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choosing and using a Resene ColorShop


From Habitat magazine - issue 14

Not just a paint shop, Resene ColorShops have a surprisingly wide range of services and products.

Nikki Morris
Newmarket’s in-store colour consultant Nikki Morris.

There's shopping that you have to do. And then there's the real shopping the escapades that you come away from feeling inspired, creative and well looked after. Generally most trips for building or home renovation products fall into the former category. But not for Resene ColorShop shoppers.

Resene has made a particular point of creating retail outlets that are inviting, helpful and inspiring. Instead of letting you leave the store overwhelmed by too much choice, baffled by the technical speak and with only half the things you realise you need, Resene’s store teams have products, tips and design services to help you see your project through. They want you to finish up with a beautiful interior, exterior or garden in exactly the right products (these are not just paint shops) and exactly the right colours.

Nikki Morris has been a colour consultant at Resene’s Newmarket ColorShop in Auckland for more than three years and can barely pause for breath as she whizzes round the store showing off all that customers can access to make sure their decorating project is perfect.


Start with a free in-store consult

Trained colour consultants take the stress out of narrowing down a colour scheme in a free consultation in the store. Bring in photographs of your home, a favourite print or accessory, clippings from magazines, floor plans or sketches, samples of flooring or materials that you plan to use.

Tonal neutrals

Nature has her way with this tonal composition of neutrals using Resene paints, wallpaper and curtains. The wallpaper is Resene Walltrends 75155 in Brown. Mecca in colour Charcoal from the Resene Curtain Collection. Wasara disposable tableware from Epicure Trading (09 377 8925, www.epicuretrading.co.nz) painted in Resene Nest Egg (large plate), Resene Artefact (small plate), Resene Ironhide (bowl), Resene Black Sheep (small cup) with chopsticks in Resene Half Joss.

“The more you bring in, the better,” says Nikki. “And if you can’t find something you like, bring in things you don’t like. Every home is individual, you don’t want to just follow a trend.” A consultancy covers either an interior or exterior scheme, and the consultant will present you with lots of colours and swatches to narrow down your likes and dislikes. The consultant will then produce a scheme including all sorts of details you haven’t thought of like eaves, window sills, frames or sashes. If you need further help, consultants can work with you in-store or come to your home (check store for availability and charges).

Gather swatches and drawdowns

Do your first sweep through colour choices using the paint chips on The Resene fandeck charts. Make sure you use a grey isolator, free from Resene, when viewing colour charts. This helps you to see the true colour without being distracted by the colours next to it on a colour chart. Once you’ve narrowed down the possibilities, you need to see more of the colours to get an idea of how they will work. Resene ColorShops have in store colour libraries with A4 sheets of painted colour called drawdowns in thousands of Resene colours. These help you to get an idea of how the colour will look on a bigger scale.

Nature has her way with this tonal composition of neutrals using Resene paints, wallpaper and curtains. The wallpaper is Resene Walltrends 75155 in Brown. Mecca in colour Charcoal from the Resene Curtain Collection. Wasara disposable tableware from Epicure Trading (09 377 8925, www.epicuretrading.co.nz) painted in Resene Nest Egg (large plate), Resene Artefact (small plate), Resene Ironhide (bowl), Resene Black Sheep (small cup) with chopsticks in Resene Half Joss.


Testpots the best contenders

Finally, once you have narrowed down your colour choices pick up testpots of your favourites to try out at your place. Nikki suggests painting the colours onto A3 sheets of cardboard leaving a small blank area on the edges and then moving them around the room (or exterior) to see how they look under different light or at different times of day. If you still don t think you have exactly the right shade you’re looking for, Resene ColorShops can create a custom colour for you at no extra charge.

Retro zing look

Bring a bit of retro zing into your life with graphic shapes and bright colours. Paste the Wall wallpaper, all from the Inspire range (blue is code 45378; silver is 45473; blue and silver is 45395) from Resene. Bamboo tableware and Green Bean cutlery from Epicure Trading (09 377 8925, www.epicuretrading.co.nz) painted in Resene Half Alabaster (small plate), Resene Decadence (cutlery), Resene Pursuit (large plate), Resene Karma (medium plate), Resene Knock Out (small plate) and Resene Knock Out and Resene Half Alabaster (cup).

Remember when you are choosing colours that the gloss levels can change how you see a colour the higher the gloss the cleaner and brighter the colour will seem, the flatter the finish the duller and deeper the colour will seem. To make sure you are getting just what you want, view the sheen level boards in Resene ColorShops to see which suits you best.

Play with wallpaper

Resene ColorShops also stock wallpapers under their own brand and from leading wallpaper manufacturers. You might find a textured wallpaper, or an anaglypta (that you paint over) to add more interest to your room or to disguise poor wall finishes. Dramatic wallpapers are available for feature walls or be right up to date with the new peel off wall decals. You can bring wallpaper books home to try, then request samples to finalise your choice.

Bring a bit of retro zing into your life with graphic shapes and bright colours. Paste the Wall wallpaper, all from the Inspire range (blue is code 45378; silver is 45473; blue and silver is 45395) from Resene. Bamboo tableware and Green Bean cutlery from Epicure Trading (09 377 8925, www.epicuretrading.co.nz) painted in Resene Half Alabaster (small plate), Resene Decadence (cutlery), Resene Pursuit (large plate), Resene Karma (medium plate), Resene Knock Out (small plate) and Resene Knock Out and Resene Half Alabaster (cup).


Pick the right product for the job

Clean greens look

Clean greens, muddy browns and claret reds echo the colours of winter. Top wallpaper is Resene Walltrends 47173 in Brown with Resene Walltrends 75110 in Neutral below. Swivel in colour Lagoon from the Resene Curtain Collection. Resene City Limits (large plate), Resene Globe (small plate), Resene X Factor (bowl), Resene Galliano (cup) and Green Bean cutlery from Epicure Trading in Resene Bootleg.

Once you’ve chosen your colours, Resene ColorShop staff will help you select the right product to suit the age of your house, the substrate (new plasterboard, old low sheen, new timber and so on) and the use of the space (wet areas vs dry, high impact kids’ rooms vs less used spaces). They can introduce you to the latest technology, such as the Resene CoolColour™ range that will help keep exterior paint finishes cooler. They’ll show you some fun products too, like the shimmer or metallic finishes, magnetic or write-on paints, blackboard or crackle finishes.

Resene staff can also recommend the right amount of paint for your project so make sure you bring in your measurements when you come, or if you bring in your house plans they can provide you with an estimate of the paint you will need.

And you can find out about additives, such as Resene MoulDefender to inhibit moss and mould growth and Resene Fly Deterrent to deter flies that you can get added to your paint, which will help keep it looking good for longer.

Go the easy route with fabrics

Resene ColorShops have made it easy for you to pull together curtains (or smaller items like cushions) with Resene’s well-edited selection of patterned and textured curtain fabrics, even suggesting paint colours to complement each. You have to do your own measuring (see right), but Resene ColorShop consultants can show you how and double check your order form. If you have special projects (roman blinds, for example) they will refer you to local curtain specialist makers who stock the Resene Curtain Collection.

Clean greens, muddy browns and claret reds echo the colours of winter. Top wallpaper is Resene Walltrends 47173 in Brown with Resene Walltrends 75110 in Neutral below. Swivel in colour Lagoon from the Resene Curtain Collection. Resene City Limits (large plate), Resene Globe (small plate), Resene X Factor (bowl), Resene Galliano (cup) and Green Bean cutlery from Epicure Trading in Resene Bootleg.


Pick up the right tools for the perfect finish

Pick up the Painting checklist card to be sure you have the right gear (brushes, rollers etc) for the job. If you are unsure what to do, ask at your store for application staff. Staff regularly provide one on one demonstrations showing how to use specific application tools to get the best finish. And if you decide you d like professional help, use the Resene Find-A-Painter service and Resene staff will source painters on your behalf.

Get rid of the waste

And, when the job is over, bring back your unwanted leftover paint or empty paint cans and buckets to go into the Resene PaintWise recycling programme. Cans and steel are recycled, and Resene paints are mixed and returned to the community for anti graffiti projects and other initiatives, keeping it out of landfills and out of our drainage systems.

Limited services available in some stores. Check with your local Resene ColorShop for details.

words: Catherine Smith
pictures: Tony Brownjohn and Mark Heaslip
styling: Lisa Morton


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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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