Whatever you do, don't paint the brick!

1. You can never unpaint it.

2. You will have converted a nearly maintenance-free exterior to one that requires periodic repainting.

3. You will have flushed away part of your home's resale value, because a maintenance free exterior adds value to a house.

4. Painted brick is "in" right now. Ten years from now, who knows? But natural brick is always in fashion and always will be.

Don't, please. Just don't.

If you want to avoid painting the brick you might consider limewashing it. If you keep the red brick you could consider a dusty blue-gray for trim. Other things to ponder as you upgrade your exterior: pressure-washing the brick (especially near the foundation), beefing up the columns in the front and adding some kind of rail between them, and most important: landscaping.

Yes all this sounds great! Thank you for your input.