BRICKS EXPOSED

Something else I was reading over the weekend was that exposed bricks are coming back in. I thought this was a very interesting statement so thought I would investigate it a little further. Well...looks like it is true and according to my local western sydney newspaper it was named the new decor pick for 2013, especially with the new introduction of glazed bricks. Glazed bricks are just that... bricks that are finished with a glazing that allows them to be completely flat and gives them a polished look. Seems like this new fad has made the trend of using sand stock bricks back from way back when ( Im talking 1800's) which became re fashionable in the 1970s BACK AGAIN in 2013. Woah... talk about a timeline. 

I personally do not mind exposed brick, especially if it is an old terrace or warehouse, it makes such a great combination with iron and metal finishes and makes for a great industrial, raw look. Whitewashed, or just exposed with some old remnants of plasterboard and paint can really add some character and texture to a home. Let's face it, painted walls can be really boring sometimes, so it isn't so bad if you can have a bit of a texture thrown into the mix. The only thing with the rough exposed brick look is that it does give off that very strong industrial feel majority of the time, which means some may feel that it really only suits a certain style. You know me though, I do not believe design should be constrained to any given "style" and believe that you can make it work in other ways too, like for example my home. We have a complete formal dining room that is double brick and exposed. The bricks are a lighter colour and have speckles of brown and aggregate running through them so some have a really nice darker stone colour to them. Combine with very dark solid timber finishes and semi nice orange and cream ( yes a little 1970s but not at all hideous ) drapes thrown in with modern artworks, makes for a warm, elegant rustic-ish interior space. Mixed textures from the brick work to timber to fabrics can really make such a huge statement and either make the interior scheme move from one extreme to another. If you had bricks that were exposed and had a nice render or paint applied to them that allowed for the brick pattern to still show through, then again you could have a completely different interior space, one that could lend to more of a contemporary look, or what ever your heart desired. 

Here are some images below as well as a nominated residential design from QLD Interior Design firm Wrightson Stewart with exposed glazed bricks used for a kitchen splash back, which I really love, especially as it is complimented with lots and lots of timber. This example shows a really elegant use of brick and makes for a very modern warm environment that still has an industrial but yet modern feel.

Residential project nominated for a 2013 Interior Design Award.
Wrightson Stewart. Image sourced from their website.

Over sized pendants,  light timber, olive black, metals
makes for a nice industrial feel.
Image sourced from Pinterest

This is a very popular image around social media at the moment and I
am pretty sure it is because of the new thing mud bead chandeliers.
Source from Pinterest.

Great juxtaposition between textures and old vs new.
Sourced from Pinterest. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow's post! It is going to be another interesting one. 

Happy Monday, 

JDZ x