Rustic Charm :: Exposed Brick

November 15, 2012 Jessica Moseley Gordon

via Canadian House and Home

I have a thing for exposed brick. It's not everyone's thing - it doesn't appeal to everyone, but then again, what does? I love its rustic appeal. It's not fussy, nor is it complicated. It's almost extraordinarily simple. I love the warmth that exposed brick brings. I love the textures and the colors...

When I see images of exposed brick I think of the old pre-war brownstones in Boston's Back Bay area, or the artsy lofts of downtown Manhattan. When I was looking for my new home last Spring I had a laundry list of what I wanted... a porch or large deck, fairly large back yard, eat-in-kitchen, large living room, and a fireplace. I never imagined to add exposed brick to that list. After all, in Connecticut, where I live, exposed brick is not a feature commonly found in our typical Colonial and Cape Cod Style homes. The house I'm living in was not my first choice. I was outbid on a lovely Colonial filled with character and charm that sat at the edge of a river. I hadn't had a plan B and I needed to find a backup, and fast. My Realtor urged me to take another look at a home I quickly popped my head into but dismissed as way too small. It had been a grey day and the house, in my opinion looked sad.

But I did as was suggested and we went back to what I now refer to as the Little White House. It was a gorgeous and sunny day. She needed a bit of cleaning up on the outside - gutters, a little power-washing, but the inside was illuminated by the sunlight that danced in through the large bay living room window. The antique white walls were clean and freshly painted. The wood floor shone beneath my feet. I decided to walk in and take another look. The two bedrooms off the living room hallway were small. The children would need to get used to them. The room to the end was indeed spacious and basking in sunlight. This would be the master bedroom ... I started mentally decorating her. We walked back out down the hallway, past the living room and into the kitchen. It was a large space, with wood cabinetry, a non-descript, older dishwasher, a generic looking white fridge and a white Jen-Air oven that happened to be the same model I'd grown accustomed to using. I walked further into the room, turned around and knew immediately that I had to have this kitchen. The exposed brick of the back of the fireplace gave the room a warm and rustic elegance. I've since moved in and my dark cherry dining room table and chairs fit my space perfectly. They're not what you expect to see when you walk into a kitchen as they are, in a simple sense, quite formal. Next to the fireplace I've got two bookshelves filled with cookbooks, and in the middle of it, above eye level, is a framed black and white photograph of my grandmother's villa in a small Italian countryside town.

I'm waiting for the addition of a pot-rack that I will hang over the stove with all my copper pots and pans and then my kitchen will be complete.

I'd love to build my own home one day. I've been sketching it out in my mind for quite some time now. I'd love to add an element of exposed brick, probably in the kitchen again.