A house may not be able to wear red socks in support of Emirates Team New Zealand's America's Cup campaign, but plenty of them have red doors. Like this one, which (sort of) has a Team New Zealand colour scheme, using a contemporary yet fun scheme of Resene Mischka walls, Resene Gunpowder trims, and Resene Shiraz for the window frames and door. The colours were chosen by homeowner Megan Campbell.

When your canvas is literally as big as a house, you want to ensure you get the paint colours right. It can be a daunting task deciding on a scheme for the exterior, especially given the cost of materials and labour. Now is a good time of year to plan your colours, so that the painting can be done over the drier summer months. Often the style of your house will dictate the types of Resene exterior colours you use: heritage tones for a villa, soft gelato shades for an Art Deco stucco cottage or brooding black for a contemporary masterpiece.

For inspiration

·      Check out similar styles of houses in your neighbourhood.

·      Keep a scrapbook of ideas you love, so you get a feel for your own style.

·      Browse through the pre-designed schemes on the Resene EzyPaint software (free from www.resene.com/ezypaint), or investigate the array of colour swatches at Resene ColorShops. Bring a photo of your home and let the knowledgeable Resene staff help you choose.

Always test your colour with a Resene testpot, as colours change depending on what they are painted onto and the quality of the light. Colours usually look much lighter outdoors, especially in our strong sunlight. They also change if you put them beside other colours: a grey roof makes green walls look fresher, and a high-gloss finish (rather than a low-sheen finish) renders a colour brighter. Contrasts make a colour scheme more interesting, but only highlight details if theydeserve the focus.

Soft mushroom shades have been fashionable, but there’s a move towards cleaner colours with greyer bases, like Resene Half Pravda for weatherboards, Resene Black White for trims and Resene Grey Friars for the roof. Or you might tip those grey tones over into slatey blues like Resene El Nino – these sorts of colours always look great in a country like ours, surrounded by sea and with our clear blue skies.  

Top tip: A tried-and-true method for developing a colour scheme centres onthree or four colours – one for the main body of the house, another for the trims and another for the roof. The fourth is an accent that might be used on the fence. You might also choose a fifth colour for a striking front door.

Is black the new white?

In recent years black exteriors have become popular, but they may not always be technically suitable. Dark colours absorb more of the sun’s heat and can put stress on the cladding. With any darker colour, consider using the Resene CoolColour range, formulated with special pigment technology to reflect more of the sun’s energy. This keeps the coating and substrate cooler, reducing the likelihood of heat damage such as warping. 

In recent years black exteriors have become popular, but they may not always be technically suitable. Dark colours absorb more of the sun’s heat and can put stress on the cladding. With any darker colour, consider using the Resene CoolColour range, formulated with special pigment technology to reflect more of the sun’s energy. This keeps the coating and substrate cooler, reducing the likelihood of heat damage such as warping. 

The contemporary boxy lines of many modern homes often invite a colour-blocking approach to the exterior. Here, the hard landscaping elements are cleverly incorporated into the scheme with a garden wall and side wall of the house painted in Resene Masala, the wall beside the steps painted in bright Resene Tia Maria to signify the entry, and the rest of the house walls painted in Resene Napa. 

The contemporary boxy lines of many modern homes often invite a colour-blocking approach to the exterior. Here, the hard landscaping elements are cleverly incorporated into the scheme with a garden wall and side wall of the house painted in Resene Masala, the wall beside the steps painted in bright Resene Tia Maria to signify the entry, and the rest of the house walls painted in Resene Napa. 

When Jocelyn and Jason Miller bought their pretty farmhouse, it was painted in shades of green and orange. Wanting a more modern look that would make the house stand out from its surroundings rather than blending in, they chose Resene Grey Chateau for the weatherboards with Resene Tuna for the spouting and doors – a good colour to act as a visual break between the brown roof tiles. Unsure of what colour to paint the trims, their painter from Martyns Painting in Gore suggested a white. Resene Barely There “lifted everything and looked great,” says Jocelyn. 

Jocelyn and Jason chose a complete contrast to their soft blue-grey weatherboards for the front door, with the rich red Resene Bullseye.

A clean yet contrasting scheme of black and white is perfect for this holiday home designed by Tony Karsten of Karsten Architectural Design in Nelson. He used Resene Pitch Black from the Resene Woodsman stain range for the vertical cedar weatherboards to reflect the black trunks of the kanuka trees on the hills behind the house. This contrasts with Resene Sea Fog (a white with a hint of grey) on the cement fibreboard. 

A quirky interpretation of a classic picket fence graces the front of this bungalow, as it peeps out from behind. The fence is painted Resene Half Pearl Lusta while the house weatherboards are Resene Bluegrass and the fascia is Resene Copper Rust. 

The simple gable profile and elegant colours of this house, designed by Michael Pepper of Pepper Architects fit beautifully into the heritage neighbourhood of Devonport in Auckland. The colours – Resene Quarter Masala weatherboards and Resene Quarter Concrete trims – are inspired by the views from the house of container ships entering Waitemata Harbour and the grey naval ships at the local base.