Here's a taste of some of the Colour Expert questions and answers to help you with your own colour scheme.
If you would like more colour advice for your project, please ask our Colour Expert for help or come in and see our staff at your local Resene ColorShop or Reseller. Colours are a representation only.
Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.
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Q. I want to paint may entrance hall a deep dusty/dirty red-pink. The adjoining room is painted Resene Beryl Green from the Karen Walker Paints collection. The adjoining stairwell is Resene Alabaster. A. Have you tried Resene Sanguine Brown? This pairs well with the Resene Beryl Green family, or you may like to try Resene Merlot, Resene Copper Rust or Resene Red Ochre. July 2022 |
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Q. I am looking at wall and ceiling paint. If I go Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Eighth Rice Cake for the walls what is the recommended colour for the ceiling? A. Resene White will bring out the slight undertone in either of these colours and is fresh and clean with these two colours. July 2022 |
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Q. We are currently painting our house and have chosen Resene Helix as the main colour. We are stuck on what colour would work nicely for our front door. Do you have any suggestions? We were thinking potentially a soft grey might work. Our roof is concrete tile in Grey Friars. A. Yes a soft grey on the front door is perfect and tonal which is a modern look. Try Resene Grey Seal, Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Double Silver Chalice or Resene Half Tapa.  Resene Helix  Resene Grey Seal  Resene Double Silver Chalice July 2022 |
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Q. Is there a colour match for aluminium joinery colour Rivergum? A. Yes – Resene Rivergum is the equivalent. July 2022 |
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Q. My house has terracotta roof tiles, a Resene Rice Cake exterior with Resene Wedgewood trim. What type of ‘grey’ would work for a garage door? A. Greys with similar undertones to the Resene Wedgewood which will blend and not dominate – try Resene Oslo Grey, Resene Nevada or Resene Trout. Or you could try a more urban grey with a hint of blue such as Resene Quarter Grey Friars. July 2022 |
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Q. I’m so bad at matching colours. We are painting the interior of our house slowly with Resene Half Tea. I’m about to start our spare bedroom which gets very little light. I want to do a feature wall that will help brighten up the room. I’m not sure what colour to go with which would suit Resene Half Tea. I see Resene Moroccan Spice on the complementary colours but wondering if there are any more ideas on what might work? A. If the room gets very little light I would stay with warm undertones, so it doesn’t feel cold and uninviting – try Resene Ziggurat, Resene Gargoyle, Resene Sorrell Brown, Resene Sixth Sense or Resene Tom Tom.  Resene Sixth Sense July 2022 |
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Q. We are looking for a warm wall colour, not grey but a warm colour with a grey tinge not brown and a white for the ceiling/architraves and skirting to go with a rustic blackbutt timber flooring and warm grey carpet with a white fleck. We have used a many of your colours before and we love them. A. See if any of these tones appeal: Resene Half Cloud, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone, Resene Quarter White Pointer or Resene Wan White – an umber white warmer than grey. Resene Half Alabaster will pair with any of these colours for the trims, ceilings, architraves and skirtings.  Resene Eighth Friar Greystone July 2022 |
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Q. We have Resene Spindle kitchen cupboards and want a white or neutral for walls and a contrast white or neutral for other internal doors, skirting, architraves etc. The furniture in the lounge is a teal colour. A. The Resene Spindle and teal furniture sound great together. Try Resene Alabaster for the walls and team it with a very light grey for the doors and architraves etc such as Resene Poured Milk. Alternately you could try a complex beige for the walls – Resene Quarter Tea – with doors, trims etc in Resene Sea Fog. July 2022 |
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Q. We have a home in a beach setting with a green outlook. The living area has a ply ceiling and chipboard with mid-blue carpet (later oatmeal carpet). There is some green furniture. We are looking at the wall hue and thinking of a pale grey teal, perhaps Resene Swans Down. Or is there something else you would recommend? A. See if any of these colours appeal: Resene Tasman, Resene Paris White, Resene Secrets or Resene Ottoman. Paint testpots onto A2 cardboard and view during natural daylight and with artificial light at night, to see which tone you prefer. July 2022 |
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Q. My roof has recently been painted Resene New Denim Blue to match the window joinery. I have already decided I am going with Resene Half Akaroa for the house exterior. I am struggling with choosing a colour for the soffits. Do I pick a lighter shade of Resene Akaroa or can you recommend another option? A. The combination of Resene New Denim Blue and Resene Half Akaroa is great! For the soffits it does depend on the style of your house to whether a lighter variant of Resene Half Akaroa will work. I quite like more of a contrast on the soffit generally – but it’s worth testing Resene Eighth Akaroa, Resene Half Villa White or Resene Half Merino. July 2022 |
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Q. We are in the process of building a new house. We have decided on the colour FlaxPod for the roof, window joinery and spouting. Which colours would go well for the house walls? We like it light as we are going to use some wood wall features too. A. Here are some neutrals to investigate; Resene Half Friar Greystone, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Archive Grey, Resene Copyrite, Resene Half Copyrite, Resene Terrain or Resene Cloudy. Resene have A4 swatches as part of their colour library which you can take outside to view in natural light. Colour will lighten in bright light – so I have included lighter and a little deeper shades.  Resene Half Friar Greystone  Resene Quarter Friar Greystone July 2022 |
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Q. I have a hallway and have no idea what to do with it. But I know I do want it as a feature in my home. Please give me some suggestions how I could decorate it. A. The key thing for entranceways and hallways is they make a first impression for your friends and family – what sort of feeling do you want to create? Fun and sassy or perhaps soothing and relaxing. What would best welcome you home and get your into an at home headspace. You only spend a short time in these areas so you can afford to be a little bolder than usual. Remember hallways can lead off into many adjacent spaces. Open doors when you are considering your hallway colour palette to help check that your hallway colour will lead well into other areas. A few ideas:
June 2022 |
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Q. We are building a new modern style home. We have Monument gutters and roller door and are thinking of a grey/charcoal for exterior wall colours, what can you recommend? A. With Monument, you need a charcoal or grey which doesn’t reflect too much blue or green, or the Monument can look brown. Try Resene Baltic Sea, Resene Steel Grey, Resene Half Fuscous Grey or Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey. Or for a lighter grey try Resene Scarpa Flow. Colours do lighten by at least 20% in natural bright light. June 2022 |
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Q. I want a colour that matches COLORSTEEL® Pioneer Red. A. Resene Pioneer Red is a match to COLORSTEEL® Pioneer Red and is available from all Resene ColorShops. June 2022 |
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Q. We are struggling to colour match the paint for the exterior of our house – a cream sort of colour. We have tried using the colour swatch cards and matching something that looks close. But when we use the testpot and paint it on the surface, it looks nothing like either the wall or the colour swatch card either. It always appears much whiter. Is it possible to get someone to help us figure out what colour we should be using? A. If you are repainting, is it possible to get a scraping of the paint – the bigger the better but rule of thumb is at least a 50c coin size – then the staff at your local Resene ColorShop can assist with a colour match for you. You can find out more details about our colour match service here. June 2022 |
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Q. We really like Resene Calm Green from the Karen Walker Paints collection (much of the outside of our house is this colour). We are looking for a green to go in a smallish bathroom/laundry space to go with the whites there already. We tried full Resene Calm Green but it’s too dark. Can you get half or quarter strength Resene Calm Green and if not, what would be your closest match? A. You can request a special colour request for half or quarter strength Resene Calm Green at your local Resene ColorShop. June 2022 |
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Q. Our house is cream brick with Charcoal matt windows, a Windsor Grey roof and horizontal timber painted in Resene Clouded Blue horizontal timber. What colour should we paint the fence? A. Try Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, Resene Dark Web or Resene Noir. These colours will tone in with the roof and look stunning with greenery. June 2022 |
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Q. I would love to paint my bedroom a soft green that goes well with whites, greys and the occasional pink print duvet cover. My problem is I also like red. What shade of green would be neutral enough as a background to suit these colours, even a quarter or eighth strength? A. Sage greens are soft and slightly grey which make them unexpected neutrals when paired with other colours, so they will mix with pinks or reds, and grey and white. Greens with a slight blue edge will work as well. See if any of these greens appeal to you: Resene Green Spring, Resene Secrets, Resene Half Secrets, Resene Harp or Resene Paris White. Consider using a bit more depth with your green too – you could look at Resene Pale Leaf, Resene Aura or Resene Norway.  Resene Aura June 2022 |
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Q. Our house is Hunua stone in original condition so not painted etc. Our joinery is Titania and we have a solid concrete tile roof. We are stuck on a roof colour but are looking at greys. We have a black gate/fence and lots of concrete planter boxes around and kwila decks going grey. A. agree the roof should be greys to complement the existing elements, however, not too dark so it dominates. Try Resene Grey Friars, Resene Steel Grey or Resene Nocturnal. June 2022 |
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Q. I would like a low contrast combination of Resene Rice Cake and a subtle warmer taupe colour. Perhaps Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe, or Resene Rice Cake and Resene Soapstone, or Resene Eighth Biscotti. What would you recommend? A. Resene Quarter Perfect Taupe looks good with Resene Rice Cake. Resene Soapstone may make Resene Rice Cake appear too green and Resene Eighth Biscotti is an option, if you want a very subtle shift in colour. These two options might appeal to you, Resene Eighth Drought or Resene Eighth Akaroa. Try painting the options on A2 card using a Resene testpot, in two coats and leaving an unpainted border around the edge, including the Resene Rice Cake and see how they pair together in different lights. June 2022 |
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Q. Would Resene Half Sea Fog with Resene Alabaster ceilings be warm in a small easterly facing apartment with sliding doors face east – good light. I am very open to alternative suggestions. A. Yes Resene Half Sea Fog is a versatile white and goes with both cool and warm tones, and will accentuate the light. Resene Alabaster pairs well with Resene Half Sea Fog and the ceilings will look crisp next to it. A grey rug will help to keep the walls neutral and you can enhance warmth in the later afternoon/evening with mood lighting. June 2022 |
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Q. I recently painted my bedroom walls in Resene Blue Charcoal and ceiling and trims are Resene Alabaster. What complementary colour goes with Resene Blue Charcoal? A. A dark moody bedroom sounds fabulous! Resene Blue Charcoal has an obvious undertone of blue and blue looks best paired with other blues. Try Resene Duck Egg Blue as a main complementary colour and bring in a small amount of a slate blue like Resene Artemis or Resene Fast Forward. June 2022 |
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Q. We are looking at our home’s exterior. We like colours like Resene Half Stonehenge. Can you help us out with any similar colours and what would complement all the trims? A. Resene Half Stonehenge is a great colour. It does depend on what the substrate is to the effect you will achieve, i.e. it will look different on weatherboard to plaster, so here are some alternatives in case it is not quite the right tone for you – Resene Quarter Sandstone, Resene Cloudy or Resene Rockbottom. I recommend you try two coats of these and see how they look in the area you plan to paint. Ideally paint them onto A2 card and pin to the substrate then move around to different parts to see how they look on different parts of the house. For trims, warmer whites can look good with these browner greys. Try Resene Quarter Spanish White or for a cooler white try Resene Milk White from the Karen Walker Paints collection. Colour will appear whiter or lighter outside, due to the bright natural light. June 2022 |
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Q. I am looking for an external colour for my home. It is a concrete rendered construction with castle features so I am looking for a colour that will assist it to look ‘old worldly’ and castle-ish. Something in a neutral – grey range? The roof is black as are the window frames. A. It does depend on the scale of the home, but just note that colours will appear a lot lighter outside in bright natural light. For an ‘old worldly’ effect a stony grey or brown grey may work. There are many greys/neutrals in the original stonework of a castle, so see if any of these appeal; there are lighter and darker versions available. Try Resene Half Friar Grey, Resene Eighth Masala, Resene Grey Seal, Resene Half Mountain Mist or Resene Westar. Resene Grey Seal June 2022 |
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Q. I want to replace green tinged walls with something more neutral and grey that will complement a wooden ceiling. The space is north facing and gets loads of natural light. A. In this situation Resene Double Alabaster will look fabulous. It complements but tones down the warmth of the wood. Make sure you test this colour by painting it onto A2 white card so the green doesn’t influence it. Being a bit whiter it may reflect other surrounding colours, depending on your furnishings as well, so I also recommend trying a colour with more grey, like Resene Athens Grey, Resene Half Athens Grey, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice or Resene Triple Sea Fog as other options. June 2022 |
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Q. I am looking for a blue/green colour for a feature wall to work with my Resene Triple Sea Fog walls and Resene Half Sea Fog ceiling and windows. I’m looking at Resene Tarawera. The carpet is a dark charcoal colour. Would Resene Tarawera work? Or maybe Resene Cello? But I like the rich look of Resene Tarawera. A. If you like the richness of Resene Tarawera, which is brighter than Resene Cello even though its deeper, then I suggest you try Resene Navigate which is a bit lighter than Resene Tarawera but not as grey as Resene Cello. It is a marine blue and may balance with the charcoal carpet and Resene Triple Sea Fog a bit better. However, the best advice is to tell you that it is a feature wall and should be a colour you love as long as it pairs fairly well – so I recommend trying all three colours on A2 card and pinning to the wall which is to be the feature and seeing what appeals to your eye the most! June 2022 |
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Q. I was wondering if it is possible to be provided with mood board colour suggestions for Resene Eighth Pravda and Resene Quarter Pravda. We are also having to buy new furniture and prefer a contrasting colour for the covering. Either a black, close to Resene Diesel? Or more into a red tone say Resene Dynamite that I saw online on one of the HabitatbyResene mood boards. Any other suggestions in the ‘red’ zone please? A. Try these combinations, the pops of colour should be used sparingly (accents) 30% one colour and 10% the other, i.e.: Smoulder 10%, Artemis 30% of the scheme. All colours for each Resene Pravda variant can be combined. I recommend visiting your local Resene ColorShop who have a library of A4 colours and looking at them combined with each Resene Pravda variant. You can also order painted swatches online through the Resene website. With Resene Quarter Pravda, try Resene Black White, Resene Half Masala, Resene Eighth Stonewashed, Resene Smokey Green and Resene Dark Web. With Resene Eighth Pravda, try Resene Quarter Black White, Resene Double Pravda, Resene Artemis and Resene Smoulder. Both Resene Diesel and Resene Dynamite will work in contrast, or you could also look at Resene Jalapeno but this is quite bright. Something to consider is the feature wall is probably more likely to change sooner than the furniture, so an off black like Resene Noir for furniture may give you more scope with feature wall colours later.  Resene Eighth Stonewashed  Resene Dark Web June 2022 |
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Q. I am redecorating my kitchen. The cupboards will be white, the splashback possibly light grey and the floor medium toned brown laminate. What colour would suit my kitchen walls? Whatever colour is chosen will also be for the lounge and dining areas. A. Grey blues and greens look good in kitchens that have white and grey, with timber flooring, and greys are on trend for kitchens so the splashback idea is a good one! Try Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Unwind. Consider painting the lounge and dining, or just the lounge in Resene Unwind and the kitchen in Resene Duck Egg Blue or similar. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a bought a Lockwood with mainly the wood interior. The bedroom has one wall painted dark red which I want to replace but am unsure what colour would work. Two walls and the ceiling are timber finish, one painted and one a ranch slider. A. Paint colours that go with pine wood include pastel to mid colours, which offer soft contrast and in larger spaces, darker and saturated colours enhance the weight of the pine’s tactile features, so it is a wood that a lot of colours will pair with. Choosing a feature wall depends on other furnishings and accessories you have to pull colours from, also you need to consider if that particular wall lends itself to be a focal point. Quite often behind the bed is a better place to paint a feature, however, if your main objective is to change the colour, then you could try these colours which will work with the wood and are on trend: Resene Peace, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Remember Me, Resene Ship Cove or Resene Robin Egg Blue. I would avoid greys, tans and browns as these will make a smaller room look dreary with the wood. If you do want a neutral, Resene Taupe Grey from the Karen Walker Paints collection will work as it is a dense yellow based grey, so pairs with the yellow in the wood. Alternately you could paint all the walls in this room one of these and leave the ceiling and trims/doors wood, to relate to the rest of the house, or use a crisp cream like Resene Rice Cake.  Resene Peace  Resene Remember Me June 2022 |
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Q. Our kitchen has just been replaced and has (warmish) white cabinetry, white/grey toned Caesarstone benchtops, grey toned flooring, and a light neutral on the walls. We are now selecting a colour for the glass splashback and have been advised to choose any Resene colour. Resene Paris White looks similar to what the painters used but I'm wondering if it would be better to go for a contrasting colour in a warm grey tone (like Resene Sea Fog) rather than try to match the paintwork. The kitchen gets quite a lot of light throughout the day but I'm not keen on a really dark/cold-toned grey. A. Resene Sea Fog may not be quite the right tone and a bit light. I recommend a slightly deeper tone so the colour of the splashback differentiates from the cabinetry without looking like the wrong white. There are two types of glass used for splashback – the only one that shows the colour that is behind it as absolutely true is low iron oxide star bright glass – the other – standard float glass, gives all colours a murky greenish edge, so it is best to ask for a sample of the glass painted in the recommended colours. Try Resene Double Merino or Resene Triple Merino – they are warmer grey whites with a slight green oxide undertone. Have you considered a metallic like Resene Pure Pewter it is a warm metallic, with an undertone of green, it is slightly sparkly and your kitchen receiving a lot of light is the perfect situation for a metallic. Green is on trend for kitchens and splashbacks, see if either of these appeal to you – Resene Pewter, Resene Blue Smoke or Resene Spanish Green. Please try the colours that appeal to you behind glass before installing. June 2022 |
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Q. Will it be too ‘busy’ to opt for three different colours in my 73sqm apartment? I really like dark colours so am thinking a Resene Forest Green bedroom and one wall in the lounge, with the rest of the living area a muted green, and then the second bedroom a dark teal. A. Three colours is acceptable and probably the maximum, but in theory you are using the same shade – variants of green, so this will work really well and especially if you repeat the green from the bedroom into the lounge as a feature, with the other walls a muted green. Greens are right on trend. June 2022 |
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Q. We’re looking to repaint a hallway which hardly gets any natural light. It is however a very large hallway, wide and long with a warm neutral earthy carpet. The rooms coming off it are all quite cool colours of greens and blues (Resene Half Robin Egg Blue and another room is Resene Beryl Green, both from the Karen Walker Paints collection). The hallway is currently painted Resene Half Canterbury Clay and has lots of artwork. We would like to modernise and lighten it, while keeping it timeless, neutral and flowing with the other rooms of the house. Perhaps a warm off white? What would you recommend? A. See if any of these colours appeal to you, they all have slightly different undertones but will work with the existing colours you have. Paint your samples onto A2 card (available from Resene ColorShops) and leave a white edge around all sides, so the yellow tone of your hallway walls doesn’t change the look of the neutrals you are testing. Look at the samples day and night, pinned to the walls, as lighting, both artificial and natural will, if it can, change the look of a colour. Try Resene Albescent White, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Milk White or Resene Double White Pointer. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a small 80 sqm two bedroom home and am thinking of getting a charcoal grey carpet. What wall and ceiling colours would you suggest will go best to create the most spacious impression without a too cold look please? A. Cool whites and off whites tend to make a room feel more spacious and pair well with charcoal carpet, however, because you are wanting a warm ambience, which is also on trend, try some of these neutrals which are not too warm, nor cool. It will depend on the lighting how much warmth is reflected, so I recommend you try a Resene testpot of any that appeal to you and paint an A2 sheet of cardboard (available at Resene ColorShops) and pin it to the walls, move it around, to make sure your chosen colour works in all settings. Try Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Rice Cake, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Merino with Resene Alabaster – a fresh, bright white for ceilings. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a 1974 Lockwood home. The stained 'Lockwood’ interior is looking tired and we would like to freshen it up. We would like a neutral or close to neutral stain. We used Resene products to repaint the exterior of this house a couple of years ago with great results. Hope you can recommend a product for the interior now. A. Resene Colorwood Natural is an interior stain which is close as possible to a neutral stain. If you pop into your local Resene ColorShop, they have samples of this stain on pine (Lockwood timber) which you can view. June 2022 |
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Q. What is the next darkest shade to go with Resene Triple Sea Fog. We have painted our walls with Resene Triple Sea Fog but want to go slightly darker for doors and skirting. A. Try Resene Quill Grey or Resene Silver Sand. June 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our 60s weatherboard home at the end of the year and are wanting a French Country/Hamptons style colour scheme. I really like pale grey with stark white trim. I have got some Resene testpots of Resene Iron and Resene Geyser which we sort of like but was wondering if you could suggest a few pale greys with a hint of blue? A very light grey with hint of blue is what we are after. A. See if any of these appeal to you, they will give the Hamptons feel, and will appear blue or grey depending on the aspect and lighting. Try them on A2 card (available at Resene ColorShops) and pin to the wall and move around the spaces, including folding in half lengthways, and trying in the corners which is where the intensity of colour will come through. Try Resene Quarter Surrender, Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Iron or Resene Half Gull Grey. June 2022 |
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Q. I have painted my kitchen Resene Breeze, with white trim. We are stuck with red Formica counters, which we want to paint. Can you suggest some colours which will enhance Resene Breeze. I have tried darker tones, but they are quite dark. Can you suggest softer colours, or any contrast which will make the Resene Breeze pop? A. If you want Resene Breeze to pop but don’t want a contrast, like a deeper tone, then I suggest going lighter, into tones which are neutral, will allow Resene Breeze to be the feature, but differentiate from white trim. This will work well if the cabinetry is white too. Try Resene Quarter Linen, Resene Quarter Ash, Resene Zumthor or Resene White Thunder. Alternately you could try for a contrast, but not too dark, using Resene Half Opal. June 2022 |
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Q. I'm looking for an exterior paint colour for my brick house. I’m thinking an olive green but not dark. Someone suggested Resene Friar Greystone but I want more green. Can you recommend a colour. Resene Avocado looks close. A. For colours which are more olive than Resene Friar Greystone, try Resene Hillary, Resene Grey Olive or Resene Earthstone. Resene Eagle is a lovely green neutral which you may like to try as an alternative to Resene Grey Olive. If you like Resene Avocado, then try it – just be aware that colours do appear lighter and brighter outside, and will appear more green with certain aspects – East light can tend to do this for example. Painting the colours that appeal to you on A2 card (available at Resene ColorShops) and pinning to different sides of the house at different times of the day, will give you the best idea of what it will look like overall; then if there is a particular colour you like, try a small test patch on the brick, in an aspect that you feel is most vital to get right, as different textures can also affect the appearance of the colour.  Resene Friar Greystone June 2022 |
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Q. I'm helping a friend with kitchen colours. He has chosen Arctic White cabinetry and a Resene Spring Green flashback. I was wondering about Resene Bullitt or Resene Wicked as a feature behind white cabinets and Resene Half Rice Cake on the rest of the walls. Would this work or can you suggest something better? A. Arctic White is a cool toned white with a blue/grey undertone. Resene Half Rice Cake will look cream next to it, I recommend trying Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Black White. A blue feature wall will pair well with the Arctic White and the splashback. For the feature colour, try Resene Indian Ink, Resene King Tide, Resene Safehaven or Resene Time After Time.  Resene King Tide  Resene Safehaven  Resene Time After Time June 2022 |
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Q. I would like to get help with a ceiling colour to complement Resene Double Sea Fog? A. If you want a fresh white that complements Resene Double Sea Fog then try Resene Alabaster or for a bit more depth Resene Double Alabaster. June 2022 |
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Q. Do Grey Friars and Slate go together? We have Grey friars on our garage and front door but are going to do a Slate colour roof. A. Yes Grey Friars and Slate will work together, although Slate has a lot more warmth to it than the Grey Friars – is this the look you are going for? Check out Windsor Grey as well – it’s deeper again and may work. Resene have a library of A4 swatches with equivalents to these COLORSTEEL® colours, so you can view them together. June 2022 |
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Q. I need to choose paint for the upstairs of my new house which includes my bedroom. Having ‘sort of’ chosen THE colour, Resene Quarter Dusted Blue, I am wondering if it is too ‘twee’. Now I have just seen Resene Jungle Mist’... more towards a soft blue/green. Although bed linen is changeable, which of these colours will be a better soft background for the bedding in blue tones? I suppose what I am looking for is a 'teal/turquoise colour towards the blue end of the spectrum. A. Resene Quarter Dusted Blue (definitely not ‘twee’ ) and Resene Jungle Mist are both beautiful colours, however, the best advice I can give you, is to paint samples of these two colours onto either A2 card (available at Resene ColorShops) or order the pre painted drawdown swatches at www.resene.com/drawdowns and put them next to the bedding. Without physically seeing the background and undertones of the bedding it is hard for me to accurately say which colour will suit. Try Resene Half Halcyon as another option – it’s more blue, less grey than Resene Quarter Dusted Blue, but is still muted. If you go too bright into the turquoise tones, the walls will dominate the room. Alternately, to complement the blues and really make the bedding pop rather than blend, is to choose a colour in the least obvious tones and pick it out of your duvet pattern.  Resene Half Halcyon June 2022 |
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Q. I have a 70s unit reno with part painted brick and part vertical Hardie T & G cement panels. Can you recommend a black exterior paint that has a green or brown undertone? Also a complementary white for under exterior eaves. Not a stark white. A. Try Resene Noir with Resene Poured Milk or Resene Zeus with Resene Merino. For some substrates, possibly cement panels, dark colours are not recommended, so Resene have CoolColour paint available – which is where there is a special pigment in the paint which helps to reflect more of the harmful UV light away from the substrate, decreasing heat absorption and subsequent damage, but the colour looks like the non-cool colour. You may want to check on this before you go ahead. Your bricks are fine to be painted dark. June 2022 |
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Q. We have Resene Half Sisal on our walls and have just painted the doors and architraves Resene Black White but it looks wrong, do you have a suggestion of another white which may be suitable? A. Resene Black White is probably looking a bit grey and cool against warmer Resene Half Sisal, and this can come down to natural and artificial lighting as well, if black white is viewed in shadow, it can appear more grey. Try Resene Quarter Rice Cake, or you can use a lighter tone of Resene Sisal, such as Resene Eighth Sisal. June 2022 |
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Q. Our house has a Gull Grey COLORSTEEL® roof and pergola with Sandstone Grey window and ranch slider joinery as well as a Sandstone Grey pool fence. The weatherboard house is painted in Resene Half Foundry but I need to repair the weatherboard and want to repaint lighter or even a different colour, Any suggestions that could work? A. Try these warmer tones which complement the Sandstone Grey – Resene Half Fuscous Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea, Resene Half Friar Greystone or Resene Copyrite. Resene Half Friar Greystone June 2022 |
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Q. We have recently moved to a large modern mid-2000s house, and the entire interior is painted Resene Double Tea (including trim) with Resene Tea ceilings. The effect feels dark. I dream of lightening everything up to a more contemporary off-white, which is not too cool or stark white – I love an off-white which gives the feeling of warmth yet without being too yellow or cloying. No idea where to start – any suggestions? The carpet is a similar shade to the walls and there are large black steel beams in the cathedral ceilings. A. See if any of these off whites appeal to you; Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Chalk Dust or Resene Half Bianca. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a brick house with Grey Friars window frames, garage doors and guttering and we want to paint the brick. We aren't sure the colour of the roof but it's either faded or some sort of light brown colour. I was thinking going dark on the bricks but not black but I'm open to any ideas. A. You have a lovely property and painting the brick is a brave and smart decision, as it will change and modernise the appearance. The following colours will bridge the gap between the faded roof and Resene Grey Friars. Colours do appear at least 20% lighter outside, in bright natural light, so you may want to go a shade or two deeper, however, I see a lightish colour on the main body will really lift the overall effect. See if any of these Resene colours appeal to you – Resene Eighth Napa, Resene Half Perfect Taupe, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone, Resene Truffle or Resene Quarter Heathered Grey. Resene Eighth Friar Greystone June 2022 |
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Q. My kitchen is about 11x11 ft. and has a polished pine floor. I am installing a refurbished Montgomery Ward 1950s double drain board, green (olive-sage) enamel sink. I thought to paint the ceiling a colour that would help the sink stand out or fit in more. A. Repeating colour creates cohesion and in a mid sized kitchen, painting the ceiling a similar if not the same shade as an existing accent colour in the kitchen, will cleverly draw the eye upwards and give the illusion of a larger space, it will also balance the structure of the sink, without blending it into the walls or splashback. You can always buy the largest card you can (Resene ColorShops have A2 cardboard available) and paint a Resene testpot or two onto this and pin to the ceiling if possible, to see how it looks. Patterns on the ceiling in the same colour, draw the eye upwards too and create an illusion of space – so this could work really well. June 2022 |
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Q. My walls are Resene Quarter Spanish White and the doors and trim are light brown. We are going to paint all door trim and doors to brighten the house and make it look more modern. I prepped three and tried some Resene Sea Fog. It seems to look wrong against the cream colour – a little white with black shadow. Which white goes well with Resene Quarter Spanish White walls? A. Resene Sea Fog does have a hint of grey, which will reflect under certain lighting and shadowing. The Resene Spanish White family looks best when paired together or with white. Have you considered painting your woodwork a little deeper? It will still give the overall effect of a much brighter house, as it will still be a lot lighter than the brown. Try Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Spanish White or Resene Half Alabaster, in a semi-gloss finish such as Resene Lustacryl. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a new small house and our kitchen is a mixture of white, wood cabinets and a concrete benchtop. I am having trouble deciding on the colour in this area. It's between Resene Half Rice Cake with ceiling in Resene Quarter Rice Cake or Resene Half Bianca with ceiling in Resene Quarter Bianca. The flooring will be a warm wood laminate. A. Both those off whites will work with your other kitchen colours – Resene Half Rice Cake is a slightly ‘aged off white’ and Resene Half Bianca is brighter/cleaner. If your ceiling is standard height 2.4 approx, then going one tone lighter will actually give the appearance of the walls and ceiling being the same colour, due to less light being reflected on the ceiling, if this is the effect you want, you could also try Resene Eighth Rice Cake to go with Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene White if you choose Resene Half Bianca walls. The best advice I can give you, is to paint the testpots of these wall and ceiling colours on to A2 white card (two coats) leaving an unpainted border all around the edge of the card, so your eye focuses on the reality of the sample colour. If you test onto a coloured wall, it may make you misjudge what the colour truly looks like. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a cedar house painted with Resene Cherrywood. We are looking for some ideas about what colour we should choose for the long run iron roof. It's currently a green-ish colour, but we would like to repaint it to something different. Would you recommend colours like Resene Gauntlet, Resene Steel Grey or Resene Mid Grey? Would those grey colours go well with Resene Cherrywood? A. Yes greys will work very well with Resene Cherrywood, I recommend Resene Steel Grey or Resene Mid Grey. It does depend on what colour your joinery is too. June 2022 |
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Q. I’m looking to paint a room Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue. We have a set of drawers for the room that I was planning on painting using Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint, but I’m unsure of what colour. Are you able to suggest some complementary whites, as well as some complementary darker colours to help me decide? A. I recommend checking out these colours to see if they suit your plans – Resene Wan White, Resene Albescent White, Resene Sandspit Brown, Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Blanched Pink, Resene Unwind, Resene Raindance, Resene Half Sea Fog or Resene Quarter Tea. These colours are available in Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint and are a good balance to the Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue. If you want, you can then finish the project with Karen Walker Soft Wax for a clear effect or Karen Walker Vintage Wax for a darker, more textured look. Vintage Wax can be used to highlight any furniture details. June 2022 |
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Q. After much consideration, I am going looking to paint most of the internal walls of a villa in Resene Quarter Ecru White with some bedrooms Resene Quarter Beryl Green and Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue. What colour would you recommend for trims and ceilings that would go with all of those colours? Also, we have decided Resene Eighth Lemon Grass for the outside of the villa – what would you recommend for trims for the rest of the outside of the house, and perhaps an exciting front door colour? A. Try Resene Quarter Wan White or Resene Alabaster for trims and ceilings. For the exterior trims Resene Merino pairs well with tones of green. For the front door, earthy reds, slate blues and chocolate browns look good with Resene Eighth Lemon Grass – see if any of these appeal to you – Resene Courage, Resene Virtuoso or Resene Safehaven. June 2022 |
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Q. We are wanting to change a couple of feature walls in an entrance and stair landing which have been painted a teal colour to something more neutral and fairly dark. The other walls in the area are Resene Half Truffle so wanted something to complement this. We’d like the other feature colour to be darker. A. Resene Stonewashed will work well with Resene Half Truffle, plus brown tones are on trend. For a deeper tone try Resene Groundbreaker or you could stay with the Resene Truffle family and try Resene Double Truffle. June 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my lounge ceiling in Resene Buttery White and looking for a shade of green that might match to go on the walls. One colour I am considering is Resene Rainee, but am wondering if the two colours would go together or whether I should get it in a half shade so it’s not too dark (but I’m worried the half shade might clash). A. Resene Rainee or half strength Resene Rainee will work with Resene Buttery White. Resene Rainee is a lovely green and has some life to it, which shouldn’t appear too dark at all, but this will depend on natural light and from what aspect, the size of the room etc. Other greens to consider are Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, Resene Green Spring or Resene Secrets. Resene Half Rainee, is not a standard colour, therefore to do a quick test of it, the easiest option is the purchase a Resene white testpot and mix equal amounts with a Resene Rainee testpot, to get an approx mix of half Resene Rainee. June 2022 |
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Q. I'm thinking of painting my new house Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. Would you recommend using the same paint on the ceiling? A. Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta is just a hint of pure cream. I recommend painting the ceiling Resene White. Unless your ceiling is quite a bit higher than the average 2.4, painting them the same colour will make the ceiling look darker than the walls, due to less light reflection. June 2022 |
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Q. Which is the cleaner white, Resene Eight Spanish White or Resene Eighth Sisal, for doors and trims? We have Resene Quarter Sisal on the walls. A. Resene Eighth Spanish White may look pinkish next to Resene Quarter Sisal, so Resene Eighth Sisal will tone better and is a bit cleaner. However, for more of a contrast and an even cleaner look you could try Resene Eighth Rice Cake. June 2022 |
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Q. I have a wooden farm building with a New Denim Blue roof and dark brown aluminium windows and sliding door. What colour would you recommend for the walls please? A. I am guessing being a farm building you are wanting it to blend rather than be highlighted. Therefore to complement the windows and roof I recommend similar tones to the roof or a darker hue, that will work with both elements. Try Resene Rhino, Resene Half New Denim Blue or Resene Ebony Clay. June 2022 |
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Q. I have Bestwood Arctic White joinery in my kitchen and wanted to match the colour with a Resene paint. Do you know which Resene neutral would be the nearest match to Bestwood Arctic White. A. Arctic White is a cool toned white with a blue undertone. In my opinion the safest standard white to use with it is Resene White. However, Resene do have a custom colour match on file for Arctic White and this is probably the best custom match you will be able to get. Contact your local Resene ColorShop who can tint this for you. June 2022 |
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Q. We are changing the colour of the interior of our house from Resene Parchment to a white to brighten the look. We are having trouble deciding between Resene Quarter Rice Cake and Resene Eighth Rice Cake. We have wooden floors and wooden doors that will remain the same. We are thinking of Resene Quarter Alabaster for the ceiling and scotia. A. Resene Quarter Rice Cake will complement the warmth of the native wood and style of architecture. Resene Quarter Alabaster is a clean white which will be a good contrast to the Resene Quarter Rice Cake. June 2022 |
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Q. I want to paint my open plan kitchen/lounge/dining room walls Resene Half Rice Cake. What colour should the ceiling be? The area is north facing with light from the east and west as well. It is a period home with a number of windows and a green outlook. The kitchen has white cabinetry and a timber floor. A. I recommend you paint a testpot of Resene Half Rice Cake onto A2 card (two coats) and pin it to different walls in these spaces. It should work well, with your existing elements, however, the western and eastern light will affect the look of this warm white. The east light will cast shadows until mid-morning, making it appear a bit dirtier and the western light may make the colour look more cream. Also, the green outlook will reflect on any white and can cast a green tinge back onto the walls. Going for the lighter version will certainly help in this situation, and for this reason, I recommend keeping your ceiling light as well. Try Resene Half Alabaster for the ceiling. June 2022 |
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Q. We have a new COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey roof on our 60s weatherboard house and are trying to work out what colours to paint the weatherboards. New aluminium windows are being installed in Appliance White. We'd prefer light colours but want to achieve good contrast with both the white windows and grey roof. We like Resene Triple Merino but are concerned that it is too similar to the roof. Your suggestions are welcome, especially for a weatherboard colour that would be slightly darker than the roof. A. Resene Triple Merino is worth trying and pairs well with Gull Grey. Roof colours often look a lot lighter than you might expect them to, due to the 45 degree angle of the roof iron to the sun. Weatherboard colours in bright light can also appear quite a bit lighter; so together, the roof and weatherboard colours can appear less or more in contrast, than how you perceive them on a chart or flat next to each other. With this in mind try these alternate colours – Resene Quarter Delta, Resene Half Delta, Resene Half Atmosphere, Resene Triple Black White or Resene Gunsmoke. June 2022 |
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Q. What colour should I paint bathroom walls with a barely there grey look? The rest of our home is fairly achromatic colour wise. A. Bathrooms are usually a restful retreat (unless a powder room or children’s bathroom) and can be distinctive from the rest of the house, but they should link through colours or products, so the bathroom doesn’t look too disparate. A neutral white or warm grey will make this bathroom work, alternately what’s on trend for bathrooms apart from whites/greys, are soft blues and light greens. Try Resene White Pointer, Resene Double Alabaster, Resene White Island or Resene Half Duck Egg Blue. June 2022 |
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Q. We are painting most of our upstairs of our newly purchased home. We have brown and red tones in our wooden flooring and are hoping for a neutral, clean, open white. We aren't yet sure how much sun/light the place gets. In the photos, there is a lot, but when we've been there it is a bit dark. The colours we are most drawn to are Resene Alabaster and Resene Half Rice Cake. Are there other colours you would recommend us considering? A. Cool whites on the walls will deflect the floors from being too overpowering, so Resene Alabaster is a good option. Resene Half Rice Cake may be a bit yellow, especially if there is north facing light. Alternately, see if these off whites appeal – Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream or Resene Double Alabaster. June 2022 |
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Q. My house is painted Resene Bokara Grey. What would be the closest COLORSTEEL® colour to match? A. COLORSTEEL® Ironsand pairs with Resene Bokara Grey well. It has similar tones, but it is lighter and this will be more evident on a roof, if that’s where the COLORSTEEL® is being placed. COLORSTEEL® FlaxPod is on trend, a deep charcoal and will also work with Resene Bokara Grey. I recommend you also speak to your COLORSTEEL® supplier, regarding their options. June 2022 |
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Q. Is there a grey tone that can work with Resene Tea? I would appreciate a couple of options, if there’s anything you can suggest. A. Blue toned greys work best with Resene Quarter Tea. Try Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Half Raven, Resene Raven or Resene Freestyling. June 2022 |
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Q. I’m painting my house Resene Grey Chateau and am looking for a dark colour for the facings around the windows and corners. The windows are a brown aluminium but facings are going to cover about half of it. A. Try Resene Raven, Resene Half Tuna or Resene Tuna. These dark greys will work next to the brown aluminium and with Resene Grey Chateau. June 2022 |
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Q. We have painted several houses with Resene. We are now looking at a warm white for the walls, a lighter white for the architraves, skirting boards and ceiling and preferably a warm grey for a feature fireplace wall. Can you please advise your recommendations for a renovation house. A. You might like to test these warm whites – Resene Half Bianca, Resene Half Rice Cake or Resene Quarter Villa White with these warm greys – Resene Foggy Grey, Resene Quarter Friar Greystone or Resene Eighth Tapa. Resene Half Alabaster is a good trim/ceiling colour with these lighter off whites. Resene Quarter Friar Greystone June 2022 |
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Q. What is the closest colour to Oamaru stone brick? A. Warm whites relate to Oamaru Stone – try Resene Quarter Bianca. June 2022 |
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Q. The cladding on our home is partially timber painted in Resene Blackout with Karaka aluminium joinery. Can you suggest a colour for the remainder of the textured cladding? A. Try these colours – Resene Triple Merino, Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Quarter Arrowtown or Resene Eighth Friar Greystone. Resene Eighth Friar Greystone June 2022 |
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Q. If I want a subtle grey colour for my new home, and I am thinking of having Resene Concrete, do I go half strength or full strength? A. Generally colours are painted half strength if not a white, to the wall colour, but this does depend on the architectural style of the house. Colours will look at least 20% lighter outside in bright natural light, therefore I recommend Resene Concrete or Resene Double Concrete on the walls and Resene Half Concrete or Resene Quarter Concrete on the eaves. Testpots are available at Resene ColorShops and you can view the colours as A4 swatches in the Resene colour library at your local Resene ColorShop so that you can compare the different strengths together. June 2022 |
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Q. Can you recommend a sage green for a living room feature wall? The other walls are Resene Athens Grey so it needs to work with that. A. Slate greens with a touch of sage will work better with Resene Athens Grey. Try Resene Quarter Karaka or Resene Raptor which is slightly more sage. June 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our baseboards of our house Resene Grey Friars to match our fascia. Can you recommend some colours that go with that to paint our weatherboards (which are currently white)? A. You can try these colours to see which appeals to you – Resene Half Delta, Resene Half Taupe Grey, Resene Half Tapa, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Triple Black White. June 2022 |
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Q. I need help picking colours for overhead window infills, gable face and entry door textured panels and a front door colour. The constraints are the colours need to blend in with an existing Ironsand garage door, roof and aluminium joinery and orange-ish brick. I have been playing with Resene Ironsand and Resene Half Ironsand, but I’m not sure if this is too dark. I also tried Resene Ironsand and Resene Gauntlet for the front door. I don’t want the front entry feeling like a dark cave, or the house to feel too ‘harsh’. A. Resene Half Ironsand for the gable face and overhead window infills will blend into the existing Ironsand elements, and these do not need to be a feature as such, which they will be if you go lighter. Try Resene Eighth Masala for the textured panels. It will pair well with Ironsand and the brick and because it’s not too dark, it will then allow the front door to be an accent and draw the eye to the entrance. Try Family Tree or Resene Atlas for the front door. June 2022 |
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Q. We have Resene Quarter Silver Chalice in our living room. It’s a smallish space. I was wondering what darker colour would go well with it? I was thinking of painting the wall the big TV is on to disguise it a bit? Perhaps a dark blue or forest green type colour? The curtains cover an internal ranch slider that goes into a large conservatory. We may make a long bench seat for the window side of the table too and thought we could paint it the same colour. Also nearby is our kitchen in Resene Alabaster. We are considering painting the end wall a colour too. Maybe a dusty pink? A. I like all your colour ideas! All homes suit a touch of dusky pink and it is quite neutral so will work in most colourways. You can repeat it into the living area in the way of a small accessory and a small piece of pottery or a planter in the kitchen, this will give visual balance to the spaces. I recommend a mid-toned, muted colour which isn’t too dark for the size of the room, but will still look quite a contrast in comparison to the Resene Quarter Silver Chalice. I suggest you paint the wall in the living room leading into the kitchen and the TV wall a mid-tone, and the bench seat the same or a deeper shade of the wall colour. When you have selected a colour, you could opt to paint the TV wall first and see how it looks, before deciding to paint the other wall. Colours to try for the living room feature walls are: Resene Peace, Resene Lazy River, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Time After Time, Resene Excalibur, Resene Paddock, Resene Artemis, Resene Waikawa Grey or Resene Lynchpin. Dusky pinks to try for the kitchen feature wall: Resene Shabby Chic, Resene Despacito, Resene Bone, Resene Alpaca or Resene Half Biscotti. Or you could try a more stimulating tone for the kitchen, like Resene Cashmere, Resene Hemp or Resene Del Rio. Resene Peace  Resene Lazy River  Resene Excalibur Resene Time After Time  Resene Artemis June 2022 |
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Q. We require a few different colours: an exterior white for the house (for brick and weatherboard cladding), an interior white and a bedroom colour. We live in Papamoa (near the beach) so we are looking for something with beachy vibes. The roof and joinery are Gull Grey so we'd like a really bright white that will be in strong contrast to that (on the outside). On the inside, perhaps something a little softer? But still beachy. The kitchen cabinetry will be white as is the benchtop (stone). The floors will be timber oak look. In the bedrooms (3) we are thinking about having a hint of colour three quarters of the way up the wall. Or maybe just in two of them. Possibly a light buttery yellow and perhaps a light sage green. A. For a bright white on the exterior and in contrast to the Gull Grey, I recommend Resene Quarter Black White. For the interior, and to give a lovely beach ambience, try Resene Elderflower as the soft neutral. I recommend painting two bedrooms in a different colour and the full walls if you only want a hint of colour. Adding free form abstract lines or stripes or colour blocking may appeal to you on half the walls, then you can use a mid to deep tone of colour. Light to mid buttery yellows and pale to mid greens to try which work with Resene Elderflower are: Resene Moonlight, Resene Butter, Resene Golden Sand, Resene Secrets, Resene Green Mist or Resene Smoothie. For an alternative to Resene Elderflower, you could try Resene Half Merino.  Resene Elderflower  Resene Moonlight  Resene Smoothie June 2022 |
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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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