For millennia, societies have been using stucco, plaster, and other materials to coat walls and lend a uniform, unobtrusive appearance to the interior and exterior walls. These materials are much better suited to being painted, and offer a cohesive aesthetic appearance to any surface they are applied to.
As time goes by, however, these coatings invariably lose their integrity and begin to deteriorate. While new formulas and techniques may extend their lifespans, there’s no escaping the fact that they’re likely to start flaking off, revealing what lies below. This might not happen anytime soon, but it’s bound to happen at some point.
When this does eventually occur, you’ve got a couple of options. You can reapply the stucco, paint or plaster to preserve the property’s original appearance, or you can strip the old material and choose a new facade. There’s one more option that you might be overlooking, however: leaving what’s underneath exposed!
If you live in a brick home, there’s a good chance that your home has the potential to be an aesthetically gorgeous marvel of a place, with exposed brick tastefully accenting the architectural beauty of your home. Want to find out more about this fashionable new method of interior design? Keep reading!
Exposed brick as decor
There are a lot of ways to decorate your home. From wall hangings and rugs to light fixtures and furniture, how you choose to decorate your home is a choice you’ll have to make if you want to truly realize the potential beauty of your home. When it comes to interior design choices like these, there’s no way to more decisively set your home apart than with some exposed brick.
According to interior designers, exposed brick has a lot of uses in interior design, and it’s just about impossible to misuse. Whether you’re simply looking to accent a wall or refinish your whole house, exposed brick can be an immensely useful tool in your search of achieving the perfect aesthetic for your home. So how can you best use this tool? Keep reading to find out!
Adding exposed brick to your home
But what if you don’t live in a brick home? If you live in a home that isn’t constructed from brick, you might be thinking that using exposed brick in your home is not in the question. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Even if your home isn’t constructed from brick, there are a number of ways you can add this attractive feature to your home.
First of all, you might want to consider installing a brick facade in the spaces you want to revamp. There are several options available, but the vast majority of them are all but indistinguishable from the real thing. When installed by a skilled workman, these facades are the perfect option for anyone looking to add exposed brick to their home without the hassle that comes with installing the real thing.
On the other hand, you can also replace some of your interior walls with brick, provided your home has the necessary structural integrity to uphold such construction. This also comes with the added benefit of creating an exceptionally effective measure against house fires, effectively functioning as a firebreak.
Styles that mesh well with exposed brick
If you want to utilize the unique aesthetic appeal of exposed brick to beautify your home, you’ll have to first make sure that this type of decor meshes well with your current style of home decor. While exposed brick is remarkably versatile when it comes to its uses as a type of decor, some architectural styles and types of home decor won’t benefit much from the addition of exposed brick. Let’s talk about which themes go with exposed brick and which don’t.
Postmodern home design
First up, let’s look at a home design theme that meshes particularly well with exposed brick: postmodern home design. In interior design, postmodernism is all about combining aspects of modern and traditional design queues in order to create a fusion of both. With exposed brick, you can achieve this look easily.
This combination of thematic elements is the perfect place for exposed brick, providing homeowners with the ability to create the perfect postmodern home interior without clashing with your lifestyle choices. Since exposed brick largely functions as a backdrop for the rest of your interior design choices, it’s the perfect choice for an understated look.
Modern home design
Another style of home design that is particularly well suited to the inclusion of exposed brick is modern home design. While modern home design is typically characterized by large amounts of concrete and glass, a bit of exposed brick can go a long way towards making your home feel cozy and home-like.
In modern homes, exposed brick works particularly well with the minimalist aesthetic typically associated with modern home design. Use it as an accent on one wall, or add some rustic charm to a room by completely finishing it in exposed brick. When it comes to modern homes, the uses of exposed brick are all but limitless!
Traditional home design
While it’s not often associated with this style of home, even traditional interior design can sometimes benefit from some tastefully implemented exposed brick. The interior design styles used in traditional interior design are not always particularly suited to the inclusion of exposed brick, but with some creative styling you might just be able to pull it off.
Despite the absence of exposed brick from most traditional home archetypes, it can still be a great fit for certain space. Do you have a wine cellar? Try refinishing it in exposed brick, using aged wood for accents. Why not redo the walls of your kitchen, either leaving it completely exposed or painting over it with a color that matches the rest of the room.
Is exposed brick right for you?
Despite its versatility, there’s no guarantee that exposed brick is going to be a hit in every home. In some cases, the stars just don’t align, and adding exposed brick isn’t going to do your house any favors. If you feel like your home might be one of these cases, you might want to consider opting for a different stylistic choice.
Traditional homes, specifically, are particularly difficult when it comes to incorporating exposed brick, due to the somewhat overwrought styling that is typical in homes like these. If your home features a highly detailed and elaborate decorative style, you might want to think about retconning the addition of these exposed red rectangles to your house.
There are a variety of alternatives that may look more appealing when paired with the interior design styles that aren’t exceptionally conducive to exposed brick. Wainscotting, wallpaper and paint are all highly viable options; if you live in a home that wasn’t originally built out of brick, that’s all the more reason to choose one of these instead.
Conclusion
While it may not be the perfect fit for every home, there’s no doubt in our minds that exposed brick is an excellent choice when you’re trying to achieve a modern aesthetic while retaining some rustic charm. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to interior design, but if there was, it would be exposed brick!
If you just can’t decide which route you want to take, why not get in touch with a realtor? Find a real estate agent in your area, and ask them about the pros and cons of incorporating exposed brick into your home decor display. These real estate professionals have years of experience, so they’re the perfect choice when it comes to getting advice from someone more knowledgeable than you!
We do hope you enjoyed this article. If you’ve got any questions, or would like to leave some feedback, why not leave us a comment in the comments section below? We do our best to respond to each and every comment we receive, so you can count on us to get back to you in an expedient and professional manner. We wish you the best of luck with your remodel!
