Simple Exterior Updates Elevate Brick Home in Virginia

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Donna A. knew her classic brick home needed an upgrade. While she liked certain elements of her home’s exterior, she also wanted to infuse a few modern touches. She knew she wanted to make some changes, but she wasn’t sure of the best place to start.

I wanted to update my exterior but wasn’t sure how to approach it. I first saw brick&batten on Pinterest, and I was impressed with how small changes could make such a difference.

Once she learned more about brick&batten’s virtual exterior design services, she knew it was the perfect solution for her home. She reached out to our team to help her make her exterior vision a reality. After a few small-yet-strategic upgrades, her new brick home exterior became a reality. 

Whether you want to overhaul your exterior or simply want to make a few subtle upgrades, brick&batten’s virtual exterior design services are ideal for bringing your exterior vision to life. Our expert designers will help you choose everything including paint colors, siding styles, and other finishes and accents to curate a one-of-a-kind exterior. Once your design is finalized, you’ll receive a photorealistic rendering with all the details to make your exterior project even easier to manage from start to finish. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.

Photograph of the a brick home exterior with white trim.

The before

Before making any upgrades, Donna’s brick home had a stark exterior color palette with bright white trim paired with black shutters and a black roof. The red brick siding was the home’s defining feature, with a statement-making bay window in the center of the first floor. The finishing touch to her existing exterior was a dark, maroon-hued front door.

While Donna didn’t dislike the existing exterior, she wanted to change things up and find a color palette that looked a bit more modern than the high-contrast black and white tones. Though she had already begun the process by ordering new doors and windows, she knew that enlisting the help of brick&batten experts would make the process simpler and more streamlined.

Design rendering of a home exterior with off-white trim and charcoal gray accents.

The design

To make Donna’s home feel a bit more modern, our designers recommended a few strategic changes to her exterior. While they kept the beautiful, red-toned brick — instead of painting the exterior — they suggested updating her bay window from a stark white to Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams. This bold hue walks the line between true black and charcoal gray depending on the light. And with a light reflective value of 6, there’s no denying it’s a dark and moody shade.

To counteract the depth of Iron Ore, we also recommended Seapearl by Benjamin Moore for the trim, eaves, and other accents. This creamy, off-white hue is one of our go-to shades, and it was even named our color of the year in 2021. Unlike many off-white paint colors, Seapearl has slightly gray undertones that add warmth without skewing yellow. This neutral tone was the perfect complement to Iron Ore to create contrast, while also offsetting the beautiful color of Donna’s brick exterior.

While our designers sometimes recommend an all-light or all-dark color palette, Donna’s existing red brick siding was the perfect backdrop for a combination of the two. The neutral hues of these two paint colors complement the brick — instead of competing with it — to create an exterior with the modern appeal Donna was looking for.

To round out the design, our team recommended a few additional design elements for Donna’s home. A shingled, charcoal roof, black awning, and black wrought-iron railings along the front steps look lovely with the Iron Ore paint. Faux copper gutters add a hint of warmth, and white wooden corbels add a traditional touch that blends well with the home’s architecture. 

Photorealistic design rendering of a brick home exterior.

Using her free revision, Donna tweaked the design slightly to match her vision. While she liked the Iron Ore and Seapearl color combination, she removed Seapearl from all window trim to create a darker, more modern look. Though a subtle change, this adjustment made a big difference to the look and feel of her final design.

We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.

Photograph of a home entryway with a stone walkway and brick staircase to the front door.

The process

Donna had already ordered new doors and windows before working with the brick&batten design team, which took about three months to install. From there, she sourced specialized contractors to bring the remainder of her exterior vision to life.

Using our brick&batten deliverable, I was able to line up several contractors and stage their work.

In addition to following her design deliverable closely, Donna also used the brick&batten rendering of her home as inspiration for new landscaping. 

While brick&batten didn’t do specific landscaping plans, their virtual design showed how it might look if we made changes, so we decided to replace our 20-year-old landscaping with something more natural and less high-maintenance.  

After about six months, her exterior upgrade was complete.

Photograph of home exterior with red brick and charcoal and off-white color trim.

The actual after

While the changes to Donna’s exterior might at first appear subtle, they make a big difference to the overall look and feel of her exterior. The darker shade of paint on her bay window, new black windows, and other updated design elements like gutters and light fixtures combined to create a more modern feel. Removing her original black shutters also helped create a sleeker look, making the home feel equally elegant and on-trend.

To complete the new color palette, Donna also added a walnut front door and finished the new gutters in the rich, earthy tones of Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams. 

I love it and couldn’t be more pleased. Neighbors, friends, and family have commented on how great the exterior looks. It is still keeping with the classic style of the neighborhood but with a more updated look.

While our designers recommended keeping the home’s original brick color, the other updates help offset the beautiful rust shade to enhance the other design elements.

I love how the roof lines stand out. Painting the exterior siding and trim in Benjamin Moore’s Seapearl with the dark bay window in Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore made such a difference. Before, the white bay window looked like an appendage on the front. Now, the darker color really makes it blend with the brick. Copper gutters weren’t in the budget, but painting them in Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze gave us a similar look. 

Photograph of the front entryway to a home with staircase and wrought iron railings.

Exterior upgrades that enhance a brick home

The defining feature of Donna’s exterior was the home’s rich brick. Instead of painting over the distinctive shade, our designers worked with her to identify ways to enhance the home’s character and add a more modern touch.

If you want to transform your home or business exterior with subtle, strategic changes, the brick&batten team is standing by to help. Our experts will not only help you highlight any existing design elements you love but also help you create a cohesive vision that ensures your exterior makes a statement. Ready to bring your dream home to life? Start your project today!

Author

Hannah is an experienced copywriter, journalist, and content writer who loves bringing brands to life. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Boston University, Hannah spent a decade in New York City honing her skills by working on in-house creative teams for global brands like Estee Lauder, Douglas Elliman, Tiffany & Co., and Groupon. She also partners with small businesses across industries — from interior design to real estate to tech — to help bring their brands to life through print and digital content. Hannah recently relocated back to the greater Boston area, where she loves exploring the city’s different neighborhoods by way of new restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries.