BRICKS - GETTING CREATIVE

There are many reasons people choose to build with brick.  Apart from its durability, it’s weatherproof and age proof and requires little or no maintenance over the years. Brick is also an eco friendly choice for your home. Building with brick gives greater thermal mass than alternative lightweight building materials. Building materials with high thermal mass have the highest energy efficiency. (Thermal mass is the ability of a material to retain heat energy when subjected to varying temperatures and then slowly release it back into the environment as conditions change.) Although slightly more expensive than some building materials initially, the cost saved on heating and cooling far outweighs the cost over the years. Although brick is a classic material, it doesn’t have to be boring. There are many creative ways to bring a bit of personality into your home with this versatile material.

Are you considering building in the future? There seem to be endless choices when it comes to selecting your building materials.   When it comes to the humble brick, there are literally thousands of different options for shapes, colours and combinations you can use to create an amazing look for your home. Here are a few different ideas to get you started.

An exposed brick feature wall 

Instead of plastering over internal walls, consider leaving one or a few exposed. This can create an amazing feature in any room. You can choose a single feature wall or a whole room for a more dramatic look. This simple material can create endless different styles, from the warmth of a Mediterranean home using an earthy coloured red brick, to a more industrial look using cool tones like a grey brick.

Breeze block wall or partitions 

The classic breeze block is coming back in style with a vengeance with more amazing shapes and patterns than ever before.  This is for a good reason, they are extremely durable and ooze style.  Remember that they are not limited to outdoor spaces, but can also create an eye catching features indoors.

A brick floor

You would normally associate a brick floor with patios or paving, however brick floors are becoming increasingly popular.  If you are considering new flooring and want to create a dramatic look this is for you! This hardwearing material is perfect for high traffic areas such and entries and mudrooms and fantastic for wet areas such as laundries.

Painted brick

If you have an existing brick  (or even in a new build) and love the texture of brick but find the colour too dominating, a great and inexpensive way to spruce up your room is to paint rather than relining the walls, which can become quite costly. This gives you the wonderful texture and look of brick without being overwhelming.  There are now also paints available that leave a textured finish to give your old brick walls a facelift, but still retain the beauty of the brick without entirely covering them up.

Patterned bricks and textured surfaces 

When we think of laying bricks, we often go straight to the classic ‘brick bond’ or ‘stacker bond’ patterns we see on most other buildings.  Why not mix things up a bit and consider laying your bricks in a different pattern or angles. You can also mix and match bricks by using different coloured bricks on the same wall to create an interesting pattern.

Whether you are looking for a classic style home, or a Scandinavian inspired interior don’t forget to consider the beauty in the humble brick. Remember, building with bricks doesn’t have to be boring – you’re only limited to your imagination!

Please let us know if you’d like any assistance with your building project!

Sophine Pfuhl Architect – me@sophinepfuhl.com.au – 0400 585 269