ASCEND colors can coordinate beautifully with red, brown, tan, cream, gray, and painted brick. The best choice depends on the brick’s undertones, mortar color, roofing, windows, and trim—not simply whether the brick appears red or brown from a distance.

ASCEND Color and Design Resource

Which ASCEND Colors Coordinate With Brick?

ASCEND Composite Cladding can coordinate with nearly every major brick family, including traditional red brick, dark brown brick, warm tan masonry, cream brick, cool gray brick, and painted brick. The strongest color choice depends on the brick’s undertones, mortar, roofing, windows, trim, and the amount of brick visible on the home.

ASCEND currently offers 21 colors ranging from light neutrals and architectural grays to blues, greens, browns, and deep charcoal tones. That gives homeowners room to complement the masonry quietly or create a more deliberate contrast.¹

Color names are only a starting point. Final selections should be made with current physical ASCEND samples viewed outdoors against the actual brick. Screen settings, sunlight, shadow, texture, profile, and orientation can all change how a color appears.²

ASCEND and Brick Coordination at a Glance

Brick Family	ASCEND Colors to Consider	Design Direction
Traditional red brick	Glacier White, Monterey Sand, Pebble, Cape Cod Gray, Mountain Fern, Charcoal Smoke	Warm contrast, restrained gray, or muted natural color
Dark red or burgundy brick	Canyon Drift, Monterey Sand, Dover Gray, Ageless Slate, Deep Moss, Cast Iron	Light neutral balance or deep architectural contrast
Brown brick	Almond, Canyon Drift, Monterey Sand, Rustic Timber, Mountain Fern, Deep Moss	Warm, earthy, and natural
Tan or buff brick	Pebble, Cape Cod Gray, Sterling Gray, Harbor Blue, Mountain Fern, Charcoal Smoke	Soft contrast with cooler architectural colors
Cream or white brick	Ageless Slate, Cast Iron, Midnight Blue, Harbor Blue, Deep Moss, Flagship Brown	Strong contrast and modern definition
Gray brick	Glacier White, Dover Gray, Ageless Slate, Riviera Dusk, Harbor Blue, Deep Moss	Layered neutrals or controlled color
Painted white brick	Cast Iron, Charcoal Smoke, Midnight Blue, Deep Moss, Storm, Flagship Brown	High-contrast contemporary or modern farmhouse

These combinations are design starting points rather than guaranteed matches. Brick color, mortar, exposure, lighting, roofing, and surrounding materials must be evaluated on the actual home.

Begin With the Brick’s Undertones

Brick should not be categorized only as red, brown, or gray. Most masonry contains several secondary colors. A red brick may include orange, brown, black, cream, or violet tones. A tan brick may lean yellow, peach, gray, or taupe.

The most successful siding color usually repeats or complements one of the quieter undertones already present in the brick. This creates a relationship between the materials without making them appear artificially matched.

Look Closely for:

Orange or rust undertones
Warm brown variation
Cool burgundy or violet tones
Black or charcoal accents
Gray or taupe areas
Cream, buff, or sand highlights
Green or blue-gray mineral variation
Mortar color and joint profile

Which ASCEND Colors Work With Traditional Red Brick?

Traditional red brick often pairs well with light warm neutrals, restrained grays, muted greens, and deeper charcoal accents. The right direction depends on whether the brick leans orange, brown, burgundy, or cool red.

Softer Red-Brick Combinations

Glacier White: Creates a clean, classic contrast.
Monterey Sand: Relates naturally to warm mortar and buff highlights.
Pebble: Offers a quiet neutral transition.
Cape Cod Gray: Introduces a gentle architectural gray.

Stronger Red-Brick Combinations

Mountain Fern: Creates an established, natural palette.
Deep Moss: Works well with dark mortar, roofing, or wooded settings.
Charcoal Smoke: Adds stronger contemporary contrast.
Cast Iron: Creates a bold, dark architectural frame.

Bright blue or cool gray siding can conflict with strongly orange-red brick unless the roof, mortar, windows, or other fixed materials provide a bridge between the colors. Physical samples will expose that conflict quickly.

Which Colors Work With Dark Red or Burgundy Brick?

Dark red and burgundy brick often carries cooler undertones than orange-red masonry. That can make it compatible with taupe, slate, charcoal, muted green, and selected blue-gray colors.

ASCEND Colors to Consider

Canyon Drift: Softens a dark masonry field without becoming stark.
Dover Gray: Can coordinate with gray mortar or cooler brick variation.
Ageless Slate: Creates a sophisticated dark neutral combination.
Deep Moss: Adds natural depth without repeating the brick color.
Cast Iron: Works for a dramatic, high-contrast exterior.

Avoid combining dark brick, dark siding, dark roofing, and dark trim without testing the complete composition. Too many deep surfaces can flatten the architecture and reduce the visual distinction between materials.

Which ASCEND Colors Coordinate With Brown Brick?

Brown brick generally coordinates best with warm neutrals, natural greens, restrained earth tones, and selected dark browns. The goal is to preserve the warmth of the masonry without allowing the exterior to become overly beige or visually heavy.

Almond: A light, warm option for traditional exteriors.
Canyon Drift: A useful bridge between brown brick and lighter trim.
Monterey Sand: Complements warm masonry and mortar.
Rustic Timber: Supports an earthy, wood-inspired palette.
Mountain Fern: Coordinates naturally with brown, tan, and wooded sites.
Deep Moss: Adds stronger contrast while remaining grounded.

Flagship Brown may also work, but it should be tested carefully. A brown siding color that is almost—but not quite—the same as the brick can look accidental. Deliberate contrast is often more successful than an imperfect match.

Which Colors Work With Tan, Buff, or Golden Brick?

Tan and buff brick can support a broader range of siding colors because the masonry often behaves like a warm neutral. Architectural grays, blues, greens, charcoal tones, and quiet neutrals can all work when their undertones are compatible.

Quiet Combinations

Pebble
Cape Cod Gray
Sterling Gray
Canyon Drift

Higher-Contrast Combinations

Harbor Blue
Mountain Fern
Charcoal Smoke
Deep Moss

Highly yellow or golden brick can make some cool blue-gray siding appear disconnected. Compare the sample directly with both the brick face and mortar rather than relying on a digital rendering.

Which Colors Coordinate With Cream or White Brick?

Cream and white brick create room for stronger siding colors. Dark blue, charcoal, green, brown, and slate can provide architectural definition without competing with the masonry.

Strong ASCEND Options

Midnight Blue: Creates crisp contrast with white or cream masonry.
Harbor Blue: Offers a softer blue architectural direction.
Ageless Slate: Produces a refined neutral contrast.
Cast Iron: Creates a bold modern exterior.
Deep Moss: Adds natural color while remaining sophisticated.
Flagship Brown: Can warm a pale masonry exterior.

Confirm whether the brick is truly white or actually cream, ivory, or warm gray. A stark white siding or trim color placed beside creamy brick can make the masonry appear yellow.

Which Colors Work With Gray Brick?

Gray brick may be cool, warm, blue-gray, brown-gray, or nearly charcoal. It can support layered monochromatic palettes or controlled color, but the undertone must be respected.

Glacier White: Creates a clean contrast with medium or dark gray brick.
Dover Gray: Supports a light layered-gray palette.
Ageless Slate: Adds depth to lighter gray masonry.
Riviera Dusk: Introduces a subtle blue-gray relationship.
Harbor Blue: Can complement blue-gray brick.
Deep Moss: Adds restrained natural color to cool masonry.

Combining several grays can be elegant, but only when their undertones agree. A warm taupe-gray brick beside a cool blue-gray siding may look mismatched even when both are labeled gray.

Which ASCEND Colors Work With Painted Brick?

Painted brick should be treated as a permanent field color unless repainting is included in the project. White and cream-painted brick often pair effectively with deep ASCEND colors, while gray-painted brick may support whites, blues, greens, or darker slate tones.

With White-Painted Brick, Consider:

Cast Iron
Charcoal Smoke
Midnight Blue
Deep Moss
Storm
Flagship Brown

Inspect painted masonry for peeling, efflorescence, moisture damage, and inconsistent color. New cladding will not correct an existing brick-coating failure.

Should ASCEND Match the Brick or Contrast With It?

Exact matching is rarely necessary. Brick contains natural variation, while ASCEND provides a more consistent factory color. Trying to match one small section of brick can produce a siding color that feels wrong across the full elevation.

Complementary Approach

Select an ASCEND color that repeats a subtle undertone in the brick, mortar, or roofing. This produces a calm and cohesive exterior.

Contrasting Approach

Select a visibly lighter, darker, or differently colored ASCEND shade that still shares compatible undertones. This gives each material a clearer architectural role.

A deliberate contrast is usually more attractive than an almost-match. When two large materials are close in color but slightly different, the result can appear unintentional.

How Does Mortar Affect the Selection?

Mortar may cover a significant portion of the masonry elevation. White, cream, gray, buff, brown, or charcoal mortar can shift the overall appearance of the brick and provide a useful bridge to the cladding color.

Use Mortar as a Design Clue

Light mortar may support Glacier White, Pebble, or Monterey Sand.
Gray mortar may support Cape Cod Gray, Dover Gray, or Ageless Slate.
Dark mortar may support Charcoal Smoke, Cast Iron, or Deep Moss.
Warm buff mortar may support Almond, Canyon Drift, or Rustic Timber.

Do not assume the mortar color is consistent across the building. Repairs, weathering, staining, and different construction phases may create visible variation.

How Should Roofing Affect the Decision?

The roof and brick often occupy more visual area than the siding. The selected ASCEND color must coordinate with both.

Roof Character	Possible ASCEND Direction
Warm brown or weathered wood	Canyon Drift, Monterey Sand, Rustic Timber, Mountain Fern, Deep Moss
Black or charcoal	Glacier White, Cape Cod Gray, Midnight Blue, Ageless Slate, Cast Iron
Cool gray or blue-gray	Dover Gray, Riviera Dusk, Harbor Blue, Ageless Slate
Mixed warm and cool granules	Select the dominant undertone and verify it with large physical samples

When the brick and roof have different undertones, use the siding as a bridge rather than introducing a third unrelated color family.

Should Trim Be Light or Dark?

Trim determines how strongly the brick and cladding are separated. Light trim can create a traditional frame around darker materials. Dark trim can connect roofing, windows, and deep cladding colors in a more contemporary composition.

Light Trim Often Works Well When:

The brick and siding are both medium or dark.
The home has traditional architecture.
Window openings need clearer definition.
The roof is dark and the exterior needs visual relief.

Dark Trim Often Works Well When:

The brick is light, cream, or painted white.
The windows and roofing are already dark.
The design direction is modern or transitional.
A cleaner, lower-contrast field is preferred.

Can Plank and Board & Batten Both Be Used With Brick?

Yes. ASCEND is available in 7-inch horizontal Plank and 12-inch vertical Board & Batten, allowing contractors to create separate architectural zones around the masonry.³

Common Mixed-Material Applications

Brick on the first story with Plank above
Brick wainscot with Board & Batten gables
Brick entry with Plank on the main walls
Brick garage face with Board & Batten peaks
Full-height brick section beside a contrasting ASCEND projection
Brick foundation accents with one ASCEND color across the upper walls

Every additional profile or color introduces more transitions, accessories, material rounding, and labor. Use mixed profiles because they improve the architecture—not simply because the products are available.

Use Physical Samples Against the Brick

ASCEND’s official color guidance recommends making final decisions with actual product samples. The manufacturer currently offers physical samples through its specifications and samples resources.⁴

Sample Review Process

Place the sample directly beside the brick.
Position Plank samples horizontally.
Position Board & Batten samples vertically.
Include the proposed trim color.
View the combination from several feet away.
Review it in morning and afternoon light.
Check the relationship with roofing and windows.
Photograph and document the approved combination.

Do not place the sample against only the cleanest or most colorful brick. Review multiple areas because masonry can vary significantly across one elevation.

Use the ASCEND Visualizer to Narrow the Options

The ASCEND Visualizer allows contractors and homeowners to compare siding, trim, roofing, windows, doors, and exterior color schemes on a digital image of the home. It is useful for testing broad design directions before physical samples are reviewed.⁵

A visualizer rendering should not become the final color standard. Digital images may not reproduce the brick, mortar, siding, texture, shadow, or lighting accurately enough for final approval.

A Better Visualizer Process

Create one warm-neutral concept.
Create one cool or architectural-gray concept.
Create one darker, higher-contrast concept.
Select the strongest two directions.
Review those colors using physical samples against the brick.
Confirm the final profile, texture, trim, and accessory package.

Common Brick and ASCEND Color Mistakes

Choosing from a computer screen without using a physical sample
Calling the brick “red” without studying its secondary colors
Ignoring the mortar color
Matching one brick while ignoring the full masonry field
Selecting siding before considering the roof
Using a cool siding color beside strongly warm orange brick
Choosing an almost-match that looks accidental
Using too many cladding and trim colors
Ignoring the different appearance of Plank and Board & Batten
Approving a field color before confirming accessory availability
Assuming a visualizer rendering is color accurate
Failing to document the final selections in writing

Contractor Color-Selection Checklist

☐ Identify the dominant brick color.
☐ Identify secondary brick undertones.
☐ Record the mortar color.
☐ Review the roofing undertones.
☐ Identify windows, doors, and trim that will remain.
☐ Narrow the ASCEND choices to three or four colors.
☐ Use current physical product samples.
☐ View samples outdoors beside the actual brick.
☐ Place each profile in its planned orientation.
☐ Compare field color and trim together.
☐ Review the finalists at different times of day.
☐ Confirm accessory colors and availability.
☐ Document the profile, texture, color, and location.
☐ Obtain written homeowner approval.

A Clear Homeowner Explanation

“We do not select siding based only on whether your brick looks red, brown, or gray. We study the brick’s undertones, mortar, roofing, windows, and trim, then narrow the ASCEND palette to a few colors that coordinate with the whole home. We review those colors outside against the actual masonry before approving the order.”

The Bottom Line

Traditional red brick often coordinates well with Glacier White, Monterey Sand, Pebble, Cape Cod Gray, Mountain Fern, and deeper charcoal tones. Brown brick can work naturally with Almond, Canyon Drift, Rustic Timber, Mountain Fern, and Deep Moss.

Tan and buff brick can support architectural grays, blues, greens, and darker accents. Cream, white, and painted brick often provide the freedom to use Midnight Blue, Ageless Slate, Cast Iron, Deep Moss, and other strong colors.

These are starting points—not universal formulas. Brick varies by manufacturer, firing, mortar, weathering, repair history, and exposure. Roofing, windows, trim, and landscaping can change the result further.

The disciplined color rule is simple: do not select ASCEND from the color name. Select it from the relationship it creates with the real brick, in real daylight, on the actual home.

Compare ASCEND Colors With Suburban Wholesale & Supply

Suburban Wholesale & Supply supports contractors, remodelers, builders, designers, and homeowners throughout Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois with ASCEND Composite Cladding samples, profile comparisons, color guidance, accessory coordination, material takeoffs, technical resources, and jobsite delivery.

Our team can help compare ASCEND colors against brick, stone, roofing, windows, and trim while confirming the profiles, textures, accessories, quantities, availability, and delivery requirements needed for a complete project.