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Stunning White Paint Colors for Classic Brick Exteriors

    There are many people who think that painting brick is a travesty, but it’s just another way of appreciating the style. White brick is timeless, no matter what your neighbor may say!

    Off White and soft green background with photo of a two storey white brick home with dark green shutters and medium green front door. Text reads "White Brick paint colors"

    Here are 11 best loved white paint colors that look amazing on brick exteriors. Most of these are soft whites, but there’s a little bit of everything.

    This post may contain affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use.

    Sherwin Williams Oyster White

    Sometimes I believe in saving the best for last, but today I’m going to dive right in with my favorite white paint for brick exteriors: SW Oyster White.

    Paint brush swipe of Oyster White

    Why is Oyster White the best (in my opinion) white for brick?

    It is a little bit darker than most white paint colors, so it’s actually classed as an off-white. Off-whites are great for exteriors because they are just a little bit easier to look at.

    (And I mean that quite literally!)

    Sherwin Williams Oyster White Painted Brick front porch area of a house with cedar beams and white windows. House number reads 218 on a black sign.
    Photo Credit: @bree_aston

    Off-whites will look white outside, but they drastically cut down on any blinding reflections from the sun.

    Oyster White is creamy but still totally neutral. I don’t personally like yellowy creams, so for me this color is perfect!

    This is the home of Bree Aston (@bree_aston), which she recently transformed from a dark red brick to SW Oyster White:

    Sherwin Williams Oyster White Painted Brick exterior of a house with cedar beams and white windows
    Photo Credit: @bree_aston

    In that first picture the trim and shutters weren’t painted black yet.

    Here is the house once it had those final touches:

    Sherwin Williams Oyster White Painted Brick exterior of a house with cedar beams, white windows, and Tricorn Black shutters
    Photo Credit: @bree_aston

    For her black paint color, Bree chose Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black, the OG true black.

    Here is one last look at Bree’s place, this time at night:

    Oyster White on brick exterior with a black door at night time
    Photo Credit: @bree_aston

    So you’ve decided Oyster White is the one? Perfect!

    Oh….not there yet?

    Fair enough, here are some more great white choices:

    Sherwin Williams Shoji White

    Paintbrush swipe swatch of Sherwin Williams Shoji White

    Shoji White is another of my tippy top white paint colors for brick. That’s not really surprising, considering how alike Oyster White and Shoji White are!

    Shoji White swatched beside Oyster White Simply White and Off White on a red brick exterior about to be painted
    Left to Right: Shoji White, Oyster White, Simply White, and Off White. Photo Credit: @12_elmwood_lane

    To be honest when I see the two side by side (left and center left) I might actually like Shoji better. Shhhh…..

    Shoji White is another creamy-but-not-yellow white. It is also an off-white and not a true white.

    Shoji White brick two story house with Tricorn Black Trim and shutters
    Photo credit: @jess.straughan

    Like the Oyster White home we just saw, Jessica Straughan (@jess.straughan) also used Tricorn Black for the shutters on her white brick home, and left the window trim white.

    Shoji White Brick exterior at night
    Photo credit: @jess.straughan

    Here is a side by side of Shoji White on brick vs a true white:

    Shoji White on the left half of a brick exterior wall and a true white, Benjamin Moore Simply White, on the other half.
    Photo Credit: @12_elmwood_ln

    The color on the left is Shoji White, and the color on the right is Benjamin Moore Simply White.

    Benjamin Moore Simply White

    Speaking of Simply White, the homeowners of @12_elmwood_ln ended up choosing it over Shoji White.

    Benjamin Moore Simply White on a brick exterior tucked behind some trees on a summer day
    Photo Credit: @12_elmwood_ln

    You can see that Simply White is a true bright white. Even though it looks super duper white on exteriors, it is still actually a warm paint color.

    Paintbrush swipe of Benjamin Moore Simply White

    Want to know exactly how snow white Simply White is?

    Benjamin Moore Simply White look snow white in a field of fresh white snow.
    Photo Credit: @12_elmwood_ln

    It looks impressively white next to this fresh wintery blanket. I’m actually quite surprised. There are other whites on this list that you will see in snow, and none look nearly this white!

    Simply White is a great choice if you want to steer clear of “farmhouse white” and go with a crisper look.

    Sherwin Williams White Duck

    White Duck is another off-white that is pretty similar to both Oyster White and Shoji White. It’s right in that range that looks pretty white on exteriors but isn’t too reflective.

    White Duck paintbrush swipe color card

    Here it is on the House on Muirfield (@house_on_muirfield) sporting black windows and a black roof.

    Huge two storey home with black roof and white brick painted in Sherwin Williams white duck.
    Photo Credit: @houseonmuirfield

    Atlanta Artist Gary Brown (@gary_a_brown) also chose White Duck for the brick exterior of his charming bungalow.

    White duck painted brick exterior at night with Urbane Bronze front door
    Photo Credit: @gary_a_brown

    I actually really love the all white look of Gary’s place.

    White Duck painted brick exterior with Urbane Bronze on the door.
    Photo Credit: @gary_a_brown

    We painted our exterior white last year, and started painting the window trim black, but it just wasn’t the right look for our house, so we quickly went back!

    White Duck painted brick exterior with outdoor lights in front of a pink sunset.
    Photo Credit: @gary_a_brown

    Although the door looks black, it’s actually Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.

    White Duck painted brick exterior close up on porch with Urbane Bronze door
    Photo Credit: @gary_a_brown

    White Duck is a tiny bit warmer than Shoji White and Oyster White.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White

    Paintbrush swipe swatch of Sherwin Williams pure white

    Despite the name, Sherwin Williams Pure White is actually not the brightest white. It is a warm white with a touch of gray, so it reads like a true neutral white, but just a little softer.

    Pure White might be the most popular true white that Sherwin Williams offers.

    Angela (@ang_for_thewin) used it on her exterior with (of course) Tricorn Black for the door.

    Pure white painted brick at a front entrance with tricorn black front door
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    Pure White is not as bright as something like Simply White, but it’s definitely not an off-white.

    Here you can see it looking a little brighter:

    Pure White painted brick exterior with Tricorn Black roof trim
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin
    Back of Pure White painted brick exterior with Tricorn Black roof trim
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    Pure White is just a really nice white.

    It’s not too creamy, not too stark, not too light, and not too dark. (Made you a poem, you’re welcome Sherwin Williams.)

    Pure White Brick exterior closeup
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    One more, because I love Angela’s mid-century modern front door moment.

    Outside entrance area of a pure white brick home with Tricorn black modern door

    Sherwin Williams Greek Villa

    Paintbrush swipe swatch of Sherwin Williams Greek Villa

    I won’t lie to you, Greek Villa bewilders me!

    It is a true white, but it’s pretty creamy…but it isn’t always creamy, sometimes it just look like a neutral soft white…but sometimes it definitely looks like a milk-soaked biscuit. (In a good way…and also I’m exaggerating.)

    I’ll just lay down the photos and my version of the facts, and you can decide what you think. No matter how it looks, it does look good on brick!

    Tricorn black trim and fascia on a greek villa white brick house
    Photo credit: @thehouse_on2060

    First we have Greek Villa on Jessica Williams’ Texas stunner @thehouse_on2060.

    Wide shot of Tricorn black trim and fascia on a greek villa white brick house in a flat Texas landscape
    Photo credit: @thehouse_on2060

    Here is a picture in golden hour lighting, so definitely NOT how it would look all the time:

    Tricorn black trim and fascia on a greek villa white brick sprawling ranch glowing warm in the sunset
    Photo credit: @thehouse_on2060

    Here it looks like a lighter version of Oyster White, which I think is the most typical appearance for Greek Villa:

    Tricorn black trim and fascia on a greek villa white brick house
    Photo credit: @thehouse_on2060

    Not brick exactly, but here is Greek Villa looking quite a lot warmer:

    Greek Villa on the porch of a farmhouse with wood porch ceiling
    Photo Credit: @zebuhill

    Yes, this could be a particularly warm looking photo, but you can see in this next photo that Greek Villa looks less neutral than another warm white, SW Alabaster:

    Greek Villa vs Alabaster vs Naturel

    Now this really surprises me, because I find that Alabaster almost always looks warm, and sometimes Greek Villa is pretty neutral.

    Anyways, still bewildered, but it does look nice on brick whether it looks warm or neutral, so you can decide what you think!

    Let’s sashay right into Alabaster while we’re talking about it.

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster

    Oh Alabaster. I will try to remain neutral on this one.

    Something good that I will say about Alabaster:

    It is a really beautiful white. Truly, it is.

    Paintbrush swipe swatch of Sherwin Williams Alabaster

    So what’s the problem? Everybody thinks that.

    Alabaster has been used, overused, and abused by almost everyone who went to their local Sherwin Williams store in the last I-don’t-know-how-long looking for a warm white.

    I am a bit of a hipster about my colors, and Alabaster is the one color that I hate to like.

    That all being said:

    • It is very pretty
    • It is pretty much foolproof
    • It looks pretty darn awesome on brick (sigh)
    Alabaster white brick exterior with Rookwood Dark Green Door and Rock Bottom shutters
    Photo Credit: @thehybridhome

    I mean come ON! Why does it looks so good?

    First of all, it looks so good here because Lily (@thehybridhome) went a little outside the box and chose SW Rock Bottom (a deep gray green) for her shutters, and another green for the door (SW Rookwood Dark Green). The combination looks fresh and phenomenal on this brick home.

    But Alabaster doesn’t just look good on one brick house!

    Seth and Carlyne (@figandelmhome) chose Alabaster as the winning white for the brick on their North Carolina custom build.

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster on a white brick new build two storey
    Photo Credit: @figandelmhome

    On exteriors, colors always look lighter, so Alabaster looks less creamy than it typically will inside. This is good news for you if you want a slightly darker white that isn’t quite off-white and is still fairly neutral.

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster on a white brick new build two storey at dusk
    Photo Credit: @figandelmhome

    Wait do I like Alabaster? Help!

    Sherwin Williams White Flour

    White Flour is a creamy white with a warm beige undertone. This means that it manages to be soft and creamy, but not yellow at all, which I really like.

    Brick painted white flour house exterior with snow flying around
    Photo credit: @this_brick_house

    White Flour is a really nice white for brick, because it has a bit more color in it than many other whites do, but it is still light enough to be classed as a white.

    Sherwin Williams White Flour on painted brick
    Photo Credit: @this_brick_house

    Allie Nottingham of @thenottinghome also chose White Flour for her exterior, but her house has less brick.

    You can just barely peep it on the porch in this photo:

    Exterior trim in dark green - sherwin williams greenblack.
    Photo credit: @thenottinghome

    Allie also went outside of the box with her black accent color, choosing Sherwin Williams Greenblack.

    Photo credit: @thenottinghome

    White Flour is not nearly as popular as some other whites on this list, so if uniqueness is a ranking factor for you, definitely consider this paint color!

    Sherwin Williams Snowbound

    Snowbound is a popular white from Sherwin Williams, but you don’t see it popping up on exteriors too often!

    Snowbound paintbrush swipe color card

    Here is Snowbound on the brick out at Amy and Ryan’s Rock Creek Farmhouse (@rockcreekfarmhouse) looking very on brand:

    Snowbound Exterior with black windows and doors in the snowy countryside in front of some mountains in the distance
    Photo Credit: @rockcreekfarmhouse

    This home actually features Snowbound throughout the entire interior as well.

    Snowbound on Exterior siding with black windows and door, and wood beams and pillars
    Photo Credit: @rockcreekfarmhouse

    The drawback of Snowbound, is that it can have the faintest pink hue on the rare occasion.

    I don’t know that anybody would notice unless you pointed it out (like I just did, whomp whomp) but it is definitely a color to test before you commit. (What color isn’t?)

    Snowbound is one of my favorite whites because it is softer than bright whites but not overly warm like some others. It is the perfect in-between shade of white to paint your brick.

    Sherwin Williams Ethereal White

    Ethereal White has a special place in my heart, along with all of the other underrated colors. It is a soft white from Sherwin Williams, but it is soft and creamy in a green-leaning way, which makes it very neutral.

    Ethereal White swipe of paint on a sherwin williams swatch

    Here is a brick exterior by Nelson’s Painting (@nelsonspaintingservices) in SW Ethereal White:

    Ethereal White by Sherwin Williams on a brick exterior
    Photo Credit: @nelsonspaintingservices

    Pretty and neutral right?

    Here is the house while it was being transformed from traditional red brick to Ethereal White:

    A small brick home in the process of being painted in Ethereal White
    Photo Credit: @nelsonspaintingservices

    The final product looks totally fresh and inviting:

    Backyard of a finished brick house freshly painted in Ethereal White
    Photo Credit: @nelsonspaintingservices

    Isn’t it just such a friendly white?

    This color can really go with anything except maybe true whites, then it will look a little gray-green, which is fine on your walls, but probably not the white brick dream you had in mind.

    Ethereal White is an off-white. It is similar in lightness to Oyster White.

    Honorable Mention: Sherwin Williams Nebulous White

    Why is Nebulous White an honorable mention? Because I only have pictures on stucco and not brick.

    At the end of the day it’s all masonry, so hopefully you can forgive me!

    Homburg Gray on stucco exterior with nebulous white on the rest of a contemporary home and a black garage door
    Photo Credit: @pintandomza

    Nebulous White is a bit of a shapeshifter, but it is technically a cool gray white, which is something different that you may not have considered for your brick.

    Nebulous White paintbrush swipe color card

    A lot of people don’t realize that cool tones are known to be soothing, so you may want to give Nebulous a second look!

    What Color White to Paint Your Brick?

    I hope you found the perfect white for your beautiful brick abode amongst these colors!

    Quick Takeaway:

    • For something soft and neutral, try Oyster White
    • For a color as timeless as you are, take a look at Alabaster
    • For something outside of the box, consider Ethereal White.

    And of course, there are amazing colors all over and in between!

    Here is a reminder of all the colors that we talked about:

    Portrait oriented list of white brick paint colors over an image of a white brick house. List includes: Oyster, Shoji, and Simply White, White Duck, Pure White, Greek Villa, Alabaster, White Flour, Snowbound, Ethereal White, and Nebulous White
    1. Oyster White
    2. Shoji White
    3. Simply White
    4. White Duck
    5. Pure White
    6. Greek Villa
    7. Alabaster
    8. White Flour
    9. Snowbound
    10. Ethereal White
    11. Nebulous White

    I’m allll over the white paint colors, so here are some more that you might like:

    Chantilly Lace paint lid over image of woman in a lace wedding dress.
    Sherwin Williams whitetail swatched below a photo of a young deer and above several other white paints colors.
    Swiss Coffee paint colors swatched over a background of Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee

    Don’t Forget Your Supplies!

    This little brush might look funny, but it’s my absolute ride or die!

    Rollers like these hold the most paint and make the job faster. Get a metal roller cage for easy on and off.

    DryDex is the fastest (and funnest!) way to make chips and dents disappear. (Make sure you get a small spackling tool that actually fits in the container, and a sanding sponge.)

    This tool will save your back and limit time on a ladder.