Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller.
Colours are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. I have a Lockwood house built in the 1980s. The walls and cathedral ceilings are beautiful but have mellowed to be yellowish. I want to lift the carpets and paint the floor to lighten up the look and to make it look fresh. I'd like to paint them white but my floor length curtains are cream and I'm afraid this may make one or the other look dirty. What do you recommend? A. By the sounds of the things it would be best to go for a warm white rather than a cool white so that there isn’t as much stark contrast with the curtains. Try Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Cararra. December 2019 |
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Q. Our exterior house colour is Resene Half Black White and the gutters and veranda rail are black. What colour should statement double entrance doors be? A. They should be the colour that you absolutely adore. What is the colour you adore? In the meantime while you are thinking about what you adore the following are a few that other people have used – Resene Code Red, Resene I Dare You, Resene FOMO or Resene Yowza. Or if bright and bold isn't right for you a grey would work well between the white house colour and the black trims – try Resene Bokara Grey. If you visit your nearest Resene ColorShop you could view the super large A4 colour samples in their Colour Library. Seeing large real paint samples this way is tremendously helpful.  Resene I Dare You  Resene FOMO  Resene Yowza December 2019 |
Q. I am repainting a plastered house and need some suggestions. Garage door colour is Grey Friars. Roof colour – to be painted. Joinery is New Denim Blue. Front door/fascia boards/lower shutters set inside plaster walls – all to be stained. Main walls plastered – needs to be painted also. A. The roof could be the same colour as the garage door – Resene Grey Friars, or if you preferred the bluer look of the joinery – Resene New Denim Blue. Some options for you to consider for the plastered surfaces – Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Half Caraway. Some stain colours for the fascias, doors and lower shutters might be one of these – Resene Woodsman Bushtrack or a traditional cedar type colour – Resene Woodsman Cedar. December 2019 |
Q. We’re having to redo our exterior and need to choose a colour scheme. We have a cedar house and we want to remove the burgundy and khaki green from the trims and switch to white. We’re also having to wash and maintain the cedar, which means we need to decide whether we oil or stain, and which colour. We would love your recommendations on colour schemes – both for the cedar and appropriate white for the trims. We think the roof is Ironsand. We also need to know what colour to do the garage door, and front door. A. The cedar – once it has been washed down and treated for mould – would benefit from being stained. The colour in the stain helps to protect the timber from UV bleaching/fading and mould which is hugely attracted to an oiled surface. The stain would need to be recoated frequently – every 2 or 3 years – as it is a thin film that weathers quickly so it can lose its protective factor if it is neglected. Some colours for you to consider are Resene Woodsman Tiri, Iroko or Cedar. Some whites to check out that aren't too stark but do provide a pleasing contrast to the more definite colour of the cedar are Resene Triple Black White, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Titania or Resene Merino. You might paint the garage door to match the roof – Resene Ironsand – if you weren't keen on a whiter colour. December 2019 |
Q. We are painting the interior wall and I can't make up my mind on which shade of white to pick up. Our kitchen is white and we have warm tone (Desert Oak) flooring for the living and dining area. The rest of the rooms are carpet and we have chosen closer to a charcoal colour for it. Our furniture is warmer toned. What colour should we paint the wall? Initially I thought of painting the main wall with Resene Bianca and Resene Alabaster for the ceiling and skirting but it is going to look too warm? The second choice was Resene Quarter Alabaster for the main wall - will that be too stark? A. I think your first option – Resene Bianca – may be slightly too warm and creamy toned. If you reduced the depth of the colour to Resene Half Bianca and also the ceiling and any painted woodwork to Resene Quarter Alabaster you may find it acceptable. Please do paint up very large samples from the testpots onto white card and place them close to the flooring and the kitchen cabinets so you can see how they look together. December 2019 |
Q. I have had my house weatherboards painted with Resene Quarter Ash and window surrounds Resene Half Ash. I would like advice on what colour to paint the concrete border around the bottom. A. The colours that you have now are very gentle and the difference between them is subtle. One of the following colours may appeal to you for the base of the house – Resene Quarter Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Half Evolution or Resene Triple Ash. December 2019 |
Q. Our walls in the family room are Resene Half White Pointer. Our kitchen is in the same area and we are planning to paint the walls Resene Half White Pointer too but our cabinetry is Resene Quarter Tea which we would like to retain if possible. Will Resene Quarter Tea be ok with Resene White Pointer walls? A. Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Quarter Tea are not best friends and are very similar in depth but not enough to make them look harmonious and well co-ordinated when seen in close proximity to each other. If the kitchen cabinets can't be changed then you might consider using a 'whiter' colour for the walls, such as Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. Either of these work really well with Resene Quarter Tea and they do like Resene Half White Pointer. December 2019 |
Q. . My roof, downpipes and spouting is in FlaxPod, as is the recently installed joinery. I am partial to Resene Quarter Bokara Grey and like dark warm greys as well. I’m wondering whether it would be too dark to do both levels the same colour and what would be a good colour palette to go with it. A. I like Resene Half Baltic Sea which is slightly softer toned and not as dark as Resene Quarter Bokara Grey – you might check it out to see if it appeals to you. It looks good with FlaxPod. For the weatherboards you could try Resene Triple Merino or Resene Triple Sea Fog. December 2019 |
Q. I want to achieve a light airy 'Scandinavian' feel in my new open plan kitchen/dining/living room. We'll be having wood laminate flooring (probably in a light oak) and carpet on the floor. What colour to do the walls? The room is north facing and gets quite a bit of light. I favour warm whites but might also look at a very light blue-ish grey. A. For warm whites you could try Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Albescent White. For a blue-ish grey try Resene Quarter Grey Chateau or Resene Half Dusted Blue. December 2019 |
Q. I'm going to go with Resene Steel Grey painted Axon panel cladding and Appliance White joinery. I'm looking for a lighter coloured COLORSTEEL® roof but still in the blue grey tone. Would Resene Sword go do you think? Would you make guttering and downpipes this colour too? A. I think Resene Sword would work perfectly for your roof and yes I would use it on the guttering and downpipes as well. You’re definitely on the right track. December 2019 |
Q. I’m thinking of having the roof painted in Grey Friars and new guttering in the same colour. Then painting the house a light grey colour and lastly the aluminium joinery recoloured. As the joinery will be last and there could be a bit of time between the roof/gutters and that being done I’m keen on some colour options that would look ok with the green joinery. A. A light grey tone would work perfectly. You could try Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Eighth Tapa. December 2019 |
Q. I am looking to paint the outside of my house. There is currently some stonework, cedar work and a dark grey COLORBOND® roof (unsure of the exact colour as we bought not built the property). I am looking at choosing a grey tone that will work in well with those current features but not sure what greys might work. Not too dark as to make the house too dominant. Also the windows will remain white so needs to work in with that too. A. A lighter grey than the roof would be a good option. For the main walls try Resene Half Tapa, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Foggy Grey. December 2019 |
Q. I need help with choosing a complementary wall colour for my kitchen. My cupboard doors are Resene Triple Sea Fog and want to stay light as the kitchen is a darker room. A. The following colours and are lighter than the cupboard doors but related – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster (also known as Resene Quarter Sea Fog). Or try one of these colours which are warm colours and reflect light well – Resene Rice Cake, Resene Half Merino or Resene Double Bianca. December 2019 |
Q. We are building a contemporary villa on a block of land surrounded by mature trees and established garden (we have moved the old villa off). We are having COLORSTEEL® Titania for the roof (high pitch) and the windows and doors the same colour. We are needing advice from you as we need to select a colour for vertical exterior boards. We would like a light colour for exterior cladding. A. Some light colour suggestions for you to check out are – Resene Quarter Titania (related to the roof and joinery colour), Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Ecru White. These colours work well with the yellow/grey/green of Titania. If you felt you wanted to make the Titania look paler than the main house colour you might consider one of the following options – Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Bone or Resene Greige. They aren't dark but they are more definite hues. December 2019 |
Q. I have chosen five colours to paint my house interior, Resene Peace, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Athens Grey and Resene Alabaster. My kitchen is white with black benchtop, carpet dark grey, and light wooden floorboards. Do these colours go well with together with the house décor? How would these colours be best applied to the interior? I just really want to use two of the three greys. A. If it is greys that you are seeking then you might rule out Resene Peace as it is a soft pastoral green and a lot deeper than the other colours you mention. Some information about these greys – Resene Silver Chalice – this may appear to be a lot deeper than you might imagine it will look – all colours in an interior have the potential to double up their depth in certain situations. If you wanted to use this particular colour you might use it for doors (it won't show as much finger marking as a paler colour would) or even an office space or as a feature wall in the lounge. Resene Half Silver Chalice – this may have the right depth to use in large very bright rooms. Resene Quarter Silver Chalice – this may look appealing in smaller rooms or those that aren't blessed with all day sun. Resene Athens Grey – this is a soft tint and appears less grey compared to the other colours listed – it might be a good neutral to have in bedrooms. Resene Alabaster – as your white – for trims and ceilings – will add a crisp detail to lift the greys and stop them looking too business like.  Resene Peace December 2019 |
Q. Can you please help me find a muted (non-descript/neutral, blend in with nature, clean) shade of grey/green/blue (the sort of colour you cannot call any one of those!) or stone colour, in light to mid tone for exterior walls of a timber clad bungalow and garage. It is currently painted in Titania with Grey Friar trims and base. The trims and fencing are to be darker charcoal or black and I would also appreciate suggestions for window trims (five imposing bay windows with leadlights!). The front door will be a pop of colour, either glossy magenta or tiffany/aqua blue. I find the current Titania colour too beige, although it is not bad on the north facing (rear/garden) side, but quite 'dirty' looking from the front (south facing). The interior is shades of grey/duck egg, accented with pinks/purples/greens. A. Colours often look less than desirable on the south side of the house. The southerly aspect of natural light is not kind to colours – often they grey up too much and look a bit dingy or are sharp/sour. Duck egg colours can look too cool/grey and lacking in the pretty undertones that you associate with the colour when seen on the south side of the house. You may need to carefully test quite a few colours – on the south side especially because it is the front – in order to find one that doesn't react to that particular aspect of natural light. The following are some muted neutral grey/green/blues colours and stone colours to try – Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Tasman, Resene Loblolly, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Half Copyrite or Resene Dusted Grey. Getting the right colour for the house comes first. Once you have this you can choose your special front door colour and window trim colour. December 2019 |
Q. We have an art deco style house, with a flat roof etc. We are undergoing renos and will have new aluminium joinery in Arctic White, and the new roof will be COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. While you can't see much of the roof, you can see the flashings all the way around the top edge of the house. We will most likely get the new front door done in Ironsand too. We had always envisaged painting our house in maybe a light or medium grey colour. What would complement the Ironsand well? I don't want the overall look looking too beige or having purple undertones, but looking grey, clean and modern but not too cold. We also have concrete steps at the front door, and back door, which will also need repainting. What colour would you suggest? I think Ironsand would be a bit too strong, but I think having the the same colour as the house wouldn't quite work either. A. I think creating a contrast is a good idea. For the main walls try Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Delta. For the concrete steps, I would suggest having a contrast between the walls and the roof as well. You could try Resene Armadillo or Resene Quarter Ironsand. December 2019 |
Q. We are going to be painting the exterior of our house as well as our roof and are going for a completely new colour scheme (so exciting but so scary too!!) Our house is 20 years old and is a two storey townhouse with a COLORSTEEL® roof and the cladding is concrete Hardiboard. We have aluminium joinery that is an off-white cream colour and we are not wanting to change that at all. In terms of colour, I am keen to go with a dark roof and we are quite keen on using the Resene Grey Friars colour for this. For the main exterior colour, we are looking at using Resene Napa as we quite like the warmth of it. We at first were thinking of using a grey shade for the exterior and we tried Resene Stack and Resene Double Stack, but have now decided against the grey tones. We have also done a test of Resene Double Truffle, but again feel this is a bit too grey. Our soffit colour we are thinking of using is Resene Half Black White. We are wanting a fresh and more modern look for our house and something that will complement our outdoor area with hedging, grass, our new (as yet unstained!) deck and small garden. Are there any other colours/colour combinations you suggest that we try? Because our house has quite a large exterior area to paint, I'm just unsure if we should go with Resene Napa or darker with Resene Double Napa as I know the larger the area, generally the lighter a colour looks. Our main outside area faces west and it gets all of the afternoon and evening sun shining directly onto the house so I don't want the colour to be too bright. We have a small amount of blockwork under our house in some areas (our house is on a slope) – what colour would this get painted? Lastly, we are currently upgrading our deck in our backyard and will stain this at some point too – what deck stain colour would work well with the colour options we are looking at for our house? A. I think what you have chosen is great and Resene Napa definitely won't look too grey, it has a bit of a brown tinge to it which gives it its warmth. Being that our sun is so strong colours on the exterior do have the tendency to fade. I think you could get away with going for Resene Double Napa and it won't be too intense. Like you say, on a bigger scale they lighten up also. Another option you could try that you may not have looked at is Resene Pravda. This is very similar to Resene Double Napa, just ever so slightly less brown but not a cold grey. In terms of the blockwork, I would suggest either painting it the same as your main walls or you could go two shades lighter so for Resene Double Napa I would suggest Resene Half Napa. For Resene Pravda do Resene Quarter Napa. I hope that makes sense. In regards to the deck, I would suggest going for more of a charcoal coloured stain rather than a natural timber but let me know if you'd prefer to stick with the natural tones. You could try Resene Tiri or Resene Smokey Ash. December 2019 |
Q. I am going to paint our bach. I wish to paint the downstairs area which consists of two bedrooms and a bathroom. The area does not have a lot of light and can be very cold. We have recently put whitewashed ply on the ceilings and I now need to paint the walls. I want something warm and soothing. I am currently looking at Resene Duck Egg Blue. Your thoughts? If I were to choose Resene Duck Egg Blue what colour would you suggest for the trims, door frames etc given that I would like a white tone? A. Personally, Resene Duck Egg Blue is one of my favourite colours. I think it would work perfectly with white washed ply, couldn't have picked a better colour myself. Some options for the architraves, skirtings etc are Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Wan White. December 2019 |
Q. We are having difficulty choosing colours for the exterior of our house. We have settled on Resene Parchment for the main weatherboards and we like Resene Amulet for the barge boards, and because the guttering is painted we will paint the new colour onto it. We want to incorporate a third colour to contrast with Resene Amulet, the third colour will be used on the vertical triangle areas as a kind of feature. We have tried a few lighter shades of green with no luck so we thought darker would do the trick. We are thinking Resene Dingley or would we need to go darker? It’s a small house on a rear section so not visible from distance. A. Resene Dingley – because it is brighter and more yellow/green – may not respond well with Resene Amulet. You might check out the following greens – Resene Tom Thumb, Resene Glade Green or lighter – Resene Nourish. December 2019 |
Q. I have just painted the weatherboards Resene Triple Merino and around the windows Resene Half Merino. Surrounding my house is a newly painted fence in Grey Friars. Please help with colour choices for: the bottom of the house, the roof and the deck. Do I need a colour in the window sill? The front and back door are currently black is that ok? I would like the deck to look more part of the house to make the front of the house appear bigger. I like Ironsand but am not sure how it will go with the Grey Friars. The bottom of the house is currently Resene Stack but I’m happy to change it. A. You don't need a window sill colour – that is a personal choice. I have noticed that windows often look larger and make a crisper statement if the sills are exactly the same as surrounds and sashes. For the roof – Resene Ironsand is an olive/brown based charcoal. It does look good with the other colours you have on the house. It might not look that good if it was very close to Resene Grey Friars, which is a steel blue toned dark charcoal. Have you considered using Resene Grey Friars as a roof colour? If you didn't use it on the roof – because you preferred the Ironsand – and you were wanting to link in the Grey Friars (from the fences) to the house you could use it for doors – both garage and house doors. As long as they are slightly removed visually from the roof colour there would be less discord between them. The deck might be one of these colours – top rail and handrails could be the same as the windows – Resene Half Merino – this maintains the same line as the window sills. The balustrades and posts on the deck could be the same as the house colour – Resene Triple Merino – that would help the deck to look part of the house. The floor of the deck could be the same colour as the base of the house – Resene Foggy Grey or a deeper shade – Resene Half Tapa or Resene Quarter Gravel. These greys harmonise well with Resene Triple Merino and Resene Ironsand. December 2019 |
Q. I've been testing some charcoals to paint our south-facing bedroom, and really like two I've applied: Resene Chicago and Resene Quarter Bokara Grey but neither are quite right... would you please recommend a charcoal with the intensity of Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, but with less brown to it, and a shade similar in quality to Resene Chicago, but with more depth/intensity? The colours like Resene Porter and Resene Foundry are too dark, I'd like something lighter, but still with warmth/depth [if that makes sense!] A. You could try Resene Tuna or Resene Half Fuscous Grey. December 2019 |
Q. What is a nice darker grey for a wall in the bedroom and a lighter grey for the other three walls? I would like to follow the lighter grey into the rest of the house. A. You could try Resene Half Tuna as the feature wall with Resene Half Silver Chalice as the lighter grey. Or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey as the feature wall with Resene Quarter Foggy Grey for the lighter grey. Or for a lighter option try Resene Shuttle Grey for the feature wall with Resene Concrete. December 2019 |
Q. We are painting the exterior of our house which is plaster and LINEA® with Bronco aluminium window frames. Our house has little street appeal and we want to give it some 'pop' factor. We have chosen Bronco for the roof, spouting, fascia and soffits, Ironsand for the stucco and want the LINEA® boards to make a statement in a reddy brown/russet colour. We tried Resene Mocha but that is too orangey. A. A reddy brown/russet colours might be one of the following – Resene Red Oxide, Resene Fahrenheit or Resene Red Planet, or browner colours Resene Hairy Heath or Resene Moccaccino. If you visit your nearest Resene ColorShop view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library – seeing a larger amount of the colour will make it easier to choose. December 2019 |
Q. Just after a recommended colour for my soffits. Our roof colour is FlaxPod and our cladding is a white brick and cedar that is a light oak stain. Would be great to have a recommendation on a dark colour and maybe a light colour. A. Try Resene Triple Merino (light but not too white) or Resene Windswept (similar to FlaxPod but a lighter/softer deep colour). December 2019 |
Q. We are painting the interior of our house. We would like to use Resene Half Bianca on the walls. What colour would you recommend for the trims (window/door frames and baseboards)? A. You have several options – if you would prefer a little more depth then you could use the full strength colour – Resene Bianca. But if you want a very subtle colour difference that is lighter then you could use Resene Quarter Bianca or a brighter/whiter colour like Resene Quarter Alabaster. December 2019 |
Q. I need an exterior wall colour to complement a Grey Friars roof. The balcony is now steel (Woodland Grey). Unfortunately I didn't realise that Woodland Grey was not the same hue as Grey Friars, so will have to live with that. I intend to match the Grey Friars roof, with the gutter and barge board. Would Resene Sea Fog be a suitable choice for the exterior walls? Would Resene Forecast be suitable for decking on the balcony? Or is there another combination you would recommend? A. Resene Sea Fog or slightly deeper – Resene Double Sea Fog. I mention slightly deeper as colours on an exterior often look lighter/brighter because of the way the sunlight strips the depth out of a colour. If you were to use Resene Forecast on the decking it may look a bit too 'baby blue' in comparison with the deeper steel grey/blue of the GF roof and guttering and barge boards. You might check out the following pale grey colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Surrender or Resene Double Surrender. But you might consider one of these colours that work with Resene Sea Fog and Thunder Grey (Resene Squall) very sympathetically and still associates well with Grey Friars – Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Friar Grey (not Grey Friars – a different colour – Friar Grey). December 2019 |
Q. I love the wood details in our home and would like a colour to complement it all. The lounge is open plan with the kitchen which is quite dark as there are no windows, so a lighter colour is preferable. I am not keen on white. A. You may like to try Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Triple Rice Cake, Resene Double Wheatfield, or a richer colour – Resene Smoothie. The colours look lovely with wood and have a lightness to them that might help with the kitchen being without windows. December 2019 |
Q. We have painted our retaining walls Grey Friars. We want to now paint the Hardiplank house and roof. We have white joinery and white guttering. We are thinking a light grey for the house and a dark roof. A. I would actually recommend you paint your roof in Resene Grey Friars (the same as your retaining wall). For the Hardiplank you could try Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Foggy Grey or Resene Grey Seal. December 2019 |
Q. I am painting my bedroom Resene Quarter Tea with white trim. I want a feature wall in a slate type colour that I can hang a black picture on. The wall can't be a harsh black as it is a bedroom. I would like it to be soft and to tone with the Resene Quarter Tea. A. For the feature wall try Resene Quarter Masala, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Baltic Sea. December 2019 |
Q. We are painting a small rural weatherboard cottage Resene Ironsand with Resene Black White trims. We currently have a green roof which is not in need of painting. I don't much like the colour so am keen to paint it out on the two doors. Keen to make it look updated and worry that using a shade of green on the doors still isn't the look I want. The painter has suggested Resene Ironsand doors but am now not sure if having no contrast is a bit dull? A. I wouldn't suggest painting the doors the same as the weatherboards – you’re right, it needs some contrast. You could try Resene Black White (same as trims) or Resene Quarter Ironsand. If you are using darker colours I would definitely recommend using Resene CoolColour technology. December 2019 |
Q. I'm painting our walls Resene Alabaster, what colour should I paint the woodwork and ceilings? A. Your best option for this would be to paint them Resene Quarter Alabaster to provide a contrast. December 2019 |
Q. We are doing an exterior repaint of a weatherboard bungalow. The roof will remain green and most of the house white. Can you please suggest a colour for gable end, sills and front door with an appropriate white that would up-date the look? A. For the main house try Resene Double Black White with Resene Quarter Black White under the soffits, window sashes, on window surrounds, door frames etc. Try Resene Grey Area for the gables, roof line barge boards, door and window sills and Resene Pohutukawa for the doors (works well with the green roof and warm greys and whites). Or for another option try Resene Half Rice Cake for the main house with Resene Eighth Rice Cake under the soffits, window sashes, on window surrounds, door frames – Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Try Resene Triple Rice Cake on the gables, roof line barge boards, door and window sills and Resene Cabbage Pont for doors (a deeper green so that the green roof isn't the only lonely green on the house).  Resene Grey Area December 2019 |
Q. We are trying to find a black/grey for the exterior of our house with an LRV of approx 12% or higher. The roof, joinery and garage door are FlaxPod (same as Resene Element). We were looking at Resene Armadillo for the exterior but it seems to be a bit green. Would Resene Steel Grey be more suitable with Resene Element or are there any other colours you could suggest? A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Half Fuscous Grey. December 2019 |
Q. I am repainting the inside of my house for sale. It has had a Resene Truffle on the internal walls which was too dark for it. I am going with Resene Alabaster for the ceiling and trims, and trying to choose between Resene Bianca and Resene Half Bianca for the walls. I want a warm colour but not particularly yellow. A. You may see very little contrast or difference between Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Bianca. Their colour codes are very closely related. If you were to use Resene Bianca would look lovely and warm and not too yellow toned. Or you might check out Resene Quarter Villa White which is similar but has slightly less cream in it. December 2019 |
Q. I am looking to install a black kitchen splashback. I would like it to be black and metallic. Can you please suggest a colour? It is going to be a mirrored splashback. A. Try Resene Extraterrestrial or Resene Blast Grey 3. They are the darkest metallic colours.  Resene Extraterrestrial December 2019 |
Q. If we have Slate roof and Silver Pearl joinery what are some options for our exterior plaster? What is another option for the joinery? We prefer light joinery as you won’t see any joinery from where you view the roof. A. Try these colours to see if they appeal – Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Kensington Grey. These colours will blend in with the Silver Pearl. Alternatively a paler option – Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. The window joinery will look slightly deeper but not so much that it stands out too much. If you want another option for the window joinery you might consider Titania. Warmer colours that work with Titania are these types of colours – Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Ash or Resene Triple Rice Cake. December 2019 |
Q. What would be a nice pale warm grey colour for walls in a retro style beach bach, keeping the ceiling white Cape Cod style? A. The actual white of the ceiling will affect which grey works best but I can make some suggestions anyway if you don’t know it and then I would recommend trying testpots of the colours next to your ceiling to see what suits. Try Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Triple Sea Fog. December 2019 |
Q. I would love some advice on colours for a house exterior. We will be painting the roof and trim too. We are stuck with khaki green aluminium around the windows and front door. A. In order to integrate the green window joinery and doors – so it isn't the only/lonely green on the house - you might consider using the exact same colour on the roof and garage doors. But if that is too much green for you then that colour might be used just on the fences. It may be a powder coat colour called Karaka – you might need to confirm that it is that colour. If it is then Resene has a version of it available – Resene Karaka. Some colour options that may appeal to you are the following – Resene Bone White, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Merino. The trims might be one of these lighter/whiter types of colour – Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Titania or Resene Quarter Merino. It is possible to change the front door colour. It can be painted with a special etch primer for powder coated metals – and two coats of gloss enamel in a colour of your choice. If you haven't any colour thoughts in that regard then the following may appeal to you – and the colour might be used for the window sills if desired – Resene Salsa or Resene Influential. December 2019 |
Q. What type of purple or teal goes well with Resene Tea? The outside of our house is painted Resene Tea and we are trying to choose a colour for the front door and like teal options and purple – tending towards strong jewel/earthy tones. What would you recommend? A. For teal you could try Resene Teal Blue or Resene Undercurrent. Or for purple you could try Resene Honey Flower or Resene Plum. December 2019 |
Q. 12 years ago I had the interior of my house painted with Resene Half Tea, the ceilings and trims white but I’m not sure which white. I want to freshen up the house and am looking at Resene Alabaster for ceilings and trims and Resene Sea Fog for walls apart from the master bedroom which would be Resene Duck Egg Blue. The house is large and light but does not have a high ceiling. All rooms get north facing light apart from the study and spare bedroom. Will these cool colours make it less welcoming? A. The colours you have picked out are absolutely perfect. Resene Duck Egg Blue is stunning. You’re right in saying that they are cooler colours, particularly compared to Resene Half Tea but it is still going to be an inviting environment. It'll feel fresh and calm but I wouldn't say cold. December 2019 |
Q. We want to paint the outside of our house and wondered if you could help us select colours. We thought we would paint the battens a different colour to the house. We have tried grey and find it's not us. We have looked at Resene Bianca as the main colour and Resene Biscotti as the highlight and are drawn to it but are not totally sure if they are the right colours. We have thought about using another colour in the veranda area to give it an accent and feel welcoming but not sure how to go about choosing the colour for this either – strong or soft etc. We are also changing the front fence to a picket fence and it will be white with exposed posts painted the same colour as the battens. A. Your idea of painting the battens on the house a different colour needs to be considered with caution. If the battens were a soft tinted white that related to a slightly deeper variant of the same colour for the main portion of the house then it would look charming. The other way – deeper coloured battens not related to the coloured white – may not work as well – it could be too much 'look at me' stripes demanding attention. However it is a personal choice and it is your opinion that ultimately matters most. You could try – main house colour – Resene Half Biscotti with battens, window sashes, veranda posts in Resene Eighth Biscotti, veranda decorative detailing and window and door surround in Resene Lumberjack and doors in Resene Courage. Try Resene Quarter Bianca for the new picket fence, under soffits, roof line fascias and guttering. December 2019 |
Q. We are looking at painting the exterior of our two-level plastered block and brick house. We have a relatively new Gull Grey COLORSTEEL® roof and white PVC joinery so are looking for a colour scheme that will complement but perhaps isn’t too grey. We want to paint everything including the garage doors, gable ends, all trims and brick/block. A. There are few different things you could do so I will suggest a few different options. Option 1 – Bargeboards, soffits, gable ends, window sills and block in Resene Half Sea Fog, brick and garage doors in Resene Element. Or this option is very different from the first but gives you a totally different option – bargeboards, soffits, gable ends and window sills in Resene Wan White, block and brick in Resene Triple Sea Fog, with garage doors in Gull Grey to match the roof (you can request the COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey at your Resene ColorShop). December 2019 |
Q. I'm painting a feature wall in Resene Permanent Green, the room get lots of light and the floor is Matai wooden boards. What colours would complement Resene Permanent Green that are lighter tones? A. Try Resene Rice Cake or Resene Albescent White. December 2019 |
Q. I need to paint a rental bungalow inside and out. For the interior I am considering Resene Double Sea Fog. Please advise a suitable white for timber trim and any other thoughts. Kitchen – we are considering giving it a retro look. White trim with doors and cupboard painted in Resene Awash (green/blue). On the exterior the roof is dark grey (perhaps Ironsand or Grey Friars). Windows are mainly white so was thinking that we could paint the weatherboard a soft grey perhaps Resene Double Sea Fog again. A. Resene Double Sea Fog is a great colour and I think it will suit the interior of this bungalow. Try Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster. For the kitchen I like the retro idea. Resene Awash is a really nice colour. I would use the same white that you select for the interior trims (as above). For the exterior I think a light grey would great. You may find that Resene Double Sea Fog will look too light outside and rather than looking like a light grey it would just look like an off white. It might be better to go slightly darker than that. Try Resene Half Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. December 2019 |
Q. We want to paint the exterior of our house and would like some advice. We want to go for more of a black/grey/white colour scheme. We need to stain the cedar shingle tiles so these will have to be quite a dark colour to go over the current colouring. We may look at changing the windows to double glazed with a white frame at some point but not yet. In the meantime I am a bit worried they will look quite brown with the black/grey colours. A. Perhaps one of the following might be considered – Resene All Black or not as dark – Resene Element. The cedar shingles might be a warm charcoal – Resene Woodsman Sheer Black or Tiri. The bricks might be one of these 'whites' – they are more coloured than a standard white. Try Resene Triple Black White or Resene Athens Grey. If you do get white powder coated double glazed windows they will stand out as lighter/brighter/crisper compared to the main house colour. There are several powdercoat white colours. I recommend that you don't choose Arctic White as it is an unusual blue/grey toned white. It makes 'real' white paint look warm by comparison. You might look at Appliance White or Pearl White – I have found that these particular whites work with lots of other colours. December 2019 |
Q. We are thinking of painting our house with Resene Half Bokara Grey with a white trim. What would you suggest for the roof colour that would complement this? A. You could try Resene Ironsand or Resene Element. December 2019 |
Q. I have gone for Melteca® Snowdrift White for my kitchen cabinets (with a woodgrain for above shelving and cabinets). I am trying to decide on a white for the walls. It is a new build with lots of natural light and big windows, black joinery and modern exterior/interior. Do you have a suggestion for walls and ceiling/trim that will work with the Snowdrift? A. You could try Resene Sea Fog main walls with Resene Alabaster for trims. Or Resene Wan White main walls with Resene Quarter Wan White. December 2019 |
Q. I have just replaced my roof with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. I like the colours Resene Quarter Masala and Resene Half Masala with Resene Half Orchid White on windows, I have a 1969 weatherboard house. Any other suggestions that will do with an Ironsand roof and Resene Half Orchid White window framing? A. Resene Quarter Masala and Resene Half Masala do look really good with Ironsand and Resene Half Orchid White. You could also try Resene Gauntlet or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey. December 2019 |
Q. We need help to decide the stain colour (Resene Waterborne Woodsman) for our house. The roof is freshly painted with Resene New Denim Blue. A. Perhaps try a rich red/brown – Resene Waterborne Woodsman Dark Oak or a serious brown – Resene Waterborne Woodsman Treehouse or a gingery/tan – Resene Waterborne Woodsman Nutmeg. They would all work well with Resene New Denim Blue. December 2019 |
Q. We are about to paint the exterior of our home. The COLORBOND® roof is Classic Cream and the gutters are Pale Eucalypt. What colour would you suggest for the cladding and front door? We are open to painting the bricks downstairs too. Note the green battens on the left side of the house will be replaced with cladding and windows and the wrought iron gate at the top of the stairs removed. You don’t really see the roof because of the elevated site. A. Even though the roof isn't really seen – the Pale Eucalypt guttering will be. With that in mind you might consider having the front door in the same colour. That way the green guttering would have a friend. If the door is being painted then the match colour is Resene Paddock. Unless the new colour on the cladding matched the colour of the bricks exactly it may end up not quite looking right. So – yes – it may be a good idea to paint the bricks – either exactly the same or a subtle tonal variant of the cladding colour. You could try for both the cladding and bricks – Resene Double Bianca or lighter for the cladding – Resene Half Bianca and Double Bianca for the bricks. Or for both the cladding and bricks – try Resene Double White Pointer or lighter for the cladding – Resene Quarter White Pointer and Double White Pointer for the bricks. N.B. This option only works because the roof colour isn't seen. If the roof colour was seen it might look discordant. December 2019 |
Q. We are currently renovating our master bedroom and I was wondering if you would be able make some suggestions around what colour to paint the walls. It is north facing and has large windows that let in a lot of natural light. We have painted a testpot of Resene Robin Egg Blue on one of the walls but it looks too similar to the Resene Half Duck Egg Blue in the hallway. Throughout the house, the skirting, doors and architraves are all rimu and in the master bedroom we are also installing new cedar window sashes. Would you be able to make a suggestion that would be a safe colour for this room and perhaps one that is a little bolder that would keep within this colour palette? A. You could try one of these colours – Resene Powder Blue, Resene Half Washed Green, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue. The colours are a bit deeper – that can look more sophisticated or have a warmer ambiance – especially with wood trims.  Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue December 2019 |
Q. I would like to ask your opinion if COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod as a roof colour matches Resene Baltic Sea on weatherboard feature cladding (e.g. gable, patio post/column, walls on the side of entrance door). A. If you want an exact colour match to FlaxPod our Resene equivalent is Resene Element. I am wondering if you mean does Resene Baltic Sea work nicely with FlaxPod and the answer is yes. Resene Baltic Sea is a really beautiful colour and there’s still enough contrast between the two to look like different colours. December 2019 |
Q. I would like a slightly warmer colour than Resene White Pointer for a dark but large living area which is open plan with a kitchen painted Resene White Pointer. A. You might try a deeper variant of White Pointer – i.e. Resene Double White Pointer. If that greys up too much or looks too deep toned in the dark but large living room then you could look at the following colours – Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Eighth Napa. December 2019 |
Q. What is the most popular grey colour used on bedrooms? We are going to do grey and white and want a grey that won’t make the room dark. A. You could try Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Half Foggy Grey. December 2019 |
Q. We are in the process of building our home. We are going to paint the interior in Resene Ecru White (main living/kitchen), Resene Half Ecru White (hall/bedrooms/bathrooms) and Resene Triple Ecru White (family room). We would like to have a feature wall in our kids’ bedrooms – can you please advise on a shade of pink and perhaps green or blue that would work nicely with Resene Half Ecru White. Also, what shade of white would you suggest for the ceiling and doors? A. For the ceilings and doors you could try Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Wan White. For the pink room try Resene Sakura or Resene Paper Doll. For the green/blue room try Resene Unwind or Resene Juniper. December 2019 |
Q. We are currently building. Our house will have a lot of natural light, with big windows, large slider doors and north facing. I am loving the Resene Black White range but am not too sure of what depth to go with. We want to create a light, bright, neutral space. Would Resene Double Black White on the walls be too dark or would you recommend Resene Black White? Would Resene Quarter Black White on the trims and doors work too? A. Resene Black White is a good choice for the walls. Colours in an interior can look a little deeper especially in hallways and smaller rooms that aren't as blessed with bright natural sunlight. You might consider using a slightly deeper tone for the doors – Resene Double Black White. This would add a little eye interest and help to disguise the finger marking that occurs with constant touching of the doors. Skirting boards and door and window frames could match the walls but would have a semi-gloss enamel finish. Or alternatively they might match the door colour. Ceilings are often much paler/whiter than the walls and woodwork. Resene Quarter Black White is a good choice as it adds a crisp contrast. December 2019 |
Q. We are trying to find a good cool colour to repaint the previously painted cedar and red trim on our 1988 brick and cedar house. The colour would have to tie in with a black roof, reddish bricks (with dark grey grouting) and bronze anodised window joinery. The house has an updated sectional garage door which we think might be COLORSTEEL® Karaka, but not definite on that and the exterior cedar does not necessarily have to match the garage door. A. You might check out the following suggestions to see if they appeal to you – Resene Friar Grey, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Cobblestone. December 2019 |
Q. Can you please advise which is the latest white on trend? We are building a minor dwelling and want to paint the lounge and bedroom. It should be bright as there are plenty of windows and the other colours are medium grey carpet dark grey lounge suite with oak/white furniture. I am interested in which colours to paint the interior doors (one is wide with four panes of glass) which have black hardware and walls, ceiling. A. The grey carpet and darker grey lounge suite may work well with one of these options – both are very popular – Resene Black White or Resene Half Sea Fog. Using a slightly deeper white for the interior doors is a good call as they do get constantly touched so grubby marks show up – try Resene Black White or Resene Sea Fog. If you wanted to see a clean crisp contrast between the wall colour and the ceiling you might use a standard white – Resene White. December 2019 |
Q. I have a property in a bush area overlooking farm and an estuary which I’m looking to paint. I have an early 1990s two storey board and batten building and three little cottages on the same property. I have ordered new COLORSTEEL® roofs in FlaxPod and the existing joinery is possibly Karaka. At the moment I am considering Resene Bokara Grey in CoolColour as an exterior colour as it seems to go well with the joinery. However even with the CoolColour, I am concerned about the boards absorbing heat and warping as firstly, the wood on the houses have never had any stain or paint on them before, and secondly they have been partially reclad – meaning the buildings are now a mix of old and new wood. One side of the building has already had a white undercoat in preparation for the CoolColour Resene Bokara Grey, but I don’t think it’s too late to change my mind! I do love the thought of a white farmhouse type of look. Could you suggest any light colours that will go with a FlaxPod roof and Karaka joinery? I’m also looking for a stain for the decks and a colour, either stain or paint, for the handrails and pergolas. A. I think you are right to be concerned about the timber on the houses not being 100% happy with very dark colours. Light colours will be kinder to the board and batten cladding. These are some options for you to consider – Resene Titania, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Triple Merino or Resene Quarter Ash. These are not very light/white colours – so they won't be too stark. They are earthy and harmonize well with the bush, the farm and the estuary and the FlaxPod and Karaka. The decks could be Resene Woodsman Iroko and the handrails and pergolas could be a deeper colour – Resene Woodsman Touch Wood. Resene Touch Wood looks very nice with the FlaxPod and the Karaka and the lighter earthy colour – Resene Iroko – on the deck won't be too deep a colour so that you could walk on it with bare feet in the summer. December 2019 |
Q. Our house is currently Resene Double Arrowtown and the roof and joinery are New Denim Blue. We want to change the house colour as it is quite dated. Please could you suggest some colours that would go well with New Denim Blue which would be light and modernise the house. A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Quarter Napa, Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Delta. December 2019 |
Q. I have a beautiful English style kitchen which is painted in Resene Rice Cake. The colour on the walls is Resene Half Parchment which I do not like as its very dull and yellowy cream. Is there a white that would complement the Resene Rice Cake and still keep it all looking crisp? A. You could go slightly lighter – Resene Quarter Villa White or Resene Half Rice Cake. Or slightly deeper – Resene Double Rice Cake. December 2019 |
Q. I have two 1970s home units with yellow brown brick, charcoal decra roofs, silver aluminium joinery and Grey Friars spouting. I need colours for garage doors, eaves, wall panels, porch/deck concrete and the front doors. I am thinking grey and blue tones but open to any suggestions. A. The charcoal roof and the Grey Friars spouting leads toward using more of that type of colour. The following colours are worth checking out – the garage doors could be Resene Grey Friars – that would help tie in with what is already on the units. The block base of the building and porch could be Resene Quarter Grey Friars. Under the eaves and the wall panels could be a bright warm neutral – Resene Eighth Wheatfield – to co-ordinate with the bricks. The front door could be a dark distinguished blue colour – i.e. Resene Twilight Zone. December 2019 |
Q. We are getting our kitchen cupboards sprayed as they are currently a mustard/green colour and we want to change them to a more contemporary colour. The marble bench top is staying unfortunately so the cupboard colour has to work with that and also a rosewood coloured bar. The kitchen walls are Resene Half Tea (the house walls are mainly Resene Half Tea or Resene Quarter Tea) and the ceiling is Resene Quarter Tea. The area above the hob top is matte black, which I like. The floor tiles are neutral with pale beige markings. A. When you have multiple coloured elements that are not being changed they must be taken into account and any new colour must work with them. Your freedom of choice is compromised. I am not 100% certain that a lighter (whiter) colour would work as it may clash with the light floor tiles and lighter wall tiles. If you were contemplating changing the wall and ceiling colour that would open up more options for you to consider. Because of the existing Resene Half Tea and Resene Quarter Tea it may pay to consider using one of the following deeper colours for the cabinetry – Resene Tea, Resene Double Tea or Resene Triple Tea. December 2019 |
Q. Our roof and garage door are COLORSTEEL® Lignite. Our house is currently painted in Resene Rockbottom with Resene Talisman porch and boxed corners. The window joinery is a creamy off-white (Canvas Cloth). We like the modern, smart greys but are worried that the brown roof limits us to browns. Are there greys that you think would work, please? A. I think you can definitely get away with using some greys as long as they don't have a blue undertone. I would suggest painting the porch area the same as the rest of the walls and then the boxed corners in an off white. You could try main walls and porch in Resene Half Tea with boxed corners in Resene Double Alabaster. Or main walls and porch in Resene Gunsmoke with boxed corners in Resene Eighth Black White. December 2019 |
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