Or how about tips on not drilling into brick...I'm a renter with exposed brick and wasn't interested in damaging the brick, or the likelihood of getting my security deposit back, so I found these at my local hardware store. I think any city hardware store would have them, especially around the holidays for wreath hanging. They span the face of the brick and snug into the grout lines for tension. Work great.

http://www.amazon.com/Brick-Clip-Clips-Onto-Interior/dp/B000UI7SXO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1274287640&sr=8-3

Pic #9 isn't brick - It's stone
(And it's perfectly lovely)

Painted brick wall is uncool. It desecrates the natural beauty of bricks. I don't know, it's just me...

I am hoping to uncover an orphaned chimney when we redo kitchen and upstairs bathroom. I know its there, its just a matter of what condition it is in.

Natural, unpainted brick is so classic and warm. It adds such interest to a space -- I'd love to have a wall of it in a home.

Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net

I agree with ComfortSeeker. Painted brick is an abomination!

So interesting to read the thoughts on painted brick...I just saw my neighbor's place and she painted her brick wall white, and I thought that it made the place look so clean and simple. But my husband vetoed immediately and said he loves the traditional brick color.

Once you paint it, there's no going back!

my apartment has a whole wall of exposed brick and i hate it. it is just the opposite of chic.

I love brick painted white, it's perfect.

"Once you paint it, there's no going back!"

Unless you enjoy the art of sandblasting...

It guess painted or not depends on the style of your place. And even though this post is about interiors, I will say that living in DC I love to see a block of row homes with painted brick over non-painted. Blocks without the paint appear so monolithic, drab and cold. And you can remove the paint, but it is costly and uses harsh chemicals.

I'm going to be painting two exposed brick walls in my house this summer. They were born with the house in a way, but meant to be covered up with plaster (which someone sometime before me removed). I can't afford to re-plaster, so I'm going with paint.

I used to think painted brick was an abomination, too, but now I love the way it looks and am really looking forward to the transformation.

We have a ton of exposed brick in our new apartment. It's newly sandblasted when we moved in. It's a little dusty/crumbly and I'm wondering if there is any coating to apply to keep it looking pure but without the crumbs? Maybe some mat-finish polyurethane? Any thoughts?

If I may delve further into this topic... painted brick suggests to me that the person who painted it did not appreciate the brick and that they'd (inconceivably) actually rather have a regular (boring) wall. In which case I'd jealously think, "Ah! I'd kill to even have half a brick wall, and here you are painting over one!" I just love the vibe that exposed brick conjures up: cozy, warm, industrial, a bit bohemian, classic. Trying to see the other side, I can understand how exposed red bricks do not always complement everyone's desired motif. But I can't help the bad gut feeling I have when I see them painted over.

Theres only one thing worse then painting over the brick, putting sheet rock over it! I just moved into a converted industrial space and while it has the beautiful high ceilings, arched windows, and exposed duct work, the geniuses decided it was a good idea to cover the beautiful brick.

Sometimes I feel like breaking out the box cutter...

I love, love, love painted brick! Unfinished brick is just dark and generates a lot of dust. Painted brick retains the fantastic texture while allowing for a color that works in the rest of the space.
When I moved into my last apartment, I had dark unfinished industrial sized brick which was never intended to be part of a residential space. My entire apartment was dark and overwhelming with all that brick. I painted it white and the space suddenly felt twice the size.

The only brick shown here is industrial loft or cottage-y brick which always looks good and makes sense. I am living with 50s rancher brick. Our office used to be a porch that was closed in sometime in the 70s. The brick was too red, and the room didn't flow with the rest of the house.

It looks so great now that it is painted and doesn't scream "oh look, a closed-in porch."

My husband and I close on a brick colonial house in upper NW DC.

I'm planning on painting it a medium shade of grey. A lot of homes in the area are painted brick, so it won't stand out.

I can't wait!

I think brick is cool even when its painted. There are many painted row, cape cod and cottage style houses around DC that look great.

I love brick. I just moved into a loft where my whole main wall is exposed brick and fantastic windows. It makes my loft feel so cozy.

1. Brick should never be sandblasted. It removes the hard outer surface and exposes the soft inner surface, which crumbles and eventually erodes away.
2. There is something you can spray/paint over exposed interior brick to seal it, and it isn't visible at all once dry. Poke around on the web and you'll find it.

Aren't exterior brick walls cold, drafty, and even humid? I'm thinking about removing the lath and plaster behind my bed because I love the color and texture of the historic brick, but I bet plaster does more than look pretty (or not pretty)

I agree with Sugarbakers, the brick in the pictures is all very interesting looking brick. There are types of brick that are pretty ugly.

It is hard for me to imagine ever preferring any kind of brick painted over unpainted. I think an unwanted brick surface should be covered with drywall. Better yet, move out and let somebody who appreciates the brick get a chance!

If I have to move to place that doesn't have exposed brick, I'm seriously thinking about installing a brick facade. But it just won't feel the same.

I would never paint over any of the brick in those pictures, but most of the brick I've seen does NOT look like that. Try really scrape-y, textured, taupe, or speckled brick from the 70's.

We have a small brick hearth made of hideous red bricks. It is ugly as sin and has to go. It will be painted as soon as we tackle that particular room.

The bricks above (both painted and exposed) are divine. If ours looked like any of the pics above I would be very well pleased.

There are bricks and there are bricks.

Ugh, I have a non-functioning fireplace in my bedroom that the previous owners started putting facade brick on. They didn't do a very good job making it look at all realistic: there are color variations that were not mixed together so it's clear when they started using a different kind. They also didn't finish-- there's no grout, just this black stuff behind all the bricks. I have no idea what to do with it-- I don't know what's underneath it, and even if that was decent, I don't know if I can get all this stuff off. I'm thinking I'll have to grout and paint.

You know what I think? I think it doesn't matter. Painted brick... no painted brick. It's an "abomination"... really? An abomination? I mean, really... seriously. It's right up there with murder? Oh and you see an painted brick wall and think the person's boring. That's your meter of judging a person? "Excuse me, but let me see your walls, I'd like to see if you HAVE A PAINTED BRICKS." I love reading these comments because some of you are so full of yourself. Take a step back and realize that you are debating PAINTED BRICKS.

Whether the mortar is crumbling or not, an old brick wall produces a lot of dust. I had a friend who had to leave a gorgeous rental because the bricks walls were giving him major breathing problems. I'm sure a newly bricked wall would be easier on the lungs (but not the eyes!) Perhaps if the mortar was in good enough shape you could vacuum it regularly.
If I had a brick wall that needed to be tuck pointed, I would patch it up and paint it. I absolutely love the look of painted bricks. Those saying it's an abomination to do so probably hesitate over painting paint-grade wood too.

Exposed bricks are nice as long as they don't overwhelm the space. They should only serve as accent walls. Look at Pic#2 and #4. They look good with the white smooth wall.

Either way is fine as long as you like it. Painted brick gives a nice texture under a color, and exposed brick can add warmth and coziness. Who cares as long as it suits you?

i love exposed brick. painted or unpainted dosent matter - i just like the look, and the texture it adds to a room. about 6 years ago i lived in an apartment with 2 brick walls (it was a corner unit) and i loved it. now i am getting ready to move into a house with an exposed brick wall in the finished basement, and i am PUMPED!

katea23, I love you.

Yeah, it's true. There are bricks and there are bricks. The brick fireplace in my apartment is made of cheap builder's grade brick. Yuck. On another AT post, someone said that hot glue works on brick (and that it's the only thing that will.) I'm currently looking for beautiful paper or lightweight fabric or anything that I can hot glue to the brick to make a false front. I might even try balsa wood or some other lightweight rigid surface -- maybe foam-core?

I love exposed brick but sadly don't have any in my home. I especially love the pic with the white headboard! FeeFee
http://feefeern.wordpress.com/