Step One - Choosing your brick
Using the “60, 30, 10” rule as a guide, we believe beginning with the colour selection of your brick is the best way to start.
Why? Because using the “60, 30, 10” rule, the walls are the largest surface area, or proportion visible on your home. Whether it’s the rich texture of a sandstock brick or the homogenous look of the Colourbrick range, the brick you choose has the greatest impact on the overall style of your home.
To begin the brick selection process we recommend having a good look at the style of architecture chosen for your new home – as this often directs the style of brick selection. If it’s a modern, contemporary design for example, then the Urban One brick range from Austral Bricks™ would be a fantastic choice to harmonise with this design while a more classic style brick would suit a traditional federation façade.
Once you’ve selected a range of bricks suited to your home’s architecture and design, it’s only a matter of choosing the right colour and you’re on your way to achieving the best look for your new home.
Quality brick manufacturers such as Austral Bricks™ have developed a variety of brick styles and colours, ranging from darker to light tones, as well as a great selection of neutrals to help give you as much choice as possible. So whatever your taste we’re sure we have the right brick for you.
Step Two - Mortar colours & styles (joints)
Now you’ve chosen your brick, don’t forget about the colour of your mortar. Most commonly we find clients selecting off white, however there are other options including cream, brown and natural (grey colour). The finish of the mortar joint is also important as it has the ability to change the overall look of your home. The selection of your mortar joint is a personal choice, however a flush joint tends to work well with today’s modern, monochromatic styles and colours. There are three mortar joints to choose from.
Flush
The mortar is flush with the front of the brick, giving an overall look that the wall is flat when finished. This look works particularly well for modern designs and with bricks which have very clean, sharp edges.
Ironed
The mortar is slightly recessed from the face of the brick. The best way to describe this look is as if you have run your finger along the mortar line. This is a very popular look as it gives the brick a more prominent look without going to a raked finish. Essentially it is in between a raked and flush joint.
Raked
The most traditional of mortar finishes. It means that the mortar is well recessed from the face of the bricks, allowing all four edges of the bricks face, to stand out. Raked finishes work well with the majority of brick ranges.
Step Three - Choosing Your Roof Tiles
Now you have chosen the brick, mortar colour and joint for your new home, your next decision is the roof tile. This is no less important, making up approximately 30% of the façade of your home. Looking at the brick you have selected will help you with your tile selection.
An important thing to consider is whether you’d like a light or dark roof. As with your brick selection, the design of the house may be a determining factor in making this choice.
Another style consideration when choosing the style of roof tile is the profile. The profile of your tile can greatly enhance a home’s appearance, as much as the colour, and there are many profiles to choose from. You may wish to have a subtle, flat tile or an undulating profile to suit the style of your home.
Thankfully Bristile Roofing™ has a large range of roof tiles to choose from. Whether it’s the traditional look of the “Marseille” profile or the stylish clean lines of the “Monaco”, the timeless appeal of “Terracotta”, or the exciting possibilities of the “Valley Essentials Range” – there is a huge range of tiles to suit your home and your budget.
Step Four - Selecting the fascia, gutter, windows and doors to complete the picture
Following the “60, 30, 10” rule, this selection totals approximately 10% of the total surface area of the façade of your home. Although it is a relatively small percentage of the total look, these items can have a huge impact on the overall appearance of your home.
A good example of this is to think of the impact a pair of bright yellow shoes have on an outfit. This can either make or break the look of the design, and it is exactly the same for your home.
Gutter
As the gutter runs around the roof line, it’s a good guide to look at the roof tile colour when selecting your gutter colour. You may choose to match your gutter to the roof colour, adding volume to the overall look of your roof, or creating some interest by adding a new colour to the façade.
Fascia
The fascia is positioned directly under the gutter and the colour can be selected to highlight, contrast or blend with the gutter. Some clients choose to make a feature of the fascia, making it a different colour to the rest of the home. As it is a relatively thin line around the exterior, it is most common to select a lighter colour. However, in the case of matching it with the gutter selection, any combination is possible.
Windows
The windows are often referred to as the “eyes” of the home. For this reason the selection of their colour is a personal choice. An important point to remember is the colour appearing on the outside of the window will also be seen on the inside. You may wish to keep this in mind should you choose, for example, dark blue windows which may not match your interior colour scheme.
Some clients decide keep a limited colour palette and match the windows to the fascia. Others match them to the gutter. There is no clear rule, however our creative team do point out that as you will be matching your interior colour scheme with this colour it is a good idea to choose a neutral tone
Doors
The doors, both front and garage doors, are the entrance to your home. This is how we enter and leave, and with such a huge selection of doors on the market, this is a very personal decision. For the garage door the most common selections are either timber or the Colorbond© range of colours. If choosing a colour you may wish to match it with the fascia or gutter, or even the windows.
Our creative team make a point that a dark colour may make the doors appear larger and stand out more, while a lighter colour may have the opposite effect. A timber door may be a great way to add a new texture to the façade.
The door is such a personal choice and is a great way to make a statement without going over the top.
For the front door, you may wish to select a timber stain for some warmth or a painted finish to blend in with the windows or fascia. Why not add a splash of colour to your home’s façade and select a front door in deep aubergine or even a rich avocado green to really make a statement!
See also