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what color siding goes with red brick white siding and red brick Gambrick custom home builder NJ

What Color Siding Goes With Red Brick?

I recently bought a home with red brick and want to change the siding color but I’m not sure what color siding goes with red brick?

If you’ve got a red brick house, it can be hard to find the right matching siding color for a variety of reasons. Red brick colors range in value from muted and earthy to bold and bright. Textures also have a wide range going from smooth with sharp edges to weathered and uneven. The house style also plays a big role in finding the right siding color that goes with your red brick. Do you have a Colonial, Victorian, Modern or Contemporary styled home. Old fashioned Colonials typically look best with white siding because it appropriate for the style no matter what brick you’ve got. However if that same brick was used on a Traditionally styled home you’ll have more freedom to choose siding colors. Age of the home and where it’s located are a few more important factors worth considering.

As you can see, determining what siding color goes with red brick isn’t that easy. In this post, we’ll cover some basic guidelines that we use when picking the perfect color siding for brick homes, including lots of example pics, tips and home designs.

Siding And Brick House Cleaner

Before we get too far into discussing the various color combinations for a siding and brick house we should first talk a bit about maintenance. No matter what color your siding is or what shade of brick you’ve got, if they’re dirty or have green mold growing all over them, your house won’t look it’s best. And there’s no sense picking a great color scheme if it just ends up filthy. Maintenance is a very important part of owning a brick house.

Siding and brick both suffer from some of the same issues when it comes to cleaning. They’re both prone to collecting dirt and have issues with mold growth. Especially on the sides of the house that don’t get much sun. Below we’ll give you some links to our favorite cleaning products. Even though vinyl siding and brick are both technically considered maintenance free they still require cleaning every now and then.

Our Top Siding And Brick Cleaning Products

siding mold cleaner
Simple Green Oxy Solve Pressure Washer Cleaner – Removes Stains from Mold & Mildew on Vinyl, Aluminum, Wood, Brick & Stucco

A really good pressure washer cleaner that works great for both brick and siding.

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siding and brick scrub wand
Hydro Jet Power Washer – 39” Extendable Flexible Deep High Pressure Washing Wand, Garden Water Hose Sprayer Nozzle Tips

If you don’t have a power washer this is the next best thing. All you need is a hose.

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brick mold and mildew spray cleaner
EcoClean Solutions Mold, Mildew & Algae Remover | No-Scrub Stain Remover | Instant Results for All Surfaces

A stronger cleaner that works well on brick and comes with a splay nozzle. Does not require pressure.

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brick and morat scrub brush
Scrub Brush with Adjustable Long Handle-47.3″ Great For Cleaning Brick & Siding In Hard To Reach Places

A good cleaning brush with long extension handle will come in handy for cleaning hard to reach areas.

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Color Theory

Color theory plays a big role when choosing any color in a home. Before we start talking about colors that go best with red brick, there are a few things you should know about house color pairing in general.

For starters, the best way to pick house colors is to pair colors that have a relationship to one another on the color wheel.

  • Complimentary colors: High contrast colors positioned opposite from one another on the color wheel. Complimentary colors are dramatic and bold. They are sometimes referred to as opposite colors. The best example of this are white and black.
  • Analogous colors: Found side by side on the color wheel. These colors are similar to one another. Like yellow and orange or blue and purple.
  • Neutral colors: Sometimes occupy a position in the center of the color wheel and are generally considered to be black, white, gray, cream and brown. Neutrals can be safely paired with basically anything. Earthy colors are generally considered to be neutral. Neutral colors are by far the safest and most popular colors used on homes both inside and out.

Other Things to Consider

Here are some other things to consider when picking a color that goes with red brick:

  • Roof color: If your roof is already a color. For example if your re-siding a home but not changing the roof. Then the colors you pick will need to match the roof color as well as the brick.
  • You can pick more than one color: Your home’s trim, shutters and the doors all need to have a color. There’s more to finishing a house than just picking a good siding color. Having a range of color creates a complex, interesting color scheme.
  • Mail box: The mail box is another thing you’ll need to consider. Also what the mail box will be made of. A simple mail box on a pole or an elaborate one made of brick or stone.
  • Gutters: Generally speaking gutters are white, but they don’t have to be. Gutters come in a variety of colors and materials so depending on the style of the home this may be something you’ll want to consider.
  • Driveway: The color and driveway material is also a factor. Concrete or asphalt goes with pretty much everything but if you’ve got a paver driveway then take those colors into consideration when picking a siding color.
  • Retaining walls: Similar to the driveway, if you have retaining walls then take those colors into consideration when selecting your siding. Everything matters when it comes to curb appeal.
  • Railings and/or columns: Like trim, if these are painted then coordinate your paint colors with the red brick and siding. Luckily in NJ almost all columns, trim and railings are white, so we don’t have this problem. But if you do then don’t forget, it all has to flow together.

Colors that Work

So, all that considered, let’s dive in and come up with some beautiful color combinations.

  • Sage: Sage green is the complement of red brick. Selecting a good color accent to help balance the drama of a red and green combo is your only challenge here. We’d stick with neutral colors.
  • Black and/or white: You really can’t go wrong with these two colors. When combined, black and white trim on a red brick home is stately and elegant. Black trim seems formal and bold, while white trim is striking and dramatic. Black and white are classic house colors that have been around since colonial times. They’re both a safe choice that will never go out of style.
  • Brown and tan: Neutral colors flow perfectly with red brick because they basically match everything. These earthy neutrals will help keep your brick home understated but attractive. However, because they’re all so close on the color wheel you lose the effect of contrasting colors. In other words, nothing will stand out if all your colors are so closely related.
  • Blue: Blue isn’t related to red brick on the color wheel, yet has a magical quality when paired together that makes them seem somehow tied to one another. You see red and blue paired together in all sorts of places.
  • Gray: Gray is a beautiful, stunning color when combined with red brick. Especially if the brick is paired with a gray that leans blue.

best red brick & siding color combinations infographic

Does My Siding Color Need To Match The Brick?

This is a question we get asked all the time whenever we build a custom new home that has red brick or stone veneer. The bricks or stone are meant to be different. Ideally, they’re supposed to pop out, to stand out against the home and make a statement. They act as focal points and in some cases, they create the base of the home.

Pick a color that showcases the brick and lets it shine. Even if you go with neutral colors, pick a neutral color that’s not too close to the red brick or it’ll all just blend together and look muddy.

Try to remember two builder tips when selecting a siding color to go with red brick.

  • Colors tend to look 3 shades lighter when outdoors. Take samples home with you, put them against the house at different times to see what they’ll really look like in the outdoors, or better yet, find a house with the same color siding and see what you think.
  • Look at example pics and local homes with red brick and siding. Go to affluent areas and copy what they do. Here in Spring Lake we combine red brick with siding all the time. Rich areas hire the best architects and designers to come up with color schemes and designs for them. If you don’t have the budget to do it yourself and your unsure what looks best then copy from the best professionals in your area.

Can I Paint My Vinyl Siding?

A lot of customers with vinyl siding want to change their house color to match the brick but they don’t have the money to re-side the entire house. If you have wood siding or fiber cement it’s easy because those types of siding are meant to be re-painted every so often anyway. But what about if you have vinyl? Can you paint it?

Yes you can. However you have to use the right paint when working with vinyl and there’s a few other steps to follow. We’ll list them below and link to a few good products we like best.

Before you paint the vinyl make sure it’s super clean. Clean like as in brand new. Use a power washer with a house cleaning agent that contains mildewcide.

Preparation is key. If your siding’s not properly cleaned, the paint will eventually peel. Painting on vinyl siding is very dependent on having a clean surface, using an adhesive primer and a high quality acrylic paint.

After applying an adhesive primer, add two coats of 100 percent acrylic paint. This is best applied with a spray gun but you can also use a roller and brush. Acrylic paint bonds well to a vinyl surface. You don’t want to use a thick paint because it will flake.

We recommend staying away from dark colors, such as black and really dark blue. Over time, the constant heat from the sun can cause dark paints to bubble.

Do Not paint vinyl without a coat of good quality primer. Even though there are paints that claim they work on vinyl we always use a primer coat first.

PROJECT SUMMARY

  1. Work only in suitable weather. Avoid hot, humid, or windy days.
  2. Choose the proper paint and primer formulated for outdoor use and use on vinyl.
  3. Prepare the vinyl surface by cleaning it thoroughly.
  4. Cover the brick. You don’t want to get paint all over your bricks.
  5. Apply primer
  6. Two coats of paint

Materials You’ll Need

Keep in mind we are not linking to the paint itself. When you buy the paint you should visit a local Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore or Home Depot / Lowes. They’ll help to make sure you buy a paint that’s right for painting vinyl siding.

primer for painting vinyl siding 1
KILZ High-Bonding Primer/Sealer

The only primer we use for priming vinyl siding.

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Graco Magnum 257025 Project Painter

A great all in one kit for DIY house painting.

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3M M3000 Hand-Masker Dispenser

A must have for masking larger areas like brick.

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Exteriors Look Best With a 3 Color Combination

As a general design rule of thumb remember that homes look best with a combination of 3 colors. This gives a good balance between, the main overall color, the secondary color and an accent color. The goal is for it all to be cohesive and flow together with just a bit of wow factor.

Main Color

The main color is your most predominant color. Sometimes referred to as a field color. Generally this is the first thing you say when describing your home. For example would you say you have a brick house with white siding or a white house with brick.

The main color tends to be the biggest financial investment. Siding can always be changed but when you choose brick as your main color it’s a decision that tends to be permanent so choose carefully.

You can dramatically change the look of a main color by changing up the ‘quick and easy’ accent colors in places like the front door or shutters, so keep this mind if your thinking of changing your main color. Maybe what you actually don’t like are the accent colors and the main color is fine. A much faster, cheaper option.

Consider the architecture of your home and of your neighborhood. Another thing to consider is, do you want your home color be cohesive with the rest of the homes in your neighborhood (mostly, the answer is yes!) or do you want it to stand out from the crowd.

Secondary Color

The secondary color is often seen as the red brick or stone veneer. Here in NJ homes are predominately vinyl or cedar shake siding with stone or red brick as a secondary color. We don’t build many new brick homes. The secondary colors can also be things like shutters, doors,trim, rails, columns, etc. if brick or stone isn’t used.

Secondary colors shouldn’t take up a huge amount of the facade because you don’t want your stone and trim to compete with or overpower the main color of the house. The secondary color is great to break up the overall look of the home by highlighting architecture like windows, gables or porches. Add some depth or balance to what can sometimes otherwise be a large, flat rectangle. In most cases the main and secondary colors should have some contrast.

The Accent Color

A bright, bold color might work perfectly on the front door but would look a bit nuts on the entire house. Which is where the accent color comes in.

This is the place to go a bit bolder and choose something that’ll really make a statement. Show some personality and use color to evoke some feeling. The accent color doesn’t need to be a bright red door that announces your style to everyone who passes by, it can also be a bold paint on the shutters or a soft mellow tone on the porch floor.

Accent colors are great because they’re cheap and easy to change but dramatically effect the look of the home. It’s amazing how such a small change can make such a huge difference. A simple change like painting the front door can completely alter the look and feel of the entire home.

Determine the Tone of your Red Brick

Always take your own red brick’s tone into consideration before starting to look at other colors. There are often variations in color within each brick which varies from the overall brick color and from brick to brick. Brick is a natural material so unlike siding brick is rarely one solid color.

Issues with the color of any natural material vary depending on how far away you are from it. Close, medium or far away.

When matching a color to red brick consider the following.

  • The various colors in each brick. Often times brick has spots of other colors in it like grays, deeper reds or even blue tones. This is an up close issue.
  • How the color changes from brick to brick. Are they all exactly the same like with new brick which is really red and smooth or do the colors vary a lot like with older tumbled brick. This is a medium range issue.
  • What is the overall color of the red brick. In other words if you stand at the curb and see it as one big block of color, what color do you see? This is a far away issue.

Don’t Forget the Landscaping

Landscaping plays an important role in answering the question, what color siding goes with red brick? The various colors of nature are ever present. Shrubs, flowers, planters, and trees near the house and in the background should also be considered.

Landscaping is one of the most often overlooked items when designing and building a new home for our clients. If you consider how you’ll be landscaping the property the final product will look much better than if it’s left as an afterthought.

Will you be planting bushes or shrubs, large trees, colorful flowers, and where will they be? Will you need planters or retaining walls and if so where, what will they be made out of and what color will they be?

Everything you see has an effect on the overall look and feel of the home and the much sought after curb appeal. There really are no small details that should be left undecided when designing your dream home.

So when thinking about what color siding goes with red brick, don’t forget to consider the landscaping.

Siding and Red Brick Done Right

The following are 11 inspiration pics of stunning homes that expertly answer the question, what color siding goes with red brick?

what color siding goes with red brick? green siding with red brick retaining walls Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Green cedar shake siding goes perfectly with the natural cedar shake roof and thick, white, Azek trim. Matching white columns and railings. Brown gutter stays within the earth toned color scheme. Red brick with a limestone cap. Brick walkways with a herringbone pattern. White doors.

what color siding goes with red brick? gray siding with red brick chimney Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Medium Gary cedar shake siding paired with a red brick base and chimney. Brown metal accent roof with a dark Timberline shingle. Dark gray gutters contrasts the all white trim, fascia, columns and railings nicely. The wood top rails is a great touch. Dark ceiling fans and recessed lighting go with the theme perfectly. White entry and garage doors.

what color siding goes with red brick? grey siding with red brick base and stairs Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Light gray cedar shake siding with a dark timberline shingle. Dark gutters against all white trim, railings and columns. Red brick base and stairs with limestone step. Black pendant lights and wall sconces. White entry and garage doors.

what color siding goes with red brick? blue siding with red brick base, chimney and stairs Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Medium blue cedar shake siding with a dark Timberline shingle. White trim, railings and round columns with a blue gutter. Red Brick base. Real wood porch ceiling and doors with a medium dark, natural stain and flat finish. Red brick chimneys.

what color siding goes with red brick? modern home red brick and dark siding Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Modern home using red brick and dark, neutral colors. Black, brown and cream used in combination with the red brick and concrete.

what color siding goes with red brick? tan siding with red brickbase Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Light tan cedar shake siding with a lighter Timberline shingle. White azek trim with white railings and architectural features. White stair risers with a brown step and decking. Red brick base and walkway. White gutters. Brown entry door. White garage door. Beautiful green landscaping with small dabs of color.

what color siding goes with red brick? grey siding with red brick base Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Light gray cedar shake siding with natural cedar shake shingles. White columns, trim and porch ceilings with a white entry door. Grey gutters. Red brick base with blue stone. Wood top rails. Red brick chimney.

what color siding goes with red brick? white siding with black shutters and red brick base, training walls Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Classic white siding with red brick base and retaining walls. Blue stone patios. Dark roof shingles with black metal gazebo and accent roofing. White gutters, trim, railings and columns. Red brick chimney.

what color siding goes with red brick? gray siding with red brick Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Medium gray cedar shake siding with medium Timberline roof shingles. White railings, trim and columns including 4 huge columns holding a 3rd story deck. Red brick bases and chimney. Wood porch ceilings and top rails. Dark metal accent roofing. Beautiful landscaping with just the right amount of color. A magnificent home that uses red brick, siding and accent colors perfectly.

what color siding goes with red brick? cedar shake siding with red brick Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

Real cedar shake siding with Timberline roof shingles. White trim, railings and columns with a brown gutter. Red brick base and walkway. White entry and garage doors.

what color siding goes with red brick? dark gray siding with red brick Gambrick Luxury Home Builder NJ

An incredible home using medium dark blue/gray cedar shake siding with red brick. White trim and columns. Medium Timberline shingles with metal accent roofing. Beautiful landscaping. Brown entry and garage doors.

what color siding goes with red brick white siding and red brick Gambrick custom home builder NJ

White siding with brick and black shutters is a classic color combination that’s not going out of style any time soon.

Red brick home with cream colored siding and black shutter. Red brick driveway.

Red brick home with cream colored siding and black shutters with a red brick driveway.

Red Brick Home With Cream Siding

Here we see a red brick main home with a cream colored garage connected by a breezeway. If you have a similarly designed home it’s a nice way to use brick and siding together. The breezeway acts as as a natural divider between the two elements which means you can side them differently even though they’re attached.

It’s hard to see in the photo but the garage foundation is red brick. Using brick to cover the foundation is a great way to tie the home together. Notice how stone trim elements on the main area match the siding color. Using colors and materials on one side that are used on the other help create a unified design. Even though the two halves have different siding and colors they still feel connected and a part of a whole.

Conclusion

With so many great options and styles to choose from when creating a home with red brick I hope these tips and inspirational pics will help you design your ultimate dream home. Whether you want a home that’s classy, modern, fun, country or quirky, adding red brick gives off a clean, crisp, elegant feel to just about any home design. And remember, whatever your style, red brick is a versatile material well worth considering.

If you have any questions or comments e-mail us any time. We’d love to hear from you.

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