How to make a wall in a loft style: from brick to wood

Features of the loft style

A characteristic feature of loft design is not only brickwork, but also many other features that make the interior recognizable and aesthetically pleasing. This design trend itself originated in America in the 30s of the last century, when, due to the crisis, many people in cities were forced to rent premises in former factories and factories.

This is where the style got its famous industrialism and brutality.

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In addition to bare brick and concrete walls, loft designs feature an abundance of natural light. Huge windows were installed in the production premises, which let in enough sunlight to illuminate large industrial areas.

As furniture in the loft, only the most necessary interior items are used, without which it is impossible to live normally in the room - beds, sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs, shelves, etc. All of them must also be made in the same industrial style, only in this In this case, the apartment will look attractive and aesthetically pleasing.

The most popular colors in loft interiors: gray, brown, beige, black. Typically, cool shades and a lot of light colors are used, making the room visually look even more spacious and cozy.

Decor

The formation of the interior does not end with finishing, installation of cabinets and upholstered furniture. Various decoration items add completeness to the interior. It’s not difficult to do it yourself, but a professional decorator will do it according to all the canons of style.

Wooden decor in the form of a regular shield made of knocked together boards looks very appropriate on a brick wall. For this purpose, they are selected with a pronounced woodiness: knots, sapwood, cracks, aging, etc.

Loft paintings, graffiti, black and white photos, printing on billboards, posters, art and pop posters of past years. Ideally symbolize the loft theme, the lifestyle of people of yesteryear.

Wall decor is created using vintage figured frames from old paintings and mirrors. A combination of a pair of three such objects creates an interesting composition.

A window frame with peeling paint with old glass, a mirror or black and white photos placed in it is a hand-made technique to maintain style.

Loft wall lamps are an important attribute of the brutal character of the interior. Their lampshades are made of tin sheets, and their bases are made of metal parts of mechanisms, machine tools, and pipes. Spotlights, spots and large light bulbs - everything will emphasize the style.

Pros and cons of using a brick wall in a loft

In larger homes, brickwork is created naturally to form a loft design. Entire houses, even apartment buildings, are often built from brick. This material is popular because it is characterized by low cost, environmental friendliness, good heat and sound insulation, moisture resistance, attractiveness and durability.

Brickwork is very unpretentious to use, it does not require any special care during the operation of the home and looks aesthetically pleasing. If necessary, brick can be faced with almost any other materials to change the visual appearance of the house.

However, in an apartment, laying one of the walls with brick is not the most reasonable solution. Firstly, this will require significant financial investments.

Secondly, the brick will reduce the usable area of ​​the room. That is why working with real brick is only required if the walls are already made of it.

In this case, all that remains is to figure out how to process the brick into a loft. If the walls are standard concrete, then it is better to use imitation to create a loft brick wall.

Getting the seams in order

After all the preparations, there will definitely be voids in the seams; in addition, the removed bricks, if any, should be returned to their place.
For these purposes we will need putty. For interior work in rooms with little humidity, fugen gypsum putty is quite suitable; for exterior work or wet rooms, tile adhesive is well suited. Using putty, the bricks are inserted back, all voids and cavities in the seams are covered, holes and porous places on the brick should also be plugged. No trowels are required for this; just use your fingers and a frequently rinsed sponge. Having covered the seam with your finger, we then go through it with a sponge and remove everything unnecessary; anyone can do this operation! It is best to do this operation twice, be sure to miss something at once.

After caulking and drying the seams, it is useful to clean the whole thing with sandpaper and knock off all the burrs on the caulk.

In which rooms will a loft brick wall look good?

A loft-style wall made of brick or imitation will look great in almost any room. This design solution can be used for cladding:

• living room;
• bedrooms;
• kitchens;
• hallway;
• corridors;
• work rooms;
• balconies, etc.

Expert opinion

Romanova Ksenia Petrovna

Interior design expert and fabric store manager

Some owners of houses and apartments very successfully use this solution even when decorating children's rooms; a loft interior with white brick looks advantageous in any conditions.

White brick

Basically, everyone associates a loft with red brick walls, and preferably with pieces of cement, as if they decided not to finish the renovation and live just like that. But white color for brick is as natural as red.

It does not stand out as much and attracts less attention, but at the same time it is less authentic and does not retain the atmosphere of factory premises. A combined option is also possible - leaving one of the walls according to the canons of the style.

You don't have to use real brick. You can buy “brick” blanks or a special roller at the store to create the appropriate texture. This is a good option if you are doing a purely cosmetic renovation and do not want to “disassemble” the wall.

An all-white bedroom will look beautiful : a wall decorated with white brick, a snow-white ceiling, bedside tables, a chest of drawers, a desk and a light beige bed. Floors can be covered with natural wood of the appropriate species.

Additionally, the interior will be decorated with black and white paintings and some unusual lamps.

See also loft options with a white brick wall in the video:

Peculiarities

The attic style called loft originates in New York in the 20th century. In those days, the authorities actively moved industrial enterprises away from the city. The vacated areas were given to poor citizens, asking mere pennies for rent. Without much money, people began to live in an environment of iron, brick and wooden walls without any decoration. Sometimes such boring and harsh foundations were decorated with various decorations.

As for the urban bohemia, its representatives began to organize various kinds of meetings in what were once industrial buildings. Both architects and artists did not ignore such constructions. They let their imagination run wild by designing such brutal dwellings. Walls made of wood and brick were covered with lime, thoroughly sanded or varnished.

Today the loft style has a lot of fans. Interiors designed in this direction are rarely complete without brick and stone walls. This decoration has become a real loft style tradition. They resort to it both when decorating houses and when decorating city apartments. Against such a rough background, a variety of pieces of furniture look great - from expensive leather sofas to soft armchairs with ethnic patterns. This is what makes a loft different – ​​it often mixes many different stylistic trends.

Other important features of this famous style include the following aspects.

Availability of significant free space. Loft-style rooms usually have high ceilings and elongated windows. The interiors contain sharp contrasts that zone the available space.

In such settings there are both antique details and the latest trends in fashion and technology. Various communications are often not covered by anything and remain in plain sight.

Brickwork on the walls is common in the loft style. Moreover, the bricks themselves (natural or imitation) can have not only traditional red, but also gray, brown or another interesting color.

In such interiors, cool and light colors predominate, especially when it comes to finishing high ceilings. The use of white brickwork or exposing masonry areas is a traditional technique. In the future, the bricks can be painted or remain untouched.

Unusual lighting fixtures and accessories are common details in loft interiors. Overly rich and pretentious elements are usually absent in these settings.

Brickwork of different colors is in trend today, especially if it is made in a loft style. These finishing options look great in a variety of rooms. This can be not only a stylish living room, but also a kitchen or bedroom. In many rooms, imitation natural stone is often installed. For example, it could be smooth brick tiles. This material is great for finishing the kitchen, because it is not susceptible to contamination and can be easily cleaned from any stains if they appear.

The main thing is that all the details match each other in shade. The result is often very interesting and original ensembles that attract a lot of attention.

White brick in the interior - 40 photos of successful design solutions

Modern trends in interior design are increasingly inclined towards non-standard solutions, in particular, the use of unusual materials. White brick in the interior will personify order and cleanliness, and will also create a sophisticated accent.

This type of decoration can exist in rooms of any functional nature. In our article we will look at the features that a white brick wall has in the interior, as well as ways to decorate it.

White brick in the interior: methods of design and imitation

The easiest way to carry out this design is in a new building, where there is no interior decoration. In this case, white brick in the interior will look most realistic.

For finishing you only need to treat the surface with special means and paint. It is not necessary to clean up or remove unevenness and minor flaws in the masonry - with them the design will look much more natural.

If the walls have already been subjected to finishing work more than once, or they are constructed of concrete or plasterboard, you will have to choose one of the most convenient imitation options so that the white brick wall in the interior looks as natural as possible. Before this, it will be necessary to remove all signs of the former finishing and also treat the walls with painting solutions to prevent the occurrence of dampness of the walls, fungus and other troubles.

White decorative brick in the interior

To decorate an intricate interior, they resort to using sand-lime bricks. Photos of designs where white decorative brick is used in the interior are provided in our article.

Based on them, we can say that it has a rather unique appearance, attracting with its attractiveness. In addition, it has such qualities as moisture resistance, strength, excellent sound insulation and, importantly, environmental safety.

Expert opinion

Romanova Ksenia Petrovna

Interior design expert and fabric store manager

In addition to wall decoration, this material can be used to construct partitions, fireplace surrounds, and decorate columns and arches. In order for the surface to have the most attractive appearance, it can be opened with varnish.

A good photographic example of such a design would be a loft-style living room, where a white brick wall in the interior (with bookshelves) perfectly emphasizes this direction.

White brick wall in the interior: imitation using tiles

In order to make a realistic brick wall, you can use the technique of decorating with tiles. This could be, for example, a white brick wall in the kitchen or bathroom.

For these rooms, it is most rational to use ceramic tiles, which are most consistent with their quality characteristics. There are two types of tiles - in the form of individual bricks and a block of several rows.

With its help you can decorate not only a wall, but also a kitchen apron, fireplace surround and other architectural forms. If you decide to recreate white brick in the interior using ceramic tiles yourself, you should take into account one nuance: the gaps between its individual elements should be slightly larger than with conventional installation for greater naturalness.

“Boar” tiles in the bathroom and kitchen

A “hog” is a tile that looks like a brick, and is laid in such a way that two tiles touch where the middle of another tile in the adjacent row is. In the kitchen, you can make an apron from a “hog” (it’s easy to wash).

Cubes If you want a more brick-like look, we recommend using matte white.

White kitchen with boar tiles

White tile kitchen backsplash

The bathroom can be finished with such tiles almost completely, or by “dividing” the wall into two parts and finishing only the lower part with a “hog”. In this case, it is better to take a large square tile for the top one.

White brick wall in the interior: choosing a design style

Today, white brick in the interior of residential premises, as shown in the photo, can be found in decoration styles such as modern minimalism, high-tech, and modern. The design of rooms in rustic and Provence and country styles also welcomes the design of individual walls in this way.

A white brick wall in an interior decorated in a Scandinavian style will look light and natural, especially since the main attributes of this style are purity and elegance. This type of decoration can often be found when creating Gothic interiors.

Various interior designs by professional designers can be viewed in our photo selection.

White brick wall in the kitchen

The kitchen space can be decorated entirely with white brick or you can choose one wall for it, for example, near the dining table. White brick in the interior (photo can be found in our article) can expand the kitchen space, make it lighter and more attractive.

An original and practical solution would be to decorate the apron with tiles that imitate brickwork. It will give a clean, neat look to the work surface, and at the same time, it is quite easy to clean.

White brick in the kitchen interior will go perfectly with any textures and shades: wooden furniture, metal appliances, fabric curtains

White brick wall in a bedroom interior

White brickwork or its imitation in combination with textiles can help create a calm, romantic atmosphere in the bedroom. Quite often it is used to decorate the wall at the head of the bed, complementing it with paintings, as shown in the photo, original lamps and other decorative elements.

A white brick wall in a bedroom interior will look quite impressive if you choose the right bright textiles and contrasting furniture.

In most cases, white brick wallpaper would be appropriate in the bedroom interior (see photo in the article) or the use of decorative brick. Tiles are used much less frequently, since their reflective surface will become inappropriate in a room where you want to relax and unwind.

Along with decorative stone, white brick in the interior is increasingly gaining popularity and is turning into a mandatory element symbolizing an elite home. It serves, in a way, as an indicator of longevity and safety, while at the same time giving the room a special coziness, cleanliness and warmth.

Do-it-yourself wall decoration in an apartment in Loft style

Decorating walls in this style with your own hands is quite simple to do, since only a few types of materials are used, the installation of which does not cause any particular difficulties.
To create an imitation of an industrial old room, the following basic materials are used: 1) Plaster. The most basic option for wall decoration. It is worth giving preference to cool light and gray shades, as well as rough texture.

2) Concrete. Despite their gray severity and asceticism, concrete walls look laconic and, when properly designed, look very interesting. You can play with the difference in shades - from light gray to almost dark, and also create an unusual texture. Such walls do not take a lot of attention and serve as an ideal base for the rest of the interior.

3) Brick. Most often used as the main focal point of a room, the main brick wall is combined with other base walls - plaster or concrete. The main thing is to choose the right color scheme - aged classic red brick or a light, more comfortable option.

Decorative stone imitating brick is used for interior decoration. Be sure to study the installation instructions or invite a tiler.

4) Tree. In addition to flooring, wood can also be used as an option for wall decoration, for example, the head of a bed in a bedroom. Wooden flooring is suitable for living rooms and bedrooms, as it helps to dilute the severity of other materials. It is recommended to use ready-made wooden panels or parquet to decorate the walls. They can be attached to guides or liquid nails.

5) Metal. Metal plates are also suitable for decorating some part of the walls, making them accentuated. This way you can cover built-in cabinets, use it as a backsplash in the kitchen or for walls in the bathroom. Metal elements can also be present in the form of various pipes, beams and similar external elements that give an industrial atmosphere.

6) Glass. Instead of walls, you can use glass partitions; they will leave a feeling of open space, but will allow you to delimit zones.

Use only special tempered glass or triplex glass; they are safe for residential premises.

It is not recommended to use other materials, except in cases where they imitate the above materials, for example, voluminous brick wallpaper.

Interior panels

Industrial-style decorative wall panels make it easy to create an imitation of concrete, stone, brick walls, rusty metal and other aged surfaces.
The advantage of this material is that you don’t have to worry about finishing, creating a texture or aging it, laying bricks according to a ruler, and so on. You just need to install the panels on the frame and the design is ready.

What wall color is allowed

The most commonly used are cool colors. Black and white, gray shades predominate. They should become the basis for the rest of the interior, be it concrete, plaster, brick, and so on. And as bright accents there are brick red, blue and light blue shades, as well as green details to create coziness. Such bright spots can create an interesting contrast effect.

This contrast effect is also used throughout the room, meaning one wall should be different from the rest. This allows you to place accents and zone the space.

Brick wall in the interior: What to make it from and what to combine it with

Real brick

In an apartment, this is an ideal find for those who do not want to spend money on renovations, and at the same time strive to preserve the history of the house.

There is no need to be afraid of old walls or labor-intensive work; clearing away traces of history is quite simple and can be done on your own. The raw brick must be cleaned of salt stains, dirt and dust, sanded and smoothed out, then coated with water-based varnish, and the spectacular wall is ready.

MORE PHOTOS...
Red brick in the interior - 25 more examples of use

Brick look tiles

It is also called brick veneer - fans of smooth masonry will like it. The decorative tiles in this photo give the interior an atmosphere of light recklessness and a rock and roll mood. Installing it is quite simple, and you don’t really need to take care of such a wall: just wipe the lining with a damp cloth.

Brick wallpaper

This is a finishing option for those who are afraid of the cold surface and pronounced texture of real brick. It is not necessary to wallpaper the entire wall; it can be just one fragment or several repetitions in different parts of the apartment.

The color palette of such wallpaper is varied: bricks are printed in shades of ocher-terracotta, gray, black, white and bright colors. Caring for them is also easy: wipe them with a semi-dry sponge or brush from time to time.

MORE PHOTOS...
Brick wallpaper - 101 more examples of use in the interior

Illustration: Decorative brick in the interior - photo from a loft room

Let's now understand the styles

Naturally, brickwork looks great in the interior of a loft (real or imitation) and most often becomes a key decorative detail throughout the entire room, including even the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.

Romance

We are used to hearing and thinking that brickwork stylization works to create a brutal atmosphere. But brick laid in rows can create a romantic mood in a room.

You just need to add the right light, choose colors and shades of textiles, and the industrial interior will be transformed into a romantic one.

Pop Art

Against the backdrop of brick walls - this is a real challenge! Only open and emotional people would dare to create an interior in this style.

But there is no need to be afraid of color experiments: we create a rich contrasting range in the room. Lightly whitewashed brick and a bright sofa will complement each other wonderfully.

Alternatively, it could be yellow chairs, a green table or any other bright color. This cheerful combination can be enhanced with the help of texture play.

For example, rough brick and a sofa upholstered in velor.

Expert opinion

Romanova Ksenia Petrovna

Interior design expert and fabric store manager

Gothic or neo-Gothic

The style is not for everyone, but it is not necessary to immerse all the rooms in the house in the gloomy atmosphere of late medieval castles.

You can “play the Middle Ages” in just one of the interiors - or even just on one wall, decorating it with uneven rows of brickwork. It’s even better to combine several installation methods, this will create the feeling that the wall has been laid out, finished and redone for centuries.

Wooden beams on the ceiling, antique furniture and tapestries are not necessary, but they will complement the desired atmosphere and mood.

Ethnics

In combination with brickwork, this is another expressive and effective way to enliven the interior, remove unnecessary severity from it and soften the harsh industrial character.

Ocher brick goes well with the bright, rich colors of African, Asian or Latin American fabrics, carpets, and ceramics.

So feel free to hang and arrange souvenirs and artifacts brought from long trips in your room.

How to make imitation brickwork with your own hands

Imitating a brick wall is a fashionable way of interior decoration. You can do it yourself, following the step-by-step instructions.

Imitation brickwork

You will need:

• Primer.
• Plaster.
• Tile adhesive
• Spatula or special gloves for applying the solution.
• Cardboard or linoleum for creating a blank.
• Skin.
• Narrow masking tape.
• Acrylic paint.
• Brush or foam sponge.

Marking

First of all, you need to prepare the walls for further construction work. Clean the surface: remove the wallpaper, level the wall, smooth the surface using sandpaper.

After this, make a brick model. To do this, you can use either a piece of linoleum or cardboard. Standard size is 25x6.5 centimeters. On the sketch, it is necessary to mark the seams and mark indents of one and a half centimeters along the entire perimeter of the model from the outside. Make another seam in the middle to create an imitation of a brick consisting of two halves.

Models of bricks can be made from ordinary cardboard

IMPORTANT: you need to start laying out from the bottom - from the floor, gradually moving upward. This will make your work easier

From below you need to retreat about 10 centimeters. After this, use a simple pencil to outline the first corner “brick”. You need to start with this area, because it is the most difficult to make accurate markings on it. Then move to the edges, gradually moving towards the center of the wall.

Primer

The next step in creating an imitation brick wall is the primer. You can take any product, with the exception of concrete contact. It is diluted in the usual way indicated on the label. Using a roller, apply the solution to the wall. This must be done so that the imitation is strong and clear. Don't worry about the markings: they will remain in the same place.

Primer of walls

Application of the solution

Apply masking tape at the joints of the bricks. It is recommended to start with horizontal lines and then move on to vertical ones. The sticker must be overlapped.

IMPORTANT! Protect the floor with old newspapers or film. A solution for simulating bricks is prepared from plaster and tile adhesive in a one-to-one ratio

The mortar to imitate bricks is prepared from plaster and tile adhesive in a one-to-one ratio.

Using a spatula, apply the resulting solution to the wall. You can also do this with your hands, but do not forget to wear special construction gloves. The layer thickness should be within five millimeters.

Applying mortar to the wall

Using masking tape

Find the ends of the masking tape and pull them. Thanks to this, the space between the “bricks” is cleared. This must be done quickly, immediately after you have applied the solution to the wall. If you hesitate a little, you won’t be able to remove the tape. It is for this reason that gypsum is not used to make an imitation brick wall yourself (it hardens within a few minutes).

Finishing

If you applied the solution unevenly, you can give the imitation the required shape using a chisel, spatula or an ordinary tablespoon.

In this video you will learn 5 ways to apply brick-like decor, from the simplest to the most complex.

Painting

Sand the “bricks” to get rid of sharp corners on which clothing may later cling. Clean the wall surface. To do this, remove construction dust using a broom or brush. Prime the wall again. Walk not only along the “bricks”, but also along the seams between them. Then you can proceed directly to the painting process. Apply acrylic paint with a sponge to give the resulting wall a more natural color.

REFERENCE. After the paint has dried, you can age it a little. To do this, use a dry brush with gold paint to walk over the surface of the resulting imitation.

You need to choose the color of the walls based on your preferences. The only rule, perhaps, is that the color of the seams should be at least a few shades lighter than the color of the masonry, otherwise it will seem that a large amount of dirt has accumulated there.

The color of the seams should differ by several shades

To create the most cozy interior possible, use traditional red paint. If you want to expand the space, then give preference to light shades - white, milky, light blue, pink. You can also use dark colors, but they should be used in the interior in doses so as not to turn the room into a kind of gloomy crypt.

After reading our separate article, you can find out what a loft style should look like in white.

Watch the video on how to make a brick wall from plaster with your own hands.