Popularity of brick interiors is a reminder - people love being around brick!

Clay brick has been the go-to choice for beautiful, durable, functional buildings for centuries, but we in the Brick Industry tend to start from the outside as we list brick’s many virtues. When it comes to old brick buildings with thick, load-bearing perimeter walls that expose brick to the interior spaces, we say, “Oh, and it looks great on the inside, too.”

But brick is becoming so popular on building interiors that its good looks and functionality inside the building can no longer be considered just a side benefit. It’s now very nearly the main attraction. Consider the conversion of warehouses and urban industrial buildings to commercial and multi-family uses over the last 30 years or so. What do you think of when you picture these properties in use? Rugged, exposed brick interior walls, right?

But not every restaurant, coffee shop, pub, or apartment can claim to be part of a historic building conversion (check out this fun article from Apartment Therapy on “hard” vs. “soft” lofts), so designers are intentionally bringing brick inside purely for its aesthetic rather than as a structural necessity.

Recent advances in thin brick and its accompanying installation systems are making interior brick easier and more affordable than ever. Thin brick can go where full brick is impractical, and using the two together (so long as both are genuine, fired clay) can authentically deliver the look of traditional brick work, even at corners, transitions, and other points of detail that otherwise might betray the look.

Want to see more photos of brick interiors? Check out “264 Best Interior Brickwork Images of 2019” on Pinterest.