Bricks and stones won’t break my bones
19th Feb. '08 • Exterior Color Schemes • Tags: color-schemes, exterior, paint
Authored by Bonnie Krims
Many are the clients whose biggest challenge is selecting paint colors for their wooden houses when they are “stuck” with partial brick or stone façades. In my experience, this can actually be a plus.
You see, replacing stone or brick is expensive. However, using these fixed features as your color inspiration, or seeing them as part of your overall color scheme, can help narrow down your color choices.
For example, if the majority of your house is shingle and/or clapboard and the entry area is brick, start by identifying the color cast of the brick element. If the brick is essentially red, but has a golden yellow or beige cast to it, find a close color match to that golden yellow or beige for the house body. Voila! You’ve got your house color. The brick or stone element that you felt stood out like a sore thumb now fades into the overall house color.
Next, think about using a complementary color for trim. If your brick is essentially red and the grout is gray think about looking directly across the color wheel to red’s complement green then draw on the gray tone from the grout and choose a gray/green for the trim around the windows and doors. Using this dual approach (using a color similar to the grout, while complementing the brick) makes the brick appear less dominant and overpowering.
Offset your house body and trim colors with an interesting and “weighty” color for the entry doors, shutters and garage doors. Once again, this serves a dual purpose. It “grounds” the house while drawing attention to these elements as accents. To really make your house stand out from your neighbors, use a high-shine finish on these accent elements. This will highlight the details.
I hope that with inspiration from these design ideas, you too will create an eye-catching look for your homes exterior.
March 28th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Thanks for finally addressing the bricks…The front of my home has partial red brick and the rest is stucco. I am in florida on a small lake. The house was painted beige with the mauve trim, plenty of trim includes the garage. The house next to me had the mauve color shot and painted their house in it. The color is ok but not fantastic. It is midtone. What color can I use. Should I color shot the mauve ( from the 70s) and tweek it a little? I like colorful; One house on the lake is a violet periwinkle and is pretty. Also 2 yellow houses on the lake. The house on my other side is white with lt. blue trim. Can you please show your color chip selections I just love that!
April 14th, 2008 at 6:57 am
HI Criztina,
I have posted a response to your question and have included color samples
You can take a look at it here: Colors for a Florida lakefront home ~Kate
April 30th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I am really struggling with this - trapped by brick around the lower half of my house (yellow-beige with almost no variation in the brick) and dark brown vinyl window frames. Currently the siding, doors and trim around the windows is painted dark brown as well. We would like to go lighter on the siding but are really stuck about what might fit with the two “set” colors. Most of the neighborhood is 1960’s muted - whites, taupes, grays. Both of our neighbors have mostly white houses. Any ideas?
May 5th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I have a question regarding brick. I have a two story house. Red school house brick on the bottom half, shakers on the top. Dark grey roof. I am thinking of a grey with green undertones. The motar in my brick is grey. How deep a color can I make the grey without being top heavy. I am thinking of doing shutters and door in a chimney color ( dark, grey). Will this make my house too dull. The trim will be a fench white, outling window and bay window. could I please get some feed back.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Hi. I have a split level. About half of the exterior is bluestone, so it’s a very dark grey. The cedar is painted pale yellow, and I don’t like it. I’d like the house to have a more natural feel, with something that compliments the bluestone. I’m thinking a cocoa or darker tan color, as there are some (but not much) rusty tan tones in the bluestone. What do you think?
June 7th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Your advice is wonderful, and I’m hoping my home can be helped as well. Here’s why: Built in the 80’s, my country style home has 4 brick colors: a few tan, mostly orange, very few charcoal brown, and some a light orange. Currently, trim (over garage and all around, is slate blue. Shutters are blue with white trim. also have a country railing (white) around front porch. (all windows are those 80’s brown) My husband won’t repaint until I choose a different color, and we must paint extremely soon. I hate orange and brown…
Can you help?
June 12th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Thanks Donna for your kind words. I’ll get working on your question and post and answer shortly. Best, Kate
June 20th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I also have a split entry house with the bottom half being yellow beige brick like Kelly Tousi. I have been searching websites for some idea for my house and haven’t found anything that shows color choices.
Kelly, did you get any ideas?
October 20th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
We just bought a split foyer home in Charlotte NC which has a lot of trees. The house currently has a red brick on the lower level and cedar shingles on the main level painted by the old owner a dark Grey 2 years back and makes the home looks very cave like and vanished in the evening
We tried to remove the paint with paint strip from Sherwin but decided to paint over a different color after giving up on the paint removal effort. We are currently applying primer and would love to hear your ideas for the pain color for the shingles. The roof is grey color. We would like to be able to send you a picture to show our color problem better.
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=241850375/PictureID=5625682621/a=7749591_7749591/t_=7749591