Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
Q. Is white too similar in colour for a ceiling, skirting and window framing, if the walls are Resene Eighth Truffle? We want a crisp, clean and subtle look but also want definition, or would you recommend a Resene Eighth Truffle ceiling and Resene Quarter Truffle walls? A. I think you would still get a nice crisp contrast, by using real white - i.e. Resene White - for all the woodwork trims and ceiling, with Resene Eighth Truffle on the walls. If you were planning on using a `coloured' white instead of real white, then there may be a lot less contrast. Colours in an interior can often look quite a bit deeper or more coloured. Resene Eighth Truffle may look more like Resene Quarter Truffle and Resene Quarter Truffle may look like Resene Half Truffle - are you wanting the walls to have a slightly deeper look - i.e. to be less subtle? Certainly the ceiling - because of the way the light falls away creating shadows and the change of angle between the wall and ceiling - may very well look exactly the same colour as the walls. Using a very closely associated colour for the woodwork and ceiling will merge and blend in these elements, making the overall look more coloured and far less contrasting.
October 2017
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Q. I am building a house where the back side and roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. I want to paint the weatherboards on the front and side, a black colour, and wonder which Resene black would look best? A. You don't mention whether or not you are having real timber weatherboards or a weatherboard look-a-like like LINEA®. If it is LINEA® that you are having, then there are no restraints as to how dark a colour you can use. If it is real timber check with your builder as you may void your build guarantee if you go too dark. COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars has a steel blue, charcoal undertone. If you were to use a hard edged, true black on the rest of the house, it may emphasise the blue. Would this be ok? Or do you want a black that is well balanced and relates well to Grey Friars? If this is the case, then you might use one of these blacks - Resene Double Foundry, Resene Cinder or Resene Double Cod Grey.
October 2017
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Q. We have a cedar house. The deck and pergola have been stained. We want to change colour to black or grey, but not brown. A. If you check out these Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain colours you may find one that appeals to you - Resene Pitch Black,
October 2017
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Q. We've recently done renovations and will complete the front of our house next year. We will have honed blockwork in grey, out the front of the property around the garage and the rest is cedar battens, which we will stain a light brown. The back and sides of the house are also cedar, but I wanted to paint this and we're thinking a pale grey colour? This is where we'd like your advice on colours. We want a modern look and the gardens are a lush, tropical green. A. Light and dark colours tend to look best with cedar. With timber, there are restrictions on the depth of colour that can be applied, so if you think a darker colour looks better, the cedar will need to be stained instead of painted. Here are colour options for you: Resene Double Merino, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Tiri (stain) or Resene Sheer Black (stain).
October 2017
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Q. I was wondering if you have anyone that could give me some advice on the selection of a brick colour for the exterior of my home. A. When building new, the easiest way to select colour is to choose the roof and aluminium joinery colours first. Your Architect should be able to give you colour ranges for these, or point you in the direction of a supplier/web page to view. The next thing to do is find a brick you like. Your Architect needs to give you the name of a supplier, whose showroom you can go and visit. Bricks are definitely something you need to go and see in person, because the colours and textures are so different from what you view online. October 2017
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Q. I have a sandstone wall which I painted a light grey, but it looks a bit mauve. I have a light grey carpet and dark wood furniture and white walls. What colour do you suggest the sandstone should be? I will be getting another lounge suite but I am not sure what colour yet, although I was thinking of charcoal. A. If you want to use a grey on the sandstone wall, it is important to know that they all carry undertones of colour in them, and at certain times of the day or night these unique qualities in the colour will be emphasised. You don't mention which particular grey you have used, but it does look to have subtle warmth to it, which may mean it has a red or magenta colourant in it. I think using a grey with the main white colour, the grey carpet and the (possibly) charcoal new sofa, is a good idea but without carefully testing the grey, it is possible to misjudge just how it will look. The same is true when it comes to choosing a charcoal sofa - it may be cool (blue) toned, warm (red or yellow toned) or earthy (warm but with a little brown in it) or stony (with a green edge to it) or just a hard edged black, so it would be wise to paint up samples of mid-toned grey colours and take them with you, when you go looking for the new sofa. That way, you would at least be able to judge what might be sympathetic and well balanced. To test colours, it is important to paint up all of the testpot (two coats) onto super large A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops). If you leave an unpainted border all around the edge of the card, it helps your eye to focus on the reality of the colour and the card can be moved along the wall, so you can see how it alters with changing natural and artificial light. The unpainted border, acts as a barrier to stop the existing wall colour from negatively influencing the tested samples of colour and making you see it wrong. You might check these colours out, to see if they appeal to you. If you are able to check out the A4 real painted samples in the Colour Library at your local Resene ColorShop, you could compare them with each other and judge how they look - and then test one or two at your home to see how your aspect of light alters the colour. Try Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Surrender, Resene Half Delta, Resene Quarter Regent Grey or Resene Eighth Stonehenge.
October 2017
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Q. I'm after some help choosing a ‘white’ for our ensuite. The room will be small - only 1800mm x 1800mm. The only natural light the room will get will be from a centre sun tunnel. I'm planning a part feature wall in Resene Blue Night for behind the white, wall hung vanity (550mm) and unframed mirror - so not a lot of blue will actually be on show. We're going to have a white, acrylic shower (1200mm x 900mm) and a white, wall hung toilet. The floors are original rimu. Elsewhere in the house, we have found anything even slightly grey, doesn't go with the rimu floors, but then the rest of the house gets a lot more sun. I'm currently thinking Resene Soapstone or Resene Half Soapstone for the other walls in the ensuite, but I'm not confident with this choice. Could you please suggest some other ‘whites’ that would go with Resene Blue Night and rimu for us to consider? Elsewhere in the house we've used Resene Fossil for our son's room (we like that), Resene Quarter Fossil in the halls (which unfortunately looks a bit too yellow), Resene Blanc in my daughter's room (works well) and Resene Quarter Bianca for all the ceilings (also good). We're thinking of going bold, with Resene Blackout for the walls in the master bedroom - it gets lots of sun, it will have a beige carpet (Charmeuse Satinwood) and Resene Quarter Bianca on the ceiling. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the Resene Blackout idea! A. The whites you have mentioned carry undertones of colour in them - Resene Soapstone and Resene Half Soapstone both have a delicate, rosy undertone. I am not 100% sure about the advisability of using either of these in the ensuite. You will have a reflection of colour from the Resene Blue Night on the walls that abut this colour - the Resene Soapstone (pink) may look a little bit mauve when seen close to the dark blue. You could also have (greyish) shadows on the walls, because the sun tunnel light is seen mostly on the floors, and doesn't extend right up to the top of the walls. The other real whites (the toilet, vanity shower etc) will make any other white, look slightly more coloured. Plus, if you are planning on using the Resene Quarter Bianca for the ceilings, it may be wise to consider using that for the walls as well, and then there won't be a conflict of multiple whites used in the room. It may work well with the rimu floor and not look grey toned, as well as making the very small space, seem larger. Had you considered that as an option for both the ensuite and the master bedroom? In the bedroom - apart from the really black feature wall and the warm toned carpet - you will have drapes or blinds (coloured) and bed linen (coloured) and perhaps other coloured accessories and furniture. The Resene Quarter Bianca won't stop your freedom of choice but may simplify the overall look.
October 2017
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Q. I am looking for an exterior colour scheme. The home is in a coastal township. Currently the colour is Resene Stonewall and the joinery/roof is either Ironsand or New Denim Blue. I am open to any colour suggestions, with the idea to freshen it up a bit and for the joinery to recess in the scheme. Can you please tell me how you visually recess a colour, using another, and give me some colour suggestions for this exterior? A. If the roof and the joinery look to be a blue/charcoal they may be New Denim Blue or very faded Grey Friars, which can also look blueish as it ages. If they were Ironsand they would look earthy deep olive brown. Similar colours in mid to deeper tones help the joinery to recess into the scheme and not be noticeable. Do you want the main colour on the house to be blue based greys, like the joinery and the roof? Perhaps you might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - they create a tonally related look. Try Resene Quarter Grey Friars, Resene Quarter New Denim Blue or Resene Neutral Bay.
October 2017
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Q. We recently bought a house and it's in much need of painting (including the roof). We are 50m from the beach. We want our house to blend in with our surroundings (pohutukawa/puriri trees etc). I'm not too fussed about having a different colour for edges/spouting. We have bronze/brown window joinery. A. A new colour scheme needs to accommodate this window joinery colour, unless you want it to be a standalone feature. If the guttering and downpipes are PVC and most people leave them unpainted - but they can be painted a pale colour but not a dark colour. Using a dark colour attracts heat and makes the guttering twist and pop open at the joins and is not recommended. A new roof colour might be one of these options - Resene Ironsand (goes with the window joinery quite well), Resene Karaka (an earthy olive green - quite a natural colour) or Resene Canyon (a deep grey/green). A main colour - which may or may not include the base of the house - might be one of these options - Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Double Lemon Grass or Resene Half Craigieburn. A lighter colour to add a bit of contrast (and to possibly use on the PVC guttering and down pipes and the base of the house if desired) for under the soffits, the fascia and possibly the handrails to the entry porch, might be like one of these colours - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Linen. The colours are all earthy, and would suit the close environment of pohutukawa and puriri trees.
October 2017
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Q. I have an outdoor trellis, and I was wondering what colour I should paint it, possibly green? A. There are many greens that you might choose from. Some may work better than others with the colours on your house. These colours are worth checking out - Resene Karaka, Resene Seaweed, Resene Log Cabin, Resene Woodland, Resene Eternity or Resene Celtic.
October 2017
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Q. Why are colour charts not just sorted as full strength colour then half of that, then half of that etc? A. Unfortunately this would end up with a lot of colours that aren’t what decorators are interested in. The Range Whites & Neutrals collection is arranged this way and moves from Triple down to Eighth for many colours. The Multi-finish collection has some colours arranged this way. The rest are put together in similar colour and tone palettes, focusing on colours that customers like to purchase. If you use the Resene colour code you can see how colours relate to each other. Resene staff can also arrange half or quarter colour matches of most colours if they are not already on a Resene colour chart. October 2017
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Q. I have Karaka joinery and I am looking for a subtropical/Balinese exterior colour for our batten home. We don't like the neutral grey tones as much as the more sandy yellow tones, although we may be a bit stuck in the past. It's a high end home in the bush, surrounded by ponds and tropical gardens. A. You don't mention whether your house is a stained finish, or a painted finish. I have included both types of finishes so you can continue with the one you already have. For stain options – try Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain in Resene Driftwood (a sandy colour) or Resene Limed Gum (a weathered gum colour). Or for paint options – try Resene Lumbersider in Resene Triple Akaroa (an earthy yellow/beige colour) or Resene Castaway (a hemp and jute natural colour). These colours work really well with Karaka joinery, and hopefully will create a Balinese look to the exterior of your house.
October 2017
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Q. We are renovating our kitchen and are looking to paint our new island in Resene Steam Roller. We want a matching lighter grey for the cupboards. The kitchen will have stainless steel work benches (the island has a wooden top) so the lighter grey still needs to be distinctive enough, to stand out from the stainless. We've tried Resene Half Raven, which seems to match well. A. Resene Half Raven is a good choice. Other greys that you might check out are these ones - Resene Revolution or Resene Grey Chateau. Another idea - possibly something you may not have considered - might be to use the Resene Steam Roller for the kitchen cabinets and a much darker colour for the island - i.e. Resene Gunmetal, which could look striking with the wooden top on the island.
October 2017
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Q. We are building in under our Queenslander cottage. We want to choose a green colour for the entry hall, spare bedroom and laundry. The colour will be on the walls and ceilings (one colour). Currently the rest of the house is a lot of timber (tallow wood), Resene Woodsman stain in Resene Pitch Black and then white, in the upstairs bedrooms. Could you suggest a green that will work with a concrete floor in the downstairs area, and with not a great deal of light? We don't want something that will wash out to grey. We have currently tried Resene Amulet (possible winner), Resene Spring Rain (too pale maybe), Resene Summer Green (too blue) and Resene Spanish Green (too dark and brownish). I don't want anything too yellowish, or too blue. I want something that is still going to look green. A. To find the perfect green, it is really important to carefully test the colours. Generally speaking, colours in an interior have the potential to look twice the depth that you might expect them to look. Four walls and changing natural and artificial light will alter colours quite a bit. I usually recommend painting all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 white card (available from Resene ColorShops), leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edge of the card. This unpainted white card border helps your eye to focus on the reality of the colour and it is super large, and can be moved from wall to wall so you can see how it alters. The card can be rolled into a cone or tube shape, with the colour innermost. When you look into it, you will see it looks much deeper - this is a good representation of what the colour will be like when all four walls are painted. If you have found Resene Amulet to be a good type of colour, then you might also check out these options - Resene Norway or Resene Oxley. Please don't rule out Resene Spring Rain - it will look deeper as I have explained.
October 2017
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Q. We want to paint the top storey of our batch in Resene Foundry so the brown aluminium joinery doesn't stick out so much. We are trying to find a lighter colour that complements it for the bottom storey and garage doors. We are putting in a new deck, which will be Kwila in colour. A. I think I would be inclined to use Resene Foundry for both the upper and lower storey. If you were to use another colour for the lower storey, it may make it too much like a layer cake with both storeys - two big blocks of colour - vying for attention. You also have the garage doors and the deck to use colour on and it may look fussy. If the garage doors were similar in colour to the window joinery, it would be a tidy look, and all the attention would be directed to the new Kwila deck.
October 2017
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Q. Can you suggest a shade of green for a bathroom mirror border. The manufacturer has indicated he can use one of your products. The window frame in the bathroom is Resene Rivergum but would like a more vibrant green that would contrast with this. A. You might want to try these colours: Resene Ciderhouse, Resene Green Pea, Resene Koru, Resene Green Room or Resene Groovy.
October 2017
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Q. I have an orange brick house with Resene Pioneer Red garage doors and brown aluminium windows. I’m thinking of going grey, dark grey for the wood panels and light grey for the concrete underneath and do Resene Pioneer Red for the front door and trims. What colours would you recommend? Also what light colour would you recommend for the soffit? I also want to do the concrete steps as well. A. You might consider using a grey that has definite undertones of brown in it for the wood panels and the base of the house - this would help to tie in the brown aluminium windows so they aren't a stand-alone isolated feature on the house. Perhaps these colours might be considered - Resene Ironsand for the wood panels - this might be used for the steps in walk on paving paint, Resene Quarter Ironsand for the base of the house, Resene Half Bokara Grey for the wood panels - this might be used for the steps in walk on paving paint, and Resene Quarter Bokara Grey for the base of the house. Apart from using a true Resene White for under the soffits you could consider a subtle off white tone like Resene Sea Fog or Resene Merino. I like the idea of using the Resene Pioneer Red for the front door - I should imagine it would look simply stunning when seen close to the dark panelling.
October 2017
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Q. The roof and window frames are COLORBOND® Classic Cream and the brick is a nice medium colour of reds and cream with some dark splotches. What would be the best colour to paint the posts, downpipes and guttering? They are quite a prominent feature of the house. A. From your description you have three different options: Which direction do you think will be best for your house? October 2017
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Q. We want to paint our master bedroom, which is a moderately light and sunny room, and an average size. I have painted our two year old’s room in Resene Duck Egg Blue which I love, which is next door to our room. I wanted to paint our room in a different colour but one which complements the Resene Duck Egg Blue because you can see it A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Undercurrent, Resene Wafer, Resene Truffle or Resene Eighth Masala.
October 2017
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Q. I live on a rural property in a Hardiplank® house. Within 10 metres of the house is a granny flat. I need to repaint it and am looking for suggestions as to a paint colour. My problem is the house has white aluminium joinery and the granny flat has brown aluminium joinery. The pergola and rails on decking are painted. A. I don't suppose there is any chance of having all the windows the same colour? It is a bit tricky finding the magical way of tying both the house and the flat together in a truly harmonious way but perhaps if the pergola and rails on the decking and the garage roller door were painted a dark colour similar to the colour of the windows (so it was less of 'odd man out') on the flat that might work. You could look at using either of these colours – Resene Double Mondo or Resene Creole.
There are some guttering fascia boards and roof line fascia boards and posts on the granny flat that could be painted White and also on the house - that would possibly help as well to make the white joinery less 'alone'. The roofs on both the house and the granny flat could be the same colour - a deep warm brown based charcoal like Resene Ironsand or a dark olive green Resene Karaka - either would suit a rural property.
October 2017
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Q. We have painted the weatherboards on our house Resene Linen and have a white roof. There are two panels that will be rendered and we are looking for a contrasting colour. From viewing the advice to other people I am drawn to Resene Grey Olive, Resene Triple Ash, Resene Craigieburn and Resene Arrowtown. Which of these would be the best to paint our other couple of walls in your opinion? One wall will be in direct sunlight for a lot of the day and the other wall will always be in shade. A. The wall that is in direct sunlight will always appear to be lighter than the one that is always in shade - is that ok? I think Resene Triple Ash has a dusty earthy green undertone which looks really nice with Resene Linen. It isn't too yellow, too brown or too grey - so just a well co-ordinated contrast.
October 2017
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Q. We are painting our house (timber weatherboards) and roof. Our aluminium joinery is 1990s Denim Blue (or New Denim Blue), whichever is the lighter. The house is single storey, with a low pitch roof, and we are looking at Azure or Alpine Blue for the COLORSTEEL®. We would like a charcoal for the exterior walls. What do you recommend please? A. Alpine Blue may look slightly better than the Azure, if you want it to co-ordinate with the New Denim Blue. If the timber weatherboards are previously stained, then you could try - Resene Woodsman Sheer Black. If it is a paint finish you could try - Resene Gumboot in Resene Lumbersider.
October 2017
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Q. We are building a large house extension, on a rural property with sea views, in Raglan. We already have Gull Grey joinery (Resene Atmosphere) and are intending to clad part of the house in seamed COLORSTEEL®, which will wrap around the house from the roof and have part plaster. We are trying to decide between Thunder Grey (Resene Squall) and Grey Friars for the steel. We are also trying to resolve what is best for the plaster, which needs an LRV of 40 or greater. We want the house to ideally, relate to its rural position. What do you think of Resene Sea Mist for the plaster? Or maybe sticking to Resene Atmosphere? If not these, what colour would you recommend? A. Thunder Grey COLORSTEEL® is an earthier, olive green edged grey. Grey Friars COLORSTEEL® is a steel blue, edged charcoal. The first colour would emphasise the rural aspect and the second one would emphasise the sea/sky aspect. A lighter colour for the plastered surfaces that would fit the LRV requirement and work well with the Gull Grey (Resene Atmosphere) joinery might be one of these colours - Resene Half Atmosphere (LRV 59%) or whiter - Resene Sea Fog (LRV 81%). I am not so sure about the pastel aqua - Resene Sea Mist - it seems a bit out of character with the rest of the palette of colours.
October 2017
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Q. I need to paint my walls and I am keen to do them in a light grey. The ceiling is in Resene Black White, and the floors are in Resene Grey Friars. What do you suggest for the walls? Could you suggest something that is a light grey, without being too cold? A. Because the floors are Resene Grey Friars which is a steel blue, edged charcoal, it may reflect a subtle, cool bluish edge onto the wall colours. This may need to be taken into account when testing colours for the walls. You might look at these colours to see if they work for you - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Hint of Grey, Resene Half Concrete, Resene Athens Grey or Resene Black Haze.
October 2017
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Q. I want to paint a wine cellar. I would prefer a soft, reddish brown colour, rather than a grape-maroon/purple colour. I realise lighting also plays a part in defining colour and the colour can vary in different parts of a room. Could you please recommend suitable colours? A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Stetson, Resene Merlot, Resene Intrigue or Resene Solid Pink.
October 2017
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Q. What colour would be a smart replacement for Mission Brown on a 1970 unit block. The brown aluminium windows will stay the same and some units have filled-in balconies. There are wrought iron balustrades in green. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Seaweed, Resene Half Bokara Grey, Resene Groundbreaker, Resene Blackout or Resene Scoria.
October 2017
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Q. I am redecorating our lounge/dining area which also includes our kitchen. Our cupboards are Seal Grey. Would I be better to go with Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White? A. If you wanted the walls to be light and bright and the kitchen cabinets to be the only grey, then one of the Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White colours would be perfect. If you weren't keen on a very white look, then you might consider Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Double Black White, which are subtle greyed whites and not too stark. But if you want to merge the greys, so that the cabinets weren't too definite a tone, then Resene Quarter Surrender, with its cool blue undertone may be ok.
October 2017
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Q. Could you please suggest a blue/black or ink colour to use on a front door, whereby the main house colour is Resene Quarter Pravda? I purchased a testpot of Resene Blue Bark but it is too bright. A. You could consider a blue/green-influenced grey/charcoal i.e. Resene Charade or Resene Cinder. Alternatively, a lovely deep colour with more black in it and less blue may appeal - like Resene Double Cod Grey. Sometimes in order to emphasise the depth of a colour - especially where it is exposed to very bright sunlight - you may need to use a tinted basecoat, instead of applying it over a white undercoat which creates a much brighter look - rather like torchlight seen through coloured cellophane does.
October 2017
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Q. We are planning on painting our coastal bach, which has Shadowclad® cladding finished in Resene Rockbottom. The roof and joinery are in Ironsand and will stay that colour. Can you please suggest a paint colour that would complement the above, to go on the fence timber and trellis? The fence also has Ironsand (somewhat faded) panels. A. Is there any reason that you wouldn't want to continue using the main house colour (Resene Rockbottom) and the roof colour (Resene Ironsand) on the fence timber and trellis? It would help to tie the house and fence together. If you don't want to co-ordinate that way, then you might look at using lighter variants of the roof colour - Resene Half Ironsand or Resene Quarter Ironsand, or slightly deeper colours that harmonise with Resene Rockbottom - Resene Eighth Mondo or Resene Quarter Mondo, or a very deep colour - Resene Bokara Grey.
October 2017
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Q. We have recently moved into our house and are planning to repaint it - we don't want to change the roof colour so we would like to know what colour scheme would go with a red roof? A. The colours will also need to work with your garage doors and window joinery assuming they are also coloured and are staying. The following colours may provide some options for you - Resene Bison Hide, Resene Quarter Nullarbor, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Caraway, Resene Tea and Resene Spanish White.
October 2017
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Q. Can you tell me the difference between Resene Villa White and Resene Half Villa White for a house exterior? A. Colours outside appear about half a shade lighter due to light reflection and gloss level. Resene Villa White will look closer to Resene Half Villa White once it gets outside, and Resene Half Villa White will look more like Resene Quarter Villa White. Both are going to look like a subtle, warm white.
October 2017
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Q. I am looking at painting our bach kitchen, dining and lounge all the same colour. I tried some testpots of Resene White Pointer and Resene Double White Pointer but they are too white/cold for the space. I need something warmer maybe a little creamier without looking yellow. Can you help with any suggestions please? A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Parchment, Resene Half Wheatfield or Resene Albescent White. These all have slightly different undertones, and I’ve tried to keep the yellow undertone away! The Resene Thorndon Cream family might be a good choice if you did like the idea of greyer colours because it tends to have this nice grey/green undertone, while still being a warm colour. October 2017
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Q. We want to paint our fence and need some colour advice please. Our house is Resene Double Napa, with an Ironsand garage door and roof. A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Grey or Resene Quarter Ironsand.
October 2017
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Q. I would like some colour suggestions for a monolithic clad house. The house next door is painted in Resene Lemon Grass. They want a colour that minimises seeing any moss/mould. Their roof is Karaka and the aluminium windows are a dark green. The garage and entrance is east facing, and this is the side of the house that is mainly seen. A. For darker options, you could try Resene Squall, Resene Half Gunsmoke or Resene Quarter Gravel. For lighter options, you could try Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Half Ash.
October 2017
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Q. We've been thinking of painting our 1920s weatherboard house light grey, with white accents but have just seen Resene Caraway and are thinking of changing direction. Do you think a beige house could look a bit dated? Also, I wonder if you have any thoughts on the overall look and feel of a house painted Resene Caraway and white versus grey and white. We live close to our neighbours, with one house being a rich khaki/beige and the other a dark purplish grey. Also, we have tried a testpot on the side of our house, with Resene White as the white but it looks too much of a contrast. Do you have advice on a good white to use for the trim, when Resene Caraway is the main colour? Should I use something similar for the roof colour? A. Unfortunately there is nothing 'whiter' than real Resene White. Every other 'white' is more coloured, so there may be far less contrast seen between them and Resene Caraway. To see more of a contrast, Resene Caraway would have to change to more of dense beige - i.e. Resene Half Bison Hide or Resene Quarter Craigieburn. This may seem like a silly question but did you test the colours on a pure white (undercoated) background, or did you apply them to a coloured surface? Sometimes a coloured background colour can negatively influence how you see tested colours. But you should still see a difference - possibly not as much as you thought you would see - because sunlight does strip away the depth or differences between colours that are close and reflects more brightness. I like all colours, so it is hard for me to say choose this one over that one - they all have merit and it is all about how you feel about the colours and how they look on your particular house. I do say to people that it shouldn't be about 'trendy' colours - if all your friends and relatives are saying to you that a colour is old fashioned that is only their opinion. It is very important that you consider whether you want a cooler urban look - this may well indicate a grey and white palette - or a warmer natural look - this would indicate that you like that ambiance. Always remember it is your house/your decision - so please go with what your eyes and your heart delight in.
October 2017
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Q. We are about to paint our living area and dining room. However, I want to use Resene Red Berry and Resene Sushi but cannot find a colour to bring them together? Are you able to recommend any? A. Sometimes when you have very bold colours it is difficult to find another bold colour as they conflict with each other and vie for attention, which can make the colour scheme 'irritable'. There are perfect neutrals that work with very bold colours and they are white, grey or black. If that isn't an option for you then you might consider using a cooler colour to balance the hot, bold colours that you have. You might look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you - they are not cold but they balance warmer hues - Resene Java or Resene Bowie. Alternatively very bright/light colours like these ones may work for you - Resene Moon Glow or Resene Geneva.
October 2017
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Q. I'm going to paint my interior Resene Eighth Spanish White. Could you please suggest a good colour for the window frames and ceiling? Do you think I could use the same colour but in a gloss for the frames and ceilings? A. Some people do paint the woodwork trims and the ceiling in the same colour as the walls as it is one way to simplify the colour scheme and merge everything together so nothing is a definite contrast. If that were to be your choice then the woodwork trims would be in a semi-gloss (or a full gloss if you prefer) enamel and the ceilings would be a matt ceiling paint. If you did want a lighter contrast for the woodwork trims and the ceiling, then you might consider one of these options - Resene Quarter Bianca, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene White.
October 2017
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Q. Our roof has been repainted in Resene Craigieburn. A. The roof colour may look a bit lighter in bright natural light. Do you want the roof to appear a bit deeper in tone? If that was the case you may need to look at light colours. These are a few that you could check out – Resene Caraway or Resene Tea. If you wanted the main colour on the house to be a deeper statement colour and that would make the roof colour look lighter by comparison then you could check out these colours - Resene Triple Friar Grey or Resene Masala. If you weren't sure about the house being deeper overall then one of these colours might be used where you have a dark colour on both sides of the house and on the lower fascia have a burgundy type of colour as a feature only.
October 2017
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Q. I am needing ideas for what colour to paint our dining room! I'm thinking a darker colour to create more ambiance. We like greys and greens/blues - no purple, red or yellow. A warm colour would be good, as the room does not get any direct sunlight. There's a dividing wall between this room and the lounge with a large window. The floor is a pale tile and has a taupe sisal rug. A. You might look at these warm greys and blue/greens to see what they are like in the room – Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Jumbo, Resene Trojan, Resene Juniper, Resene Thor or Resene Undercover.
October 2017
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Q. Would Resene Soapstone be ok as a trim for Resene Pearl Lusta on the walls or is there a better white? A. Resene Soapstone has a delicate shell pink undertone. Are you wanting a pinkish trim to go with the yellower Resene Pearl Lusta? If not then you might consider one of the paler versions of Resene Pearl Lusta – Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. Or alternatively one of these other 'whites' might be considered – Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Alabaster.
October 2017
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Q. We have a clinker brick and concrete block house that we want to paint. We have a new Grey Friar roof with white wooden windows. We are wondering what two colours you could suggest that would go well, along with a complementary darker colour to paint the stairs and garden box? A. The stairs and the garden box could be the same colour as the roof - Resene Grey Friars so they tie together. Or a definite colour if you wanted to add a feature - i.e. Resene Persian Red. If you want two colours on the house (for the block base and the clinker bricks) I suggest you maintain a related palette of colours so the house doesn't look like a big block sandwich - lighter colour on the base and slightly deeper on the bricks or vice versa so the house looks balanced. These options may appeal to you – Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, or Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, or Resene Tea and Resene Quarter Tea. I am a little wary of using greys on block work and bricks in case it looks like unpainted concrete so I have included several neutral warm colours which often look smart with Grey Friars.
October 2017
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Q. We own a wonderful old historic homestead and plan to paint it this summer. We need some inspiration regarding the exterior colour scheme. A. Without knowing what types of colours that you find appealing I have included some ideas to get you started: Option #1 - Main - Resene Double Barely There, trims - Resene Eighth Black White and roof - Resene Gauntlet. Or option #2 – Main – Resene Half Linen, trims – Resene White and roof – Resene Touchstone. Or option #3 – Main – Resene Geyser, trims - Resene Quarter Wan White and roof – Resene Grey Friars. I haven't mentioned specific colours for doors - these are often highlighted in a colour that makes a statement/rips your socks off - but the palettes suggested do allow total freedom of choice in that regard. October 2017
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Q. I am having trouble figuring out what darker and lighter variants of a colour are when I don’t know its components. A. To help navigate to different colours, each Resene paint colour has a code which looks something like G90-010-200. The first letter – e.g. the G tells what colour palette it is. B = Blue The first digits denote the colour's luminance, with 0 being approximately black and 100 being approximately white. The second set of digits denotes how far from grey the colour is. That is, the lower the number the more grey in the colour, the higher the number the cleaner the colour is. For example, Resene Black (black) has a value of 000 while Resene Turbo (bright yellow) has a value of 198. The last set of digits tells you where the colour sits on a wheel of colour of 0 to 360 degrees. This allows you to place multiple colours into a sequence and determine the relative positioning of colours. By comparing multiple colours using the new colour codes you can establish whether a colour is greyer or cleaner, brighter or darker and where they sit on a colour wheel. So if you want to find a darker colour than you one you have already you would look for a colour with a lower first set of numbers. E.g. G50-010-200 would be darker than G90-010-200. If you want a less bright (greyer colour), then look for a colour with lower middle digits. E.g. G90-010-200 is greyer than G90-090-200. If you want to find a colour redder, bluer etc you would look to the last set of numbers. E.g a colour G90-100-200 is more towards blue. A colour G90-100-100 is more towards yellow. Red is at approx. 000, then it moves into orange, green, blue, purple. October 2017
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Q. How would you describe Resene Quarter Black White, is it whiter and brighter than Resene Black White, or blacker? I'm wanting a bright white for windows and trims on an exterior to go with Resene Quarter Pravda walls. A. Resene Quarter Black White is lighter and whiter than the full Resene Black White. It will give you a bright white contrast outside when sitting next to Resene Quarter Pravda walls – It’s one of our whitest colours.
October 2017
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Q. What colour would I use for roof and windows if I clad a new house with Grecian brick? A. It depends if you like to see a lot of contrast, or if you prefer a softer look. If you wanted a darker colour to contrast the brick, you could choose Ironsand for both roof and windows. A softer look may be Desert Sand or Titania. Of course you don’t have to have the same colour for both roof and windows, you may opt for a lighter aluminium window. You need to ask yourself if you prefer warmer/browner colours or greyer colours. This will eliminate a number of options for you. I recommend you take a sample of your brick into your local Resene ColorShop and ask to see samples of the colours I’ve mentioned above to ensure that they work together. October 2017
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Q. We've decided on New Denim Blue for our steel roof. Could you suggest a white for the weatherboards and a colour for the base board? A. You may want to look at these colours for the weatherboards: Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Ash or Resene Albescent White. For the base board: Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Quarter Masala or Resene Tapa. Light or white colours will appear half a shade lighter once outside in the sunlight and gloss is applied. You may wish to choose a slightly deeper colour to combat this. I suggest you pop into your local Resene ColorShop and ask one of the staff to show you A4 sizes of each of these colours before taking testpots home to try.
October 2017
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Q. We have a unit at the coast and want to paint the interior. The unit has dark brown carpet and we would like to lighten it up. I was thinking of Resene Quarter Merino for the walls and Resene Half Merino for the doors and trims. What do you think? Would Resene Alabaster on the ceiling be ok? A. Resene Quarter Merino doesn’t hold a lot of colour at all, so you’ll end up with fairly white looking walls – is this what you want? There will not be much difference between your Resene Quarter Merino walls and a Resene Alabaster ceiling. You may want to use Resene Half Merino on the walls, full Resene Merino on doors and then Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, just to bump the colour up slightly. Resene Merino is a great little colour; it works with pretty much anything, especially warmer tones like brown. Providing you have colour and texture to include after painting, the unit won’t seem too cold or white.
October 2017
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Q. We have Resene Half Spanish White in most areas of our home. We now want to paint a theatre room and have chosen Resene Spanish White for the ceiling. What colours (darker preferably to minimise reflection) would go with Resene Spanish White? A. It is a good idea to use a deeper colour to minimise reflection and to provide an intimate theatre type ambiance - especially when you have a very definite colour like Resene Spanish White on the ceiling. You don't mention what type of colours you favour. The colour will also need to work with your flooring, furniture and drapes. Some ideas to get you started: Resene Double Malta, Resene Coffee Break, Resene Barista, Resene Trouble, Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Viktor, Resene Coast or Resene True Blue.
October 2017
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Q. My husband has gone ahead and ordered a new door for our garage in Ironsand. We need to paint both the garage and house. I am keen to make a complete change to the current blue and white colour scheme we have. I had in my mind a grey/green palette. For background info the interior walls are all Resene Half Sea Fog with grey/green/blue accents by way of Resene Inside Back and Resene Double Sea Fog on the kitchen cabinets. The bathroom is a work in progress but again I lean towards coastal, restful colour. A. Some grey/greens that you might check out are these ones - Resene Templestone, Resene Blue Smoke, Resene Rolling Stone or Resene Dark Slate.
October 2017
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Q. We are revamping our bathroom and laundry. We have a vinyl that is soft greys and light mustard colours. There is quite a lot of white in the room so I'm looking for a warm grey and light mustard colour to keep the warmth in the room but also to give some impact (ideally the grey shade would be darker to add the contrast to the light flooring and all the white). We have tried Resene Half Rakaia and Resene Double Rakaia on the walls but it looks fairly insipid and a little dirty. A. All greys carry unique undertones of colour in them. If you can pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library you may find it easier to see what is available. Comparing greys would help you to see the underlying colours that are in them. If you had a sample of the vinyl that you could take with you it may be a great aid to seeing which particular greys (or mustards) might harmonise best with it. You mention the desire to have a warm colour. Most greys that are warm carry yellow, brown or red undertones which can make them look a bit muddy. There are less warm greys to choose from compared to the cooler greys. The following may be a start point to look at - Resene Double House White, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Transmission or Resene Half Jumbo. If you continue to have problems finding the 'right' grey then it may indicate that a mustard type of colour might be better. You could check out these ones - Resene Quarter Putty, Resene Half Canterbury Clay or Resene Quarter Pavlova. All colours when seen in an interior (especially when viewed with real white) have the potential to look almost twice the depth (of brightness) that you might imagine they will do. This is something to keep in mind - four walls of colour in a smaller space can be quite a definite statement.
October 2017
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Q. I am looking for a paint colour for a bedroom. The carpet is a warm sandy taupe/beige and the bedspread is turquoise with splashes of red/green/grey green etc. At present the room is painted Resene Duck Egg Blue but I find it competes with the bedspread. I would like a white/neutral that will tie in with the carpet colour. I have narrowed my choices down to Resene Half Sandspit Brown and Resene Albescent White. I think the Resene Half Sandspit Brown may be a little too pink - in some light anyway. Are there any other colour/s you could recommend that would work? Others that have come up when I have done a colour match in similar colour schemes are Resene Eighth Bison Hide and Resene Eighth Joss. A. Resene Albescent White looks quite good - it is a warm white. Another option that may be suit is Resene Quarter Sandspit Brown or (lighter) Resene Eighth Spanish White.
October 2017
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Q. The following colour scheme has been recommended for our new build beach house. Do these colours offer enough contrast or are they too similar? Weathered Wood Shingle with Arctic White and Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. A. I have often found that Arctic White has a very chilly blue/grey edge to it - it makes real white look warm by comparison. I am not 100% sure that it would look great with any of the Resene Thorndon Cream palette of colours - it will definitely enhance the warm earthy greenish edge to the colour and may emphasise the blue/grey in the Arctic White. Is that what you want to achieve? If not them perhaps you might need to look at another colour (cooler or greyer) to work with the Arctic White or you could change the Arctic White to a different white powder coat colour that looks nice with Thorndon Cream, such as Appliance White.
October 2017
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Q. The exterior of our house and the interior of the porch is currently being prepared for painting, but we are still unsure what colours to use. We quite liked Resene Quarter Taupe Grey as the main colour on the weatherboards. We have also tried out Resene White Pointer, Resene Merino and Resene Rice Cake, but don't know if these colours would be too light as a main colour. Do you have any other colour combinations you could suggest for the weatherboards, windows etc? The roof is unpainted and will remain that way and the back deck railings are painted Resene Cod Grey. We are also looking to paint the front door, a bold colour. A. I am inclined to agree with you, in regard to the three colours you feel may be too light. This is often the case as bright natural light does strip away the depth of an exterior colour - often you need to go to a slightly deeper version of a colour so it doesn't look too light. There are double and triple strength variants of Resene White Pointer, Resene Merino and Resene Rice Cake, so do check them out to see if the appeal to you. You might also check out these colours to see if you like them - Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Triple Truffle or Resene Half Stonehenge. These colours look very smart with pure white trims - i.e. Resene White and the very dark colour that you have chosen for the deck railings - Resene Cod Grey. Almost any bold colour might suit for the front door - do you favour any particular types of colour? If you don't have anything at all in mind, then you could look at these ones to get you started - Resene Buttercup or Resene Jalapeno. October 2017
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Q. I have a very plain, red brick 1940s home, with a rough cast basement that I plan to paint Resene Triple Thorndon Cream. The window sills upstairs have a large concrete sill. Can you suggest a colour scheme for the window frames and sills, please? The interior of the house is every shade of Resene Thorndon Cream. I am a fan of the darker shades, with a crisp white contrast. A. You might consider one of these deeper colours for the sills - and possibly the doors if they are to be painted - Resene Double Tapa, Resene Triple Friar Grey or Resene Seaweed. The window frames might be a paler colour, so the contrast between the basement colour, the red bricks and the deeper coloured sills is crisper and makes those colours seem, more dynamic - Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Rice Cake.
October 2017
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Q. We are currently renovating our house. We are looking at choosing COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey for our garage door and potentially, roof. The existing roof colour is a close match to Grey Friars but as this is a blue base, I’m not sure if this is the best match for our new window joinery. Our new aluminium window joinery is Titania. We have changed some of our exterior cladding to LINEA® weatherboard as a feature and would like to paint it in a darker colour than the rest of the exterior. The rest of the exterior is a textured, compressed cement sheet that we would like to paint in a lighter colour to the LINEA® weatherboard, as a contrast to complement the overall look. The front door colour is yet to be decided. A. I haven't found Windsor Grey on the COLORTSTEEL® listed colours but have found it on the NZ ColorCote listed colours. Do you want to use a colour similar to ColorCote Windsor Grey to paint the LINEA®? It is quite a black colour and the closest match I can find is Resene Element or alternatively you might check out Resene Nocturnal. These colours don't have the steel blue/charcoal undertone that Grey Friars has, so I see no reason that they wouldn't associate really well with the joinery colour Titania. A lighter colour than the LINEA® and the roof and garage door would need to be quite a bit lighter to provide a contrast, otherwise the house will look really dark and the only relief from the dark everywhere would be the window joinery colour. You might look at a colour that relates more to the windows than to the painted LINEA®. Check these out to see if they have enough contrast (in a light to mid tone) to tie everything together - Resene Overland, Resene Climate or Resene Touchstone. If you did want a deep colour (but one that is lighter than that used on the LINEA®) then you could check out these ones - Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Half Baltic Sea.
October 2017
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Q. We are painting a small, low ceiling bathroom on the dark side of the house. Our clawfoot bath has a white inside and Resene Tuna on the outside with silver feet. I need to select a white to go on the wall and skirting and a grey to go on the tongue and groove panelling or vice versa. I would like to steer away from lilac or purple tones. A. Some whites that are worth checking out are these ones - Resene Half Black White, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Quarter Wan White, or some greys to try - Resene Half Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Delta or Resene Quarter Stack. There are deeper versions of these greys that you might also check out - in case you need a mid-tone grey instead of a light tone grey.
October 2017
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Q. I have a 90s house, with a textured cladding. The roof and joinery are terracotta and the walls are Resene Half Spanish White. It’s time to repaint. I am stuck with the terracotta, so could you suggest a colour for the walls. Inside I have repainted with Resene Half Akaroa and Resene Quarter Akaroa for the doors. I like what it’s done inside and was thinking a darker shade outside, or can you suggest something else to go with the joinery please? A. A slightly deeper colour on the exterior is a good idea. Apart from Resene Akaroa (deeper than the interior colours) you might also check out the following colours, as they may provide you with similar but slightly warmer tones that work well with the terracotta - Resene Biscotti, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Drought or Resene Quarter Nullarbor.
October 2017
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Q. We have Steel Grey granite benchtops, Matt Charcoal aluminium trim and cupboards, White Wash oak flooring and Black sandstone tiles in open plan area, and want a neutral, grey wall colour as we have lots of artwork. I have tried Resene Quarter Stack but it is too green. Can you suggest another grey? Could you also suggest some ceiling and interior door colours please? A. You may need to test several lighter greys to find out how the existing floors, bench tops and cabinets etc influence how the wall colour is seen - especially with the changing natural and artificial light. Try these greys to get you started - Resene Triple Black White, or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Half Atmosphere.
October 2017
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Q. I am looking at a dark red feature wall in my teenage son's bedroom, to go behind a painting which has both pink and scarlet tones of red in it (among other colours). The other three walls are in Resene Half Tea. Does Resene Hot N Spicy go better than Resene Vanquish with Resene Half Tea? A. Resene Hot N Spicy is a red/brown oxide colour and quite bold but in an earthy way. Resene Vanquish is a rich wine red, slightly serious and traditional. Which type of red looks best with the painting? Either would work with the main wall colour. Have you painted up both colours onto large A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops)?
October 2017
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Q. My aluminium joinery is New Blue Denim. I am looking for a trendy exterior house colour, possibly two - a lighter and darker, to match. Could you also suggest a roof colour? The exterior is LINEA® and Shadowclad®. A. The joinery - ideally - needs to be able to integrate. If the roof was the same colour then that would be an appropriate way of co-ordinating the joinery. The LINEA® is a surface cladding that can tolerate a very dark colour so one of these may be appealing to you - Resene Cinder, Resene Double Foundry or Resene Double Cod Grey. Because the joinery and roof (if they were the same colour) will look to be more of a steel blue colour, than the very dark much blacker colour on the LINEA®, I suggest you look at one of these grey/blue tones for the Shadowclad® - Resene Quarter Tuna, Resene Quarter Grey Friars or Resene Revolution.
October 2017
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Q. We are repainting the interior of our house and we're planning Resene Half Periglacial Blue for the master bedroom and Resene Half Orchid White for the trims and ceiling and also for the walls in our living spaces (we want a warm white but not one that is cream). Are Resene Half Orchid White and Resene Half Periglacial Blue a good match? Also, our young girls (5 and 3) want pink for their shared bedroom. I would like something soft and subtle, pretty but not too sugary. Would Resene Half Sauvignon be a good option and would it go with Resene Half Orchid White on the trims and ceiling? A. Resene Half Orchid White is a lovely warm toned, creamy white - it appears more creamy than white. If you wanted a warm white that had less cream in it, then you might check out these whites and compare then with Resene Half Orchid White to see which colour looks 'whiter' to you - Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Any of these colours will look lovely with Resene Half Periglacial Blue. I really like the Resene Half Sauvignon as it is a pretty delicate pink but like any interior colour when all four walls are painted, it will appear to be a brighter type of pink. If you paint up a whole testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges to help you focus on the colour, and pin it up on all the walls, you would see enough of it to make a good judgment. Another thing that you might do, is to roll the card into a cone or tube shape with the colour inner most and look down into it. You will see the colour deeper - this is a good representation of what a whole room of the colour will look like. Then you will know for certain, whether it is absolutely right or not so perfect.
October 2017
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Q. Is there a fence stain that matches the colour Ironsand? A. There is not an exact match. But either Resene Waterborne Woodsman Sheer Black or Resene Waterborne Woodsman Banjul - may be the closest. I suggest you test the stains (please apply two coats to get the full depth) on offcuts of wood, to see if one or the other is similar enough.
October 2017
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Q. We need to lock in our joinery in the next week or so and need to confirm our external, house colour scheme. We are stuck. The cladding is contemporary looking LINEA® Oblique and the windows are a boxy arch suite. The section will have a lot of green around it with decks and concrete patios. Both wings/buildings are quite big and imposing from the road. We are looking for a ‘nice’ look, not a striking one. Could we pull off a look with the roof being New Denim Blue, joinery being Grey Friars and house paint being something like Resene Quarter Silver Chalice? Or should we swap the Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for a cream type colour? Our other idea was to go with Grey Friars joinery and a dark black on the roof, with Resene Silver Chalice on the LINEA®. But we worry this is looking a bit modern/contemporary and not a happy look. There's a lot of roof in the eye on our house. A. All colours on an exterior have the potential to look quite a bit lighter/brighter because of sunlight. This is especially true of a roof colour because of the 45 degree angle of the iron to the sun. If you did use New Denim Blue on the roof, it would look lighter and quite a bit bluer. Is that ok with you? Had you considered using Grey Friars on both the roof and the joinery? It would be a versatile charcoal that would be flexible if you were to change the main, exterior house colour. Black is a strong roof statement - if you chose to use that, it would make the roof an eye catching feature - is that what you want? If you were to use Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, it may look a bit whiter. Resene Silver Chalice is a lovely colour as well, but in direct sunlight it may look more like a half toned version. An alternative option for the main house colour - an off white or cream type colour - might be one of these - Resene Double Merino or Resene Titania.
October 2017
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Q. I am doing a house in Fiji at the moment and I have chosen a Woodland Grey COLORBOND® roof. What is a really complementary, neutral exterior, plaster colour that would work well? A. Any of the following colours could look nice with the roof colour - Resene Titania, Resene Bone White, Resene Black Haze, Resene Half Thorndon Cream, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Triple Sea Fog or Resene White Pointer.
October 2017
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Q. I would like to use Resene Double Alabaster in bedrooms and living area, and Resene Half Sea Fog in bathroom, laundry and kitchen. Could you please advise what colours I should use for ceiling, trims and doors? A. You might use either of these whites - they are both tonally related to the other colours you have used in the house - Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Alabaster.
October 2017
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Q. I would like a recommendation for a white colour, for an exterior LINEA® board house, with Silver Pearl window joinery and dark spouting and roof. We are terrified of the colour having a purple or blue look to it. A. On the east and south side of the house, you may find any colour at all picks up a blue or greyish look, and on the west side of the house, the white may look warmer, even slightly cream toned . You do need to test all colours - not just whites - carefully. These are a few that you may find appealing - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Half Barely There or Resene Eighth Rice Cake.
October 2017
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Q. I am repainting a large kitchen/living room area. The trims are Resene Spanish White. As I want to lighten the large room area, I have been looking at using Resene Villa White but am not sure if the tones are compatible. The bench area is black and cupboards a deep yellow/cream. The kitchen flooring is wooden and in the living area a striped sisal. The wallpaper above the fireplace and under kitchen bench will also be painted. A. Resene Villa White works well with the Resene Spanish White trims. Other colours you may wish to investigate are: Resene Cararra, Resene Eighth Sisal or Resene Quarter Parchment. These colours have slightly more brown undertone than the Resene Villa White, so would work with the carpet, timber and cabinetry. You may want to consider a darker colour for the kick area under the bench, if stools live there. If not, even one shade darker would give the scheme some depth.
October 2017
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Q. I have bought a house with a cathedral ceiling that has wooden brown beams. As far as I can tell the ceiling has been painted Resene Double Spanish White. I am looking for a neutral to repaint the walls as they look tired. I think they are Resene Half Spanish White at present. I would like a warm neutral tone to balance out the darkness of the ceiling. I have tried a few colours but have found them too light. There are rimu floorboards in the room so I am not constrained by a carpet colour. A. You are restrained by the colour on the ceiling which is a very rich deep colour and by the wooden floor which is a gold/brown colour. You might look at these colours - Resene Bison Hide, Resene Quarter Colins Wicket, Resene Double Sisal or Resene Lemon Grass. A compromise would be to use exactly the same colour - as the ceiling - on the walls - this may not suit you especially if you are not that keen on the ceiling colour but it would solve the problem of the ceiling constantly making a strong statement. When both colours are the same the deep ceiling may not be so noticeable.
November 2017
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Q. We've bought a home and want to paint the brick exterior. The roof has dark charcoal tiles. We've tossed up greys (like Resene Quarter Stack and Resene Surrender) but I think they were still too dark. Now we're thinking white but don't want it too stark/cold or too yellow. What do you think about Resene Black White? We're also worried how it's going to against the garage door, which has a brown hue. Should we also try to paint the garage door to match the roof? A. I’d say the colour you have on your roof and garage door is Ironsand if it’s throwing a slight brown undertone. It’s easy enough to work with, it just won’t really like the blue undertones of the Resene Concrete and Resene Stack type colours. White and charcoal schemes always look beautiful and timeless. The only thing you’ll need to look at is the colour of your aluminium windows. Are these a warmer type of colour or something cooler? You need to think about how your white exterior colour will look against these. As for your main colour, try these whites: Resene Merino, Resene Double Black White, Resene Eighth Friar Grey or Resene Quarter Ash. These all have a grey undertone but a soft or slight brown one to work in with your charcoal. The Resene Quarter Ash is actually a grey green which would look nice too.
November 2017
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Q. We have Resene Quarter Tea on the ceiling, door frames, doors and Resene Half Napa on walls. We want to change the Resene Half Napa wall colour, what is a warm neutral to go with Resene Quarter Tea? We do not want beige. A. Resene Quarter Tea is quite a weight of colour to work with, if you were able to change your ceiling colour, this process would become much easier. The Tea family also holds a decent amount of grey tone, so pairing this with a warm colour can be tricky – we’ll need to find something with an element of brown or grey to work in. Try these colours: Resene Rice Cake, Resene Carrara or Resene Albescent White. The Resene Rice Cake is a yellow/grey type colour, a really nice little neutral. Resene Cararra has a slight brown undertone, a warm off-white. Resene Albescent White is a warm brown, so has a reddish undertone the same as the Resene Quarter Tea in certain lights. 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.
November 2017
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Q. I like Resene Concrete for the walls of our farmhouse. It has high vaulted ceilings and I want to know what colour I should use for the ceilings (to brighten) and window surrounds. Would Resene Sea Fog be light enough for the ceiling? What else would work? A. You might not get quite enough contrast between the Resene Concrete and Resene Sea Fog on the ceiling because colours viewed above us appear darker. So although there may be enough contrast when used around the windows, the ceiling might not work as well. To counteract this, you could try using Resene Half Sea Fog on the ceiling and window surrounds. There is still a small amount of grey tint in this colour to soften the white and not create a stark, crisp look. A grey white is the best way to go when using Resene Concrete as your main colour. If you want a crisp look, you may want to choose Resene Alabaster or Resene White.
November 2017
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Q. We have extended our 1930s stucco house to include weatherboard (Resene Coriander), and Rockcote (Resene Castle Rock) around the garage door. What colour could I paint the stucco gable window? It’s currently Resene Coriander but it doesn’t stand out as it should do. The garage door and roof are Resene Ironsand (Love!!). All window surrounds are Resene Half Rice Cake. The front door is Resene Salsa. Please help me decide what colour to paint the two poles either side of the door. They’re currently undercoat white! Please help me choose a nice light neutral white to paint the rest of the stucco house. A. 1) The stucco gable could become Ironsand which would match the garage. Failing that, we do also have a half and quarter version of Ironsand if that’s too dark. I’ve given you colours with different undertones, and these can all be made lighter or darker depending on your preferences.
November 2017
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Q. We are going to be completing a new build next year and I’m not sure what neutral shade to go with. We will have polished concrete floors and grey carpets, a mostly white kitchen with a small amount of a light timber colour and grey tiles in the bathroom. I quite like Resene Alabaster and Resene Black White but am not sure. I also need help with a trim and ceiling colour. A. This will depend on whether or not you would like to see a difference between your wall and ceiling colours, or if you would prefer that everything be the same colour. If you opt for Resene Black White on the walls and Resene Alabaster on the ceilings and trim, there won’t be too much contrast. The trims can be done in a semi-gloss, so there will be a sheen difference but not much colour. You might want to consider a slightly deeper colour for bedrooms and living rooms (something like Resene White Pointer) and keep the off-white colour (perhaps Resene Black White) for utility and hallway spaces?
November 2017
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Q. I have committed to updating the colour palette of my home to Resene Half Tea and Resene Tea on the walls. I did have Resene Half Spanish White on the woodwork and it is definitely too cream so what white colour would you suggest to do woodwork and ceilings? I am using Resene Masala as a feature wall in the kitchen and thought I might in the future change the cream kitchen cabinets to a white also. The carpet throughout the house is charcoal. A. You might check out these 'whites' to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Alabaster. Compared to what you have at the moment they are quite white but they are still not as stark as real Resene White. You may not realise that they are slightly coloured until you place a sheet of white printer paper partially over the samples and then you will be able to see the soft unique undertones of colour with in them.
November 2017
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Q. We have exterior weatherboards in Resene Quarter Sisal. What colour do you recommend for the roof and window sills? A. These colours may be worth checking out - Resene Gauntlet, Resene Explorer, Resene Overland, Resene Rivergum or Resene Scoria. These colours might be used on the roof and window sills so there is a harmonious co-ordination.
November 2017
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Q. The interior of our house is varying strengths of Resene Friar Grey. We are looking to do some feature colouring throughout the house and like navy shades. Could you please recommend some particular colours that would go with Resene Friar Grey? A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Coast, Resene Zinzan, Resene True Blue, Resene Blue Bark or Resene Blue Night.
November 2017
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Q. The wooden garage door of our bach needs repainting. The walls are stained with Resene Limed Ash and the joinery is a mid-tone grey. We don't like the beige colour that it is painted now but we don't know what colour would look good. It is north-west facing and so gets a lot of afternoon and evening sun in summer. A. Because of the afternoon sun it may be appropriate to use a lighter colour so that the wooden door doesn't attract UV heat problems. You might check out these warm colours - they do look good with Resene Limed Ash - Resene Atmosphere, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Helium or Resene Whitewater.
November 2017
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Q. I need to choose an interior wall colour for the main living area in our bach. At the moment the walls are a mid-tone green blue (I think it is Resene Half Periglacial Blue) and the curtains and blinds, which cover one entire side the room, are a wide striped taffeta in a mid-tone green and cream. The blue/green of the walls is just a little more toward blue than the curtains, so that they almost match but not quite! Also the room has views of over 180 degrees of sea and land views so the whole feeling is too blue-green and needs something more neutral. The sofas are a neutral natural linen fabric. Can you suggest a colour that would work well for the interior walls? And what accent colours would work well for cushions etc? A. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they work for you - Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Spanish White. The following are some accent colours that you could check out - Resene Inside Back, Resene Coast, Resene Atmosphere or Resene Wolverine.
November 2017
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Q. Our house is currently being renovated, but I want to paint the exterior brick and weatherboard as soon as I can. For the brick I am thinking of a darker colour, possibly grey and I want a lighter colour for the weatherboard (not necessarily grey). We will be having dark charcoal window frames, around the whole house. I would love to hear your suggestions, on colour combinations to try out. A. Do you want a darker grey that relates well to the powder coated window frames? What is the colour of the dark charcoal window joinery? For instance, if you were having Grey Friars for the joinery, then you might use one of these dark greys - Resene Grey Friars, Resene Half Grey Friars or Resene Quarter Grey Friars. If it was another charcoal powder coat, I would need to know what the colour was in order to suggest appropriate dark greys. Lighter colours for the weatherboards (not necessarily greys) could be almost any colour but the following are light to mid toned neutrals that may appeal to you - Resene Half House White, Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Cougar or Resene Quarter Napa. Or light greys like these ones – Resene Quarter Grey Chateau or Resene Surrender.
November 2017
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Q. I have a granny flat (lower storey) that is rented all year. Currently it is painted in Resene Double Pearl Lusta – the same colour is also in the connecting hallway and in the downstairs laundry (for the main house). The flat is a bit low in light, especially the back and the bedroom. It has a NW aspect. The lower storey and upstairs deck reduces the light somewhat. I thought maybe I should paint it in a hard wearing cream, rather than white (which shows more marks, the GIB® is old too). My suggestion is maybe Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Black White with Resene Double Alabaster ceilings. The bathroom which has been partly renovated with a white vanity, black and wood framed mirror, could be a different, warmer colour for interest. What colour is best to paint the flat, which has 1 double bedroom and bathroom for rental appeal? A. A bright (but hard wearing) cream may give the light aspect a little boost - provided it works with the existing elements of the flat - i.e. flooring, drapes kitchen cabinets etc. Even one of the palest of the Resene Pearl Lusta palette of colours, might be considered so it rolls on into the colour in the connecting hallway and downstairs laundry. Have you considered Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta used with 'real' white - Resene White for ceilings and wood trims? Resene Black White and Resene Double Alabaster may pick up a cool undertone of grey, unless seen in a very bright environment.
November 2017
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Q. I need to paint my rental property, as the cladding is so dry. I have had to replace some of the boards as they were so warped, so I cannot put on a stain. The cottage on the same property is painted, a very dark charcoal. I would like it to look cohesive. Could you suggest a colour and the type of paint? A. The type of paint that is often used on a cladding such as you have is called Resene Lumbersider low sheen. I am not 100 % sure that using a very dark charcoal (same as the cottage on the property) would be advisable, as it may well increase the problems that you have had - especially the warping of the boards. Dark colours attract a lot of heat. Perhaps using a lighter grey may be a good idea and may work with the very definite, blue toned joinery. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Half Surrender.
November 2017
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Q. Our house trims and doors are all painted Resene Soapstone which I like. I would like to repaint the bedrooms in a warm white, that won't make the Resene Soapstone, grey and dirty looking. We have Resene Acropolis in the bathrooms. A. You need to choose carefully the right, warm white as Resene Soapstone (aka Resene Quarter Blanc) has a unique, pinkish undertone. Perhaps one of these colours may work well and appeal to you - Resene Half Blanc, or lighter – Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Eighth Tea or Resene Quarter Tea. I think Resene Acropolis (aka Resene Half Tea) may be too yellow/beige and might make the Resene Soapstone look too grey/pink toned.
November 2017
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Q. My husband wants to paint our house grey, with white window frames. It has two storeys, with the bottom half being concrete block, which is grey. At the moment, the top half is painted yellow. A. If you did choose a grey and white theme, the bottom half of the two storeys might be Resene Half Sea Fog, the top storey could be Resene Silver Chalice and any trims for windows etc could be Resene Quarter Alabaster. Using a slightly 'coloured' white for the concrete block, would freshen it up and emphasise the soft grey and the 'whiter' version of the colour, that is on the concrete block for trims. Alternatively, you might consider using Resene Barely There for the bottom half of the two storeys, Resene Foggy Grey for the top storey and real White - Resene White - to crisp up all the windows etc. Or if a deeper look is preferred, you might use Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey for both the bottom storey and the upper storey and Resene Eighth Black White for the windows.
November 2017
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Q. I am painting our 1930s bungalow. I want grey walls, with white trim around the windows and doors. Whenever I see this colour scheme, it looks striking. Bright on a sunny day and clean and crisp on a drab overcast day – when it’s done right it looks great. What I don’t want is a grey with blue (melancholic), green (mouldy), yellow (dirty) tinge to come out on an overcast day. The grey I want will have a slight tinge of ultraviolet (purple – not lilac). It’s not so much the sunny days; it’s the overcast rainy days that must look right. I have tried the following: Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Rakaia, Resene Breathless, Resene Santas Grey, Resene Half Santas Grey, Resene Ghost, Resene Greywacke, Resene French Grey, Resene Mercury, Resene Half Mischka and Resene In The Mauve. Can you please consider my colours I have trialled and suggest any other – or even better the exact one I am after? A. If you are having trouble determining the exact colour, it isn't surprising. The colour you imagine (in your mind’s eye) can't be represented in reality, as colour is such a tricky chameleon if it can change it will do. Changing natural light alters it, and that isn't something that can be controlled. Other colours seen close to it alter it. Shape, textures and angles on the exterior, change it. Different aspects (N/S/E/W) alter how it is seen. An east aspect pulls up a green edge, which may blue the violet. A south aspect has a grey tone that depresses the violet and chills it. A high north aspect shadows the colour and you may lose the violet and only see the grey. A west aspect is yellow/orange and warm, and may turn the violet in the grey to a dirty khaki tone. Colour is part of the Light Spectrum and is seen differently by each individual. I have looked at your list of greys and there are a few that you might check out - Resene Quarter Grey Chateau, Resene Iron, Resene Geyser, Resene Designer White, Resene Confederate Grey or Resene Zircon. Too much violet in the colour dominates the black and makes it almost feminine in ambiance. Too much black in the colour kills the violet and makes it subdued and depressed in ambiance. Too light a colour presents as a pretty pastel. Too dark a colour makes a heavy moody tone. Generally the colours seen on an exterior, present as lighter (often half the depth that is expected) and sometimes brighter due to natural light. November 2017
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Q. Can you suggest some colours to go with Resene Half Gargoyle and Resene Malta please? The exterior is Rockcote and it is a flat roof house. A. Resene Half Gargoyle looks good with Resene Half Orchid White, Resene Lignite, Resene Dynamite and Resene Templestone. It looks good with other colours as well. Resene Malta looks good with Resene Quarter Villa White, Resene Ironsand, Resene Mighty and Resene Dark Side. It looks good with other colours as well.
November 2017
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Q. I want to paint my picket fence in a medium-dark charcoal. What is a nice colour I could use? The house colour will end up being done in a light grey. A. All of these are nice colours - one may appeal to you - Resene Tuna, Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Steel Grey, Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Fuscous Grey or Resene Foundry.
November 2017
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Q. We need guidance on a colour for our front door, which is solid timber with vertical tongue & groove, through it. We wanted to match it with our sectional, garage door which is a steel Grey Friars look. The door manufacturer has said they won't honour the warranty if we paint it too dark. The weatherboard exterior is painted Resene Concrete, Resene Gravel as the trim colour (including the spouting) and Resene White for the window and door joinery. We also have some nice, black exterior LED vertical lights on the weatherboards. What colour options would you recommend for the front door? A. You might consider one of these colours - Resene Triple Concrete, white to match the window and door joinery, or a bold colour to create a feature – Resene Half Pohutukawa or Resene Chenin.
November 2017
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Q. Could you please suggest a lovely colour that goes with New Denim Blue for the exterior of our house, which is by the sea? A. You might check out these lovely colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Geyser, Resene Quarter Stack, Resene House White, Resene Black White, Resene Half Duck Egg Blue or Resene Rice Cake.
November 2017
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Q. I would like a colour suggestion for my 1957 timber weatherboards and joinery. Could you also suggest a colour for the timber baseboards (or should they be the same colour as the weatherboards)? We have recently painted the corrugated iron roof in Resene Grey Friars. I was thinking along the lines of white joinery, with a duck egg blue weatherboard, or a similar colour with blue or green tones? I am unsure about how to tie in the base boards? A. You could do the base boards the same as the main colour on the house (that might make the house look taller) or alternatively you could use a lighter version of the roof colour - Resene Half Grey Friars or possibly the same as the white joinery.
November 2017
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Q. Does Resene Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Napa fit with Resene Thorndon Cream? A. I think it may depend on where the two colours are in comparison to Resene Thorndon Cream. If the colours were in different rooms and not in the same room as Resene Thorndon Cream, then that would possibly be ok. If you were using Resene Sea Fog and Resene Quarter Napa with Resene Thorndon Cream as a white and a contrast or feature, then probably not. The Resene Quarter Napa is too light and beige to work well with Resene Thorndon Cream. The Resene Sea Fog takes on a warm grey/white quality, that isn't all that happy to work well with the yellow/green of Resene Thorndon Cream. If both colours were altered - much lighter/whiter and much deeper - i.e. Resene Alabaster (Resene Eighth Sea Fog) and Resene Half Napa or slightly deeper Resene Napa, they look really lovely with Resene Thorndon Cream.
November 2017
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Q. We are repainting the interior of our small house. We wanted to brighten it up a bit as some areas have low light. We have painted the ceilings Resene Black White and are leaning towards Resene Quarter Akaroa or Resene Eighth Akaroa for the walls. We are not sure about the trim yet, we were looking for something a bit different and have tried Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete, but wonder if it's too dark a contrast, given the trim is usually a lighter colour? A. Trims are usually lighter than the wall colour but sometimes they aren't, especially in older villas that have amazing architectural skirting boards etc. Is this is why you want to highlight the trims - because they are unusual, attractive and worthy of being made a feature of? Is the grey being considered because it relates to one of the other colours in the interior - i.e. carpet, drapes, upholstered furniture, duvets of kitchen cabinets and work tops? Both Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete have a delicate lilac silver undertone, and aren't usually seen in association with any of the Resene Akaroa palette of colours. Perhaps the following colours might be looked at, to see if they appeal to you - Resene Akaroa (a deeper but related version of the wall colour), Resene Black White (the same as the ceilings), or Resene Eighth Stonehenge [a warm greyed/beige that isn't too bad with the yellower Resene Akaroa colours].
November 2017
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Q. We have recently bought a house that has tinted windows and is currently painted different shades of grey throughout. It gives the house a dark feeling that we want to get rid of. The living areas are north-west facing so will get a lot of light despite the tinted glazing. We'd like to go for a bright white on the ceilings (such as Resene Alabaster) and another neutral white on the walls. Do you have any recommendations for using whites in this situation? We want to brighten the rooms up as much as possible, but have some quite bright pieces of furniture, so we want to stay neutral on the walls. A. It would be wise to test several 'whites' so that you can see how the tinted windows, natural and artificial light and any other coloured elements (flooring/curtains/blinds/ kitchen cabinets and work tops etc) in the house, alter how it is seen. The brightest white is Resene White. If you preferred a slightly coloured 'white' that is very light reflecting, then you might consider using Resene Quarter Alabaster. Any of the Resene Alabaster family of colours, might work for a wall colour as they are subtle coloured whites - so not as bright as real White. The following 'whites' might be worth testing to see how they look and if they appeal to you - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Half Black White, Resene Eighth Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Merino.
November 2017
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Q. Do you provide colour consultation? I need help choosing colours for our home. We are renovating and I have been asked to select colours for the whole house. A. Resene does provide Colour Consultants and Colour Specialists to help with choosing colour, if you would like to see someone in person. If this is the case, here is the link to fill in a request form and have someone contact you. If you would like me to help via email, please send through some images and a description of what you would like. November 2017
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Q. I am using Resene Sea Fog on my walls. I am thinking of using Resene Double Sea Fog for the skirting board trim. Should I also use Resene Double Sea Fog for all the trim, or use white for window/door frames as a contrast? The doors can be either white, or Resene Sea Fog. The aluminium joinery is Ironsand. A. It is a personal choice. If the Resene Double Sea Fog was used on the skirting boards only, and you wanted a 'whiter ' colour on all the rest of the trims, then you could use a paler version of Resene Sea Fog so it was a softer transition instead of a starker white. Had you thought of that as an option? You could use one of these 'whites' - Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Double Alabaster (aka Resene Quarter Sea Fog) or Resene Alabaster (aka Resene Eighth Sea Fog).
November 2017
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Q. We are recladding our plaster home and will use horizontal, as well as vertical, LINEA® weatherboard. It is a double storey house. Currently the joinery is Canvas Cloth, the roof is COLORSTEEL® Grey, the exterior is Resene Napa with one accent wall (at the entrance) with Ironsand with Resene Pale Oyster for fascia boards, and the garage door is Ironsand and the gutters, COLORSTEEL® Scoria. There are also, two grey schist stone columns in the front and the deck is stained a redwood colour. We love earthy colours and wondered if you have any great suggestions? We would also love a nice, popping colour for the front door. Do you suggest painting the vertical and horizontal weatherboard the same colour? A. Currently you have eight colours on the house, including the garage, the deck and the schist. You might like to minimise the amount of colours, by doing both the LINEA® surfaces the same colour. You could also consider using a bit more of the Grey Friars (blue based charcoal) so that the roof isn't unrelated to all the other colours, which are warmer toned - or alternatively you might consider getting rid of that particular colour and repainting the roof to Resene Ironsand, so it marries in with the accent wall and the garage door. Sometimes smaller amounts of colour change, work effectively to pull all the elements on the house together. A new main colour might be one of these earthy colour suggestions - Resene Triple Tea with Resene Half Tea for the fascia and the one accent wall, or Resene Cougar with Resene Quarter Cougar for the fascia and the one accent wall. A 'popping' colour for the front door might be one of these colours - Resene Dynamite, Resene Atlas, Resene True Blue or Resene Aloha.
November 2017
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Q. I am looking for a taupe/grey or grey/taupe for the exterior of my L shaped 1980s home. I also need a trim for a gable end and for the barge boards. We have a large deck at the front of the gable, with a pergola that also needs staining. Would you have any ideas to smarten our home up? A. Some taupe/greys or grey/taupe you might check out - Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Truffle, Resene Cloudy or Resene Half Taupe Grey. Some trim colours that work well with any of the suggested colours - Resene Half House White, Resene Barely There, Resene Sea Fog or Resene Black White. Some stain colours for the pergola - Resene Woodsman stain – in Resene Iroko, Resene Bark, Resene Touch Wood or Resene Tiri. November 2017
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Q. I 'm looking for some advice for an interior paint colour, for lounge and bedrooms. We want ‘shades of grey’, but darker on the ceiling than on the walls. We have a 1960s home, with standard ceiling height. I just can’t seem to get the right greys, light enough, and keep the perception of height and openness of the room’s right, while also being warm. Tricky option, but I know the right colours are out there. Could you help with any suggestions? A. If you did use a darker colour on the ceilings, compared to the wall colour (in your 1960s house with a standard ceiling height) it would make the ceiling appear lower. It may also alter the light factor in the rooms. Is this what you want to do? In order to keep the perception of height and openness of the room’s right, I would suggest you went lighter/whiter on the ceiling, and a soft tonal reduction of colour for the walls. All greys carry undertones of colour with in them. Warmer greys may carry yellow, brown or red undertones. Perhaps you could check out the larger A4 real painted samples of the following greys at your local Resene ColorShop, so you get the best possible idea of what they truly look like, prior to using testpots to confirm colour choices in your home. It helps to compare colours with each other. To judge the overall depth, sometimes it is best to see a true white beside them, so your eye can adjust and see the colour in reality. Warmer greys - pale and slightly deeper – to try are: Resene Quarter Rakaia and Resene Half Rakaia, Resene Half Barely There and Resene Barely There, Resene Half Concrete and Resene Concrete, or Resene Half Athens Grey and Resene Athens Grey. All colours seen in an interior have the potential to appear deeper or more coloured - often looking double the depth that you might imagine they will do. Even true white can look slightly grey toned on the ceilings, because of the way both natural and artificial light falls away leaving more shadow. The same colour on both ceiling and walls always appears to be not the same colour because of this. In order to make a light wall colour appear deeper, all one needs to do is use true white - Resene White - for the ceiling and painted trims as this forces the eye/brain to judge the wall colour as deeper because of the acute contrast. Take your time to check out colours and to test them in order to ensure you see how the light and shade and the wall angles in each and every room, alters how the colour is seen. If you do decide to go deeper on the ceiling, I suggest you reverse the order of the colours listed and please be aware that the colour will appear deeper again. You mention ' shades of grey ' - the use of drapes, flooring, duvets, upholstered furniture and accessories in deeper tints, tones and shades of grey will create that layered effect for you. It isn't always the wall or ceiling colour that is a more definite statement.
November 2017
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Q. I am painting my house, which is a period home, in Resene Jaguar. I have a terracotta clay tile roof. What colour could I use for the window and trims (whites)? I feel a stark white would be too much. A. You might like to look at these colour suggestions, they will give you a softer look: Resene Double Rice Cake, Resene White Pointer or Resene Quarter Spanish White. All of these colours have lighter or darker versions, if these are not quite right. I’ve given you one cream, one grey and one in between. I think the Resene Rice Cake will be a nice medium between the dark charcoal house, and the warm roof tile.
November 2017
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Q. My wife would like pale grey and white windows, with charcoal trims. We would also like a colour for the front door. The front and side fences will be 1.8m high white paling, with a capping. A. Perhaps one these two palettes may appeal to you and your wife: Option 1: Main colour - Resene Triple Concrete, under soffits, fascia, chimney, basement of house, door frames/sills, window frames, sashes and sills - Resene Alabaster, and doors and window sills - Resene Fuscous Grey. Or option 2: Main colour - Resene Grey Chateau, under soffits, fascia, chimney, basement of house, door frames/sills, window frames, sashes and sills - Resene Quarter Black White, or doors and window sills - Resene Grey Friars.
November 2017
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Q. We have brush box timber floors, which have very warm yellows, browns and orange tones reflecting onto the walls. We currently have a warm white, and it's looking very pink and doesn't work in south facing bedrooms, as the grey light washes over it and looks like dirty dish water. I'm considering freshening things up with Resene Sea Fog on walls with white trims throughout the house, and possibly using Resene Half Athens Grey in the two south facing bedrooms, which may look nice with white bedspreads and sheer curtains. Other white-greys I’ve looked at are Resene Stonehenge (lighter shade) and Resene Eighth White Pointer. I tried Resene Merino but it's emphasising the yellow undertone. I love Resene Sea Fog but Resene White Pointer could be an option. Is cooler the way to go to balance the floors? Also would going a bit darker in the south rooms, give some depth? Is Resene Sea Fog or Resene Double Sea Fog preferable to balance the warm tones of the floor? A. You have found a colour you love - Resene Sea Fog - so that indicates you find it appealing and feel it would work well for you. The deeper versions of this colour - the Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Triple Sea Fog have more of a green undertone, so if you were inclined toward these you would need to test them very carefully to see how they look - especially in the south facing rooms. They might look dingy. If you plan to use a white for the trims, then you might use Resene Quarter Alabaster - it works really well with Resene Sea Fog. The south facing rooms may chill the grey Resene Half Athens Grey and make it feel unfriendly - had you considered using a slightly deeper/warmer neutral like Resene White Pointer or even Resene Double White Pointer? These colours have a grey/beige undertone that may feel warmer than using a cold white grey and making the cold looking south facing rooms feel colder. If the brush box timbers carry too many warm tones for you to cope with, the only way to modify their colour is to add some rugs that are deep colours so that they dominate the floor, and cover a lot of it so it isn't so in your face - this may subdue the floorboards.
November 2017
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Q. I am looking at Resene Quarter Rakaia to paint the interior of my house. We want something off-white, as we are going to have a dark grey theme (carpets, couches, kitchen etc) but we don’t want a 'gloomy/cold' look. Is this an ideal colour or do you recommend something 'warmer' but still keeping with the grey theme? A. I like any of the Rakaia greys as they have a lovely shale stone and warm (almost) mauve undertone. You might also check out these alternatives also - Resene Mercury, Resene Double House White, Resene Quarter Atmosphere or Resene White Pointer. It is wise to paint up large samples of the colours, and take them with you when looking for carpets etc, so that you can see how they alter and relate to other dark greys - sometimes the colour you like best doesn't work with other colours, as well as you would like. It is very important also, to see how natural light and artificial light change how you see the colour within the house. Each room may make the colour look completely different.
November 2017
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Q. We had an interior designer help us with choosing paint colours. We went with her selections of Resene Half Ash (walls) and Resene Quarter Wheatfield (trim) for the main areas and Resene Quarter Ash with Resene Quarter Wheatfield trim in the main bedroom which all look very nice. However her suggestion of Resene Eighth Ash with the existing Resene Quarter Wheatfield trim in the south end of the house just doesn't look right. It is darker down that end of the house and the Resene Eighth Ash seems to have lost all the beige/warmth of the deeper tones of Resene Ash. It also looks too close in depth/tone to the existing Resene Quarter Wheatfield trim with one being warm and one being cool. What can you suggest I paint the trim/doors/wardrobes so that the Resene Eighth Ash is contrasted but takes on more of the softness of the deeper tones of Resene Ash? Or is this not possible? Is there another soft off white that we could repaint the Resene Eighth Ash that would work with the rest of the ash tones in the rest of the house? A. You possibly may also see the Resene Quarter Wheatfield as being more sharp/yellow toned than it is in the other rooms. They may both be the wrong colours for a south facing room. You must be very frustrated. If you want to just paint the trim/door/wardrobes you might try Resene Bianca or Resene Quarter Merino but please do test these carefully first. You may still have to consider changing the Resene Eighth Ash as well. Just changing the trim colour may not make the cold, hard 'minty' look of the colour look right. An alternative colour option, warmer but still looking a bit like the Resene Quarter Ash in the other rooms, that you might use is Resene Merino.
November 2017
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Q. I am building and wanted some guidance on kitchen splashback. All interior walls are Resene Alabaster and the kitchen has white cabinets with a stainless steel bench top. I was going to tile a 4sqm splashback but after seeing on Grand Designs a white glass splashback with a white kitchen, I love the minimalism and ‘cleanness’ of it. If I go white, should I do Resene Double Alabaster? A. There are two different types of glass you can install for splashbacks and it will make quite a bit of difference. Low Iron Oxide glass is clear and will give you an accurate view of the colour behind. There is also a green-glass version which is standard and cheaper. I would definitely we paying for the upgrade in glass so you don’t get the green tint on the white colour. Colours behind glass do tend to look darker, so you need to think about the look you’re trying to create. Do you want the wall and splashback to look exactly the same, or would you like the splashback to be slightly darker than the wall. You may just put a piece of glass on the wall to create the same look everywhere. If you like a slight difference, use Resene Double Alabaster or Resene Triple Alabaster.
November 2017
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Q. We have bought a house with 90s doeskin coloured window frames, not a colour I would have ever chosen. What colour wall and trim, would make it look less yellow-cream? A. There are two ways you could go about tackling this: 1) Paint the house in a warm tone to blend in with the windows. This could be a warm off-white (like Resene Pearl Lusta) or a brown/fawn colour.
November 2017
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Q. We are painting the whole interior of our house. I want to do it all white however I am a bit confused what white to choose. All the floors are rimu. The two bedrooms at the back of the house are south facing, the master bedroom does get some light and green from the garden in the summer but both are dark on a gloomy day so was thinking a warm or softer white for the walls, I was looking at Resene Rice Cake or Resene Villa White but I’m worried these won’t look white? I have lots of different textures in the bedrooms (linen, velvet, and waffle and want to do white as I can change colours of the cushions/bedspreads etc. And then the living/dining area gets so much light and all day sun and there is a lot of greenery outside so I was thinking more of a grey white - maybe Resene Sea Fog? But then can we do our ceilings and skirting all the same white throughout the house or would we need to do different ones for the bedroom and the living areas? I was looking at Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, doors, skirting etc. but don’t know if these are the right whites? A. I would recommend using Resene Alabaster for the ceilings, doors and trim throughout the house; it is far better to have one colour for consistency and flow. This will also provide you with a small amount of contrast for your walls, to show them up as an actual colour rather than looking pure white. As for your walls, a colour like Resene Sea Fog is a great option for off-white because it gives you that modern clean look while still being a warm grey. I think with the amount of changing light you get and the green coming through, one colour is better throughout. Resene Sea Fog will look different in each room, and as you’ve mentioned, you can easily warm it up with textures and pops of colour to give it a lift in those cooler rooms. Mixing off-whites for different parts of the house can soon become too messy, unless you use lighter and deeper values of the same colour i.e. Resene Double Sea Fog for bigger brighter spaces.
November 2017
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Q. I have a large (302m) rectangular shed that I'm trying to find a colour for. The roof is barn red. The walls are half weatherboard and half concrete. I have undercoated the entire surface. Are you able to suggest a few colours? We like greys/blues, but are open to anything. A. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Quarter New Denim Blue, Resene Half Raven or Resene Transmission. Or for something a little different - Resene Inside Back. These colours span the grey toned blues, slightly blue toned greys and an interesting greyed green.
November 2017
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Q. I am painting my house with Resene Double Parchment (LINEA®) for the aluminium windows, sills, trims and edges down the sides of the house and was wondering what the best match would be. I have chosen the following and wondered which are the best matched Matt Titania, Canvas Cloth, and Matt Almond. A. Possibly Matt Titania as it doesn't clash with Resene Double Parchment and is a little bit more neutral and works well with a reasonable selection of colours. Canvas Cloth looks a little bit dirty - almost grey toned - compared to the yellow/beige Resene Double Parchment. Matt Almond looks a little bit orange toned compared to Resene Double Parchment. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of colour options available in powder coat colours and I often suggest that people choose one of those colours first and then find a paint colour to suit rather than the other way around. As an example - Titania works well with Resene Quarter Stonewall, Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Double Ash, Resene Taupe Grey, Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Bison Hide, Resene Craigieburn, Resene Bone White or Resene Overland. November 2017
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Q. I have a country house with a 100 ft. long verandah. I have painted my house in Resene Double Parchment. I have a manor red roof. I also have 34 posts around my house. I would like the top section a colour, and then there is a trim which I would like in manor red. Could you suggest a colour for the rest of the posts please? A. If one of the colours is Resene Half Parchment and the other is Resene Double Napa, then it all ties together nicely. Alternatively, you might check out using Resene Eighth Wheatfield and Resene Double Lemon Grass. I like the idea of using the manor red as the lesser trim on the posts - it is a lovely way of integrating the roof colour.
November 2017
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Q. The house we recently purchased has copper downpipes and gutters, but it also has a small piece of plastic guttering joined to the copper, and leaves catch on the downpipes which are plastic. What colour do you recommend to paint the plastic gutters, to match the copper ones? A. The problem - as I see it - is that even if you were keen on painting the plastic guttering a copper metallic colour, it wouldn't match the copper guttering. As the real copper ages, it deepens in colour and the paint will never do that. So they will always look different. If you don't mind a copper paint colour not matching the real copper guttering, you might check out Resene Copperhead or Resene Copper Fire. You may be better to get a small piece of copper guttering to replace the plastic portion, which you may be able to find in a recycling yard. If all the copper guttering was painted and the plastic part and the catches were painted the same colour, then that is another way of dealing with your dilemma. However many people would rather not paint copper.
November 2017
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Q. We are recladding our house and are in the process of choosing colours. We have selected COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue for the roof, Matt New Denim Blue for the joinery and Resene Grey Chateau for the house colour. Could you give some advice on what colour to select for the window trim and soffits? A. You can't do better than a crisp white to offset the blue/grey of the New Denim Blue and the slightly warmer grey tone of Resene Grey Chateau. One of these whites may appeal to you - Resene Eighth Black White or Resene Half Alabaster. If however, you want a deep colour (similarly toned to your main colours) then you could use this one - Resene High Tide.
November 2017
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Q. I need to paint the exterior of my 1980s house. It has a block base with a combination red brick, and weatherboard upper storeys. I will not be painting the brick but would like colour suggestions for the block, weatherboard, soffits, fascia and bargeboards etc. The house has white plastic guttering and brown aluminium joinery. The joinery only has thin scribers around it and no framing. The roof is long run steel, painted in a light cream (to match the existing house colour which is forest green weatherboards, with cream blockwork) but is low profile and not really visible, as the house is very elevated from the road. I will eventually paint the roof but my priority is the weatherboard and blockwork etc. as the paint is peeling. Initial thoughts are to paint the weatherboard and blockwork the same colour and use the red brick and trim as contrast, but I am open to ideas. I would like to modernise this house and give it some much needed street appeal and although I like greys (I have painted the interior Resene Half Sea Fog) I am open to suggestions/ideas. A. The red brick and the brown aluminium window joinery will always have a distinct influence over what colours might be harmonious. It is these elements on the house that compromise your ability to truly modernise the exterior. Even though you like greys, I do think you may need warmer tones in order to associate well with what you have on the house that isn't going to be changed. You might check out these neutral colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Sea Fog, Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Eighth Friar Grey.
November 2017
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Q. I am about to paint my daughter's bedside table and she has requested yellow and I am stumped! Her walls are painted in Resene Milk White (top half) and the lower half of her walls, are painted in Resene Avocado. Her curtains and blind (which are right beside the bed) are a mid-grey. Her bed is a vintage rimu head and footboard, which is just lightly oiled. What yellow would you suggest for the bedside table? A. Your daughters' room features quite an eclectic selection of colours. Perhaps one of these yellows with a green undertone might be harmonious as they may work with the Resene Avocado - Resene Mint Julep, Resene Lemon Twist, Resene First Light or Resene Moon Glow.
November 2017
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Q. Our house interior is painted in black, white and deep grey. We also have wallpaper. We absolutely love midnight blue so are planning to paint a couple of our living room walls Resene Indian Ink, is this a risky move introducing a new colour? A. I don't think it is too risky introducing a new colour. It could look really stunning with the white colour. It is really quite a black based blue, so it will work the same way the black does in your colour palette. It may need some good artificial light focused on it, so you can see it is a very dark navy and not black.
November 2017
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Q. We are renovating and painting our house. We have chosen Grey Friars for the roof, and the joinery will be Appliance White. Can you please recommend a white that will match the joinery, and a light crisp grey colour for the weatherboards? A. Colours seen on the exterior often look lighter or brighter and the opposite is true of colours seen in an interior. It is all about how light works with colour - each aspect of light [N/S/E/W] also has an influence on how the colour is seen. You could check out these suggestions to see if they appeal to you - Resene Grey Chateau, or lighter - Resene Half Grey Chateau, Resene Triple Concrete, or lighter - Resene Double Concrete, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Surrender.
November 2017
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Q. I would like to update our exterior paint scheme. The home has been extended at some point and has 'Off White' aluminium joinery. This joinery sits within a timber frame, which is closely matched to Half Parchment. It has a Grey Friars roof and main front door. I would really like a fresher, crisper looking scheme. I do like greys but feel limited by the joinery colour. I had considered a monochromatic scheme using the Resene Parchment family - Resene Eighth Parchment as the main body? I am open to any suggestions for a scheme that includes the sills, main body, trims, fretwork, and fence. A. I think you are right - the window joinery does restrain you in regard choosing colours. I think that Resene Eighth Parchment may work, but it might also make the Off White powder coated joinery look slightly stronger and yellower - would that worry you? Totally randomly - had you considered painting the powder coated joinery so you weren't constrained by the existing colour? It is possible but it does require more prep and labour, A deeper version - Resene Triple Parchment could look good for the trims and fretwork and because you have Grey Friars on the roof and the main front door, you could use a darker colour on the fences and window sills - i.e. Resene Double Cod Grey.
November 2017
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Q. My roof has just been painted Resene Rustic Red but I am finding it hard with my house colour. I want a very light brown, in an old fashioned colour because the house is very old. I am thinking of Resene Tea or Resene Vanilla but I’m still unsure. A. Some old fashioned light browns, that you might consider are these ones - you might compare them with Resene Tea and Resene Vanilla to see what appeals to you. Try Resene Serene, Resene Zorba, Resene Perfect Taupe, Resene Half Cougar or Resene Half Joss.
November 2017
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Q. We will be renovating a house in Waiuku and would like neutral interior and exterior colours as it is an investment property, but we will like to give it a modern look, as we are renovating the interiors completely. We also hope the colour choice is easy to maintain and complements the nice suburban greenery neighbourhood. A. The exterior colours might be like these options - Roof - Resene Ironsand, weatherboards - Resene Merino, base of house/ steps to front and back door - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey, trims - under the soffits, guttering/fascias, window frames, surrounds and sashes, door frames - Resene Quarter Black White, garage door - Resene Ironsand, and front and back doors - Resene Seaweed. Interior main colour for most rooms - Resene Half Merino, with lounge feature wall if appropriate in Resene Double Merino. Ceilings and painted woodwork - Resene Quarter Black White. These colours tie together the exterior and the interior creating a nice flow through effect.
November 2017
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Q. I am trying to work out what colours I should paint my house. I will be having one side of a broken asbestos fence replaced with a COLORBOND® fence. My neighbour wants either Domain or Ironstone for the fence and I am leaning towards Ironstone but want to make sure the house colours will go with it. I may also be selling the house in 10 years or so and would like to try not to choose a colour that could look dated at that time. I think the exterior of the house should be either browns or greys. I want the colour that will be best for resale value rather than taste. Most real estate people I’ve asked have said to go with greys or some other colour but not brown as apparently it’s quite dated. I am leaning towards Ironstone and Surf Mist for the exterior. The entrance to the house door frame, security doors and sliding door at the back are brown and there are two panes of brown-yellow tinted glass (the size of the door) next to the entrance door. I may need to keep this all in the brown colour due to the interior being brown and these doors/door frames leading inside but I am wondering if an Ironstone coloured wooden pergola out the front and Ironstone window frames near this will be okay with this. I think it will be out the back but unsure out the front. One option is to paint all the brown jarrah frames and jarrah skirting inside a white colour that goes with brown and Ironstone. I’m not sure if I should paint over this wood or keep it. A. I am inclined to think if you are using COLORBOND® Ironstone and COLORBOND® SurfMist that you may find one of the following colours suits the house - Resene Quarter Taupe Grey (this a warm grey that looks good with Surf Mist, Ironstone and any remaining brown frames/windows), Resene Quarter Arrowtown (this is a warm brown with a undertone of yellow/green that looks good with Surf Mist, Ironstone and any remaining brown frames/windows), Resene Half Tapa (this is a warm olive based grey that looks good with Surf Mist, Ironstone and any remaining brown frames/windows) or Resene Helium (this is a lighter/whiter neutral that looks good with Surf Mist, Ironstone and any remaining brown frames/windows). Interior - By repainting the brown jarrah frames and skirting in a white colour you will lighten and modernise the interior. Colours like Resene Half Merino or paler Resene Quarter Merino may work well for you - they do work with brown and Ironstone. The fence at the back of the house that you are worried about in case it is too dark a colour could be painted to match the colour you choose for the exterior. That might solve the problem of it being too dark.
November 2017
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Q. We are choosing colours for a new bathroom. The shower wall tiles are bright yellow, shower floor tiles a metallic brown (similar to corten), probably a grey benchtop. The room is spacious with a high ceiling at one end and has good natural light, the floors are timber - pale oak. As you enter the room the shower is on one wall with the bench and mirror opposite it - so the yellow tiles will be reflected in the long mirror. There is a lot going on so are we best to paint the walls a pale neutral or would a dark shade also help tone everything down? A. I am not 100% sure that introducing another (darker) shade in the bathroom will tone everything down. It may make the bathroom look fussy. What you have already (yellow tiles) and the fact that they are reflected in a big mirror means they will always be very dominant. Any yellow has a habit of being seen from a great distance (it is far brighter than white) which is why it is used in advertising. Had you considered using a greyed/white as the main colour in the bathroom? You might check out these suggestions to see if they appeal to you and work harmoniously with the yellow tiles, the pale oak floor, the grey benchtop and the natural and artificial light with in the room – Resene Half Concrete, Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Athens Grey, Resene House White or Resene Barely There.
November 2017
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Q. We have a bathroom with an east facing window. The walls are painted Resene Half Pearl Lusta and it looks pink. Not sure if we should go neutral or go for something bold. A. I have a neutral colour in my east facing bathroom so I know only too well how it can pink up - it looks ok at night but not first thing in the morning. Mind you once we removed the Almond coloured bathroom fittings and replaced them with white ones it was much better. Rooms with an east facing aspect can be a little bit tricky. You mention using a bold colour - did you have a colour in mind? If not them perhaps you could start the ball rolling by looking at some of these colours - not too dark but interesting tones and definitely not pink - Resene Unwind, Resene Half Coriander, Resene Mischka, Resene Comfort Zone or Resene Half Hammerhead.
November 2017
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Q. I have chosen Resene Quarter Beryl Green for the bedroom walls. And was thinking Resene Half Orchid White for ceilings, skirtings and mouldings. My painter says to do the doors a different shade of white to highlight them from the mouldings etc. Do my original colours go together and could you suggest a different colour for the doors? My windows are stained rimu. I don’t yet have curtains or carpet. It is a villa/cottage style, rebuild. A. Your original colours are lovely but don't really do justice to each other. Resene Half Orchid White conflicts with the delicate really pale green of Resene Quarter Beryl Green. If you used a crisper/whiter colour for the ceilings, skirting boards and mouldings it would enhance the delicate green and not swamp it. Perhaps one of these colours – Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Alabaster or Resene Quarter Bianca. It isn't necessary to do the doors a different colour to the other trims but if you had your heart set on doing that then you might use a very slightly deeper version of the wall colour - i.e. Resene Half Beryl Green. This would enhance the wall colour and having whiter/crisper door frames the door colour would be framed and would appear to be a little deeper because of the strong contrast around it. The flooring and the curtains - ideally - should be chosen carefully to harmonise really well with the wall colour. Silvery grey or off white/taupe carpet and white curtains that are light and float in the breeze - they could be sheers - when the windows are open would look lovely with the delicate wall colour. They might have a soft warm coloured lining that shows through and co-ordinates with the coloured white of the trims. Any curtains that are dark coloured, or super bold and bright or patterned in a busy way may overwhelm the wall colour and make the room seem fussy.
November 2017
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Q. The entrance to my office has a large concrete dark blue wall which makes the area feel dark. There is so much beautiful wood and a small amount of concrete floor that I am trying to decide on a light colour to repaint the wall to bring it back to life and lighten the place up. Perhaps a light duck egg or a light blue tone? A. I think that in order for the existing dark blue to not negatively influence the lighter colour you are considering using it would be wise to under coat the dark blue wall so it is all white. Colour samples can then be painted onto the white background and it will be far easier to judge what ones work with the floor and the wood. Too pale a colour may not have the oomph that a feature wall needs so you might need to look at several colours before you find the right one. You might test these ones to see if they appeal to you and work well with the wood, the floor and the natural and artificial light – Resene Unwind, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Ashanti or Resene Sorrento.
November 2017
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Q. We are building a kitchen. The walls are Resene Half Rice Cake and floor and window are rimu. We are thinking of sage for the cabinets. What shades should we consider? The kitchen is small with moderate natural light. A. What a beautiful concept. Here are some colours that I think would look really nice: Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, Resene Quarter Washed Green (see drawdowns sample at your Resene ColorShop), Resene Pumice, Resene Green Spring, Resene Aspiring or Resene Secrets.
November 2017
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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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