Blogs by Sarah
How Much Does It Cost to Paint the Exterior of a House in 2025?
By: SarahUpdated: 12/30/2025 We’ve found that many of you out there who are researching an update to your home’s exterior begin with one thing: paint. Dreaming and pinning and mood-boarding is fun, but there’s also a budget to consider! Which is why the following question often gets asked early on in the process: “How much does ...
The 15 Best Exterior House Colors of 2024
By: SarahWe’re pleased to share our list of the best exterior house colors 2024 has to offer. Exterior paint colors are one of the biggest reasons people turn to the experts here at brick&batten. As such, we love sharing some of the trending hues and palettes we’re seeing for residential curb appeal every year. (Check out ...
12 Red Brick House Design Updates with Photos
By: SarahUpdated 10/21/2024 How can you make a red brick house look modern? How can you update a 1970s yellow brick exterior? We’re big fans of painting brick, and we’re here to help you figure out color palettes that can work if your brick is in need of a refresh. BUT we also totally understand clients ...
15 Best Black and Dark Gray Paint Colors for Exteriors
By: SarahWe are seeing more and more clients choose black and dark gray paint colors for their home’s exterior. We couldn’t be more excited about this exterior paint trend. New technology in paint and siding allow for darker colors without fading, and more people are opting for bold, moody color palettes. With that in mind, we ...
Our Review of Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze
By: SarahUpdated: June 18, 2024 We can’t believe that we haven’t written an exterior paint color review of Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze yet! We love using this color in all sorts of exterior applications. And it’s clearly a popular hue, as Sherwin Williams named it their 2021 color of the year. Read on for why we ...
Our Review of Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore
By: SarahUpdated July 8, 2024 Benjamin Moore Classic Gray is a lovely, versatile paint color that has ‘classic’ in its name for a reason. However, the ‘gray’ part is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, Classic Gray is a warm gray paint color, but it actually tends to read as more of an off-white… especially on ...
Grey Stone Veneer Siding for North Carolina New Build
By: SarahLinda B. and her husband Rick reached out to us to help them with the exterior design of their new build home in North Carolina. Importantly, their golf course community’s HOA required that at least 50% of their façade was either brick or stone. “I was puzzled on how to incorporate stone into the design ...
8 Wrap Around Porch Ideas for Your Home
By: SarahWhen it comes to outdoor living, a wrap around porch is the dream of many homeowners. Covered outdoor spaces extend your livable square footage even when the weather isn’t great. They’re a wonderful place to enjoy watching a storm roll in or to bundle up when it’s cool. Porches are social, connecting you to your ...
9 Side Porch Designs We Love
By: SarahWe love a good side porch. Side porches can be small places for family members to kick off their shoes and access the home via a mudroom. Or they can be expansive outdoor spaces, complete with multiple areas for lounging and dining. Either way, we enjoy helping our clients fix up their existing side porches ...