Arthty Ragupathy is a first-time homeowner constantly looking for new ways to add character and charm to her new build home. Though she built a fireplace in her living room upon moving in a few years ago, the unconvincing electric insert was not in keeping with her style. Last year, after spending several months dreaming of a brick fireplace chamber, she and her husband decided to tackle this project.
The main challenge was creating a brick fireplace that fit within the constraints of the modest living room. They chose brick slips for their project due to their slim profile, which allowed for a space-saving design that fit the limited depth of the existing fireplace.
The existing fireplace was only 31 cm deep, making it impractical to use traditional full-sized bricks. They discovered that brick slips, being thinner than full-sized bricks, were easier to install and suited their DIY capabilities. After conducting thorough research, they felt confident in their decision to use brick slips for the transformation. The texture and warmth would provide the aged, rustic feel they were aiming for, with a finish that felt “perfectly imperfect,” adding character and charm to their home which nailed their brief.
Arthty discovered The Brick Tile Company through recommendations from their Instagram followers. After posting a question box asking for suggestions on the best quality brick slips, the majority of responses pointed them to The Brick Tile Company as a reputable small business. Having previously come across the company’s products and saved several of their posts, she felt that this was the right choice for their project.
After evaluating a few samples, they selected Blend 1 for the fireplace chamber. The muted tones of this blend aligned perfectly with their vision of an aged, rustic finish. The support of their Instagram community further reinforced the decision. A poll was posted between the top two blends, with Blend 1 receiving overwhelming support from followers, solidifying the homeowner's choice. Additionally, they chose Cream Mortar as it provided the perfect level of warmth to complement the tones of Blend 1, creating a harmonious and cohesive finish. It was truly the perfect match.
Arthty praised the customer service provided by The Brick Tile Company. From answering all their questions and addressing all concerns, to the collection of informative, step-by-step guides for installation. “They really do everything in their power to set you up for success. As with any new DIY project, I was extremely nervous diving into adding brick to our fireplace. It felt daunting, and out of my comfort zone. With the guidance from the Brick Tile Company, along with the quality of the brick slips, installation was very straight forward, and I couldn't be happier with the results. My husband and I constantly find ourselves sitting in front of the fireplace, admiring the new and improved view. It is, without a doubt, my favourite feature in our home and the engagement on all my fireplace-related content, only reinforces the fact that my followers feel the same!”
The result was a stunning fireplace chamber that exceeded their expectations. The transformation quickly not only became the standout feature of their home for them, but with engaging content shared on their social media, the positive feedback from their followers mirrored this feeling.
To see more of this stunning home, including additional photos and a video of the process, check out their Instagram page.
About The Brick Tile Company
The Brick Tile Company supplies brick slips - real bricks cut into tiles. These means you can bring the texture and colour variation of fired clay into any project inside or out. With styles from the worn, rustic and industrial reclaimed collection, up to the sleek and sharp contemporary range there is something for every project. From whites and blacks to yellows and reds there is a great range of stocked colours for inspiration and to tie in with existing schemes. We can also look to match existing brickwork where desired.
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Courtney and her partner Luke live in a 3-bedroom bungalow in West Wales, where they are currently finishing their second renovation project. Courtney loved the original look of brick slips, but wasn't initially sure where to use them. After browsing Pinterest, she saw the type of flooring she liked and envisioned the look she wanted to achieve. After careful consideration, Courtney decided the porch would be the perfect place to incorporate the brick slips.
Courtney knew exactly which brick colour she wanted, so she searched online at various brick slip companies until she found blend 2 from The Brick Tile Company. This was the perfect match for her vision. Further inspiration from Pinterest led Courtney to choose a cream mortar to give the space a bright, complementary look.
Courtney's dad and a friend took on the installation, noting that the most challenging part was the planning and measuring to ensure they achieved the desired herringbone pattern correctly. In addition to the herringbone, they also used the brick slips to create a border around the edge of the flooring.
The two keys with flooring are: ensuring that each slip is level with the others so as not to create any trip hazards, and careful pointing. With installation on a wall, gravity helps remove any excess mortar from the edge of the slips when you rake them out and brush them off. With flooring, it’s not the case. In order to make sure you don’t cover them in mortar, you can of course just be extra careful, but there is a backup option to make it safer. If you use brick slip sealant (once the slips are fully dried to not seal in moisture), then the mortar won’t stick to the faces, and excess can be brushed away easier- you then may want to seal the mortar too once that’s dried.
The end result is a stunning entryway that Courtney is "over the moon" about. She regularly receives compliments on the beautiful, custom-designed porch flooring.
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