Clever Ways to Feature Exposed Brick & Stone Inside Your Home

50+ Clever Ways to Feature Exposed Brick, Stone & Concrete Inside Your Home

Exposed brick and stone walls have been an architectural feature of homes for generations.

They have, over time, come into and gone out of favor… which often leads to these brick walls being covered for a period, then uncovered to expose the natural brick or stone, and then covered again, uncovered again… and so on.

Recently, exposed brick and stone walls have regained some of their original favor and people are finding new and interesting ways to feature exposed brick and stone inside their homes.

Source: Modloft Bed

Sleek Living Room with Deep Red Exposed Brick Wall
Exposed Stone Interior Walls

Many of today’s home decor and design consumers are seeking a unique blend of old and new, mixing contemporary and classic elements in an eclectic yet cohesive way.  Antique furniture with modern decor accents. Persian rugs are placed in another otherwise contemporary home. These combinations have also restored the popularity of exposed brick and stone walls.

Stone Clad Kitchen Wall

Source: ArchiExpo

Custom Copper Bathtub Against a Natural Stone Backdrop

Source: Decoist

Arched Brick Windows by Josephine Hurley

Source: Josephine Hurley

Mixed Stone Stacked Wood Fireplace Surround

Source: stone-ideas.com

Quarry Stone Rustic Bedroom Wall

Source: Onekindesign

Different Types & Treatments of Exposed Brick & Stone Walls Create Different Visual Impacts

Although any designer will tell you that marble, quartz, and the likes are definitely considered as a stone. However, for this post, we’ve decided to focus on the more rustic stones and bricks and are making a comeback into today’s stylish home.

Stone Wall Focal Point in Stunning Bathroom
Slab Stone Wall
Dark Gray Painted Bedroom Brick Wall

Source: Target Point

Distressed Brick Wall Living Room by Lai Phap

Source: Lai Pháp

Light Gray Scandinavian Brick Wall by K Band

Source: K BAND

Although some may think that exposed brick and stonework automatically creates a rustic or farmhouse look, as you can see from some of these examples… that is far from the truth.

Breezy Quarried Stone Wall

Source: welke.nl

Rough Hewn Beige Brick Bedroom Wall

Source: amenagementdesign.com

Source: Hosting Cultura

Elegant Brick Framed Bathroom Mirror

Source: maestrobath.com

Working with Existing Exposed Brick or Stone Walls

Some houses are naturally blessed with exposed brick or natural stone walls. Although some homeowners may not feel “blessed” depending on the condition of the wall and how it has been treated over the years. However, with a solid imagination and a touch of effort, you can turn that existing piece of architecture into a one-of-a-kind feature inside your home.

But first, you have to decide how much of the natural wall you want to retain vs how much you want to restore and change the look of the brick or stone to suit your interior design vision. Leaving the stone or brick in it’s current, possibly rustic state creates a very different look vs a crisply painted, fully restored brick wall.

Distressed Farmhouse Brick Bedroom Wall

Source: impressiveinteriordesign.com

White Washed Urban Loft Brick Walls

Source: Evermotion

Exposed Brick Kitchen

Source: Wayfair.com

Natural Red Exposed Brick Living Room Wall
Painted White Wall-to-Wall Brick Fireplace

Source: BBB3 Visualization

Two Story Whitewashed Loft Brick Wall

Source: Pikcells

Dark Gray Painted Brick Wall by Lorenzo Pennati

Source: Lorenzo Pennati

Deciding How to Treat Your Exposed Brick or Stone Wall

Having or creating an exposed brick or stone wall is only half the battle. Deciding how to treat it… from the trim work, to the finish (paint, or natural) to the art you place on it can change the overall appearance of the wall and the room.

Distressed Brick Wall Mid Century Modern Living Room

Source: Galina Lavrishcheva

Dripping Gold Paint on a Gray Painted Brick Wall

Source: Alex Koretskiy

Muted Brick Living Room Wall by Tamara Eaton

Source: Tamara Eaton

Black Exposed Brick Wall with Painted Word Art

Source: Para Design

Part of that decision, of course, has to do with the overall decor aesthetic that you want to achieve. A rustic-looking distressed brick wall may not suit an overall sleek and modern living room. However, with the proper treatments, the options are endless.

White Washed Mid Century Modern Brick Wall

Source: Image Box Studio

Exposed Gray Brick Living Room
Modernist White Brick Fireplace by A Parallel

Source: A-Parallel

The one thing I would caution you is about painting brick walls. Although the look of painted brick walls can be exceptional, once the brick has been painted it is not easy to “un-paint” it. Brick and stone are both porous, so when paint gets on the surface, it soaks in and can be very difficult to remove. Be sure about your decision before you paint that brick wall.

If you’re not 100% sure what you want to do, hang some art for now until you can be sure.

Metal Art Sign on Distressed Brick Wall

(Ok, technically… this probably doesn’t belong in this article. But that sign is FANTASTIC!!!) 

Grey and White Distressed Brick industrial Wall

Source: Index

Stone Walls with Barn Doors

Source: suburbanmen.com

Adding Stone or Brick Walls to Your Existing Home

If you don’t already have it as part of the natural infrastructure of your home, brick and stone walls can be installed in almost any room in your house. From the bathroom to the bedroom, to the kitchen, the living room, and beyond. There are few places – if any – that cannot support a natural brick or stone accent wall or feature installation.

Stone Feature Wall in the Master Bedroom
Rough Cut Stone Walls in a Vaulted Bathroom

Source: Decoist

Modern Stone Kitchen Bar

Source: ArchiExpo

Hearty Stone Kitchen

Source: churchbrick.com

Deciding What Kind of Brick or Stone Wall To Install

I will point out, in case you haven’t realized it yourself already, that not all of the ideas you see before you come from natural brick or stone. Some are stone clad or brick-faced. Some are completely faux, using brick or stone wallpaper or other techniques to create the look of stone. Although I dare you to tell the difference… at least from a distance.

This is a good thing. It means you don’t have to wait until you buy a house that already has an exposed brick wall, or try to demo interior walls in the hopes of finding an exposed brick gem underneath.  You can create the look yourself using a variety of available products and techniques.

Stone Sunken Jacuzzi Surround Bathroom

Source: Decoist

Modern Kitchen Stone Wall
Dark Gray Brick Bedroom Wall

Source: Molteni

Stone Wall Shower Stall Waterfall Feature

Source: Decoist

A Little Bit of Exposed Brick or Stone Can Go a Long Way

You don’t always need a lot of stone or brick to create an impact. Small accent installations can be extremely effective.

Stone Faced Kitchen Island

Source: afiliadosderemate.com

Stone Wall Backed Storage Nook

Source: flickr.com

Modern Slate Accent Walls by Grig Stamate

Source: Grig Stamate

Partially Hiding Exposed Brick Walls

For all of their glory, sometimes too much brick wall is — well — too much.  These people have cleverly installed things above or around the brick wall to maintain the natural beauty of the brick or stone while minimizing the overall visual impact of the bricks themselves.

Brick Wall Book Case Michael Maher

Source: Michael Maher Design

Brick Inset with Shelf

Source: Juliya Butova

Or, in some cases, a majority of the walls are finished off with drywall, while leaving some of the original exposed brick to provide a contrasting accent.

Modern Exposed Brick Loft

Fully Embracing the Exposed Brick or Stone Walls

In other cases, the room completely embraces the brick or stone, incorporating it into the overall theme of the space.

Loft with Exposed Red Brick Walls
Airy Stone Kitchen Ceiling

Source: cocolapinedesign.com

Stone Manor Dining Room

Source: housebeautiful.com

Living Room Exposed Brick Wall
Rustic Exposed Brick Kitchen
Rustic Ski Lodge Stone Bathroom Wall

Source: Decoist

Exposed Brick & Stone Walls Can Suit Many Different Decor Aesthetics

Exposed brick and stone can create many different looks, depending on how they are used.

Brick and Iron Industrial Loft by Gaspar Bonta

Source: Gaspar Bonta

Farmhouse Kitchen Brick Backsplash

Source: chuckragantix.com

Although brick and stone walls can be used with nearly any decor style, they do lend themselves very well to industrial, loft, or farmhouse decor. That doesn’t, however, mean that you should limit your thinking. As some of these examples are perfectly modern and elegant.

Black Brick Statement Column

Source: Alena Bulataya 

Natural Stone Kitchen Counter

Source: the11best.com

Depending on the treatment of the brick, how it’s used, and how the rest of the room or house is designed, the exposed brick element can be industrial, rustic, modern, or sophisticated.

Source: Decoist

Modern Farmhouse Stone Bathroom Wall

Source: Decoist

Source: Dimitar Karanikolov

Exposed Brick, Stone, or Rock as an Architectural Feature

Exposed brick or stone, whether it is part of the original building or you are adding it for effect, can become an architectural element of its own, creating unique spaces and divisions within spaces.

Industrial Stone Bathroom

Source: Decoist

Rustic Stone Dining Room
Italian Brick Kitchen

Source: callierandthompson.com

Floating Staircase Stone Wall

Source: un-negocio

Stone Paneled Wall in Walk-In Shower

Source: FauxPanels.com

Two Storey Modern Gray Stone Wall
Mediterranean Stone Bathroom Walls

Source: Decoist

Technically, this next one is not a typical exposed brick or stone wall… it’s a full-on rock that the bathroom has been built around. This would be difficult to reproduce, but it was too intriguing not to include in this collection.

Exposed Rock as Architectural Feature in a Bathroom

Source: Decoist

Stone Wall Industrial Vaulted Ceiling

A Design Choice with Staying Power

In the end, no matter what you decide to do… whether you are revealing or working with an existing exposed brick or stone wall, creating one using natural stone, or using faux applications to give your home the look of stone with a quick and easy makeover… the options on how to build, treat, and design a stone wall or accent feature inside your home are only limited by your imagination.

Plus, there are tons of ways to use natural stone and brick outside your home… but we’ll get to that later…

Covered Porch Brick Fireplace

1 thought on “50+ Clever Ways to Feature Exposed Brick, Stone & Concrete Inside Your Home”

  1. Great article with lots of good content, I like how you said not to limit your thinking on the uses of brick and stone.

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