Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. After 18 months of anguish, we finally decided on a colour for our hallway, laundry and living areas. We wanted a lighter version for the hallway and south facing laundry. I went to my hardware store and asked for Resene Miso as a half or three quarter strength colour. I was told that it couldn't be done/no guarantees, gamble as to the colour I would end up with/highly recommend you don't. I got talked into an alternative (lighter) colour. Pretty, but not what I wanted. My poor husband couldn't deal with my tears, he added white to the rest of the paint after the first coat and is refusing to buy any more paint. Can you please tell me more about ordering and using variant strengths of a colour, I always understood it was simple and common to do this in different parts of the house? A. Colours can be made into darker and lighter strengths. For some colours, depending on what tone they come off, it is very easy and you can just use half the tinter to get half the colour. However, this usually only works for colours off white tone and only if there is enough of each tinter, then it can be halved and still be measured through the machine. We normally always recommend a customer either tries testpots, or sees a physical sample of a colour variation before buying paint, to make sure they are happy with it. As a quick option though, one way to try the colour is to get 1 Miso testpot and 1 White testpot. To make a 'half Miso' mix equal amounts of Miso and White together. To make a 3/4 Miso, mix 3 parts of Miso to 1 part of White. These will give you an idea of what the colour could look like. If you find a colour you like, then take the dry sample of it to the Resene ColorShop - they can then get the colour specially colour matched for you by our Colour Lab and enter it into our colour database for you. This takes a bit longer than choosing a colour off the shelf, but means you can easily access the colour if you want to do more decorating later. Resene ColorShop staff can arrange a custom colour match for you.
April 2018
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Q. I have tried Resene Concrete, Resene Half Concrete and maybe Resene Quarter Stack after advice in store, but the colours are just not right. I want to paint our nursery in grey (the room is small and has dusky pink curtains and white furniture) and I am wondering if you could please recommend a few testpots that I could try, that might get me closer to the mark? A. With the information that you have dusky pink curtains I think the following greys may be helpful - Resene Mercury, Resene Flotsam, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Surrender. If you are able to check out the A4 real painted colour samples in the Colour Library at the Resene ColorShop, you may find it helpful.
April 2018
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Q. I want to paint my traditional bay villa a white, but not Resene Alabaster. I have a COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey roof. I like Resene Half Black White, would this be suitable or should I be having Resene Quarter Black White? What’s the main difference or your suggestion? A. All colours on an exterior appear lighter/brighter due to the bright sunlight we have. Resene Half Black White may look like Resene Quarter Black White on the sides of the house that get the most sunlight. Likewise with Resene Quarter Black White which may look like Resene Eighth Black White. Any white that you have carefully tested and like is suitable. If you are in doubt, please do take the time to paint up all of the testpot - two coats - onto super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and view them from up close and from much further away. The card - which can be purchased for a very modest cost from all Resene ColorShops - can be moved around each wall of the house, so you can see how the colour alters with the changing aspects of light - N/S/E/W - as each aspect will show light and shade on the painted sample in a different way.
April 2018
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Q. Can you please suggest a couple of extra colours to add to the Resene Thorndon Cream range, as I want to ombre a bookshelf but wish to start deeper/lower than Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. I would like to begin in the late 70s or very early 80s on the colour wheel. Is there a quadruple and quintuplet Thorndon Cream? A. There isn't a quadruple or quintuplet version of Resene Thorndon Cream but you might check out these colours as they appear similar to what I imagine deeper variants of Resene Thorndon Cream might be. Resene Double Ash and Resene Triple Ash or alternatively - a deeper tone - Resene Greige or these may appear brighter in their yellow undertones and not as soft and ashy green beige as Resene Thorndon Cream looks - Resene Half Grey Olive.
April 2018
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Q. What colour would you recommend to paint a house with a FlaxPod roof and light grey joinery, in a rural setting? A. The deep coloured roof and the light grey joinery are reasonably neutral, so a huge amount of colours may work well. Try these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Friar Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Climate, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Quill Grey.
April 2018
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Q. I wish to paint the exterior of a new build, black. It is predominately LINEA® weatherboard, with silvery grey blockwork as vertical elements. The shape is low and square with articulation. All windows and box trims (strong elements) are black. I did try a sample of Resene Double Cod Grey for the LINEA® boards. What other blacks would be suitable, and which slightly greyed off whites would be complementary? I should consider using the Resene CoolColour paint. Should I use the Resene Lumbersider low sheen or a semi-gloss? I want a black house but I am concerned it will look too flat. A. If you want visual interest, then you might use different gloss levels to accentuate your colours. Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss will look quite glossy until it settles back to its semi-gloss sheen level. Resene Lumbersider is a lower sheen look - but not matt - so the surfaces - if painted in this product - will look slightly muted and soft. You might look at Resene All Black (this colour is a Resene version of COLORSTEEL® Ebony) or (real black) Resene Black or Resene Nero so you can compare them with Resene Double Cod Grey. Greyed off whites to check out, might be one of these colours - Resene Half House White, Resene Barely There or Resene Double Black White.
April 2018
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Q. We are painting our whole house using 'seaside' colours like Resene Ecru White, Resene Linen, Resene Wheatfield and Resene Periglacial Blue. The front entranceway is double height and will have a mix of darker grey/brown tiles on the floor and cork tiles on the stairs. It is right next to the lounge which is in Resene Ecru White (can be seen through internal windows). I want a neutral but warm colour in the front entrance and we have been looking at Resene Quarter Foggy Grey and Resene Quill Grey - any other suggestions? The entrance gets morning light but no sun in the afternoon - though has reasonable windows and a glass front door. I want something that is a 'non-colour' so we can change the artwork/accessories etc. to suit without being tied to a green or blue etc. A. Resene Quarter Foggy Grey may deepen when there is no direct sunlight and be a little too grey, but it is worth checking out. Resene Quill Grey is less grey (warm with a slight yellow undertone) which may stay looking lighter, even in the afternoon when there is more shadow in the entrance. Some other colours that you might check out are these ones - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey and Resene Half Ash.
April 2018
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Q. We are helping our daughter do up an old ex-state house with wooden tawa floors. We are looking at going with a grey theme. She likes the colours Resene Athens Grey (walls), and Resene Tuna for a feature wall and then in her bedroom, the colour Resene Hawkes Blue. What colour should we paint the ceiling, skirting, doors and trim (perhaps Resene Alabaster)? Can this all be painted the same colour (doors, windows and trims)? Is there a better match for a feature wall, using Resene Athens Grey? If you could suggest a few combinations that work for ceilings, walls, doors and trims, and a feature wall colour (grey theme) we would be very grateful. A. You might use any of these whites for all the trims and ceilings - Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Alabaster or real white - Resene White. The difference between these whites is very subtle. You and your daughter might check out these greys as potential feature wall colours - Resene Mine Shaft, Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Grey Friars. If you have the opportunity to view the large A4 real painted samples in the Colour Library at your nearest Resene ColorShop, you may find it easier to compare the dark greys and to judge how they look in reality.
April 2018
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Q. I have a new build and am thinking of Resene Indian Ink as a feature wall. I originally wanted black or charcoal but a hint of blue would be grand; I’m scared it’s too blue. Can you explain what it would look like on a wall and which white would be best to encourage depth of colour? A. I think the only way for you to judge exactly what Resene Indian Ink will look like, is to carefully test it. If you paint all of a testpot (two coats), onto a super large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. This unpainted portion of white card helps you focus on the reality of the colour. You can pin it up on the wall you want it to be a feature on, and watch it during the daylight hours and at night, so you can see how it alters with changing light. Colour - any colour - will always look darker than you might imagine on the window wall, as the light through the glass makes the surrounding wall shadowy. It may look bluer on a wall that gets maximum sunlight - especially if it is early morning (easterly) sunlight. A wall that gets late afternoon sunlight (west facing) has a warm red/yellow cast to it and this particular colour may look a bit purple toned. In a south facing room, it may look blacker because of the aspect of natural light. A cool white may make the colour seem a bit blacker and a warm white may bring out the blue undertones of the colour - Resene Half Wan White or Resene Eighth Black White are cooler than Resene Half Bianca or Resene Half Orchid White. But all whites will pick up on different aspects of natural and artificial light and respond to other colours seen close to them, like the flooring or drapes.
April 2018
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Q. I am repainting the interior of my house. At this stage I am thinking of using Resene Sea Fog on the walls and Resene Alabaster on the window sills, trim and doors. What are your thoughts on this colour scheme? Should I be painting the doors a darker colour? A. I think the colour combination is perfect. I suspect only you would know whether the doors need to be a darker colour - if you have the following happening.
If any of these above mentioned problems are at your house, you could consider painting the doors to match the wall colour or a slightly deeper version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog in a semi-gloss enamel - because it cleans better than a matt acrylic.
April 2018
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Q. We are building a new home and I am stuck on what to paint the interior walls. I am thinking of having white ceilings, skirting etc as I have seen white doors I like. We will be having a white kitchen with a dark charcoal flecked stone bench. A. If you are considering doing a 'white on white' look in the interior of your new home, you could use a subtle tint of white for the walls and 'real white' for the ceiling and the wooden trims, using Resene Black White for the walls and Resene White for the ceiling, wooden trims etc. If this is a little bit too stark for you then you might check out the following alternative options - Resene Merino for walls and Resene Quarter Merino for the ceiling, wooden trims etc, or Resene Sea Fog for walls and Resene Alabaster (Resene Eighth Sea Fog) for the ceiling, wooden trims etc, or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for walls and Resene Half Athens Grey for the ceiling, wooden trims etc.
April 2018
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Q. We are refurbishing our cabin and are looking for another colour to paint up to a new dado line, 800mm from the floor. The ceiling is pine, the walls are Resene Sea Fog, and the floor will be carpeted with Graphite from Carpet Mill - a dark grey/black with a light fleck through it. The kitchen bench is a blue/black swirl. Would something in the greys or blues go? We would also consider repainting the Resene Sea Fog walls if they didn't fit in or if there was a better alternative. A. I think something in the blue or blue/grey range of colours would work well. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Panorama, Resene Kashmir Blue, Resene Avalanche, Resene Ship Cove, Resene Half Hammerhead, Resene New Denim Blue or Resene True Blue. These blues and blue/greys are all quite different to each other, so it may pay you to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the large A4 colour samples in their Colour Library in order to judge the reality of the colours by comparing them with each other.
April 2018
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Q. I am after a pink that will work for my beach boho theme, in a bedroom. So far I have used Resene Half Concrete on all walls throughout the house and Resene Quarter Concrete on the ceilings. I have also painted a feature wall in another bedroom (that has a lot of windows) in Resene St Kilda. It looks stunning with the Resene Half Concrete! However the last bedroom to be done has very little natural light and is north facing. There are two full walls that will be painted Resene Half Concrete and a wall of wardrobes in Resene Quarter Concrete gloss. The feature wall has the window and makes everything I try look too intense. I'm at a loss as to finding the right pink to firstly handle the beach theme, and secondly not be over shadowed by the Resene Half Concrete. A. Some pinks may work, but a lot won't if it is important for the theme you have created (beach/boho) to be harmonious and well-co-ordinated. You mention that it is to be the window wall that is the feature colour and all colours look stronger on a window wall because of the shadow on them. Very pale pinks that would ordinarily look fine with Resene Half Concrete and Resene Quarter Concrete may look pastel/retro - not beach/boho. Deeper pinks may look too deep. If you didn't do a feature wall but concentrated on duvets and drapes to bring in the pink beach/boho element, you may achieve the look you want. Otherwise if a feature wall is still the preferred option, you might check out these (sunset glow) colours - Resene Pink Terrace or Resene Sentimental.
April 2018
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Q. I want to put Resene Half Concrete on my walls but need help choosing the ceiling colour. A. Because Resene Half Concrete is such a delicate silver grey you might look at either of these whites for the ceiling colour – Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster. If you were to use a more coloured (shaded) white it may overpower the Resene Half Concrete - it is a colour that likes a crisp clean contrast for ceilings and other trims to bring out the lovely undertones it has.
April 2018
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Q. I am building a house in LINEA® and the outside colour is Resene Double Parchment. The roof and spouting are Karaka. There is schist on the corners of the house is a darkish colour with a rust colour running throughout. It definitely picks up the Karaka. I want to paint the door to tone in with the colour of the outside, the roof and the schist. I’m looking at Resene Blaze and Resene Ayers Rock. Is this a good colour selection? A. Both of the colours are good choices - they are clear and bright and definitely orange toned. Resene Blaze is a slightly redder orange compared to Resene Ayers Rock. The colours will appear brighter on an exterior due to bright natural light. If you are unsure about which is the better colour to suit you I recommend that you paint up very large samples using all of the testpot (two coats) on to an A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). Leave a narrow unpainted edge all around the perimeter of the card and tape them on to the door or as close as possible to the schist so you can see the overall effect close up and from further away. If you did find any of the colours you have mentioned don’t quite suit, then you might check out Resene Countdown, Resene Kamikaze or Resene Fire.
April 2018
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Q. I live overseas but I need to get my home in New Zealand painted. How do I find the current trends for the exterior paints? A. Colours for interiors favour very personalised colour palettes and a lot of soft pastels are starting to be popular. But the exterior of houses are slower to change and are still favouring classical whites, greys and charcoals often with bold exciting pops of colour for the front door only. It very much depends upon the style of house and what is already in situ - i.e. a definite roof colour that isn't changing or powder coated window joinery - both of these may compromise colour choices. The roof - if it is to be painted a new colour - is often quite dark - there are a lot of blackened tones being used on the roof and the following are a few palettes of colour that you might check out: Roof - Resene Element, main house colour - Resene Half Silver Chalice, all trims/window frames/under soffits etc: Resene Eighth Black White and front door feature in Resene Jalapeno. Or roof – Resene Windswept, main house colour - Resene Double Black White, all trims/window frames/under soffits etc - Resene Eighth Black White and feature front door in Resene Groovy. The coastal influence in exterior colours is still quite popular and these are muted water inspired colours: Roof in Resene New Denim Blue, main house colour - Resene Half Eskimo, all trims/window frames/under soffits etc - Resene Eighth Black White and a feature front door in Resene Tangaroa. There are many other sources available to you to check what is popular - these are a few to get you started: April 2018
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Q. There are two colours – one called Resene Grey Friars and one Resene Friar Grey. Why are there two colours with similar names? A. When we name new colours we try and keep the names different to existing colours. Resene Friar Grey is a colour Resene named a few decades ago and has been popular continuously since. Grey Friars was a name chosen in the roofing industry. As people wanted to repaint their roof the same colour, many customers started asking for it in paint shops and over time Resene Grey Friars became part of our roof range. Over the last 20 years more customers have started to use roof colours on other areas of their homes, so it has become part of other colour charts. All of our colours have a colour name and also a code – where possible it is best to use both as the code is an extra reference it is the right colour.
April 2018
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Q. We painted our bungalow Resene Half Tapa earlier this year and now need to replace our COLORSTEEL® roof, what colour would you recommend? The window sills are Resene Half Black White and we have a native NZ garden. A. You might check out these COLORSTEEL® colours to see which one appeals to you - Thunder Grey, Karaka, TernStyle, Ironsand or FlaxPod. I strongly recommend you look at the real metal samples rather than a brochure or on the computer so you are better able to judge the reality of the colours.
April 2018
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Q. The weatherboards on our house are Resene Splash and the roof and guttering are COLORSTEEL® Scoria. Will you please suggest two or three colour options that will complement these two for the trims such as windows? The house is a 1880s cottage. A. Some suggestions for you to consider for the trims on your cottage might be these ones - Resene Double Bianca, Resene Half Dutch White, Resene Lichen, Resene Raptor, Resene Teak or Resene Gecko.
April 2018
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Q. We would really appreciate your help to choose a colour to paint the exterior of our house. We would like it to complement the interior colour of Resene Eighth Joss however we do not want the exterior to have a pinky look. The render is textured and some of the gables are made of blue board so the paint must have an LRV no less than 40. The gutters are COLORBOND® Woodland Grey and the fascias are COLORBOND® Surfmist. We would like to create a mid-century modern ranch vibe. A. Modern mid-century homes tend to be white or off-white is this look you’re going for? If so, here are some options for you: Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Double Ash, Resene Double Black White, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, or Resene Quarter Bison Hide.
April 2018
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Q. I have painted my kitchen in Resene Linen and it looks gorgeous. A nice green grey. I decided to paint the adjoining conservatory the same colour but with a lot more light in that room and a different flooring (a darker brown black grey natural looking slate) the Linen colour looks completely different and at some times of the day looks more a khaki brown colour. I’ve tried a testpot of Resene Double Linen to see if that would give a more green look but it’s a bit dark. Do you think I should maybe go Resene Half Linen or is there a colour you would recommend that would complement the Resene Linen in the kitchen and the nice golden linseed oil stained cedar in the conservatory? There are more windows than wall in the conservatory so it gets a lot of light. A. It sounds like there is a wee bit too much grey undertone in the Resene Linen family to cope with the shaded wall space plus the charcoal flooring. Light is such a tricky aspect of design to work around so I’ve given you a few colours below that will hopefully work. These have less grey to begin with, thinking that once in place they will look similar to the Resene Linen. Try Resene Joanna, Resene Coriander, Resene Moon Mist or Resene Aspiring. Resene ColorShops' stock folders with A4 swatches of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint. You may need to carefully test colours to see how they respond to light and shadow. Don't apply a testpot to the already coloured walls - it won't look true to reality because of the greater amount of existing colour influencing it negatively. If you paint large A2 card with all (two coats) of the testpot it lets you see a huge amount of colour. Please leave an unpainted white card border all around the edge of the card to act as a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour. You can move it from wall to wall so you can see how it alters during the day and night. Each wall may show the colour in a different way.
April 2018
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Q. We are renovating our home with new double glazing throughout in Arctic White. I wanted to paint the walls a light grey with a white ceiling. I was thinking about Resene Wan White for the walls. What other colours would you suggest and what would I paint my window sills, doors and skirting? A. Resene Arctic White has a slight blue undertone, so I’d suggest you paint your window sills to match the aluminium and your doors/trim in a neutral white – like Resene Alabaster. You can request Resene Arctic White 9001 (code IPT35) from your Resene ColorShop which will match your windows. As for your wall colour, Resene Wan White is a nice soft off-white. If you wanted something with a little more grey in it, these might be worth looking at: Resene Athens Grey, Resene White Pointer or Resene Double Black White. These colours all have lighter or darker family members if they aren’t quite right.
April 2018
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Q. I would like to find a Resene paint colour to work with COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey for weatherboards. A. For weatherboard colours that work with the Windsor Grey, try Resene Quarter Tapa, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Surrender, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Half Truffle.
April 2018
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Q. I want a white for my interior walls and ceilings. I have Resene Black White doors, trims and sills which I am hoping to keep. The kitchen is Resene Designer White (white with a slight blue/grey hue) with a mid grey splashback and that colour on the back of the island. I don’t want a colour that will throw a blue hue or look dirty. A. These whites might be considered but they may enhance the blue/grey in the Designer White kitchen cabinets - would this worry you? Try Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Wan White. They would work harmoniously with the Resene Black White doors and trims.
April 2018
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Q. I am using Resene Eighth Oilskin for the exterior of my rendered home. I have white with blue accents in the kitchen. I am looking for a colour to paint the entire interior and was considering Resene Eighth Oilskin or a lighter strength. The colour I am trying to achieve is white with just a tint of taupe preferably cool tone. One exterior wall is seen from the inside of living area. The house is very light and open plan. For the exterior, will Resene Eighth Oilskin reflect the heat as we live in Queensland? A. A white with a hint of taupe in it might be one of these colours - Resene Eighth Truffle, Resene Half White Pointer, Resene Eighth Tea or Resene Double House White. On the exterior you would get more reflectance and therefore a cooler surface if the Resene Eighth Oilskin was made up as a CoolColour. Resene CoolColour™ colours use a different technology which is a great aid to stop surfaces getting too hot.
April 2018
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Q. I am painting my bedroom Resene Double Sea Fog with Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceiling (A frame), windows and skirting. I would like a darker back wall as a feature that will be behind the bed. I am thinking an inky, moody dark blue that is greyer as Mr is not keen on a navy. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal - Resene Shark, Resene Mine Shaft, Resene Cod Grey, Resene Dark Knight or Resene Ebony Clay.
April 2018
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Q. We are painting our living room in a month or so. Our house is a 1960s house with big windows, with white frames. We have rimu floors and the room faces north/north-west. Our bedroom, which faces south, is Resene Half Truffle and we really love it and thought we would use it in the living room, but it looks quite brown. Can you please recommend a colour that we could use? We really don't want a softly beige colour. A. Colours change (radically in some cases) on each angle, each wall and in each room due to the quality of natural light. North facing rooms get more sunlight in winter when the sun is lower in the sky and often has quite a bit of shadow on the walls at midday. West facing rooms get a lot of red/gold toned sunlight later in the day due to the sun moving to the horizon and setting. This type of light adds more warmth (pink and yellow) to any colour. In a South facing room more cool or grey tones appear in a colour. You may need to test a few colours very carefully in the room and watch how changing light alters then. You will not be able to stop the natural light affected how the colour looks so there may need to be a measure of compromise on your part - i.e. perhaps aiming for a colour that looks ok when you are in the room the most and possibly not being as perfect the rest of the time. Perhaps one of these colours may be worth checking out - Resene Quill Grey, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Stonehenge or Eighth Friar Grey.
April 2018
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Q. I am looking to use Resene Malta gloss on kitchen cabinets with Caesarstone Statuario uvo 5111 on benchtops with Blackbutt timber floor. Is there another colour in your paint range that would complement the stone more? A. You might also check out these colours - Resene Perfect Taupe, Resene Drought, Resene Sandcastle, Resene Triple Blanc or Resene Fossil.
April 2018
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Q. I'm looking for a colour for a splashback in a new kitchen. The bench is Caesarstone® Ice Snow and there are two Melteca® cupboard colours in Charred Oak Puregrain and Melteca® Streetlight. I'm looking at Resene Wasabi as a possible colour for the splashback. I'm also looking for a white/neutral colour paint for the walls of the open plan kitchen/dining/living area. What would you suggest? A. In regard the white/neutral colour for the walls you may need a warm white to tie in the Melteca® Streetlight because it is quite peachy in its undertone compared to Melteca® Warm White. Perhaps one of these colours - Resene Albescent White, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Eighth Akaroa. There are a huge amount of colour possibilities available for a splash back. If you like Resene Wasabi which is a bitter lime with a yellow undertone it will definitely enhance the warm peachy tone of Streetlight. Some other colours that are a bit similar might be one of these - Resene Awol or Resene Kombi. Have you considered other types of colour for the splashback? These ones may appeal to you - Resene Salsa, Resene Atlas or Resene Zinzan.
April 2018
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Q. I am looking for a grey paint colour (not too light) to paint our weatherboard house. It will need to work with the Rivergum colour as that is the colour of the roof. We would also like to source a suitable white and black paint colour that can be used on the windows/doors. A. Colours on an exterior often look a bit lighter due to bright natural light stripping back their depth. Try Resene Atmosphere, Resene Quarter Tapa, Resene Delta, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Silver Chalice. One of these whites and blacks may look good with the grey main house colour and the definite warm green roof colour - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Black White, Resene All Black or Resene Nero.
April 2018
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Q. I would be very grateful for your thoughts on colours for a living room and master bedroom which are located next to each other at the end of a hallway. We have a 1930s bungalow and both rooms are north/west facing and have lots of natural light through the windows. There used to be wallpaper on the walls from previous owners. We have Resene Rice Cake on most of the main walls of the house and white on the windows/ceilings etc. We are keen on greys for these rooms and would like them to work together because you will be able to see into both rooms from the hallway. We currently have Resene Shark on the walls in the living room and enjoy the dark colour but it is too blue for the new sofa. We have been looking at Resene Nocturnal but I think it might be too dark. This is a second living area and it has a good amount of light and windows and will have a wall of white shelving along the length. A. Living room - If you like a deep atmospheric colour with lots of ambiance you might look at Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey. These are similar to Resene Nocturnal but lighter/warmer in tone. There is a lighter version also of Resene Nocturnal - i.e. Resene Half Nocturnal. Colours always appear deeper when more than one wall is painted or it is used as feature only with a white on other walls. There are deeper variants of both these colours but they may be too dark when seen with the new sofa and the white shelving. Because you mention that you can see both rooms in close proximity it may be nice to look at one of these greys because they relate well to the deeper charcoals suggested for the living room - Resene Scarpa Flow, Resene Jumbo or Resene Concord, or lighter tones - Resene Half Scarpa Flow or Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow. April 2018
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Q. I'm looking at the colour Resene Unicorn for my granddaughter's room but it is too dark, how would Half or Quarter Unicorn look? A. It is possible to request a half or quarter version of Resene Unicorn but it wouldn't be available as a testpot only a greater amount like a litre. Have you considered choosing another colour so that you could at least test it to see if it was ok? You might look at one of these alternative warm lilac colours - Resene Poet, Resene Zappo or Resene Sonique. All colours in an interior have the potential to appear much more intense than you might imagine they will do - often doubling in their depth or brightness. A colour that you might consider to be too light may - upon careful testing - be just right. If your granddaughter is madly in love with Resene Unicorn you might also consider using it only on one wall as a feature with the other walls in a warm neutral colour - that way she gets a bit of the colour but the colour doesn't take over the entire room.
April 2018
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Q. I’ve decided my house needs a facelift and as a family with only one income we are going to paint to start with. This will mean that we will need to get new curtains etc as well. We would like to give our three girls (preschool age) rooms a warm grey with white ceiling/trims. I quite like Resene Half Rakaia and Resene Double Alabaster. But am thinking Resene Double Alabaster may be too striking. What would you suggest? For the remainder of the house I was thinking of whites. I’d keep the same ceiling and trims (perhaps Resene Alabaster) but I’m not sure on the walls. Could you please give me some suggestions? Or which colours should I stay away from to avoid it feeling too cold? My kitchen is navy blue and grey. We have an open room concept with a formal lounge separate, with all other rooms coming off the hallway. We also have silver window edgings. With three small children I want the kids to be able to move freely in the house so this won’t be a ’show home’ but I’d like it to look fresh and warm, inviting and family friendly. A. I like the idea of Resene Half Rakaia for the girls' rooms but my concern is that the half formula may look too dense. All colours have the potential to double in depth in an interior so with that in mind you may be better to consider using Resene Quarter Rakaia which may look deep enough when all four walls are painted. Either Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Alabaster would work well as the contrast 'white' on the ceilings and trims. A white type of colour for the rest of the house might be a slightly warmer colour which could still be used with Resene Alabaster for ceilings and trims. Perhaps one of these - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Sea Fog Have you looked at the fabrics available in the Resene Curtain range to get a bit of an idea about what might appeal to you? The fabrics are able to be seen as a book (like a wallpaper book) in any Resene ColorShop.
April 2018
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Q. I’m hoping to get some guidance with regards to a great colour scheme to transform our house exterior. Our property has two separate buildings, a main house and a two bedroom flat. Under each of these is a basement, so it’s a lot of concrete and a lot of fibro in a really old colour. The sheer height of both dwellings is going to make for a tough paint job which we plan to do ourselves so only keen on doing this once! We had been thinking of a grey scheme but are not sure how to apply it across both buildings, the two levels and with roller doors, steps and the roof to consider. A. Some greys can look like unpainted concrete so the type of grey may need to warmer or deeper so it looks more stylish. Had you thought about which particular greys that you favour? The simple option is to paint both the main part of each building and the basements the same colour. But it may be a bit bland. The buildings are plain now and it would make them a little plainer visually. The alternative option is to use the main colour on the house as the basement colour of the two bedroom flat and the main colour on the flat as the basement of the house but in a tonal colour palette. For example: Main colour of the house and same for the basement of the flat - Resene Friar Grey (warm grey) or alternatively Resene Stack (cooler grey) and basement of house and main colour for the flat - Resene Quarter Grey Friars (warm grey) or alternatively Resene Quarter Stack (cooler grey). Garage doors and both roofs could be Resene Windswept (warm charcoal) or alternatively Resene Grey Friars (cooler charcoal). Steps/handrails, posts, under soffits, fascias etc could be Resene Triple Sea Fog (warm coloured grey/white) or alternatively Resene Black White (cleaner white). Entry doors to the house and flat could be a bolder colour to add visual interest, such as Resene Seaweed or alternatively - Resene Dynamite. The two different palettes of colour allow you to see warmer versus cooler greys - not too dark but with interest.
April 2018
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Q. I'm based overseas. I'm doing a LINEA® weatherboard home, kind of Cape Cod style with white boxed corners trim and planted sills. I want a colour like Resene Hullabaloo, Resene Anakiwa, Resene Onepoto; turquoise basically. I need a steer on which white (light colour) will work for the trim, soffit etc - and also go well with the APL colour Appliance White that we'll use for the alloy joinery. A. Resene has a version of APL Appliance White so you could match your window joinery 'white' on any trims that require a match. All that you need to do is ask for this colour and it will be made up for you in whatever type of paint you require. If you want a really clear bright young at heart colour then Resene Hullabaloo will certainly be good. Resene Anakiwa or Resene Onepoto are lighter bright tones. If you want some other options for a softer type of Cape Cod aqua inspired colour then you might check out one of these colours - Resene Hippie Blue, Resene Hope, Resene Half Baked or Resene Tradewind.
April 2018
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Q. We have an Ironsand, board and batten pool house, right next to our old 1950s weatherboard house. The colours we were advised to paint the house were Resene Triple Truffle and Resene Triple White Pointer. I can't remember which was to be the base cladding and which was to be the house colour. Could you advise please? A. Typically we have darker colours on the bottom of a house and lighter on top, this stops the house from looking like it is ‘floating’. I imagine that this is most likely the case with you too, so you would use the Resene Triple White Pointer for the cladding, and the Resene Triple Truffle for the base.
April 2018
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Q. We are using Resene Rainee, Resene Gelato and Resene Comfort Zone for picture frames on a Resene Double Black White wall. Now looking for a yellow colour to sit alongside these, are you able to suggest a colour please? The idea is for the frames to resemble beach huts. A. What a nice colour palette you have put together. The colours I have given you continue along the ‘beach” way of thinking and resemble sand. Try Resene Golden Glow, Resene Good As Gold or Resene Celebrate.
April 2018
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Q. I want to match COLORSTEEL® Slate. Can you please advise the Resene colour to match? A. Resene does not have a standard colour that matches the ‘Slate’ from COLORSTEEL®. What we do have, is a match in our system to enable paint to be mixed to the colour. So if you want paint for fascia boards etc to match to your new roof, you can come into Resene and ask for ‘COLORSTEEL® Slate Endura’. April 2018
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Q. We are building a house on a sloping section, which gets strong north and northwest sun. The deck and part of the upper level will overhang the lower level, meaning this level will be darker inside than the upper level. We would like to keep the internal wall colour for both levels the same (or as close to the same) if possible. Do you think Resene Double Sea Fog would work for both levels, or Resene Double Sea Fog for the upper level and something warmer like Resene Quarter Truffle for the lower level? Would you use a lighter shade on the ceilings? Also, are there any other colours in the white or grey/white range you would recommend? The exterior will be COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey with white joinery; flooring will be timber in either, natural oak or greyed oak (depending on wall colour). We would like the external and internal colour scheme to flow together well. A. North facing rooms get a lot more sunlight in the winter than in the summer and combined with the overhang of the deck I can see your concerns. All colours in an interior have the potential to look deeper as well. Sometimes double the depth that you may imagine they will do. North/west facing rooms may get more sunlight in them due to the very low arc of the westerly sunlight, as it dips toward the horizon. You may need a lighter/warmer colour for the lower level - i.e. Resene Eighth Truffle or if you would prefer to stay with the Resene Sea Fog palette of colours, then you might consider using Resene Sea Fog - this could possibly be used in all of the rooms. Please take the time to carefully test the colours by painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto large white A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops). If you leave a narrow, unpainted border all around the edges of card, it will help you focus on the reality of the colour. Some other colours that you might check out are these ones - Resene Wan White, Resene Half House White or Resene Barely There. They have a subtle grey undertone without being cool. Ceilings and any painted woodwork might be one of these whites - Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Half Alabaster.
April 2018
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Q. I like the colour Resene Quill Grey for the weatherboards on our house exterior, and I was wondering what colours you would recommend for the base of house that is roughcast, and the windows? I have tried Resene Half Alabaster as a tester for the windows but I think it is too bright and we won't do a sill trim colour, just keep the whole window the same. I have tried Resene Foggy Grey for the base but it doesn't look quite right either. We have native plants and would like the house to look fresh, but sit nicely within these. A. If Resene Half Alabaster is too bright for the windows, perhaps try Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Sea Fog – this will give you a softer look, with less contrast. As for the base of the house, I would suggest something just a little bit darker than Resene Foggy Grey, and slightly earthier to give you a nice amount of contrast to the house, but also working in with the roof and existing planting. Try these colours: Resene Archive Grey, Resene Eighth Masala or Resene Mountain Mist. Resene stores stock folders with A4 sizes of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint.
April 2018
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Q. I am trying to choose a white that won't make the Warm Pearl White aluminium joinery look a dirty colour. We were going to use Resene Alabaster but it was too white. Most of our joinery is Matt Gravel and the cladding is Resene New Denim Blue, we have American White Oak timbers. We are in a rural location and don't want a green cast to the walls. A. Due to the warm undertone of your joinery, I would suggest a warm colour for the walls too. Perhaps use something like Resene Bianca, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Cararra. I actually have Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream in my kitchen/dining and it looks white, not cream. These colours will give you the overall look you want to achieve, but you’ll just need to carefully test the colours to ensure they work well with your flooring options. Resene stores stock folders with A4 sizes of each of our colours, and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour.
April 2018
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Q. Our modern style weatherboard bach, is currently painted Resene Revolver, with aluminium soffits and chimney. We are looking to update the colour, but keen on staying with a dark blue. We thought perhaps Resene Shadowy Blue or Resene Hammerhead. Would you have any suggestions? A. There are so many beautiful deep blues on offer that it’s hard to choose just a few for you, but here is a selection of my favourites that would work well on a modern house: Resene Tarawera, Resene Avalanche, Resene Cello or Resene Biscay. I’ve given you different undertones for each of these colours, so hopefully this makes it easier to dismiss some options and decrease the ‘to test’ list. The two colours you’ve suggested would also work, the Resene Shadowy Blue is particularly delicious. I assume you have white or off-white windows, to contrast the deep colour on the weatherboards; this obviously gives you that crisp modern look.
April 2018
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Q. I am painting a room that will be used as a cinema. We will be using greys in other areas of the house, so would like to use a darker grey for this room. We are looking at Resene Double Stack but would like advice around how dark we could go, without it feeling oppressive. Also advice as to what type of paint to use, to reduce projector light reflection. A. One of the most important factors when choosing a darker colour, is to think about the undertone and if that needs to be warm or cool, or the situation it’s being used in. Here, we want something warm, which means using a grey with a hint of brown. Not only does this mean we can get away with deeper colours, but it also makes the colour itself more interesting when we have different ‘layers’. So here are a few greys for you to consider: Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Gauntlet (this also comes in a half version), Resene Trojan or Resene Half Scarpa Flow. I’ve given you slightly different depths here, but none I would consider too dark for a cinema room - we expect it to be dark and rich in colour/texture. I actually have full Resene Fuscous Grey on half the walls in my bedroom and I love the colour, it’s certainly not a flat, boring grey by any means. The type of paint you’ll want to use is Resene SpaceCote Flat. This is a waterborne enamel which means it’s hard wearing, waterborne paint and it has very little shine, almost dead flat which is perfect for the cinema.
April 2018
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Q. I am having new kitchen cupboard doors, using Resene. I want a gloss white but which one? The kitchen faces south east, but gets light from two large windows and is quite a light area. The benchtops will be a light Caesarstone. There are virtually no upper cabinets. There is wood above the windows and the kitchen has a high ceiling. There are kauri walls in the large, adjacent living area. I would like a cool, clean white with no yellow or cream in it. I favour a tiny bit of green tone but want a clean, bright white. A. You don't mention what colour you have on the walls of the kitchen and on the floors, and that may have some bearing on what 'white' you use on the kitchen cabinets. You could paint both the walls and the kitchen cabinets the same 'white' and just have a different sheen level - i.e. gloss on cabinets and low sheen on the walls. Is that what you had in mind? South/east facing rooms often have a cool but sharp quality of light, so you will need to carefully test your colour options, so that you can see how changing light - day and night - alters how the colours are seen. Early morning light (east) can bring up some green edge to a colour - any colour at all - so that is another reason to carefully test colours. These 'whites' are worth checking out - Resene Quarter Wan White, Resene Quarter Black White or Resene Half Alabaster. They have no hint of any yellow or cream in them. Or you might choose to use 'real' white - Resene White.
April 2018
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Q. I have a 1910 home and the houses around me are all grey. I want to reroof with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. What would you suggest for the walls, windows and trim? A. As your roof colour is a warm olive/brown based charcoal. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Eighth Stonehenge used with Resene Half Barely There, Resene Triple White Pointer used with Resene Quarter White Pointer, Resene Double Thorndon Cream used with Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Ash used with Resene Quarter Rice Cake. An alternative trim colour - instead of soft toned coloured white - that would work with any of the suggested colours might be real white - Resene White. If you were keen on a definite colour for doors, windows sills or other 'feature' elements on the house, it might be one of the following colours - Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Coast, Resene Pioneer Red or Resene Blackout. April 2018
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Q. I am trying to find the perfect white for my beach/boho look and would like it bright and light. Previously I had thought to use a combination of Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Alabaster, however when I painted out a large sample, I found it to be warmer than I want. I would prefer a milkier or chalk white, not cold though. I don't want any blue undertones. I want to use different strengths of the same colour to give some texture. The other colours I have in the rooms are milk white armchairs, teal velvet sofa and gold metallic. I also have a pale/med grey carpet. I thought about Resene Half Titania because of its green base, but I am unsure. A. You mention Resene Half Titania, which is a bone colour. Compared to the whites you have mentioned, it is a definite colour and in some rooms (smaller rooms, south facing rooms or hallways) it may double in depth and look more like full strength Resene Titania. Do you want more of a colour than a white? If you would prefer a white that is light and bright with no blue undertones, you might check out these suggestions - Resene Quarter Wan White, Resene Half Black White or Resene Half Barely There. And if you did want a bit more green undertone, then the lightest variant of Resene Titania may be worth checking out - Resene Quarter Titania.
April 2018
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Q. What exterior colours could you suggest for the fence, garage door, deck floor and steps for a white colour house, with dark blue trim? A. You might consider a deep charcoal for the fences to tie the white and blue together - Resene Tuna and a lighter variant for the garage door, deck floor and steps - Resene Half Tuna. Or, if you want a definite colour to add a strong contrast - Resene Rustic Red - for the fences and garage door and slightly lighter for the deck and steps - Resene Moccaccino.
April 2018
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Q. I have painted my living areas with Resene Half Titania - which looks great, very restful. I am now going to continue with this colour into my kitchen. My question is what colour would you recommend for painting my kitchen cabinets? I have a recycled kauri benchtop, which I will be keeping and I am thinking of brown/green/grey tones. A. You might check out these colours - they will all work well with Resene Half Titania - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Napa, Resene Copyrite, Resene Dusted Grey or Resene Bone White.
April 2018
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Q. We have a COLORBOND® Rivergum roof and currently need to repaint our house. We would like to find a grey for the weatherboards that would complement/work with the green Rivergum roof. We like the idea of painting the windows, doors and eaves a white colour and adding a black colour on the gutter fascia. A. You might check out the following colours that have a warm grey undertone - Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Eighth Stonehenge, Resene Eighth Friar Grey and Resene Quill Grey. A black type of colour for the gutters might be one of these - Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Nocturnal and Resene Baltic Sea. All the trims and doors could be painted Resene Half Black White - it is an obliging white that works well with greys and greens.
April 2018
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Q. I’m looking at repainting the exterior of my house and at darker options to modernise it. It could be a brownish or greyish colour, with the window trims white. A. Perhaps one of the following colours might be worth checking out - Resene Half Sandstone, Resene Double Truffle, Resene Half Craigieburn, Resene Stonehenge, Resene Quarter Masala CC, Resene Half Pravda CC or Resene Friar Grey. If you felt that one of these colours was nice but a little too deep, then you might look at the lighter variants.
April 2018
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Q. We are painting the exterior of a farm house, its brick and roughcast. Currently the roof is New Denim Blue and the walls are Resene Merino. My husband wants to change the roof colour to Ironsand. The windows are white aluminium. Could you please help us choose colours to go with Ironsand? A. You might check out the following colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Cloudy, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Truffle or Resene Albescent White.
April 2018
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Q. I have recently purchased an old villa. I have selected colour Resene Half Blanc to be the main colour on the walls. I had thought of using Resene Quarter Blanc in the dark hallway space and using Resene Alabaster, on the arcs, ceilings, skirts and scotia etc. A. I think your ceilings would look perfect in Resene Alabaster - it follows a tradition to paint pressed tin or ornate plaster ceilings in white. It adds more light and emphasises all other colours in rooms. If you prefer not to highlight the picture rail but to paint it the same as the walls, that is your choice and perfectly ok. For woodwork - either Resene Alabaster or Resene Blanc will work – Resene Alabaster will provide the greater level of contrast and the deeper variant of the wall colour will create a slightly more subtle contrast. If you use a very glossy waterborne enamel or solvent based enamel, it will make the woodwork look very appealing - i.e. Resene Enamacryl Gloss waterborne enamel or Resene Super Gloss solvent based enamel. Ceilings - generally speaking - are usually painted in a matt acrylic ceiling paint. If you want a matt finish that can be wiped clean of fly specks etc then you could use Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel. People sometimes choose to use low sheen waterbased enamel in service rooms for both walls and ceilings, as it is easier to clean and withstands moisture and cooking fumes better - i.e. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom formula water based enamel. If you paint the upper walls above the picture rail the same colour as the walls, it will give you a very modern simple look. It will make the ceiling appear higher visibly (further away from the floor level). Or you could paint the higher part of the wall the same as the ceiling, a deeper colour than the walls or wallpaper it. All of these options make the walls look lower and add definition to the upper portion of the room. If you undercoat all surfaces in white (ceilings and all walls) prior to painting the topcoats, it will give you a visible dress rehearsal of the simple look. It will allow you to remove the colour influences that are there now, which in turn helps you see the tested paint colour without existing colours negatively influencing how the new colours look. A lighter variant of your main colour (Resene Half Blanc which is a lovely grey based mushroom/white) in dim rooms, smaller rooms and hallways is a good call. Resene Quarter Blanc or even Resene Eighth Blanc might be considered. All colours in an interior have the potential to look much deeper than you might expect them to - often doubling their depth and making the underlying colour tints and tones in them (which may not be overly noticeable) much more apparent. Please test colours carefully.
April 2018
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Q. We have to paint both the inside and outside of our house. We have a Shadowclad® A frame house. It currently has a Karaka roof with brown stain - however we have been recommended to paint the Shadowclad® in Resene Truffle and use Resene English Walnut stain on the cedar shingles, as we one day intend to have all Ironsand colour joinery and roof. We are just starting the process of this. We are still undecided on the inside colour. At the moment it is almost a 'Fossil' type colour. We really want to lighten up the house indoors, particularly the lounge as it doesn't get much direct light and seems very dark particularly on a summer afternoon. Our gut feel was to stay away from the creams/tea type colours. The consultant that recommended the outside colours suggested we stay 'warm' inside and suggested Resene Albescent White. I do fear however, that it is a bit too yellow. We had a friend suggest Resene White Pointer. We would ideally like to paint the same colour (perhaps varying shades) throughout the house, with a contrast white (or version of white) on the ceiling, doors and trims to further lighten and freshen things up. We definitely want to lighten the lounge. We have a chocolate brown leather couch, rimu furniture and currently brown carpet and curtains. We also have some wooden laminate flooring in the dining/kitchen and some granite tile. Can you suggest a white/colour that would freshen up our place that is modern? Do we need to stay towards the warm cream/yellow tinted colours because of our furniture/furnishings, or is it better to go more to the grey/green toned whites as we already have a lot of warmth in the browns. Our property is located on a rural setting with trees in background. A. There are many whites available to you to choose from. Some may not be appropriate - too stark, too cool or greyish - possibly carrying undertones of colour within them that may not work with your other elements of colour in the house. The friend who suggested Resene White Pointer (a stone coloured grey/beige) may have used it at their house - it might not be right for your house. Because of the carpet, drapes, furniture etc. you may find that you do need to use specific types of colours - if you used greyer types of colours you may find (even though they are nice colours) they don't look happy with what you have. Are you planning on changing everything in the house to go with the new colour? Lighter/brighter whites that have warmth that you might check out are the following colours - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Albescent White, Resene Eighth Akaroa and Resene Eighth Drought. All colours in an interior have the potential to double in depth, so those I have indicated are quite light but may look (in some areas) to be a lot deeper than you might imagine they will be. It is really important to carefully test the colours. If you use a clean, crisp white for the ceilings, it will make the rooms appear lighter/fresher and also emphasise the wall colour - Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Quarter Alabaster. April 2018
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Q. We want to paint the exterior and roof of our 1930s weatherboard cottage near the beach. It is a yellowy cream colour with a red iron roof. We were considering Resene Quarter Tea for the weatherboards and Resene Half Black White for the window frames. What do you think of that combination? What colour scheme would you suggest for the roof and the skirt? A. I like the colour combination you mention. It is pale and simple. I think it would work really well with one of these roof and trim colours – Resene Lattitude (roof) and Resene Half Inside Back (skirt), or Resene New Denim Blue (roof) and Resene Half New Denim Blue (skirt). These are soft tones and merge with the sea and sky. Alternatively you could use a whiter colour for the skirt board - perhaps the same as the window frames - Resene Half Black White and a warm charcoal grey for the roof - Resene Windswept.
April 2018
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Q. We have a new second dwelling with a COLORSTEEL® Ironsand roof. The windows are white and the property is in a sunny area surrounded by trees. What colour would work well with the roof? A. Depending upon the type of look you favour one of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Napa, Resene Parchment, Resene Friar Grey, Resene Double Ash, Resene Double White Pointer or Resene Triple Merino.
April 2018
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Q. We have a townhouse to refurbish and I am looking at neutral tones. There is quite a lot of light in some rooms and less in others such as bedrooms. Colours we are considering are Resene Alabaster and Resene Bianca. Resene Bianca is obviously softer and appeals because of its yellow base tone. Can you please suggest a colour palette that would accommodate the light rooms downstairs and the darker rooms upstairs? Could we use Resene Alabaster for ceilings? The flooring will be standard wood tones with probably a darker carpet. I would quite like to be able to use a very soft green or a duck egg blue paint somewhere if possible and also maybe a wallpaper on one wall in a bedroom. The property is to be rented and ultimately sold perhaps so need wide appeal colour scheme. A. You are right in describing Resene Bianca as softer and having a yellower base undertone. It is warm, fleecy and mellow. This colour would work really well as a main colour perhaps using Resene Alabaster or (brighter/lighter) Resene Half Alabaster for the ceilings. If you have one room that is always full of sunshine - perhaps a larger room - then that may be the room that you consider using a soft pastel colour as a feature wall colour or even as a complete room statement. Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Harp would look dreamy and delicious in a sunny room but may look cooler in a shadowy room. If you were to consider a wallpaper you should view the extensive collection at your nearest Resene ColorShop. There is a definite appeal using wallpaper as people think wallpaper is special/upmarket and value added in a decor.
April 2018
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Q. We are looking for a good wall colour in our small ensuite and laundry renovation. We have grey floor tiles, rimu vanity, mirror, window and door frames. We are wondering about a soft grey, maybe Resene Quarter Silver Chalice might work? We tried Resene White Thunder but seems too light. We want a contrast with white bathroomware. There is no natural light in the laundry. The ensuite is small but has a window. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks. A. One of these colours may appeal to you – Resene Double Concrete, Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Half Surrender or Resene Quarter Grey Chateau. You may have to test carefully several different greys in order to find the right one. Colours alter so much in changing natural and artificial light and may appear a lot more intense in a small room. They can double in depth so what may appear to be too light may not be that way when all four walls are painted.
April 2018
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Q. I want to paint my house. I prefer darker colours but don't want it to look like a cave either. Can you recommend two colours in either the coffee/beige range or grey/charcoal colours that may be suitable? I have dark brown aluminium windows. A. These colours may be worth checking out – Resene Cougar, Resene Double Akaroa, Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Stonewashed or warm mid toned charcoal colours like these - Resene Quarter Ironsand or Resene Baltic Sea. If you use a pale colour on the gables and base of the house, it will emphasise the depth of the colour on the main exterior. Try Resene Barely There, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Merino.
April 2018
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Q. I'm going to paint the walls of a bedroom that is being used as a study. The window of the room faces south/west and it is quite a darkish room most of the time. My wife suggested perhaps a white or similar pale colour to lighten the room up a bit. I am concerned that may be a bit boring and wondered if there may be some colours you could suggest that would enhance some wooden stained furniture and also brighten the room. Perhaps in the green range, or any other colours you may suggest would be appreciated. A. If a white is chosen for the study it may appear greyish if the room is not blessed with all day sunlight. It may not feel light or warm. The following colours might appeal to you and be worth carefully testing to see how the natural light aspect makes them look – Resene Quarter Linen, Resene Ecru White, or sunnier colours – Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Quarter Solitaire. These neutral colours may need drapes, upholstered furniture, rugs and artwork and other accessories in bright or even funky colours to add the pizazz so the room doesn't appear to be without character. Sometimes rooms that are a bit darker suit definite colours as the visual interest created makes up for the lack of quality sunlight in the room. Had you thought of doing that and making more of a statement? Some to consider might be like these – Resene Unwind, Resene Balance or Resene Coriander.
April 2018
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Q. I have Resene Spanish White on ceilings doors and trims in varying shades – half, quarter etc. What could I paint my walls in the white range that won’t show the Resene Spanish White to be too yellow? I just want to freshen things up. A. It can be very tricky when you have a very definite rich cream colour on the ceiling that is a yellow tone. If the ceiling and the colours on the trims aren't being changed it controls and compromises what colours will work for you. Will you mind having a deeper colour on the ceiling and lighter on the walls? Have you thought of using Resene Quarter Spanish White on the walls? It would be related to the stronger cream ceiling colour. Some soft colours that look nice with the Spanish White palette are Resene Quarter Lemon Grass or Resene Half Silver Chalice.
April 2018
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Q. We have got Resene Quill Grey going up on the weatherboards at the moment and I'm still figuring out which colour to go with for the roughcast base. I'm waiting on a Resene Mountain Mist testpot to arrive and I think I'll try Resene Half Sea Fog for the windows (I have currently have Resene Sea Fog as the favourite). I'm wondering whether to give a random colour I like a try for the base but I thought I'd ask first if in your opinion it's a good match or not. Would Resene Ravine (as a base colour and maybe window sill trim) tie in with Resene Quill Grey and Resene Half Sea Fog? Or would Resene Tasman? Thanks in advance for your input. A. I like your main house choices - Resene Quill Grey and Resene Half Sea Fog. They are lovely together. You may find that Resene Mountain Mist looks a little too warm because of a subtle red undertone and Resene Tasman looks about the same depth of colour as Resene Quill Grey but appears too pastel green. Resene Ravine may look a little too green toned. You could try Resene Quarter Chicago or deeper toned – Resene Half Chicago, Resene Condor, Resene Scarpa Flow or Resene Friar Grey.
April 2018
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Q. I am looking for an ivory off white or something similar for my houses. I was directed to your website by your agent here in the Solomon Islands, now I would like to look at the samples for the semi-gloss or the gloss ivory white paint. A. Ivory or off white colours that might suit you are these colours - Resene Quarter Rice Cake (slightly warmer) or Resene Double Alabaster (slightly cooler). Either of these colours would work as your ivory off white. If you are painting exteriors the semi-gloss paint is called Resene Sonyx 101 and the gloss is called Resene Hi-Glo. Doors and windows are generally painted in waterborne enamels - either Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss or Resene Enamacryl full gloss. If it is interiors that you are painting then Resene SpaceCote Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel is used for service rooms as it is a very durable coating that tolerates steam, soap, cooking fumes etc. Woodwork is usually painted in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss enamel or Resene Enamacryl full gloss enamel.
March 2018
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Q. I need to know how to pick the right grey for my living areas which are south facing in Wellington. The space is bright; a large, open plan kitchen, dining and lounge. The kitchen will be oak, white and accents of black. A. Due to the fact that you’re having oak in the kitchen, I would use a warmer grey for the walls as opposed to a cooler/blue based grey which won’t sit well with the warmer natural tones. Try these types of colours: Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Truffle or Resene White Pointer. Resene stores stock folders with A4 sizes of each of our colours and these are great to look at before deciding on your final colour. Ask one of our staff to show you the larger samples before purchasing a testpot or paint. You may need to carefully test colours to see how they respond to light and shadow. Don't apply a testpot to the already coloured walls - it won't look true to reality because of the greater amount of existing colour influencing it negatively. If you paint large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) with all (two coats) of the testpot it lets you see a huge amount of colour. Please leave an unpainted white card border all around the edge of the card to act as a barrier between the tested colour and the existing wall colour. You can move it from wall to wall so you can see how it alters during the day and night. Each wall may show the colour in a different way.
March 2018
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Q. I am painting the kitchen/living area Resene Sea Fog and would like to continue with the same sort of colour through to the entrance and corridor. These areas are darker and so was wondering if Resene Half Sea Fog for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the ceiling would be all right? A. Resene Half Sea Fog will be absolutely fine in the hallway as a lighter option. There won’t be too much difference between the ceiling and wall colour but this will only add to the lighter feeling through those darker spaces.
March 2018
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Q. We have a mist green roof and mist green joinery. Our cedar cladding needs painting. What’s a good colour not dark as cedar will crack, country setting? A. You might like to try these options: Resene Sisal, Resene Eighth Stonewall, Resene Ash or Resene Double Thorndon Cream. All of these colours can be made lighter or darker to suit your needs.
March 2018
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Q. I am wanting to paint our kitchen/dining in Resene Quarter Spanish White. What colour do you suggest for kitchen cabinets - thinking of a light grey? A. Perhaps one of these light greys may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Atmosphere, Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Rakaia, Resene Double Concrete, Resene Surrender or Resene Half Mountain Mist. All greys carry undertones of unique colour. If you have the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real painted samples in their Colour Library you could compare them to each other and look at them alongside a sample of Resene Quarter Spanish White. It may make decision making a little easier.
March 2018
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Q. We are sprucing up the walls of a small late 80s town house before selling. It has that prepainted light grey square edged trim that was typical of new builds then. We don't want to repaint the trim. The ceilings will be Resene Cararra. Can you suggest some nice light and warm neutrals that will look good with this trim? The carpet and vinyl is a dark taupe or grey/brown. A. With a very definite yellow cream on the ceilings - Resene Cararra and the grey/brown/taupe carpet and vinyl - finding a neutral that will work well with all of these elements is a little tricky. In regard the trim - because all greys carry undertones of colour in them not knowing what exact grey it is makes it even trickier. Do you know the name of the grey colour on the trims? You could use exactly the same cream on the walls as you plan to use on the ceilings. That is the simplest option. If this colour hadn't been decided on then there would be quite a few other whites that might be chosen both for the ceiling and the walls. A taupe or grey/brown would have to match exactly the carpet or vinyl or be a lighter version. A grey would have to match exactly that which is on the trims now or be a lighter version.
March 2018
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Q. Thanks to previous advice we have chosen an interior colour scheme for our villa in shades of Resene Rice Cake. Resene Quarter Rice Cake is on the walls and Resene Eighth Rice Cake on the trims. Our new kitchen will be in Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Can you recommend a nearly black to have the island in as a contrast? The floor is light kauri so we thought straight black would be too harsh/stark. Also, do you know if the Melteca® colour Warm White coordinates with the Resene Rice Cake family? A. Here are some choices for the charcoal. I’ve opted for brown charcoals which will work beautifully with the kauri and Resene Rice Cake colours. Greys and Black just won’t blend as well. Try Resene Bokara Grey – this would be my pick, Resene Element or Resene Zeus. As for the Melteca®, the Warm White would definitely work with the Resene Rice Cake family.
March 2018
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Q. I need help finding a glass splashback colour for our kitchen. The walls are Resene Quarter Surrender. The cabinetry is white, the trims and ceilings are Resene Alabaster. The benchtop is Duropal Quartz Stone and the floors are original rimu. I wonder about something vivid? A. Some vivid options to check out - Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Whizz Bang, Resene Leap Year, Resene Discover, Resene Celery or a metallic colour - Resene Silver Steel or Resene Infinity.
March 2018
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Q. I am about to paint my living room. I would like to bring the view of the sea inside by having the walls a soft turquoise or blue. Resene Half Opal and Resene Cut Glass are about the right tone, but would possibly go lighter as the windows are small and down one end of a long room. What would you suggest? A. Because of the quality of natural light you have in the living room you may have to carefully test colour and watch how it alters according to light and shade. Some lighter colours that you might check out - Resene Half Cut Glass, Resene Foam or Resene Tranquil.
March 2018
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Q. What colour glass splashback goes with latte roller blinds, white granite look benchtops and shiny white cupboards? A. I am not sure that the colours that you have at the moment in the kitchen stop you having certain colours. Your kitchen is neutral enough to use almost anything in the way of colours.
March 2018
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Q. I have been thinking of using Resene Surrender for the walls and Resene Alabaster for the trim but can't settle on a blue/grey for the roof. There are just so many colours to choose from. A. You could use any of these blue/greys for the roof - Resene Grey Friars, Resene New Denim Blue, Resene High Tide, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Forecast.
March 2018
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Q. We are repainting the interior of our house. We prefer darker colours so are looking at Resene Stack for the wall and then architraves/skirting in Resene Half Stack. Can you please suggest a white for the ceilings and also a dark grey/black for the office ceiling (I want this room to be moody)? Note: kitchen cabinetry goes to the ceiling and is Bestwood Arctic White. Benchtops are Caesarstone Calaccata Nuvo and flooring throughout is Simplay ‘Grey Mystique Wood’. The bathroom wall tiles are a dark grey. A. Colours generally speaking, in an interior look deeper (sometimes double the depth that you imagine they will do). For a lovely white on the ceiling to go with the Resene Stack, you might use one of these colours - Resene Black White or Resene Wan white. A dark grey/black for the moody look in the office might be one of these - Resene Double Foundry or Resene Double Cod Grey.
March 2018
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Q. We have a two storey high bach with rimu ceiling wood frame and doors. What colour can we paint the walls to brighten the interior, bedrooms walls and ceilings that would complement the wood? A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rice Cake, Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Merino or Resene Quarter Spanish White. And some colours that are a little bit more definite sweet green in hue - Resene Linen and Resene Quarter Coriander. Ceilings could be slightly coloured whites like one of these - Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Merino.
March 2018
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Q. Our house is painted Resene Ash and the base is Resene Double Ash, our fence is Resene Alabaster. I want a colour for our wall, which I have recently had rendered, and am thinking pale greys. I came across Resene Duck Egg Blue - would this colour work? Or do you have a better suggestion? A. You mention pale greys - does this mean you don't want the wall to stand out at all? If you like Resene Duck Egg Blue (which is a nice pale, shell blue) my only hesitation is that it won't appear related or harmonious (to the house colours) and is very close in depth to Resene Ash so it may appear indecisive. Some other greys that may look nice might be these ones - Resene Inside Back, Resene Stack, Resene Taupe Grey or Resene Lattitude. Or possibly deeper tones like Resene Quarter Foundry. If you were keen on using a bluer grey - slightly deeper than Resene Duck Egg Blue - you might consider Resene Half Raven or Resene Dusted Blue. All colours appear lighter (often by half) on an exterior due to bright natural light so testing colours carefully is always wise.
March 2018
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Q. I am helping a friend who is moving into a new 60sqm cottage. We want to create a more masculine feel but not to close it in - one wall colour throughout is specified. I suggested Resene White Pointer and white kitchen units to create a warmer than white background, but worried it may not reflect sufficient light and close in the unit. He will be utilising his light tan leather lounger and light timber unit. A. If you use real white - Resene White for the ceilings and (perhaps) the woodwork, this would help with reflecting light around the interior. Lightening your main wall colour will help also. You could consider using Resene Half White Pointer which may look as deep as Resene White Pointer in some shadowy areas or in small rooms and hallways, as all colours appear deeper in an interior - sometimes double their perceived depth (or brightness) depending upon what type of colour it is. A masculine look may be achieved with drapes/blinds; bed linen, floor rugs, accessories and artwork not just the wall colour. Resene White Pointer - all of the colour family from lightest to deepest - may look greyish compared to the light tan leather furniture and light timber unit. Is this grey undertone what you are looking for? If not then the following may be considered - still masculine but warm/brighter toned - Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.
March 2018
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Q. I need some ideas for colour in a bathroom. It’s on the south/cold side of the house and has a rimu floor and trim - quite a bit of wood. I have been thinking of Resene Jet Stream - but maybe something a bit warmer. A. You may have to test several colours - south facing rooms often make colours appear cooler (or even sour depending on the type of colour). Warmer colours might be one of these - Resene Foam, Resene Half Reservoir or Resene Swans Down.
March 2018
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Q. I bought a house with a Palliside Vanilla Cream exterior and Grey Friars roofing and joinery. I'm really stuck picking a colour for the barge boards, railings and pergolas. I'm in the country so would like a country look. I was thinking of Resene Ravine or Resene Edward but am worried they're too pale. My interiors are all in soft French tones. A. You have a very definite look on the exterior of your house. You mention Resene Ravine and Resene Edward - both of these are light/mid tone green/greys. I don't think they are too light, but bright sunlight on the exterior of house does tend to strip back the depth of colours. Have you considered using a blue grey, to pick up on that undertone in the Grey Friars roof and joinery - it would be very harmonious and well balanced. You could check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Tuna, Resene Raven or Resene Regent Grey.
March 2018
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Q. We're repainting the whole interior of our three bedroom 1960s, weatherboard house. The whole house is 90sqm (rooms are very small!). I want to create the illusion of space as much as possible, but also wanting a warming/soothing tone of white. I was thinking Resene Sea Fog on walls with Resene Half Sea Fog architraves/skirting/ceiling/doors. I have tried testpots, but Resene Sea Fog looks a little too harsh/bright white - what can you suggest? We like the grey/green white palette. A. If you have carefully tested Resene Sea Fog by applying two coats to very large white card, and moved the large painted sample from room to room, and have found it to be too harsh/bright in all of your rooms, you must be blessed with very big windows and all day sun. You might check out a slightly deeper version of Resene Sea Fog - i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog or one of these whitish colours - Resene House White, Resene Merino or Resene Double Black White. The following colours are slightly grey/green in their undertones and may be worth looking at - Resene Eighth Ash and Resene Quarter Titania. You may need to adjust your white for the architraves, skirting, ceilings and doors from Resene Half Sea Fog, to one of these colours - Resene Double Alabaster (also known as Resene Quarter Sea Fog) or Resene Quarter Black White. March 2018
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Q. If I have a warm, cream colour such as Resene Half Spanish White or Resene Quarter Spanish White, what is the best grey tone to use to complement that? Not too dark. A. You might look at these greys to see which one appeals to you -
Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Half Stack, Resene Half Delta, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Rakaia. Many of these are also available in darker variants if you want something a little darker.
March 2018
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Q. Our house is painted Resene Half Masala and the trim is Resene White Pointer. We need to repaint the roof and I was keen on maybe, a green or a reddish colour. A. Try one of these colours from the Resene Roof Systems colour range - Resene Karaka, Resene Squall, Resene Pioneer Red or Resene Red Planet.
March 2018
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Q. We have chosen COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey for the roof and want guidance on a ‘white’ for the weatherboards and trim. We would prefer to use the same colour for both with semi-gloss for weatherboards and hi-gloss for windows and trim. Is this the way to go, using the same colour for all parts? We have tried testpots but find it hard to tell. We don’t want a stark white but want one with a grey tint. We are tending towards Resene Quarter Black White and are completing the traditional villa look, with a black gloss front door. A. Bright natural light on exterior paint work, does strip back how a colour is seen - this makes a colour seem but lighter/brighter - and makes white (any white) quite glary. You don't mention what other testpots you have looked at, but the one you favour - Resene Quarter Black White - has a very, very subtle greyed undertone. It may look as light as Resene Eighth Black White. Would this worry you? Perhaps you might check out Resene Half Black White just to make sure that the Resene Quarter Black White is the right white for you. Changing the gloss level of the paint for different elements on the house is a very good idea.
March 2018
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Q. We are using Resene Gold Rush on cedar, for our new build. We are thinking of using Resene Half Tapa on the plaster walls, with either Matt Black roof or windows, or London Grey (preferred). The other option is to go with Resene Ironsand for the roof and windows. Would Resene Half Tapa be okay or should we look at Resene Half Napa? The style of rebuild is modern, mostly plaster with cathedral ceilings in three areas. The garage and entrance will have a flat roof. The garage surround is all cedar and the garage door will be the same as the roof. A. Either Resene Half Tapa or Resene Half Napa (even though one is yellow/green edged grey, and the other a yellow edged grey/beige) would work with Matt Black or Resene Ironsand. Do you want a yellow/green edged grey (Resene Half Tapa) or a yellow edged grey/beige [Resene Half Napa] on the plaster walls and which colour do you like best with the colour on the cedar?
March 2018
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Q. We are planning to freshen our space a little later in the year. The current rooms are a mixture of reception area (where patients wait) and consulting rooms where the doctors see patients. We all feel it needs some colour to make it feel less sterile, but aren’t sure where, or what colour. The carpet is new – grey. The doors in this office are royal blue, which matches our logo. The patient waiting area with chair rail is very narrow – so this may be limiting. A. Sometimes it isn't about making huge changes. Sometimes small changes can do the trick. A very pale fresh green might look good with the royal blue and logo and could be used on the wall behind the reception desk. It might also be used below the chair rail in the waiting room. Perhaps one of these soft colours – Resene Willow Brook, Resene Ottoman or Resene Half Secrets. Is the main colour a dull sort of white now? Perhaps you might use a slightly warmer neutral also - this one has a little more yellow undertone which may feel sunnier/warmer – try Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. You could also consider whether new artwork would help, perhaps choosing something vibrant to bring in a bit more colour.
March 2018
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Q. What colour trimmings for windows, doors and skirting do you usually pair with Resene Merino on interior walls? A. I would typically use either Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Alabaster as opposed to something yellow or brown. Keep it simple and neutral for the trims. Unless you want darker trims, then use a deeper version of Resene Merino.
March 2018
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Q. I have an apartment with a good high stud but it’s south east facing and so I need to be careful that whatever colours I use don’t make the place seem too gloomy. I want to have an on-trend grey for the walls and am wondering what base I should have (yellow / blue etc.) and how dark I should go. A. Without seeing the space it’s hard to determine exactly what type of colour to give you, however, the colours below are warmer greys rather than the cooler purple based ones. Due to the higher stud, you could get away with a slightly deeper colour on the walls, this will also help get away from the stark/gloomy kind of feel by inserting some personality on the walls. Accent colours used on either soft furnishings and/or feature walls in paint/wallpaper can be another great way to give the space some life. Try Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Half Truffle.
March 2018
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Q. Over the last nearly 20 years, I have used your Resene Orange Haze, as my standard interior wall colour. I'm thinking of moving to a more neutral colour as I repaint the various rooms (piecemeal) as required, hopefully to a colour that would blend really well with Resene Orange Haze. I have polished matai timber floors, one roller blind colour called Dune, and that's about it. And the outside of the house is that 1950s red Plimmerton brick colour with white pointing and white exterior joinery. A. Here are some neutral and modern wall colours that will blend well with the existing Resene Orange Haze and the floor boards: Resene Rice Cake , Resene Merino, Resene Quarter Spanish White or Resene Pearl Lusta. Each of these colours has a slightly different undertone but any would work throughout the home.
March 2018
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Q. I’d like to achieve a ‘broken paint finish’ on my floor. How do I do that? A. Generally speaking, a broken paint finish may mean using several different tints, tones and shades of a preferred colour, in a soft looking random brushed and mottled effect (with damp cloth like muslin) so that the damp paint is 'broken' exposing the underlying colours. It needs (ideally) several people - one will be applying paint and one working the effect. The ‘crackle effect' is very hard to do evenly over large areas - I usually only do it on smaller items like drawers or small panels on doors etc. So my advice is to keep it as simple as possible - especially if the area to be painted is large. A concrete paving paint - it is called Resene Walk-on - in a base colour - perhaps Resene Double Sea Fog, applied all over, as if this was to be the only paint finish. Then you might use an acrylic 'whiter' topcoat #1 - Resene Sea Fog and another even 'whiter' topcoat #2 Resene Alabaster, both diluted with Resene Paint Effects Medium 50% and paint 50% randomly brushed all over, so there are lots of soft brushstrokes apparent. This is where two people might work together - one applying random brush strokes and one mottling off. Using a very large soft brush or a nylon bristled broom is a good idea. I like muslin as you get the fine weave showing a little but other folk use old t-shirts for a crunchier look. The diluted paint makes it washy/cloudy and 'see through' and the base coat being slightly deeper, adds a shadow underneath.
March 2018
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Q. I have a COLORBOND® Basalt roof with Resene Double White Pointer weatherboards. I am looking for a second colour to complement this palette on the lower level slats (underneath the weatherboards). Can you please recommend a colour that could be considered quadruple Resene White Pointer and perhaps a second option that could tie the roof and weatherboards together? A. If you want to highlight the area under the weatherboards which is Resene Double White Pointer, you could check out one of these colours - Resene Cloudy, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Quarter Sandstone. COLORBOND® Basalt is a warm charcoal grey shade, so another deep grey that looked a bit similar might work to tie the roof and weatherboards together if you didn't use the same colour as the lower level slats. You might check out Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or (deeper) Resene Half Baltic Sea.
March 2018
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Q. What is the best ‘black’ paint colour and type to do concrete block walls? A. After sealing the concrete block walls, the type of paint to use might be Resene Lumbersider (low sheen) if you didn't want too much sheen or Resene Sonyx 101 (semi-gloss) if you wanted a shinier paint finish. Blacks that have definite undertones of colour in them, are usually chosen to harmonise with other colours that are seen close by, but without knowing what other coloured elements you have perhaps the best blacks are one of these - Resene All Black and Resene Black.
March 2018
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Q. We are painting interior bedrooms and corridors - I love the colour Resene Half Bianca and have tried it on the walls. My question is whether you think Resene Quarter Bianca on the trim/ceiling would be enough of a contrast or do you have a better suggestion? A. The colour difference will be very subtle. On the woodwork, if you use slick gloss paint it may look slightly lighter because of the sheen reflecting light. The ceiling however being a matt (flat) paint finish may look exactly the same as the walls - all colours on a ceiling appear deeper because of the way the light falls away from it making shadows. If you wanted to see more difference/clean contrast, then perhaps you might look at using Resene White. You will note that the colour code for Resene Quarter Bianca is very closely related to Resene White.
March 2018
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Q. We are putting a new roof on and installing new window joinery, both of which are Ironsand in colour. Can you provide me with some colour options that we could use to paint the bottom white of our house? A. You don't mention whether you want a deep colour or a very subtle neutral, so you might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Truffle. The last three colours are slightly whitish, but compared to real white have unique undertones of colour with in them.
March 2018
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Q. We have a 20 year old plaster house. Our roof is black tiles with New Denim Blue joinery. We need to replace the spouting and paint the house, garage door and front door. What colours could you suggest for the spouting, fascia, house and garage door? The gates (louvre) and fence are a silver grey colour. A. Because of the New Denim Blue joinery - and not wanting it to be isolated and the odd one out - perhaps you could get the spouting in the same colour - and possibly the garage door as well. The main colour on the house and the fascia could be a warmed neutral like one of these - Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Truffle, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Half Mountain Mist. The front door could be a standout feature - perhaps Resene Gumboot (similar to the black roof) or a bold vibrant colour - Resene Salsa to make a welcoming statement.
March 2018
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Q. We are building a beach house and are looking at grey tones for the interior. Which white would you put with the likes of Resene Concrete? A. Perhaps Resene Double Alabaster (also known as Resene Quarter Sea Fog) or Resene Quarter Black White might be considered.
March 2018
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Q. I have a rather monochromatic house to colour and have chosen Resene Linen. When I check this colour online it says it can be made into a CoolColour - how does this change the colour? This colour in a cooler shade might be spot on for this project, as I’m a bit concerned that it might be a bit warmish for black joinery. A. CoolColour™s - this is what CC means in the colour code - refers to a technology where a colour is modified so that it doesn't attract and absorb as much heat from the rays of the sun as a standard colour. This can subtly alter the colour but generally speaking it is only noticeable when the same colour - modified and unmodified - are seen side by side. It doesn't make a warm toned colour turn into a cool toned colour. Each aspect (N/S/E/W) shows colours in a slightly different way. Unless the colour is painted up on a large card and moved around the house so you can see this occurring, it is easy to misjudge what the colour is like in reality. Resene Linen will always be a warm toned colour because of the yellow undertone it has in it. It is only by comparing colours that we see their unique differences and undertones. If you feel Resene Linen is too warm a colour and you want a colour with less warm undertones, you might look at this colour - Resene Quarter Lemon Grass.
March 2018
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Q. I would like to use the Resene Merino colours in my house. Thinking Resene Double Merino, Resene Merino and Resene Half Merino on walls, as I believe these have a yellow and green base, which means they should go with green/blue furnishings and rimu timber. Would this be a fair assumption? Does the Resene Double Merino have a distinctive green look when a room is finished? And can you find a blue/green colour to complement the Resene Merino family? Not Resene Green Pea as this is too dark, not Resene Malachite Green as it has too much yellow. A. A Resene Merino palette of colours is a warm neutral, with a subtle green/yellow undertone. Depending upon what other colours are seen close to it and what aspect of natural light is in the rooms (N/S/E/W) it may look slightly green or grey/beige. In a west facing room Resene Double Merino may look warmer - more beige toned. A south facing room or small dim rooms may make Resene Double Merino and Resene Merino look greyish. In east facing rooms when the sunlight first penetrates the room, the colours may look slightly more greenish. All colours (not just the Resene Merino palette) are chameleons and if they can change they will do so. It is really important to carefully test colours.
March 2018
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Q. We are building a wedding venue that will have a dark exterior and light interior. We will have a polished concrete floor. It will be surrounded by native bush and a large dam. I would love for you to recommend a white that will give the venue an air of sophistication and showcase the natural surrounds. Also would you suggest another shade for the ceilings and internal doors? Should we be doing a feature colour on the wall behind the fireplace or keep it a very blank canvas? A. Perhaps one of these whites may appeal to you - Resene Black White, Resene Wan White or Resene Half Milk White. If you use real white - Resene White - for the ceilings and internal doors, it will make the wall 'white' look more of a sophisticated colour. If you don't want the wall white to look like a colour, then you might consider doing all surfaces the same colour and just change the sheen level - low sheen on walls, matt on ceilings and semi-gloss or full gloss on the woodwork/doors. A feature wall is a great idea but it must be considered carefully because the fireplace (type of surround, size and whether it is gas or real log fire) is already a feature. But you might check out these two options - Resene Avenger or Resene Atlas. These colours are deeply atmospheric and rich.
March 2018
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Q. Could you please advise a house colour that would go well with an Ironsand roof and garage door, with bronze windows? A. You might check out these colours to see if any of them appeal to you - Resene Cougar, Resene Napa, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Triple Blanc or Resene Tea.
March 2018
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Q. We have COLORSTEEL® Lichen on the roof and the colour Lichen on the external doors and window trims. Can you offer a soft lighter colour for the exterior walls, which we will be painting out shortly? We prefer the home to blend into the garden. The home exterior is a combination of weatherboard and stucco. A. If you check out the following colours you may find one that appeals to you - Resene Ecru White, Resene Ash, Resene Double Fossil, Resene Half Linen, Resene Triple Thorndon Cream or Resene Sugar Loaf.
March 2018
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Q. I want to paint my very long vanity unit, in a very dark green. The walls in the bathroom will be white, with a turquoise glass tile trim. The mirror will be framed. Should the mirror be painted white to match the vanity top or dark green to match the vanity unit? A. One of these very dark greens may appeal to you - Resene Atlas, Resene Palm Green, Resene Midnight Moss, Resene Holly, Resene Ivy Green or Resene Swamp.
March 2018
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Q. I have a client that wants to paint their barn house Ebony and white, but I feel white joinery is quite dominant within the outstanding natural, landscape setting. Are there some other less reflective colours they could paint the joinery, that won’t be so dominant on the natural landscape? Or even a colour chart or wheel that I could suggest to them? A. You might check out these colours in place of the true optically challenging white - they will still create a contrast which is possibly what appeals to your client - Resene Titania, Resene Double Black White or Resene Rice Cake. If instead of a true black, the main colour was a modified (coloured) black it might be a softer approach to the exterior look of the barn - Resene Double Ironsand, Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Double Foundry. I strongly recommend that if the very dark black colour is used on weatherboards, that you use the CoolColour™ re-formulated version of the colour to try and minimise heat related damage that can occur.
March 2018
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Q. I would like to paint my sideboard/buffet cupboard navy blue and accessorise with brass knobs. I am wondering which Resene colours would be the closest to the style I'm after. A. What a fun idea – the blue will work so well with the brass hardware. These are the Resene colours I think best fit: Resene Cobalt, Resene Into The Blue and Resene Double Resolution Blue. The best thing to do from here would be to pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask to see A4 sizes of these colours before buying testpots or paint for the project. In terms of the paint needed for the job, if you want a high gloss finish, you’ll want to use Resene Enamacryl waterborne enamel or drop down to the Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss. Low sheen or flat paints will mark more easily and if this piece of furniture is going to be in a high traffic area, it’s probably best not to paint with those finishes.
March 2018
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Q. I would like to know the nearest Resene colour match to the red on the NZ Transport speed limit signs. A. We do not have a match for NZ Transport speed limit signs but we do have a match for the ‘safety’ red, which could possibly just be the same colour. Our match is called Resene Guardsman Red.
March 2018
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Q. I am going with a coastal theme and for the majority of the house I am using variations of Resene Alabaster in Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Alabaster and Resene Double Alabaster to impart a textural difference on walls and ceilings. I would like to do a feature wall in Resene Blue Lagoon but not sure if it will tone in? And I am concerned with using all white in a north facing bedroom that only has one small window. I would like to add a little more depth to this room without making it feel cold and was wondering about a slightly deeper grey/white or a marine colour. The room has one wall of wardrobes that I will paint in Resene Alabaster low sheen, and keep the trim Resene Alabaster semi-gloss around all trims. A. Resene Blue Lagoon is a reasonably bright colour. You’ll just need to ensure that it is the direction, you want to head in, and most ‘coastal’ themes tend to be slightly greyer and moody. A deeper version of that colour would be Resene Dauntless if you wanted to check that out. The Karen Walker Paints palette also has a very good coastal/moody colour palette; you can view the collection at your Resene ColorShop. As for the bedroom, you could try using a variation of Resene Sea Fog which is a grey white but certainly a warmer grey and would definitely work with Resene Alabaster. Alternatively, some marine colours are Resene Zumthor, Resene Half Emerge and Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue.
March 2018
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Q. We are building a new house and the plywood floors were supposed to be whitewashed but our painter had to paint them solid white, due to unforeseen circumstances! They have two coats of Resene Walk-on paint in Resene White. I now want to do a faux wood paint finish on them, with a wood graining tool. I want to achieve the look of greyed white wood effect, using Resene Paint Effects medium and some kind of grey, then finish the floor with a coat of Resene Concrete Wax for durability. The walls are painted Resene Half Spanish White and it is every changing, depending on the light and time of day. I was thinking about using Resene Sea Fog but wonder if this grey will be too cool against the walls. Should I choose a warm or cool based grey? The white will still show up in parts, under the grey. It would be great if you could give me some guidance. A. Typically, yellow based colours do not sit well with grey; it’s happiness and gloom combined which never happens, so to get around this, we have to use a grey with a brown undertone to warm it up. Instead of specific colours, I’ve given you ‘family’ ranges to look at and determine which depth of colour is right for your project: Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Truffle or Resene White Pointer. Resene ColorShops stock A4 sizes of each of our colours, and I advise you to pop into your local store and ask to see these colours plus Resene Half Spanish White, so you can decide which grey is best for you.
March 2018
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Q. I want to glossy up our bedroom. As there isn't much wall space, I thought I would paint the walls dark (we have Resene Baltic Sea but maybe something with a hint of colour?) and then white trim and Resene Rice Cake cupboard doors. I plan to ditch the curtains for something cream as there is a pleasant view from the bedroom. The surface of the wall behind the bed isn't great, so I intend to place pictures above the headboard. It is a small room. The rest of the house has strength variations of Resene Napa with Resene Black White trim. Is this a good plan? Can you suggest a dark colour? A. The first thing I would do is either, find the curtain or find the artwork for behind the bed. These are going to give you colour inspiration for the walls, particularly the artwork. Decide if you’re going to have bright colours or subdued. I would try and introduce a couple of colours to the room – this could be one colour on the walls, and one or two in accessories. For your curtains, I would consider a wide vertical stripe that has a few colours in it; this could be cream, charcoal or a soft accent colour (or all three!). Before painting the room, you need to ensure you have a plan and/or mood board. Here are some colours that might work with what you’re planning: Resene Dark Side, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Coast, Resene Warrior or Resene Ninja. There are plenty of charcoals if that is where you’re planning takes you.
March 2018
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Q. I am about to have the exterior of my 1910 villa repainted. Our roof, when we replace it shortly, will be done in dark grey COLORSTEEL® (either Grey Friars or Ironsand). We are thinking of painting the weatherboards white, and have grey around the windows/doors but our painter says it is normally the other way around. Do you have a white/grey colour scheme you could recommend please? A. Right now the trend is to use grey on the cladding, but a classic colour scheme would use white on the cladding and grey to accent. If you want white weatherboards, don’t be deterred by the painter. In terms of your colour selection, you just need to think about what type of colour you would like to use. Do you want a crisp white, or a warmer softer white? The same goes for the grey, you use. There are greys with blue undertones and ones with brown undertones. Once you confirm a roof colour, these choices would be easier to make. March 2018
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Q. We want to paint our new flat, Resene Black White - should we paint the ceiling Resene Half Black White and the door frames Resene Double Black White? A. When colours are above us they look and feel darker/heavier, so I only tend to use a half version of the wall colour if there are no scotia around the room. If you do have scotia, I would paint ceiling and scotia in Resene Alabaster, so that the walls look like they are a light grey, rather than the room all being one colour. Same goes for the doors, if you want a crisp looking scheme, use Resene Alabaster to make the walls stand out as a colour.
March 2018
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Q. Our house is a mid, 1980s board and batten with bricks. The bricks are a weird shade of purple and brown. I want to repaint the boards. Resene Kabul matches the bricks and we have used that colour on the concrete blocks. I am trying to think what would look good instead of the red. Would Resene Kabul all over be too much? A. In regards to Resene Kabul, I think it would be better to use a tonal version (darker) rather than Resene Kabul all over the house. That way it keeps the scheme interesting with different depths of colours. If you want to explore new colours, here are some that I think would look really great: Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Dark Slate, Resene Tangaroa, Resene Innocence or Resene Half New Denim Blue.
March 2018
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Q. We have just bought our first place and built the boundary fence. We want to paint the fence black (along with re-surfacing the back, green fence). But we are also going to spray the shed Monument. Can you please let me know what colour would complement, but be darker than, Monument? Happy for you to suggest a different paint for the shed too - we were planning to stick with Monument because the roof and the doors are Monument, but could repaint it, in its entirety just as easily. To set the scene, down the track there’ll be trees along the boundary fence and decorative weathered steel firewood storage along the side of the shed to break up the darkness. The house is off-white render with Monument roof and trims, and highlights of Merbau. A. If you want a darker black than Monument, you might consider one of these options - Resene Element, Resene Blackjack or Resene All Black. Or you could just stick with Monument - the Resene version of this colour is called Resene Nocturnal.
March 2018
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Q. We are thinking of staining our board and batten house, black. What colour do you suggest we do the trims? Do we need to stay with green to match the windows and roof or can we go for something different? Is red an option? We also have a lot of planter pots around. A. It is always a wee bit tricky when there is a fixed (unchangeable) colour element on the house, to know just how one can add a little something more to the colour palette and also where to put the colour. The black stain – Resene Woodsman Pitch Black or Resene Crowshead - will work with any colour and look stunning as a backdrop to your garden. The roof line fascia boards, a carport/garage and pergola could be painted a statement colour. The planter pots that could be colour themed as well - had you thought of that? Or you might choose to paint garden or deck furniture in a surprising colour. Red is an option and you might check out these two reds - Resene Pohutukawa or Resene Red Berry. But there are other colours that are worth thinking about as well - Resene Flourish or Resene ASASP. These types of very bold and vibrant yellow based greens lift the serious green roof and joinery colour and the black stain.
March 2018
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Q. I am doing major renovation on an 1880 villa and loving the look of white on white exterior - darker white - boards and trim same colour. Do you think Resene Double Black White would be okay? A. I really like your idea of doing the exterior, a white on white look. It is classically elegant and timeless. So in regard to Resene Double Black White - yes. If you wanted to create a layering of whites to add a crisp detail to any architectural features on the exterior, you could use either Resene Half Black White or Resene Quarter Black White.
March 2018
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Q. Is there a modern white, for interior walls, with a warm undertone without being 'yellowy'? A. The following are two very popular modern whites - Resene Alabaster and Resene Black White. Neither of them have any hint of yellow in them. But any white will pick up colour influences from other coloured things and in some rooms they will glow with warmth and look almost creamy i.e. west facing rooms that have late afternoon sunlight, or look a bit chilly in south facing rooms where the natural light may make whites take on a greyish look. It pays to test your colour carefully and move your sample from wall to wall/room to room, you will be able to see how the colour changes at different times of the day.
March 2018
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Q. I am having EQC repairs performed and need to choose a whole colour scheme from distance. I am looking for neutral, clear and have lots of heritage details. I have a large kitchen and living room (bright and sunny), a dark hallway with wood rimu panels and also three bedrooms, a study and bathroom. I am weighing up Resene Tea, with Resene Sea Fog and also Resene Alabaster. What would you recommend, for the simplest neutral background (but not stark whites)? A. A simple neutral - Resene Tea - will look really great in your largest brightest rooms but you might consider a lighter variant - Resene Half Tea for the dark hallway and any of the bedrooms that isn't blessed with all day sunlight. People are still in love with lighter/whiter colours and if you have lots of heritage details - i.e. really nice wooden architraves, window frames, doors then you could have Resene Half Sea Fog (also known as Resene Triple Alabaster) for these, as it will enhance by providing a contrast to the walls but is a soft toned colour - not a stark white. All ceilings could be 'whiter'- i.e. Resene Half Alabaster to reflect light around the rooms. Generally speaking, it is considered appropriate to have whiter/lighter/brighter ceiling mass compared to the walls and woodwork.
March 2018
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Q. I have a double brick 1940s house that I have painted in Resene Concrete with the windows and soffits in Resene Alabaster. I want to paint the base of the house in a very dark grey. I’m having trouble finding one that isn’t blue-ish. I want a real grey. Can you advise a dark grey that would complement Resene Concrete? A. Greys are a little tricky as they all carry undertones of colour. If you think of the delicate warm silvery/lilac undertone that Resene Concrete has in it a lot of other deeper greys may look dirty by comparison. The following greys may need careful testing to see how well they associate with your main house colour - Resene Steel Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Ship Grey, Resene Nocturnal and Resene Foundry.
March 2018
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Q. I'm looking at painting three rooms and a hallway to begin with. I am looking for neutral whites but I also need to paint the doors as well, but am looking at a different colour. My house is 12 years old. A. You don't mention whether you want the doors to be a little deeper in tone or a little lighter in tone than the wall colour so I have included both alongside the wall colour. Try Resene Half White Pointer walls and either Resene White Pointer or Resene Double White Pointer for the doors. Or try Resene Half Thorndon Cream walls and either Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Thorndon Cream for the doors. Or try Resene Sea Fog walls and either Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog for the doors. Or try Resene Half Tea walls and either Resene Quarter Tea or Resene Tea for the doors. March 2018
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Q. We are doing a new build and are looking for a bit of help with exterior colours. We are having COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod (Resene Element) for the roof and aluminium joinery. The cladding is plaster and some weatherboards. We thought Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Half Merino for the plaster and are looking for your thoughts for a very dark green/olive or grey for the weatherboards. We like Resene Double Tapa but would value your thoughts or alternatives. A. I like Resene Double Tapa but due to the depth of colour it may not be appropriate for the weatherboards (if they are real timber) because there is a requirement for much lighter colours with a LRV of between 45-100% in order to get Council compliance. Some lighter green/olive colours for real timber that would meet the LRV criteria - Resene Terrain (LRV 49%) or Resene Overland (LRV 49%). If you have LINEA® or Hardiplank® which may look like timber weatherboards (but isn’t) there isn't the same constraints in regard lighter colours. A few alternative olive/greens to compare with Resene Double Tapa is these - Resene Evolution, Resene Cobblestone or Resene Castle Rock.
March 2018
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Q. We have just sanded and stained our tawa kitchen floor with Resene Walnut and it looks great. We are going to lay carpet in the living room. The house has a lot of rimu trims which we will keep. Could you suggest a paint to go with our green kitchen? I love the ’lightness’ of the yellow but would like something fresher. I have just purchased Resene Sandspit Brown from the Karen Walker Paints range thinking it was a good match but it is too dark! What to do? A. Resene Sandspit Brown is a dense colour (some might say it is slightly muddy) and like all colours in an interior it can look twice the depth you think it will do. I think the magic word is `freshness' - so with that in mind the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Cararra, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Albescent White or Resene Half Ecru White.
March 2018
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Q. I've painted the rooms in my house in the following colours: Resene Half Eskimo, Resene Half Breathless with one wall Resene Tangaroa, Resene Bali Hai and Resene Ashanti. The ceilings, window frames, door frames and skirting are painted in Resene Half Sea Fog. I'm thinking of painting the doors in another colour, e.g. Resene New Denim Blue (colour of the roof) or maybe a yellow of some sort. What could be a good colour to complement the colour scheme of the house, but also be a bit of a statement? A. You might check out these statement colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene San Juan, Resene Steam Roller, Resene Seachange, March 2018
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Q. We have a lovely cottage, right on the water and want to refresh. Presently it is painted in Karen Walker hues, with blue walls and finishing touches for the other walls. I'm interested in using a grey colour this time and mixing it with a sandy colour, to match the beach but I'm not sure about the fireplace surround. Where we live is tidal and I love the colour of the sea on a stormy day. A. You don't mention which colours they are, so I am hoping I don't inadvertently suggest the same again. The colours of the sea and sky are mercurial and constantly change with light. Is the beach a golden sand one or a warm grey? Tidal estuaries often have slightly muddy coloured sand and shingle. Perhaps one of these colour sets might appeal to you - Resene Edward and Resene Half Akaroa, Resene Quarter New Denim Blue and Resene Half Tea, Resene Duck Egg Blue and Resene Half Fossil, Resene Inside Back and Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Bluff and Resene Quarter Atmosphere, or Resene Avalanche and Resene Quarter Taupe Grey. March 2018
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Q. What is a suitable mid charcoal grey, to go in a bathroom next to a room painted Resene Half Linen? A. You may need to carefully test several greys, before you come across one that looks great in the bathroom, as well as associating well with Resene Half Linen. Small rooms (bathrooms) are often not blessed with all day sunlight and have lots of ceramic white fittings, which act as a sharp contrast and can make the wall colour take on a much deeper look. You might start off by checking out these greys - Resene Stack, Resene Raven, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Kensington Grey.
March 2018
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Q. Can you please recommend some good neutrals, to paint our window frames and trim? We've done the weatherboards with Resene Green Spring and the roof is Resene Steel Grey. We also have some contrasting trim around the first storey and there is the garage door. What other colours complement Resene Green Spring? A. You might use either of these neutrals - the first is slightly warmer and the second option is (very slightly) grey in its undertone - Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Black White. You could repeat the Resene Steel Grey for the garage door, so the roof has a `friend'. Contrasting trim around the first storey could be a deeper tone of green like Resene Cabbage Pont. Or alternatively a lighter grey, that relates to the roof (and possibly the garage door colour) Resene Quarter Grey Friars. Or a random but harmonious colour, might be a red (red and green love each other) like Resene Half Pohutukawa, perhaps for the (front and back) doors?
March 2018
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Q. We are reroofing our house in COLORSTEEL® Cloud and are looking for a soft white paint, for the exterior in similar tonings. A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Helium, Resene Quarter Titania, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Sponge.
March 2018
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Q. We have Mission Brown windows and gutters, so what would be the best colour for the house? A. With such a definite brown statement colour on the joinery and gutters, you might look at one of the following colours - Resene Organic, Resene Spanish White, Resene Drought, Resene Cougar, Resene Double Ash or Resene Double Villa White. All of the colours are earthy and warm toned, which works well with Mission Brown.
March 2018
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Q. We are building a relocatable one bedroom cottage. Our windows and roof are Ironsand, with Shadowclad® cladding. We like the cedar/oregon look but need to paint our cladding, not stain it. What would you recommend? A. Colours (that look like cedar stain) that you might check out are these ones - Resene Kenyan Copper, Resene Redwood or Resene Hairy Heath.
March 2018
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Q. What is the best stain colour for fences and outdoor structures, when you want to blend them away? I am looking for a dark colour. A. You might check out these stain colours on the Wood Products display boards in your local Resene ColorShop. Seeing the stained samples is a really great way to judge how the colours will look - Resene Waterborne Woodsman – Resene Canopy, Resene Sheer Black, Resene Banjul or Resene Pitch Black. Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain is available as testpots, so you can stain offcuts of wood also to test the colour.
March 2018
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Q. I am about to have my roof painted and I am thinking of either Resene Ironsand or Resene Desert Sand. Currently the house is roughcast and Resene Half Spanish White. Would you have some suggestions for accent colours? A. For longevity and versatility, I would recommend an Ironsand roof instead of the Resene Desert Sand. Although both colours work well with the Resene Half Spanish White, the Resene Desert Sand would be better used as an accent colour, perhaps on windows or even on the soffit. Other accent colours that work well would be anything with a blue or green tone, such as Resene Rivergum, Resene Organic, Resene Unwind, Resene Whirlwind, Resene Blue Moon or Resene Botticelli.
March 2018
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Q. I'm redecorating and am planning on painting the walls, either Resene Black White or Resene Half Black White. I wanted to paint the interior doors and wardrobe doors a grey. I also wanted to paint the bathroom a grey as well, to contrast with the white vanity and bath etc. What would you suggest? A. If you are wanting a tonal effect, I would suggest using a deeper shade of Resene Black White, as this colour goes up to a triple version (Resene Triple Black White), which could be grey enough for you. If you want something a little greyer then that, then here are some options: Resene Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Quarter Atmosphere. These are all ‘warmer’ looking greys as opposed to the cooler blue/ purple based colours. I’ve chosen these because Resene Black White is a warmer grey, so everything will blend well together.
March 2018
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Q. We want to paint the ceiling in our living room. At the moment the walls and ceiling are all in the colour Resene Tea. We are planning to paint the whole ceiling in a lighter colour Resene Alabaster like the window frames or would that be too light as the vaulted ceiling has three sides to it? A. I think using Resene Alabaster - like the window frames - would be perfectly okay. All ceilings (and especially angled ceilings as you have) often have elements of shadow on them, so colours can look a little deeper. Resene Alabaster may appear to be a slightly more toned version of this colour - perhaps more like Resene Double Alabaster. If you are still hesitant about having a very light/white looking ceiling, perhaps you could consider using a much paler version of the wall colour (Resene Tea), so it is a softer transitional colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Tea or a slightly more coloured version of Alabaster - i.e. Resene Half Sea Fog (Resene Triple Alabaster).
March 2018
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Q. I would like some suggestions for paint colour for a corrugated iron roof. The house is weatherboard in Resene Quarter Tea with Resene Double Tea at the base. The aluminium windows are mostly brown bronze, with a couple of them being black as they were added later on. A. Any of these colours would work with your main house colours - Resene Ironsand, Resene Windswept, Resene Squall or lighter - Resene Groundbreaker or Resene Gauntlet.
March 2018
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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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