The growing trend of the industrial/residential look will continue during 2009 with rendered panels and strong feature brickwork. Gutter and fascia selections will take on a bolder use of colour with stronger hues and the use of primary colours starTing to appear.
Crisp, clean looks and low maintenance qualities continue to make bricks a preferred material of choice. Products such as Bowral and Bowral 50, Symmetry and Elements give a modern and uncomplicated look that require no maintenance and provide striking elements to a home.
Coffee tones
For some time now the colours of choice in Australia have been based on the coffee tones. The use of these more sophisticated coffee tones brings Australia into the new millennium, while the move away from the yellow based creams and reddish Tuscan tones heralds the end of the nineties design aesthetic.
As we head towards 2010 we have seen a subtle adjustment of these coffee tones with the addition of a hint of grey. This works beautifully with our Australian colour scheme, where the earthy greyish tones are present in our native soils and rocks.
Austral Bricks has a range of products in this category including Urban One, Bowral and Bowral 50 and Colourbrick.
Darker blues / browns
The current trend for darker bricks, like those traditionally used on federation style homes, has seen a new resurgence in this traditional style of brick. It has become increasingly popular in domestic architecture and is now well suited to modern, contemporary designs.
With inner city developments increasingly constructed on former commercial sites, architects have adapted these existing dark bricks with new window and roof designs, creating a modern residential/ industrial look.
Austral Bricks has a range of products in this category including Elements & Metallix (QLD), Bowral and Bowral 50.
Modern earthy reds
Always a favourite in the Australian landscape, the earthy reds of our native clays have been part of the urban landscape for a long time. Their enduring colour tones are warm and comfortable to live with. A more contemporary take on these tried and tested colours has seen the reddish tones change slightly with brownish tinges coming in to play.
It’s the face of this brick which has altered the most. Gone are the deep textured faces that dominated the sixties. Now they have evolved into the modern, clean lines of the contemporary, smooth-faced look with a subtle grain.
See also