Gosh this is an old thread, lucky I'm still attached to it. Sorry Susan, can't help you, the Houzzer is in the US and they have different brands to us and I've also learned even if the brands are the same, the colours aren't necessarily the same. Did you check out the brand Luke posted? I believe Luke is no longer with Houzz unfortuantely. Personally, I would never touch brick, it is a timeless product and usually messing with it only results in more maintenance over time, where natural brick is pretty much maintenance free. I also read the other day red bricks are coming back in again - there is always a cycle if you wait long enough. My old house was red brick and I had the green guttering, roof tiles and such but over the years the roof tiles lost their colour and went grey. When I sold the house the new owners painted all the guttering and outside trims charcoal grey. As much as I hate grey and am over the constant use of it, I have to say it really looks great and gives new life to the bricks. Maybe this is the way to go with updating facades, just change trims to the current fad colours, they need painting regularly anyway, and leave bricks to the natural cycle of trends.

Why not make a feature of it? You could paint the larger bricks (one colour or if you know you will probably change it in a few years go multi coloured or multiple shades of one colour) to make the old door into a statement and conversation starter about the history of the house. We are building red brick and limestone from scratch. You can have a look at our place at www.littlehouse18.wordpress.com if you are interested.

While lighting is not my field, I am inclined to agree with alissat re warm white being grubby and appearing overly warm/dark given the timber flooring. I appreciate that the room isn't quite finished yet but I might suggest that once the left hand wall is cleared, the selection of a large print or print(s) with vibrant colours and the addition of an aesthetcally pleasing window treatment for that raking window at the rear of the room, might make all the difference - Offsetting the sense, I currently get that the white light is inadequate, cold and sterile. This projection, I think, is compounded by the cardboard box etc against that wall. Clear along the wall, put up one or more largish colourful prints (to offset any sense of cold/sterility) and a nice white plantation shutter (if you can afford it) for that rear window, would really lift the room, increase the sense of light, especially if it can reflect of a much larger area of wall, and overall, present a rather pleasing and inviting space in which to kick back, relax and chill in front of that TV. I like the Pendants btw. ... I think they suit nicely. :)

Can we see a photo? My own house is '63. We love it. You're right they are totally underrated. Open plan, big windows, even eaves (we don't get these things as standard issue nowadays). Unfortunately my place has been 'bagged' rendered. It's just plain wrong. Poorly finished against windows etc and the 'rustic' finish just looks amateurish.