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lefty47 HI -- The texture of the building materials shows the differance so all one color would look nice , but I think a color that is close but a bit differant would look nice also . Have a look at Benjamin Moore's - Classic Grey - that might work for you. Also, think about adding a horizontal (timber )wood band around that top roof line to go with the (timber ) wood you have .Maybe color it in on a copy of this photo and see if you like the look .

houssaon I don't know if you'll improve the appearance of the building by painting the brick. Right now the rust tone of the brick ties in well with the redwood color of the posts and rails. Also, you will be adding a maintance costs over the years. I don't know how well paint stays on brick in a moist and salty local.

How about some hydrageas to hide the parking and storage area?

MLB Design Group If the photo is fairly accurate, I tend to agree with houssan that the brick "as is" is blending well with posts/rails. I agree that thoughtful landscaping could make a huge difference, too. (although I'd probably choose something other than hydrangeas.)

LRIDesign I'd say a dark grey - Ben Moore: Chelsea Grey, Kendal Charcoal or Iron Mountain to pick up on the window mullions. Hale Navy or a dark blue might also look nice with the redwood columns (if those are to remain unpainted).

Aja Mazin Consider painting the white, hale navy.

It goes well with brick.

Please don't paint the brick!

johnmathew White and green colors are the best for paint of house.

pollyannagal Dark grey would look crisp and contemporary and get rid of the 70s vibe. It will link well to the fab new windows and show off the timber beautifully. White would be nice but less striking. Please don't let your husband have his way on this one as tan or beige is too similar to the light bricks of your neighbours and will look quite dated.

Great house and love what you have done with it. Brings back memories of childhood summers at my grandparent's beach house! Hope it's not too hot there at the moment - I hear a cool change could be on the way.

marcobozidar also keep in mind. a subtle yellow helps sell the house if your looking for a profit! :D

jojofo


Thanks for all you comments everyone, I think we may go with a dark or medium grey. My husband really likes the idea and I found this pic for a bit of inspiration. I haven't totally gone off white but we'll think more about the grey idea.... it's a much more practical colour as white shows up the dirt and sand so much.

houssaon While there are a few painted posts in your inspiration photo, most of the lower level is glass or stone. Also the gray blue is repeated in the upper level trim. I think your brick is more organic in its natural state and the the home will look a bit industrial painted gray. I did a mock-up in a medium gray, just to try to better visualize.

houssaon I can see a interesting modern landscape in the front of your home. Little or no grass, maybe stone and concrete containers. Here are some landscape ideas that might work for your local: LEEMING 2012, Ardross Garden, Contemporary Outdoor Dining Room and 2008 AILDM National Landscape Design Award WInning Garden.

Isn't this great? copper vertical garden I like the horizontal wood slats, which could be added between the posts on the lower level: Duke Street Tuscan wall.

Aja Mazin You are going to paint the Ironbark trim????

And the brick?

Aja Mazin At least consider ivy on the brick.

jojofo No the ironbark is the feature of the house, definetly not painting it!

We are actually planning on landscaping before we paint it Houssaon, and have considered putting in slats for a bit of privacy. I wanted to choose the house colour first as we will just be doing between the 2 posts a garden that comes down 2.5m from the front of the house and i want to choose the colour of the brick retaining wall to blend in with the house. It will be a draught resistant garden with hearty plants that don't need much watering and can cope well with the sandy soil and windy environment. I'm thinking about plants: Agave, Frangapani, Yuccas (although not sure as they are a bit spikey and my kids are little and they get massive and may block our view) and some succulents too.

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors Never,never, never paint brick..you cant go back. You made a mistake painting the top white. Put your efforts into repainting the top a warmer color so there is not so much contrast. Trust me painted brick looks REALLY bad.

Aja Mazin Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors,

And I have observed that white paint tends to yellow for some reason.

pollyannagal Glad you're inclined towards grey. I urge you to go for a rich deep grey or dark indigo grey (like the pics in your ideabook by 4blue and Taylor Smith Architects) as if you go for a lighter grey it runs the risk of looking a bit too drab and industrial/commercial - the last thing you want is for your lovely house to end up looking like a garage!

I like the sound of your landscaping ideas.

lefty47 HI -- Sorry Ladies , I disagree about the painted brick ! The only time I have seen problems with painted brick is because the wrong paint was used ,and/or it was painted years before the new masonary paints they have now. And when people have painted brick they usually don't want to go back . We painted our masonary several years ago and it still looks great , not one spot of trouble , not even on the south side. Although I do think checking around where they live , to see what other painted brick looks like may help with deciding what to do . For landscaping ,-if you are in growing zone 6 , you could use "Pea Grass " for a ground cover .