kitchen is a good thing, but I can’t tell whether or not it’s essential. My recommendation is to leave this area without siding for now (it’s not very large), then monitor how cold the wall feels during winter and how that affects room comfort. Adding a layer of exterior insulation and siding would be a separate job from the interior reno anyway, and could easily be done later, if experience proved it necessary.

If you’d like to preserve the appearance of brick while also adding insulation, consider a Canadian product called Novabrik (800-265-2522). It’s a thin, interlocking, brick-like masonry product designed to be screwed onto vertical wood strapping. Fasten this strapping to the exterior brick wall, fill the spaces between strips with rigid foam insulation, then put Novabrik on top.