The Light and Dark Side of Designing with Black Brick

The Light and Dark Side of Designing with Black Brick

Image courtesy of Alain Carle Architecture

Sultry, moody, dramatic and daring – these are just a few of the words used to describe the different looks that you can create with black face brick.

There’s just something ingenious about using an age-old material and turning our perceptions of it upside down! Perhaps it’s the fact that you can retain that warm, hearty feel of brick while adding loads of design attitude.

But working with this shadowy shade can be rather daunting and it takes a little artistic intuition and know-how to pull it off successfully. So, before you ‘jump the gun’ on your design project, here are a few key considerations (courtesy of Corobrik) that you should be mindful of when designing with black brick.

Your Use of Space

Image: laurelandwolf.com

 The Light Side: Sleek, minimalist and contemporary designs work really well with black face brick.

The Dark Side: Clutter can get out of hand quickly in a dark home, as it tends to feel more crowded. And that’s why it’s important to plan your layout carefully and stick with the design styles mentioned above.

Planning your Colour Palette

Image courtesy of Interior Design by Architology

The Light Side: Designing with black brick gives you the opportunity to play with contrast. It will really make that white rug or bright yellow throw stand out.

The Dark Side: Black face brick can be overpowering if you use the wrong colour palette alongside it. So, it’s important to carefully plan out the colours you will use in your furniture pieces, floors and décor and look for light or vibrant colours that will bring out the best side of it.

Sourcing your Bricks

Image courtesy of Normandy Remodelling

The Light Side: These days it’s not so hard to find this trendy building material in South Africa. Staying in line with current trends, local masonry manufacturer, Corobrik, offers The Black Brick in a sleek satin texture.

The Dark Side: A lot of designers are choosing to paint over brick rather than source material with black pigment infused within it. Although this may be a cheaper option, in some cases, there’s really nothing that can compare with the clean and classy look of genuine black face brick.

Would you like to more examples of designing with black brick? Follow Corobrik on Facebook for some fresh and inspiring ideas.