Does your home have "Hygge" ?

Hygge. What? Hygge (pronounced "Hoo-gah")! Hygge is a Danish word that doesn't quite translate to English. The people of Denmark are said to be the happiest people in the world. We all would love a slice of extra happiness, I'm sure, and one way that the Danes create this happiness is by instilling their lives with "Hygge". So what is this "hygge" and how do you get it?

Hygge loosely translates to coziness and thoughtfulness, putting the extra steps together to create a more pleasant cozy space for yourself and your friends and family to have a good time together. It means setting the scene with candles and being intentional in how you plan out your space and your time. Truly being together with friends, separated from your cellphone, and making the extra coziness a priority in your life. It means cozying up in a special chair with a blanket, good book, glass of vino, and a little bit of homemade cake.
So, what are some steps that you can take to add more hygge to your home?

1. Have a cozy nook - Create your perfect reading, relaxing, hot tea drinking spot. Vintage Bricks reclaimed brick tiles bring in that extra bit of cozy warmth to any wall or floor with less weight than a regular brick and the ease of a regular tile. Start with your backdrop of thin brick tiles, add in an overstuffed arm chair, fuzzy blanket, side table for your hot drink (or wine!), have books in reach, set up some candles, and don't forget a furry friend. 
   
2. Candles & Fireplace - The Danish phenomenon of "hygge" was born out of the necessity for light and warmth during the long dark winters. The Danes still adorn their homes (and schools!) in candles for that extra bit of hygge that the candles bring. Don't forget your roaring fireplace. A well kept fireplace adds extra coziness once the cold weather starts to really kick in. Reclaimed thin brick tiles from Vintage Bricks can turn any fireplace from hideous to hygge-ish.
   
3. Blankets, soft pillows, slippers - Layer on the warmth this winter for that extra bit of hygge. Be intentional with putting on a nice pair of warm winter socks or your favorite slippers. Put out soft pillows and snuggly blankets to really encourage yourself and others to relax and enjoy life. 
   
4. Baked goods, hot coffee, red wine - Partake in a glass of wine if that's your thing or just enjoy a hot coffee or tea. Hygge time is not the time for worrying about your waistline, but it is the time for taking extra time to be intentional. Instead of buying a some muffins, spend some time enjoying the act of creating a nice little treat for yourself and your friends and family. 
   
5. Friends and family - Hygge is about togetherness as well as just being cozy. Haven't seen your friends in real life in a while? Invite them over to your house for dinner and cake. Friends invite you over but you always have an excuse? Take the time to visit and see them face to face. This is something we all take for granted in this digital world! 
   
6. A good book - Set aside time for yourself to read a good book, no distractions, in your little cozy nook. 
   

Enjoy the simple pleasures in life, be intentional, and snuggle up with a loved one.

We hope that you have enjoyed lots of hygge this holiday season.

www.VintageBricks.com

You Wont Believe the Reason Behind These Bricks!

Photo - Kansas Historical Society

Yes, this brick is real. The "Don't spit on the sidewalk" brick has a unique history from the early 1900's. Back when diseases like tuberculosis were running rampant, Dr. Samuel Crumbine, a public health figure, tried to combat the spread of communicable diseases. He fought against common things such as the public drinking cup, where people shared the same cup without washing it. Most famously, he spoke out against spitting on the sidewalk. His campaign against the spread of diseases included having bricks printed with the message as a friendly reminder.

To get your own historic bricks, go to www.VintageBricks.com and check out our genuine reclaimed thin brick tiles, to use indoor or out.

A Vintage Bricks Fireplace Installation

A wonderful Vintage Bricks customer, Alexis, sent in some great photos of her recent Vintage Bricks reclaimed brick tile project. Check it out!

The before picture

Here, she's removed the old mantle and blue tiles and is getting everything ready for the bricks!

Bring on the thin brick tiles!

The beauty of the patina really stands out the more brick tiles go on

Our Vintage Bricks never looked better, Alexis!

Down the side and putting the mantle back on

Now it's really coming together

Outlets and new tiles go in

So beautiful!

What an incredible transformation - we are so pleased to see our reclaimed thin brick tiles turn into such special places in our customer's homes. Thanks, Alexis!

To create a special nook in your home using thin brick tiles, go to our website at www.VintageBricks.com

A wonderful Vintage Bricks customer, Alexis, sent in some great photos of her recent Vintage Bricks reclaimed brick tile project. Check it out!

The before picture

Here, she's removed the old mantle and blue tiles and is getting everything ready for the bricks!

Bring on the thin brick tiles!

The beauty of the patina really stands out the more brick tiles go on

Our Vintage Bricks never looked better, Alexis!

Down the side and putting the mantle back on

Now it's really coming together

Outlets and new tiles go in

So beautiful!

What an incredible transformation - we are so pleased to see our reclaimed thin brick tiles turn into such special places in our customer's homes. Thanks, Alexis!

To create a special nook in your home using thin brick tiles, go to our website at www.VintageBricks.com

The Beauty of our Bricks

We are thrilled with this beautiful photoshoot of our unique reclaimed brick tiles. Our tiles are 100% reclaimed from buildings that we demolished, cut into thin tiles.



We provide tiles cut from all sides of the brick. Here are a selection of our different brick tiles. For more information on our thin brick tiles cut from whole common bricks go to our website at www.VintageBricks.com 

Wide Faced Brick Tiles

Wide-Faced Brick Tiles

Square End-Cut Brick Tiles

Original Reclaimed Brick Tiles

Original Reclaimed Brick Tiles

Original Reclaimed Brick Tiles

Square End-Cut Brick Tiles

Wide-Faced Brick Tiles

We pride ourselves in providing an eco-friendly product that supports our local economy.
Local, ethical, eco-friendly, & woman-owned!

The Eco Brick

In a recent article, The Economist shared that the brick industry should be failing. Due to the the push for more "green" buildings and sustainability, the demand for carbon-intensive bricks should be low. Bricks have been used for centuries and that isn't likely to cease anytime soon. The Economist stated that companies are now starting to create bricks that are made from recycled materials. Using recycled materials to create bricks and using bricks that are destined for the landfill are important for protecting our planet and creating eco-friendly buildings. (Not to mention keeping costs down!) Vintage Bricks takes bricks that are salvaged from demolished homes and buildings and cuts them into tiles for use indoor and out. www.VintageBricks.com

The Grisly History of the Chattahoochee Brick Company

A recent article posted by Atlanta's WABE (NPR) station unveiled an important, though shocking, historical element about Atlanta's Chattahoochee Brick Company bricks.
The Chattahoochee Brick Company factory once stood on the westside of Atlanta, around the early 1900's. It is now an empty lot with some brick piles, an odd cemetery, and debris. The lot is up for sale, with many Atlantans pushing for it to become a memorial for the workers and families of the Brick Company.

The Chattahoochee Brick Company factory

The Chattahoochee Brick Company's labor was made up what is referred to as "neo-slavery", using the free labor of primarily black people who had been arrested for petty crimes (if any crimes at all).  These workers were severely abused and many many of them perished at the factory. This leads people to believe that there are graves there, as there is a cemetery on the property.

Atlantans are pushing for the remembrance of these workers and their families, and having their story be told, instead of forgotten.  The Chattahoochee Brick Company lot is up for sale, and it would be a great injustice for all of the suffering that has gone on there to be forgotten, lost in cement.

Though the history of our Vintage Bricks may not be one that we are happy to tell, it is one that should not be forgotten.

Read the original article here
More information 

www.VintageBricks.com

Reclaimed Brick Ovens

Reclaimed bricks are a great resource for low-cost building materials.
This person used salvaged bricks and fire bricks to create a budget friendly oven. How cool!

This website has some plans for building these ovens, check it out here and then hop on over to www.VintageBricks.com 

photos from TraditionalOven.com

photos from TraditionalOven.com

Bricks are not just for houses and walkways, there are endless things that you can create with our salvaged bricks and reclaimed thin brick tiles. Shop for your next project and get your reclaimed bricks and reclaimed thin brick tiles from www.VintageBricks.com

It's a Great Day for Reclaimed Brick Tiles

Seriously, reclaimed brick tiles are having a moment right now. I have seen them everywhere!
From kitchen backsplashes to bathrooms to radiant heat flooring - they are definitely having a moment.
Brick tiles that are cut from reclaimed bricks, like ours from www.VintageBricks.com are made to withstand the test of time, because they already have withstood the test of time.
These brick tiles are not perfect, they are pitted and weathered, unevenly colored, a look that you just cannot recreate.

 Here is just a glimmer of the reclaimed vintage brick tile goodness that is out there:
Looking for an option that is hardy, will withstand anything you can throw at it, looks timeless, is eco-friendly, and is super affordable? Look no further, Vintage Bricks may be the brick tiles for you. Sliced from salvaged common bricks from demolished buildings that WE demolish, our tiles are each one-of-a-kind. www.VintageBricks.com