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. We want to paint over brown brick in our lounge to try and brighten the room. We are thinking a white like Resene Black White or Resene White Pointer but are not sure. Can you please tell me what the best or most popular white is or if you have a recommendation? We want it to not be too glary and make the room feel brighter A. Resene Black White is by far the most popular white – check out Resene’s top 20 colours online and because your white ceiling meets the fireplace, I would recommend keeping it simple and painting the fireplace Black White. June 2022 |
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Q. I would like to change my beach house exterior colour and give it a fresh new look. It has been Resene Astronaut Blue for 25+ years. Unfortunately it has ‘Wizard Blue’ aluminium joinery throughout which seems impossible to work other exterior colours with. It also has a low pitched, I think its Titanium coloured steel roof. Ironically looking at the property from the beach, it is virtually invisible, tucked away in the corner amongst its neighbours which we like as it is not a particularly attractive building. The property has a lovely mature tropical garden which is its main attribute and I would like the new colour to really accentuate the plants and trees. I am a big Resene Canterbury Clay girl at home mixed in with love heavy creams, sand, wheat and natural wicker colours however I am open to all suggestions that may work. A. Wizard Blue is a joinery colour, that depending on what you put with it, will either be a feature or blend in to complement your environment or views. So to complement your beautiful tropical gardens, I recommend we choose a colour to blend with the joinery rather than to contrast with it. Other blues and greens will do this, but I wouldn’t go too light, however, you can definitely update Resene Astronaut Blue. Colours to try are: Resene Artemis, Resene Dark Slate, Resene San Juan, Resene Rhino, Resene Safehaven, Resene Bluff or Resene Green Meets Blue. June 2022 |
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Q. I am turning one end of my garage into a laundry. I have undercoated ten sheets of ply with white paint – they will line the walls at the laundry end. The old wooden rafters will remain and the ceiling/roof above is pale green metal. I don't intend to paint it. I'm considering mainly painting the walls a warm white but saw a pic that had a diagonal line on the wall and another colour on the other side. I'm thinking of doing the other side in a dark grey/black (I've just painted the exterior of the garage black). The floor to have a red pattern. What do you recommend? A. The laundry is a great room to have some fun as it is an area we are not sitting in for hours on end, so we don’t necessarily tire of the patterns, however, I recommend you do the red pattern on the floor – being a laundry room there isn’t a lot of furniture etc covering the floor so it will be to its full effect. You can definitely do another pattern on the wall as it is a room to have fun with – as long as your efforts are rewarded – quite often we end up putting extra storage units/shelves in converted garages. The warm white you can try is Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Rice Cake – depending on light you may want to go lighter or darker. For the dark grey – I don’t recommend black for this space – but a dark grey will balance well with the red. Try Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Half Baltic Sea. Try Resene Jalapeno or Resene Half Pohutukawa for your red. Being a stencil, the strength of the red will soften. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a low light (a bit dark) narrow hallway with four bedrooms leading off it. The doors were wood and we changed them out for white doors. To me the white is too bright and stark. The walls are painted in Resene Thorndon Cream. I did like it at first but now the Resene Thorndon Cream is looking rather dull with a lot of the green coming through. I was thinking if I painted the doors a different colour it might help the wall colour. A. It could be the white doors enhancing the colour of the walls – but it could also be any other surrounding colour or lighting. You could paint the doors a colour to neutralise the green, but that would be either a similar variant of Resene Thorndon Cream or a warmer neutral to counteract the green which you may not like on the doors. My recommendation is to paint the walls Resene Half Cararra, an off white, which will lighten the area, but keep it warm, since the walls are a bigger surface than the doors, and leave the doors white. The contrast won’t be so noticeable and it will have a fresh look. June 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint my exterior home. I quite like Resene Emerge for the weatherboards with the trim in Resene Tom Tom but I’m stuck on what colour to paint the metal roof. I don't want a dark colour as I don't want to overheat the house in summer. The other colour combo I like is Resene Ashanti with a grey violet trim maybe Resene Santas Grey? I like green in the mid tones and mauve/purple for the trim together. But I don't know what colour roof would work with those two tones on the field of the house. A. As you are choosing to use colour on your house, and don’t want to go dark on the roof, I recommend trying a very neutral light colour on the roof such as Resene Mid Grey. You can have Resene Mid Grey as a Resene CoolColour. CoolColour paint is where the colour looks ‘normal’ but the paint has a special pigment, which allows more of the sun’s harmful rays to be reflected away from the substrate, prolonging the colour and lowering heat absorption. Another combination to try that works well with the mid grey roof, along the colourways you are looking for is Resene Tiara with Resene Shady Lady. Under UV light the undertones of blues, violets and pinks will be more evident – so although the colourway I have suggested is more greyed off – it will appear to have more colour outside at different times of the day. June 2022 |
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Q. I am just wanting the perfect white to go on our walls to work with the brown wooden floor for our lounge and the rest of the house. A. I’m not sure if there is such a thing as the perfect white, as white being the most reflective colour will be influenced by any other elements in the room, however the right white looks fantastic with native wooden floors like yours and allows the floor to take centre stage. If you want to complement the warm tones of the wood try these warm whites: Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Half Bianca or Resene Half Rice Cake. Keep your ceiling Resene White to complement your cabinetry and to keep them light, as off whites will appear darker on the ceiling. June 2022 |
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Q. I have an area painted Resene Half Napa and want to leave only a feature wall of that and paint the rest a neutral warm white. Is there a colour you can suggest? I don’t like creams. I do like Resene Albescent White and Resene Half Albescent White. A. Resene Half Albescent White is worth trying, however, Resene Quarter Tea pairs well with Resene Half Napa, it is a warm soft complex beige, but has a slight earthy edge compared to the cleaner Resene Albescent White, so it works well with the grey beige of Resene Half Napa. Resene Half Sandspit Brown is also worth trying. It will depend on the natural and artificial light as to how these colours will appear at different times of the day and night, and other colours that will be in that space, through accessories, soft furnishings etc. June 2022 |
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Q. I am gradually renovating a house in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. It is a small bungalow with cream brick with flecks of black/grey. It is on acreage with trees and garden around it. As there will be a business (in a shed in COLORBOND® Monument) on another part of the property and the house is pretty ordinary I wanted it to sort of disappear. I have painted inside with Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Alabaster on the woodwork and painted the front door Resene Grey Friars which I love (like the distant mountains!). I am slowly replacing the aluminium joinery with black. I need to replace the roof with corrugated iron now and want that to be a light colour for heat reflection. I was thinking COLORBOND® Slate Grey for the roof and COLORBOND® Basalt for the gutters and downpipes. Then I wasn’t sure for the fascia and future wall colour perhaps Resene Half Grey Friars? There is a pergola over the front door which is painted so I wondered about a colour that went back to the roof? A. The slate and basalt don’t relate to the Monument on the shed or Resene Grey Friars on the front door at all. I am assuming you painted both sides of the front door in grey friars. Slate is quite dark, so if you are concerned about heat retention and wish for a lighter roof, I recommend staying within the Grey Friars range, especially if you are enjoying that colour and a colour that complements the Monument to a degree. I recommend you use a Resene CoolColour paint on the roof, this helps reflect more of the sun’s harmful UV light away from the roof therefore lowering heat absorption, while the colour remains looking the same. Try Resene Quarter Grey Friars on the roof, with Resene Tuna on the main body and Resene Grey Friars on the front door. The pergola and any fascias or other trims try Resene Raven. All these colours are similar in tone and together they will help the house to blend into the environment. June 2022 |
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Q. Can you please advise the best mid to dark green which would work with Resene Rum Swizzle? My alternative is Resene Coconut Cream. I would also like a mid to dark green to complement this. A. Mid to dark greens to try with Resene Rum Swizzle are Resene Finch, Resene Siam or Resene Kelp. Mid to dark greens to try with Resene Coconut Cream are Resene Paddock, Resene Clover, Resene Flax or Resene Dingley. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a family bach at Matarangi and want to paint it. The roof is Resene Forest Green and the window frames are a brown colour (these things can’t change). To make it a bit more modern I’m wondering what colour to paint the rest of the house? A. To complement the roof and windows, and to modernise the scheme, try Resene Half Napa, Resene Quarter Pravda or Resene Bison Hide. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a COLORSTEEL® roof in FlaxPod on my garage. I would like to match the colour of the frame and then colour the tin garage. Currently it’s a wheat colour but it needs a lift . A. Resene Element is a match to FlaxPod which you can use for your garage frames. As far as your garage tin walls are concerned, it does depend on the surrounding environment and your house colour. Sometimes it is a good idea to paint the whole garage one colour, such as Resene Element, when we don’t want to attract attention to the garage. June 2022 |
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Q. My ceiling and trims are Resene Half Alabaster and my walls are Resene Double Alabaster. What colour should I paint my doors? My hall is Resene Eighth Lemon Grass. The hall is long and narrow with 10 doors. A. That really depends on what your style of door is and if it is worth contrasting. In this instance I wouldn’t go a deeper shade of white or Resene Lemon Grass however. So either keep them the same as the walls, but painted in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss so you are creating interest through sheen levels, or Resene Alabaster. June 2022 |
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Q. I have Resene Quarter Spanish White doors and skirting boards. I would like to repaint my bedrooms a very light blue. Are there any very light blues that would work with Resene Quarter Spanish White? If there are no blues, given Resene Quarter Spanish White has a yellow base, are there any very pale greens or whites that could work? A. I quite like the blues with a hint of purple, they make lovely bedroom colours, such as Resene Link Water. Greens with a blue edge also pair well with Resene Quarter Spanish White – for a pale green try Resene Slipstream. Resene Alabaster is a white which will pair well with Resene Quarter Spanish White, as it is a neutral which works with most colourways, or you can team Resene Quarter Spanish White with deeper variants of Resene Spanish White.  Resene Slipstream June 2022 |
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Q. I'm painting kitchen walls Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Can you recommend a grey for the kitchen cupboards which would go well with this? A. Try Resene Quill Grey, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Grey Seal.  Resene Grey Seal June 2022 |
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Q. I have a pine shiplap vaulted ceiling and beams of the same stain (honey oak from what I see). There are vaulted ceilings on the living room and two upstairs bedrooms. The wall is a neutral white colour. The architraves/baseboards/trims and doors are currently a honey oak stain like the ceiling. I want to spruce the overall appearance inside the house with brightness since there’s little natural light coming in from two windows at the living room. Can I paint the trims, baseboards, interior doors and walls with the same neutral white colour? I’m thinking of this to create continuity. I have a dark blue couch and light beige carpet floor. I want to keep my ceiling as is to keep the somewhat architecture feel of it. Do you think rice cake will be suitable and go nicely with the wooden ceiling and beams? A. I recommend painting all the surfaces one colour and keeping the vaulted ceilings natural, the ceiling creates the contrast. I do recommend trying Resene Double Alabaster as your colour, it will complement the blue sofa and carpet. June 2022 |
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Q. We are renovating a 1920s bungalow. Most of it is painted in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, including (I think at this point) the master bedroom. The new little ensuite will be lined in grooved ply, and I would like a soft oldish pink… thinking something along the lines of Resene Shabby Chic, Resene Soothe, Resene Despacito or Resene Flesh. The ensuite is small but has a decent size window, which is west facing. A. Ensuites, much like laundries and powder rooms, are spaces you can have fun with and choose a colour you really love or are drawn to for this space. A vintage pink is a fabulous choice for an ensuite and pairs well with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, the main colour for your home, which is great! My recommendation is Resene Soothe – it is a true vintage pink, what I call a ‘grown up’ pink or for a lighter version Resene Ethereal. Alternatively if this doesn’t work in the space, try Resene Bone or the lighter version Resene Despacito. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a new extension that will be vertical pine weatherboards with mid-bronze aluminium joinery. It’s three storeys up so we think we should paint rather stain the pine. The existing house is plaster finish in Resene Sea Fog and the roof for the whole house including the extension is Resene Atmosphere with mid-bronze aluminium joinery. The front door which will be next to the extension is Resene Juniper. A. To bridge the gap between the bronze joinery and silvery grey of the roof, I recommend trying Resene Gauntlet, however, vertical pine weatherboards can have a LRV (light reflectance value) restriction (basically no darker colours). The LRV rating is usually about 40% and higher that is acceptable for warranties. Resene colours have the LRV rating listed on the chart associated to that colour. Resene Gauntlet is LRV 25%. So it will pay to check with your timber supplier or specifier to ensure this colour is allowed. I don’t recommend going darker than Resene Gauntlet regardless, as Resene Atmosphere on the roof is very light. A tonal scheme will look attractive and give a nice overall balanced look, without, one element or substrate dominating. A lighter version to try is Resene Archive Grey. Toning with the roof will also bring continuity to the vertical lines. Lighter colours to try are: Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Quarter Regent Grey. Alternately you could try a deeper version of Resene Sea Fog – but deep enough to blend with the bronze joinery – try Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene Quill Grey. June 2022 |
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Q. What white trim colour is best with Resene Bianca? A. That depends on whether you want the Resene Bianca to stand out next to the trims or blend in. For a tonal scheme try the slightly deeper Resene Double Bianca and for a contrast try Resene Quarter Bianca. If you really want the trims to pop, then Resene White works with Resene Bianca. June 2022 |
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Q. We are painting two adjoining flats. The continuous bargeboards and railings will be Resene Arrowtown. I need two colours for the stucco that are clearly different e.g. one light and one darker from the same range. The colours can't be too 'on trend'. I thought of using two strengths of Resene Tea but I'm not sure if that will work (too yellow based?) A. The Resene Tea family works well with Resene Arrowtown. Try either Resene Half Tea with Resene Double Tea, or Resene Tea with Resene Triple Tea. Alternatively, for a greyer tone which will pair with Resene Arrowtown, the Resene Truffle family may appeal to you, try Resene Truffle with Resene Triple Truffle. With either scheme, I recommend if you can, using a cool toned white to sharpen the scheme if possible – try Resene Black White on soffits. June 2022 |
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Q. I want to restyle my room and I was wondering what colour/colour scheme I should go with. My carpet is a light charcoal, curtains are quite similar in colour, the furniture is all white and my room is probably smaller than the average room. I really don’t know what colours I should go with and how much of each colour I should use and where. A. You haven’t said what room this is that you are redecorating, I am assuming it’s a bedroom, so please correct me if I am wrong. We don’t like to impose ‘rules’ with colour as it is very personal, however, there is a timeless decorating rule that helps to create harmony and bring balance to a room. It is called the 60-30-10 colour rule. 60% is the main colour for your room – most likely this is the wall colour, the idea is that the 60% colour anchors the space and also serves as a backdrop for what comes next. Your 30% is the secondary colour. You will be using half as much of this colour as your main colour. So in your case this will be your draperies and carpet (charcoal) to start and It could also be introduced into accent chairs, bedlinens, or painted furniture. The idea is that the secondary colour supports the main colour, but is different enough to give the room interest. The real fun comes with the accent colour you will be adding next – your 10% – this could be accent pillows on the bed, bed throws, lamps, candles, artwork etc. This rule can be broken and you can work with your own formula, however, the key to any great creative project is to learn the basic rules before you break them, so once you understand the fundamentals, you can customise it to your own rooms. I recommend that if your room is warm and receives good natural light that you paint the walls a white that appeals to you. If it doesn’t then an off white or warmer white will work better. Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Half Rice Cake and Resene Half Sea Fog are all options with your other neutrals, however, there may be a background colour in some fabric or artwork you particularly like that you could use, to soften the white and charcoals. Look for inspiration in other rooms, colours that appeal to you that you can pull into your bedroom. Texture and pattern also create interest with neutrals such as charcoal and white, striped or flecked fabrics, abstract cushions or chunky knit throws. Think in terms of winter and summer palettes with different accessories to illustrate the seasons. Charcoal and white are fundamental neutrals which rely upon colour to lift them up, for example, burnt orange teal and charcoal with lots of texture might be winter and bright oranges, lime or pale aqua with lots of white could be summer, and change fabrics up to have more sheen and possibly floral motifs. June 2022 |
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Q. I am having a house size office built at present. We have selected COLORSTEEL® Ebony for the roof colour and window joinery. The soffits are painted white. I had pictured a relatively dark building. What would you suggest as the exterior wall paint colour? A. I quite like ashen greys with black roofs and joinery, and this will give the ‘office feel’. Alternatively a cool toned white will work. Try Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea or Resene Merino. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a single storey Queenslander with bullnose verandas surrounding the house supported by timber posts. We want to update the roof and house colour and punch up the timber posts and say goodbye to the Karaka green roof and yellow exterior paint. One problem we have is the dark green aluminium window joinery is staying. A. The schemes I recommend are based on the rural environment, the existing green joinery and the style of architecture – Queenslander. Option 1: try roof in Resene Half Ironsand, walls in Resene Half Grey Olive and posts in Resene Gravel. Option 2: try roof in Resene Half Gravel, walls in Resene Eighth Arrowtown or Resene Quarter Arrowtown and posts in Resene Half Ironsand. May 2022 |
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Q. I used Resene Half Rice Cake to accent while trim in the bathroom. It looked great so I also used it in adjoining room. The green from outside is making it look very green. What colour couch and curtain could I use to make the green tinge softer please. One wall is pure glass with grass one metre away. A. I am wondering if the glass wall is green tinted glass as standard glass can be. It is very hard to stop natural light picking up undertones in adjacent walls or furnishings, even pure white walls will reflect colour that is near it. However, adding neutral furniture, accessories and curtains in combination with white, black and grey hues will help absorb and neutralise any effects of the colour being reflected, but may not neutralise it entirely. Dark colours and raised textures absorb light, rather than reflecting it around the room, but can also appear to darken a room or add visual weight to a room. May 2022 |
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Q. We are painting Resene Double Sea Fog on all interior walls and Resene Half Sea Fog on doors etc with Resene Alabaster on the ceiling. We want to do a few feature walls but darker Resene Triple Sea Fog is too light. A. Try Resene Quill Grey, Resene Silver Sand or Resene Grey Nickel. May 2022 |
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Q. I am looking at painting my walls right throughout my small house, either Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Thorndon Cream. The other option is either Resene Double Rice Cake or Resene Rice Cake. What colour should I use on the ceilings, window surrounds sill, architraves and doors? I have black aluminium window joinery and satin white kitchen cupboards, a quartz stone bench top and polished nickel tapware. It is an older property clad in Oamaru Stone with a concrete tile roof. I have vinyl planking wooden floor (Drought Oak textured with a bit of black and cream in it) in the service areas and a tiled bathroom in black and coffee gloss subway tiles surrounding the shower over the bath. The coffee gloss tiles will be in the kitchen also. I prefer a ‘Country Lodge’ look . I have four barn sliding doors and three bedroom doors with grooves with black handles and black barn door track sets. The carpet will be a sisal textured wool look alike as we gets lots of sun in Central Otago. This house will be fully renovated, painted inside and out eventually! Can’t wait to get your professional opinion please. A. With the warmer tones coming in to play i.e. cream hints in the oak flooring and the textured carpet, and to keep a ‘country lodge’ ambience, I recommend that the ceilings and all woodwork have a slight warmth to the white, to balance the other harder textures and colours, i.e. black and coffee tiles, hardware etc. Resene Rice Cake should work very well, as it has a slight grey edge to the warm white and this helps to stop it appearing too yellow or green in northern light. The Resene Thorndon Cream family is similar but not as clean as the Resene Rice Cake family, and has a slightly more green undertone. For both colourways (Resene Thorndon and Resene Rice Cake, either strength) I recommend Resene Quarter Rice Cake for ceilings and woodwork. May 2022 |
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Q. I’m looking to paint the exterior of my 1980 home. It is small and very basic, nothing architectural or even attractive about it. It’s fibre cement and one level and north facing with silver aluminium windows. I think I’ve decided on Resene Dusted Blue as the body of the house. I need advice on a colour for the trim and foundation. I’d ideally like to go for something sort of green – I’ve tried a testpot of Resene Green Meets Blue and it looks pretty good but I’m conscious this is just a small section. I was curious if there is anything else you’d recommend – maybe something with a touch more grey or neutral. I live in New Plymouth and want beachy with a touch of something unique but bearing in mind the house itself isn’t something to gaze upon. A. Keep it simple is best. Try Resene Artemis, Resene Innocence, Resene Clouded Blue or Resene Bluff.  Resene Artemis May 2022 |
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Q. I am shopping for a fence colour for a plastered block fence. I like Resene Concrete but it is too dark. A white would be good or attached or a lighter Resene Concrete. A. Try these colours: Resene Quarter Concrete, Resene Half House White or Resene Half Barely There. May 2022 |
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Q. My bedroom is quite dark so I painted it with Resene Bianca, but even that colour looks cream on the walls. On the wood is looks better. What colour white can I use that will look white? A. In low light rooms, whites with a warm edge to them can appear more cream, just as whites with a grey edge to them, will appear greyer. The light will fall on the walls from a different angle to the woodwork, hence why the woodwork is looking more like an off white. I recommend you try Resene Quarter Bianca on the walls as it is lighter and brighter, but still has a slight warmth to it, which will make the bedroom feel cosy, rather than stark and cold. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a beachside kiosk due for an exterior repaint. It's located in an affluent suburb. We are looking for a contemporary colour scheme that will not date quickly, and is sympathetic to its Edwardian character – by having a lighter colour for the main body of the building, and darker colour(s) for the trim. The building suffers from overheating, so light toned walls are preferred. A. I feel with the setting and suburb, and the fact that there are heat absorption issues, a softer palette will look stunning. Traditionally warm whites were used for the main body of the house in Edwardian times with darker greens or reds as accent colours. For any dark accent colours you can opt to use Resene CoolColour paints, which is where the colour looks normal but thanks to special pigment technology it reflects more of the sun’s heat, so the substrate is exposed less to heat damage. Try Resene Elderflower for the main body, with Resene Atmosphere on the roof. For trims try these options: Resene Bali Hai, Resene Ziggurat, Resene Awash or the brighter, Resene Kumutoto. For a traditional green try Resene Aquamarine. May 2022 |
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Q. I have a new build and the cladding is a narrow Hardiplank fibre board. It is in a country setting so want to stay with country type colours and I have been looking at the grey greens. The roof colour is Slate, the aluminium is Arctic White. The house is a one slope roof with a high front. A. To work with the setting and the existing elements – deep charcoal roof and cool toned white joinery – here are some recommendations of grey greens in different tones that may work: Resene Helix, Resene Ravine, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Blue Smoke, Resene Hermitage or Resene Green Spring. You will need to check with your builder or Hardie supplier that there are no LRV restrictions with the construction of your cladding – meaning no mid to dark colours.  Resene Helix May 2022 |
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Q. We want some advice on which colours might go well in our living area. We are quite keen on grey as a main colour with a white for the skirting. Our aim is to brighten the area (currently a matt off white). We live in Arrowtown so it is also important that the grey is still warm in winter. A. If you want to brighten the area, and to work with existing elements, such as the wood floor and cabinetry in the kitchen, as well as having a warmth to it, I recommend trying a versatile warm neutral with a hint of grey such as Resene Double Merino with Resene Quarter Merino on the trims. For a grey with a bit more depth, and a hint of warmth try Resene Athens Grey or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey – with both these greys I recommend Resene Alabaster as the white for skirtings etc. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a Melbourne home built in the 1940s or possibly much earlier. Most of our house does not get much direct natural light apart from the kitchen and two bedrooms. We are trying to make the most of the light that comes into the house and thought we wanted to go light as possible but not cool colours nor everything white. I do like light beiges but they are too tricky for me to work with – they have various undertones and don’t like the pink or green undertones. I want to possibly stick with some form of neutrals (no greys) or browny earthy colours or whatever else you can suggest, that aren’t too out of place against our pale yellowy/beige tiles and cabinetry. The three bedrooms have polished orange – yellow baltic pine floorboards. I’ve tried a few warm white paint but in low light they throw out blue/grey/or red undertones. Even during the day their undertones come through. Maybe one solution is to have a colour and vary the strength in darker rooms. We want to stick with contrasted trims, doors and architraves so we need a colour that will match the lighter walls, but a colour that won’t change too much in the darker areas of the house If that is possible. The trims don’t need to be very much darker than the walls. Currently the paint colour in our house doesn’t really change much with light changes (which is good). I would probably keep to a conservative/safe colour as I don’t want to repaint it in a few years due to changing trends. It risks being a little unexciting but as long as it’s nice. Warm with a lot light at the same time might be unrealistic but the main thing is to reflect the light that comes into the house. If the best option is very similar colours to what we have that is ok, but a little variation might be nice. I would also like to paint the back and front door a totally different colour to the trims and other doors just to break up the colour but obviously match them. I generally like these colours to be muted mid-tone colours. For instance I put a muted blue against our current latte/yellow/beige trim and it looked ok. I am open to any suggestions as long as they aren’t too saturated or colours like yellow, red, purple. The front door has stained glass in it. A. All colours will reflect undertones, especially when there is natural light and artificial light present. Even pure white will pick up surrounding colours, depending on the light if it is on the walls. Trims etc aren’t quite as susceptible to this. In low light especially next to window walls the strongest tint will come to the fore – usually yellow or red. Because you have a predominant pale yellow colour throughout main areas in the house this will also be contributing to the fact that some warm whites will throw a contrasting colour, plus you have stained glass in your front door, so this can also affect how a neutral colour will react on adjacent walls. The most important aspect is to get a colour which helps to reflect the light and possibly complement rather than contrast with the tiles and cabinetry – this actually reduces the effect of the yellow. Varying strengths of a colour may work very well in this instance too. White is the most reflective colour, and black is the least, therefore my recommendation is to try a warm white with no black tint that is light enough so it doesn’t throw too much yellow or pink – however, you will only achieve this 80% of the time, there will be walls/rooms where it is unavoidable to not have a reflection of undertone at some point of the day/night. For the walls try Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, a light bright versatile neutral with a hint of warmth. In brighter rooms you can try Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and Resene Half Pearl Lusta. For the woodwork – trims doors skirtings etc I recommend using Resene White, as it is a pure white and with no tint will not change in different rooms. Alternatively, you could try Resene Eighth Fossil for low light rooms and Resene Quarter Fossil for brighter rooms, these two are more light bleached beige, so for the woodwork that you are repainting, you might like to try Resene Quarter Alabaster. May 2022 |
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Q. My house is 100 years old and is on a farm in Central Otago. It has drab brown carpet and lots of rimu wood (doors, pairs, panels, lots!). It has small windows and is a little on the darker side inside. For the hallway which colour will be best, Resene Merino or Resene Half Thorndon Cream? And for the main bedroom there is an existing cream, floral red/pink and green/gold flower pattern, with old French framed paintings with heavy pewter and another gold plus lots of rimu. I think I want to go for a green like Resene Miso or Resene Coriander. A. Resene Half Thorndon Cream will work well in your hall and can lead into the greens nicely. For the master bedroom I recommend you check out Resene Bubble N Squeak. It is a yellow green with some depth, which will pair well with your existing colours. Resene Bubble N Squeak is formulated around a traditional colour I have seen used in this instance, called Resene Thistle. You can check Resene Thistle out as well, if you prefer a lighter version. May 2022 |
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Q. The majority of my interior is painted in Resene Half Fossil but most rooms have one bare wall where I removed an ugly feature wallpaper wall when I moved in. I was thinking of just painting the blank walls Resene Half Fossil to have it all matching but then considered painting a feature wall but wouldn't know what would work with the Resene Half Fossil on the other walls. I like greeny blues and shades of blue. The carpet is a browny grey colour. A. Resene Lazy River or Resene Half Robin Egg Blue will pair well with Resene Half Fossil. If you choose to do so, you can have two feature walls (different spaces) – you could use both colours as they pair well together in different rooms. May 2022 |
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Q. We are choosing a Jet Sequoia Formica® benchtop for our new kitchen to go with hessian wallpaper and lots of wood. We are going to paint the walls Resene Half Pearl Lusta and are getting painted cabinetry for the kitchen cupboards. What colour would you choose for the kitchen cabinets? A. Resene Double Ash is a lovely Smoky neutral with a green edge, which is modern but will complement the hessian and wood, and pairs well with light creams like Resene Half Pearl Lusta. Alternatively you could paint the cabinetry Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Double Pearl Lusta. May 2022 |
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Q. Can you please provide a colour palette to go with Resene Quarter Merino which I will use on my ceiling? I'm going for a modern bohemian theme throughout. A. For a modern twist on a Bohemian themed palette – try Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, Resene Innocence, Resene Leather, Resene Antidote and Resene Monkey. I recommend continuing the Resene Quarter Merino as your neutral. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a Grey Friars roof and fence. We are painting the exterior walls in Resene Ziggurat. We want a bright pop of colour for the front door and fence gate – what would you recommend? A. Try Resene Half Pohutukawa or Resene Dauntless. May 2022 |
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Q. We want to modernise the exterior of the house and want to avoid all the similar tones of cream. Is there a dark charcoal colour you would recommend? Also, what interior white paint colour would look good against cream window frames, and appear more of a bright white, rather than a cream look? A. Resene Nocturnal or Resene Shark are charcoals which will look great on your house, with the windows – or you could try a dark grey like Resene Tuna. For the interior I recommend a white with a hint of warmth to counteract the effect of the cream windows, try Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Eighth Rice Cake. May 2022 |
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Q. What exactly is the difference between Resene Bianca and Resene Pearl Lusta? A. Resene Bianca is lighter and less cream, where Resene Pearl Lusta is a classic light cream which is basically more yellow than Resene Bianca. May 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my open plan kitchen/lounge. I was going to paint the whole area Resene Merino with an accent wall in the fire nook in Resene Palm Green. The ceiling is matt white. I now feel this will be very bland and modern. It is an older home and my style is a bit eclectic (New Orleans, Victorian, natural fibres, industrial). I would now like to paint the kitchen walls green. I like the softer old school greens, but am open to ideas. The kitchen cabinetry is Resene Gravel. My concern is if the kitchen is green what colour do I paint the fire nook as Resene Palm Green may not be suitable. Do I just paint it Resene Merino? A. Try Resene Half Lemon Grass a lovely washed out ‘old school’ green or full strength Resene Lemon Grass or for a much softer look – Resene Kangaroo or Resene Celeste which is a beautiful grey green which has ‘old worldly’ feel to it. These greens will work with Resene Gravel and darker greens or Resene Merino. For the fire nook, you can use a darker green, we just need to alter the underlying tint, Resene Palm Green isn’t quite right. Try Resene Cabbage Pont. Resene Merino will work too, but I like the idea of a dark green for the nook. May 2022 |
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Q. My walls in the kitchen are Resene Half Canterbury Clay. What colour splashback would you suggest? My kitchen is white drawers with a light grey, white benchtop. A. It does depend on what style you are creating and if there are any other accent colours nearby that you could pull a colour from, however, to complement the ochre of the Resene Half Canterbury Clay and the grey/white in the bench top, I recommend a grey green. Try Resene Artemis, Resene Innocence, Resene Inside Back or Resene Dark Slate. May 2022 |
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Q. I have 50L of Resene Double Black White exterior paint and wish to use it on a 1950s bevel back single storey, unpainted concrete tile roof. What colour(s) do you recommend for the trims and doors please? A. Resene Double Black White will look great on the weatherboards and for the trims I recommend Resene Alabaster. This is a nice fresh contrast. For the doors try Resene Half Fuscous Grey. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a mid-century cottage with a kitchen with a butler sink and wooden work surfaces. We have put in a dado rail with tongue-and-groove boards. The rail and boards are painted Resene Alabaster, and above the boards is painted Resene Half Drought. We are going to repaint the single row of tiles around the sink and cooker but we just don't know what colour to choose. I want to pick a colour to lift the room, a rich colour to warm the kitchen. A. Blues and greens look great in mid-century cottages, and Resene Half Drought will keep the scheme warm, however, you can also bring in some warmer red/orange tones. Try Resene Half Smalt Blue, Resene Excalibur, Resene Red Herring or Resene Twizel.  Resene Red Herring  Resene Excalibur May 2022 |
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Q. I am going to paint-out our macrocarpa kitchen which is now outdated after 30 years. The kitchen walls are Resene Albescent White. The floor is wood and the benchtop an off white (which isn’t being replaced). I like the Hampton style county classic kitchen. Our kitchen is a large farm kitchen. A. Layering strengths of a colour is a Hamptons look along with lots of white. It’s also a classic country look, so for your cabinetry I recommend Resene Quarter Albescent White. Alternatively you could try a duck egg blue such as Resene Half Periglacial Blue from the Karen Walker Paints collection. Also consider your lighting and cabinetry handles – these two things alone can really set the style. May 2022 |
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Q. We are getting the interior of our house painted as part of our EQC repairs. I've mainly focused on what I wanted on the walls. It's a late 50s build and the living areas face south, and we want a soft (warmer) white throughout the house. I've tested several and settled on Resene Half Bianca as my favourite for the walls. What would you recommend for our ceilings and trims to go with this? I imagined we could pick Resene Quarter Bianca though I wondered whether this would be enough of difference and whether Resene does something like Resene Eighth Bianca? A. Resene Quarter Bianca is enough of a contrast for trims, however on the ceiling, where whites tend to be shadowed, it may not appear as much of a contrast, so with that in mind I recommend trying Resene Quarter Alabaster a neutral clean white, which will look fresh against Resene Half Bianca. May 2022 |
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Q. We are about to redo our kitchen, which will be white, I am also intending for the walls to be white too. Would you go the same white for both and if so, do we use a different strength in the same colour, or two different whites? I love white on white kitchens and bringing colour through accessories. A. This is a timeless look. Subtle shifts in white tones, is far more interesting than using different strengths or a combination of both. Selecting different sheen levels also creates interest, especially with whites. Consider Resene Black White on your walls and Resene Alabaster on your kitchen cabinetry, these two look great together. You could use Resene Eighth Black White on your woodwork. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a 1920s bungalow and are looking to paint the exterior soon. Our roof is in good condition so we are not touching it. We have new guttering to match the roof which is COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. I would really love to keep to the heritage colours of that era. Are you able to advise complementary colours for weatherboards, windows, trims etc and a deck colour? A. Have you checked out the Resene Heritage Chart – it has a great description of what colours were used for the 1920s era, and the colours on this chart give an indication of what type of hues you can use, if you are staying traditional. The greys and olives are a good choice with FlaxPod and they are traditional colours but also currently on trend. Typically pale colours were used on the body of the house with rich accents – however, I don’t feel this is necessary to maintain the heritage of the home.
Colours will appear lighter under UV light, especially on the deck.  Resene Earthen  Resene Family Tree May 2022 |
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Q. I have painted my walls a Resene Black White and have a black benchtop with white and grey flecks through it. I have matt black subway tiles and would like to paint the cupboards a light grey of some description. It is quite a large kitchen so it shouldn't close it in too much but don't want white cupboards as they get grubby quickly with a young child. A. It does depend on the grey fleck in the benchtop to what tone of grey to choose – this would be a good starting point, luckily, current trends allow us to blend greys of similar shades, so the aim is to get the balance right. A light or even mid grey won’t close the kitchen in at all, in fact, white may define the space even more, than a light grey. Try Resene Grey Seal, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Surrender. Resene Grey Seal May 2022 |
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Q. Please advise a suitable colour for repainting the interior of a 1980s house with lots of rimu trim (which we would not paint). We are thinking a shade of white/cream but not too yellow or pink! A. Rimu definitely complements the more warmer shades of white. Try Resene Bianca, Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. May 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint the exterior of our two storey colonial home. It’s approx 40 years old with two upstairs dormer windows. The deck is stained timber, the windows are the original aluminium ones coloured brown. The roof is Grey Friars. What would you suggest to paint the fibreboard exterior? A. Resene colours to try are: Resene Archive Grey, Resene Hermitage or Resene Quarter Napa. These three colourways will blend with the joinery and roof and will also look lovely on a colonial home. May 2022 |
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Q. We are trying to decide on a colour to paint our stucco house built 2001. The roof and aluminium windows are Grey Friars. What colour would go with this for the stucco? A. Whites, grey whites and mid greys work well on stucco with Resene Grey Friars. You don’t want to go too dark as this will cause heat retention to the plaster and create issues. Try Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Nomad or Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. May 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint the exterior of my house and the roof is Ironsand. I have recently painted the interior walls Resene Quarter Ash on the walls and Resene Eighth Black White on trims. I am thinking of something along the lines of this colour palette for the outside that would work with the Ironsand roof. I am looking at darker greys and white trim. A. The Resene Ash family is a great range of colours. For the exterior try Resene Gravel, Resene Half Gravel or Resene Cobblestone. These dark greys have a slight acidic edge like Resene Quarter Ash. All will work with white trims and you could use Resene Eighth Black White on the exterior trims too. May 2022 |
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Q. I am having a home built shortly and am using Resene paints to paint it. I am just trying to decide what will work on the exterior. The roof and window joinery is to be COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod or Ebony. I like the dark natural look and am trying to find a colour for the exterior/soffits that will work well with the roof colours. I am looking at colours like Resene Nero, Resene Double Gravel, Resene Element, Resene Bokara Grey or Resene Baltic Sea? Do I paint the soffits the same colour? A. Considering the environment your house will be situated in, I recommend going with FlaxPod, although either roof colour will work. FlaxPod seems to be a popular choice for many projects. Resene Double Gravel or Resene Bokara Grey will work superbly with the roof colour. For the soffits I recommend going to a lighter tone of the wall colour, but not a white shade. For Resene Double Gravel try Resene Kensington Grey for soffits, or for Resene Bokara Grey try Resene Eighth Bokara Grey for soffits. May 2022 |
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Q. We are about to renovate our lounge. It’s a fairly spacious room with a lot of big windows so gets sun all day. The rest of our house is painted in Resene Concrete with Resene Black White on trims. I like it but sometimes feel like it’s too cool toned. Could you suggest any complementary colours in the white/grey family? We have testpots for Resene Delta and Resene Half Delta but I'm not sure they are quite right. A. The Resene Delta and Resene Half Delta may be appearing too green for you. For complementary greys to Resene Concrete you may prefer more of a neutral or blue tone. Try Resene Grey Seal, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Quarter Stack or for a deep tone if desired, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Raven. For a complementary white with Resene Concrete and Resene Black White try Resene Sea Fog. Resene Grey Seal May 2022 |
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Q. I’m having trouble picking a colour for our house. It’s currently painted Resene Spanish White with a very pale silver/grey roof (almost like Gull Grey). I want to update it. I love blue based greys – Resene Longitude, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Raven or Resene Neutral Bay. I have picked Resene Alabaster for window trims. I am worried the light greys will look odd with the roof colour – changing the roof colour is not an option currently. We live at the beach and the house is directly north facing. I am leaning toward Resene Raven. A. Resene Raven or Resene Half Raven or even a bit lighter Resene Freestyling are perfect tones for the roof. I recommend you try all three as colours will appear lighter when used outside. May 2022 |
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Q. Our house was built in 1867, double hung windows, high ceilings with roses, deep skirting boards, solid doors and wood panels a third up the wall in some rooms (bathrooms and kitchen, hallway). I need help with whites. We are painting all the woodwork and need three whites that work well together, cool whites not yellow cream, so nothing along the Resene Pearl Lusta lines. I like Resene Half Concrete for the walls and would like advice what to paint the doors and skirtings and windows with please and I guess the ceilings as well. We are doing the whole house, 14 rooms in all, and we want the same colours throughout. The hall, bathroom and kitchen tiles are black and white Victorian repro and the benchtops in the kitchen will be concrete so cool colours will suit best. A. With the colours you have existing – these cool whites will work together superbly – try Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Double Black White or Resene Triple Black White. I like Resene Triple Black White best as it has dimension. You could use for example, Resene Alabaster on ceilings and windows, Resene Black White on doors and architraves and Resene Triple Black White on panels. May 2022 |
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Q. I’m wondering what would be a good colour white (ish) to complement Resene Spring Fever? I've got Resene Spring Fever on two (maybe three) walls and am looking for a (warm?) white to go on the other one or two walls. It's quite a small square room, with a large window and white ceiling. It'll be used as a morning sun room. A. Resene Spring Fever is a great citrus yellow for a morning sunroom – a clean white with a warm edge will balance it nicely and keep it cosy in the afternoon. Try Resene Elderflower or Resene Rice Cake. May 2022 |
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Q. I am converting the end of our garage into a home office. It will have dark grey carpet, and we will leave the ply ceilings as they are. There is no natural light or windows. I am thinking of painting one wall either a pale green or blue. What whites/colours would you suggest please? A. In windowless rooms, cool colours like pale green or blue (also good office colours) help walls to recede, which makes the room feel more spacious and light. I recommend using a warm white however, as although pure whites give the illusion of space, when there is no natural light, this can make a room feel stark and cold. Bright lights and task lighting will help in place of natural light too. For the green or blue try, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Rainee, Resene Mystery or Resene Quarter Frozen. If none of these appeal you could consider a soft blue with a bit more grey in it such as Resene Quarter Powder Blue. The whites I recommend are Resene Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.  Resene Mystery May 2022 |
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Q. My roof colour is terracotta and at the moment I have Resene Double Mondo guttering, garage door and front door. I’m wondering what colour I should paint my cement rendered house. I like mid-century style colour ways. My window frames are black and all the external retaining walls are painted Resene Double Mondo. Is this still a current colour? My whole house is being repainted and I chose Resene Double Mondo over 10 years ago. A. Earthy warm based neutrals like Resene Double Mondo are on trend, however, if you like the mid-century style, and are repainting, then I recommend trying Resene Masala, a slightly murkier grey brown as an alternative to Resene Double Mondo and paint your front door in a bright orange or green such as Resene Green Smoke or Resene Party Zone. May 2022 |
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Q. I need a colour for my kitchen walls. The cupboards are a deep cream and the benchtops are patterned with grey/blue colours. The flooring is a metallic grey. I was thinking of a pale light colour, perhaps in the bluey greys as the room doesn’t get much sunlight. A. It is a little difficult to get the blue/grey to match the benchtop as such without seeing a physical sample, however, one of these blue greys may work with your scheme – try Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue, Resene Quarter Powder Blue or Resene Geyser. May 2022 |
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Q. I'm looking to completely paint my home’s exterior so am interested in a colour scheme that would suit the existing fascia (Resene Adrenalin) and roof (Resene Vulcan). A. If you are repainting all the windows keep them white and the base and steps Resene Vulcan – if it is not already. Cool toned greys look great with Resene Adrenalin and Resene Vulcan or a complex white. Try Resene Quarter Stack, Resene Midwinter Mist, Resene Quarter Delta or try deeper variants. Resene Poured Milk could work as the white.  Resene Poured Milk May 2022 |
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Q. We have a large dark villa with 3.7m stud and we are interested in using Resene Half Albescent White as a wall colour in the two largest easterly rooms after trying some large swatches and loving the light this colour provided. Can you recommend a ceiling and trim colour to compliment? Thanks! A. Resene Half Albescent White is a great colour for a villa. Try Resene Double Blanc or Resene Triple Blanc for the trims. Villas have wonderful architectural detailing and the woodwork can take a deeper tone which complements the Resene Half Albescent White and is practical! For the ceiling try Resene Half Alabaster. May 2022 |
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Q. I'm doing a small half-bathroom (a.k.a. powder room) with Resene Atomic on the walls. I'm going for dark and moody. What colour would you suggest for the ceiling? The cabinet joinery is a dark brown. Taps are chrome. A. Try Resene Rolling Stone, Resene Heathered Grey, Resene Friar Greystone or Resene Stonewashed. May 2022 |
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Q. What colour exterior paint options would you recommend for a plaster clad house, to work with a Resene Element roof and Titania windows for the plaster? A. For a sophisticated look, I recommend not going too dark as you have light windows, also dark colours can cause heat retention problems on some plaster claddings. Try Resene Archive Grey or Resene Quill Grey. May 2022 |
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Q. We have painted our house Resene Gull Grey with Resene Half Alabaster window trims. The house is single storey built in 1965 and built in timber, brick and a small base which we have painted Resene Half Gravel. Can you suggest a contrast colour for the front door? I read that some blues goes with Resene Gull Grey. A. Blues and reds sit well with Resene Gull Grey and the following recommended colours to try will also sit alongside the Resene Half Gravel – try Resene Atomic, Resene Bluff, Resene Big Stone or Resene Dynamite. May 2022 |
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Q. I am after a warm white – could almost be tending cream but not cream? I have tried Resene Half Rice Cake and Resene Quarter Villa White but feel I could go a shade warmer. A. Try these colours: Resene Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Thorndon Cream or Resene Cararra. May 2022 |
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Q. We are painting the exterior of our 1965 weatherboard home. The roof is iron painted in Resene Grey Friars. Can you recommend a complementary colour for the weatherboards? I was thinking of Resene Half Ash. A. I think believe Resene Half Ash will look stunning on a 1965 weatherboard home with a Resene Grey Friars roof! May 2022 |
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Q. Our house desperately needs a repaint and a fresh look. However I need to a colour (or colours) to work with the cream COLORBOND® roof and garage door. I would like to have neutral colours. A. I recommend a soft silvery grey with a hint of green. I also recommend painting the walls all one colour, with the roof and garage door remaining in the cream. Try Resene Tasman or you could try an oyster colour like Resene Half Truffle. May 2022 |
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Q. What colour do I paint the outside of my house? It’s a two-storey plaster house right on the street. The window frames are approx Resene Paddock. Currently the house colour is Resene Tea, we think. There is no theme colour on our street, it’s a bit of a mismatch of styles and ages. A. To modernise your home and complement your green roof and joinery, try Resene Ash, Resene Triple Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Arrowtown or Resene Quarter Arrowtown. May 2022 |
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Q. I am looking for a mature colour, that also brings warmth to a room, for a feature wall. However, I would like to stay away from traditional 'warm' colours like orange, pinks, and red. A. Try one of the warm beige neutrals which are trending at the moment – Resene Drought, Resene Cougar, Resene Sandspit Brown or Resene Malta. You can also try lighter variants of these colours. May 2022 |
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Q. I have previously used Resene Kilimanjaro. I am trying to find a very similar colour but with slightly more grey/black tones in it. A. Resene Kilimanjaro is a great colour! For a deeper grey/black with similar tones, try Resene Noir.  Resene Noir May 2022 |
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Q. We are getting colour ideas for painting our house (exterior). For the weatherboards we like Resene Quarter Grey Olive. Is Resene Double Friar Greystone a good contrast for trims around the window frames? We like how that neutral looks but is this the same tone as the Resene Grey Olive or is it too brown looking? A. Yes you are correct. Resene Double Friar Greystone is a bit too brown for the lovely Resene Quarter Grey Olive. Try Resene Half Gravel – it has a green/grey undertone. May 2022 |
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Q. Are you able to give me the best outdoor 'white' to go with either Resene Copyrite or Resene Half Copyrite? A. Try Resene Black White will work perfectly with Resene Half Copyrite or Resene Copyrite. May 2022 |
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Q. What would be a good colour for our garage door to go with Resene Double White Pointer (main colour), Resene Mid Grey on the roof and front walls with Resene Alabaster trim. I totally chose the wrong colour last time so thought I would ask for your expert advice! A. I would do Resene Mid Grey on the garage doors, otherwise you are making the garage door the feature for no reason. Keep it simple and let the house design as a whole stand out. May 2022 |
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Q. I am building a new home and using Resene Wan White from the Karen Walker Paints collection throughout the whole house. Could you please give me some guidance as to what colour to use on the ceiling and trims? The house is going to have Bremworth carpet – braided river colour paired with a warm oak flooring in the kitchen. The kitchen will be white with brushed brass tapware. Do I go Resene Quarter Wan White on the ceiling, trims and kitchen joinery? A. Resene Wan White is a fabulous white! Resene Quarter Wan White may be a bit grey on the ceiling with it, I recommend trying testpots of Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster. May 2022 |
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Q. We have just painted our weatherboard home in Resene Alabaster. We have a Scoria coloured tile roof which is shortly to be replaced with a Scoria COLORSTEEL® roof. We are having trouble deciding on a baseboard colour. It is currently a mauve colour. I was thinking of doing them in Resene ‘Tea’ but wondered whether matching them to our joinery colour (or a slightly darker shade) would tie it all together. Our aluminium is a beige/off white colour. We also have three wooden windows and I can’t decide whether to just paint them Resene Alabaster, match the aluminium joinery colour or another colour altogether. A. I would definitely paint the three wooden windows the same as the weatherboard – Resene Alabaster, it will be too tricky to match them to the aluminium joinery and it is better to just paint them out, to keep the scheme simple and tidy. I like Resene Tea on the base, it blends in with the joinery nicely as it is far enough away, so doesn’t have to be perfect, and soft enough to merge with the Resene Alabaster. May 2022 |
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Q. I'm trying to create a tonal scheme throughout my home to work with two small south facing bathrooms I've already painted with Resene Quarter Rice Cake on the ceiling and Resene Rice Cake on the walls with warm coloured tiles. I'm planning to use the same paint colours in the south facing laundry, front entrance and stairwell. I'm now trying to choose colours for our sunny north facing open plan living room and would like to continue with Resene Quarter Rice Cake on the ceiling but use a different white/neutral on the walls that better suits the north facing aspect. The room has blonded oak flooring and a white and birch plywood kitchen – all with a very light, airy, Scandinavian feel. I'm keen to do two small feature walls in the dining area of the room in Resene Peace, which will match two bar stools in a similar colour. I've thought about using Resene Half Rice Cake for the rest of the walls but I'm worried it might look too bright/stark. Another thought was to use something slightly darker like Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Linen or Resene Joanna. A. I recommend trying a Resene Half Ecru White from the Karen Walker Paints collection – this should work well in the north facing areas. May 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my walls in either Resene Half Thorndon Cream or full Resene Thorndon Cream. I am looking for a colour to paint my doors. Can you please recommend a colour that will complement Resene Thorndon Cream nicely? A. Resene Alabaster will work well with either Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Thorndon Cream. May 2022 |
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Q. My house is red brick with a Karaka roof and joinery. What colour would you suggest to paint the bricks to modernise it? A. I recommend you try complex neutrals which complement Karaka. Try Resene Cobblestone, Resene Triple Ash or Resene Quarter Arrowtown. May 2022 |
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Q. We are going to paint our villa and we have chosen Resene Hermitage as our weatherboard colour. We are struggling with what colour to paint the roof and the garage doors. We will have white trims. We need some help and we don't know whether we should be matching the roof and the garage doors with our fences which we are going to paint Resene Cinder or whether we should paint the roof a lighter colour and the garage doors white or lighter colour like the roof. We would quite like the roof to be lighter or Resene Cinder but don't know what's best and what we should do with the garage doors. A. I recommend you paint the roof and garage doors the same colour as they relate to one another. The fence blends into the background, which is great, and shouldn’t be a feature of the house. I agree with you that the roof should be lighter, otherwise a black roof like Resene Cinder will be too dominating with a soft weatherboard colour such as Resene Hermitage, which will look lovely by the way. The house has wonderful architectural structure and detailing so one element should not dominate as such. Try Resene Lattitude or Resene Gauntlet for the roof and garage doors. These colours will complement the Resene Hermitage weatherboards. May 2022 |
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Q. We are repainting the exterior of our house. It has Karaka green joinery and roof. The cladding is fibre cement weatherboard. We are considering an orange or a blue. Which ones would go with Karaka? A. Karaka is a deep, muddy complex dark green, and works well alongside other greens, complex blues or terracotta tones. To get you started try Resene Lynchpin, Resene Blue Smoke and Resene Alert Tan. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a single level plaster exterior house with dark joinery. We were going to paint it a light cream shade however the neighbours have just done this and we don't want it to look too similar so are looking for an alternative. It has quite a lot of shrubs around and we want it to look lighter than the dated dark olive shade it currently is. A. I recommend you try a complex neutral heading towards the warmer tones but not cream so it complements your neighbour. Try Resene Triple Merino, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Truffle. May 2022 |
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Q. I wanted to paint the weatherboards on our house Resene Blackjack and I’m looking for a really warm white/almost cream for the block base and windows. A. Try a testpot of Resene Buttery White from the Karen Walker Paints collection or for a slightly cleaner warm white/light cream try Resene Double Bianca. These creams will appear whiter outside due to the reflection of the UV light on the windows and base. May 2022 |
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Q. We have a 60s house painted Resene Gull Grey with Resene Half Gravel trim around the bottom and Resene Half Alabaster wooden window frames. Could you suggest a contrasting colour for the front entrance door which is part glass part framing. A. To complement the style of your house and balance your existing colours, try Resene Influential, Resene Pohutukawa or Resene Bismark.  Resene Influential May 2022 |
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Q. We are building a new house, and it will require two colours for the main sections, as we are having vertical and horizontal weatherboards. The vertical is going to be Resene Double Ironsand as a feature, but we are unsure what to complement it with for the horizontal boards, which will be three-quarters of the house. We will be rural, with a bush backdrop and paddocks surrounding us. We are looking for an easy colour that works in with the rural outlook. A. Try the Resene Stonewall family – full Resene Stonewall, Resene Half Stonewall or Resene Quarter Stonewall. It is an earthy neutral which works well with brown and grey hues. Alternatively you could try Resene Half Gravel or Resene Quarter Gravel which is a green edged grey which will work with Resene Double Ironsand and your rural outlook. April 2022 |
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Q. I'm thinking of painting my small house Resene Secrets. I'm thinking of something in the red or pink family as an accent colour (e.g. for front door and to underline windows). I was thinking possibly Resene Well Read, but wondered if you had any alternative suggestions for me to consider? I do love it when two colours make each other sing. The trim looks like Resene Quarter/Half Spanish White. Then for the roof (I need a new one, but it will barely show) – do you think Sandstone Grey would work? A. A combination of red and pink for the front door will look great with Secrets. I recommend trying Resene Half Pohutukawa or Resene Quarter Pohutukawa. Sandstone Grey will work for the roof. April 2022 |
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Q. We are looking to paint our front room and are looking for recommendations on three neutral colours. We plan to have one feature wall, but are unsure what colour yet (but will use a blue in the kitchen). The room is large and gets a lot of morning sun, not so much in the evenings. We would like it to have a warm feel. A. You can lighten and brighten the room while still having it feel warm. I recommend trying Resene Alabaster, Resene Rice Cake and Resene Double Rice Cake. These will work well with blues, such as Resene Lazy River. April 2022 |
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Q. I have painted our home’s soffits and eaves Resene Half Black White and the gable ends in Resene Sandstone in preparation for the new double glazed windows to go in which are New Denim Blue, which matches the roof. What should I paint the architraves and windowsills on the inside of the house? A. I think it looks uniform when you can repeat colour. I would paint them Resene Half Black White. April 2022 |
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Q. I’m thinking of painting my walls Resene Double Rice Cake. What would be a good shade of white to go with that for the ceilings/doors/architraves? A. Try Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Alabaster. These two shades can work on the ceiling and trims, and complement Resene Double Rice Cake. April 2022 |
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Q. We are building a black barn house with two pavilions. The floors are dark timber and I would like to use Resene Quarter Bokara Grey as feature walls. What is a nice neutral to go with this on other walls? We have looked at Resene Sea Fog and Resene Alabaster. A. Pure whites make a great contrast to dark wood so therefore I would try Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. If your dark wood has an obvious yellow or reddish tone, then I recommend going slightly warmer – try Resene Quarter Rice Cake. April 2022 |
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Q. I have painted my lounge Resene Quarter Black White with other rooms in the house being Resene Black White. I would like to go in the direction of Hamptons but need your advice on which blue/s to use for painting interior plant pots and picture frames etc. A. I would recommend incorporating the many different colours of the sea, which is what the Hamptons style is based upon. Try Resene Powder Blue, Resene Coast, Resene Bismark, Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, Resene Lazy River and Resene Raindance.  Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue  Resene Raindance  Resene Lazy River April 2022 |
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Q. We have changed our window joinery to Metropolitan Coal Dust colour and need to find a matching paint for our eaves, garage door and roof. A. Try a testpot of Resene Element. April 2022 |
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Q. We are painting the interior of our house and need colours selected by next week. I am looking for a colour for our media/entertainment room. It has a bright red leather couch. Windows are across most of one wall and there is a smaller one beside it, which gives good sun in morning early afternoon. Wardrobe cupboards are on the other side. We are looking at Resene Atomic and Resene Double Masala. We are thinking of painting either colour on the back wall and the wall with the windows. Then painting a neutral, (we haven't decided on Resene White Pointer or Resene Merino/Resene Rice Cake) on the TV wall and on cupboards (potentially taking off the cupboard handles so they blend in as a flat wall). I think both could work, but aren't entirely sure. Resene Atomic seems to be the family favourite, however I am not sure how we will tie it in with the red couch. A. Resene Atomic will look great and you can tie in the red leather suite with new curtains. Have you considered painting the whole room in Resene Atomic? Being a media room it can take it, alternatively the remaining walls would work as well in Resene Half Concrete. April 2022 |
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Q. I have Resene Arrowtown on my walls. I need some advice on what colour to paint the roof, spouting, fascias and barges, I want the one colour on all. A. Try a testpot of Resene Squall, it complements Resene Arrowtown very well. April 2022 |
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Q. I have a small bach by the beach which has fibre cement exterior panels and Mist Green aluminium joinery and roof. I am wondering what sort of vibrant colour or colours I could paint the exterior fibre cement panels to enhance the beachy vibe. A. Mist Green is a soft, muted olive green and it pairs well with other greens and deep blues. Try testpots of Resene Lemon Grass, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Rhino, Resene Dark Slate or Resene Neutral Bay. April 2022 |
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Q. I'm trying to come up with the perfect petrol colour scheme using your Resene FX Paint Effects. So far I like Resene Retro and Resene Teal Blue but I'm unsure of what is best to combine either of them with. A. Resene Teal Blue is a perfect Petrol blue. I recommend trying basecoats of Resene Bismark, Resene Chathams Blue, Resene Elm or Resene Blue Stone using your preferred paint effects technique to see which one gives you your desired finish. April 2022 |
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Q. Can you recommend a light grey exterior paint for our house – weatherboard and block? Ideally a true grey, not too blue and not too brown. A. Some Resene true greys to try are: Resene Double Concrete, Resene Surrender or Resene Half Silver Chalice. April 2022 |
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Q. We are upgrading a rental property, a 70s basic three bedroom home. I have used Resene Alabaster inside. The exterior is cream with brown aluminium joinery and we are painting the garage door Resene Grey Friars. We need a colour for the wooden front door. A. I recommend staying with Resene Grey Friars, but using a gloss finish to differentiate from the garage door – use Resene Enamacryl gloss. Another option for the front door is Resene Cod Grey. With the brown aluminium joinery, if you haven’t already painted your garage door, Ironsand is a good option as it complements the joinery. Then you could paint your wooden door in Resene Bokara Grey, a deeper shade. April 2022 |
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Q. We are getting grey slate floor tiles and have existing white subway tiles on half the height of the walls. We also have pale sea green shower glass. What white would you recommend that would complement these to be a warm white? A. I recommend trying Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Rice Cake. Both are warm whites which will complement your existing features. April 2022 |
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Q. Our recently purchased home appears to have either Resene Half Spanish White or full Resene Spanish White on the window frames, doors, ceilings, skirting boards and kitchen cabinets. The ceilings are pitched with multiple exposed rafters and will be a nightmare to paint. We are looking for a fresher and lighter colour had chosen Resene Sea Fog for the architraves and ceiling, and Resene Double Sea Fog for the walls in most areas. We are now very daunted by having to paint the ceilings to match. Is there another colour combo you could suggest that would leave the ceilings the same but brighten up and modernise the rest? A. You could paint your walls Resene Alabaster. This would be the safest option as Resene Alabaster is so neutral it goes with just about every other colour, and it will definitely modernise the room. You could also try Resene Half Sea Fog. It is a bit more neutral than Resene Double Sea Fog and as long as it doesn’t throw any grey, could work too with the Resene Spanish White. However, to be completely honest, I don’t think you will be happy once it is done. If it were me I would paint the ceiling, and stick with my original scheme. You could paint the walls and then decide, but usually we would paint the ceiling first. April 2022 |
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Q. I am getting a staircase painted. It is going up to two rental apartments on two separate floors in central Wellington. It has been painted all white for many years because white brightens up a space. I am looking for a different colour for a change, at the same time wondering if it is a good idea because with tenants going up and down the stairs would some colours show less dirt and scratch marks than others? A. Lighter colour floors hide imperfections and dirt better than darker floors. You can move away from white, but I would stay fairly light. There are lots of light colours available to you at your local Resene ColorShop. Low sheen finishes can help hide scratches as opposed to higher sheens, and distressed floors make any marks look like it’s part of the design! April 2022 |
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Q. I am trying to find the right mix of a light brown and light grey (that isn't brown and isn't grey). Resene Quarter Malta is too brown and Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe is too grey. What do you suggest is the colour between them? A. Colours to try are: Resene Swirl, Resene Tide, Resene Quarter Joss, Resene Serene, or Resene Sandspit Brown from the Karen Walker Paints collection. April 2022 |
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Q. How do I pick colours that complement each other and form a cohesive scheme throughout a house? We are looking to refresh our 1960s weatherboard home by getting rid of aged wallpaper and freshly painting throughout. We've picked out colours that we both like but are unsure how to tell if they all tie together. While we want to have different colours in different rooms, we also want the rooms feel linked to each other and ideally restrict the total number of paints we need to buy. We thought by having the same neutral throughout (on ceiling and architraves) this could link everything together. Currently the colours we are drawn to are: Resene Coast, Resene Lynchpin, Resene Rainee, Resene Coriander, Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Calibre and we were considering Resene Rice Cake as the neutral that would link it altogether. We are thinking that we would use Resene Quarter Rice Cake on all the ceilings and Resene Double Rice Cake on the architraves in every room. We aren’t changing the dark grey carpet, some pine flooring and some wooden doors. A. The Resene Rice Cake family is great with your pine wood and grey carpet. I would test different strengths for the walls then choose your architraves from there. So, for example, if you choose Resene Half Rice Cake for walls, then use full strength Resene Rice Cake on the architraves. The ceilings throughout I would recommend Resene Alabaster to keep it fresh and bright. Having the woodwork and ceilings throughout in the same colour will help to create harmony, when choosing different colours. You can repeat colour through accessories and furnishings to create cohesion from other rooms, or you can use different colours of varying strengths with similar undertones. Paint all the colours you love out on card and look at them together – for example you will see side by side Resene Rainee and Resene Lynchpin are of similar strength and both have a blue undertone; these two colours are cool colours and not bright, so Resene Duck Egg Blue will pair well too. You could bring in an olive green – but I feel you will see that Resene Coriander may be a bit too light to carry it off. Try Resene Spanish Green with your combination in replace of Resene Coriander. Resene Calibre may be a bit too peachy. I suggest testing Resene Almond Frost, this will look fabulous with the other colours – you could bring the blues and greens back out into the room as suggested above in accessories and soft furnishings.  Resene Lynchpin April 2022 |
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Q. I have a seventies brick and block basement house that I have recently reroofed with new spouting and drains. The roof is COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. The soffit is painted Pacific Cloud and the trim such as windowsills and new spouting are all in Ironsand. The question is what to paint the basement which is currently in seventies green. My daughters think it should be Resene Ironsand, while my son and I think that will be too dark and gloomy. I was wondering about Resene Tea or Resene Double Tea, but I am concerned that will make it too bland. A. I don’t recommend going too light. The basement definitely needs to be grounded and to stay in the same family of colour. Therefore, I recommend trying Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Eighth Masala. April 2022 |
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