You might think that you can paint your garage door any old color and be done with it. The truth is though that numerous elements contribute to the overall look and feel of a home and the color of your garage door is just as important as the rest of them.
Take a look at several garage door color ideas for a brick house to decide which one works best for you.
How to Choose a Garage Door Color for Your Brick House?
There are a few factors to consider when choosing the perfect color for your garage door. Here are the most important ones.
The color of the brick
The color of your exterior is a deciding factor when choosing a suitable garage door color. It’s important to remember that brick is a natural element, so it will never be just one color. You need to look at all the shades of the brick and then pick a garage door color that will either match or offset the one of the hues in your exterior.
What are the most common brick colors?
Red
A classic brick color, red goes with almost any palette you can think of. That said, brown, especially tones of walnut and mahogany, look amazing against red brick. The same goes for black and green, which will add color and contrast to an all-red brick exterior.
Although red brick remains standard for most homes, a recent survey has revealed a shift in the top residential brick colors towards softer shades, like white, gray, and tan. This is in line with the preference of millennials for light exteriors and all-natural materials.
White
Like gray, white goes with just about any color. Try cream or pastel shades on white brick homes or experiment with bold colors like navy blue and purple to make your garage door stand out.
Brown
Although their popularity faded in the past, neutral brown exterior colors are making a comeback. Tans, beige, and sandstone are the perfect match for the earthy rich undertones of brown brick. Those who want to spice things up a bit can opt for green and red palettes.
Gray
This is perhaps the least popular brick color, but like brown, its use is growing. Since gray is a more neutral color it works well with multiple garage door colors—from red and green for a striking contrast to a darker or lighter shade of gray for a blended feel.
The effect you want to achieve
Do you want your garage door to stand out or do you want it to blend seamlessly with the rest of the brick exterior? This is an important decision to make before you start looking at colors.
Harmonious garage door colors
As the name suggests, harmonious garage doors blend with the rest of the exterior, including the brick facade, trims, roof, and other elements of the home. This means you can match the garage door with one of the shades in the brick, such as gray, light red, tan, or brown.
These colors are typically used on smaller houses (as they make the home appear larger) and on homes where owners want to emphasize some other architectural feature, like pavers, trims, or the front door.
Even though harmonious colors combine to create a blended feel, you can still get a subtle contrast. For instance, you can use a neutral color on the garage door, but paint the trim in a darker shade.
Contrasting garage door colors
On the other hand, if you want your garage door to stand out, go with a contrasting color. These can range from blue and purple to black and gray. Cool, bold colors (like dark grey or black) usually go great with classic red brick homes as well as houses with a white-washed brick exterior. Deep red bricks can look gorgeous when paired with a beige or white garage door, while black and green tones contrast remarkably well with a light red brick facade.
Tip: While a splash of color can look phenomenal, you should separate the garage door from the rest of the house—the easiest way to do this is to use a neutral color on the door frame. But, be careful when combining colors and textures—eclectic style may work inside the home, but with a brick exterior too many clashing colors can look chaotic and unappealing.
The style of your home
The house’s architectural style is another aspect to consider.
For example, if you have a ranch-style home or a craftsman with earth-toned brick, go with neutral colors such as brown and gray to keep in line with the rustic and classy feel of the property.
On the other hand, bungalows and modern brick houses have a more contemporary look, making them suitable for both bolder colors and subdued shades.
6 Best Garage Door Color Ideas for a Red Brick House
Red brick is a classic, but few brick houses are purely red. In fact, what might seem like red is a blend of different shades, such as tans, browns, light red, and even pink.
What’s more, the overall shade of red varies—some homes have a bright red facade, while others are closer to maroon than red. You need to be familiar with the undertones found in the brick to choose the right paint for your garage door.
Take a look at a few ideas to inspire you.
Harmonious garage door colors
Red brick house with a gray garage door
Gray is a cool and neutral color that goes with just about anything, blending perfectly with the darker undertones of the red brick. Not only that, but gray is available in lots of shades, so it’s easy to find the perfect one to complement the brick on your house.
If your brick is lighter, go with a darker shade of gray; while for deep red brick facades try a light bluish-gray tint—it will not overpower the red brick or blend too much with the surrounding dark red facade.
Red brick house with a cream garage door
If white is not your thing, why not go with cream? This is another neutral color, although it is not as stark as white, therefore, it works amazingly well with the earthy color pallet found in brick exteriors.
If it is lighter, like beige or off-white, it can complement the brick facade and blend well with the rest of the home. Darker shades of cream (that almost resemble taupe or tan) can add some light variance, but still, give off a harmonious and subtle effect.
Red brick house with a wood garage door
Wood and brick both have a natural and rich hue so they go together extremely well. Wooden garage doors also add a classy, almost regal element to the home in particular if you have wooden trimmings on the windows and door frames.
You can choose to stain the wood to protect it from the elements or color it and turn the garage door into an even bigger statement piece. If you go with the latter, remember the rule of contrast—the lighter the brick, the darker the wood.
Contrasting garage door colors
Red brick house with white garage door
You can’t go wrong with white. This crisp and cool color offsets the rich and earthy shades of red brick, making your garage door stand out as well as giving more depth to the warm tones of your home.
White is also an affordable option—this popular color is offered by all paint manufacturers and hardware stores. Plus there is no need to mix it with other colors.
Red brick house with a black garage door
If you want to draw attention to your garage door, then go with a bold color like black. Black garage doors against a red brick facade give off a sense of contrast and timeless elegance. At the same time, they can look modern and edgy, especially if they are separated from the brick with a light trim.
Be careful not to go overboard and try to anchor the darker overtones with a simple garden fence or darker window shutters.
Red brick house with a green garage door
It might not be the first color that pops to mind, but green can look fabulous when set against a deep red brick facade.
The trick here is to find the right tint of green—go for an olive green or a muted blue for just the right amount of color and contrast.
Also, try and add a few more elements to match the color of the garage door, such as window trimming, sliding—anything to avoid too much color disparity.
The Takeaway
Choosing the right color for your garage door can be tricky—after all, a color that matches the rest of the house can seem bland, while a garage door that clashes with the brick exterior can turn the entire home into an eyesore.
To make the best choice, decide on the effect you are trying to achieve. Take a close look not just at the primary color of the brick and the complimentary shades, but the rest of the house too—window trims, the front door, the roof as well as the overall style of the home. Combining all these design elements and textures together is what will make or break the overall look of the home.
But if you can’t make a decision or you’re not sure whether you want a harmonious or contrasting effect, keep it simple and go for a neutral color like white or cream.
