5 Easy Ways to Accent Your Exposed Brick Wall
Exposed brick walls have become trendy. Here are tips to make yours a feature of the room, as well as how to drill into them to hang photos and other decor before painting a brick wall.
Whether they’re old or new, naturally red or painted blue, exposed brick walls never seem to go out of style. But that doesn’t mean the walls don’t need a little embellishing every once in a while. Here are five easy ways to add complementary accents to your room’s most stunning feature.
1. Use open-backed shelving in front of it.
Just because the wall is gorgeous by itself doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of its available square footage. Rather than cover up the brick with a bulky bookcase, though, keep it exposed with one that doesn’t have a back. For an even more complementary look to the brick, choose an industrial style with natural wood shelves and a thin metal frame.
2. Lean large accents against it.
For a “grounded” look, consider leaning oversized mirrors or picture frames against the wall instead of hanging them. Want added depth and usability? Place small cabinets or tables in front of the large pieces.
3. Add pops of color to it.
Bright, bold colorful artwork and furniture pieces make a brick wall stand out that much more. The best part? Only one statement piece is all you need to draw that extra attention.
4. Add wood accents and greenery around it.
To emphasize the natural element of the brick, surround it with even more of nature. Incorporate wood accents like picture frames, shelves, ladders, headboards and side tables (Hint: Darker wood looks amazing against brick!). And to top it off, surround the wall with plenty of greenery.
5. Paint it.
Do you feel like you need to add just a little more oomph to the wall? That it’s time to update the look completely? That’s where painting brick comes into play. Not only will it give an entirely different look to the wall; it will also give the room an entirely different feel. You can add an older, distressed look with a sporadic mix of colors or stencils (think "old warehouse" brick). Or, for a more uniformed statement, you can whitewash the entire wall or paint it an out-of-the-ordinary color. Don’t take the decision to paint lightly, though. There’s some prep work involved before you get started, and once paint is added to brick, it’s difficult to remove.
For more attention-grabbing decorative ideas, check out the Décor section of Home Matters.
AHS assumes no responsibility, and specifically disclaims all liability, for your use of any and all information contained herein.
