Paint colors that go with red brick fireplace

Red brick can be difficult to match with another color. Find out which paint colors go well with red brick, and which to choose for a house exterior and interior.

Oh, the timeless and beloved brick. We will never tire of the gorgeous brick style, so it’s definitely not going anywhere!

Did you know that brick red isn’t actually red? There is red in it, of course, but it’s mixed with brown and sometimes an orange. That’s why when you search ‘colors that complement red’ you won’t get results as accurate as you need for the color of brick.

Table of Contents show

What Colors Complement Red Brick?

Where Should I Paint The Exterior of My House?

Where Should I Paint The Interior of My House?

Neutral Colors

Black

White

Light Gray

Dark Gray

Light Brown

Dark Brown

Yellows & Oranges

Yellow

Goldenrod

Tuscan Sun

Orange

Carrot

Bronze

Blues & Greens

Indigo

Teal

Cerulean

Forest

Army

Olive

What Colors Complement Red Brick?

So, which paint colors go with red brick? Whether it be the desire to repaint the woodwork on your brick house or to find a wall color to make your fireplace stand out, it can take a long time to test paint colors for your desired color combinations.

Allow me to give you a hand by listing the top 18 colors that complement red brick, and save you hours of trial and error. All of these future color combinations fall into 1 of 3 categories, starting from the easiest to match and ending with the most difficult to pull off.

1. Neutral Colors
2. Yellows & Oranges
3. Blues & Greens

Keep in mind that there are many variations and shades of each individual color, making an even wider array of colors to complement red brick. The best choices are going to be paint colors that have an earthy tone within them. Green, for example, can be an earthy tone. So, if you really want to use blue for the wall around your fireplace, look for blue greens. The same can be said for blue grays like Wythe blue, or even a simple deep blue can be made to work.

Also keep in mind that selecting a color too close to the red of your brick house or fireplace is something that you should never do. Choosing the same color as your fireplace and painting the entire room with it will only make the fireplace blend with the wall, and completely wash it out.

And don’t worry about brick ever going out of style when you start working on your new home! Thanks to brickandbatten.com, you can now explore different ways to modernize brick houses with stunning before and after pictures to boost your confidence and inspiration!

Where Should I Paint The Exterior of My House?

Well, let’s start off by insisting that you not paint the red brick. Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of you reading this article? Stay strong! Without a doubt, after you finish reading you will have a red brick color palette that you love!

Siding, vinyl siding for instance, window frames, shutters, the front door, and all the trim can be painted with complementary colors to brick. Some homes also have raised porches and decorative posts or pillars that can be painted.

Now, I know you’re asking “But isn’t that a lot of white paint?”

Just because you chose white to go with red brick for one of your exterior paint colors doesn’t mean you have to use it in every spot – or that it’s the only color you can use. The great thing about white paint and other neutral paint colors is that they can be paired twice! Once with red brick, and a second time with another color of your choosing.

That might mean another neutral color, or something like a brown, green, and red brick color scheme! Mixing and matching can get you unbelievable results!

Where Should I Paint The Interior of My House?

Now that we have established that you should not paint over brick, whether it is interior brick or exterior brick, and we know for certain that you can add colors to your red brick color scheme, let’s move on to where you should paint the interior of your home.

Clearly, the first step is to locate the brick inside your home. It can be a fireplace, an accent wall, or even brick flooring! Wherever it is, that is the room where the accent color or complementary color scheme will be painted.

Your walls, trim color, doors and doorways are all things that can be painted white, or in whatever color combinations you choose – remember that you can choose more than one color to add dynamic and diversity to the room! Flooring is also something that you should pay attention to, since browns and grays are commonly used for flooring and go wonderfully with red brick.

Neutral Colors

These colors are not found on the color wheel. Why? Because neutral colors can be paired with basically any color that is on the color wheel. This color palette will be your safest choice for any exterior paint colors or interior paint colors that go with red brick.

Black

Black is a great interior accent color for a room with bricks. I would suggest that you only use it in small increments, such as your trim color or other decorations, due to the fact that darker colors will make a room feel smaller than it really is!

White

White, on the other hand, does the exact opposite and can be used for any part of the room, including for white walls. White trim is a very classy choice that you’ll see in most home interiors, and maybe even wall to wall white carpet. Be careful not to spill your paint!

Light Gray

Light gray is another safe option that will match up with any color, so you can definitely use it as an accent to your interior brick wall. Similarly to white, light gray walls will reflect a lot of natural light from your windows across the whole room. It’s one of the advantages of lighter shades!

Dark Gray

Dark grays will darken the red brick instead of brighten them but it has its own kind of appeal. So, if you’re looking for something dark, but not too dark, dark gray is one of the best options out there.

Light Brown

Because of the brown undertones, using brown with red bricks either works or it doesn’t. What it really takes is finding the ride shade! Incorporating this through wood countertops adds a soft shade of light brown that looks absolutely wonderful with red bricks.

Any beige or tan shade has a high possibility of acting as a cohesive interior paint, or exterior, with the red brick in your home.

Dark Brown

Dark browns, like black, can prove to be a difficult color scheme when dealing with interior paint. Unlike painting the exterior of your home, where there is a world of space around it, interior rooms are closed off and picking a darker shade of paint colors that go with red brick might end up making the room seem smaller.

If you are really set on a darker interior color, I strongly recommend you only use it on one wall – the wall with a brick fireplace, for instance. This is known as an accent wall, and is painted a different color than the rest of the room. With an accent wall, you can still use the dark colors that you love without the room looking smaller and darker than it is.

Otherwise, using it outside like with these brown shingles looks great!

Yellows & Oranges

As we make our way to the colors that need to be slightly more precise for a brick home, keep in mind that picking up a few paint samples from your local hardware store could save you a bit of trouble. Bringing them home to compare with the red brick inside or outside your house can give you a better idea of what color scheme to pick!

You can also ask the opinions of whoever runs the paint section of the store and see what they think about your choice. It’s always good to get a second opinion on something.

Yellow

If you like light, sunny rooms but you want something with color instead of a plain bright white, I think yellow might be the right choice for you! And, lucky for you, it can be paired with red brick regularly!

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is a gorgeous variation of yellow that I admittedly have in my own home. If you’re searching for the cozier side of yellows, something homey and warm, Goldenrod is a nice fit. Thanks to the brownish addition, it does go with red brick and they end up making quite a lovely combination.

Tuscan Sun

Tuscan Sun is another warm shade of yellow and, as you can see, has incorporations of brown – which is why it will complement red brick so well. Like the others, the Tuscan Sun paint color would make for a great accent wall, but it can also be used as one of your exterior paint colors to provide that shocking contrast to your red brick house.

Orange

Orange is a very tricky choice when it comes to red brick due to the orange undertones some brick can have. If you have reddish brick without a lot of the orange undertone, this won’t be much of a problem. However, if it seems to be the other way, you might want to skip over this section.

Carrot

If you are really set on having orange with the brick in your home, Carrot could be a nice accent color to have around the room, such as these couches. I wouldn’t recommend painting the entire room in it but if you really are determined to do it, who am I to stop you?

Bronze

Bronze is definitely the easiest shade of orange to pair with red brick and that is probably due to how easy it is to eliminate it as a paint color choice. Either it blends in with brick or it doesn’t!

Blues & Greens

In my opinion, blues might be the most difficult color in this article but that has to do with the rarity of seeing a blue house or a blue room with brick. However, just because you don’t see a lot of it doesn’t mean it can’t be done! Green tends to have a similar dilemma, though it is slightly more common.

Indigo

For dark color scheme lovers, shades like navy blue or Indigo are great choices! Indigo is a dark blue but it also has those brighter hints – take a look at the picture above. Blue and red are complementary colors, so this will undoubtedly match well with red brick.

Teal

Aiming for a lighter color, Teal is actually a mix of blue and green. Oftentimes, people choose this color for its resemblance to the water in the ocean. This picture is an example of how it might look painted over your outdoor window shutters.

Cerulean

Cerulean is a light blue, softer and brighter than the previous options. It would make for a beautiful accent wall and can always be paired with a neutral color, such as gray or white. Painting with a lighter shade of blue will open the room up more but still provide a cohesive design with red brick.

Forest

These colors also don’t have to be used as paint colors, but instead they can be smaller decorations. Think of green plants that sit around your red brick wall, or green ornaments that sit on the fireplace mantle.

Army

Army green is a wonderful deep and earthy tone that can be used as an accent wall or simple decorations. For those military families or hunters out there, it is a fun way to include military or hunting uniforms into the mix of their décor.

Olive

Greens, as earthy colors, will always complement the deep red brick thanks to its own earthy tone. Choosing a light green such as Olive is a sure way to make a fireplace or brick wall stand out and become a stunning focal point in the room.

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