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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 86

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.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 86

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. We have a 1940s stucco villa and we are looking at a Resene Foggy Grey exterior with Resene Sea Fog trim and a roof in Resene Nocturnal. I want a dirty orange or fuchsia front door. What do you suggest please?

A. What fun! This would look amazing, particularly if you also brought the Nocturnal down to the front door area (this could be charcoal pots or something similar) to really give some strong contrast. Here are some options for you: Resene Sassy, Resene Belladonna, Resene Scrumptious, Resene Pink Ribbon, Resene Sunbaked, Resene Raging Bull or Resene Moccasin.

Colours will appear much brighter and bolder outside, so you may need to tone down the colour slightly in order to achieve the look you have in mind (unless you don't care how bright it ends up). 

Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Sassy
Resene Sassy
Resene Belladonna
Resene Belladonna
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Scrumptious
Resene Raging Bull
Resene Raging Bull
Resene Moccasin
Resene Moccasin
   
June 2019

Q. We have just painted our cottage style weatherboard house in the colour Resene Grey Friars and painted the window frames and trims in the colour Resene Black White. We are now getting our roof replaced with COLORSTEEL® but are unsure what colour to go with in the COLORSTEEL® colours.  We were wondering whether getting the roof done in the same colour as the weatherboards (Grey Friars) might be a bit too much. Or should we choose another colour? Would also like a suggestion of stain colour for our new timber deck.

A. The roof colour will be determined by the look you're trying to create. If you want a modern look, you'll need some contrast with your cladding colour and will either need to go much darker (like FlaxPod) or lighter (Sandstone Grey or Grey).  If you wanted to add some character, you could think about adding colour to the roof, Scoria or FernFrond perhaps. I would imagine that Resene Grey Friars will be a bit too much for roof and cladding, although they can look quite different. 

As for your deck, if you end up choosing a neutral grey for the roof (light or dark) I would add some warmth to the scheme by using either a natural coloured stain, or something with a bit of colour like red/brown. From the Resene Woodsman Wood Oil range, you could use Resene Natural, Resene Driftwood or Resene Cedar. Anything around these tonings would work perfectly.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
Resene Colorwood Driftwood
Resene Driftwood
Resene Cedar
Resene Cedar
June 2019

Q. I would like a white and taupe colour scheme for my lounge family room area which has a lot of windows; but our house is surrounded by trees so the rooms look a little dark. I'm looking for the right soft white cream for the walls. not too yellow, not severe, not cold. A clean soft modern white.

A. Here are some 'whites' you can have a look at, these are all warmer tones but with slightly different undertones (and none of them too yellow!).  Try Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Cararra, Resene Eighth Parchment or Resene Albescent White.

Here are some 'taupes' to try out: Resene Tide, Resene Zorba, Resene Perfect Taupe or Resene Joss.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Tide
Resene Tide
Resene Zorba
Resene Zorba
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Joss
Resene Joss
June 2019

Q. I really like a friend's wall in Resene Black White. What paint colour would you suggest for our ceiling and trims?  Also we are thinking typical wooden flooring, would you do a grey carpet and tile - or too much grey?  I want our house to feel warm - I feel like grey might be a cool colour but I'm really drawn to it.

A. Resene Black White is a 'warmer' grey-white, as opposed to the likes of Resene Iron or Resene Concrete which are bluer based colours, so your main colour won't feel too cold. You could pair this with brown based greys for tile and carpet, and then you'll get the best of both worlds. Don't be afraid to add depth to the scheme, dark colours (in carpet or tile) add warmth. As for the ceiling and trim colour, if you want a white to contrast, then use Resene Alabaster for the trims and plain Resene White for ceilings (this comes straight out of the bucket).

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene White
Resene White
June 2019

Q. We are renovating our bathroom and would like to know what colour floor tile goes with Resene Half Tea?

A. Colours like white, deeper beiges, warm greys and some types of charcoals are colours that work well with Resene Half Tea.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
June 2019

Q. I have just read the latest email and seen the colour Resene Love Me Do. I am thinking of a 9 year old girl's room - what other colours would this go with? I am thinking more of the cooler colours like blues, greys, browns etc. rather than warm oranges, yellows etc. Could you suggest a couple please?

A. If you want a really sophisticated grown up look for your daughter's room, you could check out the following colours - Resene Lazy River, Resene Excalibur, Resene Surrender or Resene Half Grey Chateau. 

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
June 2019

Q. I have a COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod roof with white framed windows. What colour would complement for the cladding?

A. Try these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Grey Area, Resene Double Ash, Resene Napa, Resene Eighth Friar Grey and Resene Bone White.

Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Eighth Friar Grey
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
June 2019

Q. We are looking for a Resene white for walls in a modern (22 year old) house, with large rooms and deep brown kwila floors. A feature wall is Resene Smoke Tree and we are considering Resene Flourish for the kitchen joinery. This white would be throughout the house, with other feature walls such as Resene Apple Blossom in a bedroom. It needs to be good in both shade and bright sunlight. This is a beach house but in a country setting with lots of trees - casual living.

A. These whites look amazing with the colour you have - Resene Smoke Tree and Resene Apple Blossom - and the colour you are considering having in the kitchen - Resene Flourish - Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Cararra. 

Resene Smoke Tree
Resene Smoke Tree
Resene Flourish
Resene Flourish
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Apple Blossom
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Cararra
Resene Quarter Cararra
June 2019

Q. I have a 1980s Hardiplank® house, with brown joinery. It is stained currently but I want to paint it. The roof colour is COLORSTEEL® Ironsand, soffits are white and the fencing is dark brown.

I thought of a grey at first but I am thinking of Resene Napa for the house colour so it doesn't clash with the joinery colour so much. What do you think of this? I want it to be contemporary rather than an old-fashioned Hardiplank® 80s look. 

My other question is what colour to paint the bargeboards which are timber boards, currently unpainted. I am thinking that Resene Triple Friar Grey or Resene Eighth Ironsand could work but I have no idea really. Perhaps a lighter colour than that would be better? When looking at the house close up, the roof colour is not really seen, just from a distance.

A. A lighter colour like Resene Eighth Ironsand could look really smart on the bargeboards. It is a little softer, grey toned brown compared to the yellow/brown of Resene Triple Friar Grey. Resene Napa is a nice colour to consider as the main house colour but the following options may have some merit also - Resene Half Pravda or Resene Half Friar Grey.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Triple Friar Grey
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
June 2019

Q. We are building a beach front home in Ohope so looking for an exterior colour palette that will blend with the surrounding dunes and beach i.e. warm greys. We are thinking Sandstone grey roof with (closely matching) Silver Star joinery from Fairview. The front of the house (north facing to the sea) has quite a bit of vertical cedar cladding while the rest of the house will be clad in vertical Stria®. We would love advice please on options for the main cladding paint colour and also the stain colour for the vertical cedar.

A. Do you have any ideas on what you want your cedar to look like? Would you like to keep this quite natural, yellow/brown type of colour or do you want to stain it a darker charcoal? This will determine your paint colour for the Stria®. Also, the Sandstone Grey plays a large role; do you want the roof to be the darkest colour in the scheme?  Would you like some contrast between cladding and roof? I'll write down some initial suggestions for both claddings, then you can fine tune as you decide what you want your overall look to be:

For the Stria try Resene Truffle, Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

For stain for the Cedar try: Resene Nutmeg, Resene Tiri, Resene Iroko, Resene Equilibrium or Resene Natural.

Hopefully your builder has left you some off cuts of cedar and you will be able to test some colours prior to confirming. All our stain colours are available in testpots and I strongly suggest you pick a few up to try. 

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
 
June 2019

Q. We have an Ironsand roof on our 1920s bungalow and really like Resene Half Tapa for the weatherboards. Could you please recommend a white for the windows, and a dark grey for the door and around the base of the house? We are looking at Resene Black White and Resene Half Sea Fog. 

A. If you would like a reasonably bright and contrasting white for the windows, then either of your suggestions will be perfect (they are essentially the same colour and will look the same outside in the sun). If you want your windows to take on a more tonal effect, whilst still being white, I would use a full Resene Sea Fog which is slightly greyer and sits really well with the Resene Half Tapa. More contrast, combined with a full white window (sash and frames) gives a contemporary look. The greyer you go for your window, the more tonal it looks and softer the overall feel.

As for your front door and base, here are some colours: Resene Half Gravel, Resene Masala, Resene Dark Web (also known as Resene Triple Ironsand) or Resene Eighth Bokara Grey.

Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
   
June 2019

Q. We have a room with a low ceiling height that we are painting. The walls are Resene Villa White, the ceiling is Resene White. We have painted the door Resene Half Bianca and had planned to paint the door trim the same colour, however the ceiling height is so low that the scotia and door trim are hard up against each other. I wondered if we should paint the scotia and door trim in Resene Villa White as well, so it doesn't emphasise the low ceiling height. What would you suggest?

A. You are absolutely right about the scotia, door trim (and doors) - they should be painted the same colour as the walls. That is the neatest way to cope with this.

I mention including the door as the same colour as the door trims etc. - that is because it integrates the door neatly instead of emphasising it with a slightly different tone.

If you wanted a paler colour on the door, you might consider Resene Quarter Villa White as it relates very harmoniously to the Resene Villa White.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
June 2019

Q. I've painted some bedrooms in my house Resene Eighth Tea. I like it but it does appear much darker in certain light than I expected. I'm now at the point of painting bathrooms, hallway and kitchen and living rooms. I want to go a couple of shades lighter or a nice white or cream. I've tried so many colours and now I'm just stuck. It is a 70s home with a large conservatory. My furniture is the farm style look.

A. You might check out Resene Quarter Albescent White - I have found that this particular colour has lovely subtle warmth and works well in association with Resene Eighth Tea.

Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
June 2019

Q. The builder suggests a darker tone of house paint for the basement. I have chosen Resene Casper for the weatherboards, Resene Alabaster for around the windows, Palladium Silver for the joinery and an Ironsand roof, fascia and garage door. What would be a colour to complement and I don't want it too dark to compete with the Ironsand garage door. I was originally going to go with all Resene Casper.

A. If you want to use Resene Casper on the whole house, it is your choice - not the builder - surely?  I am unsure why the builder wants you to use a darker colour? Have you asked them?

If you want to check out a deeper colour that relates well to Resene Casper and to the Ironsand garage door, you might look at Resene Regent Grey.

Resene Casper
Resene Casper
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
June 2019

Q. I have painted my walls Resene Half Truffle and the original colour of the doors is Resene Quarter Spanish White. What colour would you recommend to replace the Resene Quarter Spanish White?

A. You might consider one of the following colours - Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
June 2019

Q. We are in a very shady spot and like to add pops of colour through pots and plants. Are there some colour options rather than just greys? We would like to have a bright orange door and a charcoal roof. We have new white aluminium joinery. 

A. You might consider painting older planter pots to achieve the pops of colour you have your heart set on. Perhaps zingy limes and bold blues like these ones - Resene Citron, Resene Wild Willow, Resene Resolution Blue or Resene Bowie. 

Some charcoal colours to check out for the roof - Resene Grey Friars, Resene Element or Resene Ironsand.

Some bright oranges that may appeal for the doors - Resene Party Zone, Resene Jailbreak, Resene Twisted Sister or Resene Rose Of Sharon.

Resene Citron
Resene Citron
Resene Wild Willow
Resene Wild Willow
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Resolution Blue
Resene Bowie
Resene Bowie
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Rose Of Sharon
Resene Rose Of Sharon
June 2019

Q. We are painting a 80s bach. We have gone Resene New Denim Blue on the corrugated iron roof and as the walls are cement board, I am struggling to choose a wall colour. I am using Resene Alabaster on windows and trims. I wanted to go grey on the walls but feel it is too much like the original cement board colour. What would you suggest in a neutral colour please?

A. If you looked at using a blue based grey - like the roof colour - it may work for you. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal - Resene Forecast, Resene Half Dusted Blue or Resene Quarter New Denim Blue. 

Some neutrals that might be considered - Resene Double Truffle or Resene Triple White Pointer.

Some whites that may appeal - Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Double Black White.

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Forecast
Resene Forecast
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Quarter New Denim Blue
Resene Quarter
New Denim Blue
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple
White Pointer
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double
Black White
 
June 2019

Q. The exterior walls of my house are going to be painted in Resene Bokara Grey and matt Titania, with the fascia also Titania. Can you advise on a roof colour and guttering colour? I'm not keen on a light roof. The style of house is architectural and modern.

A. Perhaps a mid-tone colour may work well for you - the following may be worth checking out - Resene Eighth Bokara Grey, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Windswept.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
June 2019

Q. I'm renovating my kitchen/lounge at the moment. I'm looking at painting my cabinetry in Resene Half Inside Back or Resene Dusted Blue and am wondering what neutral colour you would recommend for the walls? I have a large colourful painting, lots of indoor plants, timber flooring and big glass doors with views to the bush. Do you have any other colour suggestions for cabinetry? I am looking for a blue/grey/green. I have looked at Resene Half Washed Green too which I liked but didn't think it went very well with my painting.

A. You might check out the following neutral colours to see if they appeal to you for the walls - Resene Eighth Parchment, Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Quarter Titania or Resene Merino.

An alternative colour for the kitchen cabinetry might be Resene Emerge or Resene Duck Egg Blue.

Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Half Inside Back
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Half Washed Green
Resene Half Washed Green
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Eighth Truffle
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
 
July 2019

Q. We are looking for an interior colour scheme for our new two storey home. We prefer light enhancing whites.

A. The following colours are options that may appeal to you and that meet your criteria of light enhancing whites – Resene Orchid White – walls, Resene Half Orchid White - doors and any other painted woodwork - i.e. skirting boards, door frames, window surrounds, and Resene Alabaster - ceilings and scotias/coving around top of walls.  Or try Resene Rice Cake – walls, Resene Half Rice Cake - doors and any other painted woodwork - i.e. skirting boards, door frames, window surrounds and Resene Eighth Rice Cake - ceilings and scotias/coving around top of walls.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
July 2019

Q. I am looking at painting the interior of our five bedroom house. We have an upstairs and downstairs with living areas on both floors and we would like a modern look throughout that is warm and inviting. The top floor gets lots of sun except the south side of house which has one room that is cold. The bottom floor is cold looking with dark colours also. We are not too keen on bright colours; we quite like the colours Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Double Alabaster and Resene Rice Cake for bedrooms. Would you recommend a feature wall of Resene Quarter Rakaia in bedrooms and the walls Resene Rice Cake and trims and doors Resene Double Alabaster? Or would I get away with the whole room in Resene Quarter Rakaia? My concern is we live in an area that gets quite cold.  What could you recommend for living areas, hallways, bathrooms; the same colours?

A. I like the colours you have mentioned but my main worry is that you may not see a lot of contrast between Resene Rice Cake and Resene Double Alabaster. If you did want the trims and doors to look to be a definite contrast you may have to consider using one of the following – Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

If you are worried about the cold look - and you know how the light in the rooms and the weather makes the house feel - then you may need to carefully test colours to see how they look in each space. I always recommend that all of a Resene testpot, two coats, be applied to a white super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops).

A south facing room gets a cool grey or sour quality of light - so it is important that a colour in this space is light and warm and possibly a bit deeper than you originally thought of using in order to make it feel warmer. 

Perhaps you could compare Resene Rice Cake to other sweet toned creamy whites like Resene Double Bianca or Resene Half Villa White - it is only when you compare colours and watch how they work within a space that you can truly judge the effect and sort out their 'rightness'  or 'wrongness' for the rooms. You may find a colour that looks wonderful only looks right in some rooms - i.e. different room/same colour/looks wrong. 

Resene Quarter Rakaia may work for you - as a feature or as a whole room colour - but when it is seen in shadow or in a cool aspect it looks a bit greyer/cooler. If this is the case perhaps by using Resene Half Rakaia - a little bit deeper toned - it may respond better to the quality of light and maintain that delicate warm mauve/taupe undertone that is in it. 

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
   
July 2019

Q. We have an early 1950s cute bungalow that's been painted Resene CoolColour Black. We have to replace the current old roof (dark concrete tiles) and want to use COLORSTEEL®. We can't decide on a colour, although we believe it should be from the white/grey/black palette. We live in Hawkes Bay so it can get very hot during the height of the summer. Do we go lighter to reflect heat better or very dark grey or black to achieve more compatibility with the black?

A. Black is a fundamental neutral that needs to have 'friends'- and the best friends are white and grey as they complete the classical and timeless trilogy. If you have lots of crisp white trims on the house - i.e. under the soffits, barge boards, windows (surrounds and sashes) and doors then it leaves the option open to finish with a light to mid toned grey on the roof. 

The following are a few COLORSTEEL® greys that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey (Resene version is Resene Gauntlet), COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey (Resene version is Resene Atmosphere), or COLORSTEEL® TernStyle (Resene version is Resene Windswept).

I have not suggested very, very dark colours for several reasons - firstly to provide a light reflecting roof which isn't too hot and secondly to provide a visual contrast. 

In order to achieve a balanced harmony of colour - and with black, white and grey it is very easy  to get it right - white is lightest, black is darkest and grey (ideally) should be mid-way between the others.

You will note that colours on a roof - when seen at a 45 degree angle to the sun - look lighter as the sunlight strips back the depth of the colour. So the ones I have suggested will appear lighter - but not too pale. I have included the Resene version of the colours so that if you wanted to use more of the roof colour on fences or anything else that information is available.

Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
July 2019

Q. We are currently renovating our roughcast house and will be painting the exterior. The roof and spouting will be FlaxPod, and the fascias Resene Element CoolColour. The aluminium windows will be FlaxPod. There is a large COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod clad garage at the front of the house.

We were thinking a medium to dark grey, but are conscious that FlaxPod can look quite brown in sunlight. What colours would you recommend as options?

A. Warmer greys would possibly harmonise better than cooler ones with COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod.  You might check out the following colours - Resene Grey Area, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Gauntlet or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
July 2019

Q. I've decided to paint the interior of my home in Resene Rice Cake.  I just need advice for the trims and ceiling. I was going to do the ceiling in Resene White, the walls in Resene Rice Cake and the doors and trims in Resene Half Rice Cake.   However I'm starting to doubt my decision and I'm wondering if I should paint the ceiling in Resene Quarter Rice Cake. 

A. If you wanted an alternative option to real white, Resene White, you could use either Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. All colours on a ceiling can look a little deeper than you might expect them to so the Resene Eighth Rice Cake may be appropriate as it won't look any deeper than Resene Quarter Rice Cake. But Resene Quarter Rice Cake may look more like Resene Half Rice Cake. 

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
July 2019

Q. I am on committee at a bowling club and we want to update the club room.  We like the idea of pale grey but want your advice on a warm pale grey.  Wondering about Resene Half Grey Chateau or Resene Half Rakaia. Latter may be too dark.  Thinking about painting doors and architraves Resene Quarter Iron.  Would appreciate advice on what is a warm pale grey.

A. Resene Half Grey Chateau may show too much cool lilac/grey undertone and look deeper compared to Resene Half Rakaia. It is only when comparing colour samples that you can truly see the underlying tints and tones in a colour. 

I recommend you visit your local Resene ColorShop to view the A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. If you wanted to test a colour in the bowling club I recommend that you don't paint onto a wall that is coloured already. It will not show the test sample as it really is - the greater expanse of colour has a negative effect upon how you see the sample. Paint all of the testpot - 2 coats - onto a white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and leave a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter of the card as it helps your eyes see the true depth of the colour. 

Other colours that may be viable are the following – Resene Half Surrender or Resene Flotsam.

A slightly warm grey/white for trims and doors could be one of the following - they aren't as cool lilac/blue toned as Resene Quarter Iron is – Resene Snow Drift or Resene Half Wan White.

Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Half Surrender
Resene Flotsam
Resene Flotsam
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Snow Drift
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
 
July 2019

Q. I have painted my bathroom Resene Quarter Rakaia and the ceiling is white. Which trim colours for the windows and doors would work with these colours?

A. You could look at the following to see if they appeal to you – Resene Wan White or Resene Double Alabaster.

Or alternatively you could use the same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss finish for a simple streamlined and well balanced look. 

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
July 2019

Q. We are replacing decks with dormers east and west plus replacing a sun damaged north cladded wall. The roof is COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue and the window aluminium joinery is mid bronze. Which colour would you suggest for the pine timber weatherboards for the dormers and wall?

A. You might look at these options to see if any of them appeals to you – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Cararra, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Tea.

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
July 2019

Q. I'm looking to repaint the interior of my house. It's currently a Resene Quarter Spanish White. My joinery is powdercoated colour that looks like Desert Sand.

A. You can't ignore the colour of the powder coated windows so these are a few colours that might appeal to you - as well as look harmonious with the joinery – Resene Half Parchment, Resene Quarter Sisal, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Ecru White.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
July 2019

Q. We're doing a new build house in a rural/vineyard setting. We have chosen Sandstone Grey for the aluminium joinery and roof colour and are doing the plasterboard exterior in Resene Spanish Green. (We also have some feature cladding in parts which will be in a dark black stain). We're trying to come up with a colour for the front door. We originally wanted something bright and attention grabbing, but are concerned this might not work with the Resene Spanish Green - any ideas? Do you think a dark grey could work for the garage door alongside the Resene Spanish Green and ebony exterior?

A. One of these dark greys may appeal to you as well as work with the dark black stain and Resene Spanish Green main colour – Resene Gravel, Resene Armadillo or Resene Black.

Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Gravel
Resene Gravel
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Black
Resene Black
July 2019

Q. Can you please give me a suggestion for a colour for hallway panelling in a new replica villa? The wall colour will be Resene Iron. I am thinking Resene Double Iron or Resene Triple Iron for the panelling or do you have any other suggestions? 

A. I think the tonal relationship created by a deeper variant of the wall colour (Resene Iron) may well work but you do need to test the colours carefully.

If you felt the look is a bit too deep then you could do a much paler/whiter variant - i.e. Resene Quarter Iron. This would work as an alternative option.  Or something much whiter, such as Resene Half Black White.

Resene Iron
Resene Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
July 2019

Q. We have painted our office walls Resene Wan White - what would be a good colour to paint our doors and door frames to go with this?

A. Without knowing what other colours you have in your furniture or flooring these options may be a little bit random. Try these as ideas to get you started – Resene White Pointer, Resene Triple Black White, or deeper tones – Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea, or for more definite colours – Resene Artemis or Resene Sixth Sense.

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
July 2019

Q. Our house has turquoise aluminium joinery and pink exterior paint with a grey roof. I would like to paint the exterior with a colour that doesn't make the turquoise stand out as much. I'd also like to go a dark grey/charcoal on the roof. I was thinking a light grey for the exterior - what do you think?

A. Paint can achieve a lot but possibly not disguise something so bold and attention seeking as your turquoise windows. Unless you painted the house to exactly match the window I suspect any other colour (especially a lighter colour) will emphasise the brightness of the turquoise. 

But you might check out the following greys - dark for the roof and lighter for the main exterior – Resene Grey Friars – roof and Resene Half Tuna - main colour.  Or Resene Quarter Foundry – roof and Resene Half Stack – main. Or bluer shades – Resene High Tide – roof and Resene Dusted Blue.

You do have another option - one that you may not have thought of. You could paint the turquoise windows in a very neutral colour and then you could have any colour at all on the house without worrying about whether it would work with the existing window colour. 

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Quarter Foundry
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
   
July 2019

Q. We have a new build with a COLORSTEEL® roof and bottom storey in FlaxPod. What would you advise as a contrast for the top storey in Linea weatherboard? Would a light or mid grey work?

A. I definitely think a grey tone would work, perhaps a mid tone would be best. Here following are some suggestions for you: Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Tapa.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
July 2019

Q. We are putting on a COLORSTEEL® roof in Sandstone Grey. We'd like to paint the exterior of our house in a grey as well but wondered what grey you'd recommend? And trims in white - which white would you suggest?

A. Here are some suggestions for you – for the main walls try Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Kensington Grey.  For trims try Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
July 2019

Q. I am renovating a small (2 by 2.5 metres) south west facing bathroom. I am thinking of painting two walls Resene Nourish. What would be a suitable white for the other two walls, (plus window frame, door, skirting board, ceiling etc)? The floor is Harvest Oak - a pale wood-looking vinyl. The bath etc will be white.

A. Resene Nourish is a beautiful green.  I would suggest doing all of the doors, skirting boards, ceiling, scotia and architraves the same white as the walls. This way it allows the green to really pop and be a feature in the room.  Try it with Resene Black White, Resene Wan White or Resene Sea Fog.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
July 2019

Q. We are building our new home and planning to have Resene Ironsand for the Axon panel and roof.  Could you suggest a complementary colour for the Linea weatherboards?

A. I recommend you try these options – Resene Tapa, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Half Friar Grey.

Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
July 2019

Q. We've decided on a wall colour choice of Quarter White Pointer for the living area and hall - with Resene Half White Pointer for the bedrooms and bathrooms. The ceilings will be white would there be a recommendation for the colour of the skirting boards and architraves?

A. I recommend you try out Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Wan White.

Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half
White Pointer
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
July 2019

Q. We want to paint our house Resene Alabaster with a black gloss door are you able to recommend a nice shade of black to go with this?  It is a double storey stucco 1930s house.  We have just replaced the roof in corrugated iron - colour is Windsor Grey.  

A. One of these blacks may appeal to you – Resene Noir (this is a Resene version of Windsor Grey), Resene Charcoal, Resene Nero, or real black – Resene Black.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Charcoal
Resene Charcoal
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Black
Resene Black
July 2019

Q. We are building a new house on the west coast and my preferred colour palette is earthy tones. I have been looking at the lime gum stain and was wondering whether COLORSTEEL® Lichen would complement it in the joinery and roof? What would be your suggestions? I also like COLORSTEEL® Lignite.

A. COLORSTEEL® Lichen and Resene Woodsman Limed Gum are very similar - so quite harmonious. COLORSTEEL® Lignite is a nice brown - it would work with Limed Gum also. COLORSTEEL® Ironsand looks nice with Resene Woodsman Treehouse - darker but smart looking. 

Resene Limed Gum
Resene Limed Gum
Resene Treehouse
Resene Treehouse
July 2019

Q. I want a warm yellow tone and I'm looking at Resene Popcorn but may be too yellow.  Resene Double Pearl Lusta isn't buttery enough.  Is there a halfway in between or is Resene Double Pearl Lusta warm and buttery enough on a full wall?

A. All colours in an interior have the potential to appear much stronger (or brighter depending upon the colour) and can look double the depth you imagine they will do.  All yellows - no matter how pale they are - appear brighter also - it is the nature of yellow - it is brighter than white in all situations. 

You do need to carefully test colours in order to find out how they respond to other colours seen close to them and how natural and artificial light alters how they are seen. Each light aspect - N/S/E/W - changes how the colour is seen. 

If you want a richer more buttery colour than Resene Double Pearl Lusta the following colours might be checked out – Resene Triple Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Colonial White, Resene Half Dutch White, Resene Scotch Mist or Resene China Ivory.

Resene Popcorn
Resene Popcorn
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple
Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Half Colonial White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Half Dutch White
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene Scotch Mist
Resene China Ivory
Resene China Ivory
 
July 2019

Q. Please can you help suggest a dark green for our front and back door?  The front door has bush around it and we'd like it to tie in with that. They're currently painted a reddish brown that we are not fond of.

The exterior is painted a bright white. The interior is Resene Quarter Rice Cake walls with Resene Sushi and Resene Blue Lagoon feature walls. One feature wall is Resene Chilean Fire (kid's bedroom).  We like the look of Resene Crusoe, Resene Kaitoke Green, Resene Parsley, Resene Green Pea and Resene Goblin. What do you think?

A. You mention using a dark green for the doors. The colours you have listed are brighter greens not dark greens. Because of the colours that you have used in the interior I am guessing you prefer brighter rather than darker colours are what appeal to you - am I right? 

Resene Goblin is the deepest colour of the ones that you list. A darker green - if that was what you wanted - would be Resene Bush or Resene Palm Green.

Colours seen on the exterior can look much brighter (or lighter depending upon the type of colour it is) than you might expect them to when seen in bright sunlight.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Sushi
Resene Sushi
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene Blue Lagoon
Resene Chilean Fire
Resene Chilean Fire
Resene Crusoe
Resene Crusoe
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Kaitoke Green
Resene Parsley
Resene Parsley
Resene Green Pea
Resene Green Pea
Resene Goblin
Resene Goblin
 
Resene Bush
Resene Bush
Resene Palm Green
Resene Palm Green
     
July 2019

Q. We are building a beach house and we have picked Resene Merino for the kitchen, living and entry way and Resene Half Merino for the bedrooms and hall. We want the house to be light, bright, and have a Scandi feel. We also have a plywood look for the ceiling in the main area. We have been asked by our builder what colours we want for the rest of the ceilings, the trim, and the doors. What would you recommend?

A. If you want the ceiling, all wooden trims and doors to be slightly paler than the wall colour but tonally related you could use Resene Quarter Merino. If you want a much cleaner type of white that emphasises the Resene Merino colours on the walls then you could consider using one of the following – Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Half Black White or Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
July 2019

Q. Our neighbour just painted their house Resene Half Duck Egg Blue (with white trim) and we love it. We're painting our house now too - is there a blue/grey/or cream main colour (with whitish trim) that would go well with our neighbour's house? 

For our interior what is a good trim/door colour to go with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream walls?

A. The following blue/grey colours might be worth checking out to see if they appeal to you Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Half Dusted Blue or Resene Quarter Regent Grey.

Some cream options – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Albescent White, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Thorndon Cream.

If you used the same white for the exterior trims and the interior trims it might be a neat harmonious option - had you thought of doing that? Perhaps one of these – Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Alabaster.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Grey Chateau
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Half Dusted Blue
Resene Quarter Regent Grey
Resene Quarter
Regent Grey
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
     
July 2019

Q. We have a 1930s bungalow.  We are going for a very neutral villa white for the house and window frames (both the same colour).  We are looking for a striking front door colour.  Currently our front door steps are Resene Double Masala.  Our tiled roof colour is chocolate brown/grey.  Any thoughts for a front door colour?

A. Some striking colour suggestions for you to check out - they are very modern – Resene Irresistible, Resene Yowza, Resene Eye Candy, Resene Thumbs Up, Resene Bewitched or Resene Poppy. I hope these colours offer you a bit of excitement and inspiration.

Resene Double Masala
Resene Double Masala
Resene Irresistible
Resene Irresistible
July 2019

Q. I live in a two storeyed terrace house, bottom level open plan, north-south facing large doors with windows at either end. The lounge faces north, kitchen is in centre dining/sitting area at opposite end, windows/doors at either end - can be darkish in winter. I want to paint the top floor-bedrooms Resene Half Tana, ceilings Resene Alabaster and would like a warm light grey, and accent colours for downstairs - darker orange and mustard/marigold. Ideas welcome... I am surrounded by testpots!

A. A few warm light greys for you to consider might be like these ones – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Mountain Mist or Resene Half Friar Grey. These lighter warm greys are all quite different to each other.

Before you make up your mind it would help you a lot to view the A4 colour samples in the Colour Library in the nearest Resene ColorShop. There is nothing like seeing large samples in order to judge the reality of the colours.

I think some of these colours may be worth checking out – Resene Viktor, Resene Xanadu or Resene Half Rivergum.

Resene Half Tana
Resene Half Tana
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Mountain Mist
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Half Friar Grey
Resene Viktor
Resene Viktor
Resene Xanadu
Resene Xanadu
Resene Half Rivergum
Resene Half Rivergum
July 2019

Q. We would like to modernise our home by painting the brick exterior. The house was built in 2004 and currently the bricks are small and are a light yellow colour. The joinery is a khaki colour but a little faded over the last 15 years. Roof tiles are dark (not black but almost). I would like to know what light grey colours would work with the khaki joinery and dark roof tiles.

A. You may need to carefully test a few colours to see which ones look best with the khaki joinery and the dark roof tiles. The following are colours that are a good start point – Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Quill Grey.

Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Friar Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
July 2019

Q. I am looking for a kitchen cupboard colour for a heritage house with warm blackbutt flooring and grey/white Caesarstone benchtops and pale glass green tiled splashbacks. I would like a warm toned just off-white colour maybe similar to Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

A. I am unsure about the yellow undertone in Resene Half Thorndon Cream. It may create a clash with the pale green tiles and the greyer undertones of the benchtops. Perhaps one of the following colours might be worth checking out - if they are compared to pure white you will notice that they are warmer but not yellow – Resene Double Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Merino.

But if you do prefer a creamier colour then these colours may work - they are whiter than Resene Half Thorndon Cream and would allow for the colours in the benchtop and the green tiles to dominate rather than clash – Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
July 2019

Q. I have a small bathroom on the south side of my house with a dark grey painted concrete floor and black and silver accessories. What colour shall I paint the walls so it doesn't feel cold? I'd like to do a dark teal coloured feature wall but will it make the space feel too small and will the colour make it feel cold? What colours should I be looking at if I want warm colours?

A. South facing rooms are not known for their glorious warm light. Your bathroom with its dark grey painted concrete floor may be in need of warmth as well as light. Concrete is not kind to bare feet. Is the floor heated?

I think a warm light colour like one of the following may trick the eye into thinking that it is warmer than it is. Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White.

If you wanted to do a dark teal colour as a feature wall it could look good on the wall that does get some natural sunlight on it.  One of these teals might be considered – Resene Deep Teal, a green based teal, or Resene Retro, a blue based teal.

There is always the risk that a deep attention seeking colour will change how the space in the room appears. I recommend you paint up all of the testpot, two coats, onto a huge A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and pin it up on the wall to give you a much better idea if it would work well for you or not.

If you decide to not go with a feature wall you could still use deep teal as towels and other accessories to add a little wow to the room.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Deep Teal
Resene Deep Teal
Resene Retro
Resene Retro
July 2019

Q.  I have chosen Resene Bianca for throughout our house. I'm not sure what strength to put on the ceiling?

A. I think Resene Quarter Bianca looks lovely and fresh. Colours on a ceiling can look a little deeper toned than you might imagine they will do so this colour may look more like Resene Half Bianca.

But conversely Resene Half Bianca on the ceiling might look exactly the same as the wall colour.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
July 2019

Q. I am very stuck as to what colour to paint our roof. Our house and garage walls are black, and the joinery is aluminium. We also have an aluminium corrugated iron feature on the front wall. I have read that the 'rule of thumb' is that the roof needs to be darker than the walls. So that leaves black for our roof. I have considered 'FlaxPod' as it has the CoolColour option, and should fit the landscape. But while I think it could look quite cool, I'm worried about black walls and black roof making the place look small, and also concerned about the house getting too hot in summer (it already gets hot inside, we have insulation in the ceiling and underfloor but not in the walls). I also don't know how the garage would look all black - roller door included? The other colour I had considered was 'Aluminium', the metallic one to match the joinery. 

We also need to decide what colour to paint the fascia boards. We are getting new guttering after the roof is done so will match that colour to the roof and fascias.

A. Usually a dark roof is considered appropriate because the house isn't dark. But yours is - dark that is. If you had the roof (both house and garage) painted Resene Atmosphere and then got guttering in Gull Grey (Resene Atmosphere is a match to this colour) it would be a cooler roof mass as it isn't a dark colour. The fascia boards could be the same – Resene Atmosphere - or if you wanted a cleaner contrast you could use Resene Quarter Atmosphere. The garage roller door could be either Resene Atmosphere or the paler version - Resene Quarter Atmosphere. The feature wall on the house and the joinery are aluminium - I am not 100% certain that having more aluminium colour on the roof would add to the look of the house. It might be very glary in the bright sunlight.

Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
July 2019

Q. My house paint is Resene Sea Nymph and the roof/gutters are Grey Friars. What colour trim do you suggest?

A. If you want to create a very crisp contrast to the Resene Sea Nymph and the Resene Grey Friars you could use Resene Alabaster. If you wanted a definite colour you could look at using Resene Half Opal which is lighter but tonally related.

Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Sea Nymph
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Opal
Resene Half Opal
July 2019

Q. I have to make a very quick paint decision for the exterior of my house. It's half monolithic cladding and half Hardiplank. It's currently painted Resene Napa, which is almost identical to the joinery. The pergolas are painted Resene Ironsand. The interior walls are Resene Eighth Bison Hide with Resene Half Bison Hide for bulk-heads, etc. The house is nestled in amongst a lot of palms and other greenery. On the paint chart there appears little difference, but I wonder if painting the exterior Resene Bison Hide would pick up the green too much?

A. Resene Bison Hide has a little bit more yellow undertone and this might look slightly olive green in certain lights and with the closeness of all the greenery. If this isn't what you want then you might check out either of these two alternative colours – Resene Half Stonehenge or Resene Triple Truffle.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Half Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Half Stonehenge
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
 
July 2019

Q. We have a small weatherboard house and are thinking of painting the exterior Resene Half Delta with trim in Resene Half Sea Fog. There is concrete on the lower section, and if contrasting how dark should we go? Would it be best to stay with the Resene Delta family? E.g. Resene Double Delta? Also, what would you recommend for the iron roof colour? We would prefer it to be slightly more on the grey side than too brown unless it is obviously the best.

A. Resene Half Sea Fog would be perfect for the trims. The base of the house could be painted in a deeper version of the main house colour. It is a neat, tidy, well co-ordinated approach that ties everything together. Resene Double Delta suits this purpose very well.

A few options that might appeal to you for the roof are the following – Resene Grey Friars, Resene Steel Grey or Resene Windswept.

Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Delta
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Delta
Resene Double Delta
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Windswept
Resene Windswept
July 2019

Q. We are trying to work out an interior trim colour for all our windows and doors. We have an old villa style house that has previously had cream.  We are not wanting white as it would be too sharp but we are finding the cream is harder to match with other more fresh colours like mint green etc.  What other colours don't show up marks so much that would be options for trims?  Outside our trims are white but we need the inside ones to go with mostly warm, homey natural colours, browns, greens etc.

A. It sounds to me like you are needing a warm white. Here following are a couple of options that I think could work perfectly for you. They both work beautifully with warmer colours and don't have the yellow tone of a cream. Try Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Villa White.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
July 2019

Q. We have just moved into a house that has an entirely Resene Bianca interior. The house is a 1980s architecturally designed house, so lots of beautiful wood and wooden floors. We eventually want to paint the interior a more modern white (thinking from the Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster palettes), but we're going to attack the smaller bedrooms and skirtings/doors first.  We want the trim colour to be consistent throughout. What colours are we best to paint the bedroom walls and trim - keeping in mind we will be doing the trims throughout the house while Resene Bianca is still on the walls?

A. Resene Bianca is quite a light white. My best recommendation would be to use Resene Alabaster for all of the skirtings and doors as it needs to be that light to still contrast with Resene Bianca. I would then recommend using Resene Black White for the walls. It is a beautiful colour that works with pretty much everything, but especially warm timbers.

Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
July 2019

Q. We are doing some major renovations in our 90 year-old bungalow, which will result in a repaint of almost every room in the house. For simplicity throughout, we are going with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream on all walls (open-plan kitchen/living/dining, hallways, master bedroom, bathrooms) and Resene Quarter Alabaster for architraves, skirting, etc. Two questions for you...

What would you recommend for the internal doors? I suppose the easy option is Resene Quarter Alabaster, but if we were very slightly more adventurous, looking for a little more colour -- what would you suggest?  What is the best ceiling colour throughout?

A. In regards to the internal doors I think with it being a bungalow you can definitely get away with doing something with a bit more character. You could try Resene Quarter Lemon Grass or Resene Periglacial Blue.

For the ceiling, I would definitely recommend using Resene Quarter Alabaster for this area.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
July 2019

Q. We are planning to redecorate our open plan kitchen/dining/living area. The main colour of the walls and ceiling is Resene Chalky with a feature wall in Resene Castro. I have really liked the existing colours, but feel it's time for a change.  The colours need to work with the matai floorboards and kitchen cabinetry. I would love to get some suggestions, including on whether feature walls are still a trend.

A. Feature colours on one wall or as a whole room (all walls) statement will always be appealing. It is all about your personal taste and is still a very popular concept. It has moved into a wider application - wallpaper is also included as a feature wall as it provides a lush colour/texture/pattern element that indicates uniqueness and value.

If you are wanting to make a change from a rich lush colour palette that you have had for a while - but still really like you - might consider these ideas:

  • You could make the ceiling a lighter, brighter colour. This would lift the room and make it brighter.
  • You could use a lighter - but still warm - main colour.
  • You could relate the feature walls to the colours in the drapes or the kitchen cabinetry

Perhaps these colours are worth checking out:
Walls - Resene Triple Pearl Lusta or Resene Double Villa White.
Ceilings - Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Half Villa White. 
For feature wall options try Resene Dark Slate or Resene Half Aubergine.

You could also pursue the wallpaper option for the feature wall - there are so many that are truly gorgeous to choose from.   View the Resene Wallpaper Collection at your local Resene ColorShop.

Resene Chalky
Resene Chalky
Resene Castro
Resene Castro
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Triple Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Dark Slate
Resene Half Aubergine
Resene Half Aubergine
July 2019

Q. We have a FlaxPod roof, Titania windows, a Silver Pearl door and Premier Mansion brick on walls. What colour do you suggest for the render at the entrance and Axon above the windows?

A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Bone White, Resene Ash, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Greige, Resene Half Chicago or Resene Grey Area.

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
Resene Half Chicago
Resene Half Chicago
   
July 2019

Q. We have selected Grey Friars for the roof, windows and garage door with a matt red entry door. Could you please recommend which colour we should select for weatherboards which will best suit this scheme?

A. Perhaps one of these light grey colours might appeal to you – Resene Surrender, Resene Geyser or Resene Quarter Delta. They look lovely with Grey Friars

Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Geyser
Resene Geyser
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
July 2019

Q. Would you please recommend some paint colours that would complement a Melteca® Warm White kitchen?  It is an open plan room with kitchen, dining and living.  The living has a pitched ceiling of pine which has been painted with Resene Colorwood Whitewash. I've tried Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream but it feels too stark and crisp.   But when I tested it on white A4 paper it looks warm!  I'm looking for something that is warm, Scandi and dreamy looking.  Some other ideas I have are Resene Merino or Resene White Pointer - would any of these work? Or Resene Black White, everyone seems to love this white, even my painter, but I haven't tested it as I assumed it would look cool?

A. Colours need to be tested and seen within the space you are wanting them to be used. The other colours and the type of natural and artificial light within the spaces greatly influences how a test sample is seen.

You could consider using the same colour as the kitchen cabinets - Melteca® Warm White has been colour matched by Resene. It is a formula match that is on the Colour Computer and all you would have to do is ask for it in the product and sheen level of your preference. That is your default choice - if it is the same colour it won't create a discord or clash.

I have been looking at my sample of Melteca Warm White and it has a shadowy muted slightly greyed undertone - it is very very subtle and I am comparing it to a true white  - a piece of white printer paper.

I think these following colours may work for you - certainly they are worth checking out – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Merino or Resene Wan White. Any colour that is warmer (with a yellow or brown undertone) makes the Melteca® Warm White take on more of the shadowy undertone.

Take your time testing colours - move the large painted samples from wall to wall/room to room and place them upright alongside of the cabinets in the kitchen and watch as the natural light alters during the day. It alters the tested colour also. You need to see how this happens in order to make a judgement on the reality of the colour.

You mention a Scandi look - warm and dreamy. If the natural light in the rooms isn't warm i.e. south or east facing rooms aren't blessed that way and north facing rooms often have a lot of shadow on the walls except in winter - then you may need to accessorise it in warm dreamy colours to compensate.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
 
July 2019

Q. I am thinking of Resene Spanish Green for my kitchen/living area and Resene Pohutukawa for the lounge.  Both rooms are large and light-filled; the house is a weatherboard bungalow, with deep skirtings, restored natural rimu doors and wooden joinery. I would like to paint the skirtings, ceiling and window frames in a light warm colour, or colours - not a stark white.  Can you suggest   colours that would work with both the green and the deep red, for ceiling and trim? 

A. Because both of the colours you are considering for the walls are very definite colours I recommend not to use a white that is too stark as it may look too hard edged. You might check out the following colours as they may appeal to you and be harmonious with Resene Spanish Green and Resene Pohutukawa – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
   
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
July 2019

Q. I'm looking for advice on colour options for a south facing room that will brighten it up a bit. The carpet is coffee coloured Heritage Carpet Goal Espresso. This is for a rental so a neutral palette would be best.

A. One of these colours may appeal to you - they are light and warm and may work in a south facing room – Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Bianca, Resene Eighth Drought or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
July 2019

Q. If using COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod what stain colour for batten and board would you recommend?

A. You might check out the following stain colours – Resene Woodsman Tiri, Resene Woodsman Iroko, Resene Woodsman Nutmeg or Resene Woodsman Natural.

If you wanted dark coloured joinery you could use Matt Charcoal or Ironsand. But if you wanted a lighter colour to provide a strong contrast one of the following may work for you – Titania or Appliance White.

Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Nutmeg
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
July 2019

Q. Which white is best for interior walls in a dark house?

A. One of these options may appeal to you – Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Sea Fog. They are all quite different from each other. I recommend that you pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour swatches in their Colour Library.  You can compare then to each other and to a true white - i.e. a sheet of white printer paper - to see their unique undertones.

I have suggested this also because it - being a light colour - will weather better whereas a deeper colour would need to be repainted sooner.

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
July 2019

Q. I have three rural houses to paint on a farm property.  I want a cream white for the boards, a strong green for the roof and a darker green for the window frames etc.  What do you recommend? The colour palette needs to fit a traditional rural environment.

A. These are some very traditional rural colour schemes for you to check out - option #1 – Resene Villa White, Resene Permanent Green and Resene Mother Nature, or option #2 – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Log Cabin and Resene Olive Green.

Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Permanent Green
Resene Permanent Green
 
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Log Cabin
Resene Log Cabin
Resene Olive Green
Resene Olive Green
July 2019

Q. We are painting a high pitch front beach house in Resene Hammerhead that has Appliance White joinery. The roof is Aluminium colour which you can’t see, except for the flashing over the top. Can you please recommend what colour to paint the barge board and soffits?

A. To maintain a clean crisp line between the main house colour and the flashing, barge boards and soffit you could use Appliance White like the joinery.  Resene do have a colour match for this powder coat colour and all you have to do is ask for it at your local Resene ColorShop.

I have suggested this also because it - being a light colour - will weather better whereas a deeper colour would need to be repainted sooner. 

Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
July 2019

Q. I am looking for a white or neutral to paint three out of the four walls in my bedroom to complement the current feature wall which is painted in Resene Spanish Green. The current colour seems very grey based (I think it is Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Eighth Surrender) and it makes the room feel very cold. The walls are Lockwood which have been painted over and the roof and joinery has been left original so it would have to complement the wood tones as well as the green. The room has a large east north-east facing window which lets in light but there is not much direct sun.

A. If the current colour is a cool grey based white then you are right in thinking it is making the room feel cold. One of the following colours may remedy this as they are light, bright but warm toned. Try Resene Bianca, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Half Rice Cake.

If you preferred a white that wasn't warm looking (but wasn't grey or cold) then the following colours might be considered – Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Merino.

I recommend that before you make up your mind that you pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view (and compare) the colours alongside of Resene Spanish Green to get a better idea of their reality.

Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
 
July 2019

Q. I have a 1950s ex-state house which I am moving on to a section in National Park.  We would like to paint it yellow.  Can you please suggest a shade of yellow that will blend nicely with the native environment?

A. Are you in the native bush line or close to a plantation of pines? Or on a ridge top with the sky the only backdrop?  A yellow may need to be an earthy hue in order to blend into the environment. Some ideas to get you started – Resene Hampton, Resene Half Putty or Resene Sidecar.

Resene Hampton
Resene Hampton
Resene Half Putty
Resene Half Putty
Resene Sidecar
Resene Sidecar
July 2019

Q. We are building a new home and are trying to choose a neutral white colour for the exterior that would go with cedar and black joinery and roofing. Then we also are wanting a white colour for our interior walls. Would you recommend using the same colour? At the moment we are leaning towards Resene Black White.

A. It is definitely a possibility to use the same colour for the interior and the exterior. But a white can look quite stark in bright natural light on an exterior alongside black.  You might consider using a slightly toned white for the exterior - i.e. Resene Double Black White - so you aren't blinded by the reflection off the house and Resene Black White or Resene Half Black White for the interior. All colours on an interior have the potential to look deeper in tone because of the shadows and wall angles. 

Some other whites worth checking out are the following – for the exterior Resene Half Sea Fog, or for the interior Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Wan White or Resene Quarter Wan White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
 
July 2019

Q. In our open plan kitchen/dining and living area I am thinking of using Resene Concrete as the main colour and Resene Quarter Stack as a feature colour on one of the walls (very light area).  Do the two complement each other or do you suggest trying something else as the feature colour?

A. Both the greys are not all that harmonious when seen together. Resene Concrete has a lovely silvery lilac influence and Resene Quarter Stack is a sandy/steel grey. If you are super keen on Resene Concrete as your main colour you could consider one of the following warmer grey colours for your feature walls – Resene Double Concrete or a bit deeper - Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Grey Seal, Resene Whiteout or Resene Half Mountain Mist.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout

Resene Half Mountain Mist
   
July 2019

Q. I have new Grey Friars long-run roofing. What colour would I paint the house? It is weatherboard and what colour would I choose for the aluminium joinery? I really like Resene Sea Fog. Would this suit?

A. Resene Sea Fog would work well for a clean simple look. Some other whites that may be worth checking out as well are – Resene Barely There or Resene Double Black White.  Your joinery could be the same as the roof - Grey Friars - or a white like Appliance White.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
July 2019

Q. I am looking at painting my kitchen/dining walls Resene Half Duck Egg Blue with the trim being white.  I was considering having the two splashbacks done in full Resene Duck Egg Blue. Would that look ok having a half and a full next to each other? The floors and cabinets of the kitchen are wood. Is there any other colour I could do the splashbacks in that would complement Resene Half Duck Egg Blue?

A. My concern with your idea of using the full strength Resene Duck Egg Blue under the glass splashback is that the reflectivity of the glass may make Resene Duck Egg Blue look lighter and perhaps exactly the same colour as Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. Would that worry you? 

If you want to see a difference in colour so it looks more like a feature it might be wise to consider using a deeper colour such as Resene Periglacial Blue or Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue.

There are two types of glass used for splash backs. Only one of these shows the colour behind it absolutely true to reality - it is Low Iron Oxide Star Bright clear glass. The other one - Standard Float glass - has a green cast to it so the colour behind it looks unlike the colour you expect to see. If you aren't aware of this it can be very disappointing when the splashback is installed and it is too late to ask for a change.

Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
July 2019

Q. We are building a new house and are looking at painting the walls and ceiling white. We have picked out Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, trims and skirtings. But we would like to know whether Resene Double Rice Cake for the walls is a good option. I am aware that Resene Alabaster is a cool white and Resene Double Rice Cake is a warm white, which is why we are on the fence about this combination. The bedrooms, hallways and staircase areas are small so we want the house to look big and modern but at the same time we don't want the house to look too cold and isolating. We plan on adding colour to the rooms by having a feature wall in the lounge and some of the bedrooms and we also intend to accessorise with colour. Our carpets will be a dark colour, most likely dark grey, which is why we want our walls and ceiling to be white.

A. This combination of Resene Alabaster and Resene Double Rice Cake does work, there's a definite contrast. If you are still concerned though I suggest you perhaps look at Resene Eighth Rice Cake instead of Resene Alabaster. 

If you were to go with Resene Eighth Rice Cake then you could definitely use Resene Rice Cake rather than the double strength so that the walls are whiter than the ceiling.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
July 2019

Q. What light grey would you suggest to complement Ironsand? We have a newly painted Ironsand roof and aluminium windows and doors. Which colours would you suggest for the exterior walls? We thought maybe something in the lighter greys/cement colours? 

A.  A light grey would work great with Ironsand. Try these as a start point - Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Tapa.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
July 2019

Q. Can you please help me with a paint colour for our weatherboards? The brick is very light grey, the windows are white, the main door and garage is Grey Friars and the gutter is Ironsand. 

A. Check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Copyrite, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Triple Black White.

Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
July 2019

Q. I have a north facing kitchen/family room with a vaulted ceiling in the family area. The kitchen cabinetry is in Resene Quarter Sisal and there is a black granite bench. The drapes are a sisal colour with a grey damask pattern. The house is a bungalow with rimu doors, skirting etc and the carpet is a light brown.

The adjoining lounge is currently painted in Resene Sisal and this colour works with the same drapes.  I do however want to paint the kitchen/family walls in a light colour and have been trying to find a colour. I could go with Resene Eighth Sisal but wonder whether it has a faint pink tint? Also been thinking of Resene Villa White which seems better with drapes.

A. I think you have hit the nail on the head in regards to Resene Villa White. Perhaps check out Resene Half Villa White to see if it gives a slightly cleaner contrast to the Resene Quarter Sisal that you have on the kitchen cabinets. Either of those colours look really lovely with the Resene Sisal palette of colours - and the rimu - but I have a slight preference to the Resene Half Villa White.

Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
July 2019

Q. We are about to build our new home and we will have buffed concrete floors, a black kitchen with greyed reclaimed wood on the island and a board formed concrete fireplace.  The joinery will be black. I want to find a neutral white or slightly coloured paint colour but cannot make up my mind.  The colours I am favouring are Resene Triple Black White or Resene White Pointer.  I don't wish to make the skirting boards a feature, so thought of keeping them the same colour and for the ceiling maybe only half strength of whatever colour I choose. Am I on the right track?

A. I definitely think you are on the right track. It all sounds great. For me personally I would probably be leaning towards Resene Triple Black White, it has a bit more depth while still having warmth to it. It will work perfectly with everything else you have and works great with other colours as well. 

For the ceilings I would suggest using Resene Half Black White for the ceiling.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
July 2019

Q. Many years ago our office and meeting room was painted Resene Egg Sour with Resene Crab Apple.  20 years later the paint looks fine! But, we are sick of the colour.  The Resene Crab Apple was paired with green curtains.  We don't wish to paint the Resene Sour Egg because it is a large room and there is nothing wrong with the condition of the paint. But thought we could redo the Resene Crab Apple and curtains to update the look.  What would you recommend from today's colour palette to go with Resene Egg Sour as a contrast?  There is a door, some picture frames and a wall unit to paint and add colour to. 

A. Resene Egg Sour being very yellow/orange toned looks good with the following colours – Resene Atlas, Resene Fast Forward, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Half Aubergine or Resene Bokara Grey.

Resene Egg Sour
Resene Egg Sour
Resene Crab Apple
Resene Crab Apple
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
Resene Half Aubergine
Resene Half Aubergine
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
July 2019
 

Q. I want to paint my exterior including front fence, garage and gutters but am struggling with a colour. I want something that isn't so 'flat' and can't decide between going dark brown (e.g. Resene Brown Bramble) or bluey-grey (e.g. Resene Abbey). I have also thought about painting the garage door a separate colour (cream?) to have a focal point. I live in Brisbane, and the bright sunshine really washes out colour most of the year so need something rich.

The house is 80s orange brick, so hard to complement, but just don't want something that looks completely out of place.

A.  You mention that you want something that isn't so 'flat' looking and I think it is all about providing contrast - there should be colours that are light/bright, mid tones and very deep or dark tones. I think your idea of painting the garage door a lighter colour is definitely a good idea - it will provide a light contrast. 

The bricks on the house are the mid toned colour element so the fences must be darker. 

I think Resene Abbey is a little bit too light and may appear much lighter in bright natural sunlight. Perhaps you could check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene High Tide, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Woodsmoke, Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Double Foundry or Resene Double Ironsand.

A cream garage door might be one of these colours – Resene Spanish White, Resene Biscotti or Resene Double Wheatfield.

Resene Brown Bramble
Resene Brown Bramble
Resene Abbey
Resene Abbey
Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Woodsmoke
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
Resene Double Wheatfield
Resene Double Wheatfield
 
July 2019

Q. We are starting our new build and are deciding between joinery colours Matt FlaxPod and Matt Grey Friars. We are considering going with black. What dark CoolColour do you think would best complement either of these two colours?  

A. Both colours are quite different to each other - Grey Friars is a charcoal with a steel blue undertone and FlaxPod is a warm earthy charcoal that has a subtle element of olive brown in it.

And black is black - in powder coat colours it is called Ebony, which Resene has in a colour called Resene All Black. For Grey Friars, you could try Resene Double Cod Grey or Resene Noir. For FlaxPod, you could try Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Nocturnal.

Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
July 2019

Q. What grey tone do you suggest for three walls in a bright foyer to go with Resene Half Truffle?

A. Perhaps one of these greys might appeal to you – Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Tuna. There are slightly lighter versions of these colours that you might wish to check out as well.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
July 2019

Q. We have just had our roof painted in New Denim Blue, now the rest of the place looks shabby. I am keen to hear a classic colour scheme option and a more vibrant Mediterranean type of a vibe if possible. 

A. A classic and timeless option could be main colour and window joinery and soffits in Resene Poured Milk with trim in Resene New Denim Blue and house doors, for a bit of excitement, in Resene Courage. 

A vibrant look is very appealing for the brave at heart and could be achieved with the main colour of Resene Half Haystack, window joinery and soffits in Resene Orchid White, trim in Resene Moccasin and house doors in Resene Twilight Zone (also known as Resene Triple New Denim Blue).

Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Courage
Resene Courage
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Half Haystack
Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Moccasin
Resene Moccasin
July 2019

Q. My teenage son would like to paint his new bedroom black.  It is quite a small room (2.3 x 4m) and has a south facing window.  The rest of the house will be Resene Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster trim.  Can you suggest a darkish alternative I could pitch to him?

A. Don't be afraid of him going too dark in there. I'm not sure what you've got as his linen but if you make that a light colour that takes up a lot of visual space and also with a few pieces of art or decor on the walls you can also take up some of the wall space. I painted my own bedroom quite dark and i was quite surprised to learn that it actually didn't make the room feel dark at all. Here are some non-black suggestions for you – Resene Double Cod Grey (this is the darkest one), Resene Foundry or Resene Porter.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
July 2019

Q. Is it normal to choose Resene Black White to go on walls and ceilings or does it look too dark?

A. Resene Black White is definitely suitable for ceilings and walls. However it just depends on the look you are trying to create. There's no direct lighting on ceilings so whatever you use on them tends to shadow hence why most people will use a half strength shade on the ceiling. It also depends on the style of ceilings you have too. If they are square stopped with a pitch then I would recommend doing everything Resene Black White.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
July 2019

Q. I want to paint the interior doors of my turn-of-the-century bungalow black but there are so many to choose from. The walls are Resene Black Haze and the skirting is rimu. I want something that looks like black even if it's a very dark other colour. My couch is dark blue and a strip of carpet is forest green.

A. If you want black with no flash of colour appearing when the sunlight catches the door then you could use Resene Black. But if you want your black door to suddenly show its unique coloured undertone then one of the following may appeal to you – Resene Bastille, Resene Jaguar, Resene Indian Ink, Resene Noir, Resene Charcoal or Resene Blackjack.

Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Bastille
Resene Bastille
Resene Jaguar
Resene Jaguar
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Charcoal
Resene Charcoal
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
 
July 2019

Q. I am having a kitchen installed and the colour of the cabinets is Resene Half Alabaster. I want to paint the window frames etc with the same colour and use quarter or eighth strength on the walls. Is Resene Alabaster available in quarter and eighth strength and do you think this will be OK? 

A. Resene Quarter Alabaster is the lightest version of Resene Alabaster. For anything lighter/whiter you could use Resene Eighth Black White or real Resene White. In certain lights or times of the day you may not see any difference between the cabinets and the walls. The difference is very subtle.

Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene White
Resene White
July 2019

Q. I am about to have my kitchen re-sprayed from a dark colour to a white because the kitchen only has west facing ranchsliders, a matai wood floor (quite a deep red orange wood) and a black granite benchtop. It is too dark and needs the light on all the time. We can't afford a new kitchen so a re-spray of cupboards to white I think will make a big difference. 

Which white do you recommend? I have a bathroom vanity in Resene Alabaster but I'm worried that is too bright and stark even though I am trying to lighten the room. Our holiday home kitchen is Resene Black White and I'm wondering if that would be a better choice with the black granite. It still looks white to me!

Also what colour would you do the walls? There is not much wall space above the bench top (650mm to wall cupboards) so I was thinking about a glass splashback but have no idea what colour. Then we have a wall opposite the kitchen wall to paint. The rest of the house is Resene Albescent White.

A. If you did use Resene Black White in this room that isn't blessed with lots of sunlight it may look cool or slightly grey toned.  Perhaps a brighter/lighter variant - i.e. Resene Quarter Black White might work for you. Or if you wanted a warmer white (less stark) you could consider using Resene Quarter Albescent White.

The walls could be slightly more coloured, using something like Resene Half Albescent White. This would work with either of the whites I have suggested.  It would also help tie in the Resene Albescent White that you have used in the rest of the house. 

The splashback could be mirrored - this would double the amount of natural light and under artificial light it would sparkle if the edges were bevelled. I think it may be wise to not use a dark colour as it might create a 'black hole' in a light deprived room. Another idea is to check out a silver metallic, such as Resene Silver Aluminium.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
 
July 2019

Q. We are building a new home and have chosen a COLORSTEEL® Slate Grey roof and Titania fascia and spouting. I'm looking for a complementary dark grey for the Linea® exterior walls. 

A. Check out the following dark greys to see if they appeal to you – Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Bokara Grey.

These particular colours do have softer/lighter versions as well. Please do check them out as well - in case you feel a colour is nice but want it a bit lighter.

Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Half Bokara Grey
Resene Half Bokara Grey
July 2019

Q. I need to find a pink colour for my bedroom the goes nicely with Resene Onahau.

A. One of these pretty pinks may appeal to you – Resene Cosmos, Resene Pot Pourri, Resene Vanilla Ice, Resene Pale Rose or Resene Pink Lace.

Resene Onahau
Resene Onahau
Resene Cosmos
Resene Cosmos
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Vanilla Ice
Resene Pale Rose
Resene Pale Rose
Resene Pink Lace
Resene Pink Lace
   
July 2019

Q. We have a 1986 dwelling and are putting a new kitchen in on the east side.  It flows through to a dining room on west side with a wide veranda so has not a lot of natural light, so we have put in two skylights to help this. We are painting the kitchen dining room walls ourselves (the joiner is painting the cabinets). We have a bit of rimu with additional rimu floating shelves, and the flooring will be vinyl planks in tones that match in with rimu and Resene White Pointer. We are thinking of painting the cabinetry and walls Resene White Pointer in an effort to keep it light and bright but wonder if we should have the cabinetry full Resene White Pointer and the walls Resene Half White Pointer or vice versa. The curtains in the dining room are a light colour with leafy flowery pattern in tones of soft greens and blues on a background colour similar to Resene Quarter White Pointer.

A. This all sounds great. I would recommend painting the walls Resene White Pointer and then do the cabinetry Resene Quarter White Pointer to provide a bit of contrast and keep the kitchen as light as possible. This way there will be a contrast - the kitchen cabinetry tends to end up being fairly shadowed due to the bench top overhanging, especially the lower cabinetry. If you would prefer the cabinetry darker than the walls then you absolutely could do it the other way round though but perhaps do Resene Half White Pointer on the walls with Resene Double White Pointer on the cabinetry.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half
White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
August 2019

Q. I'd like some help choosing a feature wall colour for our living area, which I plan on painting in Resene Half Spanish White.

We have a large open plan home with high ceilings and a lot of natural light. The living area has a large feature wall of Oamaru stone blockwork behind the fireplace. The stone has a lot of yellow through it. The floors are a mix of mid-brown carpet, rimu and polished concrete (raw, with a matte finish). I have chosen Resene Half Spanish White for the walls because it is the only white I have found that seems to work with the Oamaru stone.

I am going for an earthy look, but I don't want too much brown/beige. I am worried that a feature wall in terracotta/burnt orange would make the walls look yellower. I really want an olive green feature wall, but I am unsure if there is an olive green that complements Resene Half Spanish White.

A. As long as the olive green you favour isn't too yellow or brown toned then it may work well for you but all the coloured elements in the livingroom must like each other.

The following colours might be worth checking out - they look lovely with Resene Half Spanish White – Resene Rivergum, Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Mangrove, Resene Scrub or Resene Panzano.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Cabbage Pont
Resene Cabbage Pont
Resene Mangrove
Resene Mangrove
Resene Scrub
Resene Scrub
Resene Panzano
Resene Panzano
August 2019

Q. I would like to paint my kitchen, dining and lounge.  I'm thinking of painting the walls and cupboards Resene Triple Sea Fog, and then painting the ceiling and architraves Resene Sea Fog.  Would these colours complement each other, or would they likely blend together and look like one colour?

A. These colours will work well together.  Resene Triple Sea Fog is three times the depth of Resene Sea Fog. If they were Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Sea Fog they might merge together in certain light situations. 

If you have any worries about the ceilings and architraves not being white enough to create a fresh contrast you could use Resene Half Sea Fog.

Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
August 2019

Q. If Resene Grey Friars is too light and Resene All Black is too dark, what grey/charcoal could you suggest for a colour that's in between for a kitchen island bench with Carrara top and black granite in the benches nearby. We've tried Resene Double Foundry and Resene Double Cod Grey which are still quite dark. We prefer a blue based colour.

A. You might check out Resene Cod Grey and Resene Noir, or - slightly softer toned - Resene Double Tuna - they all have the potential to throw a blue undertone depending upon the  light.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Cod Grey
Resene Double Tuna
Resene Double Tuna
   
August 2019

Q. I want to paint my small cottage in a shade of white.  It has polished rimu floors and soft grey drapes.

A. You may need to test a few to see how they respond to the light in the rooms as well as the rimu and grey drapes. These tinted whites may be a good start point for you – Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Black White.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
August 2019

Q. We are looking for living room and bedroom colours to complement Bronco aluminium windows in grey or white tones or should we go bolder?

A. Grey and white colours may make the Bronco window joinery look quite brown and will take on a slightly stronger look. Is that the look you are wanting? Deeper colours may look more co-ordinated with Bronco - perhaps these may appeal to you – Resene Double Napa, Resene Coffee Break, Resene Fast Forward, Resene Green Meets Blue or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.

If the window joinery in these rooms is mostly covered by drapes or blinds that may allow you to use the types of colours that you have previously mentioned. If so then these warm greys and warm whites might be considered – Resene Cloud or Resene Chalk Dust.

Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene
Resene Coffee Break
Resene Green Meets Blue
Resene Green Meets Blue
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Chalk Dust
Resene Chalk Dust
August 2019

Q. We are building a coastal home. The exterior colour scheme is Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Eighth Foggy Grey. The interior is being painted now and the colour for the ceilings and walls is Resene Whitewater. My cabinetry is basically white with black taps.

I am considering having a couple of feature walls one in the lounge and one main bedroom behind the bed. The general 'colour feel' is white black and grey. Can you suggest any colours that would be suitable to use with Resene Whitewater and relate well to the exterior colours please?

A. Resene Whitewater is a warm grey white - in some lights it has an almost pink  undertone  - compared to pure white.  

It is a wee bit tricky to find feature colours that relate well to the Resene Foggy Grey and Resene Quarter Foggy Grey on the exterior as they are more  yellow/grey/green influenced greys but the deeper grey option may work.  You could try Resene Concrete, which looks nice with Resene Whitewater, or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, which looks stunning with Resene Whitewater and relates well to Resene Fuscous Grey and Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey.

Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Whitewater
Resene Whitewater
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
August 2019

Q. We have a newly painted Grey Friars roof and are looking to find complementary exterior colours for our 1950s house which is weatherboard with concrete tiles.  We were thinking a white window trim with darker or off white walls.

A. These colours may appeal to you and work well with the Grey Friars which has a undertone of steel blue hiding deep in the charcoal – Option 1, off white scheme, try Resene Poured Milk on window trims etc with Resene Athens Grey, or option 2, off white scheme, try Resene Eighth Black White on window trims etc with Resene White Pointer, or option 3, a deeper but not dark grey

Resene White on window trims etc with Resene Grey Chateau.

Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
August 2019

Q. I'm painting my tiny house in Resene Quarter Alabaster and wonder what complementary colours there are in the greys and mid grey hues for potentially just the doors and the flight of interior stairs.

A. You could try these options - Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Kensington Grey, which is more of a mid grey so a bit darker than the other two suggestions.

Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
August 2019

Q. We are doing up a wide 12m long hallway in an old villa which has a 12ft stud with no windows. There is light that comes in from various doors and bedroom doors. We really like Resene Wan White and we are using this on the Anaglypta wallpaper below the trim that cuts the wall in half. Above the trim we are thinking we would get the Resene wallpaper that's already painted with Resene Quarter Tea. All other trim and fancy ceiling detail is all pure white at this point. The flooring will be wood panels in a distressed old look oak. Unfortunately all the nice flooring had been replaced when we bought the property so it's either wood panels or carpet. 

The lights are fancy and we have an elegant big mirror also to place in the hallway. Do you think Resene Wan White, Resene White (trim and ceiling) and Resene Quarter Tea are a good combo? Or could you suggest better. We have already used Resene Wan White in the bathroom on the bottom half but we chose a floral wallpaper in that room for the top half.

A. I think what you have come up with will look great. With not having any natural light it will keep the hallway feeling light but still allows for a bit of contrast. Resene Wan White is a beautiful white, it's one of my personal favourites. And Resene Quarter Tea is nice and neutral so it will mean you will be open to doing other features in other rooms. It's great to keep a hallway neutral if you want to do features in other rooms. 

Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene White
Resene White
August 2019

Q. We are building a north-facing house at the beach. We have chosen Ironsand for the roof and aluminium joinery and Resene Pohutukawa red for the front door. There is some cedar above the front door, which we want to stain, and the rest of the house is board and batten. Could you please recommend a warm light brown-grey stain colour for the cedar, and offer suggestions for a white with brown-grey tones for the exterior (nothing too creamy)?

A. Try one of these stains  for the cedar  - Resene Woodsman Smoky Ash or Resene Woodsman Iroko. And try one of these beige or taupe paler colours for the board and batten – Resene Truffle or paler Resene Half Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer or paler Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Napa or paler Resene Eighth Napa, or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.

Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double
White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Quarter Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
August 2019

Q. I have just moved into a 20 year old home; the inside is painted Resene Spanish White throughout, with ceilings Resene Half Spanish White. I want to choose a new lighter colour to update it somewhat, as we start to renovate. Is there a modern cream shade you would recommend? Or am I better to stick with the Resene Spanish White and just do it in quarter or eighth strength?

A. Here are some options for a more modern off white: Resene Rice Cake walls and Resene Quarter Rice Cake on the ceiling and trim, or Resene Half Villa White for the walls with Resene Half Bianca on trims.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
     
August 2019

Q. I have a new build in the Marlborough Sounds. The whole front of the building has doors opening onto a deck with sea views. I like the idea of a neutral green blue to emulate the sea, and was thinking of Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue. Will this be a warm blue, and would you see it as a colour that would tone with all colours?

A. Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue is a very light colour. It is a very light grey with a soft hint of blue to it. I can't imagine many colours not working with it, it is very neutral. You could in fact get away with going slightly darker if you wanted to? You could try Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or another couple of beautiful colours that would emulate the sea really well are Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue or Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue.

Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter
Periglacial Blue
Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Robin Egg Blue
August 2019

Q. We have painted our house Resene Double Foundry with Resene Black White trim and windows/doors etc. We are keen to get some suggestions for a roof colour please.

A. You could try Resene Stack or Resene Double Silver Chalice.  We recommend you use the Resene CoolColour™ version of these colours.

Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
August 2019

Q. We have painted most of our interior walls in Resene Rice Cake, trims in Resene Eighth Rice Cake and the ceilings in Resene White.  I'd like to paint our master bedroom, ensuite and main bathroom in a light to mid blue green, but am not sure which shade to go with.  Some of the colours I've looked at make the trim look stark and others make it look quite yellow.  Alternately, if there is no colour in the above range that will suit I'm thinking about a tone on tone look.

A. The trim colour you are using - Resene Eighth Rice Cake -  is a yellow/white  and may look stark or yellower depending what other colours are close to it. It might take a lot of time testing  colours to find a mid blue/green colour that responds well to the trim colour. You could try these colours – Resene Ashanti, Resene Jet Stream, Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Cut Glass. They are light, not mid-toned, but they may sit more comfortably with Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

A tone on tone look using Resene Eighth Rice Cake  for the trims might use one of the following colours – Resene Rice Cake or  slightly richer in yellow/green undertones - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Ashanti
Resene Ashanti
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Jet Stream
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
August 2019

Q. I am having a house built and have chosen Resene Concrete for the interior. I would like a really crisp clean bright white for the ceilings and the doors etc, what do you recommend? 

A. Your best really crisp, clean, bright white for ceilings and woodwork is Resene White. Any other white is slightly tinted so not quite as crisp, clean and bright.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene White
Resene White
August 2019

Q. I really like Resene Suits and am considering this for the exterior walls of our new build. We would possibly team this with Titania spouting/fascia. What colour roof would go well with this combination?

A. Resene Suits looks great with Titania spouting and fascias. If you think Titania may be too light for the roof, then you might consider using Bone White,  Basalt Base or  Thunder Grey for the roof.

August 2019

Q. I am painting all the walls and doors/trims in my home which has high ceilings, grey oak flooring, mid grey carpet, white kitchen and loads of natural light. It has a modern contemporary/scandinavian look and I want it to be white with no blue undertones and will bring in warmth with my furnishings/wall art.  What white would work best - I'm thinking Resene Alabaster on the walls (or maybe even Resene Half Alabaster)? What colour would I do the skirtings/doors and trims?

As long as your rooms are sunny all day then Resene Alabaster should work well for you. If you want a related white for the skirting boards, doors and other trims then Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Alabaster would be perfect.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
August 2019

Q. My client is using Resene Grey Chateau for his kitchen cupboards, with a neutral stone bench top. What accent colour would you suggest to give a bit of pop to the space?+

A. You could use a true white - Resene White - or a true black - Resene Black  - as they complete the trio of fundamental and timeless neutrals.

Definite colours that you might consider that harmonise well with Resene Grey Chateau which has a unique undertone of stone, silver and lilac -  might be one of these options – Resene Ipanema, Resene Melting Moment, Resene Happy Hour, Resene Ecstasy, Resene Sassy or Resene Paua.

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Ipanema
Resene Ipanema
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Melting Moment
Resene Happy Hour
Resene Happy hour
Resene Ecstasy
Resene Ecstasy
Resene Sassy
Resene Sassy
Resene Paua
Resene Paua
   
August 2019

Q. We have a colonial two storey house with Titania weatherboards, white windows and door joinery and a new Ironsand roof.  We are looking to change the foundation, window trim, box corners etc to a grey tone and thinking of Resene Gauntlet.   Are there any suggestions or challenges with this combination?

A. Resene Gauntlet is a lovely grey with a complex yellow/brown undertone. It is deep enough to create a distinct contrast. If you like this type of colour there are a few others that you might also check out to see if they appeal to you before making up your mind – Resene Quarter Chicago or Resene Gunsmoke.

These are a bit lighter than Resene Gauntlet and have less brown undertone but look really nice with Titania. They both could provide a softer deep contrast.

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Quarter Chicago
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
August 2019

Q. Please help us to choose the right colours for the walls and doors for our internal redecoration.  The house is made from orange bricks and has a similar bright roof with a green garden and green fence. This looks great as a bach not far from the ocean. The walls are light yellow which is very dated and the house is dark inside. The doors are very creamy white, very close to the colours of the walls, with not much contrast. The colour of the carpet is nice olive grey but needs to be replaced after repainting. For the walls we were thinking about something very light green grey.

We remember and are very grateful with your expert advice with repainting our previous house. The result was excellent!! My favourite colour was Resene Double Ash however it was external.

A. To change the interior colours to a fresher look you might check out the following colours – Resene Half Titania, Resene Quarter Ash or Resene Quarter Tana.

Some areas of the house that are not blessed with bright natural light, such as areas like a hallway, may require a brighter lighter colour and in order to tie this in with a light green/grey colour on the main room walls you might use the same lighter colour in an enamel for doors. This is just a thought.

The following colours are worth checking out for dim or shadowy areas – Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Titania
Resene Half Titania
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Tana
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
August 2019

Q. We are about to paint the interior of our new build and we'd like to use white throughout. The house has polished concrete floors and consists of a pavilion and a box on the side - the pavilion will get more light than the box so I was thinking of using a brighter version on the box part, with a quarter or half version in the pavilion part. I'd like a warm white but not too creamy as the ceiling in the pavilion is natural colour ply with black negative detailing. The bathroom is white/white tiles and black tiles in the shower floor, the kitchen units are white, the splashback is turquoise tiles and the wardrobe doors are white. There are brass light fittings in the living area and master bedroom. Could you suggest which white(s) we should use?

A. Here are some white suggestions for you to try: Option 1 – box in Resene Half Rice Cake and pavilion in Resene Rice Cake, or option 2 – box in Resene Half Wan White and pavilion in Resene Wan White.

I would definitely suggest going into your local Resene ColorShop and having a look at the A4 painted samples and take in a sample of your bathroom tiles and kitchen cabinetry to see which white looks best with those samples.

Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
August 2019

Q. I currently have Resene Half Spanish White on my living room walks and I'm wanting to do a feature wall. I'm thinking about a grey colour.  Could you please recommend some greys that would go well with Resene Half Spanish White?

A. You could try Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea - this is a darker grey but could be a nice option if you want to make a bit more a statement.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half
Spanish White
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
August 2019

Q. I would really appreciate some suggestions for a feature wall/accent colour. We have a large open plan living room/kitchen. The living room has a large area of Oamaru stone blockwork behind the fireplace that has a lot of yellow striations through it. The floors are dark Rimu. We plan on painting the walls Resene Quarter Spanish White because it seems to work well with the Oamaru stone. I would like a feature wall colour to paint on one of the walls, and a colour that is complementary to that to paint on the base of the kitchen peninsula. Our furniture/artworks are autumn/earthy colours and I would like something from the yellow/orange/brown palette that works with the browny-yellow Oamaru stone and Resene Spanish White walls.

A. My initial thought is that it would be nice to actually do the same colour on the feature wall as well as the kitchen base but I will give you options for both. I love the sound of using warm colours in this space and I think the following should work really well with the Oamaru stone.

Option 1, try feature wall and kitchen base in Resene Sante Fe, or option 2, try the feature wall in Resene Weathered Orange and the kitchen base in Resene Jetsam Brown.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Weathered Orange
Resene Weathered Orange
Resene Jetsam Brown
Resene Jetsam Brown
August 2019

Q. Could you please provide suggestions for colours for my house exterior? It has a terracotta tile roof, beige coloured tiled sills and black window frames which will remain. I was thinking of a soft pale beige toned colour and would prefer not yellow toning. I was looking at Resene Half Sisal or Resene Quarter Drought for the main. Would I paint the fascia board black or a softer colour? I also need to paint the garage door - should I keep with the same house colour, use black or a different colour?  Do you think this would work or do you have any other suggestions?

A. Resene Half Sisal may still look a little yellow toned when seen in a large amount. Resene Quarter Drought has the same type of warm undertone as the roof. The following are two slightly deeper beige tones that you might check out also – Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Half Sandcastle.

If you don't want the garage door to pop then painting it to match the house will blend it in. But if you wanted it to be a statement then the black option would definitely work that way. 

If the fascia board around the roof line has been painted to match the guttering, if you chose to use black it would be quite dynamic but it will attract a lot of heat. If you wanted another different colour then a deeper variant of the house colour might be considered as an option.

Resene Half Sisal
Resene Half Sisal
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Half Sandcastle
Resene Half Sandcastle
August 2019

Q. Which of the white and neutral colours are good to paint weatherboards?

A. One of these colours may appeal to you - they look very smart on weatherboards – Resene Triple Black White (a grey/white) or Resene Half Napa (a warm beige).

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
August 2019

Q. I'm hoping you could suggest a neutral colour scheme that would suit a city house. I like white on whites - putty toned etc with a bold front door maybe in a deep blue to match our stained glass. The upstairs extension is not the same era as the lower part so I'm trying to disguise it as much as possible. It will be reroofed in light grey or silver and the upstairs window will be replaced with a timber one. The bricks will be bagged and need to be painted as well.

A. These colours might appeal to you – Resene Triple Merino – main, Resene Quarter Titania – all trims and Resene Squall – bricks.

You could use either a bright blue or a bold red for the door – Resene Bewitched or Resene Jalapeno.

Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Squall
Resene Squall
Resene Jalapeno
Resene Jalapeno
August 2019

Q. We're debating painting the rimu skirting boards, windowsills and door trims as part of a renovation of our 1980s brick house.  We will be installing new doors.  If we decide to keep the rimu can you please recommend contemporary neutrals that would complement for the doors, walls and ceiling?  We're planning to do the whole house in a shade of white/neutral with some accents in shades of green/blue.  We're aiming for a contemporary look.  Or would you advise painting the rimu out instead?

A. For a harmonious neutral that likes rimu, try Resene Half Tea, Resene Fossil or Resene Parchment.

Contemporary white/neutral options for the walls might be one of these colours – Resene Merino, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Double Sea Fog.

The rimu could be painted the same colour - but in a semi-gloss enamel not the low sheen acrylic that the walls are painted - this is a modern look.  Or you could add contrast with a crisp clean trim to emphasise the wall colour - i.e. Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White. This is a contemporary look that is timeless and not trend related.

While many people prefer to keep the look of rimu using a stain finish, if the rimu in the house is not a thing that appeals to you or it stops you achieving the look you want then painting over it is worth considering. 

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Parchment
Resene Parchment
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half
Thorndon Cream
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
August 2019

Q. I would like to know some colours that would blend in with a Resene Tuna feature wall in a bedroom with a large east facing window.

A. It may be a case of what looks great in the room with the changing natural and artificial light, existing bed linen, flooring or drapes that are in the room. Resene Tuna is a dignified soft charcoal that has an undertone of steel blue in it. That undertone of colour may be very noticeable in the very early morning easterly light.

The following are some neutrals that I know work with Resene Tuna that you might like to try – Resene Half Merino, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Bianca.

Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half
White Pointer
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
 
August 2019

Q. We are repainting our exterior and have decided on Resene Half Silver Chalice for the weatherboards, Resene Quarter Alabaster for the trims and Resene Double Stack for the decking on the porch. We were thinking of a darker grey for the door - perhaps Resene Tuna or Resene Armadillo. Would you recommend one of those over the other, or suggest other alternatives?

A. Resene Armadillo may be slightly better than Resene Tuna. Or Resene Foundry or Resene Baltic Sea might work also.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
 
August 2019

Q. Our lounge and kitchen walls are painted in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, ceiling Resene Alabaster, trims/doors – Resene Double Alabaster.  The other half of the house does not have as much natural light so want to go a little lighter. Thinking same for ceiling and doors/trims as above but going lighter with the wall colour. Maybe Resene Triple Alabaster?

A. Resene Triple Alabaster (also known as Resene Half Sea Fog) is a possibility.  Another possibility is Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream which is a slightly brighter colour.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
August 2019

Q. I really like Resene Sea Fog as a wall colour but have cream window joinery so won't be able to paint the window trims white. I guess I need to change my wall colour choice to complement a warmer colour for the window frames. Any ideas?

A. It seems that you have already come to the realisation that what you really like and what you have, don't like each other that much.  You don't mention which particular cream joinery colour you have but try this combination as a start – Resene Double Villa White for walls and Resene Half Villa White.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Double Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
August 2019

Q. We are having trouble deciding on an exterior colour.  The house is old and quite large and the two side walls have so much weatherboard that we don't want it to look too weird. We are tossing up between a black exterior and white trim, or a dark or light grey exterior and white trim or a white exterior with grey trim?  The fences will be painted in the same colours as well.  The front door is red.

A. With older boards I would recommend pale colours not super dark colours. Lighter grey and white might be one of these options with some deeper shades for contrast – try Resene Quarter Delta - main, Resene Eighth Rice Cake - trims/windows/under soffits etc, Resene Double Delta - sills, shingles on upstairs area above front door, window hoods, and Resene Condor or (a related colour slightly deeper shade) Resene Possessed. 

These colours - because they carry a warm slightly green edge - will work with the existing red front door. 

Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth
Rice Cake
Resene Double Delta
Resene Double Delta
Resene Condor
Resene Condor
Resene Possessed
Resene Possessed
August 2019

Q. I'm trying to inject some colour and personality into a very stark/white space I've accidentally created, and am just hoping to get some advice on how to warm it up/give it personality. I'd recently painted this spare room white, only to find it very stark and cold (I'm not the best at picking my own colours, which is why I'm reaching out!!).

The room only tends to only get late afternoon sun and I'm hoping to keep the bedding I currently have (mint/light green with tiny bits of pink) as well as new curtains in light grey. I had been looking at putting a feature wall in behind the bed in either Resene Sorbet or Resene Sakura, to brighten things up, but when I put up the swatches, it looks very stark against the white in the room already. Would you have any suggestions for a paint palette or colour for the room to soften and warm it up, and also inject it with some cohesive personality (even a bit quirky/colourful!) and a more put together look (even if this means more colours/painting all the walls, as it's a small room!).

A. If the bedroom was a warmer white colour instead of the particular white it is now, it may make it feel less stark.  You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you and work with the natural light of the room and the bed linen and curtains - Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

Some possibilities for a feature colour - Resene Ethereal, Resene Soothe or Resene Cest La Vie.

All colours in an interior have the potential to look twice the depth (or brightness) that you might imagine they will do. The 'whites' have a warmth and clarity that - fingers crossed - may brighten the room a little bit. The 'feature' colours are pale, warm and slightly dusky but may not look too light even though that might be your first thoughts upon seeing them.

Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Soothe
Resene Soothe
Resene Cest La Vie
Resene Cest La Vie
August 2019

Q. I'd like an orangey front door e.g. Resene Clockwork Orange? And I have thought of Resene Hermitage for weatherboards and ply. Could you advise or suggest an alternate scheme and perhaps a different colour for a courtyard area?  My house is north facing and gets sun and wind.

A. I like the colours that you have mentioned. If you were using Resene Hermitage as the main house colour you might consider using Resene Half Mako for the courtyard walls. But it will make this area feel hotter as it is a deep colour and will absorb the rays of the sun and that may make the ply wall show tiny surface cracks. 

Using a much lighter colour (like Resene Hermitage or paler - i.e. Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue) in this area might be a wiser decision. 

An alternative scheme for the house (and including the courtyard walls) could be like the following - Resene Half Gull Grey and for the door – Resene Sunbaked.  Or Resene Emerge and Resene Influential as the feature door colour.

Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Hermitage
Resene Hermitage
Resene Half Mako
Resene Half Mako
Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue
Resene Quarter
Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Half Gull Grey
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
   
August 2019

Q. We have a bar with an exposed brick wall. We currently have Resene Goblin in the space and dark green herringbone tiles as the kick on the bar front. We have two walls that are fake weatherboards, however we want the brick to be the focal point. What colour would you recommend we use on the walls? We are wanting to achieve warmth in the space.

A. The bar is a very rustic style with lots of timber as well as the bricks. If you want warmth it still has to be harmonious with the Resene Goblin you have used as well as the dark green bricks.  Perhaps the following colours might appeal to you – Resene Putty, Resene Double Haystack, Resene Double Kalgoorie Sands, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Tuscany or Resene Hot August.

Resene Goblin
Resene Goblin
Resene Putty
Resene Putty
Resene Double Haystack
Resene Double Haystack
Resene Double Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Double
Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Sante Fe
Resene Tuscany
Resene Tuscany
Resene Hot August
Resene Hot August
 
August 2019

Q. I plan to paint my townhouse with a Resene oil wood stain. I would like a Scandinavian type style with a red contrast, and something for the carport too. Could you advise me on a modern colour scheme? The windows will be painted in a white.

A. A lot of Scandinavian houses are traditionally stained or painted black. Seeing as the house is already a rich brown you may find that a black stain - Resene Woodsman Crowshead looks a little warmer in tone but that shouldn't be a major disadvantage. The red trim work on a Scandinavian house is often either an oxide like Resene Pioneer Red or a slightly softer tone like Resene Red Herring that is referred to as a Falun red.

A warmed fleecy white colour might be considered for the carport and front door and the underneath part. It will look more coloured if you are comparing to a true white but if you want the windows and the soffits etc to look related then you might use Resene Quarter Merino.

Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
August 2019

Q. I'm looking for a nice green to paint my kitchen cabinets. Something similar to Rivergum but not wanting to scare people away. I'm going to have a farmhouse style kitchen.

A. I think some of these colours may be worth checking out – Resene Viktor, Resene Xanadu or Resene Half Rivergum.

August 2019


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

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