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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 95

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. 95

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


Q. I've painted outside doors Resene Jumbo grey and was wondering which colour you would suggest to do the door frames instead of white?

A. You might consider a 'coloured' white – try Resene Quarter Concrete or Resene Black White.

Alternatively a deeper grey could be used – try Resene Scarpa Flow or Resene Ship Grey.

March 2020


Q. If I am painting timber window frames and also powder coated door frames, exterior, in a blue I like in interiors – can you advise if the colour would appear strong enough on the outside? The building gets a lot of sun on one side but not the other.

The blues we like are Resene Duck Egg Blue and Resene Dusted Blue. But I want them to appear blue not disappear to grey and loose the tint. Should I pick exterior colours with stronger blue in the formula? But I don’t want to end up with a strong grey either.

A. All colours seen on the exterior can appear lighter (sometimes brighter) depending on the type of colour it is. The bright sunlight strips back the depth of a colour.

Other things that make a colour alter is the aspects of light (N/S/E/W) so each side of the house can make the same colour look completely different.

And it can look different again as the axis of the sun changes during the day – low clear easterly morning sun light may make a colour look more aqua, /low westerly sun towards sunset is flushed with more yellow red rays etc so it makes more grey appear.

Other colours that are close to the painted colours also alter how the colour is seen.

Testing colour by painting it up (all the testpot/two coats) on A2 white card leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter helps you see the reality of the colour. Plus you are able to move it around each side of the house.

The blues you mention are grey toned blues. So any change of natural light makes them greyer not bluer. The south side of the house might make them look greyer and the west side also. I suggest you test several clearer (less grey toned) blues also. Try Resene Halcyon, Resene Frozen, Resene Slipstream or Resene Half Halcyon.

March 2020


Q. I am trying to find the right colour for my new raised garden boxes with slatted trellis walls above the boxes. These boxes are made of pine timber and surround my tiled courtyard. I was hoping to get a paint that looked like wood stain to avoid having to restain regularly. The colour I was aiming for is Resene Woodsman Natural on pine. Can you suggest a paint colour in your paint range that looks like that?

A. The following paint colours are very similar to Resene Woodsman Natural – try Resene Brown Sugar, Resene Dark Buff or Resene Swiss Caramel.

A paint colour will always look stronger and much more definite than a stain colour but I hope this information and these suggestions are helpful.

March 2020


Q. I'd like to paint my house main colour Resene Lemon Grass with Resene Alabaster white windows and sills and a Resene Grey Friars roof, eaves and trim and Resene Lip Service for the main door. Would that look ok?

A. It would look beautiful. I love the choice of the gentle green main colour – Resene Lemon Grass – and the crisp white – Resene Alabaster – details. But I especially love your choice of front door colour – Resene Lip Service. It is a 'wow' colour with a moody undertone. It is gorgeous in a really slick full gloss enamel finish. The roof colour – Resene Grey Friars – is a classic and timeless steel blue influenced charcoal and it works really well with the other colours.

March 2020


Q. I have a very sunny Shadowclad® home with flat roof. It has dark aluminium joinery and very green surrounding foliage. I painted it Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Montoya with Resene Silver Chalice windows and corner boxing. It has remained in good condition but I am repainting now to not let it decline to a big job. I’d like to change the corners and the window surrounds to contrast better. I could change the Resene Montoya also but I’m trying to not increase the work load with needing to hide the old colour.

A. You don't mention what colour the powder coated joinery is and not knowing that information may impinge upon what other trim colour you might use.

You could check out the following suggestions to see if they look good with the joinery and the main colour – Resene Castle Rock, Resene Half Foggy Grey or much lighter – Resene Triple Sea Fog.

If you did want to give the main colour on the house a subtle change you might look at using Resene Friar Greystone – it is similar but greyer in tone to Resene Montoya.

March 2020


Q. We are looking to paint our house (or parts of it). We have a red brick house with timber sections painted green. The roof, joinery and front door are brown. We really want to modernise it but aren’t sure which colours would be best to use. If we can paint everything except the red brick that would be ideal but understand to get the best and most modern result we may also have to look at painting the brick. Once we paint the house we will then be working through landscaping the property – removing existing planting and building deck and concrete entertaining areas.

A. You are a wee bit compromised because of the coloured brick and the roof, joinery and front door being brown.

If you could paint the roof and the powder coated window joinery – because they are a definite colour – it would free up your options a lot.

Powder coated roof and joinery can be primed with Resene Pre-Coated Steel Primer and then two topcoats applied.

You might check out the following palettes to see if they appeal to you –

Option 1 – Resene Double Merino – main colour house, garage and fence, Resene Half Merino – windows, door frame and under the soffits, Resene Windswept – windows, door frame and under the soffits and Resene Moccasin – doors (this is a friend to the colours in the brick).

Option 2 – Resene Double Thorndon Cream – main colour house, garage and fence, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream – windows, door frame and under the soffits, Resene Squall – windows, door frame and under the soffits and Resene Eternity – doors (this is a complement to the colours in the brick).

If you want to make a bigger change and paint the bricks you might use the same colour as the windows etc as it would still allow the deeper colour on the cladding to be a bit of a contrast.

March 2020


Q. I would like to know a grey that would complement the colour Resene Secrets for baseboard, window sills etc. – probably a nice mid grey.

A. I recommend you try these colours – Resene Tapa or Resene Quarter Gravel.

March 2020


Q. We have Resene Half Merino for walls. Which colour is complementary for the ceiling? Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Double Alabaster?

A. I would actually recommend going with Resene Alabaster instead of either of those two. Ceilings shadow so you don't want the ceiling looking darker than the walls and there isn’t white enough contrast between those and Resene Half Merino. I think Resene Alabaster will be perfect for you.

March 2020


Q. I want to use one shade of white (if possible) in the inside of our 1950s ex state house. It has wide floorboards that we intend to polish and the majority of the house is bathed in sun (north-ish facing) except the large living/dining area which is south west facing. Is there one white that will suit all of the inside or do we have to use cool white in the sunlit parts and then a warm white in the living room?

A. I would actually lean towards a slightly warmer white for all of the interior, I wouldn't have two different whites. Try Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Merino.

March 2020


Q. I need a modern exterior colour to go with dark brown joinery.

A. You could try Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

March 2020


Q. We are in the process of painting our new build house. The outside is predominately Resene Quarter Karaka, with some cedar panelling and Resene Tapa on the soffits. Internally we have decided to go with Resene White Pointer throughout except for the bedrooms where we have chosen, Resene Casper, Resene Alaska, Resene Half Washed Green and Resene Duck Egg Blue. The Resene Duck Egg Blue is for the master bedroom and walk in wardrobe. The room has a three quarter height wall separating the wardrobe from the sleeping area that is crying out to be a feature wall as the bedhead sits against it. Can you suggest a suitable colour? I thought either a similar colour a few tones darker, or a similar tone in a different colour might work.

A. A similar colour a few shades deeper might be like these ones – Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, Resene Innocence, Resene Half Innocence or Resene Half Inside Back.

March 2020


Q. We will be re-cladding our property and want to do a Hamptons colour scheme, however the terracotta roof is causing me some grief. Are you able to give us two different options – a colour scheme with the terracotta roof and secondly a colour scheme with a new painted roof. The joinery is an off white (which will be staying). One wall with no windows will be vertical weatherboard, the rest horizontal. The garage door can also be painted if required.

A. If you’re keeping the existing roof, you could use Resene Triple Sea Fog for the horizontal weatherboards and Resene Half Sea Fog for the vertical weatherboards and architraves. Or if you are happy to paint the roof, you could use Resene Double White Pointer for the horizontal weatherboards and Resene Double Alabaster for the vertical weatherboards and architraves, with the roof in Resene Gauntlet.

March 2020


Q. I have a villa which is a grey/white and New Denim Blue. I would like to feature the front door something more interesting. Could you please suggest some colours I could consider to make it pop?

A. You might check out the following colours to see if they are the type of 'pop' of colour that you are drawn to – Resene Pink Ribbon, Resene I Dare You, Resene Daredevil, Resene Candy Floss, Resene Away We Go and Resene Machiavelli.


Resene Pink Ribbon

Resene I Dare You

Resene Away We Go

Resene Machiavelli

March 2020


Q. I would like a colour suggestion for the outside walls of our house. The roof is red and grey tiles, the window joinery is ivory. We wish to move away from the current beige.

A. The roof and the window joinery colours will exert an influence over what colour options work well. You might check out the following to see if they work well for you – Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Double Villa White, Resene Eighth Bokara Grey or Resene Scarpa Flow.

March 2020


Q. We have purchased a new home which is in desperate need of some love with new paint both inside and outside. Inside the colour choice has been sorted and we are happy, but we are really struggling with the outside colour. The house is Hinuera stone, built 1973 and it has some vertical wooden areas needing paint – two end gables, the area around the front and back doors and a small area around upstairs windows, garage doors and front door. We want to keep the window wooden joinery white.

A. When you have existing colours or elements on a house (the roof and the Hinuera stone) that are not being changed your options are somewhat compromised. It may be a case of what looks good with them rather than what you favour.

You might check out the following colour options to see if they work –

Option 1 – Resene Taupe Grey – all wooden panelling and gables, Resene Grey Friars – garage doors and Resene Double Cod Grey – front door.

Option 2 – Resene Triple Merino – all wooden panelling and gables, Resene Condor – garage doors and Resene Desperado – front door.

Option 3 – Resene Pearl Lusta – all wooden panelling and gables, Resene Quarter Karaka – garage doors and Resene Karaka – front door.

March 2020


Q. We are looking for a warm white/cream colour for the interior of our whole house and want to use the same colour on the ceiling and trims etc. I am looking at Resene Double Bianca, Resene Orchid White and Resene Villa White. I don't want it to look stark and cold so which is the warmest of these colours or can you recommend something else? We have terracotta coloured curtains and we cannot afford to replace these so it would need to blend.

A. Resene Orchid White is the warmest of those colours.

If you are contemplating using the same colour for walls, trims, ceilings etc it will look deeper and creamier over all. It may be double or triple the depth that you might imagine. Colours always look stronger (or brighter) toned in the interior.

I recommend you consider using a lighter version of the listed colours if you want to make the rooms seem lighter.

A word to the wise – if the ceiling is the same colour as the walls it will look different (deeper toned) because of the way light falls away from it and this will be very obvious at the junction between wall and ceiling. Would this worry you – having a ceiling that appeared deeper than the walls?

The old rule of thumb was lightest/whitest ceiling, light/mid tone walls and either a match of the ceiling colour for the woodwork trims or the same as the wall colour.

For example, Resene Bianca for the walls and Resene Half Bianca for the ceilings and trims. Or Resene Orchid White for the walls and Resene Half Orchid White for the ceiling and trims.

March 2020


Q. We are painting our house exterior. It is currently cedar stained. We will repaint the decramastic roof. We have selected Resene Grey Friars for the roof and Resene Ash for the exterior (still doing prep, so can change our mind). I now have cold feet! Is this colour combo dated? Will it work with Otago Schist and terracotta tiles? We also have dark grey slate ground tiles too, plus the windows are currently dark brown aluminium framing (which we plan to refit in the next couple of years). The Resene consultant advised a lighter exterior colour due to harsh sun/heat/dust. Will the Resene Ash look too greeny? I’m wondering if Resene Ash is better with a more colonial style home with white trim. We want to achieve a fresher/updated look. It’s a country homestead.

A. Resene Grey Friars is a steel blue toned charcoal. Will you mind if doesn't look as good as you would like it to with the schist – warm earthy colours – and the window joinery – warm deep bronze brown. It will be a bit 'odd man out'.

You say the windows will be changed eventually – but to what? Same as the new roof colour? Or a clean (could be stark) white? Or a contemporary urban silver?

If you changed the roof colour to Resene Ironsand (brown based charcoal) or Resene Windswept (a slightly softer toned warm earthy grey) then the windows might stay as they are now and those types of colours would work well with the schist.

Some alternative colours for the cedar – that are less green toned – might be one of the following – Resene Quarter Arrowtown, Resene Copyrite, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Dusted Grey.

March 2020


Q. We’ve renovated most of our home and now we’re looking for ideas for a wall colour for the master bedroom. We love rich colours and rustic traditional styling. We’ve put Resene Hot Chile in the kitchen/dining, Resene Escapade in the lounge, and Resene Bunting in the hallway bathroom (with Resene Alabaster panelling on the bottom half). The hallway is Resene Double Merino and trims are Resene Alabaster throughout.

The master bedroom ensuite is about to be painted in Resene Juniper, and there'll be a woodgrain tiled shower and cream and black accessories. It’s quite a dark, small bathroom so Resene Juniper looks deep and dramatic, which we love. The master bedroom opens out onto a fully enclosed deck with cedar cladding and heaps of hanging greenery and pot plants, but the room itself is not particularly light-filled. For the master bedroom walls we thought about a paler green that riffs off the Resene Juniper in the bathroom, but we’re open to all ideas both complementary and contrasting… we’d just like to stay away from neutrals!

A. The following colours may appeal to you – Resene Unwind, or lighter tones Resene Half Opal or Resene Breeze.

Some contrasting and bolder colour options might be considered – try Resene Green Smoke, Resene Just Dance, Resene Deep Teal, Resene Astra or Resene Golden Glow.


Resene Hot Chile

(kitchen/dining colour)

Resene Escapade

(lounge colour)

Resene Alabaster

(bathroom panelling colour)

Resene Double Merino

(hallway colour)

Resene Juniper

(ensuite colour)

March 2020


Q. I have just brought the world’s ugliest house with a brown roof and Summerhill stone. The roof is decramastic tiles, which I want to paint Resene Ironsand, to match the new aluminium joinery (also Ironsand). Please could you also recommend a cladding colour for the Summerhill stone bricks? The house is 1970s on a lifestyle block.

A. If you paint the roof, you may want to paint a garage door the same colour too. There are plenty of options for the walls – some ideas to get you started – Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Quarter Craigieburn or Resene Double Ash.

March 2020


Q. We are painting the exterior of our house and have stained the rough-sawn weatherboards and fascia with Resene Woodsman Tiri and the soffit will remain white. The windows are Titania and the garage door is painted in Resene Ironsand. Can you please suggest a colour for the plaster? I think I'd like to unify the two finishes through colour so could you suggest a colour please?

A. The following colours may appeal to you – Resene Bone White (a little bit deeper than Titania), Resene Atmosphere (a crossover stone grey that relates well with Titania and Resene Tiri), Resene Gauntlet (a warm grey similar to Resene Tiri) or a deeper shade – Resene Eighth Ironsand (a colour that relates to both Resene Tiri and Resene Ironsand).

March 2020


Q. I am undecided on colour for our house. I want white and light grey with a maroon red for the doors. My thoughts are white for the main house, then a soft grey in the alcove and for the bottom of the house.

A. Some options for you to try:

Option 1 – Resene Black White – main, Resene Surrender – alcove and base of house and Resene Smoulder – doors.

Option 2 – Resene Poured Milk – main, Resene Grey Chateau – alcove and base of house and Resene Trouble – doors.

March 2020


Page 95

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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