I am trying to find a pale lemon colour to paint the interior of a country cottage, to go with white trims. There will be lots of timber furniture in the house. The exterior will be a buttery yellow with white trim as well. Any suggestions for the two colours?

It sounds as though you want your house to glow with sunlight - delightful!

All yellows, no matter how light, appear much stronger/brighter than you would ever imagine. All interior wall colours seem deeper anyway because of changing light/shadows and the closeness of other walls. With those facts in mind the following colours may get you started, inside or outside:? Resene Pale Prim, Resene Mellow Yellow, Resene Primrose, Resene Buttermilk, Resene Splash or Resene Milk Punch.

It is very important to trial the yellows – apply two coats on an A2-sized card and move it around all the rooms, day and evening, so you can see what it really looks like. Once you find something you like you may still need to lighten it - remember colour escalates in value and all yellows appear far stronger.

For the trims, try Resene Alabaster or Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta.