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Go-to neutrals of interior designer Debbie Abercrombie include Resene Fossil (on the walls) and Resene Ironsand (on the cabinetry).

Designers’ go-to neutrals

Whites and neutrals continue to be a popular choice for home renovators, either used as a stand-alone colour or to anchor a scheme of brighter, more intense shades.

A neutral colour scheme is anything but dull, if you use layers of light, medium and dark shades. We asked two interior designers and a colour expert to choose their go-to neutrals, from Resene’s top-selling collection, The Range Whites & Neutrals.

Auckland interior designer Debbie Abercrombie

Light neutrals: I’ve recently worked on projects where the existing flooring has a haunting beige influence, especially the carpet. In cases like these, I’m drawn to colour the walls with light neutrals such as Resene Fossil or Resene Half Fossil, which have a softness and earthy quality about them.

I turn to Resene Double Fossil or Resene Triple Fossil when choosing colour for rooms that need more warmth, such as south-facing bedrooms.

Medium neutrals: I like to use Resene Concrete, a cooler grey, in homes that get plenty of sun. When carpet gets replaced, I’m finding a strong grey- to grey-brown influence coming through. Resene Truffle works well with warmer greys. For a cosier room, I splash the walls with Resene Double Truffle or Resene Triple Truffle.

Dark neutrals: When looking for a richer deeper neutral to use as an accents, I tend to use Resene Triple Friar Grey when I need a warm, almost brown grey, Resene Ironsand if I need even more depth, and Resene Grey Friars for when I need a blue grey.

Resene colour consultant Carolyn Atkinson

Light neutrals: I love the way Resene Eighth Lemon Grass expands space and creates a quiet peaceful ambiance. It is lovely in bright sunny rooms.

Resene Half Sandspit Brown is so flexible and obliging – not too pink, yellow or brown in tone. It’s a nice old-fashioned creamy beige.

When beige or grey are too definite, Resene Quarter Truffle is a gentle shadowy mushroom – delicious.

Medium neutrals: There is definite warmth hiding in Resene Silver Chalice, a silvery grey. It works so well with very pale and very dark colours, and a surprising number of bold accent colours.

Resene Eighth Oilskin has dusty brown depth with a rather unusual rosy under-tone; it works for both men and women, as it is interesting and mellow. When a sunny yellow is required I rely on Resene Dutch White, as it is not sour or too bright and it successfully lights up dim spaces.

Deep neutrals: My favourite warm-toned charcoal, Resene Fuscous Grey, is deep but never dark. It’s stunning in so many situations. When I am working a white, silver and black palette, this always works.

Resene Gravel is so easy to live with – it has a green edge hiding in its stone heart and is wonderful in contemporary or traditional schemes. It is very successful with reds.

Resene Double Oilskin is a slightly bitter deep chocolate. It is sophisticated and can be used with grey, cream or green/blues.

Plus, go-to whites: Resene Half Bianca always sweetens and warms other neutrals and more definite colours. It creates a lovely mellow, soft look even when used with cooler blues, greens and greys.

Resene Half Alabaster has a clarity and sharpness that enhances and adds contrast to dirty and ambiguous colours, and highlights bold colours really well.

Sydney interior designer Meg Tuckett

Light neutrals: I use Resene Double Alabaster in every paint job I carry out. It’s the perfect white.

When you need a bit more punch, Resene Black White has just a hint of silver/grey coming through – ideal for a contemporary scheme.
Resene Half Thorndon Cream is an ethereal, soft colour with a hint of grey/green. It’s romantic and soothing, especially in bedrooms.

Medium neutrals: For a soothing and complementary neutral, turn to Resene Sisal. With a hint of green, I have used this shade in living rooms as a backdrop to red fabrics.

Deep neutrals: Resene Triple Hillary is a calm, cool colour and fantastic when used in outdoor rooms and sunrooms.

Resene Fuscous Grey is another colour that seems to end up in all my schemes. It’s a true grey, with not a hint of blue or green coming through – fantastic for front doors.

Resene Oilskin is a rich earthy colour, perfect for a rustic setting using lots of timber and natural stone.

Published: 11 Dec 2014

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

Go-to neutrals of interior designer Debbie Abercrombie include Resene Fossil (on the walls) and Resene Ironsand (on the cabinetry).

Resene Silver Chalice

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Resene Truffle

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Resene Half Alabaster

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Fuscous Grey

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Sisal

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Quarter Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Bianca

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Concrete

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Dutch White

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Friar Grey

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Hillary

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Sandspit Brown

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Eighth Lemon Grass

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Eighth Oilskin

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Gravel

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Ironsand

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Black White

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Grey Friars

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Oilskin

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

the look

If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.

Resene Silver Chalice

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Alabaster

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Fuscous Grey

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Sisal

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Quarter Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Bianca

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Concrete

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Dutch White

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Friar Grey

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Hillary

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Sandspit Brown

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Eighth Lemon Grass

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Triple Truffle

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Eighth Oilskin

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Gravel

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Ironsand

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Half Thorndon Cream

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Black White

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Grey Friars

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Fossil

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Resene Double Oilskin

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

the look

If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.

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Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Designers’ go-to neutrals

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

more inspiration

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Who are you? ( occupation)

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Who are you? ( occupation)