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Answers to your questions from our colour experts, p. 80

Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.

If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.

 
 
 

Q&A   p. 80

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


Q. A friend got a testpot of Resene Double Lemon Grass, (for exterior windows and French doors) but is finding the colour too yellow and wants a colour with more (green) depth. Are you able to suggest some other Resene colours for her?

A. Your friend might check out these greens – Resene Paddock, Resene Rivergum, Resene Ravine, Resene Gondwana, Resene Half Rivergum, Resene Spanish Green or Resene Yucca. There are a great many more greens as well but these may be a start point for her look at.

Resene Double Lemongrass
Resene Double Lemon Grass
Resene Paddock
Resene Paddock
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
Resene Gondwana
Resene Gondwana
Resene Half Rivergum
Resene Half Rivergum
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Yucca
Resene Yucca
November 2018

Q. I would like some roof colour suggestions for a yellow and orange/terracotta Huntly brick home.

A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene High Tide, Resene New Denim Blue, Resene Grey Friars, Resene Steel Grey, Resene Canyon, Resene Cave Rock or Resene Coast.

Resene High Tide
Resene High Tide
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene New Denim Blue
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Cave Rock
Resene Cave Rock
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
 
November 2018

Q. Our roof colour is closest to Resene Sebedee. The aluminium window frames, wooden doors and eaves are Karaka and the main stucco house colour is probably Resene Pearl Lusta. What colour could we have for a change?

A. You could look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Ash, Resene Joanna, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, Resene Half Parchment, Resene Half Fossil or Resene Half Spanish White.

Resene Sebedee
Resene Sebedee
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Pearl Lusta
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Joanna
Resene Joanna
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Fossil
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
November 2018

Q. We have just recently painted our family room and hallway Resene Half Ecru White which I am not 100% happy with. We have two bedrooms and two bathrooms already painted in Resene Bianca which I like but I thought it would be too stark if I continued this throughout the house? Therefore I went with Resene Half Ecru White which I'm not sure if I like or not as depending on the lighting it can look quite yellowy which is what I was trying to get away from.

I am also going to replace the existing carpet (denim blue) to perhaps grey. I'm having trouble choosing the right grey (I like warm tones). I think why I am questioning the paint colour is because of the existing surrounds: we have a lot of rimu - doors, surrounds, skirtings and window sills. We have also recently renovated a room so we have a new lounge off the dining room and I was thinking of painting this in full Resene Ecru White.

A. The Resene Ecru White colours are earthier creams than Resene Bianca. All colours alter with changing light - both natural and artificial. Colours also undergo change when another colour is seen close to it. If you have a blue toned carpet now it may emphasise any yellow content in any colour - so a change of carpet colour may make a colour look different again.

If you plan on changing the carpet perhaps you could look at carpet samples next to paint colour samples and the rimu to see how they influence how you see the potential wall colour.

It is important to carefully test colours with the other colours you have, or are planning on having, so you can be sure they work well together.

The best way to trial paint colours is to paint all of the testpot, two coats, on to a A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) card leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the edges. This helps by creating a barrier of white so that you focus on the reality of the colour and the existing wall colour doesn't negatively influence how you see the colour.

The very large painted sample can be moved from wall to wall/room to room so that you can see how it alters with changing light. If you roll up the card into a tube with the colour innermost and look into the tube you will see the colour deeper. This is a very good indication of how much stronger a colour will look when all four walls are painted.

Colours always look deeper, or brighter or more coloured /never lighter, in an interior.

Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Ecru White
Resene Bianca
Resene Bianca
November 2018

Q. I was wondering if you can let me know what colour for weatherboards goes well with a Grey Friar metal roof?

A. Almost any colour will work with Grey Friars, that is probably why it is so popular. For something with a subtle green undertone you could choose Resene Quarter Titania or Resene Eighth Ash.

Some alternative options for you to look at might be one of these colours – Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Black White, Resene Merino or Resene Half Villa White.

Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Quarter Titania
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Eighth Ash
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
November 2018

Q. I'd appreciate some advice on choosing a colour and good match for our house. It's coastal about three blocks back from the sea. I'm keen on something contemporary and don't want dark colours for the main house. I’m happy to have a darker colour on windows etc. There is a nice porch at the front. The roof will be replaced with long run or similar soon so am not too fussed about matching what we've got.

A. It may be wise to check out the roofing colour options first so that you have an idea of what is available and in order to have freedom of choice. It would be a bit less than satisfactory if - after painting the house - the best roof colour to look good with it is the colour you like the least.

Colours are personal in that you either like them or you don't like them. Without knowing what you like the following are a selection of colours to get you started that may appeal to you - Option #1 - main colour - Resene Quill Grey, window sashes, frames and door frames etc - Resene Half Black White, colour trims - window sills and doors, handrails etc - Resene Grey Area (for a tonal look) or Resene Fast Forward (for a coastal inspired contrast).

Option #2 - main colour - Resene Quarter Coriander, window sashes, frames and door frames etc - Resene Elderflower, colour trims - window sills and doors, handrails etc - Resene Suits (a deep tonal look) or Resene Safehaven (a coastal inspired contrast).

There are a huge range of colours that look good - how you feel about colours does have a direct influence. These are just two options that will start you thinking about colours. Please visit your local Resene ColorShop to look at their Colour Library so you can see large real paint samples - it helps to judge the reality of the colours before testing colours with testpots.

Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Coriander
Resene Quarter Coriander
November 2018

Q. We are currently trying to choose the exterior colours for a new build home. At the moment, we are thinking about COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod for the roof and joinery, Resene Element (the Resene version of FlaxPod) for the horizontal weatherboards and a paler grey for the vertical weatherboards and then black for the front door and garage door. What colours would you suggest for the lighter grey vertical weatherboards? Do you think that having the roof, joinery and horizontal weatherboards all the same colour will look alright or should we consider another option to break this up?

A. I think the house will look smart with roof, joinery and horizontal boards the same colour. Some lighter grey colours that you might check out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Grey Area, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Kensington Grey, Resene Tapa or Resene Atmosphere.

Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Quill Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Kensington Grey
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
November 2018

Q. I am currently building a new house and am wanting to decorate in a French country theme. I am wanting a warm white not a cold white and am currently tossing up between Resene Alabaster or Resene Black White. What would you recommend please?

A. Resene Alabaster is a warmer white compared to Resene Black White. But it must be noted that in a room that faces to the south Resene Alabaster may not look warm. This is because south facing rooms make whites look much greyer and cool toned. Rooms that have a lot of shadow in them also may make Resene Alabaster look greyer/cooler. It is all about light and how lack of light and the natural axis (N/S/E/W) influences and alters how colours are seen. A true 'warm' white would have some element of yellow or red in it.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
November 2018

Q. My bathroom walls are painted in Resene Kournikova with Resene Enigma trim and a Resene Champagne ceiling. Can you suggest what would be a suitable colour for the door? I considered Resene Enigma but I think it would be too much I think.

A. If you have used Resene Enigma for the skirting boards and door frames then using it for the door makes sense. I wouldn't use the Resene Champagne (ceiling colour) on the door. You could use Resene Kournikova.

Resene Kournikova
Resene Kournikova
Resene Enigma
Resene Enigma
Resene Champagne
Resene Champagne
November 2018

Q. I am looking for an exterior colour that will make our cottage recede when viewed from the ridge. In spring, winter and autumn the surrounding hills are green and in summer they brown off to a gold. I have been looking at Resene Iko Iko but it is a bit yellow.

A. To help your home merge into the environment you could try the following colours: Resene Wilderness, Resene Double Tana, Resene Stone Age, Resene Eagle and Resene Half Coriander.

Resene Iko Iko
Resene Iko Iko

Resene Wilderness
Resene Wilderness
Resene Double Tana
Resene Double Tana
Resene Stone Age
Resene Stone Age
Resene Eagle
Resene Eagle
Resene Coriander
Resene Half Coriander
November 2018

Q. We are having trouble choosing a colour for the exterior of our house. The walls are Hardiplank®, the window joinery is white aluminium. We have recently painted the roof Resene Gauntlet, which is a bit lighter than we anticipated. We live in a rural coastal area with a lot of greenery. What do you suggest for the walls? We were thinking something with a greenish tone but are open to suggestions.

A. Sometimes the 45 degree angle of the roof and bright natural light steal the depth of a colour making it look a lot lighter than you might expect it to. The following colours might be worth checking out to see if they appeal to you – Resene Secrets (a pale colour may make you see the roof colour as being a bit deeper by comparison), Resene Ash (a smoky earthy green), Resene Quarter Lemon Grass (a warm green with a undertone of grey and yellow), Resene Helix (a merging of grey and green) or Resene Moon Mist (a yellow/grey/green neutral).

Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Secrets
Resene Secrets
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarter Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter
Lemon Grass
Resene Moon Mist
Resene Moon Mist
November 2018

Q. We are currently doing up our kitchen. We are completely replacing the ceiling in our kitchen and dining room. Our walls are currently Resene Half Spanish White. Should our ceiling be white? Can you recommend a good ceiling paint white that would match the walls? The bench top is black marble, one side of the island is dark grey and all other cupboards are light grey.

A. Coupled with the black bench top, light grey and dark grey cabinets I think Resene Half Spanish White is a good choice for the walls but you could go a little lighter - i.e. Resene Quarter Spanish White. Some white options for the ceilings in the kitchen and dining room might be one of the following – Resene Alabaster, Resene Quarter Bianca or Resene Eighth Spanish White (this may be too peachy). The lighter/whiter the ceiling is the better it reflects natural and artificial light around the room.

Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
November 2018

Q. I am building five adjoining townhouses and I am thinking of using Resene Sea Fog on the Hebel and Resene All Black on the LINEA® board. The roof will be Grey Friars along with the fascia and guttering. The aluminium joinery and garage door will be Ebony. The fencing will be Grey Friars wrought iron and block painted Resene Sea Fog. Can you please let me know if these colour would go together or should I change to something not so dark?

A. Grey Friars is a very popular steel blue toned charcoal. Ebony and Resene All Black are very hard edged blacks. Resene Sea Fog is a white with a warmed undertone. They should work well together. It is a very smart contemporary look. If you wanted a cooler type of white you might consider using Resene Poured Milk.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene All Black
Resene All Black
November 2018

Q. We are about to have our house re-roofed in COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. The roof trim needs a paint, as does the whole outside of the house which is currently white. Can you suggest a shade of white to match the roof, and should we paint our metal garage doors and wood trim Grey Friars or another contrast grey? We have some white and some brown aluminium window frames to work with. We'd also like suggestions for an area of faux brick brown cladding which is by our front door, and a front door colour (also currently brown).

Our house also has beading trim on the walls which has been painted black in the past (faux Tudor style), and some are another beige colour. Should we just paint all the beading whichever white we choose? I am after a neutral classic look. Basically we are wanting to build our exterior look from the roof, and paint all cladding and trim. It's a mishmash right now.

A. You could definitely paint the garage doors and wood trim in Resene Grey Friars - this is Resene version of the COLORSTEEL® colour of the same name. But the roof is often on a 45 degree angle to the sun and may look lighter than the paint on a vertical surface does. Natural light plays with colour and alters how it is seen.

No colour on the house will work equally with an existing white and the brown aluminium window joinery. But if you tone up the white it at least will say 'Not meant to match - meant to be happy in close proximity to other whites.

These 'whites' may appeal to you - I would be inclined to paint over the faux brick cladding so it merges in rather than pops out at you - but you may not want to do that - it is your choice. If you do wish to, you could try Resene Barely There, Resene Black White, Resene Quarter Iron or Resene Half Athens Grey.

I am not sure about painting the beading a softer version of the Grey Friars. It may look smart but not too attention seeking. Check out Resene Quarter Grey Friars to see if it appeals to you.

Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
   
November 2018

Q. I would like to paint my cream kitchen a new colour. The appliances are stainless steel. My pantry and kitchen are beige. Would grey or dark grey suit the colour?

A. Some warm mid toned greys may work well with the beige cabinets. You might check out these colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Gauntlet, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey or Resene Eighth Bokara Grey.

Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
November 2018

Q. We are going to stain our house in Resene Pitch Black CoolColour and would like to choose a roof colour.

A. If you are wanting a dark-on-dark colour scheme, I’d suggest using Resene Element or Resene Nocturnal. Or for something sympathetic to the environment use Resene Touchstone, Resene Karaka or Resene Canyon. Lighter neutrals (greys) would be Resene Gauntlet or Resene Double Stack.

Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Touchstone
Resene Touchstone
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Canyon
Resene Canyon
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
November 2018

Q. We are about to paint our 1920s villa interior. I love the colour Resene Good As Gold which I would love to paint our hallway in, which is quite dark and has rich matai floors. The bathroom, two bedrooms and living area come off the hallway. I am thinking Resene Organic in the living, dining and kitchen area which is north east facing. I would like to use a large floral wallpaper feature wall in the main bedroom which has all those colours in but I am stumped as to the right white and wall colour in the two bedrooms and bathroom. The bathroom I was thinking a dark green subway tile on the bath and shower side. I don’t really have a clue.

A. Resene Good As Gold is a rich gold that may look even stronger in a dark area with matai floors. Resene Organic is a yellow based green that is both fresh and soft toned.

Some other colours to try are: Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Balance, Resene Always, Resene Blue Chill, Resene Seance, Resene Moonlight or Resene Untamed.

If you choose a very definite coloured tile for the bathroom you may find that it constrains you from making any colour changes in the future as well as limiting what might work with the deep green tiles now.

Resene Good As Gold
Resene Good As Gold
Resene Organic
Resene Organic
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Balance
Resene Balance
Resene Always
Resene Always
Resene Blue Chill
Resene Blue Chill
Resene Seance
Resene Seance
   
November 2018

Q. Our bedroom window sills etc are Resene Champagne. We had an unopened tin that we used to repaint but would like to paint the walls in a lighter shade of the same.

A. You might like to try these colours: Resene Quarter Dutch White, Resene Half Villa White, Resene Quarter Solitaire or Resene Milk Punch.

Resene Champagne
Resene Champagne
Resene Quarter Dutch White
Resene Quarter
Dutch White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Half Villa White
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Quarter Solitaire
Resene Milk Punch
Resene Milk Punch
November 2018

Q. I have a Karaka roof and am wanting a colour suggestion for the exterior of our Hardiplank ex state house. Not white please. We also need colours for windows and trims.

A. Here are some colours that you might like to look at: Resene Copyrite, Resene Ravine, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Quarter Gravel.

All of these colours would look fantastic if you use a crisp white for the windows and trims, such as Resene Double Alabaster. This will also modernise the look of your home. If you would like to add some colour, perhaps try earthy browns, rusty oranges or greeny blues.

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.

Resene Copyrite
Resene Copyrite
Resene Ravine
Resene Ravine
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Tapa
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Quarter Gravel
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
November 2018

Q. I need a recommendation for three colours. I need a white for all my bedroom ceilings, there are so many whites I just don’t know what’s best. In the master bedroom I need a feature grey that has no blue undertone, just a straight darkish grey. Also what would go best with the white and feature grey for the rest of the walls?

A. Ceiling and trims – I would just buy ceiling paint (in white), so that is untinted. You don’t need a tinted ceiling paint, unless you have a high stud and want to visually bring the ceiling height down? For the trim colour you could use Resene Double Alabaster.

For the wall colour you could use Resene Sea Fog, Resene Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Foggy Grey or Resene Half Truffle.

For the feature wall you could use Resene Double Stack, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Gunsmoke or Resene Scarpa Flow.

Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Double Stack
Resene Double Stack
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
 
November 2018

Q. We would very much appreciate some advice around colour choices for staining our brand new backyard fence and garden steps. We are going to use Resene Woodsman wood oil stain but can't decide on a colour. Our house colour is currently white but this needs painting as well so may change in the near future. We are keen for the fence to NOT be 'the feature' of the yard - rather to keep focus on the lovely bush/trees we have surrounding us.

A. Our eye tends to ignore darker colours and see past to the view, so I’d suggest using a mid-deep colour for your fencing. Then beautiful lush greenery will pop and look amazing. Some options for you to try are Resene Banjul, Resene Iroko, Resene Sheer Black, Resene Shadow Match or Resene Touch Wood.

Resene have large Woodcare stands in all of our shops, and it would pay to pop in and see these stains on the timber samples before buying testpots. Hopefully you have some off-cuts that you can apply some stain on. I would stain both the fence and the steps in the same colour. If you were ever going to stain your deck, use a warmer colour (such as Resene Driftwood or Resene Natural) to off-set the deeper colour surrounding it. None of the colours I’ve suggested will be restricting for your new house colour.

Resene Banjul
Resene Banjul
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Sheer Black
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Touch Wood
Resene Touch Wood
Resene Natural
Resene Natural
Resene Colorwood Driftwood
Resene Driftwood
     
November 2018

Q. We are redecorating our villa lounge. We're using a wallpaper, which is mainly dark blue, with greens and peachy, caramel coloured proteas for our chimney breast. I'm trying to find a complementary colour for the rest of the room. It's a villa, so it has high white ceilings with rimu timber skirtings. I'd like a warm colour maybe that picks up the warm tones of the proteas.

A. Here are a few different accent colours that could work well with your wallpaper - Resene Desperado, Resene Rumour Has It, Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Beethoven or Resene Cashmere. You might like to use a deeper or richer colour on the wall (or part of a wall) directly next to the wallpaper for more impact, or use those colours as accents such as for cushions etc.

Resene Desperado
Resene Desperado
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Beethoven
Resene Beethoven
Resene Cashmere
Resene Cashmere
November 2018

Q. We have painted our entire house Resene Half White Pointer on the walls and Resene Alabaster skirting/doors/windows. Some rooms get a lot of sun and the rooms can look a bit stark. I want to do a feature wall in some rooms to add some interest. Could you recommend some colours for me? I am thinking darker charcoal greys maybe? Or navy/teal. The colour palette I like is charcoal, navy, gold and some pinky/coral.

A. The following are a broad selection of possible colours for you to consider using as features - Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Nocturnal, Resene Dark Side, Resene Safe Haven, Resene Gothic and possibly as accents and accessories rather than feature walls - Resene Simply Red or Resene Celebrate.

Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Gothic
Resene Gothic
Resene Simply Red
Resene Simply Red
Resene Celebrate
Resene Celebrate
   
November 2018

Q. Please advise me on the colour red you would suggest I paint my front door. My house is terracotta red brick with dark grey flecks, and the corrugated iron roof is Resene Karaka.

A. Sometimes picking a red to work in close association with terracotta red bricks can be tricky as some types of red don't want to 'play nice' with another red close by.

You might check out the following colours to see if one of them appeal to you as well as looking appropriate with the other earthy colours on the house - Resene Hot Chile, Resene Dynamite, Resene Courage or Resene Tall Poppy.

If these reds still refuse to 'play nice' with the bricks you might consider some other colours – Resene El Paso or Resene Pizza.

Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Hot Chile
Resene Dynamite
Resene Dynamite
Resene Courage
Resene Courage
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene Tall Poppy
Resene El Paso
Resene El Paso
Resene Pizza
Resene Pizza
 
November 2018

Q. I want to obtain a darker colour that would match with Resene Fuscous Grey, enough to notice a difference. My house is very 'tall' (3 storeys), so what I’m seeking is a contrast darker than Resene Fuscous Grey.

A. In order to have a darker colour and a noticeable contrast to Resene Fuscous Grey, you may need to consider using a black. The following are two blacks you might consider - Resene Blackjack or Resene Bokara Grey.

A simpler way of achieving a light and deep version of the same colour might be to use Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey and Resene Fuscous Grey.

Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Blackjack
Resene Blackjack
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey
Resene Quarter
Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
November 2018

Q. I’ve recently painted the lower half of my two storey home in Resene Half Mako. I wanted to paint the top storey a blue/grey/green colour, what would you recommend?

A. One of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Gull Grey, Resene Periglacial Blue or Resene Bounty.

Resene Half Mako
Resene Half Mako
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Periglacial Blue
Resene Bounty
Resene Bounty
November 2018

Q. We are looking to repaint the exterior of our house and have no idea what colour we should be looking to use. The window joinery is Karaka and the roof Ironsand. We are also looking to paint the front door so the colour of this can change as well.

A. The following are a few colours that may be worth checking out - Resene Triple Merino, Resene Cloud, Resene Tea, Resene Ash, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Quarter Grey Olive.


Resene Triple Merino
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
Resene Quarter Grey Olive
November 2018

Q. In regard to COLORSTEEL® roofing and aluminium joinery. Nearly every new build I look at seems to have black roofing and joinery. Is it going to date at all soon and what is the closest dark grey to black that doesn't have a bronze, blue or green hue? We have an external brick feature, with the remainder of the outside being weatherboard and lots of glass.

A. The colour you are probably talking about is COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars, a steel blue toned charcoal. If you wanted a similar look without the blue undertone, you might look at using COLORSTEEL® TernStyle or COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod. Darker/blacker COLORSTEEL® might be Slate or Ebony.

Black, grey and white are fundamental neutrals which never date - unlike very definite colours like red, green, blue and ochre/golds - which do tend to date.

I suggest you get real metal samples of COLORSTEEL® colours and compare them so you can see the different undertones of colour that they have then you can better judge them.

November 2018

Q. I would like some help with painting the walls of my open plan living area of my new home. There are various ceiling heights with the main being 3.4m. Would Resene Sea Fog look ok with light American oak flooring and Sandstone Grey aluminium window joinery? Also, would this look ok with Resene Double Sea Fog kitchen cabinets and a pale grey marble like Caesarstone bench top (Georgian buffs)? I am hoping this won't look too cold. Also, what colour would you suggest for the ceiling – Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Alabaster?

A. Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Alabaster are slightly warmed whites. Using variations of white (layering), helps the whole look come together, in a very pleasant way.

Adding things like timber furniture, natural fibres, warm coloured accessories, drapes and rugs will add a lot of warmth and visual interest to the living area. It is when you have absolutely nothing at all in the rooms that there is the danger that rooms will look cold.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Half Sea Fog
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
November 2018

Q. We are looking for a colour that would suit the whole interior of the house. Some rooms are grey based and others are brown based. I have been told to get a ‘greige’ (grey beige) colour to suit both areas. I thought the Resene White Pointer shades would suit. Do you have another suggestion that would be as versatile/neutral for all the areas in the home?

A. Try these neutrals - Resene Quarter Truffle and Resene Half Cloud - and compare them to Resene White Pointer to see how they respond to the different qualities of light - both natural and artificial - that alter how colours are seen in each space.

Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Half Cloud
Resene Half Cloud
November 2018

Q. Can you please advise on a good 'transition' neutral between the kitchen (Resene Half Tea) and the laundry (Resene Spanish White)? The hallway adjoining both is small. The door/window frames and architraves are in Resene Double Alabaster. I need to buy more paint so could have a third colour if you suggest.

A. Have you considered painting the walls in the same colour as the woodwork? It is the already existing transitional colour and if it was a low sheen finish, it may look subtly different to the woodwork which is possibly semi-gloss enamel? Sometimes small hallways are great places to display family photos - hallways are places that often have no windows so photos won't fade as they would in bright sunny rooms. Alternatively you could display art - paintings, prints or other media - and then it is a little gallery. Any colours will bounce off the 'gallery white' walls.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
November 2018

Q. I need to paint the exterior of my rental. It presently has a concrete tile roof but I will be redoing it in the next few years, so roof colours to match would also be appreciated. It's an ex-state house.

A. Some colour ideas with roof colour in brackets - Resene Orchid White – main, Resene Quarter Bianca - windows surrounds and sashes/under soffits/door frames, Resene Triple Duck Egg - gables/doors/window sill edge, with a roof in COLORSTEEL® Storm Blue, or Resene Titania – main, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta - windows surrounds and sashes/under soffits/door frames, Resene Greige - gables/doors/window sill edge with COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey.

Resene Orchid White
Resene Orchid White
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
 
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Greige
Resene Greige
November 2018

Q. I’m just starting to paint the house Resene Thorndon Cream. The soffit and windows will be Resene Half Alabaster, the garage door and roof will be Resene Grey Friars and the concrete stairs will be Resene Quarter Grey Friars.

I was thinking of staining the deck, possibly using Resene Woodsman or a Kwila colour. We need to paint the surround of the deck and poles but I don’t know what colour. Will it look weird having stain on the deck and a paint colour on the edge of the deck? Please help with a colour to paint.

A. If the edge of the decks and posts and any timbers that enclosed the base of the deck were painted to match the house, it may work better than choosing another colour. I am thinking if you chose Resene Quarter Grey Friars like the concrete steps, it would slash through the overall height of the house creating a sandwich effect. Using the house colour it would be a tidy look. The deck floor could be stained in one of the Resene Woodsman stain colours or just enhanced with a natural look of Resene Furniture and Decking Oil.

Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
November 2018

Q. I am hoping someone can help me with some suggestions. I need to paint the front facade of an old house, to make it look a little better. The house is ugly with odd shaped windows. I was thinking of painting the house itself a grey and the pitched roof fascia and enclosed balcony roof, white. But I am not sure what to do with the windows. I am also not sure what colour grey to go with.

A. You may look at these grey colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Rakaia, Resene Atmosphere, Resene Surrender or Resene Triple Concrete.

These are paler greys with interesting undertones of colour in them. If you were to do the windows and other details you mention in a white - Resene Quarter Black White - it would give a crisp contrast.

Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
November 2018

Q. We have a solid plaster home, which is currently painted beige. We want to repaint it. Our roof, gutter and garage door are COLORSTEEL® Ironsand and our joinery is Rivergum Beige. Our minor dwelling 50m from our house, is newer and is black with white joinery. I have been thinking of going for a dark grey and tried a sample of Resene Mortar and Resene Tundora. I’m wondering if that dark grey colour is on its way out of trend. Also, I am concerned that Resene Mortar may be too purple. Can you suggest what would look good for our home exterior colours? Perhaps we should go for lighter colours in grey or maybe a darker beige/grey. Or do you think Resene Mortar will look good - or another dark grey? I’m a bit literal so I often wouldn’t think to put colours together until I see other people do it - then I like it.

A. Resene Mortar may reflect too much red/purple undertone. Resene Tundora may be better because the yellow/red undertone it has looks a bit more co-ordinated with Ironsand. However, you might consider using Resene Eighth Ironsand. This is related to the Ironsand roof etc and would be the darkest colour I personally would consider - my main worry is that it would look heavy and oppressive. Dark colours can do that.

Light to mid-toned grey/beige colours that would look good and create a warm contrast to the Ironsand and the pink edged beige - Rivergum Beige of the window joinery might be one of these colours - Resene Half Cougar, Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Truffle or Resene Rockbottom.

Resene Mortar
Resene Mortar
Resene Tundora
Resene Tundora
     
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Half Cougar
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Quarter Sandstone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Rockbottom
Resene Rockbottom
November 2018

Q. I have a property the same as your Pale Beauty cottage that appears on your website. I love the Resene Quarter Stack main colour and Resene Alabaster detail, however I can’t pick a third feature colour for very fine minor details/maybe even the front door. I’ve seen Navy type colour schemes but would love to hear of another option. It is a rental property now but may be required to sell.

A. You might check out the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Fast Forward, Resene Atlas, Resene Smoulder or Resene Porter.

Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Quarter Stack
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Atlas
Resene Atlas
November 2018

Q. Would you have any suggestions/options for an exterior colour scheme, in a grey palette for a 60s house? It is an award winning architecture building from 1962, which is now in need of freshening up.

A. You don't mention what type of grey (light or dark) you are thinking of but the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Grey Seal, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Delta, Resene Tapa or Resene Half Gravel.

Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Half Gravel
Resene Half Gravel
November 2018

Q. I want to paint a large shed which is located right next to my house. The joinery is Scoria and the roof is Karaka (somewhat faded) on both the house and shed, excepting for white, wooden French doors on the shed, which need painting. It needs to tie in with my house as the shed is next door.

The house is a cream brick with terracotta accents. I would like to keep a rural/earthy scheme and am not scared of a strong colour. I have tried Resene Brown Sugar on the shed which I liked but I'm not sure it looks great against the Scoria joinery. I would eventually also like to paint the front of my garage in the same colour to tie it all in.

A. I would be inclined to go for a very simple look on the shed. Trying to match the house bricks or terracotta infill bricks may not work as well as you would like it to.

If you painted a lighter variant of Karaka, - i.e. Resene Quarter Karaka and did the posts, fascia, battens and door frames in a warm earthy cream - possibly Resene Quarter Sisal or lighter - Resene Eighth Sisal, it may be enough to tie both buildings together. The French doors could be a bit more definite a colour - Resene Pioneer Red - which is not as deep as the Scoria and not as orange toned as the terracotta strip brick on the house.

Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Karaka
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Pioneer Red
Resene Pioneer Red
November 2018

Q. We are painting the outside of our home which is pretty much Log Cabin and bricks. We are worried we will pick a colour that doesn't complement the joinery. We have sampled Resene Half Napa, Resene Delta and Resene Atmosphere.

A. Perhaps you might check out the following warmer grey/beige colours as they may sit better with the colours in the bricks and what looks like Karaka window joinery - Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Grey Area or Resene Dusted Grey.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Delta
Resene Delta
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
 
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Foggy Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Half Tapa
Resene Dusted Grey
Resene Dusted Grey
November 2018

Q. It is time to paint my mother's house and we are trying to decide colours. It is a 1950s weatherboard house. We are looking to update it to a more modern colour palette. It has a dark brown roof and guttering. We have painted a testpot of Resene Cougar onto a wall and like it. If we go ahead with this colour, we were wondering what colours we would use for the window frames, sills and soffits. Do you have any suggestions or an alternative weatherboard suggestion?

A. Trim colours to go with Resene Cougar might be like these ones - Resene Sea Fog or Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream. An alternative option for a main colour and trims might be like these ones - Resene Quarter Arrowtown or Resene Merino.

Resene Cougar
Resene Cougar
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Arrowtown
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
November 2018

Q. Our preferred colour for the inside of our north facing house is Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream with low sheen on the walls and semi-gloss on woodwork. What colour would be best for the ceiling please?

A. One of these whites may appeal to you - Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Half Black White or Resene Alabaster or if you wanted the ceiling to almost match the wall colour, you might look at using Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Eighth Rice Cake
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
November 2018

Q. We are doing a new house build and trying to figure out colours. We are thinking we will go Grey Friars (or possibly Thunder Grey) for the COLORSTEEL® roof and garage door. We just need to decide on the colours for the Rockcote and LINEA®. We are thinking something like Resene Quarter Friar Greystone for the Rockcote and then need a white that will match for the LINEA®. Can you tell me what whites would go with that, also some contrasting whites that we could use for the aluminium joinery (or is it better to just keep the same white)? Also, could you suggest any other colours that would be similar for the Rockcote and LINEA®? We don't want it to be too dark. It has to be quite neutral, not too brown or green. I quite like Resene Titania. We thought we liked Resene Truffle but when we tried the testpot it came out too brown.

A. The two roof colours are totally different to each other.

If you chose COLORSTEEL® Thunder Grey (an earthy swampy olive grey) for the roof and the garage door, then Resene Quarter Friar Greystone for the Rockcote and Titania for the joinery would work well together. Then you could use Resene Titania for the LINEA®. You could reverse these colours and use Resene Titania on the Rockcote and Resene Quarter Friar Greystone on the LINEA® as an alternative. This palette of colours is earthy and warm – it is neither too grey nor too brown.

If you chose COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars for the roof and garage door (a steel blue toned charcoal) then you may need to cool off your main house colours and joinery options. Perhaps Resene Silver Chalice for the Rockcote, Resene Quarter Grey Friars for the LINEA® and Arctic White (a very cool blue edged white) for the joinery. I am not sure I would use a colour match to Arctic White for the LINEA® as it is really quite blue toned.

Another roof colour for you to consider is COLORSTEEL® TernStyle - it is a warm grey not a steel blue edged grey like Grey Friars or as olive toned as Thunder Grey. It works well with the following colours - Resene Atmosphere for the LINEA®, Resene Quarter Atmosphere for the Rockcote and Gull Grey or Silver Pearl for the joinery.

It pays to get real metal powder coated samples so that you can compare them - you get a far better idea of the reality of the colours that way. You can also view A4 colour samples of the paint colours I have mentioned in the in store colour library at your local Resene ColorShop. There is nothing as helpful as seeing large real paint colour samples.

Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
Resene Quarter Grey Friars
 
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
Resene Quarter Atmosphere
 
November 2018

Q. We are painting our weatherboard house Resene Taupe Grey with Resene Karaka gutters and roof and white downpipes. At present the soffits are mostly various shades of white. Would it look weird to paint them Resene Taupe Grey too?

A. You don't mention what colour you are considering to use on all the window surrounds and sashes.

If you are using a standard white - Resene White - then using that under the soffits (as well as having white (PVC) downpipes makes sense). If the downpipes were the only white on the whole house, and the under soffits and the windows were a colour, they would look a little lonely.

If you had it in mind to paint the white (PVC) downpipes, which a lot of people do so they don't jump off the body of the house, trying to gain your attention visibly then you could do both the downpipes, windows and the under soffits in a paler version of the house colour - i.e. Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
November 2018

Q. I have a Rockcote plastered house with a Grey Friars roof and Grey Friars aluminium windows and doors. The windows are recessed 60mm. They are currently Resene Half Napa. We thought we could paint the recessed areas Grey Friars and the house a complementary colour but not a dark one. It’s on the hill in bright sunshine.

A. If you do decide to paint the recesses to match the window joinery, as the paint and the powder coat ages over time, they will possibly fade - but they may not fade evenly.

For a light complementary colour, you could try - Resene Truffle, Resene Cloud, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Surrender or Resene Half Mountain Mist.

Resene Half Napa
Resene Half Napa
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Cloud
Resene Cloud
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender

Resene Half Mountain Mist
November 2018

Q. We want to repaint our newly purchased house, as most walls are a baby green colour which we hate. Our furniture is new and we went with grey and whites, with pink and blue pastels thrown in. What wall colours would you recommend for these spaces? We don’t really want just plain white, although it would be an improvement on the current colour.

A. You may be wise to 'wipe out' the green by undercoating it all in white so that you get a fresh perspective of the room and light - both natural and artificial. That will also allow you to test colours and see them as they really are. Painting test samples against coloured walls is frustrating. You don't see the reality of the test colour because of the greater amount of wall colour negatively affecting it.

I think you may find some grey based whites work for you and certainly the following are a good start point to check out - Resene House White, Resene Barely There, Resene Double Black White, Resene Seashell or Resene Half Athens Grey.

Resene House White
Resene House White
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Seashell
Resene Seashell
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
November 2018

Q. What colour do you think would match our beach living area? I would like an off white or just something more modern. We want to lift the carpet and put light wood flooring down.

A. Off-white will brighten up your space and give you that crisp coastal look and feel you’re after. Here are some colours for you to look at - Resene Merino, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Cararra.

These colours each have slightly different undertones; this is to give you options for your flooring – which should be chosen before the paint colour. If you have a lot of warmer tones in your furniture Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Cararra may be better options. I strongly suggest you pop into one of our Resene ColorShops and ask to see larger A4 sizes of each of the colours before buying testpots.

Resene Merino
Resene Merino
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
November 2018

Q. We have an A Frame bach that is going to be re-roofed in Grey Friars long run. Our joinery is a colour called Bronco and the house paint colour is currently Sandstone. I don't feel Sandstone will go with the new roof colour. A grey tone would be better. Can you please suggest a new house colour to tie in with the Bronco joinery and Grey Friars roof colour?

A. Due to the colour of the joinery, I’ve chosen colours that all have some degree of brown undertone, so that they don’t clash too much. All of these colours come in deeper shades and some will have lighter options, I suggest you pop into your nearest Resene ColorShop and ask the staff to show you larger A4 drawdown swatches of each of these colours - Resene Half Friar Greystone , Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Quarter Stonehenge or Resene Truffle - along with Bronco and Grey Friars so you can see how they look together.

Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
November 2018

Q. I’ve recently stained my wooden house with Resene Shadow Match. I am now looking to paint the roof and spouting. My original plan was to use Ironsand on the roof. But I’m unsure if the two will go together. Which colour would you recommend?

A. If you want the dark-on-dark look, here are some options for you - Resene Element, Resene Nocturnal or Resene Quarter Bokara Grey.
If you would like a contrast between the Resene Sheer Black and your roof, try Resene Gauntlet.

I would still test the Ironsand to see if you like the look. It will be browner than your stain, but Resene Sheer Black is meant to have a slight brown undertone to keep it a warmer charcoal, so these could end up working well.

Roof colours will appear lighter because of the angle; keep this in mind when choosing a colour.

Resene Shadow Match
Resene Shadow Match
Resene Element
Resene Element
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
November 2018

Q. I am planning on painting our bedroom in either Resene Willow Brook or Resene Ying Yang. There are built in shelves in the room which I would like to paint white. Which whites would you recommend?

A. Here are some warm whites to work with your two wall options - Resene Saltpan, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Elderflower.

There isn’t too much difference between these, so I advise that you view larger A4 drawdown paint samples at your Resene ColorShop in their Colour Library before selecting one or two to test with a testpot.

Resene Willow Brook
Resene Willow Brook
Resene Ying Yang
Resene Ying Yang
Resene Saltpan
Resene Saltpan
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
November 2018

Q. I am painting four rooms in my house, three of which have rimu trim. Those three will be Resene Spanish White (bedroom 1, gets lots of morning sun) and Resene Quarter Spanish White (bedroom 2, south facing - and hallway, enclosed by other rooms). I'm aiming for a warm and cosy atmosphere.

The toilet will either be Resene Cut Glass or Resene Half Cut Glass. What would be a good colour for the ceilings of all of these and what about the trim and back of the door in the toilet? This is currently a creamy white. I don't think creamy colours go well for the trim next to Resene Cut Glass. I was thinking Resene Designer White but I am open to your suggestions.

A. If you want a ceiling colour to go with all of the colours in each room, then you can't go wrong with white - yes real white - Resene White. It works with every colour.

If you use either Resene Cut Glass or Resene Half Cut Glass, a real crisp clean white will work beautifully. I am not 100% certain about a coloured white - especially not Resene Designer White which is a very pretty lilac tinted white, which may clash with the sweetness of your blue.

If you don't like real white you may look at Resene Quarter Alabaster which has a sharp edge of the white softened.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene Half Cut Glass
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
   
November 2018

Q. I am looking at changing our kitchen/dining room walls. Our kitchen bench is a green/blue colour, as is the floor vinyl. The cupboard joinery etc. is a light sand colour. At the moment the walls are Resene Double Tea. Would you have any suggestions?

A. Perhaps you might consider a much lighter/whiter type of wall colour so that the cabinets will appear to be a deeper tone - Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Half Rice Cake, Resene Half Orchid White or Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Half Orchid White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
November 2018

Q. We are planning a kitchen renovation and have chosen Caesarstone Frosty Carrina for the benchtops, on the working surfaces and we have chosen American oak for the breakfast bar, servery area (two sides) and the open shelves by the concealed rangehood. There are no windows in the kitchen itself, as the light source comes from the adjoining conservatory and open plan dining area. You can see the large gap over the sink area looking in to the conservatory.

There is plenty of light as the conservatory has three large skylights as well as floor to ceiling windows/doors on three sides, and is north facing. We currently have Resene Tea on the kitchen, dining area and conservatory walls, which we would like to keep. Can you suggest a white that we can use for the kitchen cabinets which will complement Resene Tea and the Caesarstone colour, which is described as ‘beautiful soft ivory white with delicate powdery grey veins’? I was thinking of Resene Black White or even Resene White Pointer, full, half or quarter. Just not sure if they are a good match with the stone, oak and Resene Tea!

A. I have looked at the Caesarstone colour and I am inclined to think Resene Black White may look too cool compared to the wall colour, the Caesarstone and flooring. You might look at Resene Quarter White Pointer, but you might also check out one of these colours to see if they appeal to you - and compare them with each other and the Resene Quarter White Pointer - Resene Double Alabaster, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Quarter Milk White or Resene Half Merino.

If you could pop into a Resene ColorShop with a sample of the Caesarstone to view the A4 real paint samples in their Colour Library (and look at a sample of Resene Tea as well) and compare them to real white, it will help you a lot. A sheet of white printer paper overlaying the colour samples, will help you see the underlying tints and tones in the 'whites' and then seeing them with the Caesarstone it may be much easier to judge which white will work best.

Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
   
Resene Quarter White Pointer
Resene Quarter
White Pointer
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Quarter Milk White
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
November 2018

Q. We have bought a two storey plastered house in the country. The exterior of the house is painted yellow, with Rivergum beige windows and doors. It has a black/grey tiled roof and Ironsand garage doors. Because I can't change the window colour, I am thinking of going with Resene Biscotti. But I am confused because it also has a separate three bay garage, in Titania and Ironsand. It has really thrown me as what to paint the exterior of the house.

A. This is one of those no win situations. If you make the house look really nice with the Rivergum Beige window joinery, the Titania garages will look to be the 'odd man out'. If you painted the house to match the garages, then the house would look very mismatched with the Rivergum Beige.

Getting the house to look perfect is more important. Perhaps you could consider as a fuller option - paint the garages to match the house. Or replace the Rivergum Beige window joinery with a white like Appliance White, which will work with any paint colour at all - especially Titania - so it would then match the garages.

Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
November 2018

Q. I'm finding it really hard to decide on a tone of grey for the weatherboards on our double bay bungalow. We started with Resene Quarter Grey Chateau but it's too light and has a purple sort of tone. We want to now go a darker grey (but not too dark) and are considering Resene Half Stack. The trims are to be white (as they currently are). The roof is currently quite light but will eventually be painted with Resene Grey Friars once the chimney is removed. Are you able to suggest anything? Is there a grey that is common for bungalows/villas? The interior is white and modern. The back of the house gets a lot of sun but the front not so much.

A. All greys carry undertones of colour in them. Without comparing them with each other, you may not be aware of this.

There are no 'right' greys that are common for bungalows/villas - people choose what appeals to them for all sorts of reasons. Colours on an exterior have the potential to look half the depth that you might imagine they will do. If you are considering Resene Half Stack, it may look like Resene Quarter Stack especially on the sunny side of the house. Would that be ok?

If you are considering painting the roof in Resene Grey Friars, which is a steel blue influenced charcoal; you might look at some of these mid-toned greys to see if they appeal to you - Resene Gull Grey, Resene Half Gunsmoke, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Transmission or Resene Revolution.

FYI - colours look quite different on each side of the house. If you test paint, I always suggest you paint all of the testpot (two coats) onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) leaving a narrow unpainted border all around the perimeter. The white unpainted border allows you to see the tested colour without the existing paint colour negatively influencing it when you tape it on the wall. You can move the card from wall to wall and watch how it alters in changing natural light. You can see the colour close up and from further away. The very large sample is the perfect size to see the reality of the colour.

Resene Half Stack
Resene Half Stack
Resene Grey Friars
Resene Grey Friars
     
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Gull Grey
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Half Gunsmoke
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Transmission
Resene Transmission
Resene Revolution
Resene Revolution
November 2018

Q. What is the best matt black for a media room?

A. The best ‘matt’ paint for a media room would be Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel. This is a hardwearing waterbased paint and available in all colours, including black.

November 2018

Q. I'm trying to match a Resene colour I used in 2007 or 2009. It’s Resene Zylone SpaceCote waterborne enamel low sheen interior and the hand written label calls it Resene Gallery. What do I need to do to get the same colour please?

A. Resene Gallery is a standard colour of ours and can be easily found in our system and tinted for you.

Resene Gallery
Resene Gallery
November 2018

Q. We have a cedar house that is due for an exterior stain. It currently has a light green colour on it and we are having trouble choosing a new colour. We like having a light colour and we were told to choose a dark colour to cover the current one. What would be a good option for us?

A. You do not need to apply a dark colour stain, you just need to be aware that your current colour will influence how your new colour looks.

First thing is to wash your house down with Resene Timber and Deck Wash or Resene Moss & Mould Killer. You can then apply your new stain over the top of your existing one. Colours you might be interested in are: Resene Equilibrium, Resene Limed Ash or Resene Whitewash.

I would test a small area with your chosen colour to ensure you like the look. Testpots are available from all of our Resene ColorShops.

Resene Equilibrium
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Whitewash
Resene Whitewash
November 2018

Q. Could you please suggest a mid-grey colour for my exterior walls that are monolithic plaster? My roof, barge boards and spouting are all Ironsand. I like Resene Quarter Ironsand but because of the plaster cladding I think it is too dark. I prefer a darker colour rather than the contrast of a light colour.

A. Here are some colours you might like to look at. These are all grey colours (with undertones of brown or warmth) and most of these can be made darker if required: Resene Friar Greystone , Resene Tapa, Resene Stack or Resene Scarpa Flow.

Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Quarter Ironsand
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Tapa
Resene Tapa
Resene Stack
Resene Stack
Resene Scarpa Flow
Resene Scarpa Flow
November 2018

Q. I have a faded Half Denim Blue roof and aluminium windows and need a colour for the stucco exterior walls, I wanted a grey but preferably with earthy undertones (I don't want it looking purple or blue), I like Resene Tana but I'm worried it is too green. What do you think?

A. Here are some earthy grey colours for you to look at: Resene Half Ash, Resene Eighth Tapa, Resene Half Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Eighth Arrowtown.

These all have slightly different undertones but none are quite as green as the Resene Tana family. The Resene Ash family has a green undertone but is greyer than Resene Tana, this could work really well for you. Remember that these colours come in lighter or darker versions too.

Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene HalfFoggy Grey
Resene Half Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Resene Eighth Arrowtown
November 2018

Q. What is a good colour to paint a deck when the house is painted in Resene Grey Chateau and the window trim and deck railing is Resene Alabaster?

A. If the timber is bare and never had a coating; I would be inclined to stain it in a deeper colour like Resene Tiri or Resene Iroko, or a natural tone like Resene Driftwood, to add warmth to the scheme.

If you are going to paint the deck, you’ll need to use lighter colours or run the risk of the paint failing and timber moving. Here are some options for you: Resene Raven, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Half Friar Greystone .

Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Grey Chateau
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene  Woodsman Tiri
Resene Tiri
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
Resene Colorwood Driftwood
Resene Driftwood
Resene Raven
Resene Raven
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Half Friar Greystone
Resene Half Friar Greystone
   
November 2018

Q. Is Resene Double Black White a warm colour? If not what white is? It is for a dark living room.

A. The Resene Black White family is off-white with a grey undertone. It certainly is not a cold colour (it’s not a blue or purple colour) but is greyer than something like Resene Rice Cake or Resene Half Pearl Lusta for example. A yellow undertone would give you a warmer feeling; here are some colours to try: Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Pearl Lusta or Resene Cararra.

If these are too yellow, try the Resene Rice Cake family which sits in between grey and yellow.

Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Half Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Cararra
Resene Cararra
November 2018

Q. We would like to paint out the red brick on our house but not have to change the black we have. There are a few black houses on our street. Should we paint it black? Or go for something else modern like grey or taupe?

A. You say 'there are a few black houses on your street' and that is because it is a trend - and painting over brick is another trend that is popular. Trends do change and this is always something to keep in mind.

If you are intent on painting over the bricks then I think a warmer taupe colour may look smart. I worry a bit about using cooler greys as it can make a house look like unpainted concrete and I am not sure that is the look you want to achieve.

You could check out the following colours plus lighter versions for the block work are listed alongside in brackets - Resene Stonehenge (Resene Eighth Stonehenge) or Resene Friar Greystone (Resene Quarter Friar Greystone ), or for lighter tones - Resene Triple Truffle (Resene Half Truffle), or Resene Taupe Grey (Resene Quarter Taupe Grey).

Resene Stonehenge
Resene Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Grey
Resene Taupe Grey
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
November 2018

Q. I have Resene Half Akaroa walls, white ceilings and trims, and the windows are in Karaka aluminium joinery. I would like a darker finish on the doors. Would something like Resene Half Oilskin work? Or do you have any other recommendations that I could look at for the doors?

A. Yes it is a deep toned brown that you could use if you liked it. A few other colours worth checking on also are the following - Resene Eighth Mondo, Resene Stonewashed or Resene Double Napa.

They are slightly softer tones. You do need to remember that usually there are a lot of doors in a house and all colours appear deeper so the effect of a deep colour is doubled or even tripled in depth.

Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Akaroa
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Half Oilskin
Resene Eighth Mondo
Resene Eighth Mondo
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Stonewashed
Resene Double Napa
Resene Double Napa
November 2018

Q. What is a good white/cream tone for skirting boards and door surrounds? The walls are a range of colours in peregrine blue and dusky purple. I'm also looking for a white tone for the bathroom where tiles are white with red grouting. Needs to not be too stark.

A. These creamy/whites might be checked out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Half Bianca, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Villa White. If you wanted a cream that was more definite these colours have deeper versions available.

A white that isn't too stark for the bathroom might be one of these ones – Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Quarter Black White or Quarter Wan White.

If you did find these whites too 'white' there are other versions of the colours to check out also.

Resene Half Bianca
Resene Half Bianca
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Quarter Villa White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Black White
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
November 2018

Q. I am trying to find a colour scheme for the exterior of my house. I have a Karaka COLORSTEEL® roof that I cannot change. I would love some advice from one of your colour consultants.

A. Some of the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Ash, Resene Fossil, Resene Double Merino or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.

Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Fossil
Resene Fossil
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
November 2018

Q. We are in the process of choosing an exterior house colour to go with a matt Grey Friar garage door and a Tomcat front door. We’re tossing up between Resene Truffle and Resene Eighth Stonehenge but are worried that both these colours may turn out lighter/darker than what we imagine. We’re trying to ’modernise’ the house, while retaining some warmth so are thinking Resene Eighth Stonehenge might be a better choice.

A. You are correct in thinking that colours on an exterior will look much lighter - bright natural light strips back the depth of the colour. To better describe how customers will see their exterior house colour, I tell them it may look as light as a half tone version of the colour they are considering.

Resene Eighth Stonehenge is a slightly greyer colour compared to Resene Truffle but it is not much deeper in tone.

You could try Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Double Truffle or Resene Quarter Friar Greystone . They will work well with the garage door colour and the front door colour.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Eighth Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
November 2018

Q. I'm painting the exterior walls of my villa in the colour Resene Concrete and absolutely love it! I would like to create a classic colour scheme but put my own little touch on it that, if the new owners decided they didn't like it, would be easy enough to change.

I'm needing a second opinion on the following: walls – Resene Concrete, all window frames in a white (haven't chosen that yet), fretwork (yet to be replaced), top of eaves, guttering and front picket fence in Resene Double Foundry, and front door in Resene Retreat.

I'm uncertain if I should frame the front door with a lot of the Resene Double Foundry for a dramatic look. I am close to the beach and we get loads of sun, so a blue/green door really appeals but I want the house to look smart and crisp and not tacky.

I have a lot of white flowers and black mondo grasses along with tropical plants and a beautiful Pohutukawa.

A. The overall scheme sounds great, I might just make a couple of suggestions around depth of colour though.

Instead of the Resene Double Foundry, which is very dark and almost black, perhaps you could look at either Resene Double Tuna or Resene Half Foundry. These two retain more colour, while still being a sophisticated option. As for your ‘white’, I would just use Resene Alabaster. This will give you a really nice crisp and fresh look, without being really stark and bright.

As for the blue, you could try these colours as an alternative – Resene St Tropez, Resene Bowie or Resene Calypso.

Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Retreat
Resene Retreat
Resene Double Tuna
Resene Double Tuna
Resene Half Foundry
Resene Half Foundry
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene St Tropaz
Resene St Tropaz
Resene Bowie
Resene Bowie
Resene Calypso
Resene Calypso
November 2018

Q. When I have saved enough money, I wish to paint the exterior of my house and deck (possibly stain the floor of the deck a dark colour and paint the rails of the deck to match the existing window frame colour or to blend in with the house rather than dominating like the current dark brown colour does). It's a little cottage, and I'd like it to look pretty, cheerful and stylish, with a sense of colour, without being totally gaudy. I want something that lifts your spirits when you go home. I don't mind being a little experimental. I particularly like it when contrasting colours make each other sing. Currently the front door is glass with a brown wooden frame, which could be painted. The roof can't be seen from the street, so the colour of that isn't really relevant. What would you suggest?

A. Pretty might be like these colours - Resene Despacito - main colour, Resene Quarter Bianca - windows and deck rails, Resene Safehaven - doors, gables, base of deck/steps and Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar - floor of deck.

Stylish might be like these colours - Resene Helix - main colour, Resene Alabaster - windows and deck rails, Resene Templestone - doors, gables, base of deck/steps and Resene Woodsman Limed Ash - floor of deck.

Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Quarter Bianca
Resene Woodsman Bleached Cedar
Resene Bleached Cedar
 
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Limed Ash
Resene Limed Ash
November 2018

Q. We are repainting our two storey place. At the moment we have a brown carpet so the paint needs to be something that will complement it. In relation to paint, we like Resene Truffle but after doing a spot paint, we think it won't match the colour.

We tested Resene Truffle as well as Resene Quarter Truffle for the walls. Resene Quarter Truffle we thought looked too light; also like white so we didn't like it.

Another option that we are looking at is Resene Tea. We think that this would match the carpet.
1) What would be a good colour for ceilings and trims if we used Resene Tea? We were looking at Resene Black White. Would this match?
2) We would like the doors to be slightly darker than the walls. Which shade of Resene Tea?
3) Is there an option to using Resene Tea for ceilings, maybe a few shades lighter than the wall and doors could be a few shades darker than the wall?
4) Are there any other colours which you would recommend?
5) We plan to use Resene Locust on one of the walls in the lounge as a feature, so the wall colour needs to also complement this.

A. If you did use Resene Tea as the wall colour, then Resene Quarter Tea for the ceiling and Resene Double Tea for the doors it would look well balanced and harmonious.

But it is important to know that colours in an interior can look quite a bit deeper than you might imagine. If after careful testing of the colours you find that this is the case, you might use Resene Half Tea for the walls and the painted wood trims and doors, just relying on the different sheen level (using Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss enamel) of the doors and other wooden trims to create visual contrast. A lighter colour for the ceiling that works really well is Resene Quarter Albescent White.

If you want to use Resene Locust as a feature wall colour, if you used Resene Half Tea for the walls then the Resene Locust would really stand out in a pleasing way.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Locust
Resene Locust
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Double Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
 
November 2018

Q. We are painting our lounge in Resene Half Truffle and bedroom in Resene Quarter Truffle. The ceilings are going to be Resene Black White. We have a feature wall in the lounge behind the fireplace and in the master room. For the feature walls, we would like this to be a dark colour to contrast but are wondering what would match with the colour we have already chosen.

A. The following are some deep colours that may appeal to you that look good with Resene Half Truffle and Resene Quarter Truffle.

Try Resene Triple Truffle - this is the deepest variant of the colours that you have used, so it is a 'matched colour' or some new darkly delicious colours from The Range fashion fandeck to consider - Resene Porter, Resene Twilight, Resene King Tide or Resene Smoulder.

Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Truffle
Resene Triple Truffle
November 2018

Q. This is a small part at the rear of the house and the raw wood needs to be painted but we are unsure of what to select. We want a charcoal type colour, which works well with the black joinery and roof and the white bricks, to give a modern look. The rest of the house has cedar, stained in a dark colour which isn't visible from this part of the house.

A. You might consider using one of these dark black types of colours - Resene Porter, Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Double Foundry or Resene Element.

I strongly recommend you use the Resene CoolColour™ reformulated version of which ever colour you choose, in order to minimise as much as possible, the jeopardisation of the timber that occurs with dark colours and heat from the sun.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Double Foundry
Resene Element
Resene Element
November 2018

Q. I have Resene Baltic Sea on my front door and I'm looking to re-roof using COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars. How close a match are these two colours? Or is there a better match of the two colours?

A. Grey Friars is a charcoal with a distinctly steel blue undertone. It isn't at all like Resene Baltic Sea, which has a warmer ambiance. If you want a COLORSTEEL® roof colour that is sympathetic to Resene Baltic Sea, you might consider one of these COLORSTEEL® colours - FlaxPod or TernStyle.

Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
November 2018

Q. We painted our 1950s property in Resene Tana, with Resene Quarter Rice Cake windows. It is surrounded by trees and bushes. Can you please recommend the best COLORSTEEL® colour/s to suit?

A. These options may appeal to you - COLORSTEEL® Karaka, Thunder Grey, BasaltBase, TernStyle or FlaxPod.

Resene Tana
Resene Tana
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
November 2018

Q. Our walls and all trims are painted in Resene Quarter Sisal. We want to change our cedar blinds to white blinds but think the blinds will look too 'white' against the Resene Sisal. We want to paint the window trims but are not sure if we should go white or off white.

A. Resene Quarter Sisal isn't too deep a colour to use with white blinds but if you feel it is, then painting the window trims white may be the answer. Perhaps you could undercoat in white all the windows surrounds and hang the blinds to see if you like that look - it is a dress rehearsal that allows you time to consider whether white like the blinds is right or whether you need to consider a light coloured off white - perhaps Resene Eighth Sisal.

Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
Resene Eighth Sisal
November 2018

Q. We built our house 17 years ago and it needs to be repainted inside. It is a very sunny house, with views over the beach. We are happy with our living room which has Resene Antidote on three walls and Resene Salt Box on a feature wall. Our dining/kitchen is painted in Resene Tide and Resene Blanc for the trim. We have a massive hallway/stairs and we painted a feature wall Resene Aubergine - the kitchen has this colour and at the top of the next level of stairs. We feel we need to keep the kitchen at the moment but the Resene Aubergine in both stairwells seems dark and outdated.

Should we just paint over the Resene Aubergine in Resene Tide as, try as we might, we cannot find a colour which really fits and which we would like as a feature wall. We have some lovely Asian artwork to hang and feel that we may not really need a huge feature wall.

Our master bedroom has been painted Resene Double Pearl Lusta on three walls and Resene Cab Sav on the feature wall. The curtains are burgundy. We feel this is a bit dated too, but we don't really want to change our curtains. We are really stuck on this room. We have this brown headboard on the bed that we brought back from Singapore and it doesn't look great against the Resene Cab Sav. Again, should we just paint one colour throughout the room, or go for a feature wall. This is proving the most difficult room for us!

A. Yes, you definitely could paint over the Resene Aubergine with Resene Tide. It will increase the light in the stairwells and give you a fresh feel - all the better to display your artwork.

If your master bedroom was all one colour, it would allow the drapes and the headboard to be the main coloured features. Removing the dark influence of the feature wall, will also make the room appear lighter and larger. Embellishing the bedroom with lovely mementos from your time in Singapore may appeal to you.

Resene Antidote
Resene Antidote
Resene Salt Box
Resene Salt Box
Resene Tide
Resene Tide
Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Aubergine
Resene Aubergine
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Cab Sav
Resene Cab Sav
     
November 2018

Q. I would like to paint exterior of my house, which was last painted 19 years ago.

A. You are totally spoiled for choice in regard to what you might choose as a colour on the exterior. The following are just a few that you could check out - Resene Half Tea, Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Pravda, Resene Half Ash or Resene Quarter Delta.

All the suggested colours also come as deeper variants - you could check those options as well if you prefer more colour.

Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Spanish White
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Eighth Pravda
Resene Half Ash
Resene Half Ash
Resene Quarter Delta
Resene Quarter Delta
November 2018

Q. I am painting the walls in my sunny living room Resene Napa, and want help to find a white for the ceiling and window frames, and possibly a couple of the walls.

A. You might check out these soft whites to see if they appeal to you and look good in the room - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Tea or Resene White Pointer. Or much sharper whites - Resene Black White, Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Alabaster.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
 
November 2018

Q. We have a 13 year old Rockcote home and would like to change the colour. The roof is Rivergum. Would you please advise a few colours for the exterior walls and garage door? The aluminium joinery is Duralloy Off White.

A. Duralloy Off White joinery is a very definite rich cream, so the following colours may work with it - Resene Spanish White, Resene Sisal or Resene Half Craigieburn.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Sisal
Resene Sisal
Resene Half Craigieburn
Resene Half Craigieburn
November 2018

Q. We would like help choosing a colour for a Besser brick fence on two sides of our pool. The concrete is Resene French Grey with flecks of off-white and grey amethyst. Our house is Resene Half Ecru White with Resene Cottage Green trim. Could you please suggest a colour for the Besser brick fence that would look nice with the Resene French Grey concrete? We are also thinking of getting a cream pool fence on the other two sides of the pool. I would appreciate your advice so much as I am not good with matching colours.

A. A deep charcoal could look good on the Besser brick fence as it won't compete with the colours in the concrete. You might check out these colours - Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Fuscous Grey, Resene Shark or much darker - Resene Bastille.

If you did get a cream pool fence, as long as it matched the Resene Half Ecru White exactly and wasn't another (possibly clashing) cream that would work well. Your default choice for the pool fence would be Slate.

Resene French Grey
Resene French Grey
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Half Ecru White
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter
Bokara Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Fuscous Grey
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
Resene Bastille
Resene Bastille
November 2018

Q. I am looking for help selecting a colour for the exterior of our weatherboard house. I want a dark navy. I have tried Resene All Black (too black) and Resene Dark Side (too blue but close). Could you please make a suggestion of something in between? I was thinking maybe Resene Dark Knight or Resene Indian Ink but I need help. The house facade faces west and gets good light. The roof will be COLORBOND® Shale Grey or Windspray with white fascia, windows and timber detailing.

A. I like both colours but I think Resene Dark Knight is slightly more harmonious with the two different greys you have on the roof and joinery.

I definitely recommend that you use the Resene CoolColour™ version of any very dark colour, to minimise the detrimental effects that heat/sun can cause.

If the house is real timber (not a lookalike weatherboard made out of cement) you may find that the very, very dark colour attracts a huge amount of heat and causes the wood to be jeopardised. You may need to choose a lighter colour.

Resene All Black
Resene All Black
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
November 2018

Q. Could you please tell me what whites would go with Resene Truffle and Resene Concrete?

A. Any of the following whites will work well with the colours you mention and provide crisp clean contrast - Resene Quarter Alabaster, Resene Eighth Black White and Resene White.

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Concrete
Resene Concrete
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Quarter Alabaster
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene White
Resene White
November 2018

Q. My toilet has a Scandi looking vinyl - Harvest Oak from Flooring Centre (which actually looks blonder and less grey than this photo). I'm thinking of painting the walls Resene Cut Glass. Now I’m thinking about a white of some sort for the skirting boards/window frame and back of door.

A. If you undercoat all the trims in a pure white undercoat, you will have dress rehearsal of what 'real' white looks like. If you want a subtle tint in the white trim that works well with Resene Cut Glass, then you might check out Resene Half Black White or Resene Double Alabaster. Either would work - but it is a personal choice.

Resene Cut Glass
Resene Cut Glass
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
November 2018

Q. I am looking at repainting my Rockcote house. The window joinery and garage door are Karaka. I would like to have bright red Resene Poppy front entrance doors, what colour would you suggest for the exterior of the house?

A. The following colours are worth checking out - they work really well with Karaka and Resene Poppy – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Bison Hide, Resene Quarter Stonewall, Resene Quarter Taupe Grey or Resene Double Truffle.

Resene Poppy
Resene Poppy
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Quarte Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Taupe Grey
Resene Double Truffle
Resene Double Truffle
 
November 2018

Q. I'm looking for a colour suggestion for mid-purple? Are you able to suggest a Resene colour?

A. Because there are so many mid purples to choose from, the following are some ideas to get you started - some favour clear tones, some are muted, some are red/violet and some are moody. Try Resene Studio, Resene Memory Lane, Resene Melodic, Resene Dancing Girl, Resene De Janeiro or Resene Chapta And Verse.

Resene Studio
Resene Studio
Resene Melodic
Resene Melodic
Resene Dancing Girl
Resene Dancing Girl
Resene De Janeiro
Resene De Janeiro
Resene Chapta And Verse
Resene Chapta And Verse
November 2018

Q. I am looking for suggestions for an exterior paint colour for a concrete slab house with green concrete roof tiles and Karaka green aluminium windows.

A. The following are a few colours for you to consider - Resene Napa, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, Resene Quarter Craigieburn, Resene Double Biscotti, Resene Crowdpleaser or Resene Despacito.

Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Quarter Craigieburn
Resene Double Biscotti
Resene Double Biscotti
November 2018

Q. We have just put new carpet throughout our house in the Rhino Natural Decorations colour ‘Fate.’ We are looking to paint a colour throughout our open plan living areas and hallway that complements the carpet. Also, could you please advise of some feature wall colours that go with a recommended base colour and carpet.

A. You have a huge range of possible options to choose from. One of the following colours may appeal to you - Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Milk White, Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Whiteout or Resene Half House White.

You don't mention what types of colours you favour for feature colours, so the following are some ideas to get you started - Resene Triple Rakaia, Resene Sixth Sense, Resene Couture, Resene Fast Forward or Resene Shark.

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Milk White
Resene Milk White
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Eighth Tea
Resene Whiteout
Resene Whiteout
Resene Half House White
Resene Half House White
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Triple Rakaia
Resene Couture
Resene Couture
Resene Shark
Resene Shark
   
November 2018

Q. After buying and using 15 different testpots, I’m still no further forward in my attempt at repainting my new house kitchen. I want the kitchen to look homely country; not quite the modern country of the ‘Akaroa’. I’ve got a collection of terracotta bits.

The walls were/are painted in yellows and I like the warmness of this and I’m thinking Resene Spanish White.

A. I think it would be very tricky getting the right colour, seeing it as it really is, when the walls are very yellow. They make you see colour test patches in a way that doesn't relate to how the colour is in reality. If the walls were undercoated in white, then testing colours would be much, much easier.

The colour of the flooring, the woodwork, all the terracotta accessories, the furniture, the tiles in the splashback areas take on a lot of importance colour wise - they must be worked with, in order to get a harmonious well-co-ordinated and pleasing look.

I think you may need to carefully test several colours in order to see which works best for you. The following are worth checking out in the manner I have indicated - Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Spanish White or Resene Double Pearl Lusta.

It is only by testing colours and comparing them to each other and watching how they respond to all other coloured things in the rooms that you get it right.

Resene Spanish White
Resene Spanish White
Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay
Resene Eighth
Canterbury Clay
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
Resene Double Pearl Lusta
November 2018

Q. I have had two bedrooms painted with Resene Half Blanc. One room gets plenty of light, faces north and I am very happy with the colour. The other bigger room gets no sun, faces south and I have found the room looking browner. I am looking for something bright and airy; probably with no black in the mixture.

A. I know Resene Half Blanc personally - I have it in my east facing bathroom - it looks lovely some of the time and the rest of the time it looks like mauve/mushroom beige. Getting a colour to look right 80% of the time is the best we can hope for, as every time the light changes it does as well.

South facing rooms can be really tricky due to the sour or grey quality of natural light. Even real white looks grey in a south facing room.

You might carefully test the following colours, as they are warmer in hue and light as well - Resene Eighth Biscotti, Resene Quarter Fossil, Resene Half Albescent White or Resene Eighth Spanish White.

Resene Half Blanc
Resene Half Blanc
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Eighth Biscotti
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Quarter Fossil
Resene Half Albescent White
Resene Half
Albescent White
Resene Eighth Spanish White
Resene Eighth
Spanish White
November 2018

Q. I have terracotta colour floor tiles in the bathroom and toilet. What wall colour would you suggest? I would prefer to not go too dark and like a fairly neutral colour, but still complementary.

A. The following colours are a broad selection. They are warm toned neutrals that work well with terracotta tiles - Resene Despacito, Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Half Solitaire or Resene Biscotti.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Half Solitaire
Resene Biscotti
Resene Biscotti
November 2018

Q. I am doing a new build and the front of the house faces south west, the rear north east. The roof will be COLORBOND® Basalt, and window frames Monument. I'm looking for colours to complement these. I would like two or three that work together or complement, even in a half or quarter tone. The fascias will be COLORBOND® Surf Mist.

I've looked through the colour consultant blog of Q&A where there is a lot of great advice, however I couldn't see any that refer to Basalt, which is a newer colour and not sure of the NZ equivalent.

A. Sometimes both COLORBOND® colours and COLORSTEEL® colours are the same, but with different names, and appear on the Resene Roof Colour Chart. But COLORBOND® Basalt isn’t included. It isn't a colour I have seen a lot of. I have a sample and note that it is a soft toned warm grey. Resene has a version of Monument called Resene Nocturnal and a version of Surf Mist called Resene Titania.

If you should want a Resene version of COLORBOND® Basalt to use on some other part of the house or surroundings, it can be tinted at your local Resene ColorShop for you.

You don't mention what type of cladding your house will be built from. This may have a direct bearing on what types of colours might be suggested and appropriate.

Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Titania
Resene Titania
November 2018

Q. We want to paint our house a grey and wanted to know what colours you’d suggest.

A. Some of these greys may appeal to you - Resene Steel Grey, Resene Half Shark or Resene Half Grey Friars.

I strongly recommend that if you do go to a very deep grey on your house that you use the Resene CoolColour™ version, to try and minimise as much as possible the heat related jeopardisation that occurs to timber weatherboards.

Using lots of crisp white detailing on your house will add to the overall ambiance created by the dark greys and look really smart - i.e. Resene Eighth Black White.

Resene Steel Grey
Resene Steel Grey
Resene Half Shark
Resene Half Shark
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Eighth Black White
Resene Eighth Black White
November 2018

Q. I have an enclosed stairwell that has a very dark brown carpet. As I can't reach to the top of the walls, I am painting a geometric pattern and would like suggestions for a strong colour please. It is currently neutral beige.

A. If you were to use a very small amount of a colour matching the carpet, it would help the geometric design co-ordinate rather than be a random unrelated statement.

Some very deep blues or teals may also look appealing - these may be worth checking out - Resene Indian Ink, Resene Zinzan, Resene Retro or Resene Arapawa.

Resene Indian Ink
Resene Indian Ink
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Retro
Resene Retro
Resene Arapawa
Resene Arapawa
November 2018

Q. I have a Grey Friars roof, Silver Pearl joinery and I want a white for the cladding. Do you have any ideas?

A. You might check out these whites to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Double Merino, Resene Black Haze, or Resene Barely There.

Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Black Haze
Resene Black Haze
Resene Barely There
Resene Barely There
October 2018

Q. I have a small bathroom with a back wall in Anaglypta paper. I would like very light grey paint on three walls and the papered wall slightly darker. Can you suggest colour thanks? Accessories are turquoise.

A. These options are worth checking out - Resene Quarter Rakaia, Resene Rakaia, Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Surrender or Resene Surrender.

Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Quarter Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Rakaia
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Half Athens Grey
Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter
Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Quarter Surrender
Resene Surrender
Resene Surrender
October 2018

Q. We need a deck colour (thinking grey but not sure which one). Our fence is black and the deck will run from the house to a raised concrete bed, both of which will be Resene Sea Fog. The spouting and roof are Sandstone Grey and the aluminium is a lighter grey. We have tried Resene Riverstone and Resene Bleached Riverstone. Both look okay but not perfect.

A. You could also try Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash, Resene Equilibrium, or Resene Iroko.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Riverstone
Resene Riverstone
Resene Bleached Riverstone
Resene Bleached
Riverstone
Resene Woodsman Smokey Ash
Resene Smokey Ash
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Equilibrium
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
October 2018

Q. We want to paint most of our interior walls and some ceilings in our 140 square metre home. As our home is an older 1950s one, we would prefer a warm white, but not a yellow based one nor cream. We have many testpots and really like the Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Black White. Are these both warm whites that would suit wooden floors with dark brown aluminium joinery? Also we want to paint over a brown brick fireplace surround and a Michelangelo tiled roof any tips with that?

A. I think that Resene Quarter Rice Cake may be a little warmer in tone than Resene Half Black White which is referred to as a cool black with a shadowy edge to it. Another warm white that you might check out is Resene Quarter Merino.

You may need to seal the brown bricks first with Resene Sureseal - a pigmented sealer - to stop the paint soaking into the porous surface and to stop it looking patchy.

If you want the painted woodwork and the ceiling to be a crisper white so that it provided a contrast with the walls them you might use Resene White.

The brick fireplace might be either the same as the walls or if you wanted a little bit more contrast - i.e. Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Half Merino. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel may give you a tougher more easily cleaned type of paint for the brick surfaces.

Resene Quarter Rice Cake
Resene Quarter
Rice Cake
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene White
Resene White
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Rice Cake
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
October 2018

Q. We need a colour for our LINEA® exterior. The plaster will be Resene Black White or Resene Double Black White, the aluminium joinery is Ghost Grey, the front door will be Resene Black White or Resene Double Black White, the roof is an Ironsand colour and the timber deck is kwila.

A. Are you wanting a warmer or cooler (greyer) colour for the LINEA®? It is capable of having black painted on, so there is a large colour palette to work with.

Here are some colours to get you started: Resene Half Truffle, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone , Resene Half Lemon Grass, Resene Bounty, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Dusted Blue.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Double Black White
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Half Truffle
Resene Masala
Resene Eighth Masala
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Quarter Friar Greystone
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Gras
Resene Bounty
Resene Bounty
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
Resene Dusted Blue
 
October 2018

Q. I want to paint the kitchen cupboards in a 1960s house. The dining area is Resene Blanc. I am considering Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Quarter Albescent White. Which one would you consider to be the better colour to go with Resene Blanc (or you may suggest another colour)?

A. The Resene Albescent White family has a pinky/brown undertone, so if you’re wanting to continue that flow of warmth to the kitchen, use Resene Quarter Albescent White. The Resene Pearl Lusta family is soft yellow, so you’ll still get a nice warm white, it will just provide a little more contrast because of the different undertone.

Resene Blanc
Resene Blanc
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Albescent White
Resene Quarter
Albescent White
October 2018

Q. We are looking at painting our school, predominantly a shade of white, with some panels in greys and blues. We are not looking at bright vibrant blues but more a moody/dusky tone, and a contrast between lighter and darker. Could you please suggest one lighter grey and a charcoal grey, and a lighter and darker tone of blue?

A. Some colours to try are - light grey: Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, charcoal grey: Resene Nocturnal or Resene Tuna, light blue: Resene Raindance, Resene Nepal, Resene Frozen or Resene Botticelli, dark blue: Resene Tarawera, Resene Coast or Resene Avalanche.

Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Half Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Quarter Foggy Grey
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Nocturnal
Resene Tuna
Resene Tuna
Resene Frozen
Resene Frozen
Resene Nepal
Resene Nepal
Resene Botticelli
Resene Botticelli
 
Resene Tarawera
Resene Tarawera
Resene Coast
Resene Coast
Resene Avalanche
Resene Avalanche
 
October 2018

Q. I have an Oamaru stone feature behind my log burner and want to paint the rest of the wall something dramatic can you suggest suitable colours to use. Preferably close to black if this would match.

A. A dark colour can definitely work, but black is very optic and harsh. Perhaps I can suggest a few different warmer blacks/charcoals that will work well with the stone, to give you that dramatic effect you want:

Try Resene Bokara Grey, Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Foundry, Resene Dark Knight, Resene Twilight or Resene Noir.

Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Bokara Grey
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Baltic Sea
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
Resene Dark Knight
Resene Dark Knight
October 2018

Q. I have a large master bedroom, which is 9m x 5m wide. The 9 metre wall is directly across from the entry, which is also the wall the bedhead sits against. The ensuite is open plan, with no door and a half wall bordering the spa, which leaves the bedroom and bathroom very much one room. Which wall do I paint as an accent wall? Also what colour? I was going a blue grey, though I'm so uncertain, as I want it looking modern. My furniture is a dark wooden bed and tallboy. The carpet is a very light grey as is the main wall colour, though the wall colour grey, has a purple undertone.

Also, should I paint the bathroom a different colour than the bedroom to break it up a bit? I'm going to buy a new bed so any advice you can give me on a colour palette, to go with the accent wall would be great.

A. With such an extremely large room, you can definitely purchase a very, very large bed without it looking out of place.

Had you thought of using amazing wallpaper on the wall behind the bedhead and picking out a colour from the background of the paper to paint the ensuite? It is just a thought - you have an opportunity because of the size of the room, to make it look really amazing.

If you want the look to be simple and not too fancy, a really deep paint colour like one of the following could look good - Resene Redemption Blue or Resene Bullitt. Or alternatively, mid-toned grey/blue like one of these - Resene Rhino or Resene Hammerhead.

You might also paint the half wall by the spa bath to match if you wanted to.

Resene Redemption Blue
Resene Redemption Blue
Resene Bullitt
Resene Bullitt
Resene Rhino
Resene Rhino
Resene Hammerhead
Resene Hammerhead
October 2018

Q. I want to update and refresh my entrance way. The house is Resene Quarter Nullarbor with Resene Quarter Akaroa on the sills. I’m thinking of Resene Red Earth round the glass panels and Resene Smashing in the front door. What do you think?

A. I like the Resene Red Earth but a, not 100% certain about teaming that colour with Resene Smashing. You might check out the following reds to see if they appeal to you - Resene Salsa or Resene Pohutukawa.

Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Quarter Akaroa
Resene Smashing
Resene Smashing
Resene Salsa
Resene Salsa
Resene Pohutukawa
Resene Pohutukawa
October 2018

Q. We have selected a tile from Flooring Xtra. The kitchen will be white and the bench will have some kind of marble look, still to be determined. It’s a small house with a low ceiling in the lounge and a high ceiling in kitchen area. We want a white, and the whitest white we can get away with, to keep it very light.

A. You might like one of the following whites - Resene Poured Milk, Resene Half Black White, Resene Half Alabaster or Resene Quarter Wan White.

If you have the opportunity to pop into a Resene ColorShop to view the A4 real paint colour samples in their Colour Library, it may be easier for you to make a decision. If you compare the ones I have suggested with a sheet of true white printer paper, you will see they all have the tiniest bit of something coloured happening in them. It is difficult to see this without comparing them to each other and to a 'true white' sheet of paper.

Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Black White
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Half Alabaster
Resene Quarter Wan White
Resene Quarter Wan White
October 2018

Q. I would appreciate some help with colours that will work with our L shaped terracotta/red brick house. The roof and window joinery are brown. We wish to paint the guttering/downpipes/garage door/soffits and the brown cedar cladding. The deck will be replaced and extended out.

A. You could try these colours: Resene Triple Tea, Resene Triple Ash, Resene Double Pravda, Resene Masala or Resene Thunder Road.

The guttering and downpipes could be painted the same colour as the cedar cladding or they could match the garage door colour. Some deeper options for the garage door to check out are these ones - Resene Triple Masala, Resene Ironsand or Resene Karaka.

Usually the under soffits are painted a white. If you dislike the idea of a stark true white, you could paint them Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream or Resene Sea Fog.

For stain colours you could try Resene Woodsman Oiled Cedar or Resene Dark Oak, or earthier Resene Iroko.

Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Tea
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Double Pravda
Resene Masala
Resene Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Triple Masala
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Karaka
Resene Karaka
Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth
Thorndon Cream
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Oiled Cedar
Resene Colorwood Dark Oak
Resene Dark Oak
Resene Iroko
Resene Iroko
   
October 2018

Q. We are replacing our timber windows with retrofit aluminium windows in 'Appliance White' and we have already purchased paint for the internal windows, door trims and skirting in Resene Alabaster. Just wondering if this is a suitable colour to have with Appliance White or would it be better to go with the Resene equivalent of Appliance White? How much difference is there?

A. There is a colour match for Appliance White on the Resene Colour Computer. It is slightly warmer than Resene Alabaster. Resene Double Alabaster is a closer match to the Appliance White formula.

You have choices - you can ask for Appliance White made using Resene paint/tinter or you can ask for the similar colour Resene Double Alabaster.

Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
Resene Double Alabaster
October 2018

Q. We are choosing between Resene Quarter Merino, Resene Half Merino and Resene Wan White for our walls, ceilings and trim. We are having a darker grey carpet and tiles and want a warm white. What are your thoughts regarding warmth between Resene Wan White and Resene Merino? Also, what are your thoughts on one colour for all three surfaces?

A. Resene Wan White is a slightly cooler white than the Resene Merino colours. A lot of people paint the ceilings, walls and trims the same colour but the angle of the ceiling compared to the wall, often makes the same colour look slightly deeper.

You could use a slightly lighter variant – quarter - on the ceiling and a slightly deeper one – half - for the walls and trims.

Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Quarter Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Half Merino
Resene Wan White
Resene Wan White
Resene Merino
Resene Merino
October 2018

Q. We would like a new exterior colour scheme for our coastal holiday home. We are thinking about mid to deep blue for the main colour. Some of the windows are aluminium Silver Pearl.

A. Some blues that you might check out to see if they appeal to you - Resene Safehaven, Resene True Blue, Resene Zinzan, Resene King Tide or Resene Dark Side.

Blues look stunning when trimmed with real crisp white. I strongly recommend that you use the re-formulated CoolColour™ version of the colour you choose, to minimise heat and UV related deterioration.

Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene Dark Side
Resene Dark Side
October 2018

Q. Wall colour suggestions please, for a cold bedroom with dark grey carpet.

A. You might consider one of these warm light colours to balance the dark grey carpet and the cold aspect of natural light - Resene Quarter Spanish White, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Double Bianca or Resene Eighth Drought.

Resene Quarter Spanish White
Resene Quarter
Spanish White
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Double Bianca
Resene Eighth Drought
Resene Eighth Drought
October 2018

Q. Our kitchen walls are Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream. Can you tell us what light blues would go well with this for a splashback?

A. Here are a few different blues to try, slightly different undertones. Just be aware that once a colour is underneath glass, it will darken slightly. Unless you have float glass which has a green tint – this will obviously make the colour a little greener.

Try Resene Blue Moon, Resene Awash, Resene Conch, Resene Half Kumutoto or Resene Moby.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Blue Moon
Resene Blue Moon
Resene Conch
Resene Conch
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Half Kumutoto
Resene Moby
Resene Moby
October 2018

Q. Our roof has been replaced with COLORSTEEL® Ironsand. What colours go with that? We don’t want it too pale.

What colours would go with Resene Canterbury Clay and Resene Diesel in a lounge? We like green but haven't been able to agree on one.

A. Ironsand is a warm brown charcoal, so pairing it with earthy colours or warm greys works really well. Here are some options for you - Resene Truffle, Resene Tea, Resene Quarter Stonehenge, Resene Ash or Resene Half Lemon Grass.

As for your green, how do you intend of using it? Is it for one wall, or all walls? This will dictate the depth of colour to use. Try looking at Resene Peace, Resene Mother Nature or Resene Rivergum.

Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Canterbury Clay
Resene Diesel
Resene Diesel
Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Quarter Stonehenge
Resene Ash
Resene Ash
Resene Half Lemon Grass
Resene Half Lemon Gras
Resene Rivergum
Resene Rivergum
October 2018

Q. We have bagged the red brick on our house and are now trying to get a white colour to paint this area that goes with green trim and white boards. What would you suggest?

A. Here are some colours you might like to look at - Resene Eighth Lemon Grass, Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Sisal.

Colours will look lighter outside, so you may need to choose a slightly deeper colour than you initially thought of. I’ve provided you ‘white’ colours, but all of these suggestions can be made darker if you wish.

Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Eighth
Lemon Grass
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Quarter Ash
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
October 2018

Q. Is blue a colour you would recommend for decorating? What else goes with it?

A. Blue creates an inspirational look - embracing the sea and sky - from the palest dreamy tints, interesting muted mid-toned colours, vibrant brights and mysterious, deep restful depths. More people identify it as their favourite type of colour than any other colour. Blue is the colour of harmony and peace - perhaps it is a timely choice of colour if you want to create a restful colour palette.

The colour directly opposite blue on the colour wheel is orange. It has many variants - pale peach, soft terracotta, rich orange/red tans and vibrant bold, fluoro brights and warm coloured wood - richly oiled or varnished - which all work really well with blues.

Try Resene Negroni, Resene Tuft Bush, Resene Whiskey Sour, Resene Bi Hoki, Resene Adrenalin or Resene Despacito.

Resene Negroni
Resene Negroni
Resene Tuft Bush
Resene Tuft Bush
Resene Whiskey Sour
Resene Whiskey Sour
Resene Adrenalin
Resene Adrenalin
October 2018

Q. I want to turn a space into a calming space where I can do my yoga. At present, it is dark green and yellow. The ceiling is Resene Half Parchment. The space is a landing at the top of the stairs. Downstairs is Resene Half Parchment and Resene Quarter Parchment. Our bedroom and bathroom are Resene Half Beryl Green.

A. If you wanted to keep the existing Resene Half Parchment on the ceiling, then you may have to choose a deeper wall colour to balance the look.

Perhaps one of these colours may appeal to you - Resene Half Smalt Blue, Resene Peace or Resene Excalibur.

Alternatively the default choice would be to paint the walls to match the ceiling. This will help the space appear larger because of the walls and ceilings merging into one another.

Resene Half Parchment
Resene Half Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Quarter Parchment
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Beryl Green
Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Half Smalt Blue
October 2018

Q. We are having our walls painted Resene Black White and have a mid/dark grey carpet going down. We would like a contrasting colour on our internal doors. We are open to suggestions - any ideas please?

A. It depends upon how many doors you have - sometimes when there are a lot and they are a very definite colour, they can take over a space and look like rows of soldiers all standing to attention.

Different greys like those suggested, will always work well. You might look at the following colours to see if they appeal to you - Resene Triple Black White, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Foundry.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Triple Black White
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Foundry
Resene Foundry
October 2018

Q. I am about to repaint a small bedroom on the south side of our house. It is currently a neutral tone but the room looks too dark for my taste. Can you recommend a light, brighter colour that could work in a small bedroom?

A. You might check out either of these two colours to see if they appeal to you – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Eighth Parchment.

They are light and very nice and hopefully flow on to the main house colour in a harmonious way.

Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter
Thorndon Cream
Resene Eighth Parchment
Resene Eighth Parchment
October 2018

Q. I have painted my house Resene Double Thorndon Cream. I have metal shutters on the outside of my house. I want to paint them darker but the Resene Triple Thorndon Cream is not dark enough. Is there a complementary colour that will be darker than Resene Triple Thorndon Cream but will look great with it?

A. You might check out these colours to see if they are deep enough to appeal to you - Resene Grey Olive, Resene Double Ash or deeper – Resene Triple Ash, Resene Climate or Resene Half Taupe Grey.

Resene Double Thorndon Cream
Resene Double
Thorndon Cream
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Grey Olive
Resene Double Ash
Resene Double Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Triple Ash
Resene Climate
Resene Climate
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
October 2018

Q. I've chosen Lichen for the COLORSTEEL® roof on my 95sqm rural cottage-style home and now I’m having a crisis of confidence about the exterior weatherboard colour. Prefer something not too dark and in the brown-white range (I think). The aluminium joinery is Titania.

A. I am not 100% sure about a brown-white for your main colour. That is because you have a silver yellow/grey (Titania) and a very definite yellow/olive/beige (Lichen) already on the house. If you think about what undertones are common to these two colours it is yellow. It may pay to check out complex colours that have an undertone of warmth (yellow) in them. Try Resene Bone White, Resene Overland, Resene Napa, Resene Grey Area, Resene Half Arrowtown, Resene Half Taupe Grey or Resene Eighth Stonewall.

Resene Bone White
Resene Bone White
Resene OverlandResene Overland
Resene Overland
Resene Napa
Resene Napa
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Arrowtown
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Half Taupe Grey
Resene Quarter Stonewall
Resene Eighth Stonewall
October 2018

Q. I am painting my interior house in Resene Sea Fog on walls and Resene Double Sea Fog on doors, trim and architraves. We have a light grey carpet. We are looking for a navy blue to do a feature wall in our master bedroom. What would you recommend?

A. You might check out these navy blues to see if any appeal to you – Resene Bewitched, Resene Zinzan, Resene True Blue or Resene Bunting.

They are all subtly different from each other. If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop to view the larger A4 drawdown paint swatches, made with real paint, in their Colour Library it may make choosing easier for you.

Resene Sea Fog
Resene Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Zinzan
Resene Zinzan
Resene True Blue
Resene True Blue
Resene Bunting
Resene Bunting
October 2018

Q. I am really stuck on what colour to paint the exterior of our do-upper villa. Not keen on traditional colours or whites. Maybe a grey but every villa seems to be painted grey. I would like something a little bit bold.

A. A little bold statement may be one of these colours – Resene Smoothie – main weatherboards, Resene Rice Cake - any decorative trims, window sashes/surrounds and base of house, Resene Rocky Mountains - gables and doors, deck posts and rails and any other detail you want to define, and Resene Aubergine - deck and steps, window sills and corbels.

Take your time to find what type of bold colours appeal to you. A big job deserves due consideration.

Resene Rice Cake
Resene Rice Cake
Resene Aubergine
Resene Aubergine
October 2018

Q. My dad’s kitchen cupboards are in a colour similar to Resene Half Smalt Blue. What colour would complement this colour on the walls? The room has lots of light. He likes Resene Quarter Tea, but I thought a warmer colour than Resene Tea might be better.

A. If the room gets a decent amount of natural light, you could afford to paint in a slightly deeper shade than Resene Quarter Tea. Here are some colour suggestions with different depths and undertones for you to try: Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Albescent White, Resene Quarter Sisal, Resene Thorndon Cream or Resene Quarter Bison Hide.

Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Half Smalt Blue
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Quarter Tea
Resene Tea
Resene Tea
   
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Sandspit Brown
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Quarter Sisal
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Thorndon Cream
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
Resene Quarter Bison Hide
October 2018

Q. We are in the process of choosing a colour for our lounge/dining area and I am a bit stuck. I originally wanted a light grey (Resene Half Iron is my favourite) but was worried it would be too dark/clash with our carpet until we change the floor. I have a testpot of Resene Quarter Iron and Resene Black White but these are very ‘white’ and I worry about it being too bright/clinical.

A. If you have tested Resene Half Iron and decided the depth and undertone of that colour is what you’re looking for, then go with that colour. Anyone that has renovated knows that everything takes time, and carpets are the last thing to go in. In the end everything will look great, the carpet will be a bit darker than the wall perhaps and you’ve got a nice grey colour on your walls.

Colours inside tend to look slightly darker once all walls are painted, and the Iron family has a blue undertone, so this will be enhanced when painted. Go with your gut, most of the time you end up in a big circle and come back to your first fav.

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.

Resene Half Iron
Resene Half Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Quarter Iron
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
October 2018

Q. I have two adjourning rooms. One is large formal lounge with lots of natural light. I painted it Resene Perfect Taupe. It looks great. I now need to paint the adjourning room (living-dining-kitchen) in a complementary neutral colour. It is large but on the southern side with minimal windows, so I need a lighter colour. Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe looks a bit dark in there. Can you please suggest a colour? The floorboards are grey oak, the sofa is black and kitchen is an espresso colour.

A. Here are a few different colours for you to try, these all have a warmer brown undertone, but some are slightly greyer than others: Resene Quarter Truffle, Resene Albescent White, Resene Double Merino or Resene Eighth Bison Hide.

All of these colours are part of larger ‘families’ of colour, so if you like the type of colour, but the depth isn’t quite right, you can choose lighter or darker options on the Resene colour palettes.

Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter
Perfect Taupe
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Quarter Truffle
Resene Albescent White
Resene Albescent White
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
Resene Eighth Bison Hide,
Resene Eighth Bison Hide
October 2018

Q. Should I paint my walls and skirtings the same colour?

A. If you have small, slim line skirtings and architraves, then you might consider painting them the same colour as the wall because they aren’t substantial enough to pick out.

If you are using a very light colour on the walls, and want some contrast, you could paint the skirtings in a white, so that you can see the wall colour.

There is no right or wrong answer here. If you want a simple look or don’t particularly like contrast, paint the same colour. However, I would recommend using a semi-gloss finish, such as Resene Lustacryl, on the trim, it is harder wearing and you’ll get a little bit of definition between wall and trim.

October 2018

Q. We are renovating a 1960s weatherboard home with kauri floors. We want to repaint the property, and were thinking Resene Black White for the whole house, but are stuck for the feature wall. We are interested in a neutral grey, but nothing too dreary.

A. Here are a few different looking greys, different depths and undertone. This should point you in the right direction: Resene Eighth Ironsand, Resene Gunsmoke, Resene Half Tuna, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea, Resene Eighth Bokara Grey, Resene Templestone or Resene Regent Grey.

Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Gunsmoke
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Half Tuna
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Quarter Baltic Sea
Resene Templestone
Resene Templestone
Resene Regent Grey
Resene Regent Grey
October 2018

Q. I have a two level 1970s house with a block basement and timber exterior. The aluminium joinery is bronze and some has faded to silver. I have replaced two front garage doors with Ironsand so would like to paint the blockwork and timber cladding to match. You cannot see the roof on our house. Would Resene Eighth Ironsand for the timber, Resene Truffle for the blockwork and Resene Triple Sea Fog for under the large soffits work?

A. Yes, those colours will all look lovely together. All have a brown/grey base, so even though you don’t see the roof, they will match the garage doors. The Resene Eighth Ironsand is a nice warm charcoal and sits really well with the Resene Truffle. Great choices!

Resene Truffle
Resene Truffle
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
October 2018

Q. I am painting a feature wall in my son’s room Resene Havoc. What colour should I paint the other walls that aren’t going to make it look pink? His room is west facing. He has black furnishings. My daughter’s room is east facing and she wants a feature wall of Resene Foundation and wants a grey for her other walls. What colour grey should I paint her walls?

A. Resene Havoc is going to make any colour turn a little bit red; it’s one of the brightest reds you can get. What we can do is use an off-white with a grey undertone to counteract as much as possible. Depending on how dark your daughter wants the grey in her room, we could possibly get away with using the same colour for both rooms. I would suggest something like Resene Double Sea Fog. This is a warm light grey, while still being in that off-white zone. Very neutral, and will allow each of them to have pictures, posters etc in any colour and give you a modern look.

Resene Havoc
Resene Havoc
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
October 2018

Q. I've recently repainted my house. The weatherboards are Resene Perano, the windows, bargeboards, cornerboards are Resene Alabaster. The soffits are Resene Opal. Under the windows and the front porch will be Resene Kashmir Blue. The front door is Resene Rock N Roll. I will be getting a new fence soon and need to repaint my garage and retaining wall that are a bit of a mess based on previous house colour and some city council graffitti paint-over. I have thought either white or a grey but not sure what kind of grey would be best.

A. Is the roof a grey? Is that why you are considering using a grey for the guttering and down pipes? If this is the case then you might paint them to match the roof. Or you could use Resene Alabaster -006-099 - this is practical as you already have this white on the house so it would tie it together nicely.

The garage door could be Resene Kashmir Blue or if you had your heart set on a bolder statement you might consider using Resene Rock N Roll. There is a little detailing at the top of the garage that might be picked out in the same colour as the door also or alternatively you might choose to use the Resene Perano.

The face of the garage and the retaining wall could be the same colour as the new fence - this keeps it well balanced and doesn't make a sandwich of colours in this area. Had you thought about that option?

A colour that is the lesser one used on the house - Kashmir Blue or Resene Opal - might be used for the fence and wall. If you have a wooden capping rail at the top of the fence then it might look neat to use Resene Alabaster just on that.

Resene Perano
Resene Perano
Resene Alabaster
Resene Alabaster
Resene Opal
Resene Opal
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Kashmir Blue
Resene Rock N Roll
Resene Rock N Roll
October 2018

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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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