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 am painting the hallway in our 1950s house and was thinking of using Resene Pearl Lusta as I thought I had some leftover from our previous house. However, I don't have enough and so am wondering if I should choose a new neutral. Resene Alabaster has been suggested and wondered if you had any other thoughts/suggestions. I saw that the LRV is slightly higher on Resene Alabaster compared to Resene Pearl Lusta or even Resene Half Pearl Lusta but wondered if it mattered much if the variation isn't that high? Also, will it matter if I have Resene Pearl Lusta in one bedroom and Resene Alabaster in the hallway or am I better off using Resene Pearl Lusta and Resene Half Pearl Lusta for continuity. I basically want to lighten the space as much as possible. Is there much difference between Resene Pearl Lusta which has a yellow tone and Resene Alabaster which has a black base? I also want to modernise the house but was thinking about colours that would have been used in the 1950s as well. Or is that not worth worrying about? Not so much for the hallway but other areas of the house. I have chosen Resene Half Sauvignon for my daughter's room. I will most likely keep the colour scheme relatively neutral and use block colours through furniture, cushions etc. A. I feel that you should consider a clean warm white which will be in keeping with the architectural style and has good luminance – the higher the luminance the lighter the colour – but also certain tints will bounce off more light than others – which makes these whites a good choice for hallways in character homes, which tend to have low light. Resene Alabaster does have slightly more luminance than Resene Pearl Lusta – but it has raw umber as a base and this can create a cool/dull ambience where there is no natural light. Resene Pearl Lusta is possibly a bit too yellow and may date the overall feel of your house/hallway – but it certainly has its place and is a great colour. I suggest you look at Resene Bianca as a base colour for your house – it has good luminance – the same as Resene Alabaster – but is warmer and less yellow than Resene Pearl Lusta. To keep the scheme modern you might consider painting the ceilings and trims Resene Alabaster. Do consider the 1950s palette for accents – furniture, soft furnishings, fabric etc; keeping the walls neutral allows you to change up these colours for different seasons or simply for fun. Pastels were huge in the 1950s – Resene Half Sauvignon is in keeping with this. Perhaps for the other bedrooms you might like to choose pastel colours that were popular in that era and keep the neutral to the rest of the house. December 2022 |
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Q. We would like to completely repaint our house with trendy grey colours before reselling it. What other colours would match grey? A. Greys look good teamed with most other hues, depending on its underlying tones and depth of colour – it is important to consider the undertone when pairing with another colour as ‘cool greys’ look best with other cooler colour schemes and ‘warm greys’ with warmer colour schemes – so reds, yellows, oranges etc. For a monochrome look incorporate different shades of greys, alongside white, black or charcoal to create depth and visual interest. Combinations with the right undertone of greys which are popular are: grey with other depths of grey, yellows, whites, blacks, sage greens, oranges and navy blues. Check out the Resene website for more colour scheme inspiration, including the habitat plus – decorating trends book or pick up a free copy at your local Resene ColorShop. December 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my house Resene Oxygen, and want to know what colour is just a shade or two darker, for trim. The joinery is white. A. Try Resene Rock Blue or Resene Smokescreen – these blues will lighten in natural bright light so test outside. If they are not what you are looking for, talk to your local Resene ColorShop about making double strength Resene Oxygen – they can organise this colour match for you. December 2022 |
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Q. We need help with an exterior paint scheme for our house please. We think that we would like green. Our roof will soon be replaced and will be COLORSTEEL® Pioneer Red. We have red brick also. A. Muted greens will work well – the green undertone will be enhanced in natural light – I am suggesting a slightly deeper tone for the bargeboards and supports – not too dark as you have the red brick and the red roof – the windows and eaves a soft white including the windowsills and shingles including the shingle roof in the wall colour. For wall colours, including shingles to consider: Resene Terrain, Resene Bud, Resene Aspiring, Resene Hindsight or Resene Coriander (please note that colours do lighten outside). For bargeboards and supports try: Resene Tic Tac Toe (with Resene Aspiring, Resene Coriander or Resene Bud) Resene Double Lemon Grass (with Resene Terrain or Resene Hindsight) or Resene Contour (with Resene Coriander). For eaves and windows including windowsills, try Resene Half Merino. If you have a front door to paint – consider Resene Pioneer Red in a gloss finish. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a small guest bedroom, which gets the morning light, but is in shade for the rest of the day. Our window frames, skirting boards and ceiling are bright white, and I would like a wall colour that is a little lighter than Resene Eighth Napa, but retains that warmth, and the contrast with the surrounding white. A. I recommend you try Resene Quarter Tea or Resene White Pointer. December 2022 |
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Q. I am looking for advice for an exterior colour scheme for my ugly bungalow at the beach. I’m using Resene blue/greens inside and white shutters but am stalling on the exterior colours. Am currently looking at Resene Caraway or possibly a very light blue and need some help. The house is a weird mix but fairly plain bungalow and next to the sea at Ohope so I need a light colour but don’t want to be disappointed by an ordinary result. The new roof is Ironsand and the interior colours are Resene Quarter Robin Egg Blue, Resene Half Periglacial Blue and Resene Jet Stream. A. Your colours sound lovely – check out Resene Slipstream, Resene Quarter Emerge, Resene Timeless or Resene Duck Egg Blue.  Resene Timeless  Resene Slipstream December 2022 |
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Q. Please recommend a popular white exterior house colour. It will be accompanied by a dark grey/Ironsand coloured roof? It is coastal living inspired. A. Resene Sea Fog is a popular white for the exterior as it is versatile – suits most environments, plus having a slight undertone of grey – which isn’t so prevalent outside – it isn’t a stark white, which can be too glary and contrasting with a dark roof. For a warmer white investigate Resene White Pointer. December 2022 |
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Q. I have a particle board floor that I want to paint to look like concrete. I would like some advice on what colours I should purchase in testpots to achieve the effect. A. Check out the habitat plus – special effects booklet. It includes a faux finish concrete look wall, which could be simulated for your floor, using a colourwash technique. It uses Resene FX Paint Effects Medium as a topcoat – this is a tintable acrylic medium that allows you to create unique paint effects – the glaze can be tinted using Resene testpots. Generally two shades deeper than the basecoat is a good colour for the medium. Always practice on cardboard first – A2 and A4 cardboard is available at your local Resene ColorShop. Colours to check out are Resene Half Raven, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Double Stack, Resene Half Stack, Resene Double Concrete and Resene Half Concrete. December 2022 |
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Q. What lighter colour can I use for the soffits of our home with an Ironsand roof, Resene Eighth Ironsand exterior walls and baseboards, Resene Half Ironsand window detail and FlaxPod joinery? A. I suggest lighter soffits in tone with the existing colour scheme – see if any of these appeal: Resene White Pointer, Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Wan White.  Resene Eighth Ironsand December 2022 |
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Q. I am painting my walls Resene Half Rice Cake. What colours would look good with this for the doors? A. I recommend you try Resene Eighth Rice Cake, Resene Alabaster or Resene Half Alabaster. December 2022 |
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Q. I have just renovated a run-down bach into a streamlined model. It is board and batten with big profile aluminium joinery all in the one colour of FlaxPod. It is quite a bold strong look. It is a basically a studio unit and I will be using Resene Kensington Grey in the bathroom and three walls in the bedroom with white ceilings/skirtings. What suggestions would you have for the remaining living area? There will be a kitchenette which will likely be white or a pale colour as well as a feature wall in the bedroom. This wall will be seen from the living area as there’s a cut-out opening which we will put a timber blind in for privacy or can have open. This looks direct through to the lounge and out to the sea. This property is absolute waterfront. We certainly don't mind using bold colours inside but it is a very small space (total of 40sqm) thus the lighter tones in bathroom and bedroom. A. For the bedroom feature wall consider bringing in the exterior vista with a colour like Resene Baring Head or Resene Wayfarer; alternately you might like to carry on with the warmer tones of the exterior – such as Resene Kia Kaha or Resene Oilskin. For the living area I suggest staying light as the view should be the feature – consider Resene Kensington Grey or a slightly lighter grey such as Resene Double Concrete.  Resene Baring Head  Resene Wayfarer  Resene Kia Kaha December 2022 |
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Q. I have acted on your advice to use Resene Half Sea Fog on woodwork with Resene Double Sea Fog on the walls and we are very happy with the advice and result. Perhaps a refresh of our kitchen could be a next project. It is ‘plastic’ coated doors in a cream colour. What would you suggest as some options to match with the Resene Sea Fog decor? A. I’m glad to hear the colours selections worked well for you! For the kitchen cabinetry you might like to consider a warm colour – matching in with the counter top or the alternate option is to keep it simple and match in with the woodwork – this is classic and will stand the test of time and allow for changes to the bench top or walls later down the track. My suggestion is Resene Half Sea Fog. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a new home with white brick, Grey Friars joinery, roof and garage door. The interior is white but we are looking for interior darker paint colour for the media room. A. Check out some of these Resene colours which might appeal – Resene Half Tuna, Resene Stack, Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey, Resene Half Baltic Sea or Resene Scarpa Flow. December 2022 |
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Q. Can you suggest a colour to go with Resene Atomic? A. Try Resene Duck Egg Blue, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Tequila Sunrise or Resene Tic Tac Toe. Alternatively you might like a deeper variant such as Resene Big Stone or Resene Warrior.  Resene Tic Tac Toe  Resene Tequila Sunrise December 2022 |
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Q. We are about to paint the cladding on the upper storey of our house and replace the garage door with a COLORSTEEL® product. The lower storey is quite a warm orange brick. The roof is a Gerard textured metal tile, the colour being Teak, which corresponds to Resene Lignite. The aluminium windows are a bit of a limitation. We don’t know what the colour is but it is more red/maroon than Scoria. The spouting is the same and it is not planned to change it. We want to change the soffit and other woodwork to fit or at least not clash with the window frames and have considered several Resene reds – Resene Mocha, Resene Hot Chile, Resene Lonestar and others but now are confused. Should we ditch red altogether? The areas of cladding are more extensive at the rear of the house and looks to be similar to Resene Vista White. Our best effort for replacement so far, after many rejects that were too pink, yellow or green, is Resene Half Truffle. Do you have any better ideas? And what should we do with the garage door – try to match the roof or woodwork or remain paler with closest possible match to Resene Half Truffle or even go with one of the grey COLORSTEEL® options – which look surprisingly good against the brick and even with the roof, at least in small samples. A. I suggest painting the soffit the same colour as the cladding – as the colour will be pale enough to do so – simple is best when you have complex colours to work with. For the cladding the Resene Truffle family is perfect – colours can be tricky outside due to the natural bight light and adjacent colours – colours lighten up to 30% outside and therefore can reflect strong tints such as red – going a shade deeper than what you have anticipated is a good idea – I suggest Resene Truffle. For the garage door I wouldn’t recommend introducing another colour – such as grey – or trying to match to the cladding as this will be very difficult to get right in COLORSTEEL® –toning with the roof is best – try Resene Lignite. December 2022 |
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Q. I have an Ironsand roof and windows and want to lighten the exterior walls. What colour could I use for the walls and garage door? A. Colours which pair well with an Ironsand roof and windows are: Resene Truffle, Resene White Pointer, Resene Eighth Friar Greystone, Resene Archive Grey or Resene Quarter Taupe Grey.  Resene Eighth Friar Greystone December 2022 |
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Q. I have a 16 year old son. His room joinery is a dark forest green. I've purchased dark charcoal curtains and wanted a real earthy mellow vibe. His room looks out to a cedar and mahogany outdoor entertaining space. It's not a very big room. I've seen Resene Eighth Arrowtown, Resene Aspiring, Resene Secrets but I’m really not sure what to use. I need a colour that would work with navy, charcoal, black furniture and a cream (ish ceiling). A. A pale sage green will pair well with the joinery, outlook and other accents. Resene Secrets is my suggestion. December 2022 |
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Q. Our board and batten house is painted in Resene Double Truffle with a Karaka roof and matching joinery. What colour can I repaint the roof and spouting to be more modern and co-ordinate with the Resene Double Truffle? I have noticed that house colours are sometimes steering away from contrasting colours. Do we need to use roof paint as per the Resene colour chart or can they be matched to my colour? I also need advice on penetrating oil stain for the decks. The deck is weathered. I need a good look in keeping with the house (the garage door and front door are a dark brown). The main reason is to preserve the decking from deterioration. A. I suggest painting the roof Resene Ironsand, which will pair with your joinery and garage. For the deck I suggest Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain in Resene Treehouse. December 2022 |
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Q. We are about to repaint the exterior of our house. I am looking for a greyish blue to paint over our COLORSTEEL® cladding (currently aubergine colour), a matching light grey for the weatherboards, a roof grey, a shade of white for the soffit and finally a matching grey for the front door, garage door, and pergola at the back of the house. Any suggestions for a colour palette would be hugely appreciated. A. A lovely combination of greys is Resene Iron, Resene Half Surrender or Resene Surrender for the weatherboards, Resene Grey Chateau for the COLORSTEEL® cladding, Resene Tuna or Resene Grey Friars for the roof and Resene Shuttle Grey for the front door, pergola and garage. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a 2 storey 1960s home with weatherboards and concrete bricking on the base and long run 5 rib roofing in colour Ironsand. The weatherboards, base and soffits are Resene Spanish White. The garage door is in a similar colour to house. The windows and front wooden door is painted in Resene Pewter. Our decking is Resene Nutmeg. We have thought about just repainting the house in Resene Spanish White and changing the windows and doors to modernise it. We are conscious of the heat on the windows. Our interior colour palette is Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene Quarter Spanish White on doors and trim. A. The Resene Spanish White family pairs well with other variants – I suggest painting the windows Resene Quarter Spanish White – which will appear lighter and brighter outside. This will also give you longevity as the reflectance value of Resene Quarter Spanish White is 84%, while Resene Pewter is 41% – so Resene Quarter Spanish White will reflect a lot more of the suns energy hence the windows won’t heat up or fade as quickly. For the front door you can also paint this Resene Quarter Spanish White or bring in Resene Ironsand in a semi-gloss or a lighter tone if heat is an issue – such as Resene Eighth Masala. If you do paint your door a darker colour consider using Resene CoolColour paints – due to clever pigment technology CoolColour paints reflect more of the sun’s energy away from the colour and substrate, reducing heat related issues – but the colour looks the same. Check with Resene ColorShop staff whether a CoolColour is right for your project. December 2022 |
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Q. My house has a concrete foundation. The colour of the exterior above the foundation is Resene Quarter Ash. Can you please advise me on the paint colour that I can possibly use to complement the exterior colour of my house? I also have a deck around the back of the house and I thought to use the same colour for the foundation and the deck. A. Yes I suggest using the foundation colour for the deck as well – this will modernise the overall appearance. Consider Resene Double Ash, Resene Half Masala or Resene Quarter Masala. December 2022 |
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Q. I am building a modern mono pitch house with red/brown cedar and a FlaxPod roof and joinery. I am looking at a warm white without being stark or too bright on a sunny day. I don’t really want a grey tinge. A. Try Resene Merino, Resene Double Merino or Resene Sea Fog – the latter is a bit cooler but the grey tint isn’t prominent in bright light – these are popular whites which aren’t too grey and are not stark. Resene ColorShops have a colour library of A4 paint colour swatches – staff will assist you in finding these colours so you can view them outside to compare tones and see how they lighten and change tone. December 2022 |
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Q. We are building a new home that has Silver Pearl joinery with Abodo timber colour Ebony and has a mixture of Rockcote plaster system. I have looked at Resene Concrete or Resene Double Concrete for a colour option – can you recommend any other colours? A. Investigate Resene Atmosphere, Resene Half Atmosphere or Resene Quarter Silver Chalice – they will pair well with the Abodo timber and joinery. December 2022 |
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Q. We are recladding our home with Linea oblique boards, the roof is Resene Grey Friars and the joinery is Silver Pearl. What colour would you recommend we paint the exterior? A. Resene Silver Chalice goes well with Silver Pearl and Resene Grey Friars and looks fantastic on boards – it does blend with the joinery. If you want the joinery to stand out a bit more, consider Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Double Silver Chalice. December 2022 |
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Q. What colour would be suitable for our steps and landing and skirting/step stringers? The house is Resene Travertine, the window frames are bronze and the scribes are Resene Silver Chalice. A. The steps, landing and step stringers I suggest painting one colour to modernise and painting them the same colour as the base of the house (if you know what the colour is or can match close enough) – colours to try are Resene Ironsand or Resene Porter. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a bare galvanised iron roof/flashings. We have painted the exterior walls, some paint and other imperfections are on the flashings so I was thinking of just painting the flashings. I don’t really want the flashings to look different to the rest of the roof, just tidy them up a bit so do you have a colour match for bare galvanised iron? A. Resene Roof Colour Aluminium is the closest match. December 2022 |
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Q. We need to paint our new build. It is a replica bungalow and we are looking to really make the white fretwork pop. We are thinking we would like to go for a grey colour, but are scared of going too dark. I quite like Resene Half Delta, Resene Double Concrete and Resene Iron. A. I suggest greys with a slight blue undertone – my suggestions are Resene Iron, Resene Surrender or Resene Ted (which is the same as Resene Double Iron). December 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our north facing high ceiling master in a 1903 villa and want something calming but a bit bold in the blue palette. We prefer a dusty greyed appearance rather than it being sharp and clean. Our favourite so far is Resene Bermuda Grey (over Resene Polo Blue and Resene Kashmir Blue). We do wonder if it would be good to consider more in the duck egg zone? I’ve looked at Resene Norwester for example or Resene Ziggurat? The windows and architraves are in Alabaster the roman blinds will be replaced with shutters. A. I feel with the architectural style of your house and the north facing light – a duck egg blue or dusky blue will work best – to counteract the light – where a cleaner blue or more saturated colour – the light may enhance the undertone and make it brighter, plus the dusky hues will pair well with the Resene Alabaster trims and white shutters. See if any of these appeal – Resene Periglacial Blue, Resene Double Duck Egg Blue or Resene Powder Blue. Resene Ziggurat is a popular greyed blue – if you prefer a slightly brighter hue with a green undertone. December 2022 |
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Q. We are painting Resene Double Foundry on our new exterior cladding with charcoal joinery and the roof will be FlaxPod. To add a contrast to the dark colours I am thinking of a lighter grey colour on a couple of alcove areas. A. See if any of these greys appeal: Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Silver Sand, Resene Copyrite or Resene Triple Sea Fog. Consider using a grey white for your soffit such as Resene Sea Fog. December 2022 |
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Q. We are building a home through Genius Homes and I am struggling to nail down an exterior colour scheme. I definitely want Ebony for the roof etc but I need a main and accent colours. At the moment I am toying with Concrete for the main colour in 200mm WeatherTex and some shade of Black for the feature in Weathergroove Woodsman 150. Could you please advise if you think this will look sharp or a bit black/white bland in your opinion? A. I don’t feel it will appear bland at all – quite the opposite. Ebony window joinery and roof will contrast well with a light grey such as Resene Concrete – and then you have the stark contrast of a very dark Weathergroove cladding – perhaps something like Resene Element which is softer and warmer than All Black but will tone well with Resene Concrete. Please ensure you check with your supplier or builder to make sure a dark colour is recommended for Weathergroove Cladding. December 2022 |
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Q. Which off-white paint colours would you recommend to pair with rimu wooden flooring, greys, blues and greens please? A. It does depend on how light and bright your home is – lighter rooms with rimu pair well with Resene Merino or Resene Double Alabaster. Cooler darker rooms or east facing rooms which really only get the morning light suit slightly warmer tones such as Resene Eighth Stonewashed or Resene Eighth Napa. Perhaps you could consider using the modern approach of Resene Merino or Resene Double Alabaster in the brighter rooms and bedrooms in one of the warmer tones I have suggested. December 2022 |
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Q. I have a stucco house with a Karaka roof and windows. I’m about to repaint and want to lighten it up a bit as I think the current colour looks a bit drab. It has a lot of timber stained fencing and a large stained deck out the back… what colours would suit? Thinking of something more whitey A. The Resene Merino family of whites looks good with Karaka – colours do lighten up to 30% in natural bright light so please consider this when looking at the variants. I suggest you check out Resene Triple Merino, Resene Double Merino or Resene Merino. December 2022 |
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Q. Our 1990 house is need of a repaint; a fibre board plank rectangle with brown joinery and long narrow deck with posts in front. A. I suggest Resene Triple White Pointer or Resene Double Truffle for the fibreboard planks and Resene Half Masala for the deck and posts. December 2022 |
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Q. I am looking to paint my bach exterior white to match the joinery, which is Warm White Pearl. What would be the best match in your opinion? A. Resene Double Rice Cake pairs quite well with Warm White joinery – it appears lighter and whiter outside – but is a warm white so isn’t too stark in a coastal environment. Resene ColorShops can also make you a custom match to Warm White Pearl if you are not happy with Resene Double Rice Cake. December 2022 |
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Q. We are thinking of painting our house Resene Half Gull Grey, with windowsills and wee bit of Resene Ironsand trim (gable at the top etc). The house is a combination of red brick (will keep) and weatherboard. Is Resene Half Gull Grey more blue/red/brown/green based? i.e. will it look more of these colours in certain lights? What colour white would you suggest for windowsills/frames? A. Resene Half Gull Grey will reflect blue in certain lights/aspects. For the window sills and frames I recommend Resene Alabaster. December 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our new house Resene Merino and would like to do our media room, maybe a couple of walls or the whole room in a soft moody blue/grey colour. Please can you advise what paint would match Resene Merino. A. Blue greys pair well with Resene Merino – considering these are softer, but with some depth (being a media room) consider painting all walls (modern approach) or at least two – you can always do two coats on two walls then stand back and view before continuing, although given time our eyes do adjust very well to colour. See if any of these appeal: Resene Gull Grey, Resene Clouded Blue, Resene Dusted Blue, Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Half Grey Chateau. There are paler variants available also if you’d like to go lighter. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a long, high ceilinged hallway that is currently painted a sort of putty colour. It sucks all the light from the hall which in fact has several rooms off it and shouldn't feel as dark as it is. I was thinking white, but there is not that much natural light, so realise this might not have the right impact. We have Resene Quarter Powder Blue in our living room so would not be opposed to a blue tone in the hallway, or a slightly warmer colour. The skirts and architraves are all natural wood. A. I recommend you try Resene Bianca – it is a light clean, warm off white and it is very good at illuminating light in low lit areas such as hallways – it will also pair well with the Resene Powder Blue. Because the putty is an earth shade and deeper than Resene Bianca it will absorb the light. December 2022 |
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Q. Can you please advise of a range of whites which have undertones of red. This will be paired with a timber which has undertones in red and want this brought through in our colour scheme. A. Current whites with red undertones to try are: Resene Vista White, Resene Quarter Blanc or Resene Eighth Blanc. There are three colours – Resene Red White, Resene Red Haze and Resene Tint of Red that might work really well – they are from an early whites collection. You could request A4 drawdown samples of these to view them from your local Resene ColorShop. December 2022 |
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Q. Our interior walls are done in Resene Double Sea Fog with Resene Half Sea Fog trims. What do you suggest for a feature wall? We don’t want anything too dark. A. Try Resene Half Mountain Mist, Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Grey Seal, Resene Half Silver Chalice or Resene Silver Chalice.  Resene Grey Seal December 2022 |
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Q. My mono clad house has been painted Resene Spindle with a New Denim Blue garage door and aluminium windows. What colour yellow should I use for the front door? A. Try Resene Light Fantastic, Resene Wild Thing, Resene Happy or Resene I Dare You.  Resene Light Fantastic  Resene I Dare You December 2022 |
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Q. Please advise the name of the colour that matches COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey. A. The match to COLORSTEEL® Sandstone Grey is Resene Gauntlet. December 2022 |
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Q. We are looking to stain our deck floorboards a grey/blue colour. Our house is white weatherboards. We would like a recommended colour to paint the railings of the deck. Would you recommend a grey or a blue colour or any other suggestions. The deck and railings etc used to be black stain. A. Try Resene Tiri for the deck – it is a mid grey – however a lighter stain won’t work unless all the black stain is removed. For the railings – I wouldn’t bring in another colour or tone – as the railings are not the feature. Therefore I recommend painting the railings two or three shades deeper than the house – is the house colour just white? Or a particular shade ? If it is true white then a light grey will work for the railings or simply paint them white to match the house – it also depends a little on your roof colour and whether this is visually linked to the deck and railings – I hope this gives you a good starting point. December 2022 |
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Q. I am having my beach house redecorated outside. The new roof colour is Grey Gull COLORSTEEL® and the joinery is white. What weatherboard grey shall I look at? Possibly darker than the roof. A. If you go darker than the roof – the house may appear to recede with the roof and windows highlighted and dominate the overall appearance – I suggest keeping it simple and blending the colours a bit more – which will still give a modern, fresh appearance as you are creating a current colour palette. Try Resene Whitewater, Resene Mystic, Resene Double Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Ash or Resene Triple Black White. December 2022 |
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Q. We have a cedar wooden house, that’s been previously painted a cedar colour, but want to change to something more modern. We are wondering about a soft to mid grey (not white!), but are not stuck on that. The roof and aluminium joinery is COLORSTEEL® New Denim Blue. A. The Resene Concrete family looks good teamed with New Denim Blue. Try Resene Concrete, Resene Double Concrete or Resene Triple Concrete. Colours tend to lighten in bright natural light so which strength you choose will depend on how light you want the house to look. Alternative colours to try are: Resene Half Stack, Resene Half Raven or Resene Cloudy. December 2022 |
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Q. We are looking for an exterior colour to go with an Ironsand roof and silver aluminium joinery. We are considering Resene Grey Olive or Resene Half Napa. We will also stain the deck so a suggestion for that would be great too. We live in the country and are surrounded by a lot of conifers trees, paddocks and live on a dusty gravel road. A. Consider Resene Quarter Stonewall – it is in between the two colours you suggested or Resene Half Stonewall – colours do lighten en masse and outside in natural bright light. For the deck try Resene Iroko or Resene Tiri. December 2022 |
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Q. I want advice on what colour to paint my house. I originally planned to paint it white but now feel like that might be too harsh on bright days? The windows are all being replaced in Arctic White. And garage door, soffits etc will all be replaced in whatever colour we go for. A. I suggest a softer grey/white which works with the Arctic White – keeping in mind that colours lighten and brighten outside. Arctic White is a unique blue/grey white – it can look blue next to the wrong tone of white or grey – I recommend testing it with Resene Mystic, Resene Half Iron, Resene Quarter Iron or Resene Aoraki – the latter being a lot whiter than the others, but not a true white – so it may work for you. December 2022 |
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Q. Re the Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint range – are the chalk colours different to the range on her match chart collection? I am wondering about a pleasant wall paint to complement but not replicate the expansive view of the harbour. We have a very large bright lounge and dining space – charcoal grey to brown (Pāua – Godfrey Hurst) carpet with two deep marine blue couches (Early Settler). It is an expansive space with North, West and South facing windows and sliders overlooking Lyttelton Harbour. I am currently thinking Resene Wan White on ceilings with either Resene Clouded Blue or Resene Periglacial Blue. A. I suggest Resene Half Periglacial Blue from the Karen Walker Paints collection – in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen which will give you a lovely low sheen finish, but not dead flat as in chalk paint. The chalk paint is best on small areas and projects – such as furniture. The chalk colours are the same as the normal Karen Walker Paints colours. When applied in chalk paint the colour will appear the same – it will just be a different very flat finish – i.e. ‘chalky’ looking. December 2022 |
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Q. I am looking to paint our internal walls with Resene Merino (and use Resene Alabaster on the ceiling). I was wondering whether that colour scheme, particular the Resene Merino would suit light grey curtains? We already have dark grey carpet and will be getting some curtains in the coming months. If not, I would look to change the colour we're looking to paint the walls. A. Yes – Merino will pair with light grey curtains – just be aware of the undertones of the curtains as there are many types of greys in fabric – the best advice I can give you is to take an A4 swatch of Resene Merino (this can be ordered online or via a Resene ColorShop), or if you require this urgently – then you can purchase a testpot and A4 card at Resene – and take with you to curtain specialists to see how Resene Merino looks next to the range of grey fabrics you are looking at. December 2022 |
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Q. We are looking to choose a colour for the exterior of our house. It’s currently a grey/purple toned colour and we are thinking of going dark – potentially black but wondering if you have any suggestions on a particular colour. A. Try Resene Double Foundry or Resene Invincible. Consider using a Resene CoolColour paint – this is basically where due to a special pigment more of the sun’s energy is reflected away from the substrate and dark colour – reducing any heat related issues, which can occur when changing to a darker hue. Talk to your local Resene ColorShop to see if CoolColour paints are right for your project and what preparation is required.  Resene Invincible December 2022 |
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Q. We reupholstered a chair for my daughter five years ago with some fabric we had and the colour Scrumptious on the woodwork. She still likes the fabric but is no longer into the Resene Scrumptious (which I love!). Can you recommend a colour which may contrast or complement the fabric? Preferably a darker colour. She likes most colours just not pink or red anymore! A. See if any of these colours appeal: Resene Tic Tac Toe, Resene Boost, Resene Teal Blue or Resene Pandemonium. December 2022 |
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Q. We are looking to paint the walls and ceilings in our 90s house that has a lot of rimu window frames, doors, etc so we need a colour that will work with that. I quite like a very light grey like Resene Concrete for the walls but am not sure if it will work with rimu, and not sure what to match it with on the ceiling? A. Resene Concrete is not perfect with rimu – however I have seen it with oak (yes a different type of tone to rimu but still a warm wood) and it looked fantastic – it has got a slight warmth to it compared to more blue/greys, so it is worth investigating. Other greys to test out are Resene Quill Grey or Resene Quarter Foggy Grey. For the ceilings – I suggest Resene Alabaster – keep it simple and clean. December 2022 |
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Q. We want to paint our master ensuite and are not sure what colour to use. We have a polished concrete floor with a brown/grey shower tile. Currently we have a duck egg colour on the walls and I don’t think it is the right colour. Can you suggest a colour? A. See if any of these colours work for you – Resene Half Truffle, Resene Milk White, Resene Double Merino or Resene Double White Pointer. I feel choosing a neutral which has a little bit of depth will give an elegant, sophisticated appearance. December 2022 |
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Q. I was hoping to get some guidance on what colour would work for the exterior of our home. We have a late 80's built home so very dated. It has brown window and door frames which isn't ideal but we are not planning on replacing it as yet. The entire house exterior and roof is due for a paint though so we would like to get that done as soon as possible. Some of the cladding is an orange brick also so that makes it a bit more difficult. Do you have any advice on what colours we can look at? We were thinking black all round maybe but just mindful that it might make the house really hot inside. A. Try Resene Element – it is a big seller for roofs in COLORSTEEL® (equivalent in COLORSTEEL® is FlaxPod) as it is dark but has warmth and suits our local environments. I feel with the brown it will pair better than a harder black – and is still modern – it might work for your roof and walls and will disguise the window joinery. Consider using a Resene CoolColour paint – basically CoolColour paints the colour looks normal but due to clever pigment technology, more of the sun’s energy is reflected away from the substrate, reducing possible heat related damage. Talk to your local Resene ColorShop to see if CoolColour paints are right for your project and what preparation is involved. December 2022 |
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Q. My house is painted Resene Dune. It has large decks finished in Resene Bark but this looks too red/brown. What colour would you suggest? A. I recommend you try Resene Treehouse, Resene Tiri or Resene Charred Black. Test them somewhere away from the Resene Bark so it doesn’t influence how the colour you are testing appears. December 2022 |
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Q. I want a neutral palette for a very coastal home with the beach a short walk away. I want to make it a very neutral coastal palette with a possible dark grey roof and painting the current joinery white. Also with a deck colour that will blend nicely with a neutral palette too. A. I am suggesting three options – one is more on the blue tone side – all schemes will work in a coastal/beach environment.
Colours do appear lighter and undertones are enhanced in natural bright light. I hope this gives you a good starting point – you can always look to lighter or deeper variants of these coastal colours. December 2022 |
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Q. I’m wondering if Resene Half Sea Fog is a good ceiling colour for a very high vaulted/cathedral ceiling and if Resene Double Sea Fog is a good co-ordinating colour for walls and to go with some wooden floor oak and carpet? A. Yes this is a great combination for this area. December 2022 |
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Q. We have painted our three garage doors and surrounding block wall in Resene Foundry. We have green joinery. What colour would you recommend the weatherboards? A. It does depend on the type of green – but if you paint up A2 card (available at Resene) with two coats of each testpot and attach to the house near the window joinery – you will see which tones work. Leave a white border on three edges of the card as this will help to neutralise any existing wall colour. See if any of these appeal: Resene Quarter Gravel, Resene Cobblestone, Resene Half Nomad, Resene Double Tapa or Resene Half Baltic Sea. December 2022 |
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Q. I just need some advice I’m looking at painting the exterior of my home and just need some advice when pairing Resene Alabaster. If I was going with Resene Stack will I just pair with Resene Alabaster and if I was going to go with Resene Double Stack would I go with Resene Half Alabaster? I’m trying to achieve a crisp white look around the windows as we have a lot as well as French doors. A. Resene Alabaster is a very popular trim colour on exteriors – whites will brighten and lighten outside in natural light – so I suggest not going to a lighter variant of Resene Alabaster, whether using Resene Stack or Resene Double Stack. These two greys have enough saturation, so that Resene Alabaster will appear as a fresh white next to them. December 2022 |
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Q. I want to give my house a bit of a facelift/add a bit of interest. Currently it’s all white. I want to add perhaps a bit of dark grey. Where’s the best place to add this colour i.e. the north wall or north wall and wrap around to half the front of the house? What grey would you recommend? A. To be honest – it could appear unbalanced if you wrap the grey around. The front end wall could be painted a darkish grey – keeping the bargeboards and soffit white – but if you are going to do this you will need to add grey somewhere else – perhaps the railings and deck – perhaps also balance the scheme, with bringing in a few dark grey pots on the deck, with greenery or colour – and a couple of cape cod chairs painted in a colour, a variant of the grey or charcoal. Investigate Resene CoolColour paints – as darker colours do heat up more. A CoolColour will help to reflect more of the sun’s harmful energy away from the substrate, prolonging the colour and reducing any heat related issues. Ask your Resene ColorShop staff if a CoolColour is right for your project. Colour wise, see if any of these appeal: Resene Westminster, Resene Baltic Sea or Resene Tuna. December 2022 |
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Q. We are painting our bedroom with two walls in Resene Half Merino, trims in Resene Alabaster and we want one feature wall in a dark green. The other wall underneath the sloped ceiling will be in a wood panelling. Can you please recommend a dark green and a tint/ stain for the wood panelling? A. For the greens, try Resene Raptor, Resene Log Cabin, Resene El Paso, Resene Eternity and the Resene Karaka variants. A deep green grey might work for you also, such as Resene Possessed. Resene Seaweed or Resene Off the Grid are other alternatives. For the stain – it is a bit harder as it does depend on the timber colour – however Resene ColorShops have the interior stains displayed in-store on Pine and Cedar which you can view. Try Colorwood Natural, Resene Ironbark, Resene Matai or Resene Walnut. December 2022 |
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Q. Our house is Hinuera stone and it is old and dated. We are thinking of painting it to modernise. What are modern colours we could use? We live in country with plenty of greenery around us. A. Try these colours for your stone walls, which will also pair with your existing colours – i.e.: guttering, roof, joinery and weatherboards – Resene Terrain, Resene Quill Grey, Resene Cloudy, Resene Castle Rock, Resene Copyrite or Resene Half Copyrite. I recommend talking to Resene ColorShop staff about the best prime/paint option for the stone and you may need to test it to make sure it can be painted. December 2022 |
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Q. We are installing two new toilets into standalone toilet rooms which both have a small south facing window up about the toilet and a small basin in both rooms. What colours would you recommend please? Both of the hallways are in a pale goldish wallpaper, but we won’t bother to redecorate the hallways as the wallpaper is in good enough condition, and we will repaper three bedrooms. They will probably be done in a cream or maybe a greyish blue/greyish green. There is grey carpet throughout the whole house. A. To work with your existing colours and timber – see if any of these Resene colours appeal: Resene Coriander, Resene Creme De La Creme, Resene Contour, Resene Meringue, Resene Secrets or Resene Peace.  Resene Meringue  Resene Creme De La Creme  Resene Contour  Resene Peace December 2022 |
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