you suggest?

A. You have a lot of possible options and you may find that you need to view samples next to the carpet that you are hoping to have. All colours are greatly influenced by a dominant colour like the carpet.

Please check out these colours - Resene Barely There, Resene House White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Black White, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Wan White.

If you can, pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the real painted A4 samples of these colours in their Colour Library to compare them with a sample of the carpet and the Resene Alabaster, you may be better able to judge which white works well.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
 
September 2018

Q. We are painting our two storey Shadowclad® home/garage in Resene Double Truffle. The joinery and roof is Ironsand, the soffit will be Double Alabaster and the fence is both a mix of Ironsand and a charcoal colour similar to Resene Blackout.

Two questions: Can you please give us suggestions to paint our front door? I was thinking Resene Nero or Resene Ironsand in a gloss but wondering if introducing a dark blue/navy like Resene Blue Night or Resene Dark Side might make the door more of a focal point or should we stick with the blacks? We are on the coast.

Also, we are putting in a gable vent (similar to Hampton style) onto our garage gable end (has black coach lights each side of garage door). To make the gable more of a feature, would painting it a lighter shade of Resene Double Truffle look good e.g. Resene Half Truffle? Resene Double Alabaster might be a bit too stark do you think?

A. I like the idea of a navy, to create more of a focal point for the door is a good idea - I favour a slightly brighter navy blue than the ones you mention as it needs to be a different depth of colour compared to the Ironsand. You might check out Resene Wishing Well or Resene Regatta. A default colour would be Resene Double Ironsand because it is darker than the window and roof colour but not as hard edged as Resene Nero.

I don't think that Resene Double Alabaster would be too stark a colour to use on the gable vent - it would look very traditional in an authentic Hamptons’ style scheme, but a softer tone to consider could be Resene Half Truffle.

Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Blue Night
Resene Blue Night
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Wishing Well
Resene Regatta
Resene Regatta
September 2018

Q. What colour could I paint my house to match sage green windows and a terracotta tile entrance? I am thinking of a dark grey trim on the wood veranda poles and flashing trims. Would Resene Sugar Cane be a good colour or would it be too green? Otherwise could you suggest a nice fresh off-white?

A. If you really like the fresh bright green of Resene Sugar Cane, then you could trial it. This colour as a testpot would have to be ordered in for you as it is not current.

I think you could test a few whites so that you can compare colours - perhaps one of these options may appeal to you - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Sea Fog.

All colours on an exterior can look much lighter/brighter due to sun light reflecting off the surface - this is something to be aware of. The colours I have suggested have deeper variants available if you feel you like a particular colour but don't want it to be too glary.

A deep grey for the wood veranda posts and flashing trims might be one of these colours - Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Woodsmoke, Resene Cod Grey or Resene Double Gravel.

Resene Sugar Cane
Resene Sugar Cane
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Double Gravel
Resene Double Gravel
September 2018

Q. I'm considering painting the inside of our house, using the same colour on the trims, walls and ceiling. It will be a very neutral colour. Do you think this is ok?

A. I think this is perfectly ok. FYI - the ceiling, however, if it is exactly the same colour as the walls, may look slightly deeper (than the walls) because of the way the artificial light sources create shadow across the ceiling.

It is important to vary the sheen levels if you are using the exact same colour on all surfaces - acrylic matt on the ceiling, acrylic low sheen on the walls and semi-gloss enamel on the woodwork.

September 2018

Q. We are looking at painting our house Resene Cod Grey, what is a good roof colour to go with this?

A. If you’re thinking of a dark cladding colour, it is probably best to use a lighter roof colour (depending on the look you’re after, of course). I would personally use a colour like Resene Atmosphere (which looks like COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey) and pair it with a crisp white trim for barge etc. This is a great look if you like a lot of contrast.

If you want a dark house all over, then go for a black roof. Keep in mind that all your trim will need to be dark as well, and this will require extra maintenance going forward.

If you’re rural, an earthy deep green like Resene Canyon or a rustic red like Resene Scoria would also work, if you want something slightly different.

Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Scoria
Resene Scoria
September 2018

Q. I want to use the same colour paint throughout a 1940s renovated house, preferably a warm grey. The house has a kitchen, dining and large L shape lounge which is north and west facing, two bedrooms are south and west facing, which get light and bright in the afternoon. One bedroom is north facing and does not have much natural light. I want something that will do the whole house, with ceiling, skirting and doors white like Resene Alabaster and I will introduce navy, denims, teals in furnishings and natural wood furniture. I am yet to select carpet but I am looking at a middle grey fleck. We are a family of 4, with 2 small active boys and we have hot summers but cold winters where we live. Can you give me some advice on colour please?

A. There are a few different options when it comes to using grey colours throughout your home. I’ll give you a range of colours and depths, because your ‘light grey’ might be different to what I think ‘light’ is – try Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Double Sea Fog.

Colour will change throughout the home, so be prepared for a different looking grey in each room. If you get more natural light in the open plan living, you could use a deeper version of a colour, and a lighter version for the bedrooms.

All of these colours come in darker versions if these are too light for you. The Resene Athens Grey is actually the same as Resene Eighth Silver Chalice, so if you wanted a deeper option, try looking at Resene Quarter Silver Chalice.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
September 2018

Q. My entire house is Resene Half Tea downstairs and Resene Quarter Tea upstairs. I have to do numerous big touch ups in the lower hall and leading up the stairs to the upper hallway.

Would it look odd if I paint the hall and stairwell a different colour/warm white? It’s quite a dark hall and stairwell. Any suggestions colour wise? I guess I could change it from Resene Half Tea to Resene Quarter Tea which would lighten it somewhat and then match the rest of the house. But another colour option would be greatly received.

A. Yes you could repaint in Resene Quarter Tea but you might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Albescent White or the lighter variant of this colour - Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Quarter Fossil.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
September 2018

Q. We are extending and want to paint our girl’s bedroom a subtle pink (we have seen Resene Wafer and quite liked it). The boy’s room we need something subtle and warm to go with dark wooden furniture but we do not want to use green.

Also our living-dining will be open plan from the kitchen. I like the thought of doing the long internal wall a dark colour like Resene Dune or Resene Coast, would 6-7 metres of the colour be too dark in that space? We would like something like Resene Rice Cake or similar on the other walls and in the kitchen. We have a black and grey couch and wooden furniture, polished matai floors in the dining and the room doesn’t get much afternoon sun.

A. Subtle pinks for your girls room that you might check out and compare to Resene Wafer, which is a dusky (slightly heavy) pink/beige - Resene Ebb, Resene Vanilla Ice, Resene Pot Pourri or Resene Cest La Vie.

Some subtle, but warm colours for your boy’s room that may appeal to you - Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Eighth Drought, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Half Rakaia.

Your idea of using a colour like Resene Rice Cake as a main colour in the kitchen/dining/living room is good. But you might also check out Resene Quarter Villa White, which is similar but warmer/lighter and may help to modify the shadowy aspect caused by lack of afternoon sunlight.

Because all colours in an interior have the potential to look much deeper (often doubling in depth or brightness depending on the type of colour it is) you could lighten/brighten the feature wall colours you mention for the hallway - i.e. Resene Tarawera.

Resene Wafer
Resene Wafer
Resene Dune
Resene Dune
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Ebb
Resene Ebb
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
   
September 2018

Q. We have painted our walls Resene Quarter Spanish White. What would be a good white to paint internal doors and skirting board etc?

A. If you want to see a distinct crisp contrast you might use Resene Half Alabaster. If you wanted a 'coloured' white, you could consider using Resene Eighth Spanish White but it may look quite peachy/pink - more than you might expect it to do.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
September 2018

Q. We are planning on painting our 1970s weatherboard home with Resene Surrender and wanted a bright white for the exterior trim on wooden windows and doors. What would be a good match up?

A. True white - Resene White - is the best bright white for the trims and looks marvellous with Resene Surrender.

If you preferred a 'coloured white' you could check out Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2018

Q. We are painting the exterior of our home. It is a simple square shape with a flat roof and clad in Shadowclad®. There is also a double garage beside it with a pitched roof. The home has silver aluminium joinery. We were thinking of painting the home Resene Ironsand and the garage Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Ironsand. Could you please recommend complementary colours for the deck stain, barge boards, front door and the house base?

A. You could look at the following stain colours for the deck and base boards - Resene Woodsman Iroko (similar to the Ironsand palette of colours) or a bit different but still complementary - Resene Woodsman Dark Oak (a rich warm brown with an undertone of red in it).

The barge boards and the front door might be a brighter colour to lift the eye upwards from the deep main colour – try Resene Wilderness, Resene Pioneer Red, Resene Fiddlesticks or Resene Awol.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Half Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Wilderness
Resene Wilderness
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Fiddlesticks
Resene Fiddlesticks
Resene Awol
Resene Awol
 
September 2018

Q. I’m feeling stressed choosing exterior colours for our house in the bush. The main cedar will be either Resene Pitch Black or Resene Crowshead stain. I don't like a white trim, but also don't want to go all dark. I would like a little subtle contrast. Would Resene Half Grey Friars work or Resene Half Tuna?

A. If you want a definite blue toned grey trim then either of those colours would work for you. But if you would prefer a subtle contrast - lighter in hue - then you might check out the following colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Merino, Resene Double White Pointer, or warm mid greys – Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Half Stack.

But if you wanted some ideas for colours that are the same depth as those you first mentioned then you might look at Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Gunsmoke.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer

Resene Half Mountain Mist
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
   
September 2018

Q. I have a Grey Friars roof and Appliance White window frames I have been told but who knows as they are UPVC and not aluminium. I want to paint my exterior walls white but not sure which one. Resene Quarter Alabaster and Resene Half Sea Fog have been suggested. I agree but which of those two, if at all? I do not want the walls to look a little bit dirty or dusty so have gone for lighter shades. I compared a sample of Appliance White with the two and it looked greyish by comparison which is also OK or should I just go for white?

My wish is to have the dark roof with white walls like those in France (Brittany) from whence I came. They used whitewash or just white exterior paint.

A. If you chose to use Resene White as the main colour on the house it wouldn't be 'wrong' but it may make the joinery seem greyer in tone. However if you checked out Resene Black White and Resene Half Barely There one of those 'whites' may be slightly better attuned to the joinery colour.

Whitewashed houses use a lime powder mixed in water and applied fairly regularly to the plastered exterior of houses in Brittany. It is a soft coating that erodes away with the weather which is why it needs to be re-applied. If you had a stucco or plastered exterior to your house then you could use a Resene product on the exterior called Resene AquaShield which gives the same type of finish but because of modern technology it is a coating that lasts much longer. If your house is timber then you might use Resene Lumbersider low sheen paint.

Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
September 2018

Q. I am setting up a dental clinic and the builder has mistakenly powder coated my aluminium trim in black and we decided to just keep it. I can’t decide which white to use for the wall and doors. It’s a small space, all the doors in the hallway are full height black aluminium framed glass doors except for one. This one door is a solid door and is the only one that is not full height. The ceiling is a white tiled panel ceiling with aluminium grid.

Can you please advise which white I should use out of Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Alabaster, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene White or Resene Quarter Black White for the wall and solid door? I am also considering a blue/grey colour for the door so that the black trim will not look as obvious around this door.

The floor is a white vinyl with small flakes of dark teal blue and silver.

A. I’ll start with the ‘white’ for your walls: All of those whites will look similar. I suggest you use Resene Double Alabaster, this is the ‘deepest’ white you’ve listed.

As for your door, here are a couple of options: Resene Tuna, Resene Surrender or Resene Raven.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
   
September 2018

Q. We have a 1920s bungalow with a New Denim Blue COLORSTEEL® roof. The walls are currently painted white, with blue window sills, cedar tiled gables, and awnings over the box windows. We are looking to paint the walls another light pastel colour - do you have any suggestions for an update to the colour scheme?

A. Here are some lighter colours for you to look at: Resene Celeste, Resene Harp, Resene Carefree, Resene Breeze or Resene Half Halcyon.

If you want to give the house a little more character, you could paint the sashes of the windows in a deeper colour, either a tonal version of the house or in Resene New Denim Blue. You might also want to consider keeping your corner boards in ‘white’ to match the windows. This will also make the house colour appear slightly darker because there is more white to contrast with. Colours outside appear lighter once they go up, so keep this in mind when confirming colours. You might need to go slightly deeper than you’re comfortable with.

Resene Celeste
Resene Celeste
Resene Harp
Resene Harp
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
Resene Breeze
Resene Breeze
Resene Half Halcyon
Resene Half Halcyon
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
September 2018

Q. We are having trouble finding the right white for our house. We have tried Resene Half Sea Fog which looked too blue/grey and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta is still not warm enough. We are thinking Resene Half Pearl Lusta but are afraid it might be too yellow. I have seen pictures with Resene Bianca that look good. Would this be a way to go? Resene Bianca or Resene Half Bianca? We have sloping ceilings with red wood of some sort and cream coloured curtains.

A. Resene Bianca and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta are essentially the same colour, so there is no advantage to using the Resene Bianca if you have already ruled out the Resene Pearl Lusta. If you have cream curtains, you may want something which is slightly browner, try these colours: Resene Cararra, Resene Villa White or Resene Eighth Sisal.

Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter
Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
September 2018

Q. We’ve painted Resene Secrets down the hallway and are about to paint it also in the lounge. What complementary colours would be good in the kitchen, laundry, toilet and bathroom and also the bedrooms?

A. If you want to continue with the muted colour palette throughout the house, here are some colours that you can use with the Resene Secrets: Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Quarter Powder Blue, Resene Blanched Pink or Resene Smoky Green.

You’ll also want a neutral to tie the rooms together, possibly for the hallway or doors etc, try these options: Resene Albescent White, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Powder Blue
Resene Quarter
Powder Blue
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Blanched Pink
Resene Smoky Green
Resene Smoky Green
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
September 2018

Q. We have a 1920s villa with a Sandstone Grey roof. What colour would you recommend painting the exterior of the house?

A. Here are some colours you like might to have a look at: Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Tea, Resene Half Ash, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Secrets or Resene Duck Egg Blue.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
September 2018

Q. Could you please suggest a good trim and ceiling colour to go with Resene Quarter Foggy Grey which will go on the walls of three bathrooms which will also have white and grey marble-look tiles? I would like it to contrast against the Resene Quarter Foggy Grey but not too stark. Someone suggested Resene Double Alabaster, would this go well?

A. Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog) is a clean definite contrast that would work well. Alternatively - if you wanted a softer toned white - you could use Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2018

Q. Our roof colour is Lignite. We are currently adding on a double garage and new front entrance with Lignite doors. The brick and block exterior of our house is to be plastered and painted. Our window joinery is bronze anodised. Please can you give us some other colour ideas aside from Resene Bronco to tie in with the Lignite? There is also to be a feature honed block section on our garage wall and by the entrance door. This will be a honed grey block (which looks more sandy coloured once honed).

A. It can be tricky when a huge amount of a colour (Lignite and bronze anodising) dominates the exterior of a house. I can understand however that you would like a change to go with the other changes that you are having done on the house.

The following are a few colours (lighter and deeper) that will work with what you have - Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Dusted Grey, Resene Pravda or Resene Climate.

Resene Bronco
Resene Bronco
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Pravda
Resene Pravda
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
 
September 2018

Q. Could you suggest some colours for the walls to go with my kitchen cupboards? I have Resene Quarter Fossil on the cupboard doors. There are a lot of doors and the kitchen has two windows, but it’s very dark at one end. The paint on the walls at the moment is Resene Double Rice Cake.

A. If you have a problem with lack of light then using a lighter colour may help. Have you considered a lighter/whiter colour? You might look at the following options to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Merino or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
September 2018

Q. Can you suggest a nice colour to brighten up a dark small narrow hallway? I have timber floors and around the door frames is stained wood. I thought I would paint them white and for the walls a nice pinky purple. What do you suggest?

A. You don't mention whether you are keen on a deep pinky purple or a light/bright pinky purple so I have given you a few options as a start point – try Resene Smitten, Resene Sassy, Resene Scrumptious, Resene Highlight, Resene Hopbush or Resene Maverick.

Resene Smitten
Resene Smitten
Resene Sassy
Resene Sassy
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Highlight
Resene Highlight
Resene Hopbush
Resene Hopbush
Resene Maverick
Resene Maverick
September 2018

Q. I have a new build. I am using Resene Black White on walls and ceilings. What should I use on the doors and trim? The doors are oversized. What would be a brighter white to use as a contrasting but compatible tint?

A. If you are using Resene Black White as the main interior colour you could use one of the following to create a contrast – Resene Eighth Black White, Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
September 2018

Q. We have painted our walls in Resene Black White. I also want to paint our kitchen white. What colour kitchen would go with Resene Black White?

A. If you are using Resene Black White as the main interior colour you could use one of the following to create a contrast – Resene Eighth Black White, Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
September 2018

Q. I want a feature wall in my small master bedroom. I have dark grey sheers and roller blind. What colour would you suggest? I want it to go with navy, white and dark teal coloured bedspreads (not all at the same time).

A. If you choose a navy depending upon which wall it is on it may look much darker than you might imagine it will do. Is that ok? Some of these navy colours may appeal to you – Resene Licorice, Resene Madison, Resene Zinzan or Resene True Blue.

Using a warmer white and a brighter type of teal may be a nice palette to stop the navy from looking severe.

Resene Licorice
Resene Licorice
Resene Madison
Resene Madison
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
September 2018

Q. I am having trouble choosing a colour for our walls. We are renovating our house room by room, starting with the bathroom. I want the similar colour scheme throughout the house. I want a light shade. It is important that the colour is not cold, like a grey. I want a warm shade but not white or cream. I suppose I want light beige with a touch of taupe.

A. Here are some colours you might like the look of. Most of these colours will have deeper ‘family’ members that you may choose to use in different parts of the house to create a cohesive and tonal effect.

Try Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Bison Hide, Resene Eighth Joss, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Albescent White.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Eighth Joss
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
September 2018

Q. We are renovating our 30+ year old house and looking to paint it in different shades of white - ceiling, walls, doors, window/door frames as white seems to be making rooms more spacious, but we do struggle to choose the right combination of colours, could you please suggest some combinations that might work? Our kitchen and living room face north and three bedrooms face south.

A. South facing rooms have a cool quality of light and if a greyish or cool white is used it can make the rooms look chilly. North facing rooms get best sunlight in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky. Am I right in thinking that a lot of walls have shadow on them for the most part of the day?

Perhaps these warmer/sweeter whites may be worth checking out - walls - Resene Bianca, doors and all wood trims - Resene Half Bianca, ceilings - Resene Quarter Bianca, or walls - Resene Half Rice Cake, doors and all wood trims - Resene Quarter Rice Cake, ceilings - Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
September 2018

Q. We are repainting our exterior Hebel walls and are thinking of Resene Triple Black White but wonder if it could be too light or glary? We like Resene Quarter Foggy Grey also but think it's a tad too dark. Is there a colour between these two?

The inside of our house is being repainted with Resene Quarter Black White on the trims and doors and Resene Double Black White on the walls in the open plan living, dining and kitchen and also our master. The rest of the house will be painted Resene Black White. Will these choices be too stark for the large space or are there better tones of neutral that could be a bit softer?

A. I like Resene Quarter Foggy Grey - it is very smart. Because colours on an exterior do have the potential to appear lighter/brighter, it may appear lighter, half as light, at certain times of the day, depending on what aspect of natural light you get. Resene Triple Black White isn't glary compared to real white - i.e. Resene White or lighter variants of Resene Black White like Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Eighth Black White.

I suggest that you paint up all of the interior colours using two coats of a testpot onto large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) and move the samples from wall to wall/room to room, in order to get a better idea of how the colours will look. Colours seen in an interior can look more coloured, double the depth in some cases, compared to the same colour if used on the exterior. It is all about natural light and shade and the close proximity of walls intensifying the colours.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
   
September 2018

Q. I want to paint my baby boy’s room. I don't want anything that will date too quickly. We have dark blue carpet and dark wood grain furniture. The room is small. What would you recommend?

A. Some of the following colours may be appealing - Resene Half Orchid White - a sunny cream that works well with dark blue carpet or if a room is on the shady side of the house, Resene Eighth Drought - a warm beige that works well with dark blue, Resene Quarter Truffle - a beige/grey that looks good with dark wooden furniture, or Resene Sea Fog - a white with a warm grey edge to it that goes with any other colour.

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2018

Q. We have just bought a barn house. The tiles in the kitchen are slate grey, the carpet is also slate grey, the window and door frames are colonial squares and are varnished wood, the ceiling in the kitchen is sarked and varnished timber.

I want to paint the walls/bedrooms and lounge the same and the kitchen in a soft sage green. The cabinetry in the kitchen is white and has a varnished wooden top. What do you suggest for the lounge and bedrooms? It’s very light with loads of natural light.

A. Have you picked the soft sage green colour? You might look at these colours for the bedrooms and lounge to see if they appeal to you and look good in association with the soft sage green and the varnished wood - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Merino or Resene Sea Fog.

All of the colours I have suggested have deeper variants available if you should like one but want it a little deeper.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
September 2018

Q. We are replacing our aluminium windows which were primrose in colour to Monument. The walls were painted about three years ago Resene Quarter White Pointer and the architraves Resene Half Black White I think. Do you think this will still work or would I need to look at rethinking my colours? One room has Tasmanian Oak floor boards and the other room will be carpeted. The rooms all face north with plenty of sunshine and light coming through.

A. I think your colours would work really well with Monument window joinery. It is a true neutral and works with any other colour.

Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
September 2018

Q. I intend to paint my lounge ceiling and Anaglypta walls white. The lounge is shaded so I want to lighten it up. Please advise the best whitest white to make the room bright, delightfully dazzling.

A. I think that a bright but warm white may work in a shady room. You might check out these whites to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Rice Cake or Quarter Pearl Lusta.

All colours in an interior have the potential to look deeper or brighter, depending upon the type of colour, so these may lighten/brighten up quite a bit.

I am unsure about whether they will be 'delightfully dazzling' or not - that may depend on the quality of sunlight you do get in the room.

Each axis of light - N/S/E/W - alters how colours look. Using artificial lighting skilfully and mirrors to reflect what light there is can also brighten up a shadowy room. The Anaglypta - being textured wallpaper - will make the colour look slightly deeper than the same colour would look like on a smooth surface.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
September 2018

Q. We’re doing an alteration and extension on our rural board and batten home. The exterior is currently not painted and looking at Resene Iroko as our preferred option as we are keen to have an earthy feel. The joinery is silver pearl. For the interior scheme we’d like an autumn palette. There is plenty of light throughout the house so we are not afraid to use some darker shades, including for kitchen cabinetry that will also be painted. The flooring is aged/rustic oak and there are grey matte tiles in a limestone/concrete tone. We’ll have a couple of sliding barn doors in the kitchen/living areas and lots of leather, wood and some concrete and brick features. Overall we want to achieve a warm, earthy and rustic feel with some feature colours in our floor rugs, cushions etc.

A. For a warm light main colour you could look at the following options which are coupled with a ceiling and trim colour: Resene Half Rice Cake (Resene Eighth Rice Cake) or Resene Sea Fog (Resene Alabaster aka Eighth Sea Fog).

Some inspirational colours that might be considered for kitchen cabinets, specific walls/rooms and accessories might be like these colours: Resene Woodland, Resene Half Coriander, Resene Beaten Track, Resene Triple Canterbury Clay, Resene Haka, Resene Bison Hide, Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Desperado or Resene Half Evolution.

I came across a couple of lovely fabrics in the Resene Curtain range that might help as well: Resene Curtain Collection - Generation - colour Naturalle or Resene Curtain Collection - Evolve - colour Stone.

It isn't about using all of the colours but considering them as a start point and possibly choosing one or two to use.

Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Woodland
Resene Woodland
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
Resene Beaten Track
Resene Beaten Track
Resene Triple Canterbury Clay
Resene Triple Canterbury Clay
Resene Haka
Resene Haka
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Half Evolution
 
September 2018

Q. What trim would you use with Resene Half Bianca walls? Would Resene Alabaster be appropriate?

A. Resene Half Alabaster or even Resene Quarter Alabaster may be better if you want to see a definite difference between the walls and the trims.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
September 2018

Q. I am repainting my open plan kitchen dining lounge. The present colour is Resene Half Pearl Lusta. The carpet drapes and sofa will stay the same. My concern is choosing a colour that doesn’t make the sofa and look ‘dead/dirty’. Can you please also suggest a colour that can be introduced into the furnishings, i.e. cushions etc.

A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you and look well-co-ordinated with the carpet and sofa: Resene Albescent White or a lighter variant - Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Pale Slate, Resene House White or Resene Sea Fog.

Some colour contrasts might be like the following colours: Resene Wolverine, Resene Explorer, Resene Mighty, Resene Seachange or Resene Rakaia.

Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Pale Slate
Resene Pale Slate
Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
   
Resene Wolverine
Resene Wolverine
Resene Explorer
Resene Explorer
Resene Mighty
Resene Mighty
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
September 2018

Q. I've been trying to find a grey to use in our bathroom. The house was built in the early 1960s and has Seratone® wallboard halfway up the walls, with a wooden beading around the top. This has been painted over and I plan to repaint it white (Resene Bianca or Resene Alabaster). For the top half of the walls, I'm looking for a soft, muted chalky dove grey. The room is quite dark and on the cold side of the house, so I don't want anything too dark. We have a pedestal hand basin, full length bath and toilet in the room with two cupboards and a window.

I've chosen a fabric to make a roman blind. It's got white swans on an aqua background. I want to carry on the swan theme with a couple of Crown Lynn type swans, which will reference the room’s mid-century roots. I'm also collecting interesting retro mirrors for a display on the biggest wall over the bath. I've tried Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete (too cold and blue for this room) and Resene Triple Sea Fog which I love. It perfectly matches the shadows on the fabric swans but I think it may be too earthy/greeny. I want a faded 50s glamour, very soft and slightly weathered.

A. I suggest you use a warmer white to balance the fact that the bathroom is quite dark and on the cold side of the house - i.e. Resene Half Bianca.

Colours in an interior can look stronger than you might imagine they will do, which is why I have suggested a half tone of Resene Bianca. Full strength Resene Bianca may look too creamy - more like Resene Double Bianca.

Perhaps one of these suggestions may be the faded 1950s soft glamour/chalky dove grey that is what you have in mind - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Atmosphere or Resene Barely There.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
     
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
 
September 2018

Q. We have Windsor Grey on the roof, spouting, fascia and garage doors. Our window frames are Warm Pearl White in the new area of the lounge, and Forest Green alloy windows in the bedrooms.

Would you have a suggestion for our roughcast walls and soffits? We are leaning towards a lighter colour wall.

A. One of the following colours might appeal to you - Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Merino, Resene Ecru White or Resene Eighth Arrowtown.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
September 2018

Q. Could you recommend a colour to complement Gunmetal Grey trimmings on a house? The colour on the external weatherboards will be something like Resene Half Perfect Taupe and the windows will be white.

A. You could look at these colour suggestions to see how they compare with Resene Half Perfect Taupe - Resene Truffle, Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Quarter Cougar
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
September 2018

Q. I am looking for a dark grey to go with Resene Sea Fog. What would you suggest please?

A. Resene Sea Fog is a very obliging type of white and most dark greys will work with it. The following are a few that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Gravel, Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Tuna, Resene Grey Friars or Resene Fuscous Grey.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
       
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
September 2018

Q. I am after an idea for a colour for the bathroom (which also has a close-away laundry in it). I was looking at one called Resene Half Dusted Blue, another called Resene Duck Egg Blue. I’m a little worried about it being a cold colour, so wondered what your thoughts are on that.

Also our spare/girls' room will have a double bed with a single bunk in it. This is probably the one space I have been given the go ahead to do whatever I like in it but yet I am stuck! I have way too many ideas.

The master bedroom is going to have a Resene feature wallpaper wall with a gorgeous stag head (brown/silver) pattern on it and I was thinking of doing something similar in the spare room. Or a painted wall where I can add some wall stickers with a nice saying on it or something like that, the girls like teal colours for that.

I have seen in Resene, a nice wallpaper in blues and pinks and beige (watercolours) that had little positive quotes and sayings on it, but then I’m not sure what paint and curtain colours to go with.

I think the fact that teens will be mostly using this room, makes my options harder, as I’m trying to please everyone. My head is swimming right now so any help you can give me I would be very grateful for.

A. I think the pickle you are in is because you do have masses of ideas and are trying please everyone. The best idea is to concentrate on one room at a time.

Bathroom/laundry - if the room gets a lot of bright sunlight during the day then the colours you mention may not look cool at all - just restful. But if the room is on the south side of the house and has a lot of shadow and feels cool, then you might think of warmer colours.

Perhaps it could be one of these ones - Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Jet Stream.

Guest/girls room - a lovely paint colour on one wall with a wonderfully affirming saying on it would be wonderful. If the girls like teal then you might check out these ones - Resene She’ll Be Right or lighter colours - Resene Retreat or Resene Fountain Blue.

Sometimes inspiration for wall colours comes after making a decision in regard drapes, bed linen or some scintillating art work or accessories. It is the thing that ties everything together in a harmonious way.

If you are keen on having a little more wallpaper in the house you might appreciate the habitat plus booklet about Wallpaper. It is overflowing with wonderful wallpaper ideas.

In the meantime - take it slowly... savour the possibilities... dream, scheme and plan before making decisions.

Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene She’ll Be Right
Resene Retreat
Resene Retreat
Resene Fountain Blue
Resene Fountain Blue
 
September 2018

Q. We have red oxide as our trim colour for our cabin. The siding is natural wood which is stained a natural colour. What colour do you think would look good for the roof?

A. If you want a neutral colour for the roof, I would use Resene New Denim Blue or Resene Half Baltic Sea. This will tone down the red and add some depth to the colour scheme.

If you would like another colour, a green would work quite well. Try these options - Resene Gecko, Resene Rivergum or Resene Half Forest Green.

All of our Resene ColorShops stock A4 paint swatch sizes of these colours, pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask one of the staff to show you these colours in the larger format before buying a testpot or paint.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Gecko
Resene Gecko
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Half Forest Green
Resene Half Forest Green
September 2018

Q. I am planning to paint the exterior of my house. My window frames are a dark brown colour and the deck railing is navy blue. My roof colour is light brown. If I were to use Resene Spindle, would this colour suit?

A. A blue exterior colour will work well with the light brown roof and dark brown window frames. Resene Spindle will look blue on the house, but it does have some grey undertone, which means it won’t be a bright blue colour. Just make sure that you test the colour before buying paint.

To complete the look, you may want to add a pop of colour on your front door; this would look fantastic in an orange colour – something like Resene Ayers Rock, Resene Kamikaze or Resene Whizz Bang.

Resene Spindle
Resene Spindle
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Ayers Rock
Resene Kamikaze
Resene Kamikaze
Resene Whizz Bang
Resene Whizz Bang
September 2018

Q. We have a small modern house we want to paint in Resene Merino. We have more than the usual amount of trim in the form of architraves, built in furniture, alcoves etc. and we thought a slight contrast in colour would be good - would Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream be one of the complementary colours we could use? Would there be anything else you could suggest? The home is very light and sunny.

A. Resene Merino is actually made using a green and orange tint combination, so pairing it with other whites needs some consideration. I would personally use Resene Triple Alabaster (aka Resene Half Sea Fog) for any trim work. This will give you a slight contrast, but it’s still within that grey undertone boundary, similar to Resene Merino. The Resene Thorndon Cream family is just slightly too yellow and although we are only talking about minimal amounts of colour within these ‘whites’, the different undertones may just be enough to notice and therefore not quite look right. If Resene Triple Alabaster is too close, try Resene Double Alabaster for slightly more contrast.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2018

Q. I am having the roof done on my house in COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey and would like a light grey colour on the weatherboards to complement this. I was thinking a very light grey with a slight blue tone but I am not sure.

A. A light grey cladding colour will give you a very modern and crisp look, especially if you’re planning on pairing this with white windows. Here are some different greys to try for the cladding, some of these are slightly different in depth (how dark they are) and also undertone (some are blue, some are warmer). Colours outside will appear about half a shade lighter once they are applied to the cladding, so keep this in mind while sampling and before confirming a colour. You may need to choose a colour that is slightly deeper than what you like, so that once it’s outside in the sun, it comes down to a level you’re happy with.

Try Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Surrender.

Most of these colours come in lighter strengths, so if you like the look of the colour but it’s still too dark, you may be able to have it in a lighter strength. Resene ColorShops have a colour library with A4 swatches 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.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
September 2018

Q. We are looking at ‘warming up’ a room by painting one long wall. The wall is a south wall for kitchen, living room but also extends into a couple of short hallways. Room orientation is to the north east but sunlight doesn't fall on the wall. The existing wall colour is Resene Sisal, the ceiling Resene Half Sisal and the carpet is a light brown. I like Resene Twine and toffee kind of colours, would they work?

A. These kinds of colours will look fantastic in the space; they are essentially a tonal version of the Resene Sisal because of the yellow/green undertone (the Resene Twine in particular). If you want something slightly different, you could also look at - Resene Desperado, Resene On Track or Resene Twizel.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Twine
Resene Twine
Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
Resene On Track
Resene On Track
Resene Twizel
Resene Twizel
September 2018

Q. What’s the best choice of white for an outdoor block wall?

A. Colours outside appear about half a shade lighter once on the wall, so colours like Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White etc. will look very white. You need to decide how ‘white’ you want the wall to look. If you want quite a stark white, use Resene Double Alabaster. If you would like something that is slightly grey looking, try Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog.

Make sure to try your colours outside though, use a testpot and paint a large size sample to give you an idea how ‘white’ a colour will look.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
September 2018

Q. We live rurally and we are painting the interior of the house. We have ordered new carpet, which is a dark grey so I am looking for neutral wall colour options for the walls; the bedrooms are quite dark and small so I would like to go a shade lighter for them and something a bit darker for the living rooms.

I like the grey neutral colours, something quite fresh and light. We have lots of farm style walnut stained furniture and lots of my decor is Duck Egg Blue. I would also like to bring in a navy feature wall in the living room, if there is a colour which would go with the neutral tone. It is surrounded by lots of trees and we hope to cut a lot down and open it up to let some sun in. It is a long house with four small rooms off the hallway and two big living rooms. I like the look of Resene Black White and Resene Alabaster but feel that the hallway and bedrooms need to be lighter than the two living areas. I like the grey tone in the neutral colours, would that suit the house being an older house and quite dark inside and if so, is there a colour that is a little bit darker than the Resene Black White/Resene Alabaster that I can do in the living rooms? I would also like to do a feature wall of indigo or a navy blue in the living room.

A. If you used Resene Alabaster or Resene Double Alabaster as the main colour in the house, with a much whiter variant for trims and ceilings - i.e. Resene Quarter Alabaster, you have the option of using Resene Half Alabaster for the hallway and bedrooms. Resene Alabaster is slightly brighter looking than Resene Black White.

If you like the slightly cooler/grey influence, then you may prefer Black White and its deeper and lighter variants. Resene Double Black White could be used in the lounge, Resene Black White as a main colour and Resene Half Black White in the hallway and bedrooms and Resene Eighth Black White for trims and ceilings.

Any navy or indigo will go with the whites you are considering using. You could look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Zinzan, Resene True Blue, Resene Lucky Point or Resene Aviator.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Lucky Point
Resene Lucky Point
Resene Aviator
Resene Aviator
September 2018

Q. We are installing a new kitchen and want some help with colours. The walls of the kitchen are going to be Resene Half Taupe Grey and the kitchen joinery is either going to be Resene Double Barely There or Resene Quarter Truffle. Could you please tell me if these two colours are complementary with Resene Half Taupe Grey or if one of the colours is a better fit?

A. I suggest you pop into the nearest Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples of the colours that are in their Colour Library so you can compare them. I am not 100% certain about Resene Quarter Truffle as it may take on a pink/beige undertone when seen close to Resene Half Taupe Grey which has more yellow/green in it. Some others you might look at are the following – Resene Double Merino or lighter Resene Merino, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Atmosphere or Resene Quill Grey.

Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Double Barely There
Resene Double
Barely There
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
   
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
September 2018

Q. We would like to update our exterior colour scheme - currently it is cream, dark green and sandstone with a light grey roof. We are looking for a combination of modern external colour schemes with a black/dark grey element (no green or red).

A. Perhaps using a slightly more complex warm neutral like the following options may still harmonise with the Sandstone. Try Resene Double Blanc, Resene Fossil or Resene Half Bison Hide.

These black edged greys might also appeal to you for the trims - Resene Double Ironsand, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Baltic Sea.

Resene Double Blanc
Resene Double Blanc
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
September 2018

Q. We have upgraded our bathroom. We have grey tiles and we want something to complement them. We like Resene Jet Stream and Resene Edgewater but are open to suggestions. We also need to paint the master bedroom, laundry, and toilet and hallway.

A. I like Resene Jet Stream because of its soft muted tone. The Resene Edgewater is a much brighter pastel green. If you like those types of colours you might also like the following suggestions - Resene Nebula, Resene Half Emerge, Resene Rainee or Resene Carefree.

All colours look a lot stronger in depth or brightness in an interior - often double what you think they may be. A smaller room may make a colour look even deeper, or brighter, because of the close proximity of the walls.

The other rooms that you are considering repainting may have existing flooring, drapes, duvets, furniture and accessories that need to be taken into account before making definite colour choices.

Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Edgewater
Resene Edgewater
   
Resene Nebula
Resene Nebula
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Rainee
Resene Rainee
Resene Carefree
Resene Carefree
September 2018

Q. I am doing a school art project and I need to paint plastic chairs to look like wicker/cane can you please give me your advice as to what colour/s may look the closest?

A. You are right - it will be hard - but if you are both creative and talented in regards to 'faux finishes' I am sure you will succeed.

You might use a combination of these colours diluted with Paint Effects medium to get a realistic blending of the colours - they are based on a photo of a wicker chair - Resene Half Merino/Resene Double Merino, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Half Craigieburn.

Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Half Craigieburn
September 2018

Q. We are building a place and have chosen COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod for the garage, roof and window frames. (Not sure if choosing all the same was a good idea but we panicked when we had to decide!) Our cladding is LINEA® with a small section of Oblique on the gable end of the house. What colours on the Linea will work well against the FlaxPod to keep it from looking dull and boring? We really like blues. Also would you advise on adding an extra colour for the Oblique section or matching the LINEA® FlaxPod?

A. I am not 100% sure about using a blue on the exterior of the house I have looked at several blues and they seem to clash with the FlaxPod. It is your choice at the end of the day to have a blue but it might not be a happy combination of colours. Perhaps you could use a blue in the interior of the house? Is that a possibility?

I think if the Oblique section was a softer version of the FlaxPod colour then that would work and the Linea may need to be a muted warm toned colour – try Resene Half Baltic Sea – Oblique and Resene Half Friar Greystone – LINEA®.

Or alternatively - Resene Windswept – Oblique and Resene Taupe Grey – LINEA®.

Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
September 2018

Q. My kitchen/dining room are currently Resene Quarter Spanish White with the wallpaper a similar shade. I am changing my kitchen, which is east facing, and am looking at having the cupboards spray painted in Resene Alabaster and the kitchen bench in Slate Grey granite. What depth of Resene Alabaster should I use for cupboards and the walls in the kitchen?

The dining room is east/north east facing so gets morning sun. I am trying to avoid having to redo the dining room at this stage. What would you suggest?

A. If you were to use a whiter/lighter variant of Resene Alabaster - i.e. Resene Half Alabaster - for the kitchen cabinetry and Resene Double Alabaster for the walls it would give you a crisp clean look with a little more subtle warm tone to the walls.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2018

Q. Can I use Resene White Pointer on walls and Resene Half Black White on the trims and doors? I am worried they won't like each other and the painter starts on very soon!

A. The colours are perfect together. Have no worries, your colour scheme is very, very nice. Resene Half Black White goes well with almost any other colour.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
September 2018

Q. Could you please suggest an exterior colour to go with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod roof and joinery? The exterior cladding is lightly bagged brick and Axon panel.

A. These colours are worth checking out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Napa, Resene Double Ash, Resene Gunsmoke, Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
September 2018

Q. We have a stucco house 90s style, with a little cedar. It is white at present but I would like a grey. I have been recommended Resene Silver Chalice. Do you have an option you think is better? If not, would you say full or half or quarter Resene Silver Chalice? I am open to any other colour suggestions as well.

A. If you were keen on Resene Silver Chalice, I recommend that you use the full strength version of the colour. All colours on an exterior have the potential to look lighter/brighter than you might imagine they will do because of the way bright sunlight leaches the depth of the colour away. So this colour could look like Resene Half Silver Chalice.

Some other greys that you might check out to see how they compare to Resene Silver Chalice are these ones - Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Kensington Grey or Resene Half Stack.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
September 2018

Q. We are painting Resene Quarter Tea on the walls and want a white for the ceiling, sills and trims. Would you suggest Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster or Resene Eighth Tea?

A. I think a paler version of Resene Black White may be better if you want to see a definite contrast between the wall colour (Resene Quarter Tea) and the trims - perhaps Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White.

Resene Alabaster is fine as a contrast, as it is a cleaner white - slightly less grey toned - but Resene Eighth Tea has an unusual pink/grey undertone and doesn't relate well to the rest of the Resene Tea palette of colours.

Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea

 

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White

Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
 
September 2018

Q. We are planning a new build. The house is a mono pitch design, with contrasting Axon (133mm) and bagged brick. We want a dark palette with little contrast. We are leaning towards painting the Axon and brick Resene Bokara Grey but we are conflicted over the roof/joinery combination to go with this colour. We are thinking FlaxPod but what would you recommend?

A. FlaxPod is possibly the best option to go with Resene Bokara Grey if you have your heart set on using Resene Bokara Grey as the main colour on the house.

If you were to choose FlaxPod for the roof and joinery first, and then relate it to a main house colour - instead of the other way around - you may have a few more options.

You could consider using the Resene version of FlaxPod - Resene Element. Had you considered doing that? Or Resene Nocturnal. Or the slightly lighter variant of Resene Bokara Grey - i.e. Resene Half Bokara Grey - because it doesn't have quite as much red/yellow in it.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
September 2018

Q. I have a tri-level, rendered contemporary house. It has soft green COLORBOND® gutters and roof, which I am stuck with. I want to paint the house with softer colours, in grey earth tones.

I am looking at Resene Half Ash for the exterior walls, Resene Alabaster for the windows and Resene Stack for the front door. Does this sound good?

A. I like the colours but it may pay to test the main colour - Resene Half Ash as it could lighten/brighten and look like Resene Quarter Ash due to the brightness of the sunlight upon it. The Ash palette of colours looks quite grey/yellow beige compared to Resene Stack. Are you happy with the contrast?

You might check out these alternatives to compare them to the Resene Ash palette of colours - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey and Resene Eighth Tapa.

Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
September 2018

Q. We need to pick a kitchen cabinet colour for our new build and we want to go for a darker colour but need it to tie in with our kitchen top (Atlantic stone) and flooring (wood - red beech rustic matt finish). I have looked at Resene Blue Bark, Resene Cinder and Resene Dark Side. I would use white subway tiles as the splashback.

A. If you want a very, very dark blue or charcoal - like those you have mentioned - you may need to see larger, real paint samples to be able to envisage the overall look. If you were able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view these types of colours as A4 samples, in their Colour Library alongside each other, it may assist you to make a decision.

What sheen level are you considering for the cabinets? This can alter how a colour is seen (matt makes a colour look deeper and gloss makes the colour appear brighter).

A few other really dark blues and charcoals to check on - Resene Indian Ink, Resene High Tide, Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Grey Friars.

Resene Blue Bark
Resene Blue Bark
Resene Cinder
Resene Cinder
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
 
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
September 2018

Q. I am looking for a bedroom wall colour. I need a light warm colour to go with rimu trims, window frames and skirting.

A. These light warm colours may be worth checking out - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Fossil or Resene Eighth Akaroa.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
September 2018

Q. We are replacing our carpet before selling (currently creamy tweed look with Resene Pearl Lusta paintwork) in the lounge, dining room, hall and bedrooms. It is a 70s house and we are not renovating the kitchen (currently dark brown cabinets, cream bench top, mid brown vinyl flooring and Resene Pearl Lusta paintwork). The bathroom has been renovated with Resene Alabaster on the ceiling, Resene Albescent White on the walls, walnut shade vinyl flooring and chrome fittings. We have white and brushed chrome lights in the lounge (north facing). We want to keep the house neutral for selling. What neutral/white paint would you suggest for the kitchen to freshen it up? We will change the flooring in kitchen.

A. Because of the cabinets (dark wood) and bench tops (cream) not being changed in the kitchen, I suggest you look at using a soft fresh green for the walls and the same white for ceiling and wood trims (Resene Alabaster) that you have used in the bathroom.

Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Linen, Resene Secrets or Resene Eighth Lemon Grass.

You might consider a very light vinyl in the kitchen to lift the light factor in the kitchen and make it seem larger and brighter.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
September 2018

Q. What grey would you suggest as a roof colour to go with Resene Nocturnal on a brick exterior? I would like something darker than Resene Delta please.

A. Colours on a roof often appear much lighter (sometimes as much as half their depth) than you might imagine they will do because of the way the roof is angled at 45 degrees to the sun.

One of these greys may appeal to you - Resene Stack, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Gauntlet, and Resene Trojan or Resene Eighth Bokara Grey.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
   
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Trojan
Resene Trojan
September 2018

Q. We are repainting our 1960s Hinuera stone house; the current colour scheme seems a little drab. We have a mixture of silver aluminium windows and older painted windows. We need a colour for barge boards, external cladding, soffits and window trims, as well as the roof. Are you able to offer any suggestions, I would like a more modern look?

A. Perhaps a grey theme may work with the very definite creamy yellow stonework. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – option 1 - roof, barge boards, pergola and posts - Resene Windswept and Resene Quarter Rice Cake under the soffits, the window trims and external cladding.

Or option 2 - roof, barge boards, pergola and posts - Resene Double Stack and Resene Double Silver Chalice for the window trims and external cladding. Resene Quarter Silver Chalice under the soffits.

Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
September 2018

Q. Our concrete stucco bungalow is painted Resene Quarter Spanish White, with a dark blue almost grey roof. I want to paint the windows and trim a dark beige colour, with maybe a grey base. And then the window sill the same as the roof colour. Is there something that would work with Resene Quarter Spanish White? Would Resene Triple Sea Fog work?

A. It may work, but you may have to carefully test the colour to see how it responds to bright natural light. If it looks too light compared to your main house colour or vaguely 'off', you may need to consider a deeper colour.

Perhaps you could try the following colours to see if they appeal to you and work with Resene Quarter Spanish White - Resene Archive Grey or Resene Half Friar Greystone or a slightly more beige toned - Resene Double Truffle or Resene Cloudy.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
 
September 2018

Q. Our house is currently painted in Resene Aspiring with Resene Bunting trim (this was originally close to the then blue roof colour but the roof is now Resene Mid Grey) plus white windows and architraves etc. We are having an external repaint (not the roof) and are thinking of Resene Robin Egg Blue without a trim colour other than white.

1. Will the Resene Robin Egg Blue colour appear more intense on the whole house? If not can you suggest a blue colour that is a little more intense?

2. If we do decide to use a colour trim on the guttering and a few boards, what colours do you suggest? 3. Instead of using white on the windows and architraves, do you suggest using some off-white shade instead (and if so which one)?

A. All colours on an exterior look lighter (or brighter) than you might imagine they will do - the effect of sunlight leaches the colour away. Resene Robin Egg Blue is a soft edged colour and yes it will look lighter - more like Resene Half Robin Egg Blue - unless the sun stops shining.

Similar but slightly deeper colours that you might check out are these ones - Resene Helix or Resene Pewter. A much brighter more intense colour might be Resene Laurel.

Colour trims that might be considered are these - Resene Fast Forward, Resene Steel Grey - yes the same as the roof colour, or Resene Foundry.

An alternative 'white' with subtle undertones of colour might be one of these colours - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Aspiring
Resene Aspiring
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
Resene Mid Grey
Resene Mid Grey
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Half Robin Egg Blue
Resene Pewter
Resene Pewter
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
   
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
   
September 2018

Q. We're renovating our bathroom and getting a little stuck on colours for the wall. We have used testpots for Resene Quarter Truffle which is a little dark, and Resene Sea Fog which is a little blue. We would like quite dark grey tiles and black cabinets with a timber vanity top. Can you recommend a good colour for the wall that would complement the tiles? There is quite a bit of natural light, but the space isn't massive, so we want to keep things neutral and light to maximise the space.

A. Colours in an interior often appear deeper and they are influenced by the aspect of natural light (N/S/E/W) and artificial light, as well as any other definite colour seen close by. If Resene Sea Fog has picked up a blue (cool] undertone then it may be that your natural light in the room is either an easterly (very early morning) aspect or a southerly (sour/grey) aspect.

Have you tried Resene Eighth Truffle - which is lighter than Resene Quarter Truffle - and has a warmth to it, or other colours worth checking out are Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Half Barely There.

Take your time to test colours - apply all of the testpot (two coats) onto very large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). By leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of the card, it acts as a barrier to stop the existing wall colour negatively influencing how you see the tested colour. This border helps you focus on the reality of the colour and judge it alongside the true white of the unpainted portion of the card. You can move it around from wall to wall and place it close to the floor where the tiles are so that you can see how it alters.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
September 2018

Q. I need help with trim colour. I am painting our weatherboard in Resene Joss (already painted the rear facade) and had thought I would paint all the trims in a bright house white, but now I’m not so sure that is a good idea. I am now thinking of painting the majority of trims in Resene Double Rice Cake (fence, veranda posts, rails, barge boards, etc.) and highlighting just the window and door frames in a lighter white. Do you think Resene Double Rice Cake goes well with Resene Joss? Or do you have another suggestion? I would love it if you could give me a mid-tone and light white that would work well with the Resene Joss. Trying to steer clear of real yellow creams but still want something with warmth as our house is south facing.

A. The Resene Rice Cake family is a great mixture of yellow and grey and certainly will not have a real yellow-cream look about it. Because colours look lighter once they get outside, I would use Resene Triple Rice Cake for your trim and perhaps Resene Half Rice Cake for the windows and doors. This will give you enough contrast between the two whites but also a nice depth of colour for the overall trim areas.

Two other colours you could possibly look at for your trim would be - Resene Eighth Drought or Resene Quarter Fossil. You could still use Resene Half Rice Cake for the windows with either of these colours.

Resene Joss
Resene Joss
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Triple Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
September 2018

Q. I am repainting a roof and house, and need to complement old bronze joinery and some new Lignite joinery. However we're not keen on Lignite for the roof as we don't like the brown. What would you recommend for the roof and walls? We were thinking Resene Ironsand for roof and window surrounds (if required), not sure about walls though.

A. Resene Ironsand is a good choice for the roof and window surrounds as it will help to tie together the Lignite joinery and the older bronze joinery.

If you were to use a light to mid tone colour (not a very pale colour) as the main colour on the house then the bronze and the Lignite won't appear to be as dark as they are now. You might check out these ones to see if they appeal to you – Resene Napa, Resene Half Sandstone, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Triple Ash or Resene Grey Area.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
September 2018

Q. I have a cabin that I am going to begin painting. I am seeking your advice regarding exterior colours for the walls as we have a red Scoria roof.

A. If the cabin is built from real wood and is in a rural setting one of these colours would look really good – Resene Double Ash, Resene Bison Hide, Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Half Evolution.

Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Evolution
Resene Half Evolution
September 2018

Q. If I am choosing for a spec. house and looking at Resene Half Cloud, Resene Quarter Cloud and Resene Cloud in the living areas and Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe and Resene Half Perfect Taupe in bedrooms and bathrooms, what white would you suggest for ceilings, doors and trims throughout?

A. You could use Resene Quarter Black White for the ceilings throughout the house and Resene Black White for all doors and wooden trims.

Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Quarter Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
September 2018

Q. We are painting the brick at our home. We aren’t changing the joinery, top cladding or roof colour, which are warm browns. Can you please recommend a colour? We are thinking something in the grey range of things but are open to suggestions please

A. Grey has many different types of undertone, and we need to be a little careful to get the right type of grey to work with all the warm tones on the rest of your house. For this reason, I have chosen a few warmer (brown undertone) types of greys instead of purple or green looking ones. Another colour that would work really well with all the brown you have, is blue. I’m not talking about a bright blue! A grey blue, something sophisticated. I’ve given you both options below:

Greys – try Resene Cloudy, Resene Half Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Bokara Grey. Or for blues – Resene Regent Grey, Resene Half Mako, Resene Bluff or Resene San Juan.

The neutral colours will have lighter and darker options within each colour range, so if you like how the colour looks, but want it slightly different, chances are that it does exist. Pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask them to show you the A4 drawdown paint swatches of each of the colours I’ve mentioned.

Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Quarter Masala
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Half Mako
Resene Half Mako
Resene Bluff
Resene Bluff
Resene San Juan
Resene San Juan
September 2018

Q. We are painting our living room and we need to paint the ceilings and walls the same colour as our dado and ceiling cornice are not straight. It is currently painted Resene Alabaster but I wanted to paint something warmer with a bit more depth.

A. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Merino, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Sometimes it is not just the colour that supplies a bit of depth and character to a room. You may find that using a matt acrylic adds a little velvety depth to any colour and as ceilings are mostly painted in a matt acrylic it could be an economical and practical decision to use the same paint for both surfaces. Rather than use a Ceiling Matt acrylic which can't be wiped clean you could use Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel as it is tough, scrubbable and is an easily applied sophisticated coating.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
September 2018

Q. We are building a smaller two bed farmhouse. It will have a large wrap around wooden deck and probably a small amount of wood featured cladding. The garage, farm building and roof colour is a New Denim Blue colour and would love some ideas as to what you would recommend the house and eaves be painted? We have a modern style plan chosen yet we like rustic styles to fit in with the lifestyle property look.

A. You don't mention what the window joinery will be like or what colour it will be and that could have a bearing on what colour you use of the exterior. Check out the following colours for the cladding to see if they meet the criteria (farmhouse/modern style/rustic) and appeal to you – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Half Tea, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene White Pointer.

If you were planning on staining the deck then you could look at these Resene Woodsman stain colours – Resene Iroko, Resene Nutmeg, Resene Bleached Cedar or Resene Smokey Ash.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
 
September 2018

Q. We are building a new house and are looking at COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey for the roof but are unsure for the main colour windows and front door. The house is in LINEA®. We would like to keep it timeless so would prefer a light colour. We also have an old corrugated shed not too far from the house which will be repainted so colour suggestions for that would be good too. We have to tie all this in with stained black railings. Will Windsor Grey tend to be too blue for the roof? If so could you suggest another colour?

A. COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey is darker than COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars (which does throw a steel blue undertone) but not as black as COLORSTEEL® Ebony. If you want a charcoal but not a real black I think Windsor Grey will work well.

Some timeless light neutral colours that you could check out as the main exterior colour might be these ones – Resene Half Delta or a slightly deeper variant - Resene Delta, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Triple Black White.

You could consider one of these powder coat colours for the windows and possibly the front door as well - Appliance White or Titania.

Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
September 2018

Q. Please suggest a soft grey colour for bathroom walls. It is a small bathroom and the floor is dark slate tiles. We like grey blue as well.

A. These are some really lovely greys for you to check out – Resene Quarter Grey Chateau, Resene Concrete, Resene Whiteout, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Iron or Resene Quarter Surrender.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
September 2018

Q. If we are painting the exterior of the house in a grey/blue, what would we paint the outside deck?

A. This will be determined by your house colour, but here are some colour families to get you started - Resene Tea, Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Ash or Resene Tapa.

These range from Triple, down to an Eighth, in each family range and are all slightly different in undertone. Resene Tea is browner and at the other end, Resene Tapa is a grey with green undertone. Once you have chosen your main cladding colour, you can then decide if you want a light or darker deck. Stay away from colours that are too dark though, it will only cause you more maintenance.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
September 2018

Q. I have an older (not character style) home, with lack of natural light and I want some advice on what white colours to use. I have used Resene Conch and Resene Half Perfect Taupe so far, so I would love some ideas on a white that will warm the house but not look dirty and also suggestions on trim colours to match this.

A. Warmer whites have either a smidgen of yellow in them or a tiny bit of red in them. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Blanc or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

If you used a pure white as a trim and ceiling colour, it will enhance the subtle warm whites that you have used as a main colour - Resene White. If pure white was too stark for you then you might consider using Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Conch
Resene Conch
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Perfect Taupe
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Blanc
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
September 2018

Q. I am looking for a white that is ok with grey, to paint our whole house. We have soft grey window frames and a grey concrete floor. I like Resene Rice Cake but want to make sure I get a versatile white that works with grey.

A. Resene Rice Cake is a nice sharp yellowed white. It looks very nice with all manner of greys.

Other options to check out is Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Merino. They are all quite different to each other and carry unique undertones of colour within them. This may not be very apparent until you see them alongside a true white, like a sheet of white printer paper, and then your eye picks up on the very subtle colours in them. They are all versatile.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
September 2018

Q. Could you please tell me what pale colour for the fascia and under eaves goes really well with New Denim Blue? I hope to go for a cool colour and one that is pale enough to be reflective of our Central Otago sun.

A. Are you using New Denim Blue for the roof and guttering? Or are you using it for the main house colour?

Either way, a natural cool colour would be a white. You could use a grey/blue tinted white if you wanted more of a colour.

Perhaps one of these ones - Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Black White, Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Iron and Resene Poured Milk or a more definite colour like these ones - Resene Geyser or Resene Mystic.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
 
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Mystic
Resene Mystic
     
September 2018

Q. We are having our kitchen renovated and need some advice on a colour to paint the walls that will warm the room up. Our cabinetry is white, with wood coloured bench tops and a lighter wood shade laminate floor. The floor has taken some 'warmth' out of the bench tops, so we want to add some more to the room. It gets a lot of sun and we want to avoid white on the walls as it would be too much glare. We have not chosen a splashback colour yet, this depends on walls.

A. Warmer types of colours might be like these ones - Resene Secrets, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Quarter Linen or Resene Quarter Spanish White.

A splashback could be a brave splash of colour or a deep moody/mysterious colour - whatever appeals most to you.

Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
September 2018

Q. I want to choose an outside colour scheme for our 1970s house. It is a mix of vertical and horizontal weatherboards, with a block garage and sheet lower level. There is wooden fencing all around the property. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. I am looking for something fresh and modern, not dated. I was thinking of a light grey area but I am open to ideas.

A. I am not 100% sure about using a grey for the block garage and concrete fence, and any other fences, as it may look like unpainted cement. I am not sure that is the look that you would find fresh and modern. But you could use a black charcoal like Resene Double Cod Grey.

The house main colour could be a cool grey like Resene Grey Chateau or paler like Resene Geyser. You could do both the upper level and the bottom level the same colours, to simplify the 'cut in half' effect of the house as seen from the front. If you maintain a crisp white - i.e. Resene Poured Milk - for all the windows, the porch timbers and under the soffits - the cool grey looks marvellous. The garage roller doors could be the same as the roof, to tie these two elements together.

The front and back door could be a wild pop of colour to lift the effect of the grey, white and black edged charcoal. This could even be as cheeky as Resene Wild Thing or Resene Raging Bull or a colour that you love before all others.

Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
 
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Wild Thing
Resene Raging Bull
Resene Raging Bull
   
September 2018

Q. I want to paint my garage door but I am unsure on what colour to choose. The joinery is Millennium Silver. The basement of the house is Resene Triple Stonehenge and the upper part of the house is Resene Truffle.

A. Rather than introduce a 'random' other colour, had you thought of using Resene Truffle on the garage door to tie together the upper story and the lower storey? This is a simple look but effective.

Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Triple Stonehenge
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
September 2018

Q. We are using Resene Black White on our walls and would like some advice on a more vivid white to use on the ceilings, doors and skirting boards. We are looking at Resene White or Resene Alabaster.

A. Resene Alabaster is a great choice for trim. It has a small amount of grey tint, which helps give some coverage when painting but also stops it from being really stark. However, if you want the most amount of contrast possible, go for pure white. Note the ceiling could be done in ‘white’, not Resene Alabaster. This is because once a colour is above us, it actually appears darker. So your Resene White ceiling will look like Resene Alabaster anyway.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2018

Q. We have a red brick house with a deck. We’ve been advised that Resene Quarter Ironsand and Resene Half Cougar would go well together for the outer fence and deck respectively. Would Resene Ironsand and Resene Half Cougar also work together?

A. Yes they would work together. The contrast would be much greater, so the dark colour would look much darker because of the paler soft toned neutral being seen close by.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
September 2018

Q. I have Titania windows and I’m trying to come up with a colour for the weatherboard cladding so the windows stand out. Would you have any suggestions please?

A. A very pale colour or a dark colour may work with Titania.

You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Climate, Resene Grey Area or Resene Taupe Grey.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
September 2018

Q. We will be using Matt Charcoal for our joinery and FlaxPod for the roof. I was thinking of painting the darker area of the cladding Resene Element, but not sure what to paint the rest of the house. I'd like it darker, but maybe a bit lighter than Resene Element. The cladding is LINEA® and Stria®.

A. Matt Charcoal windows have a slight blue undertone, so there are two ways of going about choosing a colour. You could go with something like Resene Baltic Sea (or Resene Half Baltic Sea) which is a lighter version of Resene Element. A fairly neutral charcoal, Resene Baltic Sea doesn’t have an undertone.

Or you could go down the blue track and have a different type of colour for the cladding. Here are some examples - Resene Raven, Resene Half New Denim Blue or Resene Shuttle Grey.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half
New Denim Blue
Resene Shuttle Grey
Resene Shuttle Grey
September 2018

Q. I have painted my kitchen in Resene Silver Chalice. The cabinets are Char Blue, with Silver Strata above. The table was colour matched with the Char Blue and the bench top is a blue grey. It is time to choose a splashback colour. I am getting a glass one beneath each window. There is too much blue and grey and I need to lighten it up. Would you have any advice on a splashback colour?

A. Sometimes greys and muted deep toned blues can look smart and modern but a bit indecisive, so possibly you may consider a very bold/bright colour for the colour behind the glass splashback. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Code Red, Resene Jailbreak, Resene Thumbs Up, Resene Away We Go and Resene Yowza.

Alternatively, you could use a cool white to lift the grey/blues and add a neutral contrast - Resene Poured Milk.

There are two types of glass used for splashbacks. One is called standard float glass and the other is called crystal clear low iron oxide glass - it is this one that allows the colours to be seen absolutely true to reality. The standard float glass has a green cast to it and if you were to use it, it alters how colours are seen - in the case of a white colour - the white would look like an aqua green.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Code Red
Resene Code Red
     
September 2018

Q. I want to paint my garage doors and front door. Initially I thought black for both. Then I thought perhaps dark grey for the garage doors, same as the roof and a red or a light grey for the door. What colours do you suggest?

A. A dark grey that matches the roof for the garage door is a nice way of harmonious co-ordination. The front door would look really good as a red - and there is a tremendous amount to choose from. But you might look at the following reds to see if they appeal to you - Resene Salsa or Resene Dynamite.

Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
Resene Dynamite
Resene Dynamite
September 2018

Q. I am looking for a warm blue as a feature wall. My wall colour is Resene Merino and I am looking at Resene Blumine or Resene St Kilda. Are these warm blues?

A. Both of these colours have a decent amount of green in them, and not a lot of grey, which means they are warm colours and reasonably clear too. They will look quite blue on the wall but make excellent feature wall options. Just make sure that you test each colour on a large A2 cards (available from Resene ColorShops) (or bigger) piece of card, to ensure you like the colour on a larger scale.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Blumine
Resene Blumine
Resene St Kilda
Resene St Kilda
September 2018

Q. I am confused as to whether I do my house, grey with white trims or white with grey trims. I am looking at a light grey in both options. It is a weatherboard house with cedar windows.

A. A grey house with white trims, gives a lovely level of contrast. A white house may not create the same eye interest. I think you may need to think through very carefully what type of look you want.

September 2018

Q. I would like a warm grey for the master bedroom. We have Resene Black White throughout the house with Resene Half Black White trims. We have Half Bokara Grey on a gas fire wall and under the kitchen bench. I am wondering about Resene Rakaia grey, Resene Concrete or Athens Grey. Which of these would tone best with the Black White?

A. Any of these greys work really well with Resene Black White. Resene Rakaia and its lighter variants are slightly warmer than Resene Concrete and Resene Athens Grey.

Take your time and test the colours carefully so that you achieve the look you want.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
September 2018

Q. We're soon to be building a house and we were lucky enough to get a house lot of double-glazed aluminium doors and windows (saving us a fortune) but they're in 'Rivergum' colour. We have to use natural browns, greens, greys for roofing and house colour, with no reflective surfaces - but what on earth can we paint/stain, which will be either board and batten or weatherboard profile, that will minimise the green of the joinery and still look modern? It’s single level, probably mono pitch - we're just finalising all that but I'm having trouble picturing it.

A. Unfortunately the green will always stand out, unless you also want a green house. I would suggest using a dark roof colour – something like Ironsand (which is brown charcoal), this should get across the line from council. As for cladding, if it needs to be a flat finish, then staining is the way to go. This does require more maintenance than painting, but it means you can have darker colours without compromising the integrity of the timber. Board and batten will obviously suit this more so, than weatherboard. So here are some colour options for staining - Resene Canopy, Resene Touch Wood, Resene Banjul, Resene Tiri or Resene Iroko.

The best thing to do is ask the builders to leave some off-cuts for you so that you can test these colours out. You’ll want to apply two coats of stain initially, and depending on access, another coat after third months or so. With stain, if you like the look after two coats, you don’t need to apply the third. Some of the colours above might be too green or too grey with three coats, this is why you need to grab some testpots and test onto both board and batten because the stain will look different.

Resene has big Woodcare stands in every store and has samples of these colours onto pine. Ask one of the staff members to grab a Resene Rivergum sample and also Resene Ironsand (or whatever roof colour you choose to use) and put them up against the timber samples before grabbing testpots.

Resene Touch Wood
Resene Touch Wood
Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
   
September 2018

Q. I have recently had the rimu trims of my home painted in Resene Black White. I'm regretting this decision as I think should have gone with a whiter white, Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White. The colour on the walls in the dining room, look to be Resene Quarter Tea but against the Resene Black White, they appear a bit green. It's an old home with large skirting and window frames, I felt all the woodwork was too heavy and wanted to give it a makeover. The painter I used, suggested Resene Black White. What I want to know is, can it be saved, or should I consider repainting the trims? It was a big job and will be expensive to re-do, so that is definitely my last option. I'm wondering if painting the walls Resene Double Black White will look good, although some areas of the house (e.g. hallway) are quite dark and Resene Double Black White looks quite grey. Do you have any other suggestions? What do you think of a Resene Sea Fog variation or Resene White Pointer? It's worth noting that the floors are going to be stained dark and I will be having a darker grey carpet installed.

A. You could check out Resene Sea Fog and Resene White Pointer - they are less grey toned than Resene Double Black White. Please paint up a very large sample using all of the testpot/two coats.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
 
September 2018

Q. We are building a new house and have black steel beams and Hinera stone. What colour palette options could you recommend to suit this combination?

A. Hinuera stone is a warm coloured stone, so perhaps some of the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Eighth Sisal and Resene Quarter Akaroa CC.

Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
September 2018

Q. Could you please tell me what white colour matches Resene Quarter Thornton Cream?

A. These whites look good with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Black White or if you want a really subtle coloured white that merges well with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream try Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
September 2018

Page 79

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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