Brick is just as useful as it is beautiful. You can use bricks for pretty much everything: exterior siding, interior decorating, and backyard landscaping, whether it is a recreational space or a garden. Plus, this material offers such a broad range of colours and it offers so many visual effects!
There’s the crude brick, used especially for exterior siding, but there is also the decorative brick used for interior decorating. The range of colours and shades is impressive. It also comes in many different shapes since brick is a material that can be carved.
You could paint brick. What makes it special is its texture. A white-painted brick wall has so much more to offer than a white-painted sleek wall. The white colour is not as white, but it stands out because of its rugged design. The same is true of a black-painted brick wall. It looks nothing like a black-painted sleek wall. It’s not as black, but it stands out more. Same goes for every other colour.
There is a downside to this, however. If you paint a brick wall, you will shorten its lifetime because you’re preventing the brick and the mortar from breathing. You will have to check it regularly and make the necessary corrections if you want to avoid going through the whole process again. Otherwise, you could follow the guidelines of Écohabitation experts.
The brick doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. A brick with jagged sides and overflowing mortar offers a different look. You could also distress the brick to make it imperfect. Some people even marble the brick to make it look more rugged.
You could also give the brick a new look by replacing the colour of the mortar. A dark chocolate mortar gives more depth and richness to the brick colour.
If you’re looking to create a loft style, a brick wall will do just that. Brick is the best decorative element to achieve a New York-inspired decor. Industrial, rustic and Victorian styles also favour brick walls.
The use of clever lighting can make the orange, brown, red and sometimes pink hues stand out from a brick wall. If the surface is polychrome, the effect is twice as spectacular.
Brickwork, which is the art of laying bricks, also offers many interesting decorative designs. Bricks laid diagonally, between timber frames, or in a projecting pattern are other highly decorative combinations.
You don’t need a whole brick wall to enjoy your own little brick space. Many different places can be made out of bricks: a half-wall, chimney, headboard, backsplash and the lower part of a kitchen island.
Brick pairs well with other materials, such as light wood, wicker, metal, concrete, and forged iron. Speaking of combinations, matching pink with other colours is usually difficult, but it looks really beautiful paired with brick since it mellows it down.
If you think that bricks are high maintenance, you could choose brick veneer instead. It’s an imitation of brick, which is offered in different colours and textures.
Designing outdoor spaces with bricks looks stunning. Apart from exterior siding, you could use bricks to build and create all sorts of things: steps, pathways, water fountains, barbecues, patios, storage benches, pillars, staircases, gates, and alcoves for plants.
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