A modern house with a chic black and white exterior, featuring two stories and a spacious two-car garage. The front yard is landscaped with grass and dry plants against a clear blue sky, highlighting its sleek design.
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Our Black and White House With Painted Brick

ByLisa
10 Comments

Last fall we finally pulled the trigger and painted the exterior of our house which I shared a little with you all a month ago. This was a wish list project we dreamed about pretty much from day one of living here but Rome wasn’t built in a day. We teetered back and forth on how we would tackle it, what colors to choose and where they would all go. This was definitely a process for us, so I wanted to share how we made all these decisions and a few tricks we learned.
A split-level house with sleek black siding and white painted brick, featuring a two-car garage and a neatly landscaped yard. Text reads: "OUR elegantly designed black and white house" and "www.GarrisonStreetDesignStudio.com.This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my policies.

First things first. I am all about DIY but this was not a DIY project. We did hire painters and are so glad we did. Could we have painted it ourselves? Probably, but there are some really tall parts on our house and for us it was about safety and time. They were in and out in a few days and we didn’t have to get on a ladder. For us, this was well worth it.

So why now? This question is two fold really. In addition to us never loving the exterior, last summer we had a big hail storm and were hit HARD. We had a fair amount of damage, needing a new roof, new sun tunnels, as well as some painting. Because we were getting a new roof and changing the color, we felt like it was the right time to address the house painting. This is what our house looked like before.A suburban split-level house with brick and white siding, featuring two black garage doors. The façade, enhanced by a fresh coat of paint, is set against a clear sky with a few clouds. In the foreground, a small lawn dotted with ornamental grass completes the picturesque scene.

Now to decide on a color, right?! If you have been around for a while you know I am all about painting and generally not too afraid to choose the wrong color. The worst thing that can happen is you pick wrong and have to repaint. But in this case, we weren’t doing the work and if I hated it, there was not an easy solution. But we did a few things that really helped us be confident in our choices.

The Look
First, we decided what kind of look we really wanted. The original exterior colors were tired, dated and did not reflect our style at all. Not to mention we have always hated the orangey brick. I still remember when we first bought our house, we both said we wished the outside was cuter, haha! So we knew we wanted to make the house feel much more modern and paint that ugly brick! I mean, go big or go home, am I right? This was the look before they started painting the brick. We definitely got some concerned looks from the neighbors, haha!A two-story house with black brick and dark siding is being painted. The lower portion, including three garage doors, is partially covered with plastic sheets. A ladder leans against the right side of the house, and some painting supplies are scattered on the driveway.

The Color – Where to put what 
I knew with certainty I wanted to go with a darker color. It just feels clean and modern to me. This was definitely a huge departure from other homes in our neighborhood, but we do not have an HOA and were doing this for us, as we have no intentions of moving. To help us decide on the placement of each color we used the Sherwin Williams Color Snap Visualizer tool. You just take a picture, upload it, and paint. This was a HUGE help! Originally we thought we wanted the brick to be dark and siding to be light. But once we saw the dark on top, we knew that was the way to go! Something to note. While the visualizer was great to help us decide where to put colors, the colors that come through on your screen are not necessarily an accurate representation of what they look like in real life. You need to see them outside where they will actually go. Here are a few of the mock ups we did with color snap.A split-level house with a striking dark brown and beige brick exterior features two sleek black garage doors. It boasts a small front lawn with a sidewalk, mailbox, and verdant trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky. A two-story house with a light brick exterior features black siding on the upper floor. It boasts a freshly painted green front door, a small staircase, and a landscaped garden adorned with shrubs and pathway lights. A house entrance with a classic brick facade, two large windows, and a green door. The small garden in front features neatly trimmed bushes and landscaping rocks, bordered by a short stone wall. A black doormat lies at the top of the steps. A modern two-story house with a patio and lush grassy backyard features a black chimney on the left. Potted plants are scattered throughout, enhancing the charm. A covered round table graces the foreground, inviting relaxation amidst this elegant blend of brick and nature.

The Color in Real Life

I cannot stress this enough. Do not pick your colors inside! They will not be inside. They will be outside. Daylight out in the sun and in the shade are different and need to be seen outside. We initially started narrowing down colors inside but when we took them outside they didn’t look that good. Lucky for us, we received a complimentary color consultation from our painters through Sherwin Williams. A gal came to our house, talked with us about what style and look we wanted and helped us choose the right colors. We narrowed it down and then got samples. We didn’t want to go gangbusters painting the exterior in samples, so I picked up some foam core boards and we painted those instead. This allowed us to see them in larger scale. We walked around the house with them holding them up in different light. This was pivotal. Once we felt pretty good about the colors, we tested some swatches behind the chimney. Ultimately, we chose Sherwin Williams Iron Ore for the top, Accessible Beige for the brick, and Lagoon for our front door.A corner of a building showcases contrasting surfaces: one side flaunts textured red bricks, partially painted white, while the other features cream-colored siding adorned with vertical black and white paint samples.

Mixing things up a bit

The final big dilemma we faced was deciding on the sides and back. No matter what we chose, the front of the house has variation and both of the main colors would be seen. But the sides and back of our house are almost entirely siding. While we loved the idea of going dark and painting the top of the house basically black, the idea of painting the siding black under our covered patio, seemed like too much. But painting it Accessible Beige seemed too similar to what we already had. We played around with the color snap tool some more and decided to paint the sides of the house black, the chimney white, and just the bump out in the back of the house black. Yes, not all of our siding is the same color now, but we are ok with that. It gives the house better dimension and who says they all have to be the same? I should also mention, we have aluminum siding not vinyl.A corner view of the house exterior showcases beige and gray siding with a black gutter. Accentuating the window is a small rock garden, while a well-maintained green lawn completes the scene. A hint of fresh paint enhances the classic appeal.

In the end, we changed the roof from brown to black, painted most of the siding Iron Ore, painted the brick Accessible Beige, and painted our front door Lagoon. Our old vinyl shutters were also painted Accessible Beige, but some time in the future we hope to DIY some wood shutters. We are also toying with painting our retaining wall in the front. More to come on that later 😉 Two photos show a house's transformation. The "before" image displays a two-story brick and white siding home with dark shutters. The "after" image reveals a modernized black and white exterior with updated landscaping and a sleek garage design.

We could not be more happy with how our house painting turned out! I often see people drive by real slow or even stop in front of our house all together. I am not sure if people love it or hate it, but we have had a ton of compliments on it!A modern two-story house with black and white exteriors that resemble sleek brushstrokes of paint. It has a double garage, a small front lawn, and a few bushes. The sky is clear and blue, with the house bordered by a sturdy wooden fence.A bright teal front door, set in a classic brick facade, is adorned with a colorful wreath. A black chair with a patterned cushion sits on the porch next to a small table holding a potted plant. A striped doormat lies in front of the door, boasting "Garrison Street design studio". A modern house with a chic black and white exterior, featuring two stories and a spacious two-car garage. The front yard is landscaped with grass and dry plants against a clear blue sky, highlighting its sleek design.A modern house exterior features a paved brick walkway alongside a sleek gray wall. The path, accented with black stone borders and gravel, leads to a garden area with vibrant greenery and two trees under the cloudy sky. Side view of a house with two different wall textures, one light brick and one modern grey paneling. There's a small patio with stone accents, black trim, and a visible rain gutter. Brick patio flooring extends alongside a path with a recycle bin.Outdoor barbecue setup under a wooden pergola. The grill is built into a stone countertop, surrounded by a patio with brick paving. The house exterior features light-colored walls with sleek black trim, providing a striking contrast to the inviting space. Backyard view of a modern house with dark gray siding and a striking black accent wall. The yard features a well-maintained lawn, a gravel area, and a wooden Adirondack chair. Potted plants are scattered around, and the sky is partly cloudy.A two-story house with dark siding and white accents features a double garage. The front yard boasts a small lawn, a mailbox, and a paved driveway. A wooden fence lines the right side, contrasting beautifully against the black sky above.A two-story house boasts a dark gray exterior with white trim and subtle brick accents, complemented by a two-car garage. The front features a small lawn with a few bushes, and a paved driveway leading to the street. Under the clear blue sky, the home presents an elegant facade.

If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends! Plus, I will also be sharing lots of behind the scenes in the next few weeks in my stories on our big project coming soon to the backyard. Spoiler alert, it might include a pool 😉

If you enjoyed Our Black and White House With Painted Brick, please share it on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! A modern two-story house with a white and dark gray exterior, accented by sleek black details, is surrounded by a lawn and a few shrubs. The driveway leads to a two-car garage, while tree shadows dance on the street under a clear blue sky.

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Collage of a modern black-and-white house with elegantly painted brick. Features views of the exterior, a turquoise front door adorned with a wreath, and a paved walkway. Text reads, "Our black and white home with artfully painted brick" and "www.GarrisonStreetDesignStudio.com.This post, Our Black and White House With Painted Brick, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

10 Comments

  1. Hi! How much of a blue undertone does the iron ore have in real life? It looks dark navy in some photos rather than charcoal or black. This is the color slated for our new house and I’m not nervous about it being dark but am wanting it to read more faded black than dark blue. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. The actual formula of Iron Ore has white, black, maroon, and deep gold in it. I personally don’t think it ever looks blue in real life, but that will probably vary based on what it is combined with. Accessible beige is a really warm white/beige but if paired with a cooler white/beige, it definitely might pull a slight blue. If anything ours looks deep brown at times. If you are unsure though, I definitely recommend getting the samples for $7 and painting some foam core boards and holding them up to your house in full sun, partial sun, and shade to get an idea of how it will look regularly. Remember, it will look very different outside than it does inside. Good luck and I would love to see what you choose 😉

      Reply

  3. Hi! I just came across this post doing research on going dark for our house. I am obsessed with SW Iron Ore but we are in a bit of a dilemma. Was your siding vinyl siding? If so, have you had any warping issues? Everything I have read is to not paint vinyl dark dark colors. Any information would be so greatly appreciated.

    Reply

  4. As you probably know, if you wipe your hand across old paint on metal siding it will leave a chalk residue on your hand. Im wondering how you prepped the siding before painting it to get rid of the chalk. I would like to paint our house also, but have been told not to paint metal without properly cleaning it first.

    Reply

    1. Our metal siding was previously painted already. Our house painters power washed the entire house before painting and we haven’t had any issues. Our painters did note that our siding didn’t have that chalky residue that you usually find before they started. I would get a professional out to look at it. As I noted, this was not a DIY project.

      Reply

  5. This blog post details the author’s experience painting their home’s stone exterior. The text is well-written and covers the pros and cons of painting brick. The author has shared photos of their home’s exterior, which may help others create a similar vibe. I suggest this post for painting exterior brick.

    Reply

  6. Garrison Street Design Studio’s blog post on painting brick is very informative and inspiring. The author’s black and white house looks amazing, and the step-by-step instructions and tips are very helpful for anyone considering painting their own brick. I appreciate the author’s honesty about the challenges of painting brick and her encouragement to take on the project. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

    Reply

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