Tips & Tricks for Selecting The Right Bricks For Your Home

When selecting bricks for your home, it is important to factor in the colour, texture, and lay patterns to enable you to achieve your desired look.  

“It’s the smallest details that can really make the look and feel of your home and choosing the right brick can make all of the difference,” James Treble says.  

1. Know the style of your house

Understanding the architectural style of your home allows you to significantly narrow down your brick choices by providing an initial sense of direction. 

If your taste is aligned with the ever so popular Hamptons style, James suggests opting for white or lighter coloured bricks. Alternatively, a more modern, or industrial style is often achieved through a smooth faced, or perhaps a metallic finish brick. 

The proportions of your home should also be considered in your brick selection, as the quantity of brick featured in the façade will dictate the depth of colour.

With over 800 colours in the Brickworks range, James advocates for the importance of looking at the colour of the material outside before making any final decisions. “Remember to look at the brick in the natural light, because that’s of course how your home is going to be viewed,” says James. 

2. Consider texture, size and finish

The texture of your brick similarly shapes the overall look and feel of your façade. Again, Brickworks have a wide range of brick textures available; from the SandStocks range - catering perfectly to the modern farmhouse style - to smooth, polished and glazed bricks. 

James recommends attending a personalised Brickworks colour consultation which gives you the opportunity to assess the brick’s texture and finish. James says, “it’s your chance to really touch and feel these bricks that you’re going to look at for years to come.”

Another way to add texture to a façade is by deviating from the standard brick format. Longline format bricks such as the Austral Bricks Panorama Range are a great way to inject visual interest onto your home’s exterior. 

3. Don’t overlook your mortar and joint type

The cement surrounding your brick, referred to as mortar, generally uses brickies sand which gives it a yellow tinge. As such, James tends to opt for an off-white mortar, which works to hero the brick, rather than taking away from it. Another option is to match the mortar colour to that of the bricks using oxides. 

“There’s such a wide range of choices available, so don’t underestimate the importance of the mortar and how it can really alter the look of your façade,” James says. 

When it comes to brick joints, there are also an array of options available, with many different profiles that are suited to different types of brick. The ironed joint is the most versatile and gives the appearance of a slight dip between the bricks. James suggests considering a flush joint for smooth finished bricks, or a rake joint for reclaimed or SandStock bricks, which accentuates the irregular face of the brick. 

4. Be playful with lay patterns

To give your project extra style, character, and structural integrity, there are an infinite number of individualised bonds and patterns that can be created. 

Being able to use different brick bond patterns and brick laying patterns adds to the huge array of aesthetic options that bricks present, and allows you to have full control over the appearance of your project’s facade.

Proper brick bonding with a well laid-out brick bond pattern makes brickwork uniform in both structure and composition, as well as maximising the structure’s integrity, strength, durability and visual appeal. 

“Stack bond is really popular these days for so many architectural styles,” says James. Alternatively, a hit and miss lay pattern offers as an inspired way to feature texture in your façade. 

For more helpful advice from interior designer James Treble, check out our latest Tips & Tricks video series here.