Shutter Colors to Make Your Red Brick House Stand Out

When designing or renovating a home with a red brick exterior, shutters can transform the aesthetic. The bold, dynamic red brick sets the stage for creative accent colors on the shutters. Whether aiming for traditional or modern curb appeal, thoughtfully chosen shutter colors can give a red brick house vibrance and character.

But selecting those perfect hues from the limitless options can be daunting. Read on for expert tips on choosing stunning shutter colors to enhance red brick homes.

Complementary Shades that Flatter Red Brick

Since the red brick itself makes a dramatic visual statement, you'll want to pick shutter colors that align with the red tones rather than fight against them. Timeless, versatile options include:

Clean White

A pristine bright white allows the brick texture and color to take the spotlight. White shutters exude a classic, sophisticated elegance on red brick facades. Soft whites like Alabaster or Extra White work well, or go bold with a true Snow White. The high contrast also accentuates architectural shapes and lines.

Charcoal, Black and Gray

For a sleek, modern style, charcoal gray and black shutters pair strikingly with red brick. The rich, bold contrast makes the brick pop even more. A true black is perfect on Craftsman, Colonial and Tudor homes. For a slightly softer look, try warmer hues like Dorian Gray or Peppercorn.

Shades of Green

Vibrant green shutters against red brick create an organic, welcoming vibe. Greens like Teal Topaz, Reseda Green or Crow's Nest add liveliness while playing off the red brick tones. Deeper forest greens complement Craftsman bungalows beautifully. On Victorian homes, a more muted sage green works well.

Factoring in Your Brick's Unique Color and Texture

Not all red brick is equal. Subtle variations in texture and color tone can dramatically impact the shutter colors that work best. When selecting shades, it's crucial to analyze the specific look and feel of your home's brickwork.

Brick Texture

Older, handmade bricks often have more irregular, rustic textures, while modular machine-made bricks are very uniform. Highly textured, multi-dimensional brick may match better with more subdued, earthy shutter tones. Very smooth brick can handle bolder pops of color without competing.

Brick Color Variations

Red brick ranges from warm terra cotta oranges to cooler burgundies with hints of violet. Take note of whether your home's brick reads as more neutral and subdued or intensely saturated. For light, mellow red hues, any high contrast shutter color pairs well. But for very vivid, concentrated reds, softer accents like sage green may fit better than harsh white.

Mortar Color

The mortar between bricks also impacts the overall look. Warm red bricks with buff-colored mortar would coordinate nicely with classic black shutters. But gray mortar blended with purple-red bricks could better suit crisp white shutters. Always view shutter color options with the full brick and mortar combination in mind.

Getting Creative with Multiple Shutter Colors

Using two or more coordinated shutter colors allows you to get playful with your red brick exterior. Creative ways to effectively mix it up include:

• Painting the front door area shutters in a brighter, bolder accent hue
• Choosing one color for the first floor, another for the second floor shutters
• Alternating shutter colors in a pattern from window to window
• Picking a neutral main color for most shutters, with one vibrant accent color on a focal few

The trick is keeping the overall scheme cohesive. For unified dynamism, choose shutter colors within the same general color family, incorporating both lighter and darker values.

Design Details to Complete the Curb Appeal

After selecting ideal shutter colors to complement your home's red brick exterior, consider these finishing touches for enhanced aesthetic appeal:

Front Door Color

Choose a front door hue that ties into your shutter color scheme. For black shutters, a rich emerald or navy door adds drama. White shutters could pair with a cherry red or sapphire blue door for an invigorating pop of color.

Crisp White Trim

For a polished, pulled-together look, paint all exterior trim and framing around windows in a clean white. The bright white trim helps define the shutters and makes their color stand out boldly against the brick.

Flower Boxes and Potted Plants

Window flower boxes overflowing with blooms are a charming traditional accent. For unity, opt for flower boxes painted to match your shutters. You can also dot colorful potted plants around doorways to echo the exterior's vibrance.

When planning the ideal color scheme for shutters on your red brick facade, the options are endless. Follow basic color theory 101 by choosing hues that complement each other. Before painting, look at color samples against your brickwork in natural daylight to confirm your selections work together. With thoughtful color choices, your red brick house can be transformed into a true showstopper.

How Brick and Mortar Impact Overall Look

To select compatible shutter colors, it's essential to analyze how your home's specific brick and mortar impact the overall aesthetic. Here are some factors to consider closely:

Brick Dimensions

Standard modern bricks are around 2 1/4" high by 8" long. But older, handmade bricks often have irregular sizes and shapes. Dramatically oversized historic bricks may pair better with bolder shutter colors. Smaller brick sizes are better suited to softer accents.

Mortar Texture

Mortar can be smooth or textured. Deeply grooved mortar joints add shadows and dimension, allowing brightly colored shutters to stand out. But minimally textured, smooth mortar benefits from subtler, more muted shutter tones.

Mortar Width

Thinner mortar joints result in greater expanses of uninterrupted brick. This brick-dominant look can handle bold shutter colors. But wider mortar with smaller brick sections displays more of the mortar texture itself. Soft colored shutters prevent competing with the mortar.

Brick and Mortar Color Blend

view your home as a whole color palette. If cool-toned purplish bricks are divided by bright white mortar, warm tone shutters like sage green won't align. Complementary colors should reflect the overall brick and mortar color blend.

Regional Style Influences on Color

Geographic architectural tradition can inform ideal shutter color choices. Here are some region-specific considerations:

New England

Colonial and Cape Cod homes in New England suit classic white, black, or hunter green shutters matching the region's history.

Midwest

Farmhouse and Prairie styles popular in the Midwest pair well with darker, moodier hues like forest green, navy, and brick red that reflect the landscape.

Southern Coastal

Pastel shutter colors like robin's egg blue, buttercream, and pale yellow complement Southern beach cottages and mimic the water and sand.

Southwestern

Earthy desert and adobe inspired homes popular in the Southwest can pull off vivid turquoise, salmon, and terra cotta shutters aligned with the colors of the region.

Achieving Maximum Curb Appeal

Along with shutters in colors that make your brick exterior pop, ensure maximum appeal with these additional curbside enhancements: