A black garage door is going to be very stark up against the orange brick. It is also going to look like a big black hole. I don't disagree with using some black as an accent but you need to be careful using too much of it. You could paint the porch and the garage door a taupe color and then use the black as an accent for that. If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers check out my web site, Creative Visual Concepts. I do mock ups to show you how your house might look with certain changes.

Thanks Kevin. I never really thought about the black being too much for the garage. Definitely something to consider.

Unless you are keeping an animal in the back yard, the first thing to do is to remove the chain link fence. It is the #1 item that lowers home values. Another instant improvement would be to remove the stocky low hedge. You might want to pressure wash the brick, as well as the porch, steps, walk and drive. Here is a pretty home with some orange brick much like yours. I think the colors used on it would enhance your home much better than black. You don't want to go Halloween, do you? No shutters on any of your windows either. They're not the style to take shutters. I would enhance the porch and door. Use the tan they've used here on the upper gables for all the white on the porch and around your front window. Try the cocoa color from their shutters for the garage and entry door. Paint the porch ceiling a pretty blue similar to the shade of the summer sky in your area. Replace the iron porch supports with beefy square posts and the railing with a white wood handrail with square balusters. Add much bigger light fixtures front and back.

This is the look im going for. My preference is to accent with a darker color because the contrast is something I like. Do you think the orange brick on my home is too light for a dark color (pref black) contrast?

I like the top picture better. The dark gray works just as well as the black and doesn't get "Halloweeney"

Cute house!! I think dark grey would look great. Black works with red brick, but grey is better for orange brick. Take out the bush nearest the front door and put in a flower bed. Good luck and congrats on the new home.

I prefer a gray to black, with orange brick. I do think you risk a Halloween look.

Will you be able to paint your windows or will they stay white? That will affect the look.

Thanks, I will try to work with dark grey. Now to decide how to incorporate it!

Put the dark gray where I suggested the beige, and do a black front door. I think I'd keep the garage door white. You should use some "try it on" programs at the paint store websites to decide.

jalisa, I see what you are going for in your sample pics, and they are awesome. buy some paint sample jars and a roll of Kraft paper, and fake paint your garage and other areas. I would suhhest a little more chocolate added to that gray, but just a bit, as it looks like your roof is gray.

Here's a clearer photo of my home that I took today

You could also create a larger flower bed when the hedge is removed, include some small flowering shrubs with flowers in front, birdbath or landscape ornament.

Here's an article about using gray as an exterior color. She recommends a warmer gray to look good with existing brick. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/exterior-color-of-the-week-7-ways-with-warm-gray-stsetivw-vs~52882727

In this article, they suggest using the color of the mortar as the gray tone. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/when-to-paint-your-home-gray-stsetivw-vs~5086516

You don't have to stick with just one color of gray.

Very nice gray with brick pic above posted by partim. That combo has an elegant look. JMO

Don't be too quick to remove that hedge in front of your porch. If you remove it, you'll have (I think) a big square of brick porch to cover with new, small landscaping. The hedge does a very effective job of reducing the impact of the high brick porch.

It looks like a yew hedge to me. The nice thing about yews is that, although they can be sheared square (like yours now), you can also let them grow a little taller and a bit shaggy so they're not so square looking.

Then, use the hedge as the background to other plantings. I love this look with hydrangea, which are easy-to-grow shrubs that you can find in any size, dwarf or regular. They bloom well in sun and shade. Unless you're into gardening, it's easier to maintain a bed of one type of plant.

I would stick with a black for the columns. I think sage or a light olive green would be a nice compliment.

Love the mock up from katinparadise, looks great.

jalisa, I meant just add some chocolate to the grey, so it is less rainy day and more the color of mud

How about using a shade or two lighter than the peppercorn for the garage door and front entry, then use the peppercorn for the garage door trim, window trim and wrought iron? You can buy a quart of peppercorn and a quart of peppercorn at 50% and see what you think. That way, you haven't committed yourself to a large quantity of paint. Take a look at Green Onyx or Clary Sage for the front door. The Clary Sage is lighter and might be a better choice to stand out from your entry color.

Green Onyx

Clary Sage

Hi Jalisa...Love your house and I really like all the color suggestions. I just have a few observations...and yes, more paint colors. :(

Stacy suggested a more chocolate gray. I agree that the gray you select needs a slightly more brown undertone. Please check out SW Urbane Bronze and SW Sealskin. They may be a little deeper than Peppercorn but there is a hint of brown in these colors. Either will look great with your brick.

Porch Area -- For the walls in your porch area, you should go with a lighter paint color. I would check out SW Intellectual Gray. It will provide a nice contrast with the darker Urbane Bronze or Sealskin colors. Also, if you paint your posts with the darker color, a lighter background will make them stand out better. I would add a nice light fixture near your door or replace your ceiling fixture.

Front Door -- Since your front door is protected by your porch, please consider removing the storm door. Your newly painted door will stand out so much better! Love the green ideas above from Kateinparadise. Use the darker color for the window trim and door trim.

Garage door -- I like the darker color for the garage door. Use the lighter SW intellectual gray for the trim around the door. Consider removing the current light fixture and put 2 fixtures on each side of the garage. Maybe put your house number in the center.

Windows -- you are doing all window trim in the darker color, right?

Facia, Gutters, downspouts -- You could go either way on this, light or dark. Maybe dark would be best to really define the outline of your home.

Now you need a trip to the Sherwin Williams store!! Get a bunch of color cards and paint samples if you can. Good luck and keep posting your progress!

Thank you all. I've been playing with all the colors and suggestions you've all mentioned and I'm realizing that no matter what I do...I just dislike the orange brick unless its accented with very dark grey/black. *sigh* I appreciate everyone's feedback so very much, though. Looks like I'm going to just have to paint the brick or cover it with vinyl siding :'(. Any ideas/tips would be appreciated. (Side note: I never really liked the orange brick, but I thought accenting with black and nice trimmed windows would change that.) Unfortunately, I cant seem to bring my vision to fruition.

As I was leaving for work this morning, I realized one of the biggest issues I have with my home is that it doesn't blend with the other homes on my street, (mostly light, neutral colors & vinyl siding). I'm feeling like I should paint the brick a light grey like this or do a light grey vinyl siding.

Because your roof is Very light gray..the very dark paint colors will not work...do siding or paint your brick to match roof light gray...add a slightly darker gray for trim and garage door...Paint front door BLACK!:)) add black pots flanking garage door filled with evergreens so they add green all year round...super cute ranch! Congratulations on your new home....

add much larger black outdoor lighting....I love painting out just the windows frames around the glass black...it looks great!

You could do SW Peppercorn for windows and front door or

BM Black Beauty

brick in the Repose Gray

House trim and garage in dovetail

I LOVE the repose gray for the brick! absolutely beautiful! Now I would like some strong contrast with white and black.

Here's with the garage painted dovetail...it feels kind of eh, but definitely looks better than the white

I love how a black garage and red door looks.

That program does not give you a good idea dovetail is very dark and would be a big difference between it and the Repose gray...yes you need lots of strong contrast with trim and front door...I love the idea of black it will look very sharp!

Repose gray for brick

white for house trim

dovetail for garage and area around front window

black window frames and front door.

Oh not a black garage it will take over the front of your small ranch...stick with a medium gray...front door should be your darkest paint color....

Here's an updated picture with your advice. 2 questions: 1. should just the window trims be white? or should I buy white posts to add more white trim? 2. Should I keep that porch wall white?

White should be window trim and white posts to cover the small wrought iron posts..the small white area of trim on the garage framing attached to house....dovetail should be the entire garage and large sided area around front porch window....black front door and black window frames.

If you do the light gray paint on the bricks, you need some contrast either with dark and white paint. Check out images on Houzz with limewashed brick. The body would be light and you could still have the darker accent colors.

Brick is basically maintenance free. If you paint it, you will have ongoing maintenance and the expense of repainting every few years. Not sure about the ongoing maintenance with limewash...maybe a pro can chime in.

you have to decide whether you want your house to totally blend in with all the others, or make it stand out...in a good way...like a little gem! Can't wait to see what you decide :)

Thanks Carol, I plan on reaching out to several companies tomorrow to get a little more professional insight on doing lime wash versus paint

Do a test on the lime wash. If it lightens the orange brick color, you might end up with a pale orange/peachy color that you may not like.

That brick looks like it could have been laid yesterday. It would be a shame to paint it. Red brick was the standard for hundreds of years. Now it is not as popular but things change all the time and who know 5 or 10 years. Are you really going to feel like repainting it in 6 years and every 6 years after that. Maybe you are a person who likes to change colors all the time and that would be fine and may prefer it.

I also have a soft spot for clay brick like this. To me it looks like such a natural material, much more attractive than any painted surface. The different brick colors depend on the mineral content of the clay, and the temperature at which the bricks were baked in the kiln. My house has some brick, and I wish it were all brick.

J Petempich, yeah it is laid so well and I hate to mess with it. But, I just cant bring myself to like it unless its accented with black.

Accent it with black if you want, you can always change it to something else in 10 years when colors and styles change and you want something else. Painting the brick is relatively new for the last 10 years. Before that it was used to hide something like unmatched bricks or blocks. In 20 years the painted brick houses won't look very good and people will stop painting the brick. It used to be many houses the age of your house were only bricked in the front because brick was expensive and the back had cheap siding. If you leave the brick alone you will never have to touch it as long a you own your house.

I think installing a more updated front door, garage door, and window will go a long way to updating the look. I'd also consider swapping out the wrought iron railing for something a little more contemporary.

Here is some color inspiration for your new home. We added a design we did that might help you move forward from your dilemma.

We have a home in my town with orange brick that I absolutely adore. It has been accented with a dark brown and looks cozy and reminds me of fall. I took some photos from google maps to show.

How did things work out? Have an updated picture? I have an orange brick house from built in 59 and I'm trying to figure out how to spruce it up too. Thanks!