Brick is back: The creative ways designers are using brick

Author: Kate Shaw on Houzz

Do you think of brick, and automatically think of solid but boring designs? It’s time to think again. 

Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of Think Brick Australia, says: “The ways in which bricks are now used in interior design have come a long way in a short period of time. What was once seen as the common brick feature wall has expanded dramatically.”

Here are some ways that designers and architects are experimenting with design techniques to create different interior shapes, textures and effects.

Indoor out
The Naranga Avenue House by James Russell Architect successfully blends indoor and outdoor living with a beautiful brick screen that lets in the coastal breeze, while also offering privacy and protection.

A lighter shade of pale
The beautiful pale brick walls throughout this contemporary Sydney home show a combination of full-height and half-height blocks, the latter being finished with an angled mortar joint to create shadow-lines. At skirting level and in architraves, the blocks are polished to form a seamless boundary that is easy to keep clean. These units were also used in the kitchen splashback and in several feature walls through the property.

Statement entrance
The Hello House in Richmond, Melbourne, features a distinctive “Hello“ brick wall, designed in collaboration with Melbourne artist Rose Nolan. “The thought was that we would contribute something to the surrounding ‘brickness and blockness’ of the area,” says architect Fooi-Ling Khoo of OOF! Architecture. The wall, representing the start of a conversation, greets the locals while also continuing the architectural story of the area.

All angles
“The Empire” display home in Perry Lakes, Western Australia, features a new take on the brick feature wall. Here, the laying of the wall bricks matches the parquetry of the timber flooring, creating interest and depth. It’s a lovely addition to this home, which embraces the aesthetics of mid-century design re-interpreted for a modern lifestyle.

Perfect pizzeria
In this Adelaide pizzeria by Genesin Studio, repeating brick patterns, fluted half-cut bricks, hand-bolstered, wet-sawn and hand-cut tiled fascia bricks create a monolithic and poetic space. The patterns were applied to the vaulted ceilings, floors, bench seats, planters and walls to sculpt the interior and create light and shadow.

Just look up
The arched, vaulted ceilings in this Port Coogee home have been constructed using bricks that resemble traditional wire-cut and pressed products popular in the early-20th century. The precision-engineered bricks have a high enough thermal mass to eliminate the need for air conditioning in the home.

Tip: Bricks have many benefits besides their good looks. They’re low maintenance, strong, energy efficient and sustainable.