Leading brick manufacturer Boral Bricks is observing an increasing preference for light neutrals in home design. According to the latest selection trends, this popularity is not limited to just the interiors, with an increasing number of Australian homes featuring light neutrals such as white, cream and light grey bricks on home exteriors.

David Bird, general manager of Boral Bricks East says that they have been observing an increased interest in lighter colour bricks across the East Coast, with the white, cream and light grey Boral Horizon bricks launched earlier this year, proving especially popular in New South Wales and Queensland.

David adds that an interesting trend has been observed in Victoria where homeowners are favouring lighter coloured exteriors, marking a shift from their love of traditional red brick homes. Boral has responded to the growing demand by expanding their range of cream, white and light grey bricks in Victoria.

A lighter coloured exterior is an ideal base for changing indoor and outdoor design trends, and cream and white bricks can be a cost-effective and easy option for achieving this. Home owners can opt for cream or white bricks for new builds or extensions and eliminate the additional processes and costs of painting or rendering darker bricks.

From an environmental perspective, light exteriors can also help to keep houses in warm climates cool year-round. According to David, research has shown that the use of light-coloured bricks can reduce heat absorption, helping to keep the home cool naturally.

Boral offers a range of colour-coated and colour-through bricks in white, cream and light grey tones. Colour-through bricks where the face colour is carried through the whole brick are recommended for the long term because they help to conceal chips that may occur due to natural wear and tear. Colour-coated bricks, which have a darker base and are coated with a light colour, are ideal for the budget-conscious home builder.

Kiln-fired up to 1130°C, Boral bricks are available in standard, 50mm and double height sizes.