43 Jaw-Dropping German Smear (AKA German Schmear) Brick Examples…
German schmear. Or German smear. Perhaps it’s a term you’ve never heard. But I’m betting it’s a look you’ve seen. And if you made it here, I’m guessing it’s a look that you and I both like. A lot.
Many of us have brick somewhere in our homes, be it outside or in. And unfortunately, that brick may not be pretty, but rather outdated at best, and ugly at worst. Figuring out what to do with it can be a challenge because it’s an expensive building material.
Before we dig into this beautiful, budget-friendly brick makeover technique, aka a “german smear” here’s a highlight reel of some brick eye-candy for you!
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And here’s what you’ll find in this article today:
Back to the brick…
If you rip your brick out and replace it, even if it’s only on a small area like a fireplace surround, you could be looking at spending thousands of dollars. And if you’re a DIY’er that price tag also comes with a hefty side of manual labor ripping down Humpty and putting him back together again.
But if you’re a bit more on the thrifty side, and perhaps a tad brave, then there are some GREAT alternatives to update outdated brick. Namely:
Ways to update outdated/ugly brick:
- german smear (AKA “mortar wash”
- whitewashing
- limewashing
- painting
A quick review of these brick techniques:
Because there’s a lot of confusion on the web about these techniques and the differences between them, let’s do a quick review before we delve into all the beautiful German smear pics.
1. Painting:
Painting is exactly what it sounds like. Taking some paint, a brush and/or roller and slapping it on your brick. Didn’t know you could do that? Well, you can.
The caveat is that you need to make sure you use the RIGHT type of paint for your specific application. If you’re painting exterior paint, use exterior paint. And vice versa for an interior job. YES, you can use regular latex paint.
For best results, consult with the folks at your local paint counter. They’ll help steer you in the right direction of the best product for your job. Painting your brick will give you a very uniform look once complete. You will still see the texture of the brick, but variations in shading/color of the brick will be completely covered.
Before we dive in…
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2. Whitewashing:
Whitewashing is a simple modification to regular, old painting. Instead of slapping paint directly onto your brick, you’ll water it down first. How much you water it down depends on the look you are wanting to achieve. More watery = a more transparent finish (more brick will show through). Less water = a more opaque finish (less brick will show through).
Whitewashing will not give you a perfectly uniform finish in the same way that paint will. We whitewashed our family room fireplace and wrote a whitewashing tutorial if you’d like to give that a look.
3. Lime washing:
Lime washing uses a special type of paint, called a “slaked lime paint” to create a finish that’s quite similar to a whitewashed look, but this process gives you a bit more control about how the final result product looks. While whitewashing is really only one step (applying the whitewash), lime washing is a two-step process.
My friend Lauren at Bless’er House has a great, step-by-step tutorial on the limewash technique if you decide to go this route! First, you apply the lime wash and wait till it’s almost dry. At that point, you spritz sections with water and remove the product here and there to create a more mottled, vintage look with brick showing through more in some spots, and less in others. The product I’ve seen discussed and used most for this technique is this one.
4. Mortar washing AKA German smear:
Last but not least, the German smear (AKA German schmear and also mortar wash), is another great way to update your outdated, ugly brick. It happens to be my absolute FAVORITE look, and what’s so great is that it is likely the most budget-friendly option on this list (unless we’re talking about a whole house, in which case, the whitewashing technique may come out on top).
The other three techniques are all rather similar in that you’re applying a paint/paint-type product to the brick. The German smear kind of stands on its own in that regard. For this technique, we’re using mortar (I recommend this brand OR this one) to apply to the brick. If you want step-by-step directions for the process, check out:
Our step-by-step instructions for the German smear!
The thing that to me makes this technique stand out from the pack is that allows you to be more selective than the other techniques as far as covering your brick goes. If you want some of the native brick to show through, then this is probably the best technique for you to try, in my opinion.
In the other types of brick updates, you cover everything, then go back and take some of the finish off. But in the German smear, you don’t have to cover everything. You can easily leave patches of brick completely alone so that the original brick will show through perfectly.
The other major difference between this technique and the rest is a matter of TEXTURE. Since the other techniques all employ a paint product, they don’t change the texture of the brick.
A German smear will allow you to make the brick much more textured…but only if you want to. I’ve tried to include some examples below of variations in the textures that people have achieved with their mortar washes.
To create a more textured look, you will simply apply MORE mortar, and leave the bulk of it in place. If you decide you want a smoother finish, then you’ll simply wipe more of the mortar off. It’s as easy as that.
One thing I will PROMISE you about ANY of these brick updates. That is…
It’s true!! I know because I’ve been there several times! It is completely nervewracking deciding to take a paintbrush or a putty knife to your brick. It feels very daunting and permanent. Because it IS. And that’s what’s so scary. Once you start, there truly is no going back.
But here’s the thing. If you hate your brick the way it looks now, and you find yourself pinning and pining over whitewashed of german smeared brick all the time, then you just need to go ahead and slap on that paint or mortar, friend! I PROMISE it is not hard to do. And there’s no real right or wrong way to achieve this look. Check out the tutorial, then go for it.
Go ahead and hit the easy button! Grab the free printable instructions and supply list now. Click here or on the button below to enter your email. I’ll send your PDF right away⤵️
Worst case scenario? You do a little section and hate it? Then you can go the paint route and end up with a nice, smooth coat of fresh paint over that 80’s ugly brick. It won’t have cost you too much in money or time, and I’m guessing you’ll be very happy you did it.
And if none of these options seems totally up your alley, then check out this post about DIY brick updates. You may find your winner there!
1. Us! @heathered_nest
And here’s our first foray into the realm of German smear. We constructed this faux brick wall with a built-in electric fireplace (yes, that’s a real thing) as part of our master bedroom renovation project. Check out the full German smear tutorial I wrote HERE.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. In my honest opinion, the ONLY hard thing about this mortar wash process is actually having the guts to put that first swipe of mortar onto your brick (or faux brick). Once you’ve done that, the rest is really quite simple!
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Before I move on to the rest of these gorgeous examples of German smear, let me just mention that if you prefer more of a uniform look, then perhaps a better choice for you is a brick whitewash. If you’d like to check that out, we tackled a fireplace whitewash in our home as well. The brick whitewash tutorial can be found here.
2. Anthony Wilder Design Build
Right out of the starting gates is one of the most gorgeous examples of this technique. If this exterior screams “perfection” to you, then you’re a fan of German smear.
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3. @design_build_project
A gorgeous fireplace german smear in a Victorian home being renovated in South Carolina.
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4. @loveleighcreativesoul
Here is an in-process shot of a mortar wash. No tape measure, no power tools…just “hmmm, this looks good here” and “maybe I need some more over there”. It’s an “artsy” process that requires you to kind of go with your gut.
Don’t trust your gut? Grab a partner. Between the two of you, I’m betting you’ll figure out what you like and don’t like.
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5. @foundandreloved
Do you see how there are sections of the bricks on this lovely fireplace that are completely untouched by the mortar? This is a hallmark of the mortar wash technique.
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6. @glimpsesofthesouth
A stunning house spotted in Marietta, GA.
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7. @tuckersbend
This look really lends itself well to the farmhouse aesthetic, doesn’t it?
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8. @kingstonvignettes
Here is a lovely German schmear project found in a bedroom. People have used this technique successfully on everything from real brick, to thin brick veneers to brick paneling, and it looks lovely every time!
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Many people who post about tackling this technique apply the mortar with a gloved hand. It’s really all about building up your own comfort level and figuring out what works best for you.
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Seeing the process in action. You can see that this DIY’er applied the mortar inside all the grout lines on the side of the fireplace before doing the overall smear.
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11. @onepartrustic
A beautiful German smear backsplash in a kitchen.
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Choose to cover as much or as little of the brick as you decide you like. In this example, the brick is mostly covered…only little tiny areas of the original red are showing through.
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Another gorgeous example of a heavily applied mortar wash on an exterior. You can also see that despite the brick being mostly covered, the surface appears relatively smooth! You could do it like this, or leave thicker layers of the mortar to give it a more textured look/feel.
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14. @chippyvintagehippie
An “antique” German smear seen at Fort Pulaski. Stunning, no?
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15. @cocoperez129
A great before and after comparison.
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16. @nellyfriedel
I ADORE this fireplace German smear. I think they have a great balance of the white and brick areas showing through.
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Is this a dream kitchen in the making or what?! Gorgeous brick detail.
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18. @bloom.detroit
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Really unique finish on this wall. Looks almost like a combination of German smear AND a whitewash, doesn’t it?
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Here is mortar being applied using a grout float. I used a large grout sponge.
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I adore the old world feel that a mortar wash creates. It pays hommage to the brick, because it’s not completely hidden, but it creates so much more visual interest than if it were just plain brick all over this exterior facade.
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25. @polishedrenovations
Another lovely kitchen application. And they even did it on the range hood here!
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26. @Northern.Rivers.Rendering
Isn’t this just the coolest fireplace?!
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It’s impossible to choose favorites amongst all these beauties. But if I had to, this would make the top 5 for sure.
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Don’t forget your free copy of the printable supply list and instructions⤵️
30. @hannahkatelyn
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I love seeing a brick accent wall in a bedroom. It looks so charming here, right?
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34. @potterybarnaus
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Here’s another DIY’er applying her mortar simply with a work glove.
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Can you imagine this house WITHOUT the German smear?! I love how much it adds to this home.
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41.Irwin Construction
I like this image because it shows kind of one end of the German smear spectrum. This technique can be done and left with a smoothish finish, OR, if more mortar is left on, a really thick, “chunkier” heavily textured version can be achieved. This shows a fireplace done with a really heavy coat of mortar left in place to dry.
42. Sawdust Girl
Sandra used a German smear on faux brick panels. Those are the flat, really budget-friendly panels you put up kind of like drywall…not much texture to them, and there’s a really visible seam between adjacent sections of paneling, so Sandra’s idea to hide that with a mortar wash was really smart.
43. Dimples & Tangles
My friend Jennifer is the blogger behind Dimples & Tangles. Her sister took on a German smear DIY with her fireplace and liked it so much they decided to do the same treatment for their parents in their home.
Both Jennifer’s sister and her parents had really deep grout lines in their fireplaces, so they share a bit on how they handled the technique in that situation. And don’t worry…it’s ANYTHING but technical. Which as you can probably tell by now is a running theme with this technique on the whole!!
44. BONUS ROUND! @thegermanschmearhouse
Of course, I couldn’t end this without a mention of likely the most famous German-smeared home of late. The Waco, TX home renovated by Chip and Joanna Gaines is now an AirBnB. YES, you can stay there! Though the trend pre-dates Fixer Upper by hundreds of years, the technique certainly started gaining more attention once they used it on this flip. And it definitely adds a lot of class and personality to the home. If you go there, send me some pictures! Sure looks like a lovely place to spend the night!
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And that’s a wrap! 43 gorgeous examples of the German smear technique! I hope that this has given you a much clearer picture in your head as to what the German smear is so that you can decide whether or not it’s the perfect brick update for your home!
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Stephanie says
I have an interior brick fireplace that was clad in the ugly putty pink exterior brick used on the outside.(Its bad) It has wierd textured cut lines throughout. I painted the brick white and i still hate it. can I still do a mortar smear or a concrete finish if the brick is already painted with a solid coat?
Heather says
I haven’t tried that myself, Stephanie, so I can’t give you a definite. But I wouldn’t think it would be an issue to try it at all!
Lisa says
Going to do the German Smear on my cheap faux brick backsplash as the first step in updating my kitchen. TY for sharing all this info
Heather says
That’s awesome Lisa!! Would love if you let me know how it goes!! And if you have any questions, email me!! I’m always looking to make sure the tutorial for the german smear we’ve made is as good as possible!! Good luck!!
Lora says
Thank you for including my post about painting brick!