How to Paint Brick
September 28, 2019
This post is from our Stagg Design project archives and originally posted in May 2015. We hope it gives you inspiration and some tips for tackling that next project! xx- Team Stagg
Originally, the #staggreno was almost entirely brick, with just a couple spots of really terrible painted wood siding.
We always planned to keep the brick, and add some new siding materials with hardy board and board and batten. I’ve already shown you the color schemes we were considering and today I’m sharing my method for how to paint brick.
Once we narrowed the colors down, we wanted to test some samples. We had some spare brick from the additions so we put a different color on three different bricks. I wanted the house to feel fresh, modern, and light, but also have some contrast with the wood siding, black windows, and roof.
Once we painted the samples on the spare brick, we held them up against a painted piece of wood that would be the color of our hardy siding and the stain options for the wood siding/garage doors. 
We ended up choosing Sherwin Williams Stamped Concrete in a matte finish for the brick, Front Porch for the hardy siding on the front of the house, and Peppercorn for the board and batten siding on the back of the house.
The paint went up a few days after I had Anna and I was so antsy about it, I actually sat in the car out front and fed her while I watched the painters work. I know, I’m a nut job.
After power washing the brick and carefully covering all of the windows and soffit with plastic, they sprayed on the first coat– a primer.
It was looking really blue. Too blue. Anna was clearly very concerned.
But after the first coat of paint went up, our fears were calmed. Couldn’t you just munch on those cheeks? But I digress…. the paint color was looking fantastic.
Another coat of paint, and I was giddy. It was looking so good!
You know how sometimes when you see painted brick it looks really thick, shiny and pasty? It makes the brick look like it’s made of plastic. Yeah, that’s not my favorite. How did we avoid it, you ask?
(1) We sprayed. We didn’t roll. We wanted the texture of the brick to show through to maintain the three dimensional feel of the brick, and rolling the paint evens out the surface of the brick and eliminates the texture. Don’t roll your brick, people.
and
(2) We used paint with a matte finish. If you think about it, all unpainted brick has a matte finish, so why would you use a paint with anything other than a matte finish? People often choose full gloss or semi-gloss because it may be easier to clean, but the sheen on the paint is one of the things that makes painted brick look terrible. No sheen, people.
So to recap, we power washed, we sprayed one coat of primer, we sprayed two coats of matte paint and voila: fresh brick that looks brand new. And the major don’ts: don’t roll paint on your brick and don’t use a glossy finish.
The siding is almost complete– can’t wait to show you how it all came together. I loooooove it!
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We're a full-service design firm and home furnishings shop built around the philosophy that a well-designed home should be beautiful, personal, cohesive, and complete. We think home is the most important place on the planet and when you live in a home that is perfectly you, it changes your life. Don't believe us? Stick around. We're confident we'll change your mind.
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Baby gorgeous……..
Love those cheekies!!!!!
The new paint color looks absolutely perfect. “NEW” is the word that comes to mind. New, not as in new paint color, but new…..as in fresh and simply gorgeous.
The backdrop of snowy mountains, is divine.
Lucky Lucky YOU!!!!!!
A nut case???????? Well yes. But I would have been, right there, with you. Not feeding, but gawking. LOL.
You’re so sweet, thank you so much!
Very sharp! What color did you use on your fascia and soffits? I like how it ties into your scheme and roof. I am looking at a similar concept with dark roof and matching trim color, and would provide some comfort we are on right track, if you know what I mean :). ( is your roof black or charcoal?) What wood stain color do you think complements this scheme? Did you do the SW Weathered Teak? Just found your blog and like a late Christmas present! Thanks for what you do!
Thank you so much! It’s black. Roof is black too. The wood is a walnut color. Hope that helps!!
Love what you have done with the roof and the brick. Creates harmony. And the backdrop couldn’t have been more complementing!