Can you stain the bricks to match the existing? Check this out: http://bricktransformers.com/

The bricks aren't the problem. Paint the rest of the house and deal with the bricks later.

The bricks truly don't appear ugly from this photo. Black is a very desirable accent color on the exterior of a home. The peaks and the paint are the two biggest features that over-dominate the aesthetic. We're not sure how much you're looking to spend but you could really soften the look of the home by bringing the peaks down a little and adding craftsman touches to the windows, garage and front column - like this house:

Craftsman Style New Home · More Info

A bit of messing around with the possibility of painting ... I picked up on the garage colour, but the garden wall seems a bit indignant at that. Sorry. Getting to my bedtime and not thinking clearly.

Looking at my own rendering (after a night's sleep) I think painting the top windows light is not a good idea. They look like two eyes under surprised eyebrows.

I would get the gables removed entirely. They look like a DIY project gone wrong.

Here is a picture of Dorian Gray....

Boat Garage · More Info

HI -- I like this house but the bricks are not the problem . You should pick a paint color that goes with the brick and the Dorian grey doesn't as far as I can see . Better to go into the tan greys or browns . And when you do paint the main color you should include the garage door too. Why doesn't your husband want to paint the bricks ? I don't think you need to ,but just wondering what his reason is . They have paint for everything now and painting brick is easy and maintenance free . Have a look at Benjamin Moore paints ... Edgecomb grey HC -173 or Revere Pewter HC -172 would be better or even Ranchwood CC-500 that is a color that seems to go with all brick . These colors look good with a warm white/light tan/cream trim too. Wait to see how the house looks when it's painted before adding any Craftsman accents because this house is a modern house and not a craftsman . Then put a great color on the front door . And think about having a walkway from the front to the sidewalk with a green space between it and the driveway . Then plantings and a small feature tree/s .

Definitely no craftsman things .. the beam ends on the garage would need braces under them to work with the neo mod victorian cottage thing . . .look at prowood market.com but don't go too curvy.

I don't think the Dorian Gray goes with those brick either. We also want to paint the front door SW Dress Blues or Salty Dog. I am really stuck on gray/white trim :-( I guess the only way to work with those colors is if we painted the brick. I'm trying to shy away from tans. There are other home around here with these peaks and they do have tan color homes or browns but they seem so boring. Thank you all for the different ideas.

Vive la difference! So glad there's so much interest.

My suggestion isn't supposed to be tan .. lighter tan colors outside look like whites . .creamy whites. You could do a pale warm gray with white trim like bm collingwood (I know, it is light) http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/oc-28

and then do more of a white trim . .with dark windows though, white trim may feel off - that is why I suggested to pay extra to mask the front glass and paint the window frames / sashes too . .

could not find your sherwin williams colors dress blues or salty dog

I found glidden prom dress blue

http://www.polyvore.com/prom_dress_blue/thing?context_id=3945910&context_type=lookbook&id=118645503

which is a lovely shade that would look white outside . . if you want a front door that looks like this, test bm steel blue http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/steelblue

on google images but no paint source I see a dress blues that is a sort of dark teal color . . you want to come up to a mid tone shade against a light house .. you might like historic province blue http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/provinceblue

Sherwin williams will mix ben moore colors for you .. those of us who give color advice lean on ben moore only because they make about 8 shades for every 1 of SW and SW makes about 5 shades for every one of any other paint manufacturer.

Try an all pale house with a blue door ..

Here's one that might be gray enough for you and pale enough for me for you to get the victorian look - body is bm raccoon hollow, trim is beige . click on the link for more info . . .but to me it looks like an off white house .. that is what you need to know .. colors on exterior are much much lighter . .

Historic Victorian Exterior · More Info

Here is a house in edgecomb gray with white trim and blue green door . . the compromise between your gray and a pale I was suggesting .. this would be wowsa with your cornflower blue door ..

Show House 2011 · More Info

I agree with the "eyebrow" comment. Go with a really light grey on the upper part of the house (libradesigneye's colors are fantastic) and then one shade darker over the brick. Your white windows won't seem so stark. A medium grey roof would be nice as well.

ok! I found the trick to making your little peaks charming . . look at this treatment - they bring the little triangle flush with a new panel and small corbels or brackets underneath . paint it like the trim not house . . .see the little bird nest details?

Pentwater Lake Cottage · More Info

this house also shows how using brackets under your modern beam ends on the garage gable would tie it together and add some charm . . know your beam ends are really more modern and not intended to be bracketed when built sort of mid century but with thick enough braces below - see these that are a bit too curvy . . you can connect them to the little peak corbels and shift the whole thing so it comes together .

Shingle Style Victorian · More Info

here is the sort of proportion for the garage gable i was thinking - braces used on the porch below are chunky . . . consider them at garage coming forward under beam ends - something more slender and proportional to your porch post coming asymetrical .. off the garage to overhead so path to door is clear and then from post moving toward house and upwards to support the little porch overhang . .

Front Porch · More Info

hope the pictures start to explain where I was going with the victorian cottage feel .. the door started me off . . you have different roof slopes and the only way to make sense of the mid century garage gable and the other dormer peaks is to make them features .. . tie them together with trim . . maybe a little peak gingerbread along with your paint job .. you can even use fake wood and plastered foam in the peaks shaped like beadboard . . they sell it for stucco houses where they put it under a coat of stucco . . .. faux wood market is out there too . it doesn't have to be cost prohibitive to get an all new look