Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. Is there an LRV number that you would say was too bright for anything but the tiniest touches? I really like colours like Resene Off Yellow, Resene China Ivory, Resene Corn Field and Resene Quarter Dutch White but I feel like these all might be too bright for the interior? I did use Resene Quarter Dutch White for trim in the bathroom with Resene Triple Athens Grey for the walls and I do quite like the effect but I was thinking for other rooms maybe I'd be better to go for Resene Half Orchid White for all the trims with Resene Bianca for the lounge, Resene Duck Egg Blue for the dining room, Resene French Grey for the kitchen with Resene Bianca on cupboards and either Resene Secrets or Resene Sea Mist for my son's room. I'm thinking I might stick to Resene Half Orchid White for all trims although I gather that is not the trend and people are going more for the black whites for trim these days? A. The extremely fluorescent very bright colours would always be difficult to use in an interior. The colours you mention are light and therefore bright in all but the darkest or smallest rooms. Colours in an interior always look deeper or brighter generally speaking and the opposite is true on the exterior. I really like the idea you have of using Resene Half Orchid White and Resene Bianca. The other colours you mention are lovely, fresh or atmospheric pastels. When you mention the trends and what other people are using in no way should stop you from using the colours that you favour and that look good in your home. It should always be about individual taste which is why we have lots of colours for everyone to have their unique spin on what they favour. We are all different to each other, so too are our tastes. Go with what delights your eyes and pleases your heart. January 2019
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Q. We have a lot of yellow drapes and the wall is also a darker cream/yellow so the room just looks yellow. This is an open lounge/dining/kitchen of good size. We want to repaint in a neutral colour, perhaps a white/cream that is warm but not yellow based but at the same time will go with the drapes. We also want to take it on through to our hallway (no drapes) as this too is yellow so makes it feel a bit dark. Any ideas? Our carpet is dark brown. A. It does depend on what type of yellow the drapes are but the following are some versatile white/creams. They do carry some yellow undertones in them so they have warmth but other warm options are pinker or more beige toned and they may not work so well with the curtain colour. Try Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.
January 2019
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Q. Our modern mostly plaster beach house is painted Resene Eighth Castle Rock. The roof is a light grey colour. Currently the contrast boards on the side of the house are painted a dark contrast colour. This dark colour attracts the sun and has faded considerably. I am aware that the Resene Eighth Castle Rock colour is no longer available, so while I want the colour to match the current colour, I would also like suggestions on what to paint the plaster when it needs to be repainted. Please can you suggest a lighter contrast colour for the feature areas on the side of the house and also some ideas on how we could brighten or liven up the front of the house when we need to repaint will be most appreciated. A. Firstly - if you wanted to continue using Resene Eighth Castle Rock you could do so. Nothing is deleted - colours that are not current live at Resene Head Office in the Colour Department. If you want this colour just ask for it. Sometimes having more of what you already have is better than testing, and then getting used to, another colour. But an alternative colour might be - Resene Eighth Friar Grey. It is a little greyer but is still a warm neutral colour. For a lighter colour for those contrast details you might look at the following to see if they appeal to you - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half House White or Resene Half Barely There. It would be a very subtle contrast because the main house colour is already very light so lighter again than that takes you to whiter colours. The roof and the garage doors are the other elements on the house that require maintenance - the roof more than the garage door because it is so exposed to the sun and weather. Powder coated surfaces can be repainted after scrupulous cleaning to remove salt deposits and oxidisation, then sealing and two coats of topcoat. If your site is highly exposed to the sun and salt winds (as most coastal regions are) then lighter colours are always recommended as they are more reflective of the sun's rays.
January 2019
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Q. I am looking for a white/cream neutral that will work well with Resene Half Emerge, which we will be using as a feature wall in my daughters room. Can you please suggest one that works well with Resene Half Emerge? A. I am particularly fond of either the Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Rice Cake families when pairing with a colour such as Resene Half Emerge. Because the Resene Half Emerge has a grey undertone, you need to be careful about pairing it with a true cream, or something that is yellow because they just won't sit well together. The Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Rice Cake families are warm but with a grey undertone, so best of both worlds. I would start with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and possibly look at Resene Half Emerge, just depends on the lighting for the room and how ‘white' you want the walls to look. If you want to achieve a crisp and contemporary look, you would move into the Resene Sea Fog family of whites, these have a grey undertone but will produce a cooler feeling space. Resene ColorShops have a colour library with folders of A4 drawdown painted 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. Don't apply a testpot to the already coloured walls - it won't look true to reality because of the greater amount of existing colour influencing it negatively. If you paint a large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with all, two coats, of the testpot it lets you see a huge amount of colour. Please leave an unpainted white card border all around the edge of the card to act as a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour. You can move it from wall to wall so you can see how it alters during the day and night. Each wall may show the colour in a different way.
January 2019
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Q. I want to paint the exterior of my house a light grey or greige - nothing too dark but not muddy brown tones either. I am looking at either Resene Athens Grey or Resene Double White Pointer. Can you please recommend a white that we should use for the windows to achieve a crisp clean finish? We have a 1920s bungalow and a dark grey roof and foundations. A. Whites that have a little grey undertone will work well with your colour scheme and stop any glare. I would suggest using Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Sea Fog (this is just one shade darker). Colours outside will always appear lighter once they are painted, you may find in order to retain that ‘light grey' look, you need to move to a Resene Quarter Silver Chalice (which is the next one darker from Resene Athens Grey). Testpots are vital at this stage for determining depth of colour.
January 2019
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Q. We have just purchased a 1930s house which has a lot of wainscoting in a hallway. I was thinking to paint it a white/light type of colour as it is currently dark brown. The doors and frames are also a dark wood colour. What would I paint the door frames and wainscoting? I was thinking of painting the entire door frames white or a colour like that and keeping the doors original dark brown colour. A. If the light colour you use for the wainscoting, skirting boards and door frames was all the same colour and that colour wasn't too pale then the dark wood colour doors wouldn't look too dark by comparison. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Villa White.
January 2019
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Q. I am painting the walls Resene Concrete and the doors/trim Resene Half Concrete. What colour should the ceiling be? The kitchen will be Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White. A. If you want the ceiling to provide a very crisp clean contrast compared to the walls then I suggest you use Resene Eighth Black White. The kitchen could be Resene Half Black White so that you have a subtle colour that can be seen as different to the ceilings and to the Resene Concrete walls and the Resene Half Concrete trims and door.
January 2019
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Q. I would be very grateful if you can please advise me on a colour scheme for my elderly parents' home. The house is a 1970s basic three bedroom Keith Hay type, fibrolite house with brown aluminium joinery. It has had a wooden framed conservatory on top of the front deck. I have been looking through your habitat plus (exterior) and like the colour scheme of Resene Caraway, Resene Black White and Resene Mondo. My question is would this colour scheme work with brown aluminium joinery? Before looking in the booklet, I purchased two testpots, Resene Double Merino and Resene Quarter Tea for the main fibrolite. Would either of these colours go with the brown joinery and if so can you please advise me on contrasting colours for the barge boards and the wooden frame of the conservatory? Once we have the house painted, we will then look at repainting the roof in a colour that will go with the house. A. Resene Caraway, Resene Black White and Resene Mondo would work with well with brown joinery. Resene Double Merino is a versatile slightly green edged neutral whereas Resene Quarter Tea has more of a warm beige undertone. If you went with Resene Double Merino you could use Resene Pravda for the bargeboards and conservatory, Resene Quarter Merino and Resene Squall for the roof. If you went with Resene Quarter Tea you could use Resene Groundbreaker for the barge boards and conservatory, Resene Half Sea Fog for the white trims, if required, and Resene Ironsand for the roof.
January 2019
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Q. We are looking for colours for our property. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. We like Resene Silver Chalice for the window and corner highlights, but need to find a light colour for the walls. We don't want a white as it will be too much glare with all the sun. What would you suggest? A. Two colours that would work really with the Resene Silver Chalice would be Resene Athens Grey or Resene Half Athens Grey. These are actually an eighth and a sixteenth Resene Silver Chalice, so will tone in really well and also give you that off-white/light grey look without being too stark. Colours outside will appear roughly half a shade lighter, so I strongly suggest you test these colours outside and determine which depth you prefer. If you would like a slightly different undertone, try Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Concrete.
January 2019
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Q. My daughter's room is currently Resene Quarter Tea and she would like to paint one wall in a pinky colour. She is 6 but I want a pink which will see her through her years. A. Here are some pinks for you to look at. These all have slightly grey undertones which stops them being too clean and ‘baby girl' looking. With your walls already being Resene Quarter Tea, the dirtier pinks will work really well; you may find that cleaner colours just don't look right. Any of these colours would take her through to teenage years if that's what's needed, and remember that feature walls can be a little darker or brighter than what you may be used to. If the chosen colour is a little brighter than what you may like, I suggest painting it on a wall you don't see from the hallway or bedroom door. Or painting it onto the wall with a window or wardrobe, so that you get the effect but over a smaller area. Try Resene Gelato, Resene Paper Doll, Resene Soothe, Resene Ethereal or Resene Turkish Delight.
January 2019
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Q. We need to paint our bach. I like dark grey but not for walls and would like a lighter grey for the conservatory. A. If you like dark grey - but not for the walls - then perhaps you might use it as a roof colour, barge boards and fascia and for the garage doors. These are a few greys - from lightest to mid-tone and dark that you could check out to see if the appeal to you: Resene Grey Friars - roof/garage doors, Resene Stack – main and Resene Quarter Stack – conservatory, or Resene Steel Grey - roof /garage doors, Resene Half Tapa - main and Resene Eighth Tapa. If you use a crisp white for all the windows - i.e. Resene Half Black White - it could look really smart.
January 2019
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Q. We are repainting our house and deciding on colours. I have already purchased 20L of Resene Sea Fog for the walls. My question is what do we paint the ceilings and trim? Is it better to paint it all the same colour, or paint the walls in Resene Sea Fog, and perhaps the ceiling, scotia, and trim in Resene Alabaster? A. You certainly could use a whiter colour like Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, scotia and trims throughout. The clean crisp contrast will make the Resene Sea Fog look like a lovely warm hint of grey. If you painted everything the same colour, there wouldn't be the same 'lift' to the look in the rooms.
January 2019
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Q. I have a villa with some rimu doors, window frames and fretwork. The ceilings are high and have ceiling roses. I am having the interior painted and would like advice on colour choices. I was thinking of using Resene Villa White and Resene Alabaster. What do you recommend? A. The colours you mention are very nice and would work well. The following are a few others that you could check out so that you can compare them. This will also help you see the differences between the undertones of colour in each that are sometimes not apparent - Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Orchid White and Resene Cararra. Resene Alabaster is a good white - very versatile - but there are others that are similar that may work as well - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.
January 2019
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Q. We are building a new home and have chosen Ironsand for the garage door, roof and window frames. We have chosen Resene Eighth Friar Grey for the Rockcote and were thinking about Resene Innocence for the LINEA® board. Have you any other suggestions? We would like a mid-grey colour. A. You could use a tonally related palette instead of a definite contrast like the colour Resene Innocence you have mentioned. Perhaps like these colours - Resene Friar Grey (deeper variant of the palest – Resene Eighth Friar Grey) or Resene Eighth Ironsand (a lighter variant of Ironsand). Alternatively, if you do want a completely contrasting unrelated grey to create a feature, try Resene Regent Grey this is a slightly bluer/grey than the green edged grey - Resene Innocence.
January 2019
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Q. We are painting an old villa and are planning on using Resene Surrender for the cladding, Resene Alabaster for the window surrounds, and Resene Tuna for the trim highlights and roof. Just wanted to get your thoughts on using Resene Surrender and Resene Tuna together - do you think they work well together or is Resene Tuna too 'blue'? Would you recommend another dark grey to go with the Resene Surrender for the trim highlights and roof, or do you think Resene Tuna will work well? A. I don't think Resene Tuna is too blue toned. It works well with the lilac/blue undertone in Resene Surrender. But if you want to look at some alternatives you might check out the following - Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Steel Grey or Resene Grey Friars.
January 2019
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Q. I'm looking for a bright beach house feel and have been trying to find a yellow or sweet potato orange colour for the exterior of my house that is surrounded by grey houses! We are filling in the whole front wall and have a 3000W x 1700h central box window going in with wide white trim and new glass door to match and the fence is being replaced also. A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tango, Resene Roxy, Resene Touche, Resene Porsche or Resene Bardot. Colours on an exterior look a lot brighter than you might imagine they will do, so testing colours carefully is always advisable. There is a Resene product called Resene Clearcoat UVS which can be applied over brighter colours to help them stay bright and not fade.
January 2019
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Q. I want options to use with Resene Flax, (which I'm using in the conservatory that has a glass roof), to move into the central hall and stairwell which has less light - either a good contrast or a complementary colour. I'm using Resene Black White on the ceilings. A. If you wanted a slightly lighter/softer toned version of Resene Flax for the hallway and stairwell, you could use either Resene Bitter or Resene Frontier. Or you could use a one of these more neutral tones - Resene Sugar Loaf, Resene Bubble White, Resene Moon Mist or Resene Arrowroot.
January 2019
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Q. Which colour white would you recommend for an apartment kitchen that faces south? Also, what is the most popular white Resene colour for kitchen cupboards? A. South facing rooms can sometimes look a bit shadowy or cool, so I always recommend that a white with warmth be used to try and compensate for that. You might check out these warmer whites - Resene Bianca, Resene White Linen, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Eighth Spanish White. If you want the kitchen cabinets to look 'whiter' than the walls and crisper by comparison, you could look at either of these very popular whites - Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White.
January 2019
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Q. My bedroom walls are painted Resene Quarter Tea. I have a sepia cream map print that currently has a pale cream wood frame which needs to be darkened, as it is lost against the wall. The rest of the room has white furnishings and accents of black, gold and silver. A. You could use Resene Black. But my worry is that it may look too hard edged and optically challenging. But if you used a warm toned blackish charcoal, it may work well for you - Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Blackout or Resene Gumboot. You might take your print with you into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 real paint samples of all these colours in their Colour Library. By placing the samples right up against the print it would make it easier for you to see what the reality of the warm black looks like.
January 2019
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Q. Can you give me some burnt orange colour choices to go on a TV wall? The rest of the room is Resene Double Black White, with a darkish browny/grey wood floor. There are all natural colours in the room. I don't want it to be in your face since a TV will be on the wall. A. All burnt oranges are quite different to each other. Plus what is burnt orange to me may not be burnt orange to you. But the following are a few worth checking out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Fire, Resene Ayers Rock, Resene Vesuvius, Resene Bi Hoki, Resene Sunbaked or Resene Clockwork Orange.
January 2019
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Q. I want to paint the fences around our section. We haven't built our house yet but I am looking to use COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (Resene Element) for cladding. I just want some advice for a colour to match on the fence, maybe a lighter shade. A. If you didn't use the match colour to COLOSTEEL® FlaxPod - Resene Element - on the fences, then one of the following may appeal to you - Resene Windswept or Resene Fuscous Grey.
January 2019
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Q. We want to repaint a workshop room into a vibrant inspirational hub of design creativity. No constraints, we just want it to be awesome! See what you think. A. I am not sure about where or what parts of the workshop that you would paint, but the following colours are creatively inspiring - Resene She'll Be Right, Resene Party Zone, Resene Kryptonite and Resene Yowza.
January 2019
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Q. We are going to paint our 2m high garden fence which is wooden and in poor condition. We will then plant Star Jasmine and some grasses that will eventually mostly cover the fence. Can you recommend a colour that will make the green plants 'pop'? We've cleaned the mould off the fence. Should we use an undercoat before the topcoats? If so, which? What type of topcoat paint should we use? A. If the fence is clean and has never been painted or stained in the past, but is in poor condition then you could use Resene Timberlock to strengthen the wood fibre and make it more durable prior to top coating it. For the topcoats we recommend Resene Lumbersider. Deeper colours are often used to provide a background for planting and foliage. You might look at any one of the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Karaka, Resene Sambuca, Resene Haka, Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Coffee Bean. Because the colours are very dark and the fence timbers are not in prime condition, I strongly recommend that you ask for whichever colour you choose to be made in the reformulated Resene CoolColour™ version. This will help the fence by minimising the amount of heat that is absorbed into the surface. It is the heat that causes timber to expand and contract, buckle and twist and pop at the nail heads.
January 2019
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Q. We have a two storeyed home made with Roskill stone. The basement is painted concrete block. What do you think of Resene Sea Fog for the base? The deck is brown and so is the trim around the roof. A. If you have already tested Resene Sea Fog and it looks great when seen close the Roskill stone and the brown of the deck, then by all means go ahead and use it. It is a very obliging white with a hint of grey warmth in it. It is often used instead of a standard white as it is less stark.
January 2019
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Q. I have an Ironsand roof on my new build with Firth Urban grey brick (Focus) with Charcoal mortar and I am considering Charcoal aluminium joinery. Can you advise on complimentary colours for the exterior LINEA® board please? A. You might consider using a lighter variant of the Ironsand roof colour to carry some of the warm tone onto the body of the house. Perhaps one of these options might be considered - Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Ironsand. Alternatively, a much deeper/blacker variant of the roof colour could be checked out as well - Resene Double Ironsand or Resene Dark Web (Resene Triple Ironsand) or a warm slightly more grey toned colour - Resene Eighth Bokara Grey.
January 2019
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Q. I want a nice grey to paint a small lounge, just looking for options. A. You could check out these grey colours suggestions to see if there are any that appeal to you - Resene Grey Seal, Resene Half Stack, Resene Triple Rakaia and deeper tones - Resene Jumbo, Resene Half Gunsmoke and Resene Quarter Baltic Sea. There many more greys available but these may be a start point to consider.
January 2019
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Q. I am painting the entire interior beach house and want a 'warm' white colour - not too stark not too yellowy. A. Perhaps one of these may appeal to you - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Half Milk White.
January 2019
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Q. I want to paint our living room Resene Jet Stream. Could you suggest a nice light neutral to go throughout the rest of the house that would also complement Resene Jet Stream? A. Perhaps one of these neutrals might appeal to you - Resene Athens Grey, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Wan White, Resene Barely There or Resene Black Haze.
January 2019
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Q. I am building and I want the exterior, which is a James Hardie® weatherboard and some board and batten, the same colour look as the roof when viewing both together from the roadside. The roof colour I have chosen is Sandstone Grey. Can you please advise the best exterior Resene colour that will achieve this look? A. If you want the board and batten and the James Hardie® board to match the roof colour, the Resene match colour is called Resene Gauntlet. It is available as either a full gloss – Resene Hi-Glo, a semi-gloss – Resene Sonyx 101 or a low sheen Resene Lumbersider paint finish.
January 2019
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Q. I am about to change my wall colour from Resene Alabaster to Resene Half Tea in my open plan living/dining/kitchen. There is a light brown carpet. I need to repaint the fireplace but I am struggling on the colour. A. I think if you are changing your wall colour to a warm colour - Resene Half Tea, you may need to consider whether you want a paler coloured fireplace or a darker one. What you could do is look at several colours and think carefully - a pale colour could look nice - Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Half Albescent White. Or perhaps a deeper tone - Resene Half Napa or Resene Half Pravda. I am not 100% certain about a really dark colour, as it may look like a big dark hole in the room. But it is a personal choice.
January 2019
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Q. The south side of our house has a Karaka roof and Karaka downpipes and we are going to have some cedar T&G to match the garage door put above the front entrance. I am after some suggestions to paint the poles and the front door. I was thinking Resene Black gloss enamel but am open to suggestions. A. Black usually works well with most other colours. Is it the very hard edged optically challenging pure black itself, or is it the full gloss that is making you feel uneasy? Would a slightly softer shaded black appeal more - i.e. Resene Blackjack? You could use Resene Karaka to match the roof - or a darker green - i.e. Resene Ruck N Maul. You could also consider a lower sheen level using Resene Lustacryl waterborne semi-gloss enamel. This may look better to your eye than the slick wet look of a full gloss finish.
January 2019
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Q. Could you please recommend a neutral or more than one neutral that would go with Resene Inside Back? A. One of the following might be appealing to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Merino, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Truffle.
January 2019
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Q. We have a feature wall around our fireplace that we painted Resene Innuendo. We were looking for a nice light grey colour for the other walls, not too dark as we don't want to make the room feel small. We thought maybe a nice warmish colour. We are really stuck on finding the right colour to match. A. I really like the following colours which look really nice with Resene Innuendo - perhaps one of them will appeal to you - Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Mercury, Resene Black Haze or Resene Quarter Concrete.
January 2019
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Q. We want to repaint and update the look of our house. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Mist Green. We would appreciate advice on a main colour as well as trim. The current colour is a cream like Resene Double Pearl Lusta and the interior is Resene Eighth Spanish White and we don't want the same outside. A. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Merino, Resene Truffle or Resene Half Tea. If the window sashes, under the soffits, door frames and guttering fascia were a whiter colour, it may lift the exterior a bit and provide some crisp contrast - i.e. Resene Alabaster. You could also do all the 'green' feature coloured trims the same white. But if you wanted to maintain a green 'feature' on the house then you might lighten it a little bit, using Resene Peace (which is the same as Resene Quarter Paddock, Resene Paddock is the Resene version of Mist Green).
January 2019
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Q. We have just purchased an unfortunate Spanish Mission style house complete with orange concrete tile roof. Currently it is painted an awful cream and we wondered if there is a 'palette' available of what would suit this style house? A. Resene do not have a designated colour palette for this style of home, however, our whites and off-whites would suit this era of house. If you want to modernise (as much as possible) a grey-white would give a crisp look. Colours such as Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Ash are ‘warmer' greys and will complement the roof. Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Rice Cake are colours that sit in between the greys and creams, so if you still want a warmer colour overall but without so much cream, these could be an option. I would look at Resene Thorndon Cream as a starting point. For something a little different, try using a green undertone in your white, such as Resene Eighth Lemon Grass or Resene Joanna. Using charcoal as an accent is also something to consider. Typically wrought iron was used along with darker windows, but this may not be possible if your windows are timber.
January 2019
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Q. I've just accepted a quote to have the inside of my house repainted and they will be using Resene paints. I have bought some testpots but I do have one query. Resene Half Sandspit Brown - does it have any pink undertones? I like it on the cardboard square but I'm not keen on pink/apricot/yellow tones when choosing a neutral colour - I prefer more the grey/blue/green - like a Resene Thorndon Cream A. Resene Half Sandspit Brown is a warm yellow/beige. Yes it can look pink or peach in a westerly (later afternoon) natural light. It is very nice and comfortable in a south or east facing aspect as they can have a cooler type of natural light. Resene Thorndon Cream isn't a grey/blue/green type of colour it is more yellow/green/grey. But colours are chameleons and change with different aspects of light - N/S/E/W. I strongly recommend that you carefully test colours and move the large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) from wall to wall/room to room so you can judge for yourself how colours alter. The other good thing about the super large card is that you can paint all of a testpot, two coats, onto is that you can roll it into a tube with the tested colour innermost and look into it. It intensifies the colour and gives a good representation of how much stronger or brighter it may look when all four walls of a room are painted.
January 2019
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Q. Would your architraves normally be brighter than your walls? A. Typically you'll have one colour for all architraves and trim throughout your home – generally this is lighter than your wall colour or it's an off-white colour. However, this could change between rooms if you had certain colour palettes and looks you wanted to achieve. I'd be more inclined to change the architrave and skirting colour if they were a significant size, think the older style found in villas. Modern skirting and architrave isn't as pretty and tends to be much smaller, so often it's best just to use off-white throughout. If you were using a darker colour for your walls, it's a good idea to use a contrasting colour for the trim to give you the full impact. Same can be said if you're using off-white on the walls and need the white trim to show your wall up as actually being a colour. January 2019
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Q. We are repainting the exterior of our house, and have chosen Resene Silver Chalice for the weatherboards. The aluminium windows and trim are white and currently the roof is an unpainted silver grey. Can you please recommend a colour for the base of the house and front porch - we've already tried Resene Double Stack (too light), Resene Baltic Sea and Resene Grey Friars (too blue). Can you also please recommend a complementary colour for the roof? A. Here are some darker colours with different undertones, this will help you decide which direction you want to be heading in: Resene Porter, Resene Half Nocturnal, Resene Squall or Resene Ironsand. As for the roof, I would personally decide this once you have chosen the base colour. This way you keep the same undertones working throughout the house. I would probably keep it light-mid toned if you're modernising the entire look, otherwise you could use a green or red to give it a traditional feel.
January 2019
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Q. Is Resene Flax a warm colour? Will it make a bedroom feel closed in? I chose it yesterday but I am worried. I am teaming it up with a Resene Earthstone ceiling. A. The combination of mid tone walls and a coloured ceiling will make the space feel slightly more closed in. Resene Flax does have a decent amount of yellow instead of grey, so it's not a cold colour which is a plus. If you were worried about it, I would change the ceiling colour to something like Resene Half Thorndon Cream, which you could then match to the skirtings and trim etc. This will lighten the room, giving more contrast with the walls and making the space feel more open.
January 2019
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Q. We are about to paint the exterior of our 1920s bungalow which at present is a light olive green with blue shingles and base. I would like to change it to more traditional colours - a light grey on the weatherboards and then a darker grey/charcoal on the shingles and baseboards but am having difficulty making a pairing. The roof is new COLORSTEEL® in Grey Friars. A. You might use one of the lighter variants of Resene Grey Friars for the shingles and base boards to tie in the roof colour - Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Quarter Grey Friars or alternatively - Resene Tuna or Resene Raven. A paler grey for the weatherboards might be one of these colours that are sympathetically related tonally to the Resene Grey Friars (blue edged) grey - Resene Surrender, Resene Quarter Grey Chateau, Resene Geyser, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Stack.
January 2019
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Q. I have a sample of Resene Merino for our house exterior. It may be a bit light as does not stand out enough beside white windows, maybe I need to double it. I want a beige type colour without too much yellow. A. Perhaps a deeper variant of Resene Merino - Resene Double Merino or one of the following colours may appeal to you - Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Half Cloud.
January 2019
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Q. I am planning on using the Resene Alabaster and Resene Celeste throughout my home renovation. Are you able to suggest a warm white that will complement these colours for a dining space? A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Blanc, Resene Eighth Spanish White or Resene Half Pearl Lusta. All of the suggested colours have deeper variants so if the one you like appears too light there are other options.
January 2019
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Q. I have recently used Resene Half Flotsam for painting of an apartment project and really like the colour and wish to paint all the walls in this. As a feature wall, I want to use Resene Imprint in the lounge. Will these colours match? My doors are painted Resene Merino so am afraid of a clash. A. If you used Resene Half Sea Fog on the doors it may work better with Resene Half Flotsam. If you want to stay with Resene Merino on the doors you might consider using Resene Quill Grey for the walls - both these colours have a similar yellow/green undertone. At the end of the day the choice is yours. Colours are personal in that we see and feel them uniquely. As long as you find the colour combination appealing then all will be well.
January 2019
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Q. Our house walls are black and white with a black garage door and front door and joinery, we are thinking of changing the black walls to a darkish grey and the white walls to a lighter grey and keeping the black joinery garage and front doors. What will work or is it best to just keep the black and white? A. All greys carry unique undertones of colours - this is apparent when you compare them. If you were able to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real painted samples in their Colour Library it would help you to make decisions. Some are warm and some are cool. The following are a few worth checking out - they are deeper and lighter variants of each other so there is a balance of harmonious co-ordination. Try Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Double Gravel or Resene Quarter Gravel.
January 2019
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Q. I have bronze/brown aluminium window and door frames and the roof is Ironsand. I would like to know what colours I could use to paint the exterior of my house to match the above colours. A. A match means a colour that is exactly the same as what you have already. This could be quite a deep statement. I think a colour that is harmonious and works well with what you have may be better. You could check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Tea, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Quarter Napa or Resene Fossil. If you use a crisp Resene White for the trims and a little bit of a 'surprise' colour for a front door (something you really fancy) to add a bit of ambiance it could look really nice.
January 2019
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Q. We have just put on a Sandstone Grey roof and want a kitchen cabinet that looks the same - due to the roof being seen as lighter, I think we will need to go for a lighter colour inside. Is there a grey you could recommend? A. You might check out Resene Quarter Friar Grey as it carries the same warmth as Sandstone Grey and has a similar colour coding, denoting a related tonal quality. Alternatively, a grey that has a nice ambiance is Resene Atmosphere.
January 2019
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Q. We're about to repaint, and while we'd like to keep the Resene Half Tea upstairs, I think the downstairs Resene Half Tea makes everything look too brown. We've been looking at grey to give some contrast and so far like Resene Scarpa Flow the best. Someone has also said greys and fawns should never be used together. Do you think Resene Scarpa Flow would work with Resene Half Tea or can you suggest any other neutral colours that would provide a nice contrast with Resene Half Tea? A. Some greys that work really well with beige colours are those that have a slightly earthier undertone and are warm. I like your choice of colour. But in order to get a better appreciation of whether Resene Scarpa Flow is the right colour, you do need to compare it with one of two others. Perhaps one of these colours would work - Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Quarter Chicago, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Eighth Bokara Grey.
January 2019
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Q. We're planning to paint our bedroom in Resene Athens Grey with a feature wall of some shade of purple/violet. Are there any you recommend that are still light and bright but also dark enough to not just look like a mismatch to the grey? A. The following colours are worth checking out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Spun Pearl, Resene Lola, Resene Abbey Road, Resene Mamba, Resene Shady Lady or Resene Topaz. These suggestions range from soft, light/a bit brighter, dusky, deeper and slightly greyer.
January 2019
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Q. We have had Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream in our house for 10 years and want to update it. I was thinking a light warm grey rather than cream. A. These greys are worth checking out to see if they appeal to and work with existing kitchen cabinetry, all flooring, all drapes, upholstery etc. - Resene Quill Seal, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Double House White, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Athens Grey.
January 2019
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Q. I have painted my cottage in Resene Bud and wanted to change the colours below, would you have any suggestions? The previous colours were foundations/doors in Resene El Salva, window sills and barge boards in Resene Bitter and window surrounds in Resene Sidecar. The roof is not painted and won't be. A. Two types of new look palettes of colours might be considered: Option #1 - Lots of crisp contrast (light and dark) to emphasise the main house colour and a dynamic feature colour. You could use: Foundations - Resene Touchstone, window sills and doors - Resene Salsa and window surrounds - Resene Half Rice Cake. Option #2 - A cooler/simple look to emphasize the warmth of the green. You could use: Foundations - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, window sills and doors - Resene Grey Friars and window surrounds - Resene Alabaster.
January 2019
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Q. I have painted my lounge Resene Atlas. I have a very long hallway without much light with seven doors coming of it (trims and ceiling all Resene Sea Fog) and would like some suggestions please. I was thinking a goldy colour maybe? Floors are light. A. If you would like a pale gold - a warm rich colour - then you might look at the following suggestions - Resene Haystack, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Astra, Resene Chamois or Resene Crowdpleaser.
January 2019
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Q. We are tackling the mammoth task of painting our large 1890s weatherboard house. The roof and all the fences are Grey Friars which I would like to keep. I like houses that are pale grey (maybe something like Resene Iron or Resene Half Iron) with crisp white trim. What colours would you recommend for the weatherboards, window frames/trim, and basement? I am unsure whether to keep the basement Grey Friars or would that be too contrasting with a pale grey? A. I think you may need a grey that isn't too pale - that way the crisp white trims and the Grey Friars roof, fences and basement are well balanced. Colours on an exterior often look lighter/brighter due to bright natural light. Perhaps you might consider one of these colours - Resene Surrender, Resene Quarter Grey Chateau or Resene Half Grey Chateau. If you use a standard white - Resene White - you will get a classical crisp contrast. But if you prefer a 'coloured' white you could consider one of these colours - Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Poured Milk. If you are concerned that the basement will look too deep a colour (as full strength Grey Friars) you could use a lighter variant - Resene Half Grey Friars or Resene Quarter Grey Friars.
January 2019
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Q. We are planning to paint our house exterior Resene Periglacial Blue. Can you please recommend the best colour COLORSTEEL® roofing to complement this? A. It is a personal choice but the following COLORSTEEL® colours are definite options - Storm Blue, New Denim Blue, Grey Friars, Smokey and TernStyle.
January 2019
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Q. I have painted the exterior weatherboards Resene Black White, the trim at the top Resene Raven and the back door Resene Nero. I need to pick a colour for the render at the bottom of the house and the concrete steps. These can be the same colour or different. I tried Resene Concrete and Resene Triple Sea Fog for the render but in the light they look very close to the Resene Black White. A. Bright natural light always makes colours on an exterior look a lot lighter/brighter. You might check out these more definite colours for the render and concrete steps - Resene Grey Chateau (caution - this may look a little bit lilac), Resene Half Raven or Resene Half Tuna (these last two are a bit deeper).
January 2019
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Q. We are looking at adding on an extension to our house and won't be able to get a brick to match so we need to paint over the brick. Can you please suggest some colours that would work with a Karaka roof as this will not change? We would like the house to look more modern. A. The following are some palettes of colours that you might like. They look very nice with the Karaka roof. Option #1 - this one relies on a tonal variation of colours - Main colour - Resene Double Thorndon Cream, window sashes/surrounds/door frames- Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, base of house/guttering fascia/under soffits - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and doors - Resene Salsa - this palette has a bold red to lift the quietness of the overall palette of colours. Option #2 - this has more crisp contrast to offset the deeper neutral main colour - Main colour - Resene Napa, window sashes/surrounds/door frames - Resene Half Rice Cake, base of house/guttering fascia/under soffits - Resene Half Rice Cake and doors - Resene Log Cabin. This green is a bit more vibrant than the Karaka roof but is sympathetic.
January 2019
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Q. I want a feature wall or something similar to lighten a room up which is on southern side of house and I have used your paint colour Resene Laurel. I am thinking a lighter, very similar colour for one of the walls. It is for a 3 year old boy. I want to have it on a wall that will have artwork on it. A. If you like greens like Resene Laurel but are keen to check out a lighter colour, then you might look at the following colours - Resene Amulet, Resene Highland, Resene Envy, Resene Nourish or Resene Soft Apple.
January 2019
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Q. Our house is currently Dutch White and the foundation has recently been painted Resene Half Arrowtown. Do you think Resene Caraway is a suitable colour to replace the Resene Dutch White, and if not what would you suggest? A. Yes, Resene Caraway works well with Resene Half Arrowtown. This look will be darker and greyer than what you have now. You won't get that strong contrast; it will be a tonal look which is softer. If you want to change to a greyer white, so that you get a strong contrast between the upper and lower areas, you could look at Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Friar Grey.
January 2019
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Q. Will Resene Merino work with Desert Sand aluminium, brown furniture and brown carpet? The walls are currently Resene Quarter Bison Hide but we want to brighten it up as we are putting in darker carpet. We have dark curtains and a white kitchen with a lot of wood furniture. A. Resene Merino is an interesting white in that it can read as warmer or cooler, depending on what you place it next to. In this case, the colour will appear to have a slight brown undertone because of all the timber and brown furniture you have, which is absolutely fine. It will work with the windows and darker curtains. You may just want to check what type of ‘white' your kitchen is if it's too creamy yellow, it may not work as well. Otherwise, Resene Merino will offer a crisp change, giving you a modern look with the darker carpet.
January 2019
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Q. We're getting the exterior of our monolithic clad home painted. At the moment, the house is painted in a beige (according to the info we have its Resene Drought) and the roof is also a beige (apparently Gerald Tuff tiles in colour Morocco). We'd be keen for house not to be so beige, but we don't know if there's any other colour in the monolithic cladding that would work with a beige roof? I'm wondering whether something with a bit more of grey tinge would work. The colour needs to have a light reflectance value of 40% or above. A. First thing to do is find a new house colour, then we can work out a garage door and front door colour. Here are some colours to get you started, these are all greys but with different undertones, to keep it interesting. The first three are blue greys, blue and green work really well with beige type colours (roof). They are also at the darkest end of the scale, which will sit nicely and give some contrast to the roof - Resene Half Inside Back, Resene Bounty or Resene Dusted Blue. These colours are a mix of neutrals, heading in that greyer direction for you - Resene Eighth Stonehenge and Resene Quarter Truffle or Eighth Truffle. Just remember that the lighter you go for cladding, the more the windows will stand out.
January 2019
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Q. Do you have a few tips you could suggest to me in choosing colours? A. Three quick tips to get you started thinking about colour: 1. Be confident in what it is that you want. There are many potential mistakes that customers make selecting colour. It is important that you keep the confidence in what you want. Too many customers get cold feet using colour. When they switch to a half tone, they are disappointed as in reality a half tone is a completely different colour. 2. Don't overuse colours Another mistake is overusing a colour you like. Sometimes people love a colour so much that they put it everywhere. This misses the opportunity to add contrast creating greater interest. Colour can inject a lot of personality into a home. As an example, when selecting interior colours we encourage families to let their children select their own bedroom colours. Colours look very different in alternative settings and surroundings. Use testpots to see how a colour looks in your own surroundings. 3. Environment has a big influence Seeing colour on someone else's house and thinking that they will work on yours can have a disappointing outcome. It's a good way to get inspired but always test them at your place to make sure they are right before making your final choice. If you see house colours you like knock on the door and ask the home owner if they would be happy to tell you what their colours are, but again always make sure that you test them on your own home. January 2019
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Q. How do I go about deciding what sort of colour palette to choose for my home? A. With so many colours available to choose from, it can feel daunting trying to work out where to start with your own colour palette. I understand the stress of trying to pick a colour or the right shade of white and the fear of getting it wrong. I also know the feeling of total joy and sheer pride after picking the right shade and falling in love with a project. This moment is to be remembered, this feeling of utter delight is what makes all the sleepless nights agonising over colour choices worth it! To get started on your own personal colour scheme and story, I strongly encourage a concept or inspiration book (I have one for all my paint projects too). This is basically a beautiful book filled with pictures and colour swatches, words and wallpapers, fabrics and design ideas you feel connected too. Break it down into colour palettes or section your book room by room. This helps you determine what combinations go where, the type of colours and textures that excite you and the atmosphere you want to create for you and your family within your home. What you are adding into your concept book is a visual of all that you love, like or dream of living in, it gives you a clear idea of where your project is heading. At the same time it also allows you to question the spaces and the choices you are making (this is a good thing; I'd much rather you question the colour and placements now rather than after it's all painted!). Decorating a home is something that requires some patience, so take the time to explore a variety of homes and ideas. Why not tag along to some open homes to see what others are doing, or jump online and browse the extensive range of sophisticated homes on the habitatbyresene.com website. Working with paint, textures and colours can be hugely rewarding as no design project is exactly the same and with every decorating adventure comes either a whole bunch of inspiration or limitations, sometimes both. Limitations do not have to be treated negatively, so try and embrace the challenge of working with something that cannot be changed or replaced and enjoy getting creative when working towards a solution or design that encompasses the fixtures. You can and will be impressed with what can be achieved, even when working within a tight budget. January 2019
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Q. What are four fundamental considerations of picking a colour scheme? A.
It is always essential to respect the age and style of your home. While it is definitely fun to push the boundaries, always respect your home. A super sleek white scheme may look gorgeous in a brand new modern home but an older home would benefit from warmer tones to prevent it from looking too bare and stark. Natural light can alter your colours quite drastically. Note how some colours can stand bright light while others can appear too washed out under direct sunlight. January 2019
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Q. We have recently repainted our large bedroom with the gorgeous Resene Grey Chateau. Our bedroom furniture is wooden and I would now like to paint the furniture but am not sure what colour. Our duvet and accessories are a navy blue. I don't want to paint them white or cream but thought of a light grey colour but have no idea. A. Please check out the following colours as they have some relationship in their undertones that sit well with Resene Grey Chateau. Try Resene Quarter Iron, Resene Half Iron, Resene Iron or Resene Quarter Grey Chateau.
February 2019
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Q. I need an external colour scheme for an old 1930s weatherboard Queenslander - looking for something in a warm grey as primary colour with white windows and very dark charcoal (just off black) trim. Something with a bit of a contemporary edge. Do you have any suggestions from your latest range? A. These colours are from the current Resene fandeck - Resene Grey Seal, Resene Poured Milk and Resene Porter, or Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Half Black White and Resene Noir.
February 2019
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Q. We have bronze joinery, an Ironsand garage door and the house is Resene Mondo. Which would go best with the joinery - Resene Bokara or Resene Nocturnal please? A. Of the two you have mentioned - Resene Bokara Grey.
February 2019
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Q. We're building and at the moment I'm thinking to paint the living areas, which are all northeast facing, Resene White Pointer and the bedrooms, which are west facing, Resene Double White Pointer to create more warmth. I'm considering Resene Wan White for the trim and bathrooms. Do you have any advice/alternative suggestions? Do Resene White Pointer and Resene Wan White work well together? Should I go with Resene Half Wan White or Resene Quarter Wan White instead? A. I think I would be inclined to use Resene Quarter White Pointer for the bathrooms as it is better related to Resene White Pointer and Resene Double White Pointer. It has the same subtle warmth and less of the slightly cooler grey undertone. If you were wanting a 'whiter' colour for the trims then Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Quarter Black White would work well for you. Either would be fine and create a nice contrast.
February 2019
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Q. We are painting a 1920s cottage with coastal views, surrounded by a new subdivision. We have planted many trees around the 1300sqm section and the white flowering Wisteria is a feature on the veranda. The front door plus a couple of other windows have green glass features. The weatherboards have recently been painted Resene Triple White Pointer (and also window surrounds and sills at this stage). We think we should perhaps use Resene Quarter Alabaster on sills, front door and window surrounds? I tried a swatch of Resene White Pointer against window sills but there didn't seem enough contrast. Would a warmer white be better? We also need advice for the colour for the roof. The laundry door we thought could be a similar colour to the roof or contrasting? A. I think you need a little more definite contrast. Although Resene Quarter Alabaster will give contrast it may look a little stark. You mention using a warmer white and I agree with that. I recommend that the warmer white may also be used on the roof line barge boards/ flat fascias, veranda post/down pipes and under soffits as well as all the window surrounds, sashes and sills. I personally wouldn't use more than one colour on the windows if they are different in size and shape. You might like to try the following suggestions - Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Villa White. A deeper roof colour is required to offset the colour of the weatherboards as well. You could try Resene Squall, Resene Ironsand or Resene Grey Friars. Do you want to make a feature of the laundry door? Is that because you think it is beautiful? Or because you want people to think it is the front door? A definite colour on a door draws the eyes and people will steer toward that door. Is this what you want? The porch floor and steps could be a lighter version of the roof colour - Resene Touchstone (lighter than Resene Squall), Resene Eighth Ironsand (lighter than Resene Ironsand) or Resene Half Grey Friars (lighter than Resene Grey Friars). February 2019
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Q. We have an Art Deco style apartment building - three levels of fascias, soffits, timber windows and trims are in Resene Rice Cake, concrete plaster walls, timber doors, roof cappings are in Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and recessed architectural details and the front door are Resene Fuscous Grey. What colour do you suggest for the roof? A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - they will all work well with the other colours you have on the building - Resene Nocturnal, Resene Windswept, Resene Double Tapa or Resene Bone White.
February 2019
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Q. We are about to redecorate the interior of a Lockwood house. The ceiling (including beams) will be painted white. We will also be re-carpeting the house. There are yellow frosted angled windows in the lounge and two bedrooms which are above the ordinary clear glass windows and go up to the top of the ceiling. Can you please suggest some neutral colours that could be used to paint the interior walls? It would also be helpful if you could suggest what colour to paint door frames and window surrounds? A. If you keep the yellow window glass it will compromise changes you want to make as well as influence how the light in the rooms makes everything look. Is it possible to change them? Wood panelled walls will always have that rustic ambiance but painting them soft light tones will help lift the spaces and alter the mood of the interior spaces. You might look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Secrets, Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Spanish White. Door frames and window surrounds could be a slightly warmed crisp white - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster. Either of these will work with any, or all, of the previously suggested colours. Ceilings could be the same colour to keep the look closely co-ordinated.
February 2019
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Q. The interior of our house is all painted the same cream (ceilings, walls, doors) with cream framed aluminium windows. I would like it repainted in a light colour in the grey spectrum or something that goes with white and black. I am totally sick of cream. A. Will you mind if the cream framed windows look a lot more yellow/cream coloured when the greyed colour is applied to the walls? If that isn't a concern then you might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Friar Grey, Resene Grey Seal or Resene Double Barely There.
February 2019
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Q. We would like advice on what you know works well as a light grey with New Denim Blue for an exterior. We will have New Denim Blue on the lower level and paint the second storey in a grey with window frames in Resene New Denim Blue. We have tried a Resene Half Stack grey testpot but think it may look a bit too dark and blue grey. A. The colour you eventually choose has to be a grey that works well with Resene New Denim Blue but isn't too deep, paler is better, or too blue. That criteria is a wee bit tricky as the best greys to go with New Denim Blue are slightly blue toned or slightly taupe - brown/grey - toned. Perhaps you could check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Surrender or Resene Quarter Stack. Some warm taupe greys also work really well - Resene Half Truffle, Resene Half Cloud, Resene Eighth Friar Grey or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. February 2019
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Q. I’m painting weatherboards Resene Double Truffle and joinery and soffits Resene Quarter Truffle. The house faces west. I’m undecided whether to paint the gutters and bargeboards the same colour as the weatherboards, or the same colour as the joinery. I’m also looking for a colour to paint my steps. Any suggestions to create more impact to the entrance? There is a white security door in front of a mostly glass door. A. I think if the guttering and barge boards were lighter - i.e. Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Eighth Truffle - it would help to add height to the house and define the space between the weatherboards and the roof. I think you could paint the brick base of the house the same as the main house colour so it also adds to the height and doesn't make the house look like a segmented sandwich. The steps/porch can be very distinctive because the impact of the door being a feature colour is obscured by the very white security door. Perhaps you could check out the following options to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Courage, Resene Diesel or Resene Digeridoo. I do worry a little bit about the stark white on the security door - it will look very 'alone' and unrelated to the rest of the colours on the house. Is there a possibility of taking it down and spray painting it a metallic silver or charcoal? That way it would merge a little better and be a part of the palette of colours. It doesn't matter if you don't feel you want to do that but it could be a good thing to do.
February 2019
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Q. I was hoping to have some advice in choosing my exterior colour. We have sage green aluminium joinery and I was hoping to go for a grey but am not sure if it will work? Otherwise I was hoping to stick close to the colour of the cladding but am not sure what colour that would be? A. I think the colour of the joinery is called COLORSTEEL® Mist Green or COLORBOND® Pale Eucalyptus. You may be able to verify that by getting a real metal sample from COLORSTEEL®. If this is correct then the Resene version of that colour is called Resene Paddock. A much paler variant of that colour is called Resene Peace. If you used a grey colour for the house you may find that the green windows were a more eye catching feature. Would that worry you? You might check out these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Half Tapa. If you wanted a colour similar to the nature colour of the cladding you might check out Resene Half Drought.
February 2019
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Q. Could you give me suggestions of what would work with a feature wall of Resene Half Escape? The ceiling is Resene Quarter Tea. I am reluctant to use white because I would like to make a feature of the ceiling but am open to any suggestions. A. It is tricky because you have two feature colours - the wall and the ceiling. The moment you choose a more definite wall colour it lessens the impact of both the wall and the ceiling colour. I am unsure why you think a white will not work for you but I can assure you as long as it is the 'right white' a lighter/whiter colour will make a feature of both the colours. You might check out these options - Resene Quarter Albescent White, or Resene Quarter White Pointer.
February 2019
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Q. My daughter’s room is currently Resene Quarter Tea and she would like to paint one wall in a pink colour. She is 6 but I want a pink which will see her through her years. She has grey curtains and white trims. A. Your daughter is of an age when what she likes may not work with your idea of an appropriate pink. Because of the main colour - Resene Quarter Tea - and the grey curtains with white trims you might offer your daughter a limited range of pink colours to choose from. These are some that may appeal to her and to you as well as work well with the other colours - Resene Hopbush, Resene Ballerina, Resene XOXO, Resene BFF or Resene Glamour Puss. They are all quite different to each other but they are worth investigating.
February 2019
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Q. I’m finding my white trim is too harsh against my Resene Hot Chile walls. Please advise me an off white colour which could work with it? A. Perhaps you might look at whites that are coloured to see if they look less harsh close against the Resene Hot Chile. It may take a few attempts to find the colour that works best for you. Try these colours - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Bianca or Resene Double Sea Fog.
February 2019
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Q. We would like to make our chimney place a feature; the house has been painted in Resene Double Concrete and the roof is Sandstone Grey, so I'm confused whether to go a lighter colour (whites/neutrals) or a darker bold colour. A. I think perhaps a darker colour may be better rather than co-ordinating with either the roof or the main house colour as they are unrelated greys. The chimney could be a feature to balance the front door. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Porter, Resene Rustic Red or - a bit unique - a gorgeous warm deep metallic - Resene Extraterrestrial.
February 2019
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Q. We need a feature wall colour to lift Resene Quarter Truffle. A. You could try: Resene Double Truffle, Resene Artemis, Resene Helix CC, Resene Jalapeno, Resene Peace, Resene Innuendo or Resene Steam Roller.
February 2019
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Q. Our bathroom and hall are Resene Athens Grey and the laundry is Resene Blue Night. Ceilings and trim are Resene Alabaster. We would like to keep a blue/grey theme if possible, using Resene Athens Grey as our primary colour but would like one more colour to throw into an interior house palette. I thought maybe a darkish grey? Also, would it be too much to paint a master bedroom with Resene Blue Night when we have dark wood bedroom furniture? A. If you feel it would make the bedroom look too dark to have all the walls painted Resene Blue Night - because of the dark wood bedroom furniture - you might choose to paint only one wall instead of all of the room. If the room never receives sunlight or is terribly small then all walls painted Resene Blue Night may make it a little oppressive. But the choice is yours. Some greys you might check out to see how they appeal to you are the following ones - Resene French Grey, Resene Mountain Mist or slightly lighter - Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Whiteout. All colours in an interior can look double the depth that you might imagine they will do so testing them very carefully absolutely essential.
February 2019
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Q. We are renovating our 1908 villa. We want to use a green and blue colour palette with a fair bit of Resene Eighth Spanish White. I'm looking for advice for a green to go on kitchen walls which has sky blue cabinetry and olive green soft furnishings. We've used Resene Coriander in a bathroom and that looks great but I am thinking of something light and fresh in the kitchen. There isn't a lot of wall space and there is a fair bit of pale blue in there. If not green we could go for pale blue to match the cabinetry but I think I'd prefer some contrast so not too blue. A. Perhaps you could check out Resene Quarter Coriander. This is lighter and fresher. This way there is a little bit of cohesive harmony with what you have used in the bathroom. Alternatively, if you want all of the kitchen cabinetry to be the main focal point of the kitchen, you might use Resene Eighth Spanish White so the walls are light and fresh and you can embellish with lots of blues and greens in other ways - but not as a colour on the walls. If you know exactly what the name of the cabinetry colour is, then you could ask at the nearest Resene ColorShop if they have a Resene version of it on the Resene e-tint system and it could be tinted for you.
February 2019
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Q. I have a two bedroom townhouse built in 1998. The walls are painted Resene Quarter Tea with Resene Pearl Lusta on the wood. The new bathroom and toilet are painted in Resene Black White and the new carpet will be grey. How do I transition from the wet areas in Resene Black White to the living areas in warm colours and a warm brown tone kitchen with grey splashback and grey vinyl? My main concern is what to paint the bathroom and toilet doors as these open in to the hall and the rest of the house in warm tones. A. It can be very tricky when you have chosen to step away - in one or two areas only - from an existing palette of colours. Perhaps you might start by painting all of the woodwork in a lighter variant of Resene Black White. By removing the warm cream and replacing it with Resene Quarter Black White, which will work with Resene Quarter Tea, you start the transition process. Later on, you might start to replace the Quarter Tea with Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene White Pointer because they are slightly greyer than Resene Quarter Tea.
February 2019
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Q. We have a 1910 villa in Auckland that is being re-roofed and painted on the exterior. We're thinking of Scoria Red for the roof but we are unsure if this will be too much red. We are also unsure what colours to use for the weatherboards, fascia, soffits and detailing. We were thinking something like Resene Half Tea for the weatherboards. A. A roof in Resene Scoria would not be too much. You might also use this colour for the smallest trims - window sills only - as well or just the front door. Another colour that you could use as the major trim colour (doors and window frames) might be a deeper variant of the main house colour (or similar) or an interesting heritage inspired green. Check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Double Tea, Resene Napa, Resene Kelp or Resene Earth Green.
February 2019
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Q. We have a 1980s Lockwood home and we would like to know what shade of ‘white’ would be good to use on the interior walls. We will leave the wooden beams as they are. A. The right 'white' would be the one that appeals to you the most and looks good in all the rooms of your house - in your light and with your things. You may have to carefully test several in order to find the right one. You might start with these ones - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Half Bianca. All of these suggestions have variants - lighter or deeper - that might also be checked.
February 2019
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Q. Our lounge walls are currently Resene Drought and the trim is Resene Merino. In the halls the colour is Resene Eighth Bison Hide. I don’t mind the Resene Bison Hide but I would like to repaint the Resene Drought in a lighter colour that will go with Resene Merino. Can you please recommend something in the neutral palette that would be complementary? The same neutral colour would be used in our master bedroom (also to replace Resene Drought) with a dark grey feature wall. Can you please recommend a dark grey that works well with Resene Merino? A. You could use more of the Resene Eighth Bison Hide - that would tie in with the halls. Alternatively, you could look at these colours that are not quite as warm toned as Resene Eighth Bison Hide but they look lovely with Resene Merino - Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Half Cloud or Resene Eighth Napa. These dark greys are worth checking out - Resene Eighth Bokara Grey, Resene Condor, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Rhino. They are all quite different from each other and have unique undertones of interesting colour within them.
February 2019
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Q. We have a 19 year old house that was painted in Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Spanish White and Resene Raffia. We want to update the paint and colour to make it fresh and more modern. Can you advise of some colour options please for this foyer/entrance way. There is a lot of light coming in so I do not want it to look stark. I like the grey colour palette and would like a darker tone at the entrance and a lighter tone for the rest of the walls as was originally done. The ceilings will be Resene Black White and some of the window frames will also be Resene Black White. However the skirting and internal doors will be the same as the wall colour. I would like a colour that gives some depth without being dull. A. You might look at the following neutrals to see if they appeal to you as a new main colour - Resene House White, Resene Double Black White, Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Athens Grey. A deeper grey to make a feature for the entry might be one of these ones - Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Double Silver Chalice or deeper shades - Resene Eighth Bokara Grey or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea. The change in the colours for the interior are the polar opposite of the warm intimate colours that you have had, so it is really important to carefully test colours to ensure you know what they truly look like. February 2019
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Q. Our house is painted in Resene Tana and the joinery is Permanent Green with the baseboards Resene Paddock. What colour should I do the entrance door? The style is classical and the home is on a rural property - I thought I would try a grey colour – Resene Steel Grey - but that was a REAL BIG mistake! I am almost wondering if we should just do the Resene Paddock colour but what should I paint the steps in? A. You could definitely use Resene Paddock for the steps and porch - they will flow on from the basement of the house so that might be a first option. If you preferred to use it as a door colour, that would work but with the base of the house as well, it may be a too much. And it leaves you struggling to find another colour for the steps. You might consider 'lifting' the door and making it a bit of a feature. A soft toned red perhaps - Resene Wanted - a red usually likes being with greens. Or the same as the Permanent Green so it matches the door frames - Resene Permanent Green, or a much lighter variant of this colour - Resene Mother Nature, or the same as the main house colour - Resene Tana or a lighter variant of Resene Paddock - Resene Peace (this is Resene Quarter Paddock).
February 2019
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Q. We are one of three homes, sharing a common driveway each with a boundary fence! We want to repaint our drive fences in a lighter colour, currently it is Resene Wireless. Our home is Resene Half Tapa, the neighbours are Resene Quarter Truffle and Oamaru Stone, which has a creamy beige look to it. Could you suggest a fence colour that might tie the three houses together? The drive is asphalt. A. Colours can do many things but may not be able to perform miracles. Three households may have radically different ideas about what they like or think is appropriate. You could check out these colours which are lighter than Resene Wireless to see if they suit - Resene Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Gravel or Resene Eighth Ironsand.
February 2019
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Q. Our bedrooms are currently painted with Resene Half Thorndon Cream and I would like to add some colour, possibly feature walls. I would like to know which colours would complement this colour. A. You have an amazing amount of options - you could check out these suggestions to get you started to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Artemis, Resene Bismark, Resene Peace, Resene Just Dance, Resene Red Herring, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or Resene Napa.
February 2019
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Q. We have painted our fences Resene Blue Bark and have bought Resene Refresh for the house colour, but it may be too bright and loud for our taste. We are looking for a blue for the house that represents the beach location we are in. There are a lot of blue greens around our neighbourhood so we are more inclined to a blue grey perhaps. A. Blues come as many variations. You might check out these ones to see if they appeal to you - Resene Bali Hai, Resene Eskimo, Resene Botticelli, Resene Casper or Resene Dusted Blue.
February 2019
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Q. We are looking at painting the outside of our 1940 weatherboard house. Could you please tell me what the difference is between Resene Half Opal and Resene Jet Stream? They look pretty similar in the colour swatches so just wondering what technically makes them different from each other. A. Resene Jet Stream is very slightly lighter. It has a subdued muted undertone compared to Resene Half Opal which has a brighter undertone. Resene Half Opal also has a slight blue edge hiding inside the dominant green colour. Testing the colours carefully may allow you to see more of how they differ from each other.
February 2019
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Q. I am building a house and will soon need to choose the exterior colours. I want white weatherboards, with a white roof and black aluminium joinery. Given that I am limited in the range of whites for the roof colour (Titania and Cloud), am I best to keep the weatherboards the same white (or a half version of that colour) or does it not really matter? Would Resene Cloud or Resene Titania be the best for an exterior colour? Will matte black joinery, with white weatherboards be too stark or should I soften the black to FlaxPod? A. Yes you could soften the black to a 'nearly but not quite' black colour. Other colours worth considering - apart from Flax Pod - are Windsor Grey or Slate. Ask for real metal samples from the supplier so that you can compare them with each other for a better idea of what they look like. Given that all colours on a roof appear lighter/brighter because of their aspect to the sun, you might consider using Titania as it has a bit more depth than Cloud. That leaves you with the option of using Resene Helium as a main house colour - this is the Resene version of COLORSTEEL® Cloud. Or alternatively one of the following 'whites' - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Titania or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. These are 'whiter' looking compared to Resene Cloud/Resene Helium. So the contrast between them and the joinery will be very crisp and clean.
February 2019
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Q. Please recommend a roof colour to go with weatherboards painted with Resene Triple White Pointer. A. You could look at the following to see if they appeal to you - Resene Ironsand, Resene Squall or Resene Windswept. If you wanted a paler grey coloured roof you could look at Resene Gauntlet.
February 2019
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Q. What colour combination would you recommend for a busy large cafe? Are there ‘food colours’? A. Yes there are colours that are loosely associated with eating. Red is one and yellows and oranges as well. Red triggers the eating response - a lot of banquet halls and formal dining rooms in grand houses and palaces use red. Reds also make large open spaces feel more intimate and cosy. Yellows are essentially happy colours - happy to stay and eat more - and happy to pay for that privilege perhaps? Oranges also are social and outgoing and that is how a group of people are when they gather together in a restaurant. There are many reds, yellows and oranges to choose from so why don't you pop along to the nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour samples in the in store Colour Library to see if you get inspired. February 2019
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Q. We want to get adventurous with colour for the painting of a small (3m x 2m), sadly windowless room that we are using as an office. For context longer term, we are thinking about opening that room up to the next door bedroom (3m x 3.5m) that is flooded with light to make them interconnecting, but so you can close an internal door between if you need to. So we'd like to paint both rooms with the same palette with that in mind - and from what I've read, you can use bold colours in a small room so long as they have cool tones. Our base colour is Resene Narvik, which we have used in other rooms in the house, in these rooms we'd like to do some colour blocking using Resene Narvik and two other colours. We're thinking something like Resene Lazy River and a grey - but we're not sure on the grey. In terms of greys we like Resene Grey Seal, and Resene Half Dusted Blue but were also wondering if either Resene Lazy River or the grey colour chosen should be a bit deeper (darker) in colour? Your advice would be greatly appreciated please so we get a colour palette of three colours that will look fabulous together! A. I really like Resene Half Dusted Blue and if you wanted a deeper colour have you considered using one of these ones - Resene Nile Blue or Resene Coast. If you wanted to use a less blue toned grey, you could use Resene Grey Seal but please do a careful test to see how it works with Resene Narvik as it is quite warm toned. Same with Resene Lazy River which is a really nice blue but it is all about how they all look together and getting the balance of colours working well. A deeper version of Resene Lazy River is Resene Seachange and that looks very nice with Resene Narvik. A grey worth checking out is Resene Hit Grey.
February 2019
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Q. In our bathroom the top will be painted Resene Seachange. What white colour options will work with this please? Also, what white neutral tones could we use for the rest of the house? We have black leather and dark tan cabinets. A. You might check out the following whites to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster and some ideas for the rest of the house - Resene Rice Cake or Resene Sea Fog.
February 2019
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Q. We have a Hardiplank® house with bronze aluminium windows and we are painting the roof Ironsand. We are looking for a grey paint that would look good with this. What would you recommend? A. A warm grey with interesting undertones would harmonise well with the windows and the roof colour. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Grey Area.
February 2019
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Q. We have Resene Shadow Match on our cedar house which was built in the 1980s. Our roof is COLORSTEEL® faded red in colour. Can you recommend a colour for the roof? We would prefer a dark roof and can you also recommend a white to go on the wood trim under the gutters to break up all the dark? A. Some colours for you to check out for the roof - Resene Ironsand (a warm charcoal), Resene Element (a blacker type of colour) or Resene Windswept (a soft toned dark colour). If the white isn't too stark it may be better than a pure white. Check these ones out - Resene Sea Fog, Resene Barely There or Resene Black White.
February 2019
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Q. We are building large wraparound decks on our house; we have used Resene Half Gravel on the weatherboards with Ironsand for the joinery and roof. Could you recommend a complementary decking stain/colour for the decks please? A. If you wanted a colour similar to the deep earthy colours on the house and roof, you could consider using Resene Woodsman - Tiri (this may get hot when you have bare feet) or slightly lighter - Resene Woodsman - Iroko. A contrast to lift the dark look might be to use a rich warm cedar colour - Resene Woodsman Oiled Cedar.
February 2019
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Q. I am painting the inside of a flat in whites. The walls will be Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, already bought. Ceilings are Resene Alabaster (current colour, paint bought). What white colour should the doors/skirting boards/architraves be? My aim is for them to be lighter than the wall colour, or complement that wall colour. Should they be something like Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster? A. Resene Alabaster is a good choice for the trim and doors if you're looking to create a contrast with the walls. Resene Half Alabaster is essentially white, the full version (Resene Alabaster) just has a little bit more tint which is great for coverage (for the painter) and also gives less of that stark look which doesn't typically sit well with warmer whites like the Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.
February 2019
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Q. We are looking at colours for our living room which is on the east side of our house and dining room which gets westerly sun. It is a 1930s bungalow. We are looking at Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Half Truffle. We want it to look fresh but not too white and stark. Do these colours look lighter or darker en masse and do you have any other colour suggestions? A. The colours you have chosen will give you a contemporary feel, without being too white. You have chosen the right depth of colours, Resene Double Sea Fog is a light grey inside so Resene Triple Sea Fog and Resene Half Truffle (which are about the same depth of colour) are probably going to be just right for you. Colours will look darker once they are painted on all four walls inside a house, do keep this in mind. If you have white ceilings and trims/doors, this will also provide some contrast for the walls and make them look darker. The difference between the Resene Sea Fog family and the Resene Truffle family, is that Resene Truffle has a brown undertone and therefore slightly warmer looking. Resene Sea Fog is definitely a warmer grey, it doesn't have that cold blue undertone, but it is not brown. This might make choosing a colour a bit easier. Resene ColorShops have a colour library with A4 sizes of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint.
February 2019
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Q. I am thinking of painting inside my home with Resene Double Sea Fog for the walls, Resene Half Alabaster for the ceilings and Resene Quarter Black White for the trims and doors. Are you able to tell me if these are warm or cool colours and if you think they work together? I also like Resene Quarter Rakaia for the walls as an alternative. Is this a warm colour? I was hoping for a neutral grey with a red undertone, which would complement my grey sofa which seems to have a red undertone. The house is a 1950 build and has wooden floors, patio doors and windows and doesn't receive an abundance of natural light. A. There isn't a huge difference between Resene Quarter Black White (trims and doors) and Resene Half Alabaster(for the ceiling) - they are remarkably similar. Plus ceilings colours can look more shadowy so that they could look a bit deeper. Do you want to see a little more difference or contrast? If that is the case, you could use Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceiling as it will probably be a cleaner crisper contrast. Whether the colours look cooler or warmer may have a lot to do with the quality of natural light you have in the house. Each room responds to the axis - N/S/E/W - with south and east facing rooms picking a cooler type of light and north facing rooms getting more shadow on the walls so colours can appear deeper, and east facing rooms responding to the low arc of the sun and looking warmer. Resene Quarter Rakaia has a little bit warmth because it has a type of red colourant in it. So it purples in some lights and greys in others. Again each axis of natural light will influence how the colours are seen. Without carefully testing the colour, you can be misled about what it will actually look like in reality. If you paint all of the testpot (2 coats) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges of an A2 card (available at Resene ColorShops), you can move it from wall to wall/room to room and view it throughout the day (natural light) and night (artificial light) so you can better judge how much the colour alters - and it does - often to a surprising degree. The unpainted border acts as a barrier to stop the existing wall colour from negatively influencing how you see the colour. The card when you roll it into a tube with the colour innermost, allows you to see how much deeper it may look - this is a good representation of what a whole room would look like. Placing the test card close to any coloured element will also alter how it is seen. If the colour you do choose looks good 80% of the time then that it is what to aim for - any changing light that alters how it is seen at certain times of the day or night doesn't rule it out as an option - unless it looks less than desirable when you are mostly using that particular room. You may need to alter a colour in rooms with less light by lightening it to a paler variant. The same colour in every room is a different colour in every room.
February 2019
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Q. We have a villa/bungalow that is white with an Ironsand roof. The porch at the front is timber, it has been painted many moons ago and we now need to repaint (we do not want to stain). What colour would match with the Ironsand roof and white house? It gets all the afternoon sun, so I thought dark (like Ironsand) on the deck might not work. I like greys and browns. We are also going to be putting a villa balustrade up around the deck, which will be painted white. A. The following are some light to mid toned paint colours that you might check out to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Taupe Grey.
February 2019
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Q. The weatherboards on my house are being painted Resene Nebula. Putty is on the window sashes and Resene Half Rice Cake is the trim and under the eaves and the roof is Resene New Denim Blue. I'm stuck for ideas for the very large deck surrounding the house! A. I think the problem may be because the colours you have used on the house are diverse. But if the deck has hand rails and balustrades, they could be painted Resene Half Rice Cake - that will tie in the trim colour from the house. You don't mention whether the deck is bare timber and if you are considering staining it? If it is a stain finish you are considering, perhaps one of these colours - Resene Woodsman - Natural or Resene Furniture and Decking Oil. Both of these are very natural - adding no colour as such but enhancing the natural look of the timber. But if it is to be painted, you might consider using a lighter variant of the roof colour - Resene Quarter New Denim Blue. Or for a more natural painted look for the deck, then you might look at the following colours - Resene Teak, Resene Cargo, Resene Craigieburn or Resene Double Akaroa.
February 2019
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Q. We have recently bought a 1920s home that we now have to sell. The home is nestled amongst large trees. The main living area is open plan and has windows on three sides, so the sun can be seen, even if not always directly streaming in. One end of the L shaped room does remain dark at all times. The bathroom and bedroom have morning sun. In the winter the house doesn't get any direct sun at all. We are looking for a colour to paint throughout, that brings an element of freshness, light and warmth to the house. Usually we paint different rooms in complementary colours but think a single colour would work here for selling purposes. In our previous 1880s villa we used Resene Wan White, Resene Quarter Wan White, Resene Timekeeper, Resene Robin Egg Blue and Resene Paris White that all go well with our furnishings etc. Would Resene Wan White work here? A. I am not 100% sure about Resene Wan White. It can look a little cool and greyish. Perhaps one of these colours might be worth checking out - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter White Pointer. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library and compare them to each other and alongside a true white (a sheet of printer paper is a good true white), you will be better able to see their unique undertones and that may make choosing a lot easier.
February 2019
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Q. I want to re-do my master bedroom. I was thinking maybe a grey. I have white window sills and a big silver grey bedhead with dark furniture. There are white roller blinds and I am hoping to get a grey sheer drape. It is a modern two storey, classic Hampton style home with the master room upstairs and also overlooks a large garden. A. Because you have other greys in the bedroom it is important that whatever grey you do choose, works well with the drapes and bedhead. You may need to take the fabric sample with you and view large A4 real paint samples in the Colour Library in the nearest Resene ColorShop to get some idea of what may work before carefully testing it in the room. All greys carry undertones of unique colour in them, so it is really important to view them and compare them. If you place the A4 samples partially over a sheet of white printer paper, it will help you identify what types of grey they are and the depth of the colour. February 2019
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Q. What goes well with Ironsand joinery and roof, on exterior Linea® weatherboards? A. The following are colours that look harmonious with Ironsand that you might check out - Resene Pravda, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Terrain.
February 2019
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Q. We are trying to decide what colour scheme to paint the exterior of our house. We are re-roofing and need to choose the right colour for the COLORSTEEL® and the paint for the walls etc. I like the dark look but am not sure with our style house how it will go. I have looked at Ironsand, Grey Friar and Element as roof options so far. We live in the country with big grounds. A. Your roof line is low and the guttering reinforces the low line. If you are keen on a deep colour, have you considered a slightly softer deep colour like COLORSTEEL® TernStyle or COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey? If you were to compare them with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand, you might find that those three are slightly more 'country' looking colours. Some colour ideas for the main colour and trims for you to check out - Resene Eagle with Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Parchment with Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Craigieburn with Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.
February 2019
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Q. The interior of our new build house is to be painted with Resene Quarter Truffle and just want a white for the ceilings, skirting and interior doors. What colour white should I be purchasing? A. The white that you may find very harmonious with your main colour Resene Quarter Truffle could be one of these options - Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Alabaster.
February 2019
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Q. We are renovating and have converted an existing sleepout to two girls' rooms (9 and 10 years) and a kid's playroom. I'd like to do the playroom in Resene Half Lemon Grass as that works nicely with existing blinds in that space. Keen for recommendations please for colours for the girl's rooms they can choose from, as I'd like them to have some input but also tie into the overall scheme for their zone. One room is quite small but north facing and lots of windows/light, the other is larger but southwest facing and less glazing. At this stage we're looking at Resene Sea Fog or Resene Half Sea Fog as the ceiling colour, with woodwork in Resene Quarter Sea Fog to tie in with the base neutral through the main part of the house. A. I think that Resene Quarter Sea Fog may be better as a ceiling colour. It might also be used as window surrounds/sashes, skirting boards and doors to give the rooms a crisp clean contrast. Usually ceilings look more shadowy, so in order to stop the colour on the ceiling from looking deeper - twice the depth that you might imagine it will be - it is better to go paler. The following colours are worth showing your daughters - they are pretty, playful, dreamy and full of charm - and they look nice in relationship with the grey/green of Resene Half Lemon Grass - Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Solitaire, Resene Half Colonial White, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Half Opal or Resene Alaska.
February 2019
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Q. I am going to use Resene Silver Chalice for a 1970s weatherboard house. My question is, do I use a darker shade for the block basement or do I use Resene Silver Chalice top and bottom? A. It is a personal choice. If you want the block basement to 'disappear' or merge, then you could paint it the same colour. But if you want the basement to stand out a bit (because it is very attractive or because the style of the house warrants it) then you could go slightly deeper or a lot deeper - Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Double Stack or alternatively very pale but tonally related - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice.
February 2019
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Q. We have an old villa with an extension facing north. The kitchen/lounge in the extension is very light with skylights and backs onto the garden. We were thinking of doing the walls in Resene Double Black White and the trim in another white. The south facing room and hallway do not have as much natural light and we were thinking of painting these in Resene Half Black White. Do you think this would work? We want to avoid yellowish whites. What would you recommend for the trims? A. South facing rooms have a colder type of natural light. This can be a problem - and more so when the rooms are dim or shadowy. Using paler/whiter colours can make them feel cooler and sometimes greyish and grim. I strongly recommend that if you do use Resene Half Black White, that you test it carefully so you know exactly how it will look in the spaces you mention. If it looks too white/cold etc. then you might consider using a slightly more definite colour - i.e. Resene Sea Fog. In the rooms that you plan to paint in Resene Double Black White you might use Resene Quarter Black White for the trims. This will give you a crisp clean contrast. This is a good choice for ceilings and trims in all rooms.
February 2019
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Q. We have a late 40s early 50s home and are at present going through our second lot of EQC repairs. We have all varnished doors, skirting, trim and staircase. We have varnished wood panelling halfway up the dining room walls, which is also going to be painted out. I want all painted walls to be the same colour throughout the house, except for one feature wall in the main bedroom to be wallpapered. I am at a loss as to what colour to paint them. I want/like neutrals, and was perhaps thinking Resene Spanish White/Resene Pearl Lusta. We like light, airy spaces and are not into a lot of colour. I'd prefer to leave that to furnishings and accessories etc. Do we go full strength on the top half of the walls in dining room where the panelling is and half on the panelling? Our kitchen and bathroom are painted in Resene Alabaster at present and we will probably keep this colour. A. If you use Resene Half Spanish White for the varnished panelling, and lighter for the upper walls - Resene Quarter Spanish White, then you could use Resene Alabaster for the skirting boards, door frames, window frames and all ceilings. That way it ties in the kitchen and bathroom. The whole look of the interior will be lightened in a warm neutral way. It allows you to use lots of coloured furnishings and accessories and any wallpaper that you desire to add the excitement to the interior of the house. If you painted the doors and the wardrobes the same as the lower wall wooden panelling, it would be the simple way to go. Usually there are a lot of doors and if you picked them out in a deeper colour they may be too dominant. If you have stairs, the handrail of the stairs might be one of these colours - Resene Stonewashed, Resene Half Oilskin, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. Darker can be practical but you do need to decide how dark is dark enough. February 2019
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Q. I would like to change the colour of my roof, outside colour, deck, fence, interiors colour and carpet to a more modern colour. A. A new look for the exterior might be one of these greyer types of colours - Resene Eighth Friar Grey or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. The roof and possibly the garage door might be the same colour - Resene Windswept or Resene Element. The fence might be one of these colours - Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea. The interior colour really depends upon the colour of the carpet and other flooring, drapes, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinetry and bench tops. Carpet and other flooring ideally should be chosen first - so that you have freedom of choice. For neutral interior colours, the following might be two to try - Resene Double Black White and Resene Half White Pointer.
February 2019
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Q. My home is being painted in Resene Foggy Grey. What deck colour would you recommend? A. If you are using Resene Foggy Grey for the main house colour you could use the lighter variant - Resene Half Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey for the deck. If you did want a deeper colour then you might use Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey.
February 2019
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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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