Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller.
Colours are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. We would love some advice on what colour to paint our house. We have green aluminium joinery/roof/gutters. I believe its Karaka green. Our house is stucco. We currently have a beige colour on the exterior walls, we would like to try something new. We have been thinking grey. A. The following are some suggestions that you might check out – they are grey/beige/green tones, which are warmer than steel or blue toned greys. They look really smart with Karaka. Try Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Cloud, Resene Grey Area, Resene Copyrite or Resene Archive Grey.  Resene Grey Area December 2019 |
Q. Which colours of a lighter neutral shade would complement a feature wall painted in Resene Family Tree and wooden floors? A. The following are a few suggestions that may appeal to you – Resene Quarter Spanish White or slightly deeper toned – Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Eighth Sisal, Resene Quarter Parchment or Resene Half Thorndon Cream. Some cooler or greyer types of neutrals may sit uneasily with the rich depth of the Resene Family Tree and the warmth of the wooden floors so this is the reason for picking out warm toned neutrals.  Resene Family Tree December 2019 |
Q. We are repainting a 1930s weatherboard house that has a terracotta roof and we have recently installed aluminium double glazed windows, these are in Canvas Cloth. My husband fancies a grey colour for the weatherboards but I don't think it would suit or match the Canvas Cloth, although I note Canvas Cloth is from the red/light grey family so a lighter grey may be a suitable match? Do you have any suggestions for a suitable complementary colour with Canvas Cloth possibly in a light grey colour? A. Canvas Cloth is warm beige that doesn't like a lot of greys. But the following are a selection of possible options – they are grey/beige colours – Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Cloudy. Some colours that are cooler types of grey make the Canvas Cloth look peach/beige which may not be what you want. December 2019 |
Q. We have a Grey Friars roof and windows. The exterior is plywood/batten which we are looking to paint – which colours would you recommend for the batons and plywood which would work well with the Grey Friars? A. You don't mention if you favour certain types of colours so the following are some random suggestions that do work well with the steel blue influenced charcoal – Grey Friars – of the roof and joinery. Try Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Truffle, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Stack. These are just a small selection of possibilities but they may give you some inspiration. December 2019 |
Q. I want to paint the exterior of my weatherboard house a white. My roof colour is COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. Which whites would go best with it? A. COLORSTEEL® is a deep olive/brown charcoal colour. You could try these whites – Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Triple Black White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Merino or Resene Wan White. These 'whites' aren't too glary in bright sunlight. They work well with real white – i.e. Resene White – which could be used for trims – window frames and under the soffits etc. December 2019 |
Q. I have a 1910 weatherboard home that we have added an extension to. The weatherboards are Resene Baltic Sea and the aluminium windows are Arctic White which I wanted to paint white to match but have just discovered is very hard to match. I am using Resene Half Black White on the interior trims and walls which looks yellow next to the windows. Do you have a suggestion of a soft colour that I could paint the internal reveals and exterior trim to bridge the Arctic White with the weatherboards and interior walls? A. Resene has formulated a match to Arctic White powder coat. All you have to do is ask for it at your local Resene ColorShop. Arctic White is a very icy blue toned white – of all the white powder coat colours it is the one that can be very tricky to work with unless you are using it with blue toned greys and charcoals. Arctic White even makes true white – i.e. Resene White – look warm by comparison. I suggest it may be wise to continue painting all the 'white' internal reveals and exterior trims Arctic White because you will see a discordant clash if anything else is used close to it. December 2019 |
Q. We are building a new home soon and are either going to go with: Grey Friar roof, exterior door and spouting. Metro Silver Pearl Windows. We have also some sections of schist on the exterior – which is grey alps (Midland Clay Bricks NZ). Or wonder whether to go with Ironsand roof, door and spouting and Matt Black windows with some grey alps schist? We are very undecided on plaster colour that would suit both scenarios. As well as what colour for the interior? A. Your first option – Grey Friars and Silver Pearl – looks really good with the Grey Alps Midland bricks. If you went with this then you might check out the following colours for the plastered surfaces – Resene Triple Black White, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. These colours would also work with the olive/brown toned Ironsand and black joinery. Re the interior – I recommend that you choose flooring, benchtops, kitchen cabinetry first. These are the elements in the house that offer less to choose from and are more expensive. Choose a paint colour that works with these elements. Whites are very popular for interiors but they all carry undertones of colour hiding in them. If you choose colour first you may find – later – that the favoured flooring, bench tops, kitchen cabinetry won't work as well as you would like with the paint colour. This could be frustrating. December 2019 |
Q. I’m wondering what colour to paint wood stairs while keeping the wood veneer and Resene Quarter Alabaster in the stairwell. In addition the upstairs is very small but light filled and is in Resene Quarter Alabaster. I’m thinking I'd like a feature wall in a deep blue/green like Resene Teal Blue, Resene St Kilda or Resene Wishing Well. Also the floorboards are going to be painted so wondering which colour – a light warm grey or warm white? A. A feature wall in deep blue/green could be stunning. Apart from those colours you have mentioned you might check out the following – Resene Tarawera, Resene Spinnaker or Resene Arapawa. I have seen – some time ago – stairs that were painted in a range of colours – from a mid-tone at the bottom and getting lighter toward the top – it was extremely effective. You could decide to do something similar – or not – depending on the mood you want to create – you could try Resene Navigate, Resene Undercurrent, Resene Horizon and Resene Awash. December 2019 |
Q. I want to repaint the outside of my house. I have brown aluminium Joinery so I'm wondering which colour would go nicely with brown aluminium Joinery and I'm thinking of going Resene Ironsand on the roof. A. Resene Ironsand is a great colour for a roof and will tie in the brown joinery. For the walls you could try Resene Friar Grey, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Gauntlet. December 2019 |
Q. My house is painted in Resene Biscotti and the windows are currently Lichen. I'd like to change them to a white colour, though, and I'm not sure which one. I like both Resene Rice Cake and Resene Bianca, but I'm not sure if they'll go with Resene Biscotti. Which do you think would be better? A. Either of these work well with Resene Biscotti but I personally would lean towards Resene Rice Cake. It's a really beautiful warm off white and works with nearly anything. December 2019 |
Q. We have a lot of matai flooring, ceilings, windows and doors in an old villa – which colours do you suggest for walls and ceilings to lighten and modernise? A. Generally with Matai warm off whites looks really good. They provide a warm contrast while still being able to work with most other colours also. This way you can bring in whatever you like in the way of furnishings. You could try main walls in Resene Rice Cake with ceilings in Resene Eighth Rice Cake, or main walls in Resene Half Albescent White with ceilings in Resene Alabaster. December 2019 |
Q. Which whites do you recommend for walls and ceiling to go with Resene Alabaster kitchen cupboards? A. There are several options that you might consider –
Option 1 and Option 3 creates three definitely different tones of white. Option 2 is more subtle and in some lights all (walls, ceiling and cabinets) may look to be the same white. December 2019 |
Q. I'm wondering about painting my house and sleep out in Ironsand, including the roof. It is in a bush setting overlooking the ocean up the Coromandel. What do you think? The cladding is rusticated weatherboard. Do you think a lighter colour either on the roof or the cladding would be better? A. Usually the roof is the darker colour and the house is lighter colour but it is a personal preference. Because of the type of James Hardie® cladding that you have on the house and the sleep out you could use a darker CoolColour like Resene Ironsand. The following colours may appeal to you – they could be used either on the roof or the body of the house – Resene Gauntlet, Resene Bone White, Resene Tapa or Resene Double Lemon Grass. They all look good with Ironsand. December 2019 |
Q. Our bedroom has walls painted Resene Carrara. What colour do you recommend for floor to ceiling cupboards please? I'm looking for something neutral, not a feature. A. There are several options that you might consider – • The same colour as the wall but in a semi-gloss enamel finish such as Resene Lustacryl. The sheen difference adds a subtle eye interest. • A lighter version of the wall colour – i.e. Resene Half Cararra or even whiter – Resene Alabaster. • A slightly deeper colour – but this might have to be chosen with caution as it will be a feature – i.e. Resene Half Caraway. December 2019 |
Q. I intend to paint a kitchen splashback black. It is in a sunny position in our holiday bach with natural plywood walls. Which black do you recommend? A. I recommend you try Resene Blackjack or Resene Nero. December 2019 |
Q. I have a 80s brown brick house with almost purple grouting and need to paint the surrounding exterior soffits etc and need advice on colour. The joinery is brown aluminium. A. You could try Resene Half Taupe Grey on the surrounding exterior with Resene Wan White on soffits. Or try Resene Double Sea Fog on the surrounding exterior with Resene Double Alabaster on soffits. December 2019 |
Q. We are wanting Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster on the walls of our new home. Should we do half on the walls and quarter on the ceiling or both quarter? Also which white-white would you suggest for the trims? Our flooring is a warm dark wood with a reddish cast. A. Resene Quarter Alabaster is incredibly white, it's actually about as white as you can get. My best recommendation would be to actually do Resene Alabaster on the walls and then do Resene Quarter Alabaster on the ceilings and trims as the white. I think you may find it would feel very stark if you were to go with one of the lighter shades on the walls. December 2019 |
Q. If I want to create a soothing and relaxed look in my home, what sort of colours should I go for? A. A sure way to bring a sense of relaxation and calmness into your home is by bringing in coastal colours. Think weathered and washed blues, the whitewashed and aged look of driftwood and the subtle off whites of sea foam that has blown in off the beach. Hues like Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Sea Fog and Resene Colorwood Whitewash all capture the coastal look, combined with natural materials such as timber. A coastal palette is comfortable and easy; much like your favourite pair of faded jeans. Typically a style that was popular in baches, the coastal look has become very popular in urban homes too as a welcome respite from busy city life. Their soothing nature makes them a perfect choice for bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas. Finish trims in crisp whites, such as Resene Sea Fog or Resene Bianca for contrast. Avoid gloss finishes which tend to be jarring. Instead opt for low sheen or flat finishes for walls, such as Resene SpaceCote, to bring out the subtle beauty of the weathered hues and reinforce the sense of serenity. December 2019 |
Q. We have a rustic house, clad in new ply and batten which I have stained Resene Oiled Cedar. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. There is a large overhanging veranda with no covering on the timber frame. I don’t know if I should stain the posts and framing of the veranda lighter? The oiled cedar is quite dark. I was hoping for a Grey Friars stain that I could lighten down, but couldn’t find one. A. Have you considered paint instead of stain? You could use a lighter variant of the roof colour – i.e. Resene Quarter Grey Friars. If you would prefer a stain that is lighter than the Resene Woodsman Oiled Cedar then Resene Woodsman Natural would make the veranda posts stand out. Or a greyer stain colour would be Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar. December 2019 |
Q. Is there any chance you can recommend a light or suitable white trim colour in a villa? Our wall colour will be one of your quarter, half or full Beryl Green or else Cooled Green. We will try testpots to decide finally. A. A crisp true white will work really well with any of the greens you mention – try Resene White. A slightly warmer white may work well as well – Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Or slightly tinted whites might be considered, such as Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Quarter Black White. December 2019 |
Q. We have just built a bach in a bush setting and the whole interior has been painted Resene Alabaster including the window frames, skirting and walls, to reflect as much light as possible. I would like to introduce some colour by painting the interior doors and a feature wall in our kitchen/dining area. Our kitchen is wood, warm white and black, with yellow pendant lights. I was thinking a light duck egg sort of colour on all the interior doors and a slightly darker version on the feature wall (we'd like to paint this with chalkboard paint). I want it to remain light and airy but to avoid it looking too coastal – instead enhancing the unique bush setting. Do you have any suggestions of a colour palette that would complement Resene Alabaster and suit these colours? A. Duck egg types of colours favour the blues and are used a lot on coastal properties. The following are slightly green/grey and they do look lovely with Resene Alabaster – Resene Half Emerge – doors with Resene Half Inside Back – feature wall, or Resene Nebula – doors with Resene Pewter – feature wall, or Resene Harp – doors and Resene Haven – feature wall. December 2019 |
Q. We are building a Lockwood home. The roofing and spouting are Windsor Grey, the downpipes are Sandstone Grey and we needing to choose a colour for the fascia and barges? Also a wood stain colour for exterior wood panels (VG Pine). The interior walls and trim are a blonded finish but we need to choose a paint colour for the interior doors. A. Here are some options for you to try for each of those areas: For the fascias and bargeboards, I would suggest using Sandstone Grey to tie in the downpipes. For the exterior wood panels, you could try these Resene wood stains – Resene Smokey Ash or Resene Riverstone. For the interior doors you could try Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Double Alabaster. December 2019 |
Q. We are in the midst of a top to bottom renovation of half our family home, creating a new open plan kitchen, dining and living space. We renovated our master bedroom and ensuite a couple of years ago and love the colours we chose – Resene Suva Grey bedroom walls, Resene Pale Slate ensuite walls, with Resene Alabaster semi-gloss trims and doors. We are searching for a colour scheme for our hallway (polishes matai flooring) and living spaces (mid grey carpet and stone effect vinyl planks). The kitchen cabinetry is white and bench top is light grey stone. We are looking to complement the existing colours, and also note that we are going to paint the exterior a grey and white colour scheme, with a bright yellow door. What colours would you recommend for the hallway and open plan living spaces? We want a fairly neutral colour scheme. The hubby likes earthy tones and I have a soft spot for greens, such as Resene Beryl Green from the Karen Walker Paints range. Although possibly too overpowering for the full space so I’m open to a white that stands out from our semi-gloss Resene Alabaster trim. A. A whiter type of colour that allows the Resene Alabaster to be the 'best white' on the trims and doors might be one of the following colours – Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Barely There or Resene Whiteout. Some soft greens that might appeal to you – Resene Quarter Beryl Green, Resene Quarter Coriander or Resene Secrets. Earthier tones that may appeal to your husband might be one of these colours – Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Quarter Truffle. The reason for suggesting lighter colours is that often hallways are not blessed with lots of windows so the colour may look twice the depth that you might imagine it will do. In a larger living space with ample light the colours may only develop depth on the walls with windows on them. December 2019 |
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Q. I am turning a third bedroom into a study. One wall will be covered with white bookshelves with a partner’s desk in front of this. What suggestions do you have for painting the walls and doors? The skirting is Resene Alabaster. A. I would firstly suggest painting the doors Resene Alabaster (the same as the skirting). You could try these colours for the wall – Resene Milk White or for a hint of colour – Resene Duck Egg Blue. December 2019 |
Q. I would like some paint options for our garage and house as I don’t know where to start. Maybe a dark colour scheme and a safer grey option. I’m also interested in something a bit different like a dark blue/grey. We have some Huntly brick on part of the house which I initially thought I would leave unpainted. A. The following are some colour options for you to think about – dark colour – Resene Eighth Bokara Grey, or safe grey Resene Quarter Friar Grey or dark blue/grey Resene Raven. Once you start painting you may find that you do want to paint over the Huntly brick – sooner rather than later. When you have a very definite colour (or colour) like you do on the house it does control the options open to you. Take your time and test colours carefully. December 2019 |
Q. Which is the best neutral to paint the interior of a house where there will be a LOT of paintings to be hung? There are lots of windows and light. We like warm based colours and don't like cool whites. A. Some warm whites that may appeal to you are the following – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Quarter Villa White or Resene Half Bianca. December 2019 |
Q. I am about to build a new 65sqm minor dwelling. All the joinery will be black and the roof black or dark grey. Please suggest a light exterior colour, not grey, and a stain colour for the deck and fencing also not grey. A. A light exterior colour – not grey – opens up a huge amount of options. The following are a random selection that might be a good start point for consideration – Resene Orchid White, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Half Tea, Resene Half Linen or Resene Quarter Bison Hide. Some stain colours for you to check out are – Resene Woodsman in Resene Sheer Black, Resene Tiri, Resene Nutmeg or Resene Bark. December 2019 |
Q. We have a Lockwood upper storey (colour Resene Truffle – newly painted) and concrete block basement (also Resene Truffle) with a trim separating the two (Resene Triple Friar Grey, which is also the colour of the garage doors). We also have a deck that is stained Resene Nutmeg, which is also the colour of a timber clad feature on the front of the house. The different textures of the upper and lower storeys I don't believe suit having the same colour. I am interested in a suitable colour for the basement that looks good with the trim/garage doors, and the Resene Nutmeg colour. Potentially we can change the garage doors and trim, but I do quite like the warmer grey of Resene Friar Grey. Do you have any suggestions please? I am open to different colours. One side of the property has some native bush, so a colour that is sympathetic to greenery would be good. A. My first initial thought is to go darker. I think this could look really good and will allow the greenery to stand out against it. You could try Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. December 2019 |
Q. Our aluminium joinery and timber cladding are the same colour and are a close to Resene Double Villa White. The roof, guttering and front door is probably Scoria. I have thought to paint the door the same colour as the timber cladding or have it as a feature in a different colour. I really like the paint tones in the Karen Walker range and have used colours from that range in my last house. A. If you wanted to paint the door similar to the timber cladding then a full gloss enamel paint – Resene Enamacryl – in Resene Double Villa White may work for you. Alternatively one of these options from the Karen Walker Paints range may appeal – Resene Smoky Green, Resene Clouded Blue, Resene Sanguine Brown or Resene Fuscous Grey. December 2019 |
Q. We have started painting the exterior of our home (doing a total reno on a 1995 original build). We went with a grey on the walls and were thinking a dark charcoal on the roof, but after the first coat went on the walls we have had second thoughts! We are having trouble getting an overall colour scheme to work with the existing bronze aluminium joinery. Can you please give us some advice on what works with bronze joinery? A. You may find that it might be better to use a grey that has a bit of brown in it to pick up the warmer tones of the joinery so they complement each other rather than work against each other. I still think you could do the dark charcoal on the roof though. For the walls you could try Resene Half Friar Grey or Resene Stonehenge. December 2019 |
Q. I’m having a lot of trouble selecting an interior white colour for our new build. (I've read many of the other posts in this forum – love it!) We're going with Resene Merino on the exterior, combined with FlaxPod roof and joinery. The main room in the interior that I'm concerned about is the kitchen/dining/living which is 6m x 12m with a high cathedral ceiling. I would like a crisp white, but one that isn't too reflective as there are lots of windows in this room and I'm conscious that there is likely to be a lot of light. The majority of the flooring in the room will be a warm wood – I have a friend whose wood floors make her white paint look quite yellow/orangey and I'd love to avoid that if possible. The back sections of the kitchen are white, with the island painted in Resene Tiki Tour, with a composite marble bench top and splash. In the bedrooms I'm going to be using Resene Thor and Resene Green Meets Blue – and something similar in the bathrooms. I'd like a white that combines with these green/blue tones, yet doesn't feel too cold or muddy. A. The high cathedral ceiling will look to be a slightly deeper shade even if it is exactly the same colour as the walls. The white may also appear to be slightly deeper on all the walls that have windows on them. You could try these whites – Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. One of these may work well in the other rooms but it is possible that you may need to use a slightly more 'coloured' variant of the white in other rooms. It really depends upon what aspect of natural light is in each room as well as the dominant colours that feature in the room. If you painted up all of the test pot (two coats) onto very large A2 white card leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter it would assist you in several ways –
December 2019 |
Q. I’m looking at an Ironsand roof for my 50s home and keeping trims and pipes white. Could you suggest some greens that would work? I’m most interested in sage or beach feel greens as we live at the beach and I want the home to blend with its garden and surrounds. A. These greens may appeal to you. They have a subtle earthy edge that works well with the olive/brown charcoal (Ironsand) that you are planning on the roof. Try Resene Secrets, Resene Half Lemon Grass, Resene Half Tana, Resene Beryl Green or Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue. December 2019 |
Q. We are just starting to renovate our 1960s brick home with a concrete tile roof. We're beginning with painting the window frames, soffits and fascia board – which colour would you recommend for this? I liked the look of either Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Alabaster or Resene Pearl Lusta. Would any of those work with the brick or is there another colour you would suggest? We're also going to paint the concrete ring foundation (which is currently light blue) and the garage door – which colour would you recommend for this? A. Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream would work very well on the window frames, soffits and fascia boards. It is a fresh but warm toned colour. Resene Thorndon Cream (full strength) may be better than a whiter/paler version of the colour for the foundation. It might also be used on the garage door. If you would prefer a deeper type of colour for these two elements you might consider using Resene Triple Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Grey Olive. Either of these two co-ordinate well with the paler Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream colour as well as the bricks. December 2019 |
Q. Our painter is just about to start painting our house but we are still uncertain about a couple of colours. We are thinking about Resene Lemon Grass as the main colour. We like the greens to fit in with the surrounding trees. We are going to paint the pergola Resene Karaka, as we have done with the fences. My question is would Resene Quarter Lemon Grass be suitable to use as the trim colour around the windows and for the main colour on the house? Although I don't want a colour that really stands out, I am unsure if Resene Quarter Lemon Grass would be strong enough? Do you have any suggestions on what colour to paint the rough cast and under the eaves? We have tried a testpot of Resene Pearl Lusta, but am not sure if that is too creamy? A. I don't think Resene Quarter Lemon Grass would be too pale. Certainly it is a colour that you might use under the eaves and on the rough cast. But I am not sure how it would look with the existing windows. You would need to test this before you paint. If you were wanting a contrast colour to paint the foundation and under the eaves etc you could check out Resene Half Thorndon Cream as it is a bit brighter than the Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and not as yellow/creamy as Resene Pearl Lusta. December 2019 |
Q. We are looking at repainting our 1960s weatherboard house. We have settled on Resene Silver Chalice for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the trims and window frames. Which colour would you recommend for the roof? We would prefer to go darker for the roof. A. You could try Resene Windswept, Resene Element or Resene Grey Friars. I definitely recommend that you use the CoolColour modified formula for whichever dark colour you choose. It works to reflect more of the extreme heat that can radiate from the painted dark surface than a standard colour. December 2019 |
Q. I’m needing some colour advice for a feature wall in an open plan lounge. The overall wall colour is Resene Spanish White and the current feature wall colour is Resene Longitude. I’m wanting to change the colour of the feature wall. A. You don't mention what type of colours you favour. The following are some options to get you started – Resene Artemis, Resene Liberty, Resene Coffee Break, Resene Red Herring or Resene Sixth Sense.  Resene Artemis  Resene Liberty  Resene Red Herring  Resene Sixth Sense December 2019 |
Q. I want to paint the brick on our 70s split level home. There is also some vertical metal cladding on the top level which has been painted Resene Foggy Grey. Can you advise a white that would work with the grey? I don't want anything to look bluish. The roof is Decramastic and has been spraypainted in Ironsand. A. You could check out these whites to see if they appeal to you – Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Half Merino. December 2019 |
Q. We have painted our house with Resene Half House White and we want to get advice on a light grey colour for the roof and the deck. Could you give us some advice on the colours? A. All colours on a roof can appear much paler/brighter than you may imagine they will do – sometimes up to 50% lighter depending upon the angle of the roof to the sun. Check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you for the roof – Resene Atmosphere, Resene Half Foggy Grey or Resene Whitewater. The deck could be painted the same as the roof – it depends upon whether you want a very light/bright deck or not. Alternatively you might consider one of these colours – Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double House White or Resene Quarter Atmosphere. December 2019 |
Q. Can you please tell me if Resene Half Raven is an exterior paint colour? A. Resene doesn't designate colours for interior only or exterior only, so this colour can be used for either. All you need to do is choose your preferred Resene topcoat. December 2019 |
Q. I am choosing between Resene Half Delta and Resene Silver Chalice for the external and internal walls on my renovated Queenslander. I’m struggling to see the difference. Is one darker? More blue? A. If you are testing colours you might consider painting all of the test pot (two coats) onto A2 white card leaving a narrow unpainted border. This can be moved all around the exterior of the house so that you can better judge how changing natural light and aspect alters how the colour is seen. The unpainted white card border also helps your eyes judge the reality of the colour. If it is painted onto an existing paint colour on the house you may see it 'wrong' because of the negative influence of that colour influencing the tested colour. If you paint up a sample for the interior each wall/each room will show the colour differently and it will look slightly deeper than the same colour on the exterior which always looks lighter/brighter. Resene Half Delta and Resene Silver Chalice are similar in depth – neither is lighter or deeper than the other. Resene Half Delta has a little more warmth to it (yellow/grey undertone) than the Resene Silver Chalice. December 2019 |
Q. We have a COLORSTEEL® roof and deck railings in Ironsand, timber clad walls in Resene Perfect Taupe, and joinery in Tuatara. What colour should we paint our timber decks? A. For your timber decks you could try these Resene wood stains – Resene Iroko, Resene Smokey Ash or Resene Nutmeg. December 2019 |
Q. I have recently brought a house. The beams, stairs and banister are coloured in Resene Karaka. The ceiling is brown and wooden and the walls are white(ish). I am looking at painting the ceiling as I think that painting the beams/stairs /banisters may be a tricky process. I would like a light colour as I find the lounge can be rather dark with my current colour arrangement. Can you advice whether it would better to paint the ceiling or the beams/stairs/banisters? And would be able to recommend a colour? A. If you did paint the ceilings a white it would lighten and brighten the rooms. For convenience you could paint the walls and the ceilings the same colour. Yes it would be easier than repainting the beams/stairs/banisters. But don't be surprised if you decide later on to redo the beams/stairs/banisters - one change often leads on to more in order to make the space have a completely new look. The following are a few white colour options – Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Double Alabaster. If you don't wish to paint the walls to match the ceilings then I suggest you use a standard white – Resene White – as it is more likely to work with other 'whitish' wall colours. December 2019 |
Q. I have chosen Resene Half Secrets for exterior walls and Resene Green Spring for window trims. I’m happy with that combo. I now have an issue deciding on the roof and roof trim. I am trialling Resene Touchstone however it isn’t quite right. I am planning to COLORSTEEL® the roof in the future. Any suggestions for spouting and wood trim below spouting. My house is stucco and wooden windows/doors... post war era. A. You might check out the following COLORSTEEL®/Resene colours – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle/Resene Windswept, COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod/Resene Element, COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars/Resene Grey Friars, COLORSTEEL® Karaka/Resene Karaka, COLORSTEEL® Fern Frond/Resene Canyon or COLORSTEEL® Rivergum/Resene Rivergum. If you like the idea of the spouting and the wooden fascia being a feature you could use Resene Green Spring to match the window trims. Or you could paint them to match the roof colour. Or possibly a white like Resene Quarter Black White which could be used for the windows and under the soffits as well. December 2019 |
Q. We are painting the exterior of our clinker brick to go with our bronze aluminium joinery. We are thinking of the following colour scheme – exterior walls and fascia/gutters – Resene Bokara Grey, soffit and doorway – Resene Triple Sea Fog – will that look ok, fence stain – Resene Pitch Black and roof – Resene Bokara Grey. We think that will match but any advice or suggestions are appreciated. A. I have had a look at all of this and I think it will look great. My only suggestion just as an option would be to look at painting the roof black as well to tie in the fence which I think could work really nicely but either option is suitable. A black to try for the roof is Resene All Black. December 2019 |
Q. . The colour of my window joinery is New Denim Blue and I am seeking advice on what colours are best suited to this colour. I was hoping for a grey, but I am thinking this might clash. A. A light to mid tone grey that has blue undertones (like New Denim Blue) could be used. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Regent Grey, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Half Raven, Resene Neutral Bay or Resene Quarter New Denim Blue. Lots of cream and beige can also look lovely with New Denim Blue. Have you considered that option? December 2019 |
Q. I’m building a very modern home with lots and lots of glass and natural light and it’s on the water located in sunny warm Queensland. I’m thinking of using Resene Alabaster inside. What should I use on the outside? I think it’s better to go a bit deeper outside so it doesn’t look too in your face bright white. Is Resene Double Alabaster one shade darker than Resene Alabaster? There is no visible roof. A. Yes Resene Double Alabaster is one shade darker than Resene Alabaster but you may find that is still too bright for an exterior. You might like to try Resene Triple Alabaster or Resene Wan White. December 2019 |
Q. We have a house with a Sandstone Grey roof and white wooden windows. Can you suggest a colour for the walls, preferably lighter than the roof? A. The following are a few colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Double Merino, Resene Cararra, Resene Quarter Friar Grey or Resene Half Ash. These colours are all quite different to each other. Check them out against a swatch of Sandstone Grey (aka Resene Gauntlet) and real white. You can view A4 swatches of all these colours in the colour library at Resene ColorShops. You will be better able to envisage the overall look of the colours. December 2019 |
Q. We are looking for colour ideas for an upstairs living room, kitchen and TV room to go with dark cherry flooring. We are looking for greys but open to options. A. I think a grey would look great with dark cherry flooring. You could try Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. December 2019 |
Q. I'm interested in finding a colour that is slightly off white (or very light grey) that will complement the existing Resene Rice Cake (on the doors, window frames and skirting boards). The colour will be used on the walls throughout the whole house. The house isn't that sunny in the winter time so I wouldn't want a very cool tone. Do you have recommendations for paint colours that complement Resene Rice Cake? A. There are lots of colours that go well with Resene Rice Cake. You could try Resene Double Merino or Resene Milk White. December 2019 |
Q. We're looking for your expert advice on colours for our home. We recently had the weatherboards painted in Resene Delta, the bargeboards in Resene White and the wooden deck in Resene Gravel. However we're having trouble deciding on colours for the roof, baseboards and fence which is currently aged, unpainted wood. When looking at the property from across the street, the house is not all that visible behind the fence and the fence seems to overpower the house. So, should we soften the fence with a lighter colour or paint it a dark colour to make a feature of it? A. I would suggest painting the roof, baseboards and fence all in the same colour and going darker. Your eye would actually be attracted to the light so from the roadside if you were to paint the fence lighter then that would be the first thing you notice hence why I think it would be better to go darker. You could try Resene Nocturnal or Resene Element. Because these are quite dark colours I would recommend using the Resene CoolColour version of these colours. December 2019 |
Q. I am repainting the walls and ceilings in several rooms in an older house. There is currently Resene Solitaire on walls and window sills/frames and skirts and Resene Half Solitaire on the ceilings. I am wanting something lighter and neutral for the walls and ceiling, but I don't plan to repaint the window frames/sills – the reason is there is retro-fit secondary glazing over the existing window panes and the frames are colour-matched to the existing paint (Resene Solitaire). What options for the walls and ceilings would you advise please? I was considering Resene Half Thorndon Cream but unsure how this would go with the Solitaire window frames/sills. A. Resene Half Thorndon Cream is a really lovely colour but unfortunately I don't feel it works very well with Resene Solitaire. It has a bit of a green edge to it so your walls may end up looking green when next to the apricot tones of Resene Solitaire. You could try Resene Eighth Rice Cake on the ceiling with Resene Half Rice Cake on the walls, or Resene Quarter Wan White on the ceiling with Resene Quarter Albescent White on the walls. December 2019 |
Q. I need a new roof so thought it is a good to time to possibly renew/change the colours. I’m pretty keen on a COLORSTEEL® roof so can use any of their colours. I like the idea of just two colours (three if you count the roof). The habitat plus 1 look 4 ways – villa versatility has a colour scheme I'm considering but would like a professional opinion. It’s the number 4 – Resene Loblolly weatherboards with Resene Hint of Grey. How do you think this would look? What parts of the trim would I paint grey and what could I leave Resene Loblolly? And which COLORSTEEL® roof colour would you recommend? Or do you recommended painting it all Resene Black White with a dark roof? Or something else? A. COLORSTEEL® colour options are limited. If you have absolutely no roof colour preferences then the following may help you come to a decision. Option 1 – Dark roof – COLORSTEEL® TernStyle, with Resene Double Black White for the main colour and Resene Quarter Black White for all trims. Option 2 – Dark roof – COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars, with Resene Loblolly for the main colour and Resene Sea Fog for all trims (Resene Sea Fog is also known as Resene Tint Of Grey). Option 3 – lighter roof – COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey, with Resene Alabaster for the main colour and Resene Quarter Atmosphere for the trims. December 2019 |
Q. We are considering painting our exterior next summer. What should we think about? What is meant by a white on white look? A. Choosing a colour scheme for the exterior of your property can be a daunting challenge for a few reasons. To begin with, it’s an expensive project that you don’t want to get wrong, then you take into consideration that the whole neighbourhood will be watching the progress to see what colour you’ve picked and the pressure starts to build! Unlike painting an interior room, where if it’s not right you can close the door to the room when family and friends pop over, your exterior is on show to all. Exterior trends move a lot slower than interiors which is a good thing considering that if you look after your paint finish, by having a house wash, at least once a year, it should last at least 8 years, another reason you need to love what you finally decide on. A White on White look usually combines two strengths of white, such as Resene Double Sea Fog, a classic greyed white, as the dominant colour and complementing it with Resene Quarter Black White, a soft chalky white, for trims. Another successful combination for a White on White scheme is Resene Double White Pointer, a beige tinged white, and Resene Alabaster, a soft clean white. For a scheme that uses warmer whites have a look at Resene Bianca, a light cream off white or Resene Rice Cake, a sharp clean yellow white. Generally a White on White scheme is complemented with a dark contrasting roof such as Resene Cathedral or Resene Grey Friars. This palette also allows for a pop of colour on your front door or plant pots. Popular accents for 2017 are Resene Daredevil, an almost fluoro orange, Resene Turbo, an energetic yellow, Resene She’ll be Right, a teal blue and Resene Left Field, an emerald green. It really is a chance to express your personality in colour. December 2019 |
Q. We have an awkward shaped hallway. Can we use bold colour in it or are we better to stick with neutral colours? A. As hallways and entrances are transition areas and you spend only a short amount of time in them, you can usually afford to be a little more adventurous. Ideally hallways should be treated as linking spaces to help give continuity to your interior colour scheme. To make a long hall look shorter, paint the end wall a vibrant warm shade. Or, paint the end wall a light cool colour to make the hallway look longer. Colour can provide a bridge between adjoining areas. It can be difficult to change colour when adjoining spaces are viewed together, so a feature wall of colour can be a good way to create a natural colour break. When visualising a hallway or entrance colour scheme, leave the doors of adjoining rooms open so that you can see how the hallway will work as the focal point leading to each room's colour palette. Hallways are often not blessed with a lot of natural light. If your hallway tends to be a little dark and gloomy, consider choosing a soft warm neutral, like Resene Bianca, rather than a greyed off white. For something a little different, consider having the colour on the doors rather than the hall. Simply choose a light neutral for your hallway then choose a favourite colour for each door – ideally something that relates to what the room is used for or the colour scheme inside. Because you are only in a hallway for a short time, bold bursts of colour are easy to live with. Guests can navigate around your home using the coloured doors. It’s a great option for children's bedrooms that come off one hallway – each can choose a favourite colour. You can paint the reverse side of the door in a lighter colour to suit each room's colour scheme so you don't have to incorporate the bold colour into your room colour scheme. Or if you are adventurous, consider painting your hallway ceiling in a bold colour, a colour blocked effect or stripes. Hallways often have lots of doors, and framed photos and artwork, so sometimes there isn't much room for the paint colour to shine. If you have a hall like this, the ceiling might be the perfect blank canvas for you. As hallways tend to come in for a lot of wear and tear, choose a durable paint, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. The low sheen will help to hide surface imperfections and can be wiped clean if needed. December 2019 |
Q. We are thinking of using metallic finishes as accents in our home but don’t want them to date. What are the trends for metallics? A. The main trend we are seeing with metallics is not so much a colour trend, but more of an embracing of metallics and using them in new ways – on accessories, cabinetry, furniture and even flooring. While metallics are still often used to create feature walls, we are increasingly seeing them used to make a real statement of bathroom and kitchen cabinetry, furniture for living areas, and as part of a colour block effect with the metallic often being a small part of the effect but lifting the whole look. Colour wise, the aluminium, pewter and grey metallics, such as Resene Blast Grey 1, tend to always be the most popular colourways, and never more so than now. These colours are very versatile and timeless and can work with most other colours. We are seeing many of the gold tones come through in the Resene wallpaper collection, usually as the sole accent on a monochromatic wallpaper. In children’s rooms bolder metallics, such as the bright pink of Resene Sugar And Spice and the bright blue of Resene Yeehaa are popular options to add a touch of colour and sparkle. The reflective nature of metallics can help to accentuate the light in the room, and can be useful in darker rooms where a more solid colour would make the room seem darker. December 2019 |
Q. I’m doing some colour research and wondered how you develop your colour trends? Also is blue and green an especially local trend? A. We belong to various international trends groups and are constantly looking for the new trends coming through, both through the reported trends and also the trends in how colours are being used together and alongside other materials. We also watch the trends in our own colour sales and see these wax and wane as the trends change. We tailor the predicted colour trends to local tastes and to suit our local environment. In our market, customers tend to opt for stronger cleaner colours than the European market which often has more pastel and feminine hues that don’t work as well as our light tends to be much clearer. We’re surrounded by water and bush so blues and greens are always around in our colour palettes even if they are not on trend. The colours of nature are increasingly coming indoors and being reinvented in interior spaces. Our colours have always tend to be inspired by nature – strong, quite complex earthy colours with pops of flower brights are perennial favourites. December 2019 |
Q. My bedroom has Resene Eighth Blanc walls and ceiling. The carpet is beige and there is about three metres of golden wooden bi-folds. I want to paint the wall behind the bed a bolder colour – what do you suggest? A. Introducing a new colour to the room may make you see the colours you have – walls/ceilings/carpet/wooden bifolds – in a completely different way. You will have to very carefully test colours and watch how they alter during the daylight hours and at night under electric light. And they do – often quite a lot. Some bolder colours to try are – Resene Virtuoso, Resene Green Meets Blue, Resene Liberty, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Cab Sav or Resene Ming.  Resene Virtuoso Resene Liberty Resene Sixth Sense December 2019 |
Q. My walls are painted Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay. Which is a good white to paint window sill and frames please? A. One of the following whites may appeal to you – they all look good with your main colour – Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Half Cararra, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Black White. December 2019 |
Q. Which colour should I paint my front door? The house is painted in Resene Quarter Tapa, the basement is full Resene Tapa and the window frames are Resene White. A. You have a huge amount of possibilities that would work – try these options – Resene Fast Forward, Resene Suits, Resene Atlas, Resene Salsa, Resene Rococo, Resene Nero or Resene White. December 2019 |
Q. We want to paint the exterior of our textured cement board house. We have a Grey Friars roof and will paint the concrete at the bottom Resene Grey Friars but there is no trim around the windows so whatever colour we decide will only be contrasting with Grey Friars. We thought a warm white colour but are very conscious we don’t want it to look too stark given there will be no contrasting trim. Which colours would you suggest? A. You may need to consider using a complex coloured white rather than anything too stark in order to achieve a nice balance. You could try – Resene Triple Black White, Resene White Pointer, or warmer hues like these ones – Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Spanish White. December 2019 |
Q. My cottage interior is Resene Half Spanish White. Can you recommend a complementary colour for a bathroom? I want a very light mossy green. I like Resene Avocado but it is too deep. My bathroom is very small so just want a hint of green. The cabinetry is white although I am putting in a new vanity. Maybe white or a blonded oak? A. The following are some really lovely greens that may appeal to you – Resene Half Coriander, Resene Orinoco, Resene Aspiring or Resene Secrets. It would depend upon which green you chose as to whether you had a white or a blonde oak vanity. December 2019 |
Q. I’m building a new two level home, the basement is blocks and top level is James Hardie fibre cement planks. I’m not sure whether to paint all one colour – Resene Cement or two colours – Resene Grey Gull or Resene Grey Friars on the basement wall with Resene Cement on weatherboards. A. Resene Cement is a strong natured brown with a yellow undertone. It looks smart with Resene Grey Friars which is strong enough to work well with Resene Cement. Any grey that is lighter – like Resene Gull Grey – doesn’t work with Resene Cement as it dominates the grey and makes the grey appear wishy washy. Some other colours that also look good with Resene Cement – Resene Ironsand or Resene Windswept. December 2019 |
Q. In our kitchen, we have GBC engineered stone bench colour Elba and kitchen cabinetry colour Mist Naturale. The floor is Quick Step laminate Valley Oak Light Brown. I would appreciate your help to choose the wall colour. We first chose Resene Half Akaroa, but the joinery designer says that it looks too peachy for the cabinetry colour Mist and then we looked at Resene Quarter Napa, which looks quick similar to the cabinetry colour. Should we choose a wall colour similar to the cabinetry or one that has some contrast to the cabinetry? It is a big area with a kitchen, living and dining area being combined together, so it is quite deep (approximately 8 metres). A. . I think it may be better to move away from the beige/brown toned greys unless you want to match in with the flooring and not the (grey/neutral) of the kitchen cabinetry. The following colours may work well for you – Resene Triple Black White, Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Half Copyrite or Resene Grey Seal. The drapes/blinds/ furniture/ accessories/rugs etc can be either much darker or a more definite colour. December 2019 |
Q. I have a small 1970s concrete block apartment. I’m keeping the colour palette neutral – Resene Quarter Tea with Resene Alabaster and Resene Black highlight. The toilet is super light and I’d like to paint it in a dusty vintage black and pull the black through in accessories to the bathroom which will be Resene Quarter Tea and already has white tiles with black grouting. Can you recommend a black please? A. Some dusty vintage inspired black Resene colours that you may find appealing are these ones – Resene Noir, Resene Gumboot, Resene Double Foundry or Resene Cod Grey. If you wanted the paint to look 'dusty' you might consider using a matt finish paint, such as Resene SpaceCote Flat. It is a flat velvet finish which may add to the dusty vintage look. December 2019 |
Q. We have an older brick home and have painted all the walls Resene Half Tea with bright white skirtings but are looking to do a feature wall possibly in a darker colour. The wall we will paint is a very large brick wall in the lounge behind the TV. What do you recommend? A. You don’t mention your colour preferences but these may be a good starting point for you – Resene King Tide, Resene Twilight Zone, Resene Suits, Resene Dark Web or Resene Aubergine. December 2019 |
Q. I’m looking to paint a nursery. Please give me some ideas for it which could be good for the nursery but also as my child gets older. A. A key trend for children's rooms is use of multiple colours – generally this is done a few different ways:
Parents are making more of children's wall spaces – using Resene FX Blackboard Paint to create writing areas on walls and wardrobe doors, and/or Resene FX Magnetic Magic on walls or wardrobe doors so posters and pictures can be hung up without the need for drawing pins or blutack. Often these are created for babies and then they grow into using them. So initially the parent uses them and then the child learns to do it themselves. Make sure you use durable washable paint! We normally recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen because it is easy to wipe clean. Also allow for lots of storage space, such as inbuilt wardrobe storage – to keep things out of the general room area and avoid them getting dusty. Open shelves look great but you can spend a lot of time keeping them tidy and dust free – so save those for the items that you want your child to be able to access themselves and make sure they are either secured to the wall or very low level so there is no risk of them falling onto your child. Children aren't babies for very long so unless you want to redo the room in 12 months, think ahead as to how the room will grow up as your child does. December 2019 |
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