Exposed brick wall - skirting board?

[lollypoppy123]

We are having one wall of exposed brick. The other walls will all have skirting. Should the brick one have skirting too? Is skirting aesthetic only or does it serve a function?

It serves the function of covering the raggedy edge of the plastering at the bottom of a wall and the scraggy ends of floorboards but if you're not having plaster and going for an industrial look, it would look a bit strange to put skirting up (maybe a plain board but then it wouldn't match the rest of the room I suppose). Occasionally you'll find there are wiring conduits etc hidden behind skirting but not very often.

I'd have skirting board, but only if I was going to paint it all grey, or something industrial looking in keeping with the wall. Otherwise, I'd not have it.

There are no conduits etc but there is a narrow expansion gap that needs something so that's the main reason I'm considering the skirting boards. Painting them grey would work though. The brick is red but there are grey bits through it so the skirting board won't be such a huge contrast if painted grey.