Complementary Brick and Stone Exteriors

Exterior brick and stone combinations offer endless design possibilities for creating a stunning, distinctive home facade. Thoughtfully blending the texture and color of these classic materials results in exteriors with superior visual interest and curb appeal.

When planning a brick and stone exterior project, homeowners must make important decisions about material types, combinations, detailing, costs, and professional masonry services. Careful consideration of structural requirements, weathering, and ongoing maintenance ensures beautiful and enduring results.

Choosing Exterior Brick and Stone Combinations

Rather than matching brick and stone, effective combinations often feature pleasing contrasts between the materials. Warm-toned brick pairs beautifully with cool grey natural stone. A multicolor brick blend adds vibrant pops of color to complement neutral stone cladding.

Before installation, have masons construct a sample panel with the planned materials to visualize how the combination will look on the home's facade. This allows adjustments before committing to a final design.

Assessing Home Exterior and Landscape

Take stock of your home's architectural style, roof type, exterior paint or siding color, and overall landscape. A Tudor revival home looks best with a brick and stone combination featuring rich texture and traditional styling. Meanwhile, a modern farmhouse benefits from a streamlined blend of narrow brick and stacked stone.

Complementary or Contrasting Combinations

Homeowners may opt for brick and stone patterns with highly contrasting textures and colors. This eye-catching approach spotlights the unique attributes of each material. Alternatively, more subtle harmonious blends unite the masonry with similar tones for a cohesive effect.

Popular Brick and Stone Types

Choices for brick include glazed, sand-finished, velour, and distressed varieties. Natural stones like limestone, bluestone, and fieldstone offer stunning veining, rich fossil patterns, or rustic aged character. Manufactured products replicate stacks, ledgestone, and other stone looks.

Visualizing Finished Looks

View photos of brick and stone exteriors in your neighborhood and online for inspiration. Sketch planned patterns and material dimensions to scale on paper. Use graphic design software to visualize different options overlayed on images of your home.

Mixing Different Stones with Brick

Layering brick and natural stone results in dimensional designs with rustic, old-world charm. Masons arrange the materials in horizontal bands, stack patterns, geometric layouts, and more based on the homeowner's vision.

Limestone and Brick Exteriors

Subtle, earthy buff-colored limestone pairs attractively with red brick cladding. Sections of rough limestone contrast beautifully with smooth modular bricks. Detail the facade with a stone water table, lintels, keystone accents, and a brick chimney.

Bluestone and Brick Designs

Featuring shades of grayish-blue, bluestone's multifaceted surfaces bring rich visual texture. Combining various sizes of bluestone slabs, tiles, or cobbles with brick creates distinctive facades. Define entryways with bluestone steps, brick side walls, and stone pillars.

Granite Exteriors with Brick Accents

Granite stone cladding with flecks of quartz, mica, and feldspar interplays beautifully with the saturated hues of brick. Use brick to border granite foundation walls at grade, face chimneys, detail window openings, or frame rear patios.

Sandstone and Brick Combinations

With its subtly variegated earth tones, sandstone harmonizes effortlessly with diverse brick types to create homes exuding rustic warmth. Lay sandstone ledgestone panels over brick base walls, or alternate vertical bands of sandstone tile and modular brick.

Accentuating Brick with Stone Detailing

Strategically placed stone accents transform plain brick exteriors into captivating designs. Detail windows, corners, columns, and other architectural elements with complementary natural stone.

Stone Windowsills, Headers, and Banding

Frame brick wall expanses with horizontal bands of natural stone like slate or soapstone. Define windows and doors with contrasting stone sills and lintels. Lay stone in soldier course patterns for straight accent lines.

Stone Quoins, Keystones, and Corner Details

Lend visual strength to exterior brick walls with stone quoins accenting outer building corners. Adorn window arches with central keystones. Grace doorway entries with carved stone surrounds and brick side columns.

Stone Chimneys and Foundations

Ground brick homes with rubble stone or concrete block foundation walls topped with adecorative coping. Chimneys clad in materials like fieldstone, ledgerock, or cobblestone make striking vertical accents against brick cladding.

Stone Steps, Pathways, and Landscapes

Define a welcoming entry with stone steps and cheek walls leading to brick facades. Bluestone pavers or flagstone patios alongside brick houses reinforce the exterior design palette. Drystack boulders integrate fluidly with brick landscaping.

Creating Curb Appeal with Brick and Stone

A well-executed exterior of brick and stone transforms houses into inviting, charming homes that owners cherish for generations. These natural, enduring materials convey quality and elicit admiration from passersby.

Improving Facade Dimension and Texture

Combing brick and stone adds pronounced three-dimensionality versus flat siding or stucco. Light plays across the materials' varied surface textures. Shadow lines articulate brick courses, stone ledges, and other architectural features.

Defining Outdoor Living Spaces

Patios, retaining walls, planter beds, fire pits, and other exterior living areas come alive when built of coordinating brick and stone. These elements help delineate public zones from private backyard sanctuaries.

Upgrading Historic Architecture

Sensitively restoring or reimagining traditional homes with new brick and stone respectfully preserves historic charm while improving function and livability.

Showcasing Superior Craftsmanship

Meticulously executed brick and stone masonry displays artisanal refinement few other building methods can match. Homeowners take pride in the custom facades crafted by skilled local tradespeople.

Design Considerations for Brick and Stone

Achieving success with exterior brick and stone combinations depends on carefully planning for structural performance, aesthetic cohesion, weathering, and ease of maintenance over time.

Structural Requirements and Best Practices

Load-bearing masonry walls require proper reinforcement and footings. Stone veneers call for specific anchoring systems and water management strategies. Following building codes and manufacturer specifications ensures sound construction.

Blending Color Tones and Textures

The most pleasing brick and stone exteriors artfully transition between materials, textures, mortar joints, and colors. Utilize various joint treatments and thinset mortars to seamlessly unite combinations.

Planning for Weathering and Maintenance

Expect brick and natural stone to develops a patina with age. Account for cleaning requirements. Soapstone and granite resist weathering but can stain. Prioritize durability and design aesthetics suited to your climate.

Sourcing High Quality Materials

Reputable manufacturers produce color-consistent brick less prone to efflorescence. Quarries supply stone sustainably harvested for structural integrity. Deal with dependable local suppliers able to stand behind products.

Cost Comparison of Brick and Stone Projects

While masonry materials and installation carry a premium, brick and stone homes enjoy higher resale value and savings on long-term upkeep costs compared to wood, stucco, or fiber cement siding.

Material expenses range significantly based on type, size, color consistency, and source location. Masonry work requires skilled tradesmen who command hourly wages similar to finish carpenters or tilesetters.