There are many options available to you if you want to spruce up your home.  Painting and rendering are both fairly common solutions to this age-old problem, both presenting their own shortcomings.

Painting over bricks, whilst a short-term fix, isn't long wearing, plus is inclined to "hide" other possible problem areas while rendering has a much more modern look which may not suit your home.

Re-Colouring is a different option that enables you to change the colour of your bricks and/or mortar!