I remember seeing something similar a couple years back when a friend renovated their old farmhouse. They used real brick for the front facade and veneer around the sides and back to save money. At first glance, it looked pretty seamless—especially since they matched the mortar color really well—but after spending some time there, you could definitely notice subtle differences in texture and shadowing between the two materials.
Funny thing is, most guests never noticed until someone pointed it out...then suddenly everyone was an expert at spotting the difference, lol. Makes me wonder if it's one of those things that only bothers you if you're aware of it beforehand?
Has anyone tried mixing different brick patterns or styles intentionally to make it look more like a deliberate design choice rather than a budget compromise? Curious how that might turn out...
"Funny thing is, most guests never noticed until someone pointed it out...then suddenly everyone was an expert at spotting the difference, lol."
Haha, isn't that always how it goes? I've seen intentional mixes of brick styles done before—like herringbone patterns or contrasting colors—and honestly, it can look pretty cool if done thoughtfully. Seems like the trick is making it look deliberate rather than accidental. Maybe embracing the differences instead of hiding them could actually add character...worth experimenting with at least.
"Maybe embracing the differences instead of hiding them could actually add character...worth experimenting with at least."
Hmm, I get what you're saying, but honestly, intentional mismatches can be tricky. I've seen some attempts that ended up looking more like a DIY fail than a creative choice. If you're gonna mix styles or colors, it really has to look intentional from the start—otherwise, people just assume you ran out of bricks halfway through, lol. Not impossible, but definitely harder to pull off convincingly than it sounds.
When we were building our place, I remember agonizing over brick choices for weeks. We ended up going with real brick, but the mason actually suggested mixing in some reclaimed bricks to add character. At first, I was skeptical—like you said, I didn't want it looking like we ran out halfway through—but he showed us some examples, and honestly, it turned out pretty charming. The key seemed to be balancing the colors and textures so it felt intentional rather than random.
I do agree though, it's definitely not as easy as Pinterest makes it look, haha. Maybe the trick is finding someone who really knows how to blend different bricks naturally? Has anyone here tried working with reclaimed bricks or mixing different brick styles successfully? Curious how it turned out in the long run...
We went with reclaimed bricks for our fireplace surround and honestly, it was one of the best decisions we made during our renovation. I was initially hesitant too—mostly worried about cost and how tricky it'd be to blend old and new bricks without making it look patchy. But our mason was great; he took the time to sort through the bricks, selecting ones with similar tones and textures to create a cohesive look.
You're right though, Pinterest makes everything look effortless. In reality, it's definitely more involved than just stacking bricks randomly. We found that the key was taking extra time upfront to lay out patterns on the ground first, so we could visualize how they'd look together. It took a bit longer (and yeah, cost us a little extra labor), but it helped us avoid mistakes that would've been much harder—and more expensive—to fix later on.
It's been about five years now, and the reclaimed bricks have aged beautifully alongside the newer ones. They've actually blended even better over time as they've weathered together. If you're considering it, I'd say it's worth the extra effort—just make sure you have someone experienced who understands how to balance colors and textures naturally.
