Welcome to the latest chapter in our home transformation journey! Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a project that many of you have eagerly anticipated and passionately encouraged: the painting of our sunroom’s interior brick wall. For years, this particular feature has been a focal point – not always in the best way – and its metamorphosis has truly reshaped the entire space.
A Fresh Perspective: Embracing Painted Brick in Our Sunroom
Some serious brick-painting action recently unfolded in our sunroom, and judging by the overwhelming feedback we received after sharing our previous sunroom update, this news comes as a relief to many. The collective sentiment was clear: “Paint that brick!”
The Unanimous Call to Action: Why We Painted Our Interior Brick
Indeed, the internet erupted with pleas to paint that brick, and we understood why. Beyond general aesthetic preferences, many pointed out the “weird shape” of the brick, which felt awkwardly cut off at the top and visually jarring from the living room. It wasn’t just a matter of taste; it was a design dilemma that many felt needed resolution.
We received an abundance of passionate and detailed comments, like: “I’m never one for painting brick, but that’s such a weird shape that’s cut off at the top and doesn’t look good from the living room at all… so paint that brick!” This resonated deeply. For over two years, this was the view from our living room couch that we stared at every single night. Suffice to say, we were more than ready for a change.
After much consideration – exploring options like whitewashing it for a softer look or distressing it to create a rustic accent – we ultimately decided on a full paint job. The goal was not to make it stand out, but rather to allow it to blend seamlessly and create a harmonious flow within the room. It was time to PAINT! THAT! BRICK! (Feel free to shout that with the same enthusiasm as Ty Pennington’s iconic “MOVE! THAT! BUS!”).
The transformation was immediate and impactful. As predicted, the view from the living room is now significantly improved. A deep sigh of relief filled the air. The previously disruptive brick now feels like an integrated part of the home’s design.
Why Painting Was Our Chosen Path: Beyond Drywall and Accents
Some inquired why we didn’t simply drywall over the brick in the sunroom to hide it completely. This view effectively illustrates our reasoning. While drywalling might seem like a straightforward solution, it presented several impracticalities and design challenges:
- Significant Effort & Mess: Drywalling is a messy and labor-intensive process, generating considerable dust and requiring precise installation.
- Alignment Issues: Achieving a perfect match with the existing drywalled lip above the brick would have been incredibly challenging, likely resulting in an uneven finish.
- Existing Painted Brick: The adjoining living room already features painted brick, meaning a completely smooth, drywalled sunroom wall would create an inconsistent transition.
- Appreciation for Texture: Fundamentally, we genuinely love the unique texture that painted brick offers. We experienced this firsthand with two walls of painted brick in our first house’s den, where it added character without overwhelming the space.
The decision was clear: embracing the brick’s texture through paint was the most practical and aesthetically pleasing solution for our home. The goal was a cohesive look, allowing the sunroom to seamlessly integrate with the rest of the house’s style.
A Child’s Perspective: How the Sunroom Transformation Impacts Play
Interestingly, the dollhouse, a permanent fixture in the sunroom, hasn’t moved an inch during this whole process. However, the floor mat near the slider and Clara’s Uglydoll mysteriously vanished during the paint job. It’s a good reminder for Clara that her dollhouse is still there – and perhaps a better source of entertainment than rearranging floor mats! She’s been enjoying playing in the sunroom much more now that it’s no longer filled with hazards and old furniture, taking her focus away from her “furniture rearranging skills” (also known as the dresser-and-bed-switching/throwing/hiding Olympics her dollhouse usually provides).
Navigating Crazy Angles: Unifying the Sunroom’s Unique Architecture
We also received questions about why we didn’t clad the entire wall in wood or create some sort of rustic accent on the triangular section above the brick. The major design principle we’re trying to achieve in this room is to downplay its “crazy angles.” Observe how the ceiling slopes significantly to the right on this wall:
If you turn around, you’d find it slopes to the left. Essentially, this room is a spaceship of a space, featuring a diagonal peak in the ceiling that slopes dramatically from corner to corner. It genuinely looks like an angular, modern room was glued onto an otherwise flat, traditional brick house. Our primary objective was to minimize these somewhat “zany” angles and ensure everything flows cohesively, making the sunroom feel like it truly belongs with the rest of our home. This is precisely why a unifying blanket of gray paint across all walls and ceilings became our ultimate design strategy.
For those who are more visually inclined, the image below illustrates (via some quick Photoshop) what the room would look like if we had accented that triangle with wood, brick, or another material. Notice how it would significantly emphasize that unusual slope? While such an approach would perfectly suit a super modern house with other slopes and lofted rooms (think Gloria and Jay’s house on Modern Family), we felt it wouldn’t complement the non-slanty, non-futuristic aesthetic of the rest of our home.
The Painting Journey: Our Speedy Brick Transformation
So, paint was the word. And in what felt like an insane gift from the home improvement gods, the brick only required two coats! Brick typically absorbs paint voraciously, so we had mentally prepared for at least four coats, which has been our usual experience. This unexpected efficiency was a welcome surprise.
We opted against using any special primer, having had successful outcomes painting brick in our den years ago without it. As for the application, I (Sherry) took on the meticulous task of wielding the brush, meticulously working paint into every single crack – and believe me, there were millions of them!
Meanwhile, John expertly handled the rolling, utilizing a nappy roller. This type of roller is essential for textured surfaces like brick, as its longer fibers ensure better paint coverage compared to a super-smooth roller.
Remarkably, we managed to get nearly the entire project done during Clara’s nap time – a true “Christmas miracle” in our book! Our sincere hope for anyone else embarking on a brick painting journey is that it proves to be as quick and painless as this job was for us. Even all that crack painting, though extensive, could have been far worse (painting every crack twice certainly beats painting every crack four times, if you know what we mean).
Here’s a glimpse of the sneaky little areas that remained unpainted after John’s initial rolling, patiently awaiting my brushwork:
And just for a bit of fun, here’s our furry assistant, Burger, enjoying a relaxing moment while we diligently worked away in the background (please excuse my inside-out sleepwear, now repurposed as painting attire).
The Stunning Transformation: A Cohesive and Inviting Sunroom
The good news is that the nice, even coverage we eventually achieved made an immense difference. Now, when you enter the room, it feels far more cohesive and significantly less fragmented. We believe that incorporating some thoughtfully chosen art on this wall will further draw attention away from any perceived differences between the drywall and the painted brick. In fact, our first house’s den featured two walls of paneling and two walls of brick, but once painted and adorned with furniture, art, and curtains, the distinction became barely noticeable.
To save you some scrolling, here’s a full “after” shot of that wall again. While it’s certainly a lot of gray at the moment, this is just the beginning of our sunroom’s exciting evolution!
And for a stark comparison, here’s what it looked like before:
We’re left wondering, why didn’t we do this sooner? Over two years of staring at a visually disruptive, U-shaped brick blob from the next room was definitely two years too long. The immediate improvement is undeniable.
Looking Ahead: Decorating the Newly Painted Brick Wall
Next up, we can’t wait to hang some art on this newly painted brick wall, which will help that off-center window fit perfectly into the overall composition. We’re envisioning a mix of white frames, and perhaps some wooden frames or items to add an eclectic touch. For inspiration, check out this quick Photoshop concept illustrating the potential:
But even without any frames, the impact of the fresh paint is a definite improvement. Blanketing this room in a beautiful taupe-gray has achieved five key objectives:
- Highlights the View: It skillfully draws the eye out the windows to the beautiful trees outside, making the natural views a true star of the room.
- Unifies the Space: By creating a consistent backdrop, it effectively downplays all the challenging ceiling angles and the previously “choppy-looking” brick-cut-off conundrum.
- Accentuates Color: Colorful elements, such as the cushions on the daybed, now truly stand out in a way they couldn’t when competing with dark, unpainted brick.
- Enhances Flooring: The floor now appears significantly less yellowed and dated, as the paint brings out its natural gray undertones rather than the yellow ones.
- Boosts Trim Details: The crisp white window trim and molding pop vibrantly, giving the entire room a fresh, updated, and remarkably clean feel.
Of course, we still have a considerable journey ahead when it comes to the final furniture arrangement and decor. For now, we’re making do with pieces we already own, but eventually, many items will be moved, upgraded, painted, or replaced. A rug, more art, and all those essential finishing touches are still on the horizon. Please overlook the sadly wrinkled sheet on the daybed and those orange slabs of wood along each slider where they meet the floor. Let’s just say a ton of things are still patiently awaiting our “attention.” But as they say, the middle of a project often makes no sense anyway! This sunroom transformation is an ongoing labor of love.
To follow this sunroom makeover from its very beginning, you can click here to read about Phase 1, which covered planning and initial furniture placement. For all the details on Phase 2, including painting the lofted room and ceiling, click here. We’re thrilled with the progress and can’t wait to share the next steps in creating our dream sunroom!