Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. I need help with choosing a colour primarily for a new wraparound deck. The house is a 1980s Lockwood home with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof and front door, bronze joinery and the wall colour resembles something similar to Resene Half Sea Fog. The back deck is covered with a Resene Ironsand frame and roof and white underneath the roof. The front deck has covering it two shade sales coloured silver/light grey with silver posts. If needed, I am happy to repaint the walls of the house a new colour light or dark (to lose the bronze coloured joinery). The garage is separate to the house but in close proximity and can be painted to complement the house. I would love your ideas on a deck colour, new wall colour options (if needed) and garage wall and roof colours. A. Were you thinking of staining the deck? Or painting it? Paint will last longer before needing re-coating but stain looks very natural but will require recoating every two years. You mention the possibility of repainting the house in order to make the bronze joinery blend in better and doing the garage in the same colour. I think even a slight colour change may work well for you as the contrast - between the weatherboards and joinery - will be softer and not so optically definite. You might check out the following colours to see if they might appeal to you – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Titania, Resene Half Caraway or Resene Double Merino. If the garage roof needs a colour then I do recommend you use the same colour as the house - Resene Ironsand - so that the buildings relate well to each other.
May 2019
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Q. I wish to paint my walls and vaulted cathedral ceilings in white. As it is a big space using Resene Alabaster will look quite white in a large space. Would you please recommend a warm white for the ceiling and wall and what colour for the skirting board? A. You might check out these colours – Resene Half Bianca – walls and Resene Quarter Bianca - ceilings and skirting boards. Or Resene Half Sea Fog – walls and Resene Alabaster - ceilings and skirting boards. Or Resene Merino – walls and Resene Quarter Merino - ceilings and skirting boards.
May 2019
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Q. We're painting our house. Our roof is Resene High Tide. We're looking for complementary colours for the house (grey, purple, brown). Can we please have some advice? A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Hammerhead, Resene Rakaia, Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Settlement. Purple options are a bit trickier to find - they are more of a personal choice and sometimes can look very much like a little girls' bedroom if they are too light.
May 2019
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Q. How do I know what white is best on the walls of my home for the living area and hall? There are so many to choose from... A. Without seeing large enough samples of at least six whites and comparing them it would be very tricky choosing the best one. I recommend that you pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. If you place a sheet of printer paper - this is a true white - partially over the samples it will help you see the unique undertones of colour that is in each one. Some whites you check out won't look to your eyes. Take notice of how you feel about any type of colour and don't automatically choose one just because someone has used it and recommends it to you. It is your choice not theirs. Always remember that the white you choose has to look good in every room and with all coloured things in the rooms. May 2019
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Q. We are re-roofing a 1980s Lockwood house. We are thinking of Sandstone Grey roof, it has dark brown aluminium windows, white aluminium cladding and we are looking for colour ideas for all the trims and decks. A. You possibly might consider doing the trims and deck as an earthy colour - lighter than the window colour - so they link in a little bit. That way the windows wouldn't be the only brown in the whole palette. Try Resene Double Friar Greystone , Resene Stonehenge, Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Quarter Ironsand. If you weren't keen on the browner based colours you could consider a warm greyer type of colour Resene Quarter Masala or lighter - still grey toned - Resene Grey Area.
May 2019
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Q. I have wooden trim that I need to keep and don't know what colour to paint my walls. I get morning sun in the lounge. The carpet is going to be replaced with new carpet or wooden floors in the dining room. I want it to feel modern but warm. Curtains are going to be a white/off white colour. A. Once the morning sun rises higher in the sky the lounge and dining room may look more shadowy. This may need to be taken into account in regard what colours you choose. Modern colours are often whiter toned. The following are a few light, modern colour options that be a good start point – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter White Pointer.
May 2019
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Q. We are getting our gutters replaced with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. Will this colour work with the Resene Element colour on the roof and walls? We are thinking to change the cinder block to another colour - any suggestions? My husband thought maybe the walls and roof be a slightly different colour to the gutters, then different again around the cinder block. I feel because the house is split levels that it has the stature to carry a block type of paint job, but it's hard to see what it will look like as a finished product. A. Resene Element is a match to COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. If you had the roof and weatherboards in this colour and the guttering matching in FlaxPod you would have a very dark house. Is that what you want? It relies upon you using a clean white (like Resene Black White) on all the trims and on the block base to lift the look of the house so it isn't too oppressive. If however you wanted a walls and roof to be slightly different colour to the gutters then you could check out Resene Windswept or Resene Half Fuscous Grey to see if either of those colours appeals to you. The block base of the house could be slightly lighter - Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey. I am not 100% sure that it would look much different to the roof and the weatherboards when seen in bright natural light.
May 2019
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Q. We are looking to add a bit of WOW factor to our house. The roof is New Denim Blue. We were looking to paint the garage door the same colour as roof. We need suggestions for a house colour, windows etc. A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Linen, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Duck Egg Blue. If any of these are used with a real crisp white - i.e. Resene Quarter Black White - to provide maximum contrast you could still use a little of the blue/grey - Resene New Denim Blue or even a little bit deeper blue - Resene Twilight Zone for sills or just the doors. This ties in the roof and garage door colour nicely. Or a radical departure colour wise would be to use a hot pink Resene Irresistible or a sizzle of orange Resene Daredevil or a bold yellow Resene I Dare You. If it is just the house doors you could ring the changes by using something new every so often to add a bit of wow.
May 2019
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Q. We have a 70s weatherboard house with Ironsand on the roof and garage door and brown aluminium joinery. We want to pick a dark colour for the weatherboards. Do you think that Resene Bokara Grey will make the house look too flat? Can you suggest any other colours? A. You will lose the contrast factor which is often the eye appeal of a house if you use a very dark colour. So yes it could look flat or even a bit oppressive. However it is very trendy and a great many other people have embraced very dark colours like Resene Bokara Grey. Have you considered using a (lighter) warm related smoky olive brown - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand to create a tonal look? It is just a thought. The choice is yours - choose wisely - and take the time to test colours so you know exactly what the effect will be.
May 2019
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Q. What colour would go best as a feature wall, against walls painted with Resene Solitaire? A. You have many options and the following colours are a few that may offer you a little inspiration and food for thought – Resene Red Herring, Resene Just Dance, Resene Helix, Resene Artemis, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or a lush metallic hue – Resene Rose Gold.
May 2019
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Q. What colour would I use on a feature wall against the coloured walls with painted with Resene Soft Amber? A. You might check out the following colours – Resene Stonewashed, Resene Tablelands or Resene Fast Forward, or much paler on three walls making the Resene Soft Amber the feature on one wall - not the other way around – try Resene Eighth Biscotti.
May 2019
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Q. We have painted our house white and have used Resene Wham on the door and window frames (much to most peoples' surprise). We now have to paint our veranda floor and would like to know which dark green would suit the Resene Wham. Our roof is COLORSTEEL® Permanent Green. A. Rather than introduce another dark green for the veranda floor you might consider using the same colour as the roof - Resene Permanent Green. Or perhaps a lighter version of that colour - Resene Mother Nature. This way no other green competes (or clashes) with the Resene Wham.
May 2019
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Q. We are painting our house Resene Concrete with Resene Alabaster trims and Resene Grey Friars on the base - we are not sure what colour we should do on the front door and garage doors - any suggestions? A. If the front door and garage door are powder coated then they might be the same as the base of the house. If they are wooden and you wanted something a bit compatible with the delicate silvery grey and white on the house you could use one of the following – Resene Triple Concrete or deeper toned – Resene Quarter Grey Friars. If you wanted something bolder you might consider a deep mysterious red - i.e. Resene Smoulder.
May 2019
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Q. I want to paint my house a dark grey. Problem is we have cedar shingles on about quarter of our house, which I do like. It just means the colour we do the house will have to match. Are you able to let me know a few dark greys you think I should try? A. Dark greys that you might consider are the following – Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Gravel or Resene Fuscous Grey.
May 2019
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Q. What colour would you recommend next to macrocarpa wood door frames and flooring? At present we have yellow cream and burgundy in the living areas. The rooms get lots of sunlight. I would like to modernise these rooms and have continuity with complementary colours in the bedrooms, bathroom, washhouse and boot room. A. You don't mention whether the new wall colours need to co-ordinate with existing drapes, carpets, furniture etc - or are you planning on changing all of these elements to harmonise with the new look? The following are some neutral colours and more definite colours that look really nice together and with the macrocarpa – Resene Bianca and Resene Peace, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Merino or Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, and Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Fast Forward.
May 2019
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Q. I would like to add a coastal vibe with paint colours to our house and deck and fencing. A. If you are keeping the existing roof and garage door colour which appear to be a very dark brown then what ever is used must harmonise well with that. You might check out these colours for the house – Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Slipstream, Resene Half Dusted Blue or Resene Surrender. And perhaps a deep sea colour for fences and deck trims might work – Resene Coast, Resene Safehaven, Resene Ivanhoe or Resene Undercurrent.
May 2019
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Q. I'm looking for a front gate colour to go with my bungalow house colour scheme - main house boards in Resene Titania, trim/fascia boards/gables are Resene New Denim Blue. I was thinking of a charcoal blue colour that would blend in. There is no front fence as is a planted hedge. A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Ebony Clay, Resene High Tide or Resene Double Cod Grey.
May 2019
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Q. I am looking for a nice pale colour to go in a sunny bedroom. I am trying to get away from a yellow. A. If the bedroom gets a lot of sunshine all day you could consider one of the following blue colours - Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Spindle, or neutral whites – Resene Sea Fog or Resene Merino.
May 2019
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and have chosen Resene Blue Bark, Resene Untamed and Resene Green Spring as accent colours. We are considering Resene Thistle for our main colour. Are there any other pastel greens that you think would work well or better with our accent colours? A. You might also check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you Resene Linen, Resene Smoothie, Resene Secrets, Resene Triple Rice Cake or Resene Cararra. The last two are creams that have a green edge to them. Don't rule them out before seeing how flexible they may be with the accent colours.
May 2019
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Q. We are going to completely change the colour of the roof, spouting and exterior LINEA® boards. We have a small amount of bricks around the base and windows frames that we would leave the same. I was thinking a Resene Tea colour for the LINEA® and need ideas for the roof and spouting. A. You could look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Ironsand, Resene Botanic, Resene Windswept or Resene Squall.
May 2019
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Q. We are going for a Resene Foggy Grey interior for our new home. What would be the ideal shade that's not going to be too dark? Would Resene Quarter Foggy Grey for the living area and Resene Half Foggy Grey for the bedrooms? We will have Resene Double Alabaster trims. A. In some rooms Resene Foggy Grey will look twice the depth that you might imagine it will do, is that the look you want to achieve? I think that Resene Half Foggy Grey may be a little more versatile. Using Resene Quarter Foggy Grey would be even better in rooms that have coloured curtains, coloured bedding or coloured upholstered furniture as it is lighter and allows a lot more colours to be used in these spaces.
May 2019
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Q. We are painting our interior for the purpose of selling our house and have been advised that neutrals (white) would be best. Our home is 1950s, has all timber floors and an older timber kitchen. We would like to freshen up the home and make it light, bright and airy. The dining/living rooms have large bi-fold windows and doors with plenty of light while the hallways are quite dark. The walls in the living areas are pretty good but we have a textured wallpaper which we will be painting over in the hallway. Could you recommend a neutral colour scheme for us? A. You might consider using the lightest colour in the hallway and possibly in any smaller rooms that may not receive as much natural sunlight all day long and a slightly deeper variant for larger or brighter rooms. That way you achieve a nice harmonious flow through the house. One of these options may appeal to you – Resene Rice Cake (lighter colour) and Resene Double Rice Cake (slightly deeper colour), or Resene Bianca (lighter colour) and Resene Double Bianca (slightly deeper colour), Or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream (lighter colour) and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (slightly deeper colour). These are light fresh colours that always look good with wood trims.
May 2019
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Q. We are looking for a warm grey for the interior of a bungalow. We have tried Resene Rakaia but it is too purple. Can you suggest a warm grey that still has crisp tones? A. Crisp greys are often cooler tones with silvery blues in their undertone. If you want warmer greys they usually have elements of pink, brown or yellow in them and they often seem softly muted - not crisp. You may need to consider that and think about using a real sharp pure white with these types of colour in order to add a crisp edge of contrast to the greys. The following are some warmer greys for you to check out – Resene Quill Grey, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Concrete, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Atmosphere.
May 2019
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Q. I have a very large living area with a low ceiling, very dark mushroom coloured carpet and dark brown horizontal stripe curtains! There are big windows and green garden surrounds. I want to give the illusion of a higher ceiling but a warm inviting room. For the walls I'm thinking Resene Half Spanish White. However for the ceiling I cannot decide. Would Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta work? I've found that Resene Half Alabaster and Resene Eighth Rice Cake both look too grey and dirty in certain lights and bring the ceiling down. A. Of the two colours that you mention Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta has a slightly sharper look and Resene Half Bianca is slightly softer looking. Either would work so it is a personal choice. Colours on ceilings always take on a slightly deeper or greyer look as the light sources throw shadows across the ceiling.
May 2019
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Q. We are currently doing an extension to our older home that is clad in rustic weatherboard. This will all be new and pre-primed in white primer. My problem is not knowing what colour to paint. We have built a new COLORSTEEL® garage in Ironsand (not connected to the house) but want a colour to complement the shed. I was thinking Resene Eighth Masala? Then I have no idea what colour to do window frames and sills. All windows are being replaced with grey tint glazing and Ironsand aluminium. The front door will be dark cedar. A. I like your idea of using Resene Eighth Masala as the new main house colour. You could use a lighter variant of Resene Ironsand - i.e. Resene Quarter Ironsand - on the window frames and sill. That keeps it very related and tonal. If you were to want a much lighter or whiter colour that may be trickier - perhaps Resene Triple Black White or Resene Triple Sea Fog may work for you. They are not too stark but give the contrast between the very dark windows and the softer deep house colour.
May 2019
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Q. I need to paint my house and would love some expert advice on what Resene colours to use and what would suit its age. A. Because yours is an open query with no specific likes or dislikes here are a few ideas to get you started. You might look at a darker roof, mid toned main house colour and warmer whites for trims – Resene Squall – roof, Resene Taupe Grey – main and Resene Rice Cake – trims. Or for a traditional look – Resene Rustic Red – roof, Resene Double Villa White - main and Resene Half Alabaster – trims. Or for a white/blue/grey look that is a sweet old fashioned look and peaking in popularity at this point in time – Resene Grey Friars – roof, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue – house and Resene Eighth Black White – trims.
May 2019
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Q. I'm repainting my room grey and yellow. Three of the walls will be Resene Triple Sea Fog grey, and I was wondering if I could get an opinion on which shades of yellow would work with this? A. Sometimes you need to test several types of yellow hues to see which one works best overall. All yellows have the distinct ability to double or triple in intensity and brightness - they need to be carefully tested to see how they respond to where you want to put them. The following colours may be worth checking out – Resene Triple Pearl Lusta, Resene Beeswax, Resene Moonlight or Resene Weathered Yellow.
May 2019
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Q. We have a 1920s two storey bungalow that we want to paint in a shade of grey but our roof is raw silver. What colour would you recommend that doesn't have pink or blue in it? The colours I've tried are Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Stack, Resene Half Stack, Resene Surrender and Resene Double Concrete. A. If you want light greys then you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone or Resene Atmosphere. These colours have absolutely no hint of red or blue in them.
May 2019
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Q. We are currently getting our exterior walls painted. And we would like to ask for some suggestions for colour options. Our roof is freshly painted Resene Grey Friars and the poles are white. What colour would go nicely with this combination? A. Resene Grey Friars and Resene White are very obliging and many types of colours will work well with them. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Biscotti, Resene Settlement, Resene Eagle, Resene Neutral Bay or Resene Overland.
May 2019
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Q. Can you help with some colour combinations for a very small three bedroom crib? It's set in the bush and waterfront and I'm thinking of a blue/white colour scheme with splashes of orange in the open plan kitchen/living area. I like Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, however am unsure which is the right white to go with this for window frames, architraves and ceiling. I'd like a different colour for the hallway and bedrooms that would complement the Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, and a soft blue for the kitchen/living area. A. Rooms that are blessed with all day sun will feel really restful in the type of blue that you are keen on. If you want a crisp cool contrast then you could use the first of the two 'white' suggestions below - but if you want a sweet white with a little warmth in it then the second 'white' may be better – Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. The hallway - unless it is one of the few that has windows and sunlight in it - may benefit by using a white to increase light. A hallway often has a lot of doors in it so keeping it simple is a practical consideration. It could be a deeper tone of the 'white previously suggested – Resene Black White or Resene Half Rice Cake. Bedrooms can be dramatic or fun or restful - it really depends upon you. The following are a few options for you to consider - not just for walls - could be for artwork, accessories or bed linen:
May 2019
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Q. We are recladding a beach house with cedar weatherboards and would ideally like to stain them a lighter silver grey. We have a Grey Friars roof, spouting and guttering and white joinery. Any suggestions that are very on-trend now? A. You could try Resene Silvered Grey, Resene Pickled Bluewood or Resene Bleached Cedar. Stain sample testpots are available and you might use them on cedar offcuts to make sure you know exactly what two coats of each of these colours might look like.
May 2019
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Q. I am having trouble choosing an exterior colour scheme to modernise our beachside home in Ohope to go with the current dark brown aluminium joinery and brown tint on windows. We are painting the roof, gutters, trim and exterior walls. A. Taking on board the constraints caused by the very definite brown joinery I suggest that at the very least you may need to use a warm deep brown for the roof (and guttering) so the joinery isn't the only brown on the house. Try one of these colours – Resene Ironsand, Resene Metallic Bronze or Resene Triple Stonehenge. You might consider one of the following colours to see if they appeal to you and work for your particular style of house – Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. Trims might be a coloured white (not too clean or stark toned) like Resene Half Sea Fog.
May 2019
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Q. We recently painted the outside of our house Resene Double Cod Grey with Resene Triple Sea Fog for the eaves and barge boards. The front door is painted Resene Ebony Clay to match the joinery as best we could. We are now turning to the interior. This was originally painted in taupe colour variants however the previous owner has painted the walls various shades of yellow and some of the trims and ceiling white. Our house is on a south side of a slope with lots of trees. In the summer when the sun is higher we get a lot of sun at the front of the house, in winter we get less. As a result rooms on the south side of the house are cooler and don't get as much light as the rest of the house. I wanted to keep the interior colour light but don't want to pick a light colour that will be too cold. I was thinking about continuing a variant of Resene Sea Fog through the interior of the house. The lounge has a double height roof on a slope so I think will be too bright in a lighter colour, so I would want to paint this in a darker complementary colour. The master bedroom is quite large so I was also thinking this would be cosier in a darker colour too. The kitchen is a taupe colour and while the longer term plan is to replace it that won't be for a few years yet so whatever colour we choose now it needs to work with the current kitchen. A. As long as you carefully test the variants of Resene Sea Fog (i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster) to make sure it doesn't take on a cool or greyish look because of the quality of natural light in the interior then all should be well. If you found that was the case however and wanted some other suggestions then you might check out the following – Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Bianca. Without knowing what types of darker colours you favour (for the lounge and main bedroom) the following are a few ideas to get you started: Resene Grey Area, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Excalibur, Resene Artemis, Resene Red Herring or Resene Mother Nature.
May 2019
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Q. We have a two storey house that is block and weatherboard. We are solid plastering the block, which will be the biggest coverage in area and replacing the weatherboards. The roof is Karaka in colour. We are replacing all joinery so this colour is also yet to be decided. We have a glass balustrade with a black frame. What would be a good colour scheme for the plaster, weatherboards and joinery? The only elements staying are the Karaka roof and balustrade with black frame. A. Do you want the joinery to be a neutral white so that at any time the house colour ever changes you will know the joinery will always be 'right'? Or do you want a strong feature for the joinery to match to the roof? Those are the things you need to consider. Some colours that you could check out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple Merino - plastered block, Resene Merino – weatherboards and Appliance White – joinery. Or Resene Napa - plastered block, Resene Half Tea – weatherboards and Appliance White – joinery. If you favoured using a colour for the joinery – such as Karaka - then it would work with both the suggested colour palettes.
May 2019
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Q. What is a lovely warm colour for a bedroom on the south side of a house? We want it to be a lovely warm cosy colour. We were looking at Resene Half Drought but are not sure. It looks a little pinky mauve on the wall where we did a strip. A. South facing rooms have a horrible tendency to have either a very sour natural light or a dull cool grey light. This can make choosing a new colour a little tricky. I like Resene Half Drought for its lovely biscuity warmth. It is quite a strong colour - is that what you are wanting rather than a lighter colour? Paint colours in an interior can double in depth (or brightness depending on the type of colour) so it is always wise to veer on the slightly lighter side so the depth doesn't develop too much. You might check out the following colours to see if they may appeal to you - they are slightly brighter than Resene Half Drought – Resene Biscotti, Resene Half Biscotti or Resene Half Fossil.
May 2019
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Q. Which colours would you paint a red brick and roughcast 1911 character home (wooden windows, brick mantle) with Karaka roof and spouting, top two thirds roughcast, bottom one third red brick with a concrete foundation? A. You don't mention whether it is just the roughcast that you are painting or the brick as well. With a house of the 1911 era I would be inclined to just paint the rough cast and all the wooden windows and doors. Perhaps one of the following palettes of colours may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey - rough cast, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for the wooden windows/door frames and Resene Untamed - main door. Or Resene Triple Rice Cake - rough cast, Resene Quarter Rice Cake - wooden windows and door frames, and Resene Half Gravel - doors and concrete foundation. The concrete foundation - if it has been painted previously - could be either the main house colour or the 'whiter' colour. It is a personal choice.
May 2019
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Q. Our bach is in the country so lots of native trees and grass. The bach is small, about 60 square metres. All aluminium joinery is an Ironsand colour. We have a big 3.5m bi-fold door at the front. The ceiling will be pine plywood with Resene Colorwood Whitewash (maybe just one coat and two coats of clear coat... so we can still see some grain). The bach will get a lot of sun. I'm looking for a neutral colour for the plasterboard walls. I am also wondering what colour to paint the beam (which will be boxed and lined with plasterboard). The beam goes across the ceiling and down one wall. A. Usually a beam matches the ceiling but in your case because the ceiling is plywood with Resene Colorwood Whitewash on it and the beam is going to be boxed in with plasterboard I suggest you paint it to match the walls. Some neutral colours that you might check out are these – Resene Half Titania, Resene Merino or Resene Half Thorndon Cream. If you use the same colour throughout it opens up the spaces and makes them seem bigger.
May 2019
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Q. I'm trying to choose a roof colour for a 1940s weatherboard house that will need to be painted at some time. Would an Ironsand roof go with Resene Flourish as a combo? Is Ironsand more grey/black or brown? A. Ironsand is a warm/earthy olive brown deep charcoal. If you like it with Resene Flourish then it is all good. I like Resene Flourish with steel blue based charcoals - Resene Grey Friars - or warm charcoals like Resene Element. You might check these out and compare them to each other so you have a better idea of how they might look with Resene Flourish.
May 2019
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Q. We have a Dominion style bungalow. The main colour paint is between Resene Butter and Resene Beeswax. Could you please suggest trim, base and roof colours? For the roof our preference is a grey/blue shade. A. For the roof you might check out the following colours – Resene Grey Friars, Resene New Denim Blue or Resene High Tide. For trims - if they are windows, barge boards, fascias – they might be a warmed white like the following – Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White. For window sills, the doors or the base of the house you could choose lighter grey/blues like these ones - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Steam Roller. May 2019
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Q. The roof is painted ironsand and the windows are white. I want a muddy pastel green to complement these. A. Muted greens like the following may be the type of colour you are looking for – Resene Helix, Resene Half Inside Back, Resene Pewter, Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, Resene Half Washed Green, Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Haven or Resene Pumice.
May 2019
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Q. I'm thinking of using either Resene Black White or maybe Resene Quarter White Pointer on the walls throughout our new home which is modern, contemporary and has a lot of floor to ceiling glass and therefore a lot of natural light. We have polished concrete floors. Although I like a nice white on the walls I don't want it to be a cold white. Also, do you recommend using a couple of shades darker on trims and a paler colour on the ceiling? Or just the one colour on walls, ceilings and trims? A. If you want the walls to look slightly more definite in colour then you would use a much 'whiter' colour on the ceilings. You might also use this for all the woodwork trims. Some people choose to have the doors only a slightly deeper colour because of finger marking and constant touching and abrasion. Some people want all the woodwork to merge into the wall colour so they do it the one colour. It is always a personal taste as to what you do. Resene Quarter White Pointer is a warmer white than Resene Black White which is a cooler slightly grey hue. You could use Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster for ceilings etc - they would work with either of the colours you have mentioned for the walls.
May 2019
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Q. I have a sunny north facing living room and a south facing small kitchen, connected by a corridor. I want to connect the spaces with colour. I have a chartreuse couch in the living room and floors, walls need refurbishment. I want to use a deep blue, teal or green on the below bench cupboards in the kitchen with off white walls and stainless benches. The dark colour will wrap around onto one living room wall. I am thinking about retro on the cupboards and wall in the living room, with a warm white (perhaps chalk white) in the kitchen, corridor and staircase that protrudes into the living room. I want a green tinged white in the living room that will look good with the warm white. A. Resene Chalk Dust is a lovely warmed white and you might check out the following green tinged whites to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Tana, Resene Half Carefree, Resene Green White or Resene Quarter Titania. An alternative warm white could be Resene Quarter Bianca.
May 2019
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Q. We are planning to paint the wooden slat seats all along the main street. We want extra gloss enamel paint for its long lasting properties. We have tried the colour Resene Burgundy, but it is too bright. What would you recommend for a streetscape setting that is lively but more subdued? A. A very glossy enamel will make a lot of lively colours look much brighter than you might expect them to look. Some alternative reds that you might check out are the following ones - they are still lively but a bit deeper which may subdue the colour – Resene Burnt Crimson, Resene Salsa or Resene Vanquish. Alternatively a blue or a teal can look lively but aren't quite as bold as a red – try Resene Wanaka, Resene Spinnaker, Resene Teal Blue or Resene Retro.
May 2019
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Q. We have just painted our house with Resene Juniper and are wanting an orange door. We have just pained it Resene Blaze, but it looks a bit dark. Could you recommend a slightly brighter orange that would go with the Resene Juniper? A. You might check out the following oranges which are slightly brighter – Resene Jailbreak, Resene Clockwork Orange or Resene Daredevil.
May 2019
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Q. We are going for a scandi type feel for a large open plan kitchen, dining, lounge area. The timber floor will be an engineered European light oak in a sandy colour. Our ceilings and trims will be Resene Alabaster. We are having a little trouble choosing the right grey for the walls and have narrowed it down to Resene Half Concrete or Resene Half Athens Grey. A. The biggest difference between these two greys is that the Resene Half Athens Grey is a slightly more neutral and warmer grey. The Resene Half Concrete can have a pinky undertone to it, and sits more in the ‘cooler' end of the scale. Resene Half Athens Grey will give you a very light grey look on the walls, as opposed to a 'white' look of the Resene Half Concrete. Personally, I'd say the Resene Half Athens Grey is a better fit for the scandi theme.
March 2019
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Q. I would like to paint our family room that flows on from our kitchen – I would like to use a pale green – can you suggest one that would work with Resene Half Bianca? The two rooms are open plan and are joined by one door-less opening. The family room gets no direct sunlight and it currently has red carpet which we will be changing to a pale grey. Both rooms have high studs with white scotia. A. There are some really lovely pale greens that would work well with Resene Half Bianca. The following are a few worth checking out - Resene Secrets, Resene Half Linen, Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Harp or Resene Paris White.
March 2019
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Q. My kitchen cupboards are Resene Half Spanish White. What wall colour will complement this? The floor tiles are beige/brown marble. A. The following are a few neutral colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Bison Hide, Resene Half Tea, Resene Spanish White and Resene Drought. Alternatively, a definite colour might also work - Resene Quarter Lemon Grass or Resene Duck Egg Blue.
March 2019
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Q. What is the trend for internal colours now? We are doing up our ensuite and the rest of our house colours are Resene Tea, Resene Half Tea and Resene Quarter Tea. We quite like Tea colour, but I'm thinking that as we start the next round of decorating we could update the look. The floor is wooden and the bathroom cabinet is white, with a marble top. What is trending at the moment, are whites in all their many variations and greys and blacks? A. Some of the time people are using very deep navy blues to replace the true black, as it alters the ambiance of the house quite considerably. Greys are moving into soft misty tints and whites are warming up a wee bit. If your ensuite has a wooden floor then that creates a bit of warmth. You could go to a warmer white - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Merino. Or a soft toned grey - Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Rakaia or Resene Quarter Grey Chateau.
March 2019
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Q. I am painting my house which has rammed earth walls and concrete/stucco walls. The rammed earth is warm ochre. The current paint colour tries to match that, but is too yellow. The back of the house will be painted above the level of the doors and at the base of the walls. The front of the house is concrete and stucco. This will all be painted. The plan for the soffits etc. is a darker cooler shade instead of their current salmon pink. The house has a terracotta roof and a cedar colour on all the woodwork. A. If you wanted the rammed earth and the stucco to be the same colour, you could use Resene AquaShield, which is a mineral paint that is hydrophobic [sheds water off the surface] and is often used to create that sort of lime wash/chalky look that Mediterranean houses are coated it or Resene X-200 which is a weathertight membrane. Because of the terracotta roof and the cedar colour on all the woodwork, you do have to work with those elements. Soft warm colours would still be first options for the house because of that. A few colours for you to consider are - Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Biscotti, Resene Orchid White or Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay.
March 2019
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and I'd like advice on exterior colours that would work well with the current red trim please. The roof, aluminium windows, back door and garage door seem to be a close match to Resene Fahrenheit. The rest of the trim was painted a red that doesn't actually match the aluminium, so I would look to paint all trim Resene Fahrenheit. I'm open to all suggestions, probably nothing too dark or out there but moving away from the current white to something a bit more interesting. A. The following colours are more than white but are quite classical and timeless - Resene Concrete, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Lemon Grass, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene White Pointer.
March 2019
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Q. Are you able to help with our beach house? We are allowing the pine decks and walls to silver off and are looking for a beach colour for the 1940s stucco walls which unfortunately has a green roof! We have new white aluminium joinery in this house. We were wondering about pastel green/blues to work in with the future silvering pine. A. The green roof and white window joinery leads your colour choices toward these types of muted colours - Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, Resene Nebula, Resene Tiara or Resene Tasman. Or slightly 'prettier' pastels like these ones - Resene Carefree, Resene Slipstream or Resene Breeze.
March 2019
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Q. We are building two terrace houses. The architect chose brick veneer for the bottom floor and vertical weatherboard for the other two levels. The site is quite small. What colour would you recommend for the vertical weatherboard and rendered bricks? A. If the choice for roof, window joinery, weatherboard colour and colour for the rendered bricks is required then you might check out the following palettes of colours: Option 1: Roof - COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey, window and door joinery - COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey, weatherboards - Resene Triple Black White, rendered brick and garage doors - Resene Ironsand. Option 2: Roof - COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod, window and door joinery - COLORSTEEL® Titania, weatherboards - Resene Bone White, rendered brick and garage doors - Resene Windswept. Both of these options address the elements on the exterior in a different way – option one makes the roof and window joinery the same colour and exploits matching colours for the render and garage doors so they merge. The weatherboards are a toned up white. Option two lightens the window joinery and has a slightly deeper sympathetically toned colour for the weatherboards. Again the render and garage door match. There is another alternative - the garage doors might be the same colour as the window joinery and that would be a major contrast on the lower storey and it would 'pop' out of the dark coloured rendered bricks. Lighter colours for the weatherboards are because they need maximum protection from UV damage, whereas the rendered surfaces are more impervious to being jeopardised by heat.
March 2019
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Q. In the interior of my home, the doors, trims, and window frames are a wheat colour (matching the COLORBOND® colour) from 2001. I now want to paint the walls to complement the wheat colour. I've just done a test area (1m by 1m) with Resene Dutch White and I don't like the combination. The Resene Dutch White is too strong, particularly as I was looking at a two tone wall, with Resene Quarter Dutch White on the top. I feel the Resene Dutch White is too yellow and too strong. I don't think any of the grey colours will go. Can you suggest two colours (for the two tone wall) that will go with the very strong Wheat colour? A. You are not wrong - COLORBOND® Wheat is a rich earthy colour and Resene Dutch White is far too bright a creamy/yellow with an undertone of orange warmth in it. They don't like each other at all. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Canterbury Clay, Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay or Resene Crowdpleaser. It may be more tricky finding a lighter colour but the following are worth looking at - Resene Spanish White, Resene Sidecar or Resene Hampton. You may need to consider compromising and using only one colour - the one that looks best next to Wheat - instead of using two colours.
March 2019
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Q. We will be painting the outside of our house and would like some advice on colours. We plan to paint the window frames Resene Alabaster and would like a light neutral grey with no purple, green or blue tones for the main part of the house, and a bold, dark grey for the front door and maybe the cedar shingles under the bay window. Could you please recommend some good grey colour options? The front of the house is east facing but gets a lot of all-day sun. A. You could check out these greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Atmosphere, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Half Jumbo or Resene Archive Grey. Some bold dark greys for the front door might be like these ones - Resene Double Cod Grey, Resene Double Foundry, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Bokara Grey.
March 2019
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Q. I am looking for a recommendation for a really dark navy/inky paint. I have come across Resene Indian Ink and Resene Dark Side but I am not sure if they are dark enough as I don't want too much blue coming through. Out of these two colours which one would you recommend or do you have any darker navy alternatives? A. It is very difficult looking for a really dark navy/inky colour without too much blue coming through because what you have asked for is blue. You mention not being sure the colours you have mentioned are dark enough - any darker and they are more black not navy. So perhaps a black instead of a dark navy might get you the 'non-blue' that you are wanting? Of the two you mention, Resene Indian Ink is the darker option. If you wanted to compare another blacker colour to Resene Indian Ink, you could check out Resene Double Cod Grey.
March 2019
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Q. Please recommend three exterior blues to pair up with white for a classic beachside house look. Think Noosa, Byron Bay etc. house exterior features rendered walls and lots of white woodwork. A. If you wanted the type of blue that didn't fade too much in bright sunlight then you might check out the following softer toned blues - Resene Time After Time, Resene Cruising or Resene Astronaut.
March 2019
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Q. Our home has Hinuera Stone walls on the exterior, with wood work and trim. At the rear of our home are wood walls, and brown French doors and aluminium windows. The front and rear doors are white and the soffit is also white. We started painting the walls (not the stone) in Resene Ironsand as we love the colour. Can you recommend other colour matches for the roof, as it is quite a strong colour and I would like to soften with other colour matches? Recommendations for roof and trims please? A. Softer colour options for the roof might be one of these colours - Resene Eighth Ironsand or Resene Touchstone. You don't mention what trims that you have, apart from the white on the soffits, front and rear doors, so I am not sure about introducing another colour. White will always work. The roof colour options could also be used as a trim colour depending upon what the trim is.
March 2019
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Q. Which roof paint colour do you suggest? We have Resene Sea Nymph for the house with Resene Azure trim on windows. A. One of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Coast, Resene High Tide or Resene Grey Friars.
March 2019
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Q. I am getting the exterior of my house painted. I would like to paint the weatherboards in the colour Resene Breathless, as I have seen another house that is painted this colour (or very similar) which I like, but I am wondering what other colours would complement this colour? I was thinking of possibly doing the base a quite dark grey/black to get some contrast, do you think this is a good idea? Also I'm not sure what colour to do the eaves and the triangular ends of the house, entrance and wood surrounds around the windows and garage door? I guess I am looking for a reasonably modern clean appearance. A. Resene Breathless is a really pretty lilac, blue and grey colour. It always looks great with white and blue edged greys. The following are a few deep grey options for you to check out - Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Quarter New Denim Blue. These are soft shades of grey so that the base of the house - as seen from the front - isn't a hard edged or oppressive colour that drags all the attention away from the pretty blue. The garage door could be Resene High Tide, Resene Grey Friars or Resene New Denim Blue darker but well-co-ordinated with the basement colour.
March 2019
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Q. We are redecorating our master bedroom. It started with getting new drapes and now we are painting as well. We have four doors in the room. The doors and trim are Resene Quarter Wan White. The rest of the house is either Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Cougar with the Resene Wan White trim. One idea for the bedroom was to paint the two walls with doors in Resene Wan White and the other two walls Resene Quarter Stonehenge. We have a large sepia photo that will be re-framed and hung over the. The drapes will be filter material with block out linings. The room faces the south east. A. I like your idea of painting the two walls with the doors in Resene Wan White. Your doors won't push for your attention if they are painted to match the walls they feature on. This is always a good idea and stops the room from being broken up visually. Resene Eighth Bison Hide is a warm neutral that works well with the new carpet and curtains. A south/east facing room will benefit from the soft warm tones and the use of Resene Wan White will stop it looking a bit dim when the sun is not in the room.
March 2019
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Q. I would like help with a colour scheme for our house. It is concrete block construction, has bronze aluminium windows and a COLORSTEEL® Lignite roof. There are not many options for contrast colours. We have three wooden cupboard doors and two wooden entrance doors at the end of the garage that are visible from the road; also two pergolas - one on the northern side and one on the southern side and barge boards. Wooden boundary fences are painted black. Spouting is stainless steel - not coloured. There are no doors on the garage. We like shades of green, grey and neutrals but would like the house to look interesting. Our preference is for 'dirty' colours rather than 'clear' colours. A. You might check out the following palettes of colours to see if they appeal to you: Option 1: Main house colour - Resene Double Ash, bargeboards - Resene Groundbreaker, pergola and door frames - Resene Merino, doors at the back of the garage - Resene Triple Merino, wooden cupboard doors at the back of the garage – Resene Groundbreaker. Or option 2: Main house colour - Resene Double Truffle, barge boards - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, pergolas and door frames - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, doors at the back of the garage - Resene Half Gravel and wooden cupboard doors at the back of the garage - Resene Double Truffle. Doors need to have a bit more emphasis than cupboard doors so they aren't the same colour. If you were wanting the main front entry door to be different - to indicate which is the right door for strangers to knock at - you could always choose a bolder or brighter colour - i.e. Resene Dynamite or Resene Untamed or Resene Twisted Sister.
March 2019
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Q. We want to paint our letter box, grey. The letter and numbers are in polished brass. We also have a headboard we would like to do in a silvery grey. What would you suggest? A. If you were to consider a dramatic deep grey for the letterbox it may look stylish with the polished brass. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Grey Friars, Resene Double Gravel, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Suits. A silvery grey for the headboard may be a little trickier. Everyone has in their mind what constitutes a 'silvery grey'. The following are worthy of being checked out to see if they are close to your version of silvery grey – Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Half Delta, scandi type feel or Resene Triple Concrete.
March 2019
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Q. What are some popular exterior colours at the moment? A. We have seen in recent years a huge shift towards black and grey finishes outside, teamed with white trims. The greys go from the softest whisper of grey through to deep shades, such a Resene Surrender and Resene Bokara Grey. The sun tends to make colours look lighter outside so often it’s best to choose the darker of your favourite colours so you don’t end up with a glary exterior. More recently we are seeing this look soften a little to more light and mid greys, and near the coast blue greys and green greys, such as Resene Duck Egg Blue.
March 2019
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Q. We have to repaint a one storey 70’s home, with aluminium windows. We were thinking of using Resene Quarter Napa for the weatherboards but need a colour to use around the windows and on the facia. We also need another colour for the front and side doors. We will also need to repaint the roof, what colour would you suggest? A. These colours may appeal to you – Roof – Resene Settlement or Resene Windswept, doors – Resene Rivergum or Resene Salsa, window surrounds and fascia – Resene Black White for a crisp contrast or Resene Half Napa for a slightly deeper tonal look. February 2019
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Q. We have an old villa with an extension facing north. The kitchen/lounge in the extension are 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. I am painting my house and looking for a light brown colour. I have read that a light brown with grey tones looks better, my house is small and I want a light colour to make it look bigger. It is a weatherboard and board and batten, 1990s square plain home. Can you recommend a brown, with grey undertones please? A. You might check out these grey based beiges to see if one of them appeals to you – Resene Eighth Friar Greystone , Resene Cloudy, Resene Truffle or Resene Double White Pointer. February 2019
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Q. Apart from the bathrooms, I intend painting most of our interior walls in a new build using Resene Half Tea. Overall there are no very long lengths of wall, but the open plan layout is expansive, with the visible ceiling area covering dining, family, kitchen, formal lounge and traffic area. There is a lot to look at. Discounting the black whites which are not for this house (modern/country) can you advise some ceiling options? I also need a colour for the internal doors. I thought maybe a taupe, but not with pink undertones. A. If you want a subtle coloured ceiling that will work with your main colour, you could consider using Resene Quarter Albescent White. But if you would prefer a ceiling that provided more clean contrast, then you could check out Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster or even Resene Alabaster. Doors get a hard life with all that touching, pushing, bumping so having a little bit of depth to their colour is considered a blessing as it doesn't show up finger marking as much. Is that what you were thinking of when you mentioned a taupe colour? You might check out the following colours – Resene Half Cloud, Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Quarter Napa. February 2019
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Q. I would like to change the colour of my home to a more modern look for the roof, exterior, interior, deck, fence and carpet. A. A new look for the exterior might be one of these greyer types of colours – Resene Eighth Friar Greystone 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. But if you just want totally random suggestions, then the following two colours may help you in some way – Resene Double Black White and Resene Half White Pointer. February 2019
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Q. For our exterior we currently like – exterior walls Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, roof, garage and front door Resene Windswept and for the fence Resene Half Fuscous Grey. Could you give us further recommendations for our decking and other outside areas? A. For a stain option you could look at Resene Woodsman – Equilibrium. For a paint option you could look at Resene Lumbersider – Resene Foggy Grey. Colours for decks (or anywhere on an exterior) can look lighter than you might expect them to because of the way bright natural light strips back and brightens the colour. One thing to always keep in mind is that you must feel comfortable walking on it with bare feet when the sun is at its hottest. If your feet are protesting imagine what the deck timbers are doing! February 2019
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Q. I have a very small cottage style house and am deciding on paint colours. It is stucco on the outside. I am thinking of something neutral and have looked at your Resene booklet and thought of Resene Caraway or Resene Half Tea as the main colours. I am also thinking of Resene Opal and would like advice on another colour to go with this. I would do Resene Opal as the main colour and choose another colour for the small brick fence in front/window trim and flashings? I was thinking of a white or neutral. A. Using a colour like Resene Opal as a trim on a neutral coloured house looks really nice – a bit special in fact. Another colour that has the same sort of appeal is Resene Sea Nymph. I like Resene Caraway more than the more beige tone of Resene Half Tea. But it is what looks best to you. If you decided to use Resene Opal – or any other very similar hue – as the main colour on a the house with a 'white' then you might check out a cooler white – Resene Quarter Black White – as it enhances the main colour in a lovely retro 1950s vibe. It is all about testing colours carefully to see how they respond to each other and how bright natural light during all of the daylight hours, alters how the colours appear. February 2019
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Q. I am looking for interior wall paint for our living room, hallway and laundry – white and bright to match our ceilings in Resene Double Alabaster. In the laundry, we have a feature wall in ply (warm pink/rose ply) and in the living room we have macrocarpa feature walls and timber ceilings (original 80s timber ceiling). The hallway is small and quite dark. Would Resene Double Alabaster work on the walls to match the ceiling or should it be a slightly different white? A. Using Resene Double Alabaster on the walls to match the ceilings is a good decision. Alternatively, for a slight bit more tone in the wall colour, you might check out Resene Half Sea Fog – this is also known as Resene Triple Alabaster. February 2019
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Q. The exterior of my home is being fully renovated and I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the colour choices that need to be made. The house is situated on a cul-de-sac with lots of homes built in the 70s, and quite a lot of trees/foliage. I'd like a colour scheme that has an earthier look to complement the natural surroundings. I am inclined towards a darker scheme, but also don't want to go very dark/too modern as I think the house would stick out too much compared to other homes on the street. I need to choose a stain for the vertical cedar (which covers about two thirds of the front of the house) and a paint colour for the horizontal Linea® board that covers the rest of the house. I need to choose colours for the aluminium joinery, COLORSTEEL® roof, deck (repainting), front door and the windows are having a wooden trim around them. A. The following palettes of colours may help you toward a decision – Option #1 – Roof – COLORSTEEL® Ironsand, powder coated window and door joinery – COLORSTEEL® Titania, wooden trim around windows – Resene Titania (to match powder coat joinery and to make the windows look larger), stain for cedar – Resene Woodsman – Iroko, Linea® – Resene Half Ironsand, deck floor – Resene Eighth Ironsand, deck handrails/balustrades – Resene Quarter Titania and front door (can use for back door as well) – Resene Scoria. Or option #2 – Roof – COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod, powder coated window and door joinery – COLORSTEEL® Lignite, wooden trim around windows – Resene Half Lignite, stain for cedar – Resene Woodsman – Treehouse, Linea® – Resene Half Lignite, deck floor – Resene Napa, deck handrails/balustrades – Resene Napa or front door (can be back door as well) Resene Family Tree. By keeping the stained cedar and the Linea® tonally similar, you get what is called ' a soft transition ' between different elements on the house. The colours are earthy and interesting. They are a start for you – you do not have to choose one of them. There are many other earthy colours available. Please remember that the wooden window trim around the windows must be related (the same or slightly lighter) otherwise if you were to choose a 'random ' colour for this element on the house, you may end up with a lonely feature colour parked in the middle of the cedar or Linea® wondering why it was chosen. Resene Eighth Ironsand Resene Family Tree February 2019
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Q. I have a very dark room and I am looking for a light grey wall paint that has a high LRV. I don't want yellow or green tones. What would you suggest? A. Very pale greys can sometimes look chilly or unfriendly in dark rooms. Greys that are warmer toned may have yellow or green undertones, but if you don't want that influence, then perhaps one of the following may work in the room as well as appeal to you – Resene Whiteout (LRV 67%), Resene Concrete (LRV 78%), Resene Quarter Rakaia (LRV 71%), Resene Seashell (LRV 80%), Resene Athens Grey (LRV 74%) or Resene Quarter Surrender (LRV73%). These pale greys are quite different from each other. I recommend that you pop into the Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. If you place a sheet of printer paper between the samples, you will notice the underlying tints and tones within each colour. Colours are like chameleons – they alter with changing light and with other colours seen close to them. February 2019
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Q. My house is painted in Resene Grey Nurse. My roof, guttering, and garage are COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. I need to paint the gable ends. What colour would you recommend? A. You could go to a lighter or deeper colour. Perhaps check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Black White, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Kensington Grey. February 2019
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Q. I am painting my passage which is about six metres, wooden Lockwood® style and is double height. It has a skylight and window above the doors at each end. It was painted Resene Sisal but we have changed our carpet to an elephant grey and this is the reason we need a change. The entrance hall and master bedroom are painted in Resene Harp. I have recently painted the bathroom in Resene Half Robin Egg Blue and whereas I was happy for the passage to be painted Resene Harp, I think I like the stronger colour of the Resene Robin Egg Blue. The linen cupboard doors are in Resene Pohutukawa and I would like to keep this. I think both go with the two choices. Do you think the Resene Robin Egg Blue would go with the Resene Harp at each end? A. Yes, you could consider using Resene Robin Egg Blue. It will look to be deeper in the mid portion of the hallway – further away from skylight and the windows above the doors at each end – but that needn't be a bad thing. It will be balanced by the Resene Pohutukawa linen cupboard doors. Another colour – a little bit similar very slightly lighter – is Resene Haven. Check them out and paint up large A2 cards and move them up and down the length of the hallway and watch how natural and artificial light alter how they are seen. If you leave an unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card, it helps you focus on the depth of the colour and you are better able to see the underlying tints and tones within the colour. It is a case of the more you see of a colour, the more aware you are of how it alters with light then the better you can judge whether it works with the Resene Harp. February 2019
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Q. We are constructing a summerhouse, 10 square metres in size. The joinery is Ironsand, to match the house and roof. What colour should we paint the three outside walls – the front is all glass. Could you also suggest a very light colour for the interior? A. You could try Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Double Ash, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Triple White Pointer. These very light colours are worth checking out for the interior – Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Black White. February 2019
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Q. I want to repaint this room in the same shade of taupe as is on the walls currently – the colour was called Resene Bison Hide and I have a pot of it for colour matching. I hate the purple feature wall – what would be a good contrast shade to use instead? I am thinking green or blue-grey. The blind is green taffeta. Also the wooden cupboard doors and surround were painted in the same paint which is a low sheen. I would like to paint them in something harder wearing – but would it look odd to have two different types of paint (e.g. low sheen and gloss) in the same colour? A. It is not at all unusual to do the woodwork trims and doors in semi-gloss enamel. I always recommend that people do that, as it does make a more easily cleaned surface compared to using low sheen wall paint. It does create a subtle colour difference – sometimes it makes the colour look a little lighter/brighter. No, I don't think it looks odd at all. Because of the influence of the main wall colour (Resene Bison Hide) the following are some suggestions that you might check out to see if they appeal to you for the feature wall colour – Resene Balderdash, Resene Cello, Resene Bismark, Resene Fast Forward, Resene Koru or Resene Chelsea Cucumber. Resene Fast Forward February 2019
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Q. I am looking for a warm, light neutral for a large light living area, staircase and dark corridor that is close to what is currently on the walls. The window surrounds are pale grey (Resene Quarter Delta). What would you recommend? A. The following colours may suit you – Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Quarter Spanish White. February 2019
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Q. I am painting the exterior of my home, my front door is Resene Poppy and my roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. I am looking for a light grey paint. A. You could check out these light greys – they look stunning with Grey Friars and Resene Poppy – Resene Iron, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Surrender and Resene Half Grey Chateau. February 2019
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Q. We are building a Hamptons style house in Waiheke with a Sandstone Grey roof and Arctic White joinery. I was thinking of Resene Atmosphere as the paint colour on Linea® weatherboards. We are also building a shed with Sandstone Grey and Gull Grey COLORSTEEL® so we want to tie in with that. The kitchen is in white tones, with a light brown planking and light carpet and with white wooden blinds. What colours would you suggest for the walls, as we want it to be coastal and light? A. I like the colours you are considering for the exterior - it is a lovely play on soft warm edged greys and a very cool white on the joinery. If you use regular standard white on the blinds in the house, you may notice that the window joinery looks almost icy blue/white and the real white looks warm by comparison. If the blinds were painted to match the window joinery it would be wise. That way you wouldn't be judging them as too different to each other. Arctic White is a very tricky white to use with a lot of colours. You could check out these colours for the walls to see if they work for you - Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue, Resene Double Black White, Resene Half Iron, Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Half House White or Resene Quarter Atmosphere.
February 2019
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Q. I am considering painting a 7m x 3.8m living room in Resene Blue Night. The room has windows at both ends with one window north facing and has plenty of light throughout the day. The Resene Blue Night complements existing artwork, however I would appreciate your opinion on the finish that would have a reflective quality and also what colour would complement for ceilings and doors/trims. The room currently has a taupe carpet. The overall design scheme that I want to achieve is high-end and contemporary. A. The deeper the colour is then the more light absorbing the effect is. Pale colours will always reflect more light and make spaces seen larger. Paints that have sheen are more reflective than totally matt (flat) ones. The most reflective paints are shiny (full gloss) but not a lot of people use that type of paint for walls. Resene Zylone Sheen (low sheen acrylic) or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen (low sheen waterborne enamel) are the most used paint finishes for walls in an interior. There will always be certain times of the day when the sun doesn't penetrate into a room, bathing all the walls in sunlight. Some people use mirrors placed strategically on the walls to add more reflectance. Some suggestions for ceiling and trim ' whites' might be like these ones - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White.
February 2019
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Q. We have built a 60sqm beach house and we need advice on what colour to paint it. We really like greens, whites and yellows. The roof is Shale Grey and all the fascia and downpipes. It has a small spotted gum patio. We want it to look calm and tranquil but not boring. We are not sure what to paint the window trim either. A. Shale Grey is an excellent colour for the roof, fascia and downpipes. The following are some colours that meet your 'like' criteria that you might check out to see if they are appealing, calm and tranquil and not boring – Resene Ravine (a grey edged green), Resene Blue Smoke (green with a cool undertone), Resene Dark Slate (a deeper - but not dark - green with an interesting watery undertone), Resene Triple Pearl Lusta (a rich creamy yellow), Resene Mint Julep (a complex green edged yellow), Resene Moonlight (a sunny soft yellow), Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta (a sweet crisp white), Resene Sea Fog (a misty white not stark or hard on the eyes) or Resene Quarter Atmosphere (this is a lighter/whiter colour similar to Shale Grey).
February 2019
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Q. I am painting the roof Resene Grey Friars with Resene Quarter Sea Fog on the trims and block base. I would like to know would Resene Half Tapa be too dark or would I be better to choose Resene Quarter Tapa? A. No, Resene Half Tapa wouldn't be too dark. It may appear lighter than you might imagine it will do in bright natural light. Colours on an exterior often do. Consequently, if you wanted a lighter look overall then Resene Quarter Tapa may suit you better as it could look like Resene Eighth Tapa.
February 2019
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Q. I have a bedroom painted in Resene Half Merino and Resene Alabaster windows etc. I would like light blue bedding. Could you give me a Resene light blue colour which would complement the existing colours? A. Because the colours you have are very 'white' colours almost any blue would work for you in the room. I think you are in the lucky position of being able to choose any blue bedding at all. It is sometimes wise to look at what is available and choose from those limited options rather than look for specific blue colours based on paint colours in case they are not available.
February 2019
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Q. I want to lighten up the colour of our restaurant to give it a more vibrant energy. The colours we have used before are Resene Calm Green for the walls except the end walls which are Resene Half Arrowtown. The ceilings and scotia are Resene Half Villa White. A. I like the main dining room colours as they are restful and have an encompassing ambiance. Perhaps if you are favouring a younger clientele and want a vibrant look, you need to think about how certain colours affect peoples' moods. Brighter yellows, reds, hot pinks and oranges have a vibrancy but they can also create an energetic social or louder (more chatting/laughing etc) ambiance. Is this what you are hoping to do? Or if you just want to work with what you have but create a lighter mood, then very simple changes to lift the look of the restaurant would be to use more of the Resene Half Villa White. Perhaps on the upper walls above the Resene Calm Green. You might add a feature by introducing a bold touch of red or orange - possibly something like the following colours - Resene Raging Bull, Resene Whizz Bang or Resene Clockwork Orange.
February 2019
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Q. I have used Resene Half Opal in one bedroom, Resene Half Mischka in the next, Resene Vanilla Ice in the last and an office in Resene Kandinsky. I was going to use Resene Solitude as the scotia, windows doors and architrave and skirting board, however it makes the white ceiling look cream. I have only painted the scotia in one room so far. Would I be better off to paint the ceiling in Resene Solitude or a tint of it or choose a different colour for the trims? A. Resene Solitude is a definite blue, so it will make pure white take on more warmth by comparison. If you wanted to use a coloured trim in each room it will look quite different to what you expect, depending on what the wall colour is, what type of natural light is in each room, and what other colours are in the room. Have you tested Resene Solitude in each room to see if it suits the main wall colour? You mention using a lighter version of Resene Solitude for the ceiling - it may look the same as the full strength colour. All colours on a ceiling are influenced by shadow and seem more coloured than you might imagine it will do. Do you want a blue ceiling in all rooms? By not painting the scotia you would remove the effect that Resene Solitude has on white when it is seen really close to it. Have you considered just doing the other trim a colour and painting the scotia white like the ceiling? It is one way of dealing with this problem. If you were to look at an alternative colour for trims in all rooms, but not the scotia, you might look at a white that isn't definitely as much of a colour as Resene Solitude, such as Resene Poured Milk (a cool slightly grey white).
February 2019
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Q. So far we have completed two childrens' rooms in Resene colours. One in Resene Cinderella and the other in Resene Sherbert. I would like to know what colour you would recommend to go with Resene Pohutukawa for the living area. I was thinking Resene Dutch White but I am unsure. I need something neutral that can be used in all main living areas and also accentuates newly oiled rims windows. A. Perhaps slightly lighter (less of a definite warm yellow) than Resene Dutch White might be considered more neutral. You could check out the following colours - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Orchid White or Resene Half Cararra.
February 2019
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Q. My living area/kitchen is going to be painted in Resene Half Rivergum and Resene Bismark and the room continues into the bedroom where I would like a deeper version of either. Do you have any suggestions? I don't mind adjusting the other two colours if you think something would work better. A. There is a full strength version of Resene Half Rivergum - Resene Rivergum. You might check that out - depending upon the amount of natural light in the room, it could look slightly deeper again. Resene Bismark doesn't have a deeper (exact) variant but you could check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Casal or Resene Undercurrent.
February 2019
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Q. I have an old villa and I am painting Resene Foggy Grey on the weatherboards and Resene Alabaster on the window frames, posts and detailing. The front door will be Resene Nero. Do you have a suggestion a complementary roof colour? I had thought Grey Friars but wondered if it's too blue. The fence is Resene Element. A. Grey Friars can look quite a steel blue/charcoal. I am not sure about whether that would work as it doesn't really relate to your other very dark colours. Had you thought of using either the same colour as the fence - Resene Element which matches to COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod - or a softer warm charcoal - Resene Windswept - this matches to COLORSTEEL® TernStyle?
February 2019
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Q. I was going to paint our hallway wall Resene Half Rivergum. Can you suggest colours for the fascia and doors? The alternative is using Resene Spanish Green. A. You don't mention whether you want a crisp cool white or a warmer white so I have included several for you to check out - they would work with either Resene Half Rivergum or Resene Spanish Green - Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Sea Fog and Resene Barely There or brighter/warmer tints - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Merino or Resene Half Bianca.
February 2019
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Q. We are currently building and the interior of the house is in redline ply. However, it is not quite the colour we were after. It is pinkish and not very warm. I am hoping you can help us with the best stain to use to make it brighter/warmer? A. If you could get some ply off cuts and test some stain colours on them, it may help you to choose a colour that works for you. Perhaps check out how Resene Colorwood Natural looks - it is warm and brighter than most of the others.
February 2019
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Q. I am having my house rendered and would like something that will go with the white aluminium joinery. I want something light and was thinking along the lines of Resene Double Black White or Resene Half Concrete. I would like something that will show a bit of contrast. A. Colours often have less contrast on the exterior because of bright natural light making them appear lighter/brighter. You may need just a little bit more colour depth to compensate for that in order to get a good contrast. Perhaps Resene Concrete may be better than Resene Half Concrete and Resene Triple Black White may be better than Resene Double Black White.
February 2019
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Q. Our 1980s flat requires a refresh. Rather than 'fight' the brown aluminium joinery, I am keen to embrace it as a key part of the fresh new colour scheme (i.e. not keen on a white house with brown roof). Reading through earlier posts, I am leaning towards Resene Eternity in CoolColour for the roof, barge boards and garage door, with Resene Double Lemon Grass for the fibre-cement weatherboards. I would like to use gloss paint as we find this much easier to clean (and am quite relaxed about it showing up imperfections). A. I like your colour choices. The following are a few other options - Resene Terrain (slightly earthier than Resene Double Lemon Grass and works well with the window joinery), Resene Karaka, Resene Triple Ash (slightly earthier than Double Lemon Grass and works well with the window joinery) or Resene El Paso.
February 2019
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Q. We are freshening up our three bedroom terrace house which was previously painted all beige. We have painted all the walls Resene Half Bianca and the rooms Resene Bianca as a start. We wish to use greens, teals and blues for feature walls in our bedrooms and stairwell and lounge. Colours we have previously used have been Resene Tweet and Resene Optimist and would like your input as to what colours would go together to provide our home with a fresh beachy feel. A. Perhaps the following colours may help you to get that fresh, beachy vibe you are seeking - Resene Moana, Resene Freelance or Resene She'll Be Right or softer - slightly retro - tones like these ones which are still fresh and beachy - Resene Riptide, Resene Fountain Blue or Resene Fringy Flower.
February 2019
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Q. We have a new bathroom and WC being built and have decided on some colours, but are feeling a bit unsure about our choices. A. I like the Resene Dust Storm, Resene Green Spring and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta is very nice for trims. I am not 100% sure about Resene Saltpan - it seems uncomfortable to me. I think you might check out these green/yellow edged whites to see if they appeal to you - they do work well with the other colours you are considering - Resene Ragamuffin, Resene Green White or Resene Lime White.
February 2019
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Q. We are building a new house; I am looking at a light grey interior with white trims/doors etc. I am leaning towards Resene Half Concrete with Resene Eighth Black White trims. Will this work or should I go lighter on the walls? Also I am looking at Ebony COLORSTEEL® on the roof, what white would work on the exterior? A. I really like the colours that you have chosen for the interior. Please do paint up large samples of the grey - Resene Half Concrete - take with you when you are shopping for the other elements in the house - i.e. flooring, tiles, kitchen cabinetry and work tops, drapes etc. It is amazingly easy to think you remember what the colour looks like but when it isn't in your hand so that you can see what will work with it and what won't it is alarmingly easy to make wrong choices. Also greys are known as mutable colours so every angle that the colour is viewed from it makes it take on a different look. If you went to a lighter variant (Resene Quarter Concrete) it may look too white in very large bright rooms. Take your time to test colours. A white for the exterior may need to be toned up a bit so it doesn't look too stark by comparison with the Ebony. Perhaps one of these - Resene Black White, Resene Poured Milk, Resene Half House White or Resene Barely There. I recommend you pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. You can compare them against a sheet of printer paper which will help you judge the undertones of colour hiding in them. Also all colours on an exterior look lighter/brighter so it pays to take that into account.
February 2019
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Q. Needing help picking a white paint for the interior of our house. We have some rooms with great natural light and others dark, for example our hallway. A. You could look at the following Resene whites to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Villa White. They have a little warmth in them and they reflect light in a very nice way.
February 2019
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Q. We are painting our bungalow Resene Thistle with Resene Rice Cake on the window frames. We want to add a yellow into the frames (and maybe the door) also and are thinking Resene Cleopatra - do you think that would work or can you suggest a better mustard for that colour combination? A. There are several mustard/golds that you might check out and compare to Resene Cleopatra - Resene Noosa, Resene Pizza or Resene Thumbs Up.
February 2019
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Q. Our all open plan house is split level, with the lounge, dining, kitchen in the bottom rectangle. We have rimu exposed beams, window surrounds, skirting boards, doors. Large windows, with lots of light, sea view and native bush as we live in the Marlborough Sounds. My walls are painted Resene Spanish White but are due for repainting and I am wondering if it is the best neutral for the orangey red brown of rimu. I have lots of bright colours in lounge, cushions, wall hangings etc with Pohutukawa coloured glass as kitchen splashback. I have thought about Resene Pearl Lusta but that looks yellowy or Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream but wonder if the green in Resene Thorndon Cream may take on the green of the native trees and be too green. Resene Rice Cake looks ok. White walls are popular but I have seen far too many that do not work as too clinical and cold looking, also some of the whites look greyish. Could you suggest some neutrals that you think will go well with rimu? A. Rimu does look good with neutrals that are yellow or slightly green based. Colours alter according to what type of natural light and artificial light the room receives so what may be too yellow/too green in some rooms may be absolutely perfect in other rooms. If you wanted a warmed up white then you could look at these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Bianca, Resene Eighth Fossil, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Rice Cake or you might even reconsider Resene Spanish White but use only the paler versions of the colour - Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Eighth Spanish White. Take your time to test the colours and you will get colours that work well for you, in your home, your light and with your colourful things. February 2019
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Q. I am in the process of painting my house Resene Triple Black White with Resene Alabaster trim and have also just put on a COLORSTEEL® Grey Gull roof. It is an old cottage and has boards around the outside sort of like decks, hard to explain but I guess think of them like the floor of the veranda without the roof on top. I was going to paint them Resene Atmosphere but I think that might be too light and get dirty. Can you suggest a medium grey colour that would work? I just want it to blend in and not be noticed. I am painting the front door Resene Nero in high gloss. The boards lead to the front door. A. There is a lovely grey that has not long been released that may suit - Resene Grey Area or these greys that are popular – Resene Gauntlet or Resene Archive Grey.
February 2019
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Q. Can you recommend a green for our hallway that will work with Resene Spanish White trims and doors? A. Resene Spanish White is a strong natured cream so any green would have to be slightly deeper or more definite in tone in order to work well with it. You might check out the following greens to see if they appeal to you - Resene Helix, Resene Tana, Resene Green Spring or Resene Pewter.
February 2019
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Q. We are doing a full repaint of our house and the roof colour we have chosen is Resene New Denim Blue. The windows are Resene Alabaster. It is an old house (1950s) with two wall colours as a lot of the houses in this area are. Any ideas for wall colours? We were thinking some sort of light grey colour with maybe a darker grey around the bottom? A. Your roof – Resene New Denim Blue - is a distinctively blue edged grey (more blue than grey) so you do need to consider what greys might harmonise well with that colour. If you were to use something a little bit similar to that shade for the base of the house it would help to tie the roof into the palette of colours. Had you thought of that? Perhaps one of these colours could be appropriate - Resene Quarter New Denim Blue, Resene Raven or Resene Half Tuna. Suggestions for the main house colour that may appeal to you are the following - Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Half Surrender or Resene Geyser. These do have a blue edge to them which is very nice with Resene New Denim Blue. Or perhaps a crisper slightly whiter type of grey which may look brighter and less 'concrete' coloured - Resene Mystic, Resene Athens Grey or Resene Quarter Iron. February 2019
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