Finishing the balcony and loggia under a brick

The balcony may well become the highlight of the apartment, if it is not a faceless repository of everything in the world, but a laconic and thoughtful corner, pleasing to the eye. When you think about decorating such a space, you want to choose some discreet but attractive option that guarantees coziness and a calm background. This can be a brick or materials that imitate it.

The type of brickwork has a huge amount of building materials. Natural brick can not always become the decoration of the walls of the balcony, because it is a heavy product. But a successful imitation copes with the visual task brilliantly.

Types of imitation material.

• Decorative rock. It is made on a cement basis, using either imported white cement or domestic gray. White cement decorative stone will cost more. Also, this material contains sand, expanded clay and perlite.

• Clinker tiles. Otherwise, it is called brick tiles. It is made of clay and subjected to double firing. There is an enamel layer on top of the tile, which makes it possible to improve color fastness, and it also affects the strength of the material. The structure of clinker tiles is cellular, and this is not very good in terms of moisture absorption, this indicator is high.

• Gypsum tiles. This material is environmentally friendly, fire resistant, easy to install and inexpensive. It is interesting that you can do it yourself using rectangular shapes, gypsum powder, PVA glue, brown acrylic paint and water.

For the interior decoration of the loggia and the balcony, even rougher imitations are used - these materials only outwardly resemble brick, but in quality they are incomparable.

One of the most affordable, inexpensive and easy-to-install materials. But if we take the wallpaper, it’s thick, textured, and not paper and glossy. The wear resistance of the latter is no good, and in a couple of years the walls will have to be updated. But thick high-quality wallpaper that can be painted will last long enough.

Paintability is one of the key requirements. Currently, white brick is in the lead, which is very easy to upgrade. As soon as some place is dirty, rubbed, you can quickly paint over. And if the color gets bored, after a couple of seasons it can be completely changed.

Probably, of all possible options, this one has the lowest rating. Firstly, plastic has become a material that interior fashion hastily abandoned. Of course, plastic can also be of high quality, conceptual with respect to the interior style and overall solution. But the plastic "brick" that appears on the balcony as well is difficult to classify as a particular style. Rather, it is a material whose popularity is falling rapidly today.

"Brick" veneers will cost more. But they also look objectively more profitable. This is the name of individual "bricks" that are made of natural materials - plaster, wood, leather, glass. Wooden "bricks" may seem like an original idea to someone, in principle, it is. Only now they are almost always used not for solid sheathing, but to highlight some places, zones.

Finally, it is worth talking about the most popular option for brick decoration - the use of the original balcony walls. If they are brick, you do not need to glue and lay anything. But you can emphasize the texture of the finish by repainting the brick, tinted it, highlighting the seams.

Other finishes.

• Marking out two narrow walls with a brick. The central wide wall remains without masonry imitation. But if there is a balcony block, and you need to fill the space above and below the window, you can really leave everything as it is or just paint the wall. But two narrow walls, parallel to each other, lay out with imitation of masonry.

• Complete finishing. This means that all walls are decorated "like a brick". Such a cladding looks great if there is a huge panoramic window on the balcony.

• Highlighting the accent zone. Some part of the balcony is selected to draw attention to. For example, a part of the central wall. Or the place where the sofa is. Or the place where the table stands, shelves are hung and a working corner is organized.

If the owner of the balcony is still wondering whether to arrange a brick background there, it makes sense to heed the expert advice. They will inspire someone to renovate, and someone will decide to turn to other materials and ideas.

Features of finishing the balcony and loggia "under the brick".

• If you decide to paint the existing brickwork, you need to make sure that the condition of the brick allows you to do this. It should not be moldy, dusty, and it should not emit a damp smell.
• It will be successful to choose a loft style, as a direction in the image of which brickwork is included. The brick can be dark, any seams - white against the background of the graphite-colored brick looks great.
• The imitation material can be mounted with or without seams. And the point is not that it is easier, but in the request of the owner. Stacking without seams, oddly enough, is more of a hassle, though.
• Sometimes there are doubts about the complete coverage of the walls with brickwork. And if the exit to the loggia is decorated with an arch, brick will be an excellent option for covering and accentuating it.
• If you plan to put a lot of furniture on the balcony or loggia, place a bright, colorful, patterned decor, brick can be a forbidden option. Particularly bright or one that contrasts with the color of the seams. As the designers say - too match.

The fashion for brick has not gone away, which means that new ideas and solutions appear on how to apply this brick to your own home.

Here are examples of good ideas.

• Delicate image of a balcony with an interesting pattern on the long walls. All colors are matched precisely, helping each other to form a single calm look. Veneers were probably used for decoration.

• White brick with jagged edges has long been a classic, and the space covered with it in this image shows how a home minibar can be set up against this classic.

• But a chic, deep gray brick on an irregularly shaped loggia creates an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility. You can replace the color of the furniture with white shades, but then the space will look a little sleepy, cool.

• Dark color in a narrow space is far from taboo. An oriental-style balcony exactly meets its intention - light brick would become alien here. The case when the comfort zone is represented by a cozy twilight.

• On one narrow wall, there is brickwork, and even painted in an unusual color - blue. The gym on the loggia is quite often located, and such color accentuations, as well as highlighting the background due to texture, are a winning move.

• All in one color with monochrome additions - this is how the owners decided to equip this balcony. Well, it is very good to design a workplace, nothing will distract, the atmosphere is calm and conducive to routine tasks.

• White brick on a very narrow balcony - a cute solution distracts from the small footage. No unnecessary colors, natural and eye-pleasing combinations prove once again that it is not the budget that decides, but the taste and desire.

• A slightly outdated design option, but it has many supporters. Although, perhaps, a balcony decorated entirely with brick would not lose its attractiveness and would look more modern.

• Just a wallpaper, but it looks pretty convincing. The atmosphere is warm, cozy and inviting. Furniture and decor fit well here.

• For original architectural forms, such a design is a good way to emphasize the functionality of the zones. The place resembles a small cafe, and this is an opportunity to create an abstract corner with pleasant associations in your own apartment.