Paint and Exposed brick
I just rented an apartment where one entire wall is hideous exposed brick. I’m over the shiny faux-fabness of it all but now I can’t decide what color would be a good fit for the other 3 walls. I don’t want to paint the brick cause I pride myself on getting my deposit back. The…
I just rented an apartment where one entire wall is hideous exposed brick. I’m over the shiny faux-fabness of it all but now I can’t decide what color would be a good fit for the other 3 walls. I don’t want to paint the brick cause I pride myself on getting my deposit back. The room has a nice mirrored fireplace mantel with columns on it which is already white there’s also original moulding around the windows which is white so the space has good bones. My first thought was to choose something pastel-ish since the brick swallows the light but i’m unsure. I also considered that sage color thats recurring in Restoration Hardware’s color palate. I should note two things – the apt is a studio so I’ve only got one room to make a good decision paint wise. Also, I ALWAYS choose the wrong color paint it looks good on the fan deck then horrible on the walls. please help!
If you hate the brick, cover it with any fabric. Glue (water base so if it leaves a residue, you can wash it off) velcro to the top and bottom of the wall. Then attach velcro to the fabric. If this sounds interesting, respond and I’ll walk you through it
we’ve done our entire apartment in ben moore’s montgomery white. It is actually a nice rich yellow and goes well with white molding and exposed brick. gotten a lot of compliments.
thank you everyone for your suggestions! I did find that BM has small samples you can order online but they’re also available at gracious home so i’m going to try them all (they’re only 3.99) a co-worker suggested BM woodlawn blue has anyone ever tried that? I think its one of their historic colors…
take a look at BM Coastal Fog. It can appear green or gray. I have it on trim and people think it looks beautiful. really gasp making.
What is the exposure in the room? Is it dark or bright? I would go with an off-white, BM lily white is a cool blue grey lovely in darker room. I like BM dark linen in brighter rooms, it has a slight green tinge.
Also, Wary Meyers’ web site shows several studios with exposed brick, could be good inspiration.
Bring the fan deck into the room to make your choice. Then test the actual paint as well. You will likely need to test several colors before you find one you like. Every location is different, so what works with one person’s brick wall may not work with another’s.
Use a good quality paint such as Benjamin Moore or Farrow & Ball. Do not waste your time with Behr — cheap paint will quickly turn gray and dingy because it has too much clay and not enough pigment. Unfortunately, BM doesn’t make many sample sizes so you may have to buy quarts to test. Very annoying.
If you like, you can buy test pots at Farrow & Ball’s retail store, then have them made up at Janovic, which is cheaper (unless you have access to a wholesale license, in which case they cost the same and the F&B is nicer).
I love brick! 😉
a lot of our furniture is actually very neutral too, but we set it off with darker colored accent furniture — we have an iron and glass coffee table, a walnut credenza, black steel bookcases, brass lamps, a rustic wood farm table. if you mix a lot of natural materials with different textures you can break up the neutral look. we’re bringing color in with throw pillows and artwork.
i’ve also considered covering the brick with fabric wall panels as the other commenters are suggesting. if you want to consider this route check out a post i made a few months ago where many people offered their suggestions:
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forum/archives/2009/08/covering_up_exp.php
it’s something i’d like to do but we’re considering moving in a few months when our lease is up so it’s not a high priority.