How to modernise the exterior of your brick home without rendering

When updating the appearance of a brick home, rendering is not always the answer. To coin an old phrase, it can make your house look like mutton dressed as lamb.

This is because the style and materials used for the doors, roof, windows and window frames will give away the real age of the house. Of course, you can go to the expense of replacing these, but there are other ways to modernise the exterior without rendering.

One of the first things to consider is painting the trims, gutters, fascias and bargeboards on your house. The use of modern, stylish colours will help freshen and revitalise the exterior. I generally steer away from white trims as that’s what a lot of older brick houses use. If you’ve got light or mid-coloured bricks, I recommend using a darker colour such as charcoal, dark grey or black.

If you’ve got a darker brick, don’t make the mistake of trying to match them by painting the trim in a similar colour. You’ll end up with one dark, squat block. Go for a light grey or beige to add contrast and definition.

Softening the heaviness of the brick will be your main goal so take a look at the front of the property and find areas you can update, modify or replace. For example, can you replace or repaint the front door? If you choose to paint, either match the colour to the newly painted trims or go for an entirely different colour to create a striking focal point.

Take a look at your windows and window dressings. Can you update anything? Steer away from blocks of curtains – when viewed from the outside it presents as one big block of colour. Try something streamlined and linear such as wooden or white slatted blinds.

Landscaping can go a long way towards softening and balancing the exterior. The key is to aim for balance rather than symmetry, so choose a few spots such as the base of the house or entryway and plant in dense clumps.

Don’t use delicate or slender plants as they will just highlight the heaviness of the brick. Use plants with rounded, thick foliage in a range of colours and species that contrast the colour of the bricks. It will help anchor and soften the house as well as making it more visually appealing.

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And lastly, take a look at fences, awnings, porticos and porch details to see if you can modernise them through repainting, replacing or revamping them. If you don’t have a fence, consider adding one along the front boundary to add definition and soften the exterior.

As you make your changes, it helps to keep in mind that the aim is to visually break up and soften the block-like, heaviness of a brick house rather than to hide it. 

Jane Eyles-Bennett is one of Australia’s leading home renovation and interior design experts. She is an award-winning interior designer with more than 25 years’ experience designing the interiors and exteriors of homes; specialising in kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces.

Contact Jane at jane@hotspaceconsultants.com or via her website.