Design a Chic Modern Space Around a Brick Accent Wall

When you think of brick walls you typically think of lofts, country homes, maybe even bungalows. But brick walls are now used in a variety of spaces as faux and accent walls, and even to bring some charm into more modern spaces. That’s exactly what we have to show you here — two designers who have made their modern and sleek spaces a bit more characteristic with exposed brick walls. As we often talk about on here, opposites attract. So whether you’ve got brick walls in your space, or you’re thinking of adding an accent wall, browse these spaces and get inspired and see what makes these spaces work.

Visualizer: Maks Marukhin

While the brick walls are that characteristically red, muddy, and warm color, the rest of the space is offset in cool grays to contrast. By not totally playing into the warm color of the wall, it helps it stand out and makes the space feel less dated.

The dark brick wall pops against all that natural light surrounding it. When you have a brick wall, make sure to find ways to help it stand out. Whether that’s having it next to some bright windows or set against light colored walls, it should contrast.

This space is divided up beautifully. The white airy kitchen pops with all that natural light flowing in, and from the darker more neutral living room you’re eye is drawn right into that space.

We’re obsessed with these deep blue walls. The color has gray undertones, and the eggshell finish gives it just enough sheen. The blue looks incredible against that red brick, and really ties in well with the grays of the living space.

Warm and cool tones collide in this entryway. The built in closets pop against the brick, but match the tiles and ashy wood floors which flow into the rest of the space.

Talk about focal piece. This art isn’t just big, it’s bold. It’s framed beautifully on a large scale wall, and lit up with proper lighting.

The skylight also brings in some beautiful light to the space, making it feel less stark.

If you have the luxury of such a big hallway, do it right. Don’t neglect this space, or treat it like dead space. Brighten it up with artwork, good lighting, and give it your own flare.

Built ins are a great storage solution, and their customizability means you can have them not only fit your space perfectly, but reflect the rest of the design like they’ve done here.

These open shelves add a bit of personality to this corner. If you’re designing your own builtins consider adding a detail like this to display some of your treasures.

Once again you can see this brilliant blue color. It’s colorful yet neutral, and a great example of how to bring some muted color into your own space.

From here you can see how they’ve tied in the gray from the living space into the kitchen. Not only is the gray in the chairs and light fixtures, but it’s in the cabinets too, which really pop against all that white and marble.

Skylights are found again in the kitchen — as if this space doesn’t have enough light already! Skylights don’t have to be those big square port-holes of the 90’s. Today you can get them sleek and long, or really any shape you need to reflect the rest of your space.

The marble countertops and backsplash add a much needed organic feel to the space.

Visualizer: IQOSA

This next space is just as modern and sleek, but plays on the warmer tones within the brick walls.

They’ve done this by using a beige color pallet, with warm grays also construed throughout the space. This living area feels both cozy and modern.

This stone accent wall is a great contrast to the brick — it’s slick, cool colored, and the texture is inverted. It mirrors the brick wall and adds some nice dimension to the space.

The beige couch picks up on the warm undertones of the brick without totally enhancing the reds and brown within it. To make the bricks seem less red, don’t use surrounding colors that have red undertones themselves.

Check out that kitchen! The ashy wood used for the cabinets works wonderfully with the gray in the rest of the space, as well as the beige rug and couch in the living room.

While this space boasts tons of natural light, they’ve decided to make this space feel cozier by adding these darker and sheer curtains. This allows all that natural light to come streaming in, but at the same time gives the homeowners a chance to cozy up and watch a movie in the dark.

From the kitchen you can really see how that natural light from the open dining room really lights the entire space. That stark white corner really pops against the rest of the warm space.

The kitchen continues this cozy, chic, and modern feel with a concrete cascading countertop island and those ashy and dark gray countertops. Plus, they’ve incorporated the brick right into the kitchen, totally tying the two spaces together.

From the kitchen you can really see these cool and warm colors collide. And while they may contrast, they flow together perfectly. So don’t be afraid to mix and match in your own space. The key is to keep colors with similar undertones together, and work around one singular focal, like the brick wall.

Check out those light fixtures! They look as though they’ve been drawn into the space. Lighting is a great opportunity to add some flare to your space, especially over the kitchen island.

This floating built in desk is both brilliant and functional. It’s got all the storage you need without taking up too much precious space.

If you’ve got the height, a canopy bed is a great way to accentuate your tall ceilings. Plus, the dark wood looks amazing against all that light colored wood on both the floors and lining the walls.

This house is full of accent walls! With plans on the left and stucco on the right, the bedroom plays into the same warm vs. cool contrast strewn throughout the home.

Wouldn’t you fancy curling up there at night? The way the bed builds up like a wedding cake is both fantastic and stunning, and once again the mix of cool grays and warm beiges totally compliment one another.

You can really see the stucco wall from here. Notice how they’ve illuminated it from the top — don’t be afraid to further accent your accent walls. Do whatever it takes to keep them the focal point!

The wonderfully warm and dark colors in the bathroom make it the perfect place to wash away the day.

The large steam shower is enclosed in just glass so that you can easily admire the rest of the space.

Tiles are a great way to add a bit of flare to your bathroom. You don’t have to be so natural, or so colorful. Try a neutral tile with a subtle pattern like these to give your space a bit more dimension and chicness without going overboard.