apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I agree - exposed brick can be beautiful and really give a place some character but for some odd reason, your exposed wall sticks out like a sore thumb. Maybe it's because the exposed wall is already sticking out (to make way for the chimney) and to have it in exposed brick form is just overdoing it. Paint it white for a more modern look.

While I have no opinion on your brick, Robin, I LOVE your ear poster! (I'm an audiology student.) Tell me it's not vintage and one-of-a-kind?? I already have the vintage biology class 3-D model of an ear that would go great with it!

Jeni_Rae

usually i'm all for exposed brick but as you describe it, it sounds like it would be better off painted white. it sounds as if you have put a great deal of time and effort into trying to solve the problem and maybe it's time to paint.

p.s.
love the artwork of the inner ear over the fireplace.

Why don't you hang some fabric infront of it? Not in a cheap way, but perhaps you could cover it in a white curtain, a la Phillipe Stark?

Thank god somebody understands that exposed brick is just awful! If seen enough of it, and - as I mentioned in a few Small Cool contest entries that had way too much brick - it has looong ago ceased to charm me. Not only does it generally crumble and require upkeep, but it has an awful color combo that's hard to work with.

Paint it.

The "If" above should have been "I've"!

I might have a pig to match your other ceramic animal heads. I'll check around in my garage this weekend. Email me if you want it iloveupstate (at) gmail.com

another option to painting the brick is creating a false shell that covers the btick and can be removed( if the landlord is so against painting it)- use a medite (very thin particle board) on a frame of 1x2 inch framing so it is not too heavy-paint it like the walls or a contrast color, and even keep the opening to the hearth- you could even add a small mantle to the top!!I would attach it to the back wall with small brackets, just enough to keep it from falling forward!!
BB

You should definitely paint that brick white, it is horrible as is and your place is trying very hard to be cheery and happy. I love your art by the way.

I am always mystified why people ask their landlords if they can paint. How long do you plan to live in your place? If you are going to live there for a while, you need to be happy, so paint it. I once painted the brick white in one of my apartments without telling my landlord. It was such a vast improvement because I did it right. That's the key. Whenever you do a repair, don't be sloppy like many landlords are. Do it right. If you do it right, he will be impressed and he will thank you, as did my landlords when I moved out.

In another place, I lost part of my security deposit because I took down horrible ugly blinds and repaired the beautiful trim that they had nailed them to. The landlord was furious and took part of my deposit. I was there for two years, so it was worth losing part of my deposit not to have to look at those ugly blinds.

So ask yourself if you're going to be there awhile. If you are, do it. Do it right. He will thank you when he sees the result.

It's just my humble opinion, but that rug is way to dreary for your upbeat personality as well. Rugs are tricky, though, because they are so horribly priced. Can you replace it? I think you need something much funkier. Last time I looked Target had some really cute fresh rugs.

Good luck! I hope we see an after post.

Sorry, p.s. - check out the great blog Desire to Inspire. I am sure I've seen many pictures with the brick painted white.

Honestly, I'm totally with bball on the false shell idea. And you paint the false shell as white as you please, and actually, if you make it out of MDF, it will paint as flawlessly as sheetrock.

A further advantage of bball's suggestion to built a false wood shell around the brick is that you can much more easily hang things on it, hide wires behind it, and so on. That's what I'd do, to keep everyone happy and also to have a really nice smooth surface in your living space.

Tivo the "Designed to Sell" series on HGTV. It's on every night so that gives you a whole bunch of material to fast-forward through looking for ideas!

"Designed to Sell" has at least a couple shows a week where they do something to or with exposed brick and a lot of options are more creative and attractive than plain old boring white (to me anyway). And they do this with a really tight budget so it's pretty reasonable stuff.

Anyway it might give you some ideas.

i don't like the condition of the exposed brick, but i do like the arrangements of the brick around the opening of the fireplace. would you maybe want to do something interesting with the color to go with the texture that will leave behind? maybe paint it in a contrasting color that matches your palette?

I was going to suggest covering the brick, but it looks like bball and Curtis beat me to it.

Can you do the BDDW treatment to already-painted brick?

i was once in a restaurant in Frankfurt that had beautiful walls that i remember as being many tones of orange and pink and very textural. when i went to take a close look at it, i saw it was a brick wall painted with a very thin layer of white that let the colors come through in a muted way. i'd love to figure out how to do this in my apartment.

To the person who's mystified why people ask their landlords if they can paint...it's the landlord's property, and it's usually in the lease that the place has to be returned in the same shape as it was accepted. If not, the deposit is not refunded.

Personally, I'd want to murder someone that painted over the woodwork and floors that I so lovingly stripped, but I'd have to settle for keeping their deposit. It wouldn't cover the cost of getting the work done.

It's a different design dilemma when the stripping job is poorly executed, or they use bad shiny sealant,
but it's still a matter of ephemeral fashion and personal taste as to whether something looks better painted or not.

Wow everyone! Thanks for all of the helpful comments so far. You are all so great for helping us with this problem and I'm glad that you agree that this particular instance of exposed brick is um, problematic.

While we would definitely prefer to paint (easier, less expensive, etc.), the shell option is a good one. It's something that we've considered, but have relegated to a "plan b" for now, since we like the texture of the brick, just not the colour. If we do have to go with the shell, I will definitely be adding some texture, probably via Graham & Brown's line of paintables (http://www.grahambrown.com/us/store/viewCategory.do?id=2135849)

jeni_rae: Sadly, the ear poster is an eBay find. I bought it from a seller named "ebohn." I believe he's had some others in the past, so it may be worth contacting him to see if he has any lying about.

peggy: Thanks for the desire to inspire tip. I like that blog a lot as well, and have already bookmarked a few photos from the site for the presentation that I am putting together. I can sort of see what you're saying about the rug,based on the pictures, but it really does work in person, and it is a treasured, beautifully made family piece. I think it will look a little more "lightened up" once the bricks are covered.

Again, thank you so all so much.

I too was thinking of the fabric idea. you could get some white fabric and pin it up at the top, use some white painted wooden rods in the crevices where the fireplace meets the wall, so that fabric is form fitting. Pair that with a cool looking fireplace screen and you wouldnt know it was there.

I would wallpaper foam core with a gorgeous pattern and suspend it from the ceiling, flush against the fireplace, with eye hooks and sturdy, clear, string. Or build a surround out of foam core and paper that.

Holly

Oh and I have to add that you're taking the right step by drafting up everything (in writing is SO important) and presenting it as a pro to the landlord. This is great. Make sure everything is detailed, specific, and signed & dated. Take "before" pictures and attach them to the contract.

Don't do what I did once and think you and your landlord are BFF's and that his verbal is enough. In my case, and this was several years ago, I was taken to small claims court for painting a nasty paneled wall in my apartment. Sure, I made it look like it was drywalled and painted (no seams showing at all). I did a beautiful job and it took me days. But in the end, he took me to court because he was in need of cash and knew the law better than I did at that time, that without anything in writing, he'd win. And he did. That was a lot of money lost because I went by his verbal approval. Beware!

I've been a lurker for a while, but this one was enough to get me to register and post.

I say paint that sucker. My boyfriend and I moved into a ranch style home that had recently been flipped. Beautiful hardwood floors had just been installed. However, they left the most heinous fireplace. Not only was it horribly ugly, it wasnt even real! The fireplace at home time was fake wood paneling, and then had then later been covered up by fake brick!! We werent sure what to do with it. We are going to tear it down and put up a slate fireplace with a gas insert... however that just isnt in the budget just yet.

So on a whim, i took some leftover "cocoa" colored paint and slapped a coat on. The change has been amazing!... we are no longer in a hurry to rip the fireplace down and now enjoy this room.

Check out the pictures here

Before:
http://flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/405378369/
http://flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/433897723/

In progress - first coat of paint. Also took down the leaning mantle.
http://flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/443169137/

Mostly finished... Not a very picture quality
http://flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/494999321/

Out house is a giant work in progress... but at least we can live with the fireplace for a while!

My final vote! PAINT!!!

it takes quite alot of nerve and lack of consideration to make permanent changes to SOMEONE ELSE'S property. If someone painted property that I owned against my wishes, I would do more than keep their deposit, I'd sue them.

Fairly irrelevant since this is a rental, but that fireplace would have had a (probably gorgeous) wood mantle surround originally. That was ripped out for whatever reason, and the plaster chipped off above it, leaving this brick. It was never meant to be exposed. The mortar work was done roughly because they knew it would be plastered, and the act of taking off the plaster removes the glaze from the brick, leaving it porous (which someone has tried to remedy here with shellac or something). Since it's not yours, it's not worth trying to locate a salvaged mantle and properly repair the damage that's been done. Paint it. And always remember: it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.

I don't really know what I think about the brick, but I love your art in the corner--the pink pig, the jade plant, all the white heads on the wall, and the torso are awesome! I'm staring at the picture, trying to learn how to be that interesting and stylish.

I also concur with those who say don't paint without permission--maybe 4 times out of 10 the landlord will not care, 5 more times out of 10 he'll keep your deposit, and that one last time he'll sue you for more than your deposit and you will be very sad.

Again, thanks so much to everyone for your comments! I'm so glad that you like the art, Jenny in DC. It's always a work in progress :)

ColumbusOh, As I mentioned in the initial submission, I'm using this thread as a part of a presentation to my landlord to convince him to give us permission to paint. I want to show him that a lot of savvy people recommend that the brick be painted and that it would enhance the appearance of the apartment. I'm doing it out of respect for his property and our rental agreement (and, while we're at it, my checking account and aesthetic sensibilities).

Hidees13, you did a lovely job transforming that room. What a difference!

I believe ColumbusOH was responding to Peggy, who obviously believes she has the right to possibly ruin someone else's property because it does not suit HER aesthetic. You should always ask permission, or as I see it, put yourself in the other person's place and show the respect that you would want them to show you.

Esh. I have seen the sealed brick in many an apartment. It is icky. If you do paint it, it is a sure thing that the next tenant will bemoan the painted brick. "Why didn't they leave well enough alone" -- so you might want to save some closeups of the glossy yellow shellac for them.

There is a guy at the Chelsea Flea Market who sells old medical illustrations and a shop on Atlantic Avenue (towards Sahadis) that sells them. If you have an eagle eye, you'll see them being thrown out from time to time. My fiance wouldn't let me scavenge a whole heap of french history maps and timelines, or I'd be offering those to you right this very second.

I think you'll have the best luck going through some of the other eye candy design blogs and snagging photos of well done white bricks so you can show your landlord how classy they can be.

bird and beef,
I think your approach in dealing with your landlord is excellent. It was the various suggestions to you to ignore your landlord's wishes and paint anyway that I was commenting on.

I hope you can convince him! I like the look of painted brick
and it would certainly improve your space.

If you can't, take a look at the top two pictures on this link:
http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/1032509965012191838UdmPVh

They are a before/after from a famous episode of Trading Spaces where Doug built the same kind of fireplace 'shell' suggested here. The woman hated it and walked off crying, though her mic stayed open and you could hear her sobbing as her husband kept saying "She's not happy...She's not happy"

I LOVE your home!

I agree that the fireplace would look better painted. I lived for twelve years with an awful dark wood paneled alcove in my living room. Everyone told me not to paint it because I would "regret it later." Yes, I agree that the wood itself was beautiful, but it was a cave. I'm actually in the process of painting it, and even with only the primer coat on it, it already looks better. I wish I'd done it years ago. I hope your landlord gives you his blessing.

Can you tell me about the white ceramic animal heads? I'm lusting after them.

I must be totally in the minority, but I love your exposed brick. Your ear-chart wouldn't look HALF as good on a white brick wall. I'm with the people who are voting for a floor-to-ceiling curtain, if you totally can't live with it.

Then again i have a pile of charts like this and they do look much better on colored walls rather than white.

I also think white painted brick is mostly hideous. I think the only thing that even might be possible to do (and would be a big job) is to sandblast that shellac off, back to the original brick color.

also, you could buy 2" edge molding and run it up the sides to cover that not-so-clean joint between the wall and the brick.

hey, also, you have a 'fireplace'--what would your landlord say to installing a 'mantel' (shelf) on it? a really plain shelf (a la ikea lack) in wood or white would look great.

Hmm... best of both worlds? Take bball and Curtis' advice and box-in the TOP part of the brick wall a portion of the sides and mock-in a new fireplace surround w/ mantle out of wood. You really don't need to be that handy. Stain the wood a warm honey brown (similar to floors but a bit lighter/darker: not too matchy-matchy) and you've got yourself a great display mantle and have reduced the brick exposure to something less er... garish and can show off the nice brick pattern around the opening.

Thanks ColumbusOh,
I figured that was what you were commenting on, but I wanted to make my intentions crystal clear, just in case my landlord misunderstood as he read this :) I saw that Trading Spaces episode! I busted out laughing when she threw that conniption, and then immediately felt bad that I was was deriving so much amusement from someone else's unhappiness. I'm still waiting for some karmic retribution on that.

Scout - I'm so glad that you like the animal heads! Whenever I have friends over, the first thing they do (after a hug and a glass of wine) is a head-check to see if there are any new additions. The collection started about a year ago when Sam and I were driving back to NY from a friend's wedding in Charlotte, NC. We stopped at a junk store in VA, near the caverns, and acquired the big and little cow heads. Since then, I've added to the collection via eBay (with the exception of the alabaster deer head, which came from the Curiosity Shoppe.) It's hard to find non-farm animals, and I think that the collection will be complete if I ever find a raccoon head. We had a big problem with raccoons breaking into our apartment when we first moved in, and I would love to have one of their heads up there as a warning to any other would-be intruders.

If you want to start your own collection, a search on eBay for "ceramic head" will usually yield something. Be forewarned, though: "ceramic head" queries tend to yield a lot of crazy/ugly/scary. Good luck!

Can we get a house tour? I really like your style and would love to see more of your place.

Another minority opinion here, opposed to painting the brick white. My first choice would be to remove (strip, scrape or blast off) the shellac and get back to true brick, then invisibly seal it. Second choice would be a less stark and obvious paint color to compliment your decor, perhaps a warm gray or neutral tone grabbed from the ear art. Third choice, a flat whitewash that allows the bricki-ness to show through.

Choice three may be the best compromise all around. If you use a thin, water-based wash, it's likely that can be scrubbed off when it's time to leave. Meanwhile, it'll brighten the fireplace and mask the shellac's shinyness.

i also really like the brick. it's the rug i don't dig.... a bit too harsh in its redness, whereas the rest of your room has lovely, subdued tones.

don't have any concrete suggestions about dealing with the fireplace, but i vote for team not-painting-the-brick-white.

Another option-I don't like white paint either. You will lose a very important focal point by doing that. Another idea is to use a paint remover like Liquid Sandpaper to remove the shellac. Just put the Liquid Sandpaper on, and then wipe it off. Repeat until the paint is gone. It is not toxic and a joy to work with. Then restore the fireplace brick by brick with a paint similar in color to the bricks. Use a sponge to carefully paint each brick, while avoiding the seams. You may want to restore the seams the same way with a cement colored paint. Never use a brush. Always work carefully with a piece of sponge and dab at the brick. You don't want a completely uniform look. I think once you get a clean look to your fireplace, you will like it a lot better. The best part of this is it won't cost much money, but is very labor intensive.

anyone remember the famous Trading Spaces where they painted this gay couple's newly stripped and refinished woodwork all white.....I thought they were going to kill the designer and wouldn't be surprised if the show was sued!!!! Not a happy ending there!!!So beware, not everybody likes the idea of painted woodwork/brick
BB

do tell, what was the final result of the presentation to landlord??

i waited 3 years to paint a little wall aubergine in my last apt - ridiculous. paint on walls, totally remediable, whyever not? in my new rental, facing same decision on brick fireplace surround. and it's nudged up into primary corner of the space, sucking the light away from light-ish hardwood floors. but alas, the decision is not mine to make.

i'm guessing.. removed the shellac and white-washed? if so, what white-wash used, and is it removable? (boy, i need to pay attn! may was forever ago..)

oh.. and the resolve thus far for me has been to indugle in white framed artwork, mini shelf, etc. seems the only fresh, harmonious choice against the already slightly white-washed alternating bricks, my place.

me thinks the removable white-wash, post-shellac-removal would look great w/inner ear in robin and sam's place. i think it's possible to actually grow tired of the opaque white on brick, on such a large wall. dunno. update?