If you don't want to paint the brick, I'd find the darkest shade in the brick and go with a tone that plays off that. The idea is to visually connect everything so it appears as if it's all one surface.

Otherwise, you could paint it all the same shade...this is a pretty brown. http://houzz.com/photos/308582

I'd stick with a warm creamy white though. (Not a blue white).

I would paint the house but not the brick.

With white on the trim this dark gray would look good: Even a yellow based cream would look rich: and

A mid-tone blue with white would look good:

I like all of these ideas...haha. The one issue with matching a tone in the brick is wonderful except the brick has no variation in it. It is a flat, red, almost industrial brick. So one of you presented the tones that are brownish to match the brick and the others are grays and blues...this is exactly the quandary I am having.

Years ago we moved into a brand new house that was new "used brick" and white. I hated the brick. Someone told me about doing a wash, so I experimented and used a combination of several parts water to one part the brown paint we were using to cover the white. I really liked the effect. You could do that with a grey; it might provide the variation you do not have now. The red would leak through, but it would be a more uneven greyed red, for example.
Janet R

Interesting! Do you have a picture? Also what color would you
paint the house and trim then?

I would go away from whites & light colors. If the contrast is not so great it will not diminish the look of the red brick. I also think the BM "Davenport Tan" is too dark...don't go too far the other direction.

Here are my suggestions..I would leave the brick as is, and paint the siding and garage door surfaces in Ben. Moore "Chesterton Buff" HC 9. Here is a look, keep in mind your computer will always make it look different.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/chestertownbuff#ce_s=wish

I would add larger, white pillars at the front porch area. I would also add black, wide, solid panel shutters to the upper 3 windows. I would also paint the front door black.

Go to the Ben Moore website and do the upload photo of your house and "try on" different colors. Also, always remember to buy sample paint colors..paint large poster boards and hold them or tape them to your house to see how the color will really look..never paint swatches on actual wall surfaces.

I like tan house and garage door, white trim, not paint brick, and choose bright front door color after seeing tan paint on front.

Thanks so much for the input! We are also putting in new windows...if the largest window in front became a picture window, would that mess up the balance of the front?

P.S. LOVE the idea of replacing the beam with a pillar...does the other go...next to the house?

Change both beams to pillars.

The windows look like casements..are they? Will you be replacing them with new casements or sash type windows.

There is only one beam, in the corner of the porch. The windows are the kind that crank out and we are replacing with sliders. I am considering making that larger opening a picture window instead but the window gal said it might upset the balance of the front. Not sure I have a lot offaith in her style so wanted another opinion.

I think it would be a too big piece of glass to be a picture window. Also, if there is only one beam just replace it and add one, if you can, up against the garage..so there are 2 along the leading edge of the porch.

Thank you. And should the garage door match the siding instead of the trim?

I would stay away from cool colors ( blues and greys) that will contrast with the red brick. Ochre yellows, tans and cream would blend better with warm color brick. Greens would need to be muted with lots of yellow. Picking a muted shade near the same intensity as the brick would unify the house, you could keep the trim cream or white as accent. All cream could look good and do the shutters and maybe some trim In a muted mid tone. Black shutters an white paint can be very classic with red brick.

We just added cultured stone over our existing brick fireplace exterior -turned out beautiful! We love it and our neighbors love us, too, for covering up the eyesore brick. Check out El Dorado stone online. It was not expensive and totally updated the house.

The garage door should match the siding & not the trim...trim color makes the large expanse of a garage door a focal point when it should be dimished

Oooh beautiful color! Also going to look at the shadow idea. Brilliant!

fyi, your brick is NOT ugly :) I like the creamy tans suggested for your paint color of the siding

I just wish it had character instead of looking so industrial. The mortar is more gray than off white I guess. I love the suggestions...this is such a great resource. That said, one designer says stay away from grays and blues and another shows me a great example...not sure my decision is easier now!

I wouldn't paint the brick. I think your time and money would be better served if you checked out some landscaping options. You could use plants to soften and break up and enhance the brick feature of your home. I think that would add some additional curb appeal to your home and lessen the impact of the brick.

Well apparently the painter is using Sherwin Williams SuperPaint...so if anyone has equivalent colors/numbers to the Benjamin Moore ones, it would be appreciated. Thanks.

Sherwin Williams should be able to convert Benjamin Moore colors...

I just bought a quart of Sherwin William Resilience™ Exterior Acrylic which I think is what they call Superpaint. Testing it out on my front door for color selection before we use if for our new door once we buy it. SW does convert paint colors. I had them do a Behr for me for my living room.

FYI. I painted my home a couple years ago with SW Duration. The painters swear it's the best...but just saw Consumer Reports (May I think) and the Behr paint has the best rating for Exterior....save some$$$

Also, whoever said stay away from blues and grays with your brick doesn't know what they're talking about. Those combos with red brick are all classic.

My opinion is if you stay with classic on the exterior you'll be happiest. Colors come in and out of popularity, but classic is always a good choice. Since it's fairly expensive for most people to paint, you can use an accent color on the door or something.

Resilience and Superpaint are different products. Resilience is better. I'd suggest upgrading the paint from Superpaint to Duration. Sherwin Williams has 30 and 40 percent off sales during the spring, summer and fall where you should be able to buy Duration for less than Superpaint. Also have your painter ask at SW about a Superpaint to Duration upgrade promotion.

For a great look that does not cost too much.....change the paint to a medium grey colour with cream for the windows and an dark grey colour paint for the door and garage door....also add a few taller plants to your front garden for visual effect (and hide the red brick a little more)......will update and change the look drastically without breaking the bank....if you want a pop....paint the door a bright reddish colour

Perhaps you should stain the brick into a more appealing color. I just googled brick stain. Stains are different than paint. Here are some sites.


http://bricktransformers.com/


http://www.dyebrick.com/product/questions.html

@ppf :) you said "Resilience is better. I'd suggest upgrading the paint from Superpaint to Duration" is Duration even better than Resilience? I haven't used either. So far only their flat, satin and semi gloss for inside paints

Our previous home, built 1917, had ugly orange/red brick with matching mortar on the first floor and wood shingles above. We painted the shingles a warm charcoal grey and the trim white. It was quite striking.

Don't neglect to take your roof color into consideration, it's a big part of the visual presence of a home and everything needs to play nice together.

I think a stronger, dramatic, yet pretty blue tinged gray like Benjamin Moore's Deep Silver 2124-50 would be great for the main color. A lighter blue gray version of that is 2121-30, Pewter. It is a silver gray tinged with blue tone. For accent with Deep Silver, I would go even deeper---towards a dark gray or charcoal. Something like Benjamin Moore Steel Wool 2121-20 or their Kendall Charcoal. For an accent with the lighter silver gray---Pewter, I like a bold dark blue like Sherwin Williams Naval. I have recently sampled all these colors and chose the 2121-30 Pewter, Sherwin Williams Naval, and Sherwin Williams Pure White for my exterior. I have slightly darker, deeper red brick to work with; but I think the basic combination works as a classic style. Your home could handle a bit stronger gray and might look a bit more mid century mod with the darker gray accents. BTW, I had Sherwin color match the Benjamin Moore shades I chose. Please post pics When you are finished--and have fun with it.

Thank you!! I will definitely look at those colors!

There is a product that you cover over the brick. It comes in panels and I believe you need to screw it into your existing brick. Builder stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot would know more about it. Have seem the end results and it looks very professionally done.

I would paint the brick white. Having the home all one color with this type of architecture will connect the top to the bottom. I would add some window shutters in a contrast color. Adding some tall plants along the brick with differentiating heights and leaf shape and color will take the eye away from the brick.

If you paint the siding, use the same color throughout or 1-2 shades darker on the brick.

Yellowfinch the product you are referring to is sold by FAUX STONE DEPOT. The panels are usually 2' x 4', interlock, insulating and are waterproof. Provide easy and fast installation.

http://www.fauxstonedepot.com/

http://fauxstonedepot.wordpress.com/

Here is a before and after photo of the brick stain transformers.

Forgot FAUX PANELS also sells the panels.
http://www.fauxpanels.com/

There is also another product but it is made with real brick or you can get real stone as well. It is half the thickness of the normal brick. Same idea as shown above but not faux.

Is it in panels where you mortar between the brick or individual brick?

Is is the same as the Faux Panels but it is real brick. More expensive as well. Not sure at what store but a builder would be able to guide you better.

I'd match it to the grout.

Laura and Christine , I suggested avoiding cool blues and greys for the same reason Laura suggested a creamy white not a blue white. Because blue and orange are complimentary colors, the sharp contrast will jump out more. On my screen the blue grey looks more baby blue and makes the brick look more orange and the blue more pastel. If you want a stark contrast a pure white would be more classic. But if you want to down play the reddish orange brick earthy tones will harmonize with the brick color. Yes there are some warm mid tone greys and charcoal that will work and you might find a muted blue that would work as an accent but it would tricky to not let it compete with brick.
You will need big samples on poster board to hold up to the brick to really chose the best color in natural light.

Natural stone veneers would be perfect for you if you wanted to cover your exisitng brick! ErthCOVERINGS natural stone veneers do not need any grout and they are applied over your existing structure. Here are some examples of exteriors we have remodeled. Available is 6"x24" panels shown in the first 2 images, as well as other options such as splitface stone shown in the last 2 images. For more info and inspiration check our site www.erthcoverings.com

Thank you ErthCoverings. I knew there was that product and these are beautiful. Very inspiring to know we can change our existing brick (wrong colour) with natural stone veneers. Love it.

If you do not like the brick, then I would say you should paint it. White for the brick and the siding on the upper story would look nice. However, you might try a darker mint green on the brick and a lighter mint green with white trim for the upper. White shutters and a white or nearly white roof would look refreshing.

Old Post!

Not sure why these old posts come back unless the problem was never resolved?

I agree with kathleen MK, above, that whenever you choose complementary (with an E, by the way) colors, opposite each other on the color wheel, you intensify each one. A house with red brick and green paint will say Merry Christmas all year 'round. Orange brick with blue paint will look like a Crayola box. Of course, you can subdue or mute those colors, or you can use warm colors like cream, tan, brown etc that provide much less contrast to start with.