What is German Smear?
By Terri O’Sullivan, Artist & Designer 🌻
German Smear or ( Schmear) Finish has become a fast growing design trend. Growing more popular as Designers are more flexible to suit all personalities and are creating a spectrum of design styles and trends! In its many styles it can be blended into any well designed space. It gives great character to a room as an accent wall
German Smear is a White Mortar Cement that is applied in different ways for different styles. Design wise it could be considered a Town and Country Style. Depending on its form, It’s been used in Interior Design as an Urban, Rustic, Country or Loft and City style.
From Fireplaces, accented walls to kitchen backsplashes. More commonly found on the front of Homes on exterior brick and chimneys.
A German Smear finish is designed to soften the red or any bold natural stone color. In an instant a German Smear finish will brighten a space and give it a certain character! It becomes somewhat of a neutral and can go with most wall colors.
What does German Smear mean? The name comes from the application to “smear “ the mortar over the brick to stain the brick and soften the color.
Depending on mortar mixture and application there are a few different variations of styles that homeowners are asking for.
The Traditional German Smear finish is most often confused with the White Wash Brick. The difference between German Smear and White Washed Brick is a German Smear Finish is made of Mortar ( made of sand and cement.) It is applied with a trowel, sponges and other tools.
White Washed Brick is paint diluted with water. Applied with a brush. ( I prefer a stain brush.) designed to absorb into the stone giving it thin tinted layer of white. Check out “How to White Wash Brick like a Professional”
A Partial German Smear: ( I named it this because everyone called looking for a finish that wasn’t smeared but more broken off and called it German Smear.)
This is mortar based and applied only on potions of the brick where about 50% to 25 % of brick comes through. The trick is to have it all look like a constant pattern for it to blend softly with the surroundings.
A Spill Over German Smear: This is when the grout lines of existing brick are “over filled” with White mortar and become flush with the brick. The mortar that gets on the rim of the brick is then slightly smeared down and over a small portion of the brick.
Thank you for your interest in German Smear. It is a timeless finish that has endless possibilities! An aged look that adds character to homes, businesses, offices, restaurants, lounges, backdrops, outside kitchens and this list goes on. For more German Smear and Design Images visit:
