Have you ever noticed how an exposed brick wall in a home gives it a sense of history while embracing modern design characteristics? More people are reverting to the original materials used to construct their homes, while the use of masonry for interior design can cut your maintenance and insurance costs. There are multiple ways of utilizing masonry, here are a few.
Flooring
If you want to surprise your guests then make sure you use the original stone or brick flooring throughout your house. A kitchen with rustic original floor brickwork adds a timeless dimension to the area.
Fireplaces
There was a tendency in the past to board up original fireplaces, yet many houses now retain the original. It is easy to strip back a fireplace that has been painted over several times, and with some care, you can restore it to its original look. This will make it a stunning attribute to any room.
Backsplashes
A backsplash in the kitchen with the original masonry can change the appearance and feel of a kitchen. While many people tend to use smoked glass as their choice of backsplash, there is no doubt that brickwork stands out more, conveying a sense of timelessness in the kitchen.
Walls
Where your friends might have a painted feature wall in their home, exposed masonry looks far more pleasing to the eye. Raw bricks in a bathroom create a rustic feel, as opposed to wall-to-wall tiles in pristine condition. If you possess a staircase, perhaps this is one place you leave the walls exposed, while decorating the rest of your house in a modern manner.
Texture & Contrast
Where you use masonry for your interior design, it should also be noted that texture and contrast is an important aspect of getting your home’s look and feel correct. A good contrast between a wall of original masonry and patterned tiles can bring your bathroom alive, while the deep red of exposed brickwork juxtaposed with clean and crisp colors is a good-looking contrast within your home.
Framing & Small Exposures
A unique take on modern design is to frame a small part of the original masonry, much as having a piece of artwork hanging on your wall. This becomes a focal part of any room and makes the living area both unique and different. Another way to use your original stone and brickwork is to retain some of it in a living space, then modernize the rest of the area. Much like framing a small area, however, here you allow far much more of a wall to stand out.
Paint Your Walls
You don’t have to retain the masonry’s original color when planning how best to use it. Sometimes exposed walls are flaking, chipped, the grout is in bad condition, or it just looks untidy. While in some cases, this will work, in others it will not. You can whitewash your walls, to give your room a brighter appearance, while this will subtly reveal the original brick work without the extremities. For a room to gain a luxurious effect, you can paint your masonry black. Couple your dark walls with light-colored furniture for a unique effect.