recycled brick wall These walls were built from recycled bricks. Additional elements from The Brick Pit, Sydney. Photo: Peter Bennetts

Shrugging off the cloak of render and rocking up in exciting new colours, textures, shapes and sizes, bricks are looking better than ever.

The humble brick has undergone a dramatic makeover in recent years.

You might be surprised to learn that the trusty house brick now comes in hundreds of different colours, textures and sizes.

“There’s been a quantum leap in the range of designs and finishes available in Australia in recent years,” says David Bird, general manager of Boral Bricks East. “New technologies are allowing us to produce a greater range of high-quality colour coatings.”

CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR

Colours now span the spectrum from low-key white, dove grey and charcoal through to bold red, blue and purple, while finishes include everything from rustic sandstock to glazed metallics and supersmooth opal finishes.

Companies such as PGH Bricks & Pavers are working closely with colourists to ensure their new releases reflect the latest colour trends. And if you still can’t find the right style, companies such as Adbri Masonry will customise one for you.

For many in the design world, the return of brick is long overdue.

“Bricks have integrity as a building material,” says Melbourne-based architect Karen Abernethy, who was commended for her use of bricks in a residential project at the 2014 Think Brick Awards. “They have a historical familiarity that people can relate to and, at the same time, they offer up endless possibilities for reinterpretation.”

Black glazed bricks from [Euroa Clay Products](http://www.glazedbricks.com/?utm_campaign=supplier/|target="_blank"). Photo: Chris Warnes
Black glazed bricks from Euroa Clay Products. Photo: Chris Warnes

DESIGNER BRICKS

It’s the new-look designer bricks creating a buzz among architects and builders, says Greg Weller.

“Bricks are being viewed not just for their structural purpose but for their design potential, too, with different-sized bricks used to create new effects (for example, slimline bricks to create the impression of higher walls).”

And it’s not just happening outside our homes, says Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO at Think Brick Australia.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing bricks used internally, whether it’s glazed bricks as kitchen splashbacks or as feature walls in media rooms, where they offer excellent acoustic protection. Polished concrete masonry used internally in this way looks incredibly luxurious.”

GB Smooth bricks in Porcelain from [Austral Bricks](http://australbricks.com.au/?utm_campaign=supplier/|target="_blank").
Photo: Alicia Taylor
GB Smooth bricks in Porcelain from Austral Bricks.
Photo: Alicia Taylor

CREATIVE BRICKLAYING

Architects are using bricks to create distinctive homes in all sorts of fresh and innovative ways, from mixing different colours, shapes and finishes in a single application to arranging them in an open-and- closed latticework formation to create intriguing plays of light and shadow while boosting natural ventilation.

They’re also creating subtle patterns by laying bricks at different depths and orientations and running a single-coloured brick in various sizes and finishes from floor to ceiling.

Protruding bricks create an eye-catching pattern on this feature wall. 
[PGH Bricks](http://www.pghbricks.com.au/?utm_campaign=supplier/|target="_blank") in Mowbray Blue. Photo: Peter Bennetts
Protruding bricks create an eye-catching pattern on this feature wall.PGH Bricks in Mowbray Blue. Photo: Peter Bennetts

SLIM BRICKS

When it comes to brick shape, slim is definitely in, says Damian King, business development manager at Adbri Masonry.

“We’ve seen a rise in demand for thinner bricks, as well as more textures. As a result, we have smooth, honed, split and shotblast textures, and a raft of different colours, including ebony, oatmeal and steel. With all the colours, textures and sizes on offer, architects can use brick to create just about any design imaginable.”

Bowral Blue slimline glazed bricks from [Austral Bricks](http://australbricks.com.au/?utm_campaign=supplier/|target="_blank"). Photo: Jody D'Arcy
Bowral Blue slimline glazed bricks from Austral Bricks. Photo: Jody D’Arcy
  • WRITER: GEORGIA MADDEN
  • PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER BENNETTS, JODY D’ARCY, CHRIS WARNES, ALICIA TAYLOR
ARTICLE BYAustralian House and Garden