The Color of Brick

Treat the brick's color as you would a fabric, paint, or carpet color, and use the color wheel to guide you toward harmonious hues.

Brick that's primarily pink, salmon, or light red works well with soft yellows, cool greens, and creamy antique whites.

Yellow or buff-color brick combines handsomely with neutrals such as cool grays or warm browns; look for subdued or grayed shades to blend with the earth tones in the brick.

The greater the contrast between the color of your brick and the color of adjacent walls, the more attention you'll draw to the brick. Incorporate touches of the brick color elsewhere in the room, in fabrics or accessories, to knit it into your design scheme.

Instead of trying to counteract the dominating effect of dark brick by painting the adjoining walls a lighter color (which would only contrast with and emphasize the brick), choose a neutral that's in the same tonal range as the brick. This integrates the brick into the room, creating a more harmonious, unified whole.

If the walls are the darkest element in a room, the space can feel oppressive; to prevent this, include a darker element.