The Best Paint Colors to Go With a Red or Pink Brick Fireplace

Update your brick fireplace with a beautiful wall color!

I love to paint—walls, brick, wood, bodies, you name it—I’ll paint it. However, for every wood cabinet or brick fireplace I recommend painting, there’s one I wouldn’t touch with a lick of paint. That’s right—the right brick or wood stain adds to a home’s beauty, character, and value (emotional and actual).

As it relates to brick fireplaces, women are often more inclined to paint them (or whitewash them), while men often want to keep the brick as it is – even if it’s butt-ugly. And no matter what my client wants, if I think keeping the brick as it is is a good idea – I’ll let them know. On the other hand, if the brick is holding their home back, you know I don’t keep my opinions to myself.

Regardless, this blog post is dedicated to those who love their brick and want to find a wall paint color that makes their fireplace look fabulously updated!

The first thing I’ll say about these color suggestions is that these are ONLY ‘guideline colors.’

Guideline colors get you off on the right foot without being definite. There are so many variations of red and pink bricks out there and ‘particular room needs’ that it would be impossible to cover each and every one. I am my own personal hero, but I’m not THAT good.

Instead, I’m giving you one main color to explore and other similar colors with different undertones and depths. This way, you have a good selection to play with to see which resonates best with your brick.

PLEASE NOTE THESE TWO IMPORTANT DETAILS

• These color suggestions AREN’T FOR EXTERIORS (although you can take some general guidance from them). Paint colors can look way different on an exterior than on the interior, and there are other important features to consider on the outside of your home—not just the brick.

• Most of these suggestions are aimed at ‘softening and blending’ rather than accenting and highlighting—I can only fit so much into one blog post!

• There’s no guarantee that these colors will complement your particular brick. They’re just a place to start, and you can adjust as needed, depending on your brick, room’s exposure, and other interior finishes. And if all else fails, there’s a cute lil’ Ginger who’s for hire.

But before we talk about actual COLORS, we need to discuss your INTENTION…

HOW TO ENHANCE A RED BRICK FIREPLACE

If you love your brick, you might want to highlight and enhance it via contrast. Contrast can mean choosing a color opposite your brick in temperature and or/color. Just remember, many warm colors don’t love being partnered with colors that are cooler and lighter than them, so you have to choose carefully.

For example, in this next photo, the green undertone in the paint contrasts with the pink undertone in the brick, and the paint color is lighter and cooler than it. This means they fight. You can choose a paint color that’s cooler-toned than your brick, but it needs to be DARKER than it.

• To get things poppin’, choose a darker, cooler color, like a dark shade of green or navy blue, gray-green, or gray-blue. Which one best suits your brick depends on your fireplace and the surrounding room’s needs—play around and have some fun sampling!

• Some bricks can also humor a more medium-toned blue-gray blend.

HOW TO TONE DOWN & SOFTEN A RED BRICK FIREPLACE

If you don’t love your brick fireplace, you might want to tone it down or camouflage it a bit. While nothing will make your brick something it isn’t, choosing colors that don’t purposely accent your brick can help tone its color down.

This can be done by choosing a neutral with the same/similar undertones as your brick.

In this next photo, the yellow undertone of the walls made the red-violet hues in the brick POP in comparison. However, in the photo on the right, the muted greige-taupe warmth tones down the look of the brick and modernizes its approach…

See this WHOLE HOME here

Try working WITH your brick rather than against it.

• Find a paint color that flows somewhat seamlessly with the MORTAR (which often has a warm violet or green undertone). This doesn’t work with every brick fireplace, but it does with some! Most of the colors below are intended to ‘go with and soften’ your brick fireplace.

• The odd warm gray with a green undertone can work, depending on the color/undertone of the mortar around the brick.

• Pick up on the colors/undertones of the brick and choose neutrals with these undertones.

• Some mortars lean a bit warmer, picking up a subtle ‘tan’ look, which means some tan paint colors can soften the intensity of some brick fireplaces.

• Remember, nothing will make your brick go away visually (short of painting it or refinishing it); this is more about softening its impact and modernizing its look.

PAINT COLORS TO GO WITH RED OR PINK BRICK FIREPLACE

Whether your brick is red, pink, salmon, or a fine blend, these colors could have you covered.

1. BENJAMIN MOORE COLLINGWOOD OC-28

Many red-brick fireplaces, particularly the darker ones, suit warm gray paint colors (as well as taupes) with a violet undertone. Collingwood is a light, warm gray with a gentle violet undertone and is often as COOL as you can go.

Similar colors to sample and compare: Sherwin Williams Popular Gray, Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist, and Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray (but be careful with this one!)

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Collingwood

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EGRET WHITE SW 7570

Egret White is a gorgeous shade. As far as taupes and warm grays go, Egret White has some of the fewest noticeable undertones. Of course, some brick fireplaces might demand a bit more committed undertone, but all the same, Egret White is a great place to start.

Egret White also has a gorgeous depth. With its LRV of 70, this warm neutral offers a soft contrast with trim, lightening, and brightening a room without being shockingly bright.

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White

3. BENJAMIN MOORE PALE OAK OC-20

Pale Oak is a light, gentle shade of taupe. What makes it so good with red brick is that Pale Oak has a pink undertone. And what’s the lighter version of red? Pink! While this undertone is there, it’s subtle and can be a beautiful partner to red brick.

Similar colors to sample and compare: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist, Sherwin Williams Alpaca, and others on this page.

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Pale Oak

4. BENJAMIN MOORE EDGECOMB GRAY HC-173

Edgecomb Gray isn’t just a popular color with brick fireplaces; it’s a top shade overall. This is because it straddles the line between gray and beige, shifting its allegiance depending on your perception and the surrounding finishes.

For example, Edgecomb Gray might seem warmer and more beige in one room due to that room’s exposure/finishes. However, in another room with different finishes, you might think it looks a bit grayer (like many colors). Long story short – this bad boy is more flexible than Magic Mike and just as sexy.

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

5. BENJAMIN MOORE GRAY 2121-10

If you’re looking for a wicked pretty accent to your red brick, Benjamin Moore Gray 2121-10 could be it. This is a dark shade of gray with violet-blue undertones, making it a potentially GORGEOUS contrast to your brick fireplace.

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF GRAY 2121-10!

While this next photo obviously isn’t a brick fireplace (I don’t have an image of one with Gray yet), it shows how stunning it is…

SIMILAR COLORS TO SAMPLE AND COMPARE: Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart, Charcoal Slate, Sherwin Williams Gibraltar.

Or even better, for easy sampling, get your CURATED COLOR BUNDLE, including Benjamin Moore Gray.

6. BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER HC-172

Revere Pewter can be beautiful with some red brick fireplaces but not as many pink bricks. With a red brick, Revere Pewter often complements the mortar around the bricks while slightly accenting the red tone. As for pink brick, green and pink can be a slightly dated combo and won’t update your space.

While this isn’t a brick fireplace, Revere Pewter complements the brick on this exterior…

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CITY LOFT SW 7631

City Loft is a warm gray that winks at taupe. With a soft violet (violet-pink) undertone, this subtle neutral is an interesting partner to the average red brick fireplace.

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams City Loft

8. SHERWIN WILLIAMS DOVETAIL SW 7018

Are you feeling brave and want a paint color with a bit more depth to partner up with your brick? Dovetail is a beautiful, medium-toned, warm gray. It can subtly complement your brick as it isn’t overly colorful while still pulling into the warm gray often found in this type of brick. You can consider Dovetail an ‘accent wall’ color and pair it with a light neutral, or use it on ALL your walls.

Paint colors to sample and compare with Dovetail: Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray, Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray, Benjamin Moore Metropolis.

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Dovetail

8. BENJAMIN MOORE CEDAR KEY 982

With its beige base and slightly gray-taupe undertone, Cedar Key can work nicely with some pink-toned fireplaces and red-orange bricks. This next kitchen are was tricky with its travertine tile floor and red-orange brick archway – both being strong features. Cedar Key came in as a great happy medium for the walls…

Similar shades to sample and compare: Benjamin Moore Baby Fawn, Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe.

I’d love to show you some LOVELY images of rooms redecorated with a pink brick fireplace, but they don’t exist (yet – I’d love to see yours!) Also, to show you photos of REAL HOMES with REAL BUDGETS, I only use photos from my Online Paint Color Consulting clients.

9. SHERWIN WILLIAMS DIVINE WHITE SW 6105

Divine White is a gorgeous off-white paint color. Centered on an orange (beige) undertone, Divine White can pick up a touch of pink, which is often needed to humor some red and pink brick fireplaces and give you ‘pink’ walls. 

Similar colors to sample and compare: Sherwin Williams Moderate White, Benjamin Moore Maritime White, Benjamin Moore Muslin.

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Divine White

10. SHERWIN WILLIAMS TECHNO GRAY SW 6170

If you want to accent your brick, tread carefully. Personally, I prefer leaning into my brick for the walls and then accenting e.g. feature walls, home decor, etc. But you do you, boo!

Techno Gray is a light-medium depth greige with a noticeable green hue that complements red and pink brick. Very loosely, it’s kind of like Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, but it’s way more purposeful in its approach.

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF TECHNO GRAY HERE! 

SIMILAR COLORS TO SAMPLE AND COMPARE: Benjamin Moore Winterwood, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray, Jogging Path.

11. BENJAMIN MOORE CLASSIC GRAY 1546

Classic Gray is a super popular off-white paint color. Stuck between warm gray and taupe, it offers a whisper of violet-pink undertone that can nod nicely towards a red or pink brick without overpowering.

This next brick fireplace isn’t red or overtly pink, but with its whitewashed look, it has violet-pink undertones, making Classic Gray a beautiful partner for the walls…

Similar colors to sample and compare: Benjamin Moore Silver Satin, Sherwin Williams Incredible White, Sherwin Williams Eider White, and a few others on this page.

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

12. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CYBERSPACE SW 7076

Cyberspace is gorgeous if you want to contrast your brick, either with an accent wall or home decor. This dark shade of navy blue is tempered by a gray base, creating a calmer but contrasting color for your red or pink brick…

SIMILAR COLORS TO SAMPLE AND COMPARE: Benjamin Moore Gray 2121-10, Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

The 13 Best Navy Blue Paint Colors

IF YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR RED OR RED-ORANGE BRICK, AVOID THESE COLOUS…

If you have a surface you don’t love (like a red brick fireplace), the key is to not CONTRAST with it. Taking a low contrast approach means your brick won’t look any more red, orange, or pink than it already does, and to do this, you’ll want to avoid cool paint colors. Cool colors (being opposite to the warmth of your brick will contrast and, therefore, ENHANCE the warmth of your brick. 

• Avoid blue, green, and blue-green undertones in gray or greige, as they’ll contrast with the warmth of the pink and red.
• Pink and yellow can be a nauseating combo unless it’s in a baby’s room.

READ MORE

The 5 Best Fireplace Update Ideas

The Best Shutter Colors for Brick Exteriors

The Best Light Greige & Taupe Paint Colors

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Consulting for your own personal color consultation! 

Originally written in 2017, awesome updated in 2024