Don't paint brick on the outside of a house. It can cause irrevocable damage because it does not allow humidity to escape.

Well we have already painted several sample colors on the back side so it looks like no turning back now. My husband really wants to paint the brick, and I want to make sure we get the colors right. There are so many painted brick houses where we live, I'm curious as to what the damage is that it causes?

The humidity can cause the brick itself to decompose and it can get into the interior of the wall, and can cause rot and mold.

Awesome. So if I can convince my husband to not paint the brick is there a way to get the sample off the back? Sigh. He just put it on there a few hours ago.

Here are just a couple of articles on the subject. I spent a couple of years working on a historic building whose masonry had been damaged irreparably by someone 'waterproofing' it in the 1970's. Our project was to reconstruct large parts of the building.

http://www.masonryconstruction.com/painting/to-paint-or-not-to-paint-.aspx

http://www.mosereport.com/2013/05/22/top-5-threats-to-your-brick/

Funny, my office is a painted brick plantation house built in 1780 and it's not suffered any of that.

lkilgore - I guess it doesn't happen every time, but, it does happen.

But let's just suppose that painting brick was going to happen, I'd still like to hear color scheme suggestions. We tried SW Hardware and it was not quite right.

My suggestion, would be to drive around upscale neighborhoods, and look at color combinations that are appealing to you. Hardware is a green/gray color. If green is a top option, than check out Benjamin Moore greens, such as Hampton Gray, etc. They are my go to for greens.

I have done that exact thing! We were trying to match BM Copley Grey and the SW guy said the Hardware is closest but when we tried it it just didn't look right. It's so hard to tell from a square foot of paint what the entire house will look like. Guess I will have to start knocking on doors.

There are products to remove graffiti that will take off the paint as will a power washer. I agree do not attempt to paint the house, if you do not like all that brick, add siding to the top and keep the brick at the bottom. With the white door and trim, I would make the shutters white also to brighten the front of the house, maybe even a light gray.

Ok, convinced my husband not to paint the brick and got the sample paint off brick with a pressure washer. I'd still like to freshen up the front of the house. We will be painting all the wood as we had the rotten wood repaired, and I'd like to add a new front door and new shutters. New gutters will be installed too. Any suggestions on colors/ style of door etc?

The shutters should be removed, they are way too small for the windows, except for maybe the small window above the entry. The trim could stay white, or you could paint it something closer to the window mullions (almond). You could paint the door a surprising color, but I think in this case black is perfect, as it goes well with the light fixtures. It is a really gorgeous house and doesn't need much.

I like shutters on this house but agree they could be a little larger. (I do not personally subscribe to the view that they look bad if they aren't actually large enough to cover the window but I do think they need to be proportionate.) Can't tell if we are looking at clip on muntin bars or storm windows in this image - hopefully your new windows have their muntin bars on the exterior? I think with the almond, you are going to want to use colors that are kind of close to it in value and contain some yellow, so, sage, rust, warm grey, etc.

Thanks, I had never considered that the shutters were too small but I'll keep that in mind when looking for new ones. We actually have a paint sample of the color that matches the new window color, but it looks very beige. When you say muttons are you referring to the grids? They are inside the new windows too. We wanted to make our house more energy efficient but did not want to invest too much as the property values are not steady here right now. Thanks for the input! Here is a picture of the almond color sample which I think is too dark.

Yes, the muntin bars are the grids. I see the almond. I guess I would go for colors that had a similarly beige base - sage, darker brown, rust. It is less yellow than I expected; guess I am remembering all of that almond kitchen equipment from the '70's. ;)

Fortunately not! The almond actually matches the mortar in our brick very well. I may wait until the windows are installed to decide on the other colors.

What about this?

I would paint the white around the door the cornice trim color and then go with a neutral color but darker than the trim color by a few shades and put on correct size shutters in a dark shade to tie it all together.

Definitely don't paint the brick, but if you want a new look consider a double deck porch, grand entry, using green and taupe instead of the standard black and white. Here's some photo's I found when I did a quick search. I'm sure a more extensive search can help you find the perfect look to update your beautiful home.

I'd love a porch, unfortunately it's not in our budget now, but maybe someday!

When you are done with painting, plant some landscaping in with the existing but with more height. Bring the beds out and add color to the landscaping and landscaping lighting. I think you will be happy with your choices. Keep us updated.

Ok- new windows are in, which I love, but the black shutters are not working. Took one set off on bottom left. Change shutter color or go without?

Try architecturally correct sized shutters. They will be the width of one window except the small window in the middle.

From my experience ---If the house's location is southern part of US ( say below Birmingham) . the risk of moisture damage would be minimized - older brick is also more prone to the moisture problem if painted - this looks to be a newer brick which is denser - and should take paint OK with out moister condensate problems, but make sure to keep weep holes open. Not sure I would paint it though since it is not ugly/cheap looking brick ----like I have had to deal on some houses and painted. Your house though and it needs to look like YOUR house.

We love the look of the larger shutters on this home provided by lkilgore75. As many fellow houzzers have mentioned, the shutters are not properly fitted and this could be taking away from your exterior. The color choice is solely up to your discretion but we think a darker shade will allow them to stand out more and make a bigger statement.

We offer 4 different types of shutters in various styles, but we would recommend a panel or louvered style for your specific home! You can request a free catalog on our site at http://www.Timberlane.com

Being a home designer, it KILLS me to see wrong shutters. The worst is when an arch window has the shutters backwards. I want to knock on their door and be like ummmmm.....