I like all charcoal with a blue undertone, leave the brick unpainted, and eliminate the white. Maybe a darker charcoal trim.

I painted my small brick and white wood home 17 years ago. I painted the entire house white, by myself, except for the door. The door has been black, French blue, and grey. I had many folks try to talk me out of painting the brick, however, I continue to love it and have never has any issues with it. I painted it all white because I already knew I didn't like how the exterior was broken up by the contrasting finishes. The naysayers all thought it looked better after I painted it.

Brick and mortar are porous and hold moisture. Unless you live in an arid environment, where the brick can dry out completely, there will be moisture trapped in the brick by the paint layers. If your in an area where you get winter freezes, the moisture in the brick will freeze and thaw, and the paint will flake off. You will be painting every few years. Whitewashing the brick doesn't add thick layers and flaking isn't that noticeable. I second using a paint color website where you can upload a picture and try out different colors.

I like the idea of smoky charcoal blue color, or dull lighter earth color, the bricks are beautiful left alone.

Don't paint the brick! I would do the trim and entryway in a warm cream to show off the brick. I would buy a new carriage style garage door in the same color. soft cream. A bigger chandler in the entryway would help with the darkness. If you want to go for contrast, I would do black on the trim and garage door. I still would change that garage door out though.

Don't paint your brick. I suggest, like the others here, to paint your all of your wood. How about a light grey? Benjamin Moore's Platinum is one of my favorites. Paint your window frames white ( Ben Moore's Cloud White) and add artwork and lighting to your entranceway.

Talk about ugly. When I bought my house, it was yellow and green. (below) Yikes. I took off the shutters and painted everything but the brick. Don't despair. Paint your door a bright and inviting color, Ben Moore's Citron, a yellowish green, will add contrast and pull folks forward.

Maybe some coordinating planters, an entrance rug, and some faith that you made a good purchase. Now, get to work and have fun!

I think a nice blue spruce tone would go well with the brick and a trim color of umber.

Check out www.vipequsa.com. This is a sprayed insulated cork material that can be applied directly over wood and brick. It is sustainable, a thermal barrier, acoustic barrier, is mold and water resistant and has a 10 year warranty. They can blend any color you like. Due to being a thermal barrier, it will lower your utility bills!

I like the charcoal idea and perhaps changing the trim color to a beige and a dramatic color for your front door. I do have a suggestion. Years ago we had vinyl siding applied to our house. We live in a hot, humid climate and we were painting our home every-other-year. The trim was country blue and cream and I hated it, but what color did it need to be? I took my vinyl samples to Home Depot and picked paper paint samples the same color, several of each. I taped them together and hung them on the side of the house. I taped the trim color ones to the shutters and front door. Then, I took several giant steps back and looked. The midnight blue I chose for the trim and beige color for the wood and white for the trim worked perfectly. I think the guy doing the work had picked a purple color for the door and shutters, and that was definitely NOT going to work with our orange-y brick! Best wishes with your home and congratulations on your purchase!

Houzz just posted this article on exterior gray paints.

http://houzz.com/ideabooks/52882727

Allez voir ce site pour vous inspirer : http://www.spray-net.com

I would get a gray that went well with the gray in the brick for the garage door. I agree to go bright or bold on your front door. Whatever you can handle, if not stick with the same gray as the garage doors. i love the green grass, would try to get more that stays pretty vertical.

After you decide on color, you may want to consider bringing the front door forward, making the current entry a cold air vestibule (with added lights). It would enable you to add some color and architectural interest to the door way.

W hen I bought my brown, yellow and ugly brick house I so wanted to remove the brick.

But when I changed the siding and trim color the brick suddenly became beautiful.

So the moral of the story is to find the right color paint to enhance the brick.

I also suggest you relandscape the area from the big center tree area back to the fence and curving around to the house.

Part two....

As your second photo shows, Since the approach is from the driveway you need to make that view something to behold. A garden bench, water feature, extended patio area? Something awesome. If you can get a pro to help. I think that would make the entrance something special!

I did a simple google search for "paint colors that complement brick" and came up with a whole page of pictures.

https://www.google.com/search?q=paint+colors+that+complement+brick&biw=1242&bih=585&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CDAQsARqFQoTCMG6w6mQ6scCFUw7PgodAm4J8w

Don't paint the brick. How about a smoky sage for the timber? And white for the eaves and front door?

I was just going to suggest what Mtr1Mtr2 has already suggested....the Houzz article on exterior greys. Great info and examples are provided. Painting the wood siding in one of many available greys that compliment your existing brick colour would definitely provide an updated look with a lot less work than painting the brick itself.

I would just darken the white trim and brighten the front door. Here's the trim:

Maybe black for the windows? Help pull out different colors in the brick. Our last house I thought the brick was very pink but once we painted the house I saw it totally differently. Definitely pick some other colors from the brick and paint the siding/garage grey? Since your front door is slightly hidden a fun bright color will help it pop out.

I would paint the trim, windows and piece that overhangs from roof a deep charcoal grey. Then the front door a bright yellow. I would then paint the brick inside the entrance way going to the front door, the same bright yellow and have an artist paint a mural with the brown, charcoal and yellow with other colors In a beautiful pattern. Something that has meaning to the homeowner. Something welcoming. Unique. It could have special Moroccan tile included in it. A collage of sorts. This would dress up the house and make it very special right at the entranceway. Keep the rest just as it is.

I'd leave the siding brown, but go with something fun on the window frames, like bright yellow, turquoise, or maybe a burnt orange.

Consider enhancing the more contemporary lines of the home. Leave the brick alone for now, try painting the siding, trim and garage door. When the budget allows, replace the garage door and decide on future landscape plans.

Get paint samples of grays that have a warm undertone to compliment the brick. Hold them up against your brick to see how they look, keep the samples away from the existing brown paint. Consider color blocking the siding, look at the orange in photo 1 and the green in photo 2. Bold and fun. You could go very dark to very light for the trim, it depends on the look you want. Inspiration photos below.

I can imagine those potted plants removed, removal of the bricks underneath them and replaced with one type of plant, mass planted, maybe bright green wispy perennial sedge grasses surrounded in mulch. Hire an arborist to properly elevate and trim the tree in the front bed and minimize the planting surrounding it. The stone edging looks too cottage-y, a simple edged grass border with mulch would be more contemporary and clean.

One style of new suitable window treatments for the front windows. Pick a fun light bright colour for your front door, it could be turquoise, celery green, even orange. Contemporary house numbers and contemporary exterior lighting.

Search mid century modern or contemporary tab in Houzz for inspiration photos.

I would agree with BeverlyFLADeziner above, but with one addition. Your garage door is a huge part of the front of your house. The vertical lines seem to be 'fighting' the style of the house. I'd look at replacing it with a door that had more horizontal lines if possible, or maybe a glass door (I'm not sure where you are, or if that is practical in your area).

i've read through all of the color suggestions, but when i look at the house i cannot get beyond the window treatments in the front room. just undo the hold backs and let the panels go straight to the floor. poof, your house is up to date.

I love brick homes so please leave the brick alone; paint all that awful brown paint a color of your choice (I would use a light cream color that matches the brick ) and put a more modern window shade or curtains in the front window. To be honest I hate that window. I'd probably replace it asap. When we bought our last home 2 years ago I had all the windows replaced first thing with double pane, modern windows and it lifted the look of the house. The front door is rather drab and sad, can you paint or replace them. Gosh, I really love the house and my note sounds as if I don't. Just that it needs to be "happied up" so anyone passing it would say WOW must be someone new living there. Have a great new life in your new home.

really like the effect of changing the trim from white to dark -- I'd do that before anything else. second would be to paint the siding some shade of gray, although I'd go lighter than the charcoal... Here are two types that might work. But honestly er612's original is pretty awesome.

If you go too gray, you just make more of the brick columns than perhaps you want to...

I would consider a soft charcoal paint (picking a color from your brick) for wood, window trim, and garage door, replacing the garage door with one that has horizontal panels and re-landscaping the entry. Remove hard scape around both sides of the entry and replace with interesting shrubs and/or evergreen grasses and that would grow no higher than the mullion in the windows. I would have the tree in front removed entirely and replaced with one that doesn't overwhelm the front of your house so you can redesign the walkway a bit farther away from the windows, allowing for planting space by the front door. Or just design a planting bed of smaller flowering shrubs and perennials where the tree was to create interest in your front yard. New, horizontal window coverings to control privacy and light, as well as a front door painted in a shade of bright orange would give your house the facelift it needs. So that you are not overwhelmed by a large project, start with the easiest which is probably paint and a garage door. Good luck, it I think you will be surprised at what a difference paint and landscaping can make!!

Hey. No one has addressed the flatness of the front aspect of the house. Yes paint is necessary and I agree that you might not want to go too much lighter than the brick so as not to accentuate the vertical lines of the brick. Yes paint the trim also but maybe a contrasting blue gray, darker than the siding. It would seem to me that an overhang or porch cover or awning might be in order. Maybe over the door... I would place it over the entire front to cover the windows from side to side. Or at least the door and the window to its left (looking from the street). It should be in keeping with your view of the style of the house. Maybe a flat roofed structure with simple lines. It would make for a very welcoming entrance and a nice transition from outside to inside. Of course a bench or some outdoor seating would finish the look. Cheers! It should be fun!

i agree with painting the siding a nice charcoal to bring put the darker tone in the brick.

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore for siding

Agree with er612 !! and This house screams a bright sunshine yellow for an entry door ( even as it is today !) add ceramic pots in this same color ! Done - keep it simple This house already has fantastic lines ! Enjoy

I agree with some of the ideas but............. pick 3 colors only that go with the brick. Try a light terracotta, cream, and a salmon. Try charcoal on the window trim, not too dark, then a light grey on the boards, and a wine door with a light grey trim around it. Make the entrance bright and inviting! Also, get rid of the plants. Put a glaze on the brick to brighten and highlight the beautiful tones in the brick. Get rid of those curtains and use shades. A wonderful patio appearance would be pretty in the front as a great place to sit and talk as an outdoor room. I love the colors in the brick and start with them to enhance the colors and paint the garage doors in a light grey and trim in dark. But only use three colors, this would be more appealing and from the same color family or something to make that recessed door pop! I can not wait to see the end result. Be sure and show us all. You have a very interesting home and would love to see inside as well! Get busy!!!!!! LOL!

I think er612 has hit it just right.

Hi Christie! You have a great house and the grounds look like they must be gorgeous. When I first looked at your house I immediately thought mid century modern. Most of the advice here seem to think so also.

You already are not fond of the brown, brown, brown, so, go all the way with a color change. Most definitely whitewash the brick in a stain that is the same color as what you paint the house.

With the suggestions below, you have two choices: crisp, clean and sophisticated OR a combination of gray tones and natural wood accents. Have fun!

Here are pics for inspiration:

This is my first choice for you. White or light tan house and brick and window trim, black or very dark black-brown eave and bright front door with simple architectural plantings, polished aluminum house numbers, door hardware and railings. Go for a light grey garage door to tone it down. The brown roof is good. Simple white linen curtains, without a tieback, will complete a smart crisp look.

Here's the white with a light grey garage door. The frosted glass panels give the house the 3 dimensional added element the house could use. Plus it's a perfect barrier to an outdoor front patio.

Good look: Medium cool tone grey house, light grey (with blue undertone) garage door, and a bright front door.

Pic below: I wanted you to see painted brick in relationship to the house. As you can see it blends in, takes your eye away and gives texture to the front. One of the simple details of this front is keeping a subtle horizontal line: the top of the garage door lines up with the white detail around the front door. (Also the white painted brick on the very top and very bottom of the brick (the left side of the garage door) You can achieve this by adding a white wood trim around the access to the front door and around the actual front door. Continue a vertical white detail to the eave on the front of the house. The roof trim eave must be painted the same color as the house so that the focus in only on the front door. Nice wood garage door and simple rectilinear landscaping to complement the front door.

Above pic: Wonderful detail for approach to front door!

Below pic: For color combination only. Tan house and brick, dark black brown trim, medium grey garage door, bright front door.

Leave brick as us and paint walls lightest shade of taupe. It will highlight the blue and grey in your bricks nicely.

I would also use a blue front door and then paint entry/ foyer in the lightest shade of blue.

I am really loving er612 suggestion to paint the trim and window frame darker. It really makes the house feel warmer and the eye travels really nicely instead of being broken up by the lighter trim color. You could then do the other suggestions of a bright sunny door or orange door and matching flower pots of different sizes to give it more interest and a pop of color. When picking the color for the door make sure you look at the sample in that space as it looks like it will be shaded all the time which will make your paint color look darker so don't be afraid to go a shade lighter!

Your home is gorgeous compared to ours. We spent all our money updating the interior and are pretty stuck with the exterior for now but really, your home is lovely!

What is on the left side of your home? Is this a pool? Is this your property as well? I would strip every thing from the front of your home away like the swing, chairs, and give yourselves a clean slate to work with. If this is your fence on the left why not incorporate the wood into your theme as well! Maybe have a graduated landing of stairs on the left of your garden area and possibly make it straight across to the landing and stairs and have a garden with small azaleas' in the front and a winding walk way to the landing. Then later bring out the front of the home to a covered patio area with columns. I feel that would tie the front all together. It is a pricey solution though. Also bring some of the out door furniture down to the front on the right area, like the swing set. Make a really nice grouping down there and use the fence in the front of it if wanted for a nice privacy area but not all the way across. Just as a screened area. It will bring some of the wood look to the right side. A wooden walk way out of wood going to the back yard would be a nice touch and a wooden landing or an area for more lawn furniture would be great back there. Plenty of room for a volley ball net or crochet' or ball court in the back. Or a winding secret garden in your beautiful back yard. Have Fun!!!!!!!!

The house is nice, it would be nice to live there after exterior color changes! I would change the colors of wood to light color, like light grey.

You house is not ugly. It is a bit plain and completely perfect for a wooded setting.

As a rule of thumb you shouldn't paint brick that is in good condition.

If you decide to repaint, consider using the gray color in the brick for the exterior wall and paint all the trim, including gutters with a different shade of gray or black.

From your picture, there appears to be black in the brick. I once painted my garage door and front door black. It was very sophisticated and contrasted nicely with my brick. I took my idea from a house in another neighborhood and literally purchased the same brick as that on my inspiration house. I would encourage you to look for homes with similar brick as yours and see how those homes look.

You might want to get some large and interesting house numbers, paint them the same color you decide on for the door and mount them vertically up the brick "column" to the right of your front door.

Another option hiring a professional colorist or architect for a few hours of their time, and their educated eye. Colors change with season, time of day and weather, so seeing the bricks in real time is imperative . Either professional could offer 2-3 options and a quick sketch for you to choose from. Painting brick is tricky business, and cannot be undone without great expense, if at all, so proceed with caution...Good luck, you have a charming house!

Wow! I am blown away by all the advice and suggestions! Thank you all for taking the time to help us out! We've got some great ideas now, and can't wait until we actually settle on the house so we can put some of them into action! Will keep you updated! :)

Replace windows and doors, leave the brick as is. Architectural lighting a must.

You can update the entryway to your home with pavingstones and wallstones by Cambridge with Armortec. Consider replacing your existing concrete entryway with pavingstone steps and a walkway. Pavingstones will be durable and maintenance-free, even through long winters. You can always add a heating system underneath to keep your walkway free of ice and snow. Please go to our website and visit the amazing photos in our electronic brochure and our gallery. By linking to Cambridge’s Designscape Visualizer you can upload a picture of your entryway and preview what your re-designed porch will look like using Cambridge Pavingstones and wallstones. Visit our website at www.cambridgepavers.com

Beautiful ! Clean lines to enter the home. A pop of color in the back corner would be nice as well. I like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing house! Christie, considering the brick , we can help you to find an easy way to cover the old ones with cost-effective solution.