What Exterior Paint Color Goes Well With Red Brick

Red brick homes exude classic charm and timeless appeal. Choosing the right exterior paint color can further enhance this inherent beauty, creating a harmonious and visually appealing aesthetic. Careful color selection complements the brick's warm tones and highlights the architectural details of the house.

Classic Neutrals

Neutral paint colors provide a sophisticated backdrop for red brick, allowing the brick itself to be the focal point. These versatile shades create a clean, timeless look that complements various architectural styles.

Cream or Beige: These warm neutrals create a soft contrast against red brick, offering a balanced and inviting appearance.
Gray: Light to medium grays provide a modern and elegant feel, especially with darker mortar. This combination creates a sophisticated and understated palette.
Greige: A blend of gray and beige, greige offers a warm, contemporary neutral that complements the earthiness of red brick.
White: A crisp white provides a stark contrast, highlighting the brick's texture and creating a clean, bright aesthetic.

Earthy Greens and Browns

Earthy tones harmonize naturally with red brick, creating a cohesive and organic look. These colors evoke a sense of warmth and connection to nature, enhancing the home's curb appeal.

Sage Green: This muted green offers a calming and sophisticated complement to red brick, creating a balanced and inviting exterior.
Olive Green: A slightly darker, richer green offers a more dramatic contrast while still maintaining an earthy, natural feel.
Warm Brown: Chocolate brown or other warm browns create a grounding effect, enhancing the brick's warmth and creating a sense of stability.

Cool Blues and Grays

Cool tones can create a striking contrast against the warmth of red brick, adding a contemporary and refreshing touch to the home's exterior. These colors work particularly well with brick that has cooler undertones.

Slate Blue: A deep, muted blue like slate offers a sophisticated and calming contrast against red brick, creating a balanced and visually interesting facade.
Navy Blue: A classic and timeless choice, navy blue adds a touch of formality and elegance when paired with red brick.
Cool Gray: Grays with blue or green undertones provide a modern and sophisticated contrast against the brick's warmth.

Black and Charcoal

For a bold and dramatic statement, black or charcoal gray can create a striking contrast with red brick. These colors add a touch of modern sophistication and highlight the architectural details of the house.

Black: A deep black provides a dramatic and contemporary look, creating a strong focal point and showcasing the brick's texture.
Charcoal Gray: A slightly softer alternative to black, charcoal gray maintains the modern feel while offering a less intense contrast.

Warm Accents

Adding warm accent colors can further enhance the beauty of a red brick home. These accents can be used for trim, shutters, doors, and other architectural details.

Gold: Gold accents add a touch of elegance and sophistication, complementing the warm tones of the brick.
Copper: Copper accents create a rustic and charming look, especially when paired with earthy green or brown paint colors.
Burnt Orange: A subtle burnt orange can complement the brick while adding a pop of color.

Consider the Architectural Style

The architectural style of the home plays a crucial role in choosing the right exterior paint color. Certain colors complement specific architectural styles more effectively.

Colonial: Classic neutrals like white, cream, or beige work well with colonial-style homes, enhancing their traditional charm.
Victorian: Victorians often benefit from bolder color choices, such as deep blues, greens, or even reds, to highlight their intricate details.
Ranch: Earth tones and warm neutrals complement the more casual style of ranch homes.
Modern: Contemporary homes with red brick can look stunning with cool grays, blacks, or even bold accent colors.

Testing Paint Colors

Before committing to a paint color, it's essential to test it on a small section of the brick. Observe the color in different lighting conditions throughout the day to ensure it achieves the desired effect. This allows for accurate visualization and prevents costly mistakes.

Sample Patches: Paint large sample patches on different areas of the house to see how the color interacts with the brick and surrounding landscape.
Lighting Considerations: Observe the color in morning, afternoon, and evening light to understand how it changes throughout the day.
Surrounding Landscape: Consider how the paint color complements the existing landscaping and surrounding environment.

Importance of Trim and Accents

Trim and accent colors play a vital role in the overall aesthetic of a red brick home. They can either blend seamlessly with the main color or create a contrasting element that adds visual interest.

Contrasting Trim: White trim against a darker paint color creates a classic and crisp look, highlighting the architectural details.
Matching Trim: Matching the trim color to the main color creates a more unified and contemporary appearance.
Accent Colors: Shutters, doors, and other accents can be painted in a contrasting color to add a pop of personality and visual appeal.