Interior Brick Wall Design: Ideas That Actually Work

The simplest interior brick wall design is to treat the brick as the texture in the room and keep everything around it calm: smooth surfaces, a limited palette, and good lighting. Brick already has color, pattern and roughness, so it needs fewer accessories than a plain wall, not more.

Below you'll find how to decide between raw, sealed, painted and faux brick, what to put on and in front of the wall, and how to light it. Most of it applies whether you have a real masonry wall or a thin brick veneer.

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Should you leave brick raw, seal it or paint it?

This is the first decision, and it changes everything after it. Here is how the options compare.

If the brick is attractive and in good shape, I recommend keeping it unpainted. If it's dark and the room has little daylight, whitewash or paint is a fair trade. Test a hidden corner first, because you can't un-paint porous brick.

Interior brick can also be old, crumbly or damp at the base. Have a mason or other licensed professional look at it before you seal or paint, since trapped moisture is the usual reason finishes fail.

What looks good on an interior brick wall?

Brick is busy, so the best companions are quiet and smooth. Think plaster-colored walls beside it, simple cabinetry, wood shelves and linen or wool textiles. The contrast makes the brick read as texture rather than clutter.

• Floating shelves keep most of the brick visible while giving you display space.
• A slim console or bench works as a base without hiding the wall.
• Large art leaning on a ledge avoids drilling into masonry and is easy to swap.
• Black or brass metal fixtures pick out the mortar lines nicely.

One caution: hang art on brick with masonry anchors, not nails. Mortar joints crack easily, and a heavy frame is not the place to experiment.

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Exposed brick wall decorating ideas by room

Living room

Use the brick wall as the backdrop for the sofa or the TV. If the room is small, set the sofa directly against the wall to save floor space. In a larger room, pull seating a little away so the wall can be seen from several angles. A big rug that picks up the brick's warm undertone ties the group together. If the TV lives here too, our TV room ideas cover placement and glare.

Kitchen and dining area

A brick wall behind a dining table or open shelving gives a meal area its own identity. Keep it away from the stove and sink unless it's sealed, since grease and splashes soak into raw brick.

Bedroom

Brick behind the headboard works well, and it's one of the few spots where you can go moody without tiring the eye. Choose soft bedding in muted tones and keep lamps warm.

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Painted and modern brick wall design indoors

For a modern brick wall design indoors, white or soft gray paint keeps the mortar lines and the texture while removing the heavy red. Pair it with matte black frames, pale wood and plain glass. Painted brick suits small rooms and north-facing rooms, where raw brick can feel dark.

If you already have white brick, this guide to decorating white brick goes further on pairings, and these brick wall decor ideas add more styling options.

Faux brick and other interior brick wall covering options

If you rent or the wall isn't masonry, you have choices: thin brick veneer slices, brick-look tile, panels, or wallpaper. Veneer and tile look the most convincing and handle wiping best. Wallpaper is the only one you can usually remove cleanly, which makes it the renter option, though it reads flatter up close.

Real brick can also be a thermal weak spot in older buildings. The National Laboratory of the Rockies publishes a measure guideline on insulating the interior of existing brick walls with rigid foam board, which explains the steps and trade-offs. Note that insulating the inside means covering the brick, so it's a choice between comfort and the exposed look.

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How to light a brick wall

Light grazing across the surface shows every bump, so it's the most effective way to make brick look good. Wall sconces, picture lights or a low uplight create shadows in the mortar joints. Flat overhead light does the opposite and makes brick look dull.

Warm bulbs, around 2700K to 3000K, flatter red and orange brick. Cooler bulbs push it toward gray. Check the effect at night, not only in daylight.

How to make a brick wall more attractive

1. Clean it with a soft brush or vacuum brush to remove loose dust.
2. Decide on a finish (raw, sealed, whitewashed or painted) and test a small area.
3. Add layered lighting that skims the surface.
4. Bring in smooth, soft materials: a rug, linen curtains, upholstered seating.
5. Add a few plants at different heights, and keep them in pet-safe varieties if you share the room with a dog or cat (check with your vet or the ASPCA list).

Limit yourself to about three to five main materials in the room. Brick already supplies plenty of texture, and more than that starts to feel crowded.

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Brick as a divider or alcove in open plans

A partial brick wall or a brick column can separate kitchen, dining and living areas without closing them off. In my view it works best when the wall stops short of the ceiling or has an opening, so light and air still move through. Structural walls shouldn't be altered without an engineer, so confirm what's load-bearing before planning any opening.

Brick has also been part of American house styles for a long time. The National Park Service notes that the Italianate style was most prevalent between the 1850s and the 1880s, which is why many older city homes still have brick walls worth keeping. If you're pairing brick with trim, wall molding ideas can add a classic counterpoint.

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