Brick Wall Living Room Decor: Ideas That Work

Brick already has color, texture and pattern, so the best decor for it is calm and a little soft: warm wood, linen, wool, plants and lighting that skims the surface. Pick one or two materials to repeat, keep art simple, and let the wall do most of the talking.

If your living room has a brick wall and you're not sure what to do with it, that's common. Here are the choices that tend to work, from furniture layout to color.

Save

What decor looks good on a brick wall?

Brick is busy at close range, so decor works best when it is either large and simple or small and grouped. A few options:

• One oversized piece of art, leaned on a console or hung with a generous margin of bare brick around it.
• A slim floating shelf with a few objects. It shows off the texture without competing with it.
• A round mirror, which breaks up the grid of mortar lines and bounces light back into the room.
• A wood or metal frame in a single finish, so the wall doesn't have to compete with five different ones.

Avoid a dense gallery wall directly on raw brick. The mortar lines already create a pattern, and a crowd of frames on top reads as noise. If you love gallery walls, put them on an adjacent plain wall, like in this hallway gallery wall post.

Hanging things is also a practical question. Brick is hard and mortar can crumble, so use masonry anchors or mortar-joint hooks, and check with a professional if the wall is old or structural. Leaning art on a shelf or console avoids drilling altogether, which suits renters.

What color goes best with a brick wall?

Start with the brick's undertone. Red and terracotta brick are warm, so they sit well with cream, warm white, olive, deep green, navy and camel leather. Gray or buff brick is cooler and pairs with soft white, charcoal, light wood and muted blue.

Three things shape the result:

• Temperature: warm brick feels cozy, cool brick feels more contemporary.
• Saturation: strongly red brick dominates a room, so keep the rest of the palette quiet.
• Light: daylight and warm bulbs show different tones in the same brick. Check your swatches in the morning and at night before you buy.

As an architect, I'd choose a neutral sofa and let the wall be the strongest color in the room. It's easier to change a pillow than a wall.

How to make a brick wall look pretty

Texture is the main thing. Brick is hard and matte, so give it softer neighbors: a wool or jute rug, linen curtains, a chunky throw, upholstered seating. If you have a dog, pick washable covers and tightly woven fabrics, because loose weaves snag on claws.

Lighting does the rest. A wall sconce or picture light placed close to the brick throws shadows across each course and makes the surface look deeper. Glossy surfaces bounce light and make sharp reflections, while matte finishes absorb it, so a few shiny accents (a ceramic lamp, a glass table) balance the dull brick.

Save

Exposed brick wall living room ideas by room type

Small living rooms

Keep furniture low so you can see the wall above it. A mirror on or leaning near the brick adds depth. If the brick feels heavy, whitewashing or painting it a light color keeps the texture but reflects far more light.

Large or open-plan rooms

Use the brick wall to anchor the seating area. A rug under the sofa group and a pair of lamps define the zone, and repeating one wood tone or metal finish elsewhere ties the open space together. Face the sofa toward the wall or place it alongside so people naturally gather there.

Brick fireplaces

Keep the mantel simple: one piece of art, a vase or two, maybe a plant. Odd groupings and varied heights look relaxed. If you have pets, leave the hearth area clear of anything fragile at tail height.

Save

Red brick wall living room ideas

Red brick has a strong personality. Balance it with cream or warm gray walls on the other sides, and use natural wood, black metal and dark green plants. Deep blue or green upholstery looks rich against red without being matchy. Skip bright reds and oranges in textiles, since they fight the brick.

Rustic, modern and simple styling

The same wall can go in different directions depending on what you put around it.

• Rustic: reclaimed wood, leather, wool, woven baskets, iron fixtures.
• Modern: clean-lined furniture, a restrained palette, black or brass metal in one finish, and very little on the wall.
• Simple: one sofa, one rug, one big piece of art, and good lighting.

Keep metals to a main finish and one accent. Warm wood such as oak or walnut flatters red brick, while lighter ash or maple suits gray brick.

Save

Should you paint, whitewash or seal brick?

Painting gives an even color but hides the brick's character and is hard to undo. Limewash or whitewash softens the color and leaves texture visible. A sealer reduces dust shedding, and a matte one keeps the natural look while a glossy one makes brick look smoother. Test a patch of about one square foot first and look at it at different times of day.

Not ready to commit? Brick veneer panels or brick-look wallpaper are options for rooms without real brick, though they usually look flatter in raking light. For a different textured wall, see shiplap accent wall ideas. More photos and layouts are in this brick wall design post and this one on modern brick walls.

Save

What is the 3-5-7 rule in decorating?

It's a styling guideline that groups objects in odd numbers, usually three, five or seven, because uneven groupings look more natural than pairs. It works well on a brick mantel or shelf: a tall item, a medium one and a small one, with space between them.

Frequently asked questions