alohamuffin I love the brick - what kind is it?

Paul Rice Architecture It's a black glazed brick.

Paul Rice Architecture We could have brought the brick down to the same spot but wanted to have another material for variety but it does serve the purpose of keeping smoke out of the room.

toastr That's what I suspected. Thanks again!

divya125 What is the exact name of the brick? And what finish is it? Looked at Endicott glazed brick but it doesn't look anything like this.

Cast Supply Inc. This would not be one of Endicott's glazed products. They have a group of 'ironspot' bricks that when fired produce a distinctive sheen. I believe that is what is causing the variegation you are seeing in the photo. I tbelieve the specific brick colour shown here is call Manganese Ironspot, Velour. We have the same brick color on our own building and it picks up the light in surprising ways and changes with different light conditions. I have attached a photo of our building. Please keep in mind the brick size is bigger than what was used on the fireplace.