4 Ways to Highlight Exposed Brick Indoors and Outside

These days, homeowners are eagerly tearing the plaster off their walls and leaving the brick beneath it exposed. Whether you have a rustic brick, stacked stone or an easy to install veneer you can create a feature wall by highlighting it with lighting. Simply uncovering a wall or installing a brick or stone veneer isn’t enough to truly capture the masonry effect inside or outside the home.

Check out these five ways you can emphasize exposed brick or stone to its fullest.

1. Wash Lighting
   If you’re exposed brick or stone walls has some imperfections, you can create a smoother look with a wash lighting effect. A wash lighting effect is often used on different types of surfaces. This is done by moving the lighting source a bit further from the wall than you usually would. Yes, creating some distance between the bulbs or fixtures allows the light to spread out evenly. As a result, you’ll see that the cracks and mortar joints look more filled in.

If you decide to create this effect it’s important to get the spacing just right. If the lighting fixtures are placed too far from the exposed wall you’ll cause a distraction with dark and bright spots.

1. Graze Lighting
   The best way to highlight natural exposed stone or brick is with the graze lighting effect. Grazing is a method in which the source of lighting is installed directly above the wall so that light washes down the wall. You’ll have to play around with the lighting arrangement because the results are dependent on the texture of the wall.

2. Uplighting
   We’re used to seeing light illuminating upwards. That’s why uplighting is such a dramatic lighting effect. Lighting a stone wall from the floor up creates great emphasis since it’s unexpected. Uplighting is the reverse effect of grazing and it will bring out the texture of masonry. This type of lighting effect will also reflect light across the entire room which adds additional comfort to the space.

3. Sconces and Pendant
   Recessed lighting fixtures such as sconces, pendants and reveals can help you showcase masonry features. Sconces push light both up and down the wall providing both a grazing and uplighting effect. Pendant lights add a beautiful glow while reveal fixtures (LED strips) will illuminate the wall from within.