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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 09

Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.

If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.

 
 
 
 

Q&A   p. 09

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


Q. Our colour scheme is Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Sea Fog and Resene Tuna. What colour should we paint the galvanised iron roof?

A. You could try Resene Ironsand, which is a match to a popular COLORSTEEL® colour. This could be a good choice if you ever had to replace the roof then you wouldn't need to make another decision re roof colour. If however you don't favour going to so deep a colour you could try Resene Climate (slightly deeper than main house colour but quite related) or Resene Half Tuna (relates to your fences etc).

Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
September 2014

Q. What colours could we paint the beams in our house, keeping the natural Rimu panel? We want to lighten the living room.

A. Generally I tell people to paint the posts and beams the same as the wall colour but in your case with the walls being blue this would not be my first option. If a random colour is chosen then it is effectively a 'feature colour' within the room. If a colour was matched to the carpet or upholstered furniture or curtains then that would make sense to the eye and would be a nicely co-ordinated statement. Or if the colour was a deeper version of how the Rimu looks then that too would make sense.

So in order of suitability:
Option 1 - A colour that matches or is closely related to the flooring. If the carpet is very pale it could be a slightly deeper version but not too dark.
Option 2 - A colour that looks similar to the warm Rimu colour. This is a difficult choice as nothing really matches Rimu except more Rimu wood but there are some neutrals that could look ok.
Option 3 - A colour that is the same or very similar to curtains or upholstered furniture - because these elements are often very definite in hue the posts and beams would then be 'feature colours'.

September 2014

Q. I have a testpot of Resene Half Parchment and am struggling to get a crisp colour that does not look too yellow. I have a feature wall and drapes with yellows and greens and kitchen cupboards that are similar to Resene Tea, and while I don't want to go grey this testpot is still too cream yellow. Resene Spanish White and Resene Half Beeswax are also too yellow. My current thinking is a quarter or eight shade may give me a crisper finish? Do you have any suggestions?

A. There seems to be a couple of issues here - the wallpaper, kitchen cupboards and drapes will have a distinct influence on the wall colour options plus you are choosing or trialing colours that have a bias toward definite yellow in their composition. You might like to try: Resene Quarter Tea (less yellow than Resene Half Parchment and hopefully similar to the cupboards which is the only reason I suggest it), Resene Joanna (or lighter version Resene Quarter Joanna), Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream (or lighter Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream) or Resene Rice Cake.

With the exception of Resene Quarter Tea all of the above mentioned colours are green/yellow/neutrals with a lot of crispness in their mood. This is apparent when pure white is placed close to them. It is all about comparing colours in order to see better the underlying tints and tones within them - no comparing means no 'light bulb' moment to help you judge what colour is really like. Also - and this is the most important thing to keep in mind - colour is a chameleon and any other colour or colours close to it will alter it considerably to your eye.

So it changes - often from wall to wall and certainly from room to room according to the natural and artificial light factor. Colour in an interior doubles in intensity because of the close proximity of walls and the shadow lines with in the spaces. Yellow will do this more distinctly than any other colour - so a little yellow can equal a lot when viewed inside the house.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Beeswax
Resene Half Beeswax
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Joanna
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We are wanting to paint our bedroom white but unsure which white to use. The carpet is a mix of dark and light charcoal, we have Rimu furniture in our room, and we’re unsure of which curtains we will use. What whites are the most popular?

A. The following whites are very popular - I have listed them in order that I think may work best because of the Rimu influence in your bedroom: Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Half Wan White, Resene Half Sea Fog and Resene Double Alabaster.

All of these colours are really 'white' and if you feel they are too stark for you then they are available as slightly deeper versions also. In regard curtains I suggest that you pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop or curtain specialist and look at the Resene range of curtain fabrics first to get some ideas happening. Curtains need to either be a totally neutral and unobtrusive element or 'out there' but either way they will need to go with your duvet/bedspread and you may find that after selecting a curtain fabric that you fancy choosing the 'right white' happens much easier.

Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Wan White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
September 2014

Q. We're building a character house using Titania aluminium joinery. I want a warm beige feel for the house and wondered about any advice for best traditional matches for Titania? I was thinking Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream architraves and Resene Thorndon Cream walls. Would this work?

A. I think you are spot on with your colour choices. Another palette that works well with Titania is Resene Ash - this colour is more shaded than Resene Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
September 2014

Q. The roof colour is Ironbark, the window and door sills plus the fascia boards are Resene Mission Brown; what colour would you suggest for the inside walls, outside walls, ceiling, and doors? It’s a two storey concrete house.

A. For the interior you might consider using Resene Half Spanish White for the walls and Resene Quarter Spanish White for the doors and ceilings. The exterior has darker trims - Resene Mission Brown - so you might consider using Resene Half Drought or Resene Wheatfield as nice light options. If you wanted a deeper exterior colour you might consider Resene Double Drought or Resene Double Spanish White.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Wheatfield
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Drought
Resene Double Spanish White
Resene Double Spanish White
 
September 2014

Q. Do you think that a new build would look good with a Resene Grey Friars roof, Resene Black Axon board and plaster in Resene Scarpa Flow? The joinery is a silvery grey. And for the interior, how does Resene Quarter Stonehenge on the walls with doors, scotia, ceilings etc in Resene Black Haze sound?

A. I like the idea of the Resene Quarter Stonehenge and the Resene Black Haze, but the Resene Quarter Stonehenge may be too dark in some of your rooms. Colours always double up in depth in an interior and dim/shady or small spaces look darker again. You might like to look at Resene Eighth Stonehenge as a softer/lighter colour for the interior. The exterior colours sound good but do check the requirements so the plaster colour doesn't void the build guarantee as there is often a maximum light reflectance value (LRV) so you may need to replace the Resene Scarpa Flow with a lighter colour.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Black
Resene Black
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
September 2014

Q. We painted our house in Resene Half Black White and now are doing our splashbacks, but need to know if you do a paint in Resene Half Black White with glitter through it to use on a splashback?

A. I know the look you are trying to achieve and Resene has a product called Resene Pearl Shimmer, which is shimmery (not big glitter - much more subtle than that) but the effect is best seen when applied to a very very dark colour. The Resene Metallics char a colour called Resene Nero with this effect on it. You may not get this effect on a 'white' and especially when seen through glass. If you were to use a 'real metallic' in a silvery colour like Resene Silver Lining you would get a realistic shimmery look. Another thing that you may not be aware of - splashback glass comes as two types of glass - standard float glass which casts a green look over the colour behind it (this has the potential to turn very 'white' colours a soft minty green) and crystal clear low iron oxide glass which is totally clear and shows the colour behind the glass totally true.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Silver Lining
Resene Silver Lining
September 2014

Q. Can you give me some colour ideas for my villa master bedroom? We have a lot of gold Rimu doors, skirtings, a picture rail and casement window. There is not a lot of light in the room. What is a nice colour to paint over Anaglypta wallpaper?

A. Rimu always looks nice with soft green based colours so these would be my first suggestions to try – Resene Linen, Resene Secrets, or warm grey/beige colours look nice as well – try Resene Truffle or Resene Eighth Napa. Soft toned reds look lovely too – try Resene Forbidden - or crisp creams – try Resene Villa White. If you work backwards from the duvet and curtain that you have to find a nice colour that makes these look even better and is delicious with the Rimu you won't go wrong.

Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Eighth Napa
Resene Forbidden
Resene Forbidden
Resene Villa White
Resene Villa White
September 2014

Q. Can you please suggest a warm white to paint a basement flat, which does not get a lot of sun? I have tried many whites in various places in the flat but they seem too green, too cream or too grey.

A. There may be two things that need to be considered - a light colour that is warm - 'homely' - and that is the key I think. You might like to try Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Quarter Albescent White.

They are pale but may well appear a bit deeper because of light, or a lack of light, and the closer proximity of walls. They are 'homely' and warm - definitely not cool/smart/trendy or brown or grey which in a basement flat that doesn't get a lot of natural light would feel unfriendly. It’s best to trial them carefully by applying two coats (all of the testpot) onto A2 card available from Resene leaving an unpainted border all around the edges so that your eye focuses on the colour and not on the existing wall colour. Move it around onto all of the walls and see what changes occur - colour always changes! When you think you may have found one that works roll the A2 card into a cone shape (colour on the inside of the cone) and when you look into it you will see what four walls of colour look like.

Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Alabscent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
September 2014

Q. I'm getting my house painted. I'd like Resene to suggest a grey shade - a grey that's almost white, which is what it's covered in now. I've got all the paint charts but am going mad trying to find the exact pearly white grey I want. Any ideas?

A. I think what you need to do is ascertain whether the white/grey on the house is a warm grey or a cool grey. Sounds difficult? Not so. You need to find a part of the house that has had the least amount of weathering - probably the shady side of the house - and where the paint still looks really new(ish) and place a sheet of white printer paper partially over it.

What this will do is -
Show how much of a colour it is compared to the sheet of pure white paper. You may revise your opinion of the depth or lack of depth of the colour by doing this.
You will see underlying colours within the white/grey and hopefully will see whether it is a cool white/grey or a slightly warmer white/grey.
All colour undergoes change due to aging and sun so by checking this area you may get a good idea of what the real original colour was like.
A cool grey/white may have black tinter in it or black and a little blue. Warm grey/white may use a brown tinter to achieve a grey that looks greyish until a real steel grey is placed close to it.

I’ll suggest some really light grey/white colours you might like to try on the side of the house that you have looked at with the white printer paper. Please do trial patches onto the white paper leaving an unpainted border and place on the weatherboards. Try Resene Quarter Wan White, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Half Barely There, Resene Quarter Milk White or Resene Half Concrete. These are really light/white but they have deeper versions available that you can move up to if you find one that is a possibility but is too 'white' and in this way you may well find your grey that is almost white.

If you don't find it that might just mean that a clever painter bought large amounts of white paint and tinted them himself with Universal Stainers - this is not unusual many painters used to do it to either to create a colour or adjust a colour they had. The difficult part is knowing what was done before so it might be replicated.

You could use a blade to lift a slice of paint off the house and take it to Resene to have it colour matched. This is a free service available at Resene ColorShops.

If none of these options suit, choose another pale grey that is almost white and carefully record, on the wall of the shed or garage, what the colour name it is, what code it has and what gloss level of paint you are using, so you know for next time!

Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Half Barely There
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Half Concrete
Resene Half Concrete
   
September 2014

Q. What colour would you add to Resene Hot Chile and Resene Cobblestone?

A. It depends very much where you are using the colours and what you are wanting to achieve - i.e a light neutral to work with these stronger colours or another definite colour that completes a triad of colour? A few colours you could try are Resene Wan White, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Bone White, Resene Half Cobblestone, Resene Secret Road or Resene Blackjack.

Resene Hot Chile
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Cobblestone
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Bone White
Resene Bone white
Resene Half Cobblestone
Resene Half Cobblestone
Resene Secret Road
Resene Secret Road
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
 
September 2014

Q. We're painting the wood panelling in our living room and foyer. We'd like to use a warm white but we don't want it yellowish. Any advice on which Resene white is best for the wood panelling in a 1930s bungalow?

A. I think the wisest course to take is to investigate whites with a bit of depth to them so they aren't too stark - the following may suit your situation – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Albescent White or Resene Quarter White Pointer. They may seem quite 'white' but if you compare them to white printer paper you will see the underlying tints and warmth in them.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter White Pointer
September 2014

Q. I’m looking at colours for Linea weatherboards on our new bach. We want 'black'. There are so many blacks though, which one do I choose? We want 'white' joinery too... sigh, so many whites. Which white and black combo is most popular at the moment? We want to have white joinery but is silver a better colour choice? What about the roof? The only other colour planned for the exterior is the deck, a little bit of cedar.

A. You might like to investigate the following 'blacks' – Resene Chimney Sweep or Resene Nero. You are so right about white/black being a popular trend at this point in time - there is no one particular black or white, it depends on the situation, the style of house and the general ambiance that is required. For instance if you were in the country/on a bush type site you might choose earthier tones like Resene Ironsand or Resene Blackout instead of the smart/urban blacks that I suggested. If you are having powder coated metal window joinery you could look at Warm White Pearl or Arctic White - the Arctic White is a cool greyer/white compared to Warm White Pearl. If you favoured a silver you might look at Silver Pearl which is popular. Or if they are wooden and to be painted you might look at Resene Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster.

Resene Chimney Sweep
Resene Chimney Sweep
Resene Nero
Resene Nero
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
   
September 2014

Q. We are building a new house and have chosen Resene Rakaia as the primary colour in the living rooms, with Resene Half Rakaia to the kids’ bedrooms, halls and bathrooms. What is a good ceiling/architrave colour?

A. What a lovely choice you have made with Resene Rakaia and Resene Half Rakaia - the slightly mauve undertone in the grey is delicious. You might look at either of these colours for ceilings and all woodwork – Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster or warmer/slightly pinker - Resene Half Soapstone.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Rakaia
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Soapstone
Resene Half Soapstone
September 2014

Q. The house has a Scoria coloured roof. What would be the best colour to paint the soffit?

A. I certainly wouldn't advise Scoria, or even lighter Scoria as it will turn a deep dull pink/red, under the soffits and Resene White may be too stark in comparison with all the really deep colours chosen for other areas, but your idea of a lighter Resene Pavlova is good. Perhaps Resene Quarter Pavlova might be slightly better than Resene Eighth Pavlova, which may look a little pale. Whatever is chosen for the soffits may also be used on the facings, verandah posts and balustrade to tie it all together.

Resene White
Resene White
Resene Pavlova
Resene Pavlova
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Quarter Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
Resene Eighth Pavlova
September 2014

Q. I am repainting my laminate kitchen cabinets. I have painted two coats of Resene Quarter Villa White, but I think it will be too stark white once done as our kitchen gets quite a lot of natural light and has a white laminate bench top. Can you recommend a colour I can use that will still look clean and white but not be too bright and sterile, I want a warm white?

A. The combination of bright light in the kitchen and the white laminate top would definitely have you reaching for the sunglasses as the colour you have would be making it much brighter/whiter. You might like to try Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Spanish White as warm whites that have a little more muted depth to them so that they read as completely different to the white laminate benchtop and not too glary in the bright kitchen.

Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
September 2014

Q. We are currently building a house and I am having difficulty choosing colours. I want the colours to be fairly neutral. We have a COLORSTEEL roof in Ironsand. I was thinking of having Resene Quarter Truffle on the exterior weatherboards to go with our white windows. I thought Resene Quarter Truffle might be nice as I want a grey that's not too cold or blue grey. I have testpots etc but it’s hard to tell what it will look on the whole house. For the interior I was thinking Resene Double Sea Fog on walls with trims etc being Resene Alabaster. Our kitchen cabinets are Resene Alabaster.

A. You seem to have your colour ideas fairly well thought through - the Resene Quarter Truffle may look lighter than you imagine it would reflecting the natural light and blending it out toward the white of the windows - you may need to look at Resene Half Truffle instead.

The best way to trial your testpots is to paint two coats (all of the testpot) on to A2 card available from Resene leaving an unpainted border all around the edges. This helps you focus on the depth of the colour. Move it onto all wall surfaces so you can see where it looks lightest or deepest according to the natural light.

The east side of the house may emphasis a green or blue tone in the colour and the west side of the house may see a warm yellow/brown tone showing - these are the natural light changes. All colours alter with the changes of light - the trick is to find a colour that looks good to your eye most of the time.

In relation to the interior - the Resene Double Sea Fog and the Resene Alabaster sound really good - but if you feel that there isn't quite enough contrast between them you can always use Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
September 2014

Q. We live in a small log cabin style home. The inside is a lot of caramel coloured wood but we are trying to get two feature walls painted a colour to go with the wood. It is driving me nuts... I want a modern colour - bright but not cream or white.

A. Please don't despair - sometimes we are too close to a situation to see our options - have you thought of using blue/greens or grey/greens to balance all that caramel coloured wood? Modern colours are complex, often deeper and always unique so the following are some you might look at – Resene Thor, Resene Boulevard, Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Double Ash or grey/blue Resene Streetwise, Resene Seachange or for something a little different, Resene Artefact.

Resene Thor
Resene Thor
Resene Boulevard
Resene Boulevard
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Streetwise
Resene Streetwise
Resene Seachange
Resene Seachange
Resene Artefact
Resene Artefact
 
September 2014

Q. I have painted the walls in my house with Resene Sandcastle and Resene Half Sandcastle. Can you suggest a colour for my windowsills and skirting boards, which are currently Rimu. I would like a slightly lighter colour than the Resene Half Sandcastle.

A. You might like to see if the following colours are what you are looking for – Resene Sandspit Brown or lighter Resene Half Sandspit Brown or slightly creamier, Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown or browner (might throw a bit of pink undertone), Resene Quarter Joss.

Resene Sandcastle
Resene Sandcastle
Resene Half Sandcastle
Resene Half Sandcastle
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Half Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown
Resene Quarter Joss
Resene Quarter Joss
   
September 2014

Q. We have a house with Titania aluminium windows and a Mirage COLORSTEEL roof (Resene Navigate). Any advice on good external house colours? I was wondering about Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Linen and/or Resene Lemon Grass. For inside I wondered about Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream for the walls of the living areas, perhaps some Resene Miso for a bedroom and Resene First Light and Resene Spring Fever for bathroom. For some bold inside colours for a few feature walls we like Resene Flourish, Resene Impromptu or Resene Code Red. Any suggestions for better options?

A. Titania powdercoat is quite a muted (greyed) green/cream and may look better with the following exterior colours - Resene Ash, Resene Double Ash or Resene Tana, or slightly greyer/green, Resene Bone or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

The interior colour option - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - is great but you need to trial the Resene First Light and Resene Spring Fever as they often look stronger than you expect. I like the Resene Miso, which looks restful and likes the association with Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream - good choice! The idea of Resene Code Red and Resene Flourish as feature walls is great - lovely colours! I’m not so sure about Resene Impromptu - it can be yummy when you use deep navy or greys with it but it can be a very bossy dominating statement when no other deep colour balances it.

You seem to have a good idea of what you like - but please do trial the colours by painting A2 card with the testpot and move it around onto all walls to see how they change in all lights - natural and artificial - and at all times of the day. It can be mind blowing but very helpful when you need to be certain the colour chosen will work well.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Bone
Resene Bone
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Navigate
Resene Navigate
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Linen
Resene Linen
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Miso
Resene Miso
Resene First Light
Resene First Light
Resene Spring Fever
Resene Spring Fever
Resene Flourish
Resene Flourish
Resene Impromptu
Resene Impromptu
Resene Code Red
Resene Code Red
September 2014

Q. I have used Resene Avocado as a feature wall in the lounge and love it. I love olive green, but want to use a much lighter version to do our bathroom, to make it look ‘warm’ but not dark. We have slate tiles on the floor, multicolour shades of warm brown, green grey etc. What do you suggest for the walls?

A. Lighter versions of avocado/olive green are often loaded with more yellow tinters so you do need to approach this bathroom scheme with a bit of caution. You might look at the following colours - they will look stronger than you imagine and definitely will show a yellow undertone – Resene Miso, Resene Half Hillary, Resene Tana, Resene Thistle or Resene Locust.

Resene Avocado
Resene Avocado
Resene Miso
Resene Miso
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Half Hillary
Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Thistle
Resene Thistle
Resene Locust
Resene Locust
September 2014

Q. We are painting the lounge in our villa, which has a green tiled fireplace. I'm keen to use a colour on the walls that brings out the green, but because the room doesn't get a lot of sun I don't want to use a really dark/bright colour. Can you suggest a muted pale green that might work? Or I was thinking maybe we use that pale green just on the fireplace wall and paint the rest of the room a neutral colour?

A. I know this type of emerald green and it is difficult to put another similar but lighter green close to it - the tiles need to be dominant as they are unique and if you did the fireplace wall as a feature it may 'take over' the room too much. When this type of green is lightened it is also brightened. But you might look at these colours to see if they will work for you without either being too bossy or sucking up the natural light – Resene Kandinsky, Resene Envy, Resene Serenity or Resene Como. I definitely recommend a light/warm neutral - Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe and Resene Quarter Fossil - are a few that you could consider. These neutrals look fabulous with real 'white' trims and ceilings and dark wood.

Resene Kandinsky
Resene Kandinsky
Resene Envy
Resene Envy
Resene Serenity
Resene Serenity
Resene Como
Resene Como
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
 
September 2014

Q. I have an old state house which needs renovating. It has Rimu doors and wood floors, which will be polished. However, we will carpet the bedrooms and the living area. I was wanting to use a soft, warm grey as my primary colour. Also I hope to use blinds instead of curtains.

A. I would suggest that you find the type of carpet/colours that you favour as it will have a tremendous influence upon what wall colours will look good with it. The carpet is the main colour in a house and there is usually a lot less to choose from than you might imagine. Once you have your carpet sorted (or at least a few samples that might be ok) then pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop to look at these greys in large A4 samples in the Colour Library – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Cloudy, Resene Whiteout or Resene Concrete.

If you place a sheet of white print paper between these samples it will help you see the underlying tints and tones that hide within the colours. Once you find a colour that looks good with the carpet then the next step is to trial your paint colour with a testpot. As colour changes radically in all lights, natural and artificial, and in all rooms (according to the axis) this is the most important step.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Quarter Cloudy
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
September 2014

Q. We are about to build a new home and are trying to choose our exterior paint colour. We want to go for a grey. I've been looking through the inspiration gallery, which has been great and quite like the colours Resene Mischka, Resene Sidewinder, Resene Masala and Resene Tapa so far. We don't want to go too dark and are going to have silver-grey aluminium window joinery. Will these colours go with this?

A. All of the greys that you have looked at through the inspiration gallery are lovely, but you always need to also check out physical samples of the colour as computer colours can be misleading. Are you able to pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop and look at the A4 samples of these colours in the Colour Library? It is really helpful to see large and true samples to choose from. If you pop a sheet of white printer paper partly between these colours it will help you see the underlying tints and tones within each colour - this can be quite a surprise. It would pay for you to also take with you a metal sample of the silver aluminium window joinery colour. It will help your eye see whether the greys you like look good with the powder coat window colour.

Both Resene Mischka and Resene Sidewinder have some purple in them, Resene Masala has a sludgy green/brown stoney look to it and Resene Tapa has a little grey/green/yellow in it. Once you see the samples together with the white paper, which helps you to judge the depth of colour, and the real metal window joinery colour things will be much clearer and you will know what is right or wrong.

Resene MischkaResene Mischka Resene Sidewinder
Resene Sidewinder
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
September 2014

Q. I am trying to update my kitchen without replacing the cabinets. The benchtop is being replaced with a stone one, which I have been given. What colours can I paint the walls and use in the splashback tiles? I also intend to replace the handles with stainless steel ones.

A. The walls may need to be more grey/beige or even green/blue so that the new benchtop and the cabinets look paler by comparison. The splashback tiles are a whole new ball game as there are so many options available to choose from but please choose carefully because if you choose a definite colour you have to live with it for a very long time. White tiles always look fresh and clean and never date as do grey tiles.

You could look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you as wall colour options – Resene Truffle, Resene Half Lemon Grass or Resene Half Emerge.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Emerge
Resene Half Emerge
September 2014

Q. I have decided to paint the wall behind my couch as a feature wall and would like some advice on colours. The general colour scheme in the house is black, red and grey. I was thinking to paint the wall either a charcoal colour or a deep mahogany red. Could you suggest some colours that would be suitable?

A. You might like to look at the following colours to see if they are what you have in mind – mahogany reds such as Resene Red Earth or Resene Zibibbo, charcoal colours such as Resene Black Sheep or Resene Fuscous Grey or something like Resene Matterhorn.

Resene Red Earth
Resene Red Earth
Resene Zibibbo
Resene Zibibbo
Resene Black Sheep
Resene Black Sheep
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Matterhorn
Resene Matterhorn
September 2014

Q. I need a colour for my double storey house. I have painted my front door Resene and it has mid 80s brown aluminium windows (dormer windows in roof), with a workshop underneath, which needs to be darker to ground the house. I quite like Resene Felix.

A. Perhaps you could look at the following colours to see if they work for you – Resene Spanish White and (deeper for underneath) Resene Half Oilskin, or Resene Quarter Stonewashed and (deeper for underneath) Resene Quarter Lignite, or Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe and (deeper for underneath) Resene Half Sandstone.

Resene Felix
Resene Felix
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Quarter Stonewashed
Resene Quarter Stonewashed
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
 
September 2014

Q. We are currently renovating a large room (kitchen/dining) in our red brick 1960s home. We have chosen Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta to match the warm white of the kitchen cabinets. We have used this on both the ceilings and walls. I would like to know what colour and sheen to paint the windows. They are wooden and have already been painted over in the past. The room is very light so it's crucial we get the right colour. I will be using browns and neutrals through the remainder of the house.

A. I would be inclined to use a semi-gloss enamel for the windows - durable, easily cleaned but not too wet/slick glossy. With such a very light colour on the walls and the ceiling - Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta - your first option is to use the same colour for the windows. But if you want it lighter again there is Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or slightly whiter - Resene Alabaster.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
September 2014

Q. The exterior weatherboards on my home were stained last year in Resene Woodsman Tiri. We have lots of weathered timber fencing around three sides of our home which I am going to freshen up this year with some paint. Would really appreciate some suggestions on colours to consider. Also wondered whether I could use complementary colours on different areas of fencing to create some visual interest.

A. Perhaps the plainer back yard fences might be stained to match the house in Resene Woodsman Tiri to tie the look together. You could use it on all the fence but if you were doing two colours the other fences closer to the house might be painted a warm mid/deep toned neutral so that the fences don't appear to close in the courtyard space. You could try Resene Half Sandstone or Resene Double Napa.

Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Half Sandstone
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
September 2014

Q. I am looking for an off white colour with a beige/brown base to paint the weatherboards of our 1900 villa. The roof is Ironsand and I would like the joinery to go lighter than the weatherboards.

A. You might like to try Resene Akaroa with lighter joinery in Resene Eighth Akaroa or Resene Quarter Bison Hide with lighter joinery in Resene Black White or Resene Half Drought with lighter joinery in Resene Eighth Spanish White.

Resene Akaroa
Resene Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Eighth Akaroa
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Drought
Resene Half Drought
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
September 2014

Q. On your website where do I find the colours that match for the exterior of a 1970s house?

A. The historical schemes and the colours used in each period don't extend to post 50s, but as I recall that era well I can recommend some colours that you can investigate – Resene Spanish White (this was considered really pale in the 70s but now is considered a mid toned colour) and other neutral options - Resene Bone, Resene Wafer, Resene Calico, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Dutch White. These colours were used with Resene White and trims were often burgundy, moss greens and blues, such as Resene Mulberry (this was referred to as a burgundy) or a brighter version – Resene Persian Red, or brighter again – Resene Hot Chile. For greens you could try Resene Green Mist, Resene Hemlock or darker greens Resene Turtle Green or Resene Bush. Blues were really dark or quite chalky mid tones – try Resene Prussian Blue, Resene Biscay and Resene Waikawa Grey. There are other colours - if you check out the old BS101 and BS5252 chart colours that tucked away for reference at many Resene ColorShops you will get a better idea of what was around at the time.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Bone
Resene Bone
Resene Wafer
Resene Wafer
Resene Calico
Resene Calico
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Mulberry
Resene Mulberry
Resene Persian Red
Resene Persian Red
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Green Mist
Resene Green Mist
Resene Hemlock
Resene Hemlock
Resene Turtle Green
Resene Turtle Green
Resene Bush
Resene Bush
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Biscay
Resene Biscay
Resene Waikawa Grey
Resene Waikawa Grey
September 2014

Q. We are keen to update the wishy washy green on the fascia boards and garage doors and need a colour for the front door and surround. Am thinking red or Resene Half Napa?

A. I think I would be slightly more inclined to recommend Resene Half Napa or even slightly deeper Resene Napa as it looks good with the deep wood colour of the weatherboards and the deep bronze brown of the window joinery. The door alone - not the door frame and window frames - could be red if you favoured a definite welcoming statement colour.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
September 2014

Q. There is a dark green we are after - can sometimes be seen in more regal galleries, or even on TV in stately homes, but I cannot identify it. Any ideas please?

A. I have seen about six types of deep green over the years used on these sorts of projects – you could try Resene English Holly, Resene Plantation, Resene Stromboli, Resene Middle Earth, Resene Racing Green or Resene Deep Teal.

Resene English Holly
Resene English Holly
Resene Plantation
Resene Plantation
Resene Stromboli
Resene Stromboli
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Middle Earth
Resene Racing Green
Resene Racing Green
Resene Deep Teal
Resene Deep Teal
September 2014

Q. I am looking for a complementary light yellow (maybe creamy yellow?) colour to go on my daughter's bedroom wall with Resene Black White being used on the ceiling. Can you advise some colour options please? I have already used Resene Half Tea colour on the walls with Resene Black White on the ceiling for our dining room, which is adjacent to her bedroom.

A. I think you might consider as a creamy yellow a lovely mellow colour like Resene Dutch White or the slightly deeper version Resene Double Dutch White. All yellows - no matter how light they are - are often a bit more powerful in intensity than you expect them to be and colour in an interior often doubles in value so proceed with a little caution. If you really want a much cleaner/brighter yellow then you might also consider Resene Corn Field - this has a fresh bit of green hiding in it. A 9 year old often has quite definite views about what they fancy so if these don't rock her boat perhaps if you get her to choose a new duvet the right wall colour may present itself afterwards.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Dutch White
Resene Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Double Dutch White
Resene Corn Field
Resene Corn Field
September 2014

Q. We are beginning our EQ house repairs and have to paint the whole exterior of our house. I'm stuck as to what colour scheme to go with as the red roof is a hard one. Can you please point me in the right direction as to colour schemes that might work for a 100 year old villa with a red COLORSTEEL® roof?

A. You might investigate the following colours: Era appropriate colours – Resene Half Canterbury Clay, Resene Teak and Resene Pearl Lusta, or Contemporary neutrals – Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Gravel or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Half Canterbury Clay
Resene Teak
Resene Teak
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. Please recommend a neutral with a slightly warm tone thanks.

A. There are possibly hundreds of options but some ideas to get you started are: Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Quarter Fossil. Any colour can change a lot according to changes of natural light at different times of the day and artificial light will change it again - as will any other coloured element close to the new colour. The options I have suggested need to be considered in this context.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
September 2014

Q. Looking for a light greyish colour to tone with Grey Friars COLORSTEEL® roof and orange Huntly brick.

A. Some colours you might like to try are Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Surrender, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Half Stack. Resene also have slightly lighter versions of Grey Friars available – Resene Half Grey Friars and Resene Quarter Grey Friars – they would tone well with the existing Grey Friars if you just want a lighter tone for other areas.

COLORSTEEL Grey Friars
COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Double Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
September 2014

Q. We have recently rendered our early 1990s home, but are struggling to get a colour we like. We hoped for a nice warm green grey, mid tone. We have tried several testpots so far, but what would you suggest for our house right opposite the beach?

A. You might investigate these muted green colours: Resene Double Ash, Resene Lemon Grass or perhaps something with a little more blue/green/grey to reflect the moody quality of the sea and sky – resene Emerge or Resene Robin Egg Blue.

Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Emerge
Resene Emerge
Resene Robin Egg Blue
Resene Robin Egg Blue
September 2014

Q. We have a 1940s weatherboard bungalow with a reddy-brown decramastic roof. The window frames are white - can you recommend a colour for the weatherboards? We were thinking of a very soft grey but are not sure that will work with the roof.

A. You might like to try Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey. They are light but not too light and if you have really white window frames it could look really charming. The colours also come as slightly deeper versions if you felt these might look too light in a bright light situation.

Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
September 2014

Q. We have doors and around doors that are Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and ceilings in Resene Alabaster. Our new main living curtains are silver grey. I am finding it hard to choose a correct paint (neutral) to go on the main walls. I intend to carpet in a greyish colour. What do you think about Resene Thorndon Cream. The problem is we need something to go with the Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta doors as we don’t want to replace them.

A. The best idea will be to find a carpet you fancy first. It will add another layer of colour to your rooms and most importantly you need to ensure it goes with the new living room curtains and any pre-existing furniture that is upholstered in coloured fabric. Bring samples of carpet into the house and you will notice changes occurring in how you judge the colour and how the natural and artificial light plays upon it - this is your most expensive and most limited resource so it pays to know what will work for you. There are masses of colours you might choose for the walls but there aren’t masses of carpet to choose from. The wall colour - if chosen prior to the carpet being chosen - will severely limit your [already limited] carpet choices. It would be sad if after painting, you found a carpet [that is everything you ever fancied in a carpet /right price etc] and it didn't look as good as you thought it would look all because of the newly painted wall colour - would you repaint? Probably not. Would you be unhappy? Probably yes.

So in answer to your original question – Resene Thorndon Cream? It would work with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta as it is a green edged cream - but does it look good with silver grey curtains, existing colours in the house and a possible grey carpet? Take time to find the carpet you like and check out how all colours look together and at all times of the day and night to ensure they are right choices for you.

Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
September 2014

Q. I want to paint over a brick exterior. Should I paint the low base a different colour? It hardly seems worth it due to how short it is. What colour would you recommend for the brick? I'm thinking a charcoal, the wooden fence around the property is black and I want it all to tie in. Also what exterior paint is best for brickwork?

A. No I don't think that the tiny amount of concrete base should be a different colour. If it was sealed at the same time you do the bricks and mortar then I would paint both the same colour. If you favour charcoal colours then you might like some of the following colours - Resene Half Charcoal, (Charcoal illustrated below) Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Half Tuna. They may seem a bit light to you but they are charcoals albeit with colour in them. They need to read as different to the Black and hold a mid ground level of colour between the white windows and the black fences. You will need to seal the brick, the mortar between and the concrete base of the house after thoroughly cleaning (you might not necessarily notice the wind blown dust and dirt on the surface but it would be there) so the sealer recommended is an oil based pigmented sealer - Resene Sureseal - which is made to seal porous or cementitious surfaces and the 2-3 coats of either Lumbersider low sheen waterborne paint or Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss waterborne paint dependent upon which level of sheen you want on the house. If you look at the Resene Data Sheets on these products, available from the Resene website or you can view them at your local Resene ColorShop. it will give you a better idea of what they do and why they are used on this type of surface.

Resene Charcoal
Resene Charcoal
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
September 2014

Q. I am looking at painting a 1950s weatherboard and iron house, and have seen a number of houses at Waiouru Camp that look similar to what I want to paint.

A. Some colour combinations you might like to try are: Resene Malta (main walls), Resene Half Oilskin (trim) and Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Nullarbor (main walls), Resene Quarter Lignite (trim) and Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Quarter Gargoyle (main walls), Resene Quarter Ironsand (trim) and Resene Eighth Rice Cake.

Resene Malta
Resene Malta
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Nullarbor
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Lignite
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Gargoyle
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. We are looking at repainting our top storey and maybe garage door and fence? Not sure whether to leave it the same colour or change the colour to make it look more modern.

A. A modern look might embrace grey/green or brown/green neutrals because of the dominance of the roof and to balance the red tone of the bricks so you might like to try Resene Tapa (weatherboards) and Resene Armadillo (fences) or Resene Taupe Grey (weatherboards) and Resene Half Masala (fences) or Resene Triple Ash (weatherboards) and Resene Evolution (fences).

Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Armadillo
Resene Armadillo
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Half Masala
Resene Half Masala
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Evolution
Resene Evolution
September 2014

Q. We have just moved a five year old home onto a section. The problem I have is the walls are currently an apricot and the kitchen is green and a very dark plum. There is also a plum feature wall in the lounge and dining room. Currently the carpet is a light green and it has a honey oak wood trim around all the rooms. The joinery is light green. I wasn’t a big fan of the plum but it has grown on me and since we don’t want to change the kitchen I would like to keep it. So what I am after is neutral conservative colour to cover all the apricot walls throughout the house. It has high studs but isn’t in the most sunny of positions so needs to be a warm colour. We have also considered changing the carpet so if that helps let us know, grey or brown?

A. You might like to investigate these possible conservative, warm neutrals to see if they may be right – Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Wheatfield, Resene Merino or Resene Rice Cake. All of these colours have a tiny bit of green hiding in them but are quite different from each other. I am hoping that they enhance the light that you have and work with those colours that you aren't changing. Personally I would be looking for a new carpet sooner rather than later, shortlisting a few possibilities in the brown/olive/sand tones and seeing how they work with the colours I have suggested rather than picking a wall colour and finding later that the carpet that suits best is the one you don't like or is horrendously expensive - which can happen if the major expenditure and predominant colour [carpet] are left to last to choose.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Quarter Wheatfield
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
September 2014

Q. I have a small stucco house with some art deco features and a flat roof. I'd like a neutral, warm, light earthy colour and am thinking of Resene Sandcastle or Resene Drought as the main colour. I'm thinking of Resene Quarter Spanish White around the windows, and a dark red, perhaps Resene Hot Chile, for the trim. Do you think this combination will work? The house is very sunny.

A. These colours sound really nice. It is really important to trial colour to make sure it looks as good as we expect it to look and that we are aware of any colour changes that may occur - if you paint all of the Resene testpot onto A2 card, available from your Resene ColorShop, leaving an unpainted border all around the edges you can move it around onto all walls of the house to see how it looks. Stucco being a uneven surface is often painted in a satin finish acrylic and the combination of low sheen and textured surface can make colour seem a little deeper than you might imagine. More sheen – semi-gloss or full gloss - makes colour seem brighter. Resene Drought is a little more yellow with a tiny undertone of green in it compared to Resene Sandcastle which, although it may appear similar, is warmer with a slightly red undertone. Both of these colours are mid toned but may appear lighter if you get a huge amount of natural light on all sides of the house. I like the idea of a dark red for the trim - if you like Resene Hot Chile you may also like Resene Breakfree as an alternative red.

Resene Sandcastle
Resene Sandcastle
Resene Drought
Resene Drought
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Breakfree
Resene Breakfree
 
September 2014

Q. I am trying to choose a white to go in an old house. It has to work in both areas with less light as well as areas with more light. I want a 'gallery' white but I am struggling to find the perfect white that works in every situation.

A. I would investigate using Resene Alabaster and alter the lighting to modify any changes that will occur in the rooms. If you felt that Resene Alabaster was a bit cool for your situation then you could try Resene Quarter Bianca, which has a warm edge to it. All colour changes [radically in some cases] according to light - natural and artificial - in all spatial situations. A 'gallery white' that is perfect in all situations isn't altogether achievable. It goes against the laws of nature. In a gallery or museum they control the light [no natural light at all and artificial lights that are carefully controlled and monitored] so they achieve the effect you are trying to get plus of course they remove any other colour apart from the artwork to ensure no other element interferes by reflection. Pure white is even more mercurial in its changes than any tinted white - from experience, pure white can look creamy in some rooms, grey in others, blue/green in easterly rooms and almost peach in west facing rooms according to changes in natural light - this is a personal recollection of a situation not unlike yours. The customer felt very frustrated that the colour didn’t look the same everywhere and thought there was something wrong with the paint. But identical paint, untinted and unmodified had been used so there was nothing different about the paint. Colour is about light and compromise and can’t be controlled to be identical in every room or space. After working with colour and paint for decades I am still totally amazed at how it changes in a chameleon fashion whenever it can.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
September 2014

Q. We have a plaster rendered ex state house we have painted in Resene Napa, with the wooden windows in Resene Aths Special and spouting and shutters and deck railings are in Resene Double Napa. The new fencing is in Resene Mondo, the old fencing is unpainted. The front door is in a black and the front entrance deck is painted (not stained) a very dark slate grey - almost black. The problems I have are: The main decks, south facing and north facing, need re-staining now - I'd like to do this job first. There are a lot of retaining walls too and I want to know if all the decking and retaining should be in the same colour. What colour should I do the decks. I quite like the blackish/dark grey approach. Or will it look too strong? Secondly, I don't much like the Resene Double Napa spouting and railings - it gives no contrast to the house. So while I don't need this decision straight away, I know I will be doing this, and I want to ensure I don't paint my decks the wrong colour that causes a later clash! Lastly, I still have a lot of fences to paint - and I quite like Resene Mondo. Would you continue along with this colour?

A. The decks could be stained either Resene Woodsman Sheer Black or darker Resene Woodsman Crowshead - these are blackish. Or you could intermix two colours, such as Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar with another blacker Resene stain. If you wanted to try that option you would need to do a trial using the two testpots intermixed to see if that is the colour you want and then you would buy equal amounts of each and a much larger empty container to manually mix them together. Yes the retaining walls could be the same colour. Yes it will be a strong look but quite smart and the only hesitation I have is that small tender pink feet playing on the deck on a hot sunny day would definitely go 'Ouch!' a lot. Alternative lighter stains might be Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash or Resene Woodsman Tiri. On decks you can choose to use Resene Woodsman Decking Stain CoolColour, which can help reduce heat buildup. Resene Double Napa doesn't 'read' as a strong enough contrast to your main house colour - so what about using Resene Half Mondo instead? Though you quite like the Resene MONDO CC BR43-014-073 for the fences [and Yes it works well] you could use an alternative - Resene Quarter Ironsand - this is slightly less olive brown in hue and more charcoal brown. If at any time, now or in the future, you wanted a COLORSTEEL® roof, metal garage, roller doors or metal gates or any other item powder coated then Ironsand would fit into your palette really well.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Aths Special
Resene Aths Special
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Woodsman Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Woodsman Crowshead
Resene Crowshead
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
Resene Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Half Mondo
Resene Half Mondo
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
   
September 2014

Q. We are first time building and my kitchen has a black benchtop, white cupboards, Resene Pohutukawa splashback and the same colour feature wall in the living room. I want to paint my internal walls all the same colour but do not want white, tea or cream. The bedrooms have one feature wallpapered wall.

A. You might like to try Resene White Pointer, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Truffle and Resene House White. These colours are greyer or slightly stony/beige in hue and if you should decide they are a little too pale for you please remember that in an interior colours often appear slightly deeper overall than might be expected unless they are used in a room that has windows all around three walls. If this was the case, you could opt for a deeper version of one of these colours.

Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene House White
Resene House White
September 2014

Q. I was wondering if you can give me advise on exterior colour we are about to repaint our plaster exterior and like earthy tones. Last time I think they used Resene Stonewall.

A. You might like the following colours - Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Cloudy. They all have in common a soft grey/beige/stony hue. The colour you used last time - Resene Stonewall - has more yellow/green in its undertone so these new ones may not be quite as earthy. If you wanted something a little more earthy you could try Resene Half Pravda.

Resene Stonewall
Resene Stonewall
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Double White Pointer
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Cloudy
Resene Cloudy
Resene Half Pravda
Resene Half Pravda
September 2014

Q. I was wondering what ‘off white’ would suit with a sea green coloured roof? This is for a villa, influenced by those in Auckland, so the decorative fretwork would most likely be a sea green colour as well.

A. You might like to look at the following 'off whites' – Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Wan White, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Rice Cake.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
August 2014

Q. We would love some fresh perspective to match a roof colour. We have a deep purple blue on our wooden front cladding and (light blue/white) Linkwater colour on house bricks. We currently have a brick red low pitched roof. Keen to have your thoughts on a couple of different colour options.

A. A major change that you might consider is to reverse the layout of the colours - the opposite way to how it is now - dark on the bricks and lighter on the wooden front cladding or alternatively use one colour only instead of two - this would create a look which, with a change of colour, may make your house look fresh and totally new to your eyes.

The following colours are a few that you might like to try: Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and Resene Double Lemon Grass or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream and Resene Double Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Grey Olive and Resene Grey Olive or Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Triple White Pointer.

The weatherboards would welcome a lighter colour (light colours don’t attract as much heat so are more resistant to fading and cracking) whereas the bricks are somewhat impervious to dark colours causing problems. But if you did have your heart set on darker colours on the timber I definitely would recommend using a Resene CoolColour™ to reflect more heat than a standard colour. Many Resene colours have CC written alongside their codes which indicates that they can be made as a CoolColour.

Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
August 2014

Q. I have spent all day at the shop looking for a black warm based, tan, copper colour that will form a backdrop to vibrant green grasses. I have it in my mind’s eye but can’t find it. I have tried most existing options but need something of a warm black bronze green.

A. You might like to try: Resene Pine Tree, Resene Rangoon Green, Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Blackout, Resene Gumboot or Resene DNA. Like all colours they alter drastically when different qualities of light at different times of the day are on them; they also alter when other colours are seen close to them.

I think that if you viewed colour as a A4 sample from the Resene Colour Library and held it in front of you (upright - not flat) and to left and right of you upright, and noted how much of a change there is happening to the colour, with a plant of the vibrant green grasses that you are wanting to highlight close to it, then you may see something that appeals.

Resene Pine Tree
Resene Pine Tree
Resene Rangoon Green
Resene Rangoon Green
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Blackout
Resene Blackout
Resene Gumboot
Resene Gumboot
Resene DNA
Resene DNA
August 2014

Q. Please advise on a complementary colour for Resene Cognac, a feature wall. I have Resene Half Spanish White on other walls but need a change. Our lounge suite has a colour which blends with the colour Resene Mondo.

A. You might like to try: Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Eighth Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Linen.

Resene Cognac
Resene Cognac
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Mondo
Resene Mondo
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Linen
Resene Quarter Linen
 
August 2014

Q. I have white cupboards and a grey/black granite bench. What colour do you recommend for the splashback and walls?

A. If you are wanting a neutral for the walls you might look at the following colours to see if they would suit: Resene Half House White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Flotsam. For the splashback, either bold and saucy or simply elegant and timeless, Resene Shiraz (spectacular red), Resene Koru (fresh bite of green), Resene Half New Denim Blue (similar to the granite) or Resene Exponent (metallic).

Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Flotsam
Resene Half Flotsam
Resene Shiraz
Resene Shiraz
Resene Koru
Resene Koru
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Half New Denim Blue
Resene Exponent
Resene Exponent
August 2014

Page 09

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

 

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

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