The Humble Brick Gets A Makeover

Perhaps it’s the sleek modern look or a nod to the memories of Australia’s brick architectural heritage – contemporary brick homes are increasing in popularity, matching the design desires of architects, designers and homeowners alike.

Where once brick was associated with older homes, the humble brick has been updated with a facelift that sees a new designer range of concrete bricks emerging as a top choice for homes offering striking looks, functionality and versatility.

“Concrete face bricks can make a statement with stunning design elements,” says Nathan Martyn from Adbri Masonry. “They provide unrivalled design flexibility with an on-trend range of colours, as well as elegant finishing and textural options that can be used both internally and externally. Our newest series of coloured concrete brick products are 100% colour-through, which is a game-changer in maintenance as it will reduce the appearance of chipping and provide longevity to a home’s exterior.”

As an exterior building product for homeowners, concrete bricks are a perfect choice to create a number of looks from mid-century to contemporary.  From a design perspective, bricks can be utilised to bring many a design style to life. “Curved architectural detailing shows no sign of slowing down, rather, there are increasingly innovative ways to adopt the trend into our homes,” says Martyn. “From shapely furnishings, to softly curved walls, round windows, arched doorways and stairways, fluid design not only brings a point of difference to an exterior and interior’s architecture but promotes a sense of calm, beauty and grace, in fitting with the way we are choosing to live in our homes.”

Used internally, exposed face bricks can embed a sense of permeance, security and style. With their multi-design options, a homeowner can showcase their personal style by introducing speciality laying patterns that will provide the opportunity to showcase one’s inner design aesthetics, such as creating a feature wall, a fireplace or highlighting an entry point. Using concrete brick within the exterior and interior design of the home creates a cohesive, modern look throughout.

Texture and colour are important elements within design trends for building materials. Adbri’s premium concrete bricks allow the creative possibility of blending different brick colours and textures while offering excellent symmetry to achieve a high-quality finish.

“There’s such a wide range of profiles, textures and colours available in concrete bricks that the aesthetic outcome is only limited by the users’ imagination,” says Nathan. Texture plays an important part when designing a home and can help showcase a unique personalised style. A smooth ‘rendered look’ finish suits a modern contemporary home, a lightly textured shot-blast finish is perfect for a raw and natural finish, or a highly detailed exposed aggregate honed finish that offers a luxurious crushed stone appearance can completely change the look and feel of a wall.

With new colours ranging from stunning white to moody dark greys and blacks, as well as a made-to-order option, there’s a colour to suit all styles of houses from the clean lines of contemporary minimalist to relaxed style of modern coastal.

On a more functional level, being energy-efficient, durable and requiring little to no maintenance, their strength helps guard against a range of environmental elements that homes face today and provide a stunning kerbside appeal.

The added advantage is the availability of product. Adbri Masonry’s range of concrete bricks are Australian made, making them a good option for building or renovating projects.