8 Exposed Brick Interior Design Ideas (Homes, Offices, Hospitality and Retail Spaces)

Originally synonymous with under-construction buildings, exposed brick has made its mark in modern interiors as a popular industrial wall design trend.

From bringing eye-catching elements into contemporary offices and living spaces to creating the perfect rustic-chic vibe for retail and hospitality – interior brick wall designs, as well as brick flooring and brick furniture applications, are highly versatile and look good everywhere!

Especially with StoneCycling’s sustainable, coloured bricks in our WasteBasedBricks® and WasteBasedSlips® range, the possibilities of exposed brick for interior design are endless.

Future-Proof Office Space with Adyen in Amsterdam || StoneCycling
Exposed Brick Interior Design in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: TANK / Teo Krijgsman)

1. Exposed Brick Office Design

Many historical landmarks around the world feature brick wall pattern designs. Hence, it automatically lends a historical and industrial essence to an interior.

This was exactly what our clients LC Packaging were looking for at their office building in Waddinxveen in The Netherlands, which was housed in a characteristic warehouse in Amsterdam in the early years.

The colour range of the stones from our limited edition 2Good2Waste production resembled the facade of the original building, making the CEO’s dream to bring some of those elements back as a homage to his forefathers that founded the company come true!

This industrial feel can also be found at the headquarters of a tech company in Amsterdam, where we applied our Blackpepper WasteBasedSlips®. At another office in Amsterdam, we developed a custom-made terracotta-like coloured brick, giving the traditional brick a future-proof appearance.

We applied three different finishes of an adaptation of our popular Mushroom WasteBasedSlips® into another office building in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands. This building also got its own ‘materials passport’, stating the materials used during construction – to ensure they can be reused as much as possible after future demolition.

BREEAM Outstanding Interior at LC Packaging HQ in The Netherlands || StoneCycling
Historical-looking 2Good2Waste Walls in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands
BREEAM Outstanding Interior at LC Packaging HQ in The Netherlands || StoneCycling
2Good2Waste Walls in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands
StoneCycling || Floor of Waste in The Netherlands
Blackpepper Sliced Flooring and Walls in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: Phenster)
Future-Proof Office Space with Adyen in Amsterdam || StoneCycling
Custom-made Mopé Office in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: TANK / Teo Krijgsman)
Future-Proof Office Space with Adyen in Amsterdam || StoneCycling
Credit: TANK / Teo Krijgsman
StoneCycling || EOSTA in The Netherlands
Mushroom Walls in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands

2. Brick Retail Spaces

From the moment a customer steps into a store to the time they decide to check out, smart retail design decisions directly impact sales. Every element in the shop design can impact a customer’s path to purchase.

Good store design tells a brand’s story and creates and immersive shopping experience with head-turning window displays.

See below how Ace & Tate implemented our lively Orange WasteBasedSlips® into their Barcelona’s shop interior, creating a clear focal point in the space.

At COS in Luxembourg City, our Mushroom WasteBasedBricks®, consisting of multiple shades of grey, create a modern and welcoming space:

Eye-Catching Sustainable Ace & Tate Store Barcelona || StoneCycling
Orange Shop Design in Barcelona, Spain (Credit: Ace&Tate)
COS in Luxembourg
Mushroom Walls in Luxembourg City (Credit: Milosz Siebert)
Orange Shop Design in Barcelona, Spain
Orange Shop Design in Barcelona, Spain (Credit: Ace & Tate)

3. Brick Restaurant Interior Inspiration

Exposed brick brings a sense of warmth, character, and texture to a space. Bricks are often used in hospitality locations as they can transform any area to either a very traditional or hyper-modern restaurant, café or bar.

Bonus points if the bricks in restaurant interiors are sustainable – which is exactly why these projects we worked on stand out from the crowd:

At Nando’s in Reading Gateway, England, we turned our Blackpepper Sliced WasteBasedBricks® into several statement walls.

Ramona’s in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has a quirky attitude by using our Nougat Raw and Blackpepper Sliced (previously Salt+Pepper) WasteBasedBricks® in the bar design.

We’ve also contributed to this unique coffee bar made from glazed bricks at museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo, The Netherlands and this coffee bar and counter of Starbucks in Bucharest, Romania.

StoneCycling || Nando's Reading Gateway
Blackpepper Statement Wall in Reading Gateway, England
Sustainable Renovation at Museum in Venlo, The Netherlands || StoneCycling
Glazed Bricks at Museum in Venlo, The Netherlands
Bar Ramona, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | StoneCycling
Blackpepper + Nougat Brick Bar in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Credit: studio Modijefsky)
StoneCycling || Starbucks Europe
Blackpepper Brick Coffee Bar and Counter in Bucharest, Romania

4. Brick Lobby Interior Design

A first impression is important, that’s why lobby’s and reception areas are spaces not to be overlooked when it comes to interior design choices.

From making guests feel welcome to conveying an immediate sense of the brand, lobby’s set the expectation for everything that goes on in the rest of the building.

At the EOSTA headquarters in The Netherlands, we collaborated on a waste-based concept for the wall cladding of this sustainable office.

The lobby area exudes warmth and humanity and may be considered the physical expression of the company’s core values of Authenticity, Togetherness, and Social Responsibility.

This project also challenged us to create the longest WasteBasedBrick® we’ve produced so far: 45cm of adapted Mushroom!

For the wall behind the reception desk in the lobby of The West in New York city, we have made a relief with Truffle WasteBasedSlips® by letting some of the brick slips protrude a little further than others. What’s special, is that this relief is actually a secret message in Morse code!

This shows that with bricks, you can turn a wall into an extension of your company’s mission statement and even a graphic work of art that subtly adds an extra layer to a space.

StoneCycling || EOSTA in The Netherlands
Wood and Brick Lobby at EOSTA, The Netherlands
Brick Slips From Waste With Hidden Message in New York || StoneCycling
Brick Lobby Wall at The West, New York City, USA (Credit: Nienke Krook)
Brick Slips From Waste With Hidden Message in New York || StoneCycling
Brick Lobby Wall at The West, New York City, USA (Credit: Nienke Krook)

5. Brick Counter Design

When it comes to designing brick counters or brick bars in public spaces, restaurants, hotels or office buildings, the sky really is the limit.

You can elevate your brick counter design by using interesting shapes and colours – making it a real visual statement for your space!

We love the use of our WasteBazedGlazedBricks® in the furniture of Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo, The Netherlands, a wonderful collaboration with Studio Mixtura.

For a more rustic look, get inspired by the stacked brick counter made from our limited edition 2Good2Waste products at an office space in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Other office spaces in The Netherlands also feature our waste-based bricks in the reception desks. Have a look at these custom-made Mopé bricks in Amsterdam, and custom-made reception desk from local waste in Rozenburg, for example

For Starbucks in Europe, we created a drive-thru and several brick counters in three different locations in the United Kingdom and Bulgaria.

From stacking bricks horizontally or vertically, using different colours joints – or no joints at all, each of the brick counters below have a different aesthetic. Which one is your favourite?

Create a Custom Made Product

Are you looking for a bespoke brick or brick slip? Discover the possibilities of our custom made service. Co-creating bespoke colours, textures, shapes and sizes with no compromise on aesthetics and technical quality. Each product incorporates a minimum of 60% waste.

Sustainable Renovation at Museum in Venlo, The Netherlands || StoneCycling
Glazed Brick Counter in Venlo, The Netherlands
Limited Edition Brick for Corporate Interior in Amsterdam: It's 2Good2Waste!
2Good2Waste Brick Counter in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
StoneCycling || Starbucks Europe
Brick Counter at Starbucks Hayes, United Kingdom
StoneCycling || Starbucks Europe
Brick Counter at Starbucks Bucharest, Romania
Future-Proof Office Space with Adyen in Amsterdam || StoneCycling
Mopé Brick Reception Desk in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bricks Made from Household Garbage at AVR in The Netherlands || StoneCycling
Custom-Made Brick Reception Desk in Rozenburg, The Netherlands

6. Brick Flooring Ideas

Brick or stone flooring creates a visually striking space. Play with colours, shapes, sizes and bonds to create unusual, eye-catching patterns across the room.

We have implemented brick pavers at the headquarters of two leading Dutch tech companies in Amsterdam so far. Click here to see the project details of the floor created with Blackpepper Sliced WasteBasedBricks® and here for the floor created with custom Mopé WasteBasedBricks®.

While they are not bricks, but rather tiles grown with the help of bacteria, be sure to also check out this project in Denmark, where the BioBasedTiles® have been used as flooring of a Research and Education Center.

StoneCycling || Floor of Waste in The Netherlands
Blackpepper Brick Flooring in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: Phenster)
Future-Proof Office Space with Adyen in Amsterdam || StoneCycling
Mopé Brick Flooring in Amsterdam (Credit: TANK / Teo Krijgsman)
BioBasedTiles Flooring at Kalundborg, Denmark
World's Largest Installation of Biocement® to Date at Helix Lab in Denmark || StoneCycling X Biomason
BioBasedTiles Flooring at Kalundborg, Denmark

7. Brick Partition Wall Design

Partition walls don’t just divide rooms into spaces with separate functions – when using exposed brickwork, the wall itself becomes a dramatic visual feature of any room.

A brick room divider can also be used as a creative background for showcasing art or decorative objects.

Here are some examples of brick partitioning walls we’ve collaborated on in the past: a Blackpepper open bond wall at office in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; a Mushroom open bond wall at store in Luxembourg City and a Blackpepper partially open bond wall at restaurant in Reading Gateway, England.

StoneCycling || Healthy, Open Office Design at CBRE Headquarters in Amsterdam
Blackpepper Partition Wall in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
StoneCycling || Nando's Reading Gateway
Mushroom Partition Wall in Reading Gateway, England
Mushroom Partition Wall in Luxembourg City
Mushroom Partition Wall in Luxembourg City

8. Brick Living Room Wall Decor

When it comes to the interior design for our homes, a lot of attention usually goes into picking the right furniture, artwork and other smaller decorations, yet the walls themselves can play a big role in the overall look-and-feel of a space.

Brick walls are versatile and can work well with a variety of interior decor styles. You can choose from a wide range of brick sizes, shapes, different types of bonds and patterns, variations in colours of joints, and of course the colour of the bricks or brick slips themselves.

When choosing traditional brick colours, such as our red and brown toned Radish or dark grey toned Truffle, a rustic and earthy charm gets added to the room.

You can see examples of this below at the wall with protruding brick slips we did in Manhattan, New York City, the vertical masonry we applied in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands and dry-stacked wall we created in Dübendorf, Switzerland.

Yet, picking a more daring brick colour as an accent wall, such as our yellow toned Nougat or shiny green toned Wasabi, brick wall patterns can work as an architectural highlight. Or even as a piece of art in and of itself, as the owners of this house in Venlo, The Netherlands, described the beautiful result in their living room:

Brick Slips From Waste With Hidden Message in New York || StoneCycling
Truffle Walls in Manhattan, NYC
Wasabi Walls in Venlo, The Netherlands
Wasabi Walls in Venlo, The Netherlands
2Good2Waste Walls in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands
StoneCycling || Urban Mining & Dry Stacking Bricks in Switzerland
Adapted Mushroom Walls in Dübendorf, Switzerland

Liven up the interior of your next project with sustainable bricks!

StoneCycling’s brick products come in various shapes and sizes (also custom made), and they can be oriented in multiple patterns, as you can also read in our articles about Sustainable Interior Design Ideas and The Possibilities of Brick Slips. This makes them a versatile brick wall design interior decor element to play with.

Our waste-based bricks are made from at least 60% construction, demolition and post-industrial waste, upcycling 23 kg waste per square meter. Production is also CO2 compensated. Our products are compliant with industry standards and the future of circular construction!

Explore our products here or get in touch to see what the possibilities are for your next interior design project!