What Resene does

Resene, operating legally as Resene Paints Ltd, is a New Zealand-based, family-owned manufacturer and reseller of decorative, industrial, and specialty paints and coatings, founded by Ted Nightingale in 1946 (firmographics) and now led by third-generation family member Nick Nightingale. The company is headquartered in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, with a secondary operating presence in Ashmore City, Queensland, serving residential, commercial, industrial, and marine end-markets across New Zealand and Australia. Its core product platform spans waterborne paints, stains and clear finishes, textured coatings, and specialty finishes, all unified by a proprietary Total Colour System that uses no-added-VOC tinters to produce thousands of custom colours from a common tinting base, plus a registered heat-reflective technology called CoolColour deployed across multiple exterior lines (Lustacryl, Enamacryl, Hi-Glo, Lumbersider, SpaceCote, Summit Roof, X-200 membrane). The business has progressively extended beyond paint into wallpaper (including Mason handcrafted lines, Walltastic murals, Wildscape murals) and curtain products, and operates a sustainability infrastructure via the PaintWise recycling programme (in partnership with Future Post and SAVEboard) and a designer co-brand with Karen Walker.

Resene monetises through three revenue streams: (i) paint and coatings sold direct via company-owned Resene ColorShop retail stores, the shop.resene.co.nz e-commerce site, and authorised resellers such as Mitre 10, Hammer Hardware, and Farmlands; (ii) wallpaper and curtain sales through ColorShops and stockists; and (iii) trade and specification services delivered to professional painters, contractors, and architects/specifiers via dedicated trade accounts, the myResene portal, rep visits, TechSpec online specification tool, and BIM/electronic colour files integrated across major CAD platforms (AutoCAD/Revit, ArchiCAD, Chief Architect, Vectorworks, Sketchup, Photoshop, SoftPlan, Spirit CAD, 3D Kitchen, ASE) plus MasterSpec (NZ) and NatSpec (AU). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the Resene DIY card provides consumer-facing discounts and special offers on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Resene's primary customer segments are homeowners and DIY decorators (served through ColorShops, online, and DIY card), trade painters and contractors (served through trade accounts and TradeTalk productivity resources), and architects/specifiers (served through dedicated rep coverage and specification tooling), with secondary engagement in schools (free School Services) and the artist community (Mural Masterpieces, gallery). The go-to-market motion combines direct-to-consumer retail and enterprise field sales to trade and specification accounts. The company holds Eco Choice NZ, Sensitive Choice, New Zealand Made (Licence 706134), Consumer Trusted, and Green Building Council founding-member credentials, and has earned the NZ Most Trusted Paint Brand designation every year from 2012 through 2025 and the Quality Service Award NZ every year from 2017 through 2026 — a sustained brand-equity position that is itself a material commercial asset.

Name

Resene

Legal name

Resene Paints Ltd

Website

https://resene.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Resene Paints Ltd is a family-owned New Zealand paint manufacturer and retailer founded in 1946, producing decorative, industrial, and specialty coatings. It serves homeowners, trade painters, architects, and specifiers across New Zealand and Australia through its ColorShop retail network, online shop, trade accounts, and authorised resellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Paint and Coatings Manufacturing

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Coatings & Finishes (IMADAKAD)

Keywords

• Decorative paint manufacturing
• Industrial coatings production
• Architectural paint specification
• Wallpaper and curtain retail
• Wood stains clear finishes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lower Hutt

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Paint and Coatings Sales: Resene manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of decorative paints, industrial coatings, wood stains, clear finishes, textured coatings, and specialty products. Revenue is generated through direct retail sales at Resene ColorShops, online sales through shop.resene.co.nz, and through authorized resellers and stockists across New Zealand and Australia.
2. Wallpaper and Curtains: Sale of wallpaper collections (including Mason handcrafted wallpaper, Walltastic murals, Wildscape murals) and curtain products through Resene ColorShops and stockists.
3. Trade/Professional Services: Professional painting contractors and specifiers access products through trade accounts with dedicated support, specification tools (TechSpec), and rep visit services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels16 records

Core offering

Resene manufactures and sells decorative paints, industrial coatings, wood stains, clear finishes, textured and specialty coatings, wallpaper collections and curtain products for residential, commercial, industrial and marine applications. Distribution is via company-owned ColorShop retail stores, the shop.resene.co.nz e-commerce site, and trade/specifier channels across New Zealand and Australia, supported by proprietary colour matching, virtual painting tools, and the TechSpec specification platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Resene CoolColour: Paint technology that reflects more heat than normal paint, keeping paint and home cooler
• Resene ColorShop
• Resene Eco.Decorator
• Resene PaintWise
• Karen Walker Paints
• Resene Total Colour System

Products and services

• Resene CoolColour heat-reflective paint technology Proprietary heat-reflective exterior paint technology that reflects more heat than normal paint to keep painted surfaces and homes cooler, offered across Resene's decorative and roofing paint lines.
• Resene Total Colour System Proprietary colour matching and tinting system that uses no added VOC tinters to deliver thousands of custom colours across Resene's full product range, with supporting tools such as Find-A-Colour, ColourMatch Online and swatch libraries.
• Decorative paint range (interior and exterior topcoats, primers, sealers, undercoats) Resene's full decorative paint range for interior and exterior residential and commercial surfaces, including surface preparation products, primers, sealers, undercoats and finishing topcoats such as waterborne enamels, low-sheen, kitchen and bathroom, and ceiling paints.
• Wood stains and clear finishes Resene wood stains and clear finishes for interior and exterior timber surfaces such as furniture, decks, fencing and trim, sold through retail, online and trade channels.
• Textured and weathertight coatings Textured coatings, weathertight systems and specialist coatings for residential, commercial, industrial and marine applications, sold under Resene's specialist products category.
• Special purpose finishes (powder coatings, slip resistant, plant-based and Eco Choice approved products) Specialty and environmentally preferred finishes including Resene Powder Coatings, slip resistant coatings, vegan paint, plant-based paint options and Eco Choice approved environmentally preferable products.
• Engineered Coating Systems products Resene Engineered Coating Systems (ECS) product range delivering specified coating systems for commercial and industrial projects.
• Wallpaper collections (Mason handcrafted wallpaper, Walltastic murals, Wildscape murals) Wallpaper collections including Mason handcrafted wallpaper, Walltastic murals and Wildscape murals, sold alongside Resene paint products through ColorShops and stockists.
• Curtain and fabric products Curtain products sold through Resene ColorShops and stockists alongside paint and wallpaper as part of a coordinated interior decorating offering.
• Karen Walker Paints licensed collection Licensed paint collection with designer Karen Walker including Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint and Karen Walker Soft Wax products, sold through Resene ColorShops and stockists.
• Resene TechSpec online specification tool Cloud-based online specification tool that allows architects, designers and specifiers to produce Resene-based paint and coating specifications for building projects.
• BIM and electronic paint colour files Downloadable Resene paint colour libraries in BIM/CAD formats (AutoCAD/Revit, ArchiCAD, Chief Architect, Sketchup, Vectorworks, etc.) and in ASE and Photoshop colour formats, used by architects, designers and specifiers to incorporate Resene colours into design files.
• Resene EzyPaint virtual painting application Web-based virtual painting application that lets homeowners and designers preview Resene paint colours on interior and exterior surfaces before purchasing.
• Resene ColourVision virtual reality tool Virtual reality tool that allows customers to preview Resene paint colours in an immersive format prior to purchase.
• Resene PaintWise recycling and product stewardship programme Product stewardship programme that recycles unwanted paint and paint packaging in partnership with Future Post and SAVEboard, supporting Resene's environmental commitments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted Brand New Zealand (Paint) 2012-2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Building Council (NZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResene is a founding member of the Green Building Council and actively supports Green Star NZ and Homestar rating systems for sustainable buildings.
• HomestarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Homestar rating system for residential buildings, supporting sustainable home design and construction.
• Sustainable Business NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member and award recipient (Sustainable Business of the Year 2010) of the Sustainable Business Network.
• Future PostminorOthersSoft plastics recycling partner for Resene PaintWise programme. Future Post uses collected soft plastics to manufacture fence posts.
• SAVEboardminorOthersSoft plastics recycling partner for Resene PaintWise programme. SAVEboard converts collected soft plastics into board for use in construction.
• Trees That CountminorOthersCharitable partner for the Paint It Green initiative where Resene donates $1 per green testpot sold to plant native trees.
• Karen WalkerminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed paint collection with designer Karen Walker including Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint and Karen Walker Soft Wax products.
• Mitre 10minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor hardware retailer chain as authorized reseller of Resene products including RE:Paint recycled paint in selected stores.
• FarmlandsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRural supplies retailer partnership for the Colour the Country competition and distribution of Resene products to rural customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DuluxGroup (AkzoNobel Dulux): Dulux is the dominant decorative and architectural paint brand in Australia and New Zealand, directly competing with Resene in retail, trade, and specifier channels across both Resene's core geographies.
• Taubmans (PPG Industries): Taubmans is a leading decorative paint brand in Australia and New Zealand owned by PPG, directly overlapping with Resene's product range, colour systems, and trade/retail channels.
• Wattyl: Wattyl is an established Australian/NZ paint and coatings manufacturer with a comparable architectural, industrial, and protective coatings portfolio competing in the same trade and retail channels as Resene.
• Haymes Paint: Haymes is an Australian family-owned paint manufacturer with a similar premium, colour-led positioning and trade/retail distribution model; its product and channel structure closely parallels Resene's.
• Bristol Paint: Bristol is an Australian/NZ decorative paint brand with broad retail and trade presence, directly competing with Resene in architectural paints, wood finishes, and colour systems.

Emerging players

• Porter's Paints: Porter's Paints is a specialty architectural and decorative paint brand with a premium, designer-led positioning — overlapping with Resene's higher-end and designer-collab (Karen Walker) lines.
• Farrow & Ball: Farrow & Ball is a premium designer decorative paint brand with a curated colour palette and showroom-style retail — a comparable positioning to Resene's premium, colour- and design-led offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Benjamin Moore: Benjamin Moore is a North American premium decorative paint brand with independent-dealer distribution, broadly comparable to Resene's ColorShop model and colour-consultant approach.
• Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams is the world's largest paint and coatings company with a global retail and architectural coatings business; it represents the scale of multinational competitor Resene faces in its premium and trade segments.
• Jotun: Jotun is a global coatings manufacturer with decorative, marine, and protective lines, broadly comparable to Resene's diversified paint and coatings manufacturing footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ReseneDecorating
• Facebookfacebook.com/Resene
• Instagraminstagram.com/resenecolour
• Pinterestpinterest.nz/resene
• Xx.com/resene_nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resene

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Resene