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joyfulkk

Help Around Brick Exterior

4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

Exterior work has been planned for the future, but recent storms means we are getting a new roof ASAP. I am at a loss in deciding what to do on all exterior accents due to the color of our brick. Ideas for shutters, trim, front door, and roof all welcome. Hard pass on all blue shutters as it's what the entire neighborhood has, and the cliche red door has to go. Would love color but I'm currently feeling stuck with refreshing the brown or moving to charcoal/black.


Comments (11)

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I would remove all those shutters the ones on the bottom are actually taking away from the nice windows The landscaping is just bad a nice new garage door with windows a new front door with some glass then the garage door and front door in the chacoal and address the landscping . I like a walkway from the street to the front door it allows for nice plantings along it and then new foundation plantings in front that do not hide the house and add some color

  • 4 years ago

    This is a great time to refresh your entire look. If there is no major difference in the color of the brick behind the shutters, remove them. If the protected brick behind them looks better than that on the rest of the house, plan to replace them with properly sized ones that are not louvered, and arched ones for the bottom windows. The same goes for the arched trim above the front door. Take it off if the brick matches the exposed brick. I would consider matching the shutters and the other white trim. Then go for a stained door that works with the darker bricks you have, and upgrade the lantern lights to be 1/3 o the door's height. Lastly, a big investment in getting control of the landscaping would help. A walk to the street that is as wide as the door and sidelights would be welcoming. Here's a house with properly fitted arched shutters. Note their sidewalk skirts around a centerpiece fountain but still goes to the street.


    New Home Exteriors · More Info



  • 4 years ago

    A deep charcoal gray roof (like the photo from @decoenthusiaste) gives you tons of options in the future if you decide to whitewash the brick at a later date. It also works with the brick as is.

    Consider deep charcoal shutters and door. It will add drama. But if you remove the current shutters and the brick matches the rest of the house, you can go without them for a while to see if you like that look. Your house is symmetrical and will look very elegant without shutters.

    I still like a dark charcoal for your door due to the color of your brick. SW Urban Bronze is the depth of color I’m referring to.

    You house is lovely!

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Charcoal gray would work.

    Here is some option to go with white


  • 4 years ago

    Oooh im going against everyone else here and say please keep the shutters and in louvered style. i am going to guess this house is 60s colonial revival which for me it is appropriate to have louvered shutters with the dentils, etc. it would help to see a close up of the brick - it looks brown in tone? if yes i would stay away from charcoal - too cool - and pull a dark brown from the brick as my accent color for the shutters and door. and then a cream from the brick for trim, garage, portico and sidelights. the portico should be brighter, not dark. and agree the landscaping needs reviving And also the garage needs windows but simple squares like the sidelights. also new porch lighting. i would do a path to the street if there is a sidewalk. good luck, what a beautiful home. You got this!

  • 4 years ago

    Ooh. I hadn't even considered no shutters, but I could definitely try that. It's unfortunately a late 80s build so there isn't much to preserve in the way of character . Our house doesn't go to the street at all so a front walk is rather pointless- we are at the back of a shared driveway. The landscaping is definitely on the list. The tree blocking the house came down in the storm. Behind it is an overgrown Norwegian Spruce that will be limbed up I the fall so that we can revive an adorable flagstone path to the back yard underneath it. I want to tear out everything... all of the existing bushes and hostas and expand and redo all of it. I am definitely in agreement on a dark front door. Now I need to stop raining so I can peek behind those dang shutters... Thanks all!

  • 4 years ago

    Close up of the brick.

  • 4 years ago

    Agree with charcoal gray…really nice!

  • 4 years ago

    If you have a sidewalk along your neighborhood street, the advice to extend your sidewalk TO that sidewalk might be reasonable. If you don’t have sidewalks in your neighborhood, then that would be pointless. (Not all neighborhoods have sidewalk. Mine doesn’t!). Your home is lovely and could use a landscaping refresh, opening up its “face” so it can be seen. The suggestions for charcoal trims, etc. and shutters (play with some styles and see what you think looks best) work on your house. Your front door looks fine: period appropriate for the home. If you go for one with more glass in it, stay true to classic lines, with sidelights that match it. NO Victorian style oval glass. Good luck!

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I would start by painting the pilasters and fan over your front door the same white/ cream as the rest of the trim. That will make it feel much more unified. In my area (SE) shutters are almost always black- can't go wrong with that. At that point the front door could be anything you like- a natural wood door would be lovely but surely there is a color that makes you happy- royal? purple? yellow?


    I would cut down those bushes blocking the windows asap even if you aren't ready for the full refresh- the hostas could stay since they will never grow taller than the windows.

  • 4 years ago

    About your landscaping - yank it all out if it annoys you. I wasted three years trying to ”work” with landscaping I hated. Pulled the trigger and had it all taken out. Now I have a gorgeous daylily garden I love.

    Close up of the brick reinforces my suggestion to look at Urban Bronze for shutters and door. It has a touch of brown so it’s not too “cool” for your house. Then of course, no shutters might make you the happiest once they’re off. 😊