Flemish Bond

Flemish Bond starts with one of the most familiar brick patterns. However, once removed from masonry, it begins to suggest something entirely different.

The alternating arrangement has the character of a basket weave. Forms seem to pass across and beneath one another, despite everything sitting completely flat. That illusion gives the geometry a softness that feels far removed from brickwork.

There are echoes of woven café chairs too, particularly those traditional seats built from interlaced strips. Yet wicker feels like the stronger connection. Both rely on simple repetition to turn individual pieces into a continuous structure.

I like the journey between those references. Brick and wicker could hardly feel more different as materials. One suggests weight and permanence, while the other feels light, flexible and handmade.

Yet their construction shares an unexpected visual language. Remove the material, texture and scale, and the underlying order becomes remarkably similar.

Flemish Bond sits somewhere between the two. What begins with brickwork gradually becomes woven, leaving the eye to decide whether it sees masonry or basketry.