We just bought an old farmhouse that has a lot of cool architectural features like large large hearths, intricate panelling, and original brick walls in the kitchen and living areas. Ever since I first saw the house, I knew I wanted to create some kind of brick backsplash kitchen utilizing the large wall with inset iron pizza oven. I have never seen a home with a design like this and I thought it would be a really unique way to take advantage of the beautiful period touches scattered throughout the house. These are pictures of the finished space featuring brick tiles on the wall that houses the double oven, hearth and decorative iron features. I decided to use a fun combination of glazed white cabinetry as well as a nice stained pine version. We loved the contrast of the two wood finishes against each other and alongside the brick siding. To finish off the space, we added a large farmhouse sink, nickel fixtures and lots of antique trinkets. I think it is the perfect combination of rustic country decor with contemporary touches.
When we spoke with our architect about our new house plans, one decision that I really struggled with was how to choose between house siding options. I have always loved the look of a beautiful brick colonial home (which we decided on for the architectural style) but I never realized how expensive brick siding is. For this reason, I have been doing a lot of research on alternative materials that we could use. One that consistently has been popping up is a brick veneer product. I actually found this product when I was browsing pictures of frontwards. This house was my inspiration picture, and the caption talked about how they used a faux brick product. I would have never known that this was not real brick! Apparently this material comes in larger panels that can be applied to the side of the home much more quickly and easily than real brick. For this reason, it is much less expensive than the material and labor costs for actual brick siding. To me this was an absolute no brainer for our house.
Growing up I always loved brick homes because I thought that they were so grand and elegant. I was determined that when I grew up, I would live in a sprawling colonial mansion with brick siding. Unfortunately as I got older, I realized the costs of such a material and had to adjust my wish list to include exterior brick veneer instead. Much like faux stone siding, brick veneer is large panels of a brick-like material that looks like the real thing, but is significantly cheaper and easier to install. As you can see, we decided to use brick paneling on the new home we built last year and it looks just like the more costly alternative. None of our neighbors have realized that we have a veneer product rather than your more traditional brick siding. As we shopped for the right style for our home, I was impressed with the huge variety in sizes and color variations. You could certainly find a product to fit well with any decor style or color scheme that you wish.
We decided that updating our home's landscaping and curb appeal with things like brick pavers and beautiful new shrubbery is going to be our main renovation project of 2022. Each year we generally select one area of our home to spend our time and money to makeover but, until now, we have mostly neglected to consider the outdoor areas. As you can tell from our before photos, the house already has pretty nice contemporary architecture with a subtle maritime style. There are mature trees throughout the property and some nice large bushes, but I feel that there is no real "wow factor." Ever since we bought the home 5 years ago, I have wanted to add a brick veneer wall flanking the entrance to the front steps. I think it would make the doorway and lawn look very grand and coordinate really nicely with the brick siding that we already have. In addition to that, I plan to add flower beds behind the wall filled with bright blooms that will add a pop of color to an otherwise pretty monochromatic landscape.
I view my kitchen as the heart of our home and was the first room I had earmarked for remodeling when we moved. Thats when my interior designer and I played around with some kitchen backsplash ideas. Luckily for us, our new kitchen wasnt in a bad shape. I actually loved the neutral-toned grey and white countertops and cabinets, however, I felt we needed to add just a little bit of character to the room. We agreed on a brick backsplash because I love exposed brick in any interior room. Something about it gives it both a contemporary and rural farmhouse feel. Brick siding was also the perfect option because it requires very little maintenance and this was ideal as we had already dug deep into our pockets when purchasing our new home.
Theres nothing quite as classically beautiful as the use of brick to warm up a space or spice up curb appeal. Thanks to the stunning visual charm of thin brick veneer against the colonial windows and front entrance stonework, our latest remodel is certainly no exception. We provided our newest client with the classical look and feel of traditional brick, but with modern functionality. Unlike traditional walls, brick veneer siding doesnt need special reinforcement to the foundation footers, yet still provides the benefits of noise reduction, thermal performance and damage resistance with minimal regular maintenance. With little more than an occasional wash, the brick exterior will last for as long as our clients maintain residency and likely for the life of the building itself. While its not structural, this brick siding conveys a rich character and sense of history that cant be matched.
