Growing up on the East coast, I saw my fair share of brick walls.  Certainly on my college campus we were surrounded!  In a weird way, brick came to suggest stability, sturdiness, and a touch of class.  Once I moved to Los Angeles, bricks became a less visible building material for a few reasons – one of which are the earthquakes our region tends to experience.  I came to love and look for brick throughout the years I’ve lived here, really enjoying the messier version of bricks in an industrial, reclaimed, or loft setting.

I started to see brick that had been painted over.  What do you think – clean, or sinful?

Exposed brick gives off an industrial, vintage look. It’s speakeasy, it’s steam-punk, and it feels like a joyful return to admiring the actual structural components of a home for their own beauty.

I came across a fun tutorial for how to add your own faux exposed brick with 1/2″ imitation bricks, if you don’t already have the real deal in your home. Check out my Pinterest page for a link – maybe it’ll get you into that “New York state of mind.”

Click Here for Pinspiration  

The thing I like about brick is it’s instant addition of character in any room. Older homes might have their bricks painted over, and even hiding underneath the plaster walls. You can expose and restore it, if you’re up for breaking a bit of a sweat. Here’s a list of the pros & cons over on the DIY Network.

There’s quite a bit of debate on painting over materials in the home like brick or wood paneling.  Done with a capable hand, it can change the feeling of a room.  Some people argue it’s a huge no-no.

What do you think…

Bare your bricks or painting is ok if you do it well?