Want to give your home a trendy look? I have an idea! One of the current hottest trends is texture, and you may get textural walls to spruce up the look of your dwelling. Mineral-based, natural limewash is a paint with a chalky, nuanced texture that only gets better with age. Environmentally friendly and used for centuries, limewash is one of the original house paints. Let’s find out if it fits your home.
What Is Limewash?
An ancient house staple dating back to Roman times, limewash is made from limestone that’s been crushed, burned, and mixed with water to make a lime putty. The putty is aged and then thinned with water and colored with natural pigments. Limewash creates surfaces that are mottled and matte with a chalky texture something like suede. It lends a depth and luminosity to flat walls.
A beautiful and bold space with grey limewashed walls, light-stained furniture, purple chairs, a metal pendant lamp.
A beautiful bathroom with blush limewashed walls, an oval tub and a wooden side table is light-filled through the window and the skylight.
A beautiful contemporary bedroom with greige limewashed walls, a bed with bold bedding, a pendant lamp and a woven nightstand.
A beautiful living room with pink limewashed walls, a white sofa, woven chairs, a delicate table and a pendant lamp.
A catchy bedroom with grey limewashed walls, light-stained furniture and a black plywood chair, branches in a vase.
What Are Pros Of Limewash?
Limewash is breathable (no condensation in damp conditions), natural, solvent-free, and hypoallergenic. It absorbs odors and is naturally bacteria-resistant.
A catchy bedroom with light grey limewashed walls, a black bed with grey bedding, a wooden nightstand with dried blooms.
A catchy space with molding on the ceiling, a white credenza, a catchy table with a concrete tabletop and wooden stools.
A chic contemporary bedroom with grey limewashed walls, a creamy bed and graphite grey nightstands and sconces.
A chic contemporary living room with blush limewashed walls, a minimal daybed, a pendant lamp and a black radiator for a contrast.
A chic dining room with blush limewashed walls, a stone tabletop dining table, an upholstered bench, a crystal chandelier.
What Are Cons Of Limewash?
Limewash features a limited color palette. Its mottled appearance hard to control and is not to everyone’s liking. It may require several coats to get the desired effect. It can not easily be cleaned and it may require a re-coat.
A contemporary bedroom with a grey limewashed wall, a grey iupholstered bed with black bedding, a simple round nightstand.
A contemporary bedroom with grey limewashed walls, a green upholstered bed, catchy nightstands and an upholstered bench.
A contemporary Japandi living room with greige limewashed walls, a grey sofa and a glass coffee table plus a textural rug.
A cool living room with a grey limewashed wall, an amber leather sofa, a black coffee table and a potted plant.
A cozy space with grey limewashed walls, a fireplace, a creamy chair, a basket with firewood and an artwork.
Is Limewash Environmentally Friendly?
Free of solvents that have pushed paints to the top of the household environmental hazards list, traditional limewash is made from natural lime and natural pigments. Even some modern varieties that contain additional binding agents use mineral additives that keep the environmentally-friendly attributes intact. Lime’s high pH level means microorganisms can’t survive, which adds a hypoallergenic quality.
A delicate bedroom with grey limewashed walls, a creamy bed with matching bedding, black nightstands and neutral table lamps.
A dreamy living room with neutral limewashed walls and a large fireplace, a tan chair with a pillow and a low coffee table.
A modern living room with a greige limewashed wall, black sofas and colorful pillows, pendant bulbs and a black sconce.
A modern living room with grey limewashed walls, a grey sofa, dark-stained furniture and a sconce.
A modern space with neutral limewashed walls, a grey sofa, a black oval coffee table and a dining space.
Where Can I Use Limewash?
Limewash can be used indoors and out. Unlike most house paints that sit atop surfaces, limewash sinks in, so it’s best applied to porous surfaces, such as plaster, stone, and brick. That said, limewash (especially premade, modern varieties that may already have mineral-binding additives) can be applied to drywall as long as an appropriate primer is used. The key is to go with a mineral-based primer–such as an acrylic primer (used often under latex paints)–that creates a surface the limewash can bond to.
A Moroccan space with pink limewashed walls, dark pendant lamps, cushions and pillows on the rug on the floor.
A neutral living room with grey limewashed walls and a matching ceiling, a neutral sectional, a wooden side table, a catchy rug.
A neutral minimalist space with neutral limewashed walls, a white stone bench, a catchy and soft chair with a footrest.
A neutral outdoor space with blush limewashed walls, rattan furniture, potted plants is gorgeous.
A pretty and airy living room with light grey limewashed walls, a creamy sofa, a low coffee table, pampas grass in vases.
What Colors Does Limewash Come In?
In its base form, limewash is off-white. Color is achieved by adding natural, alkali-resistant pigments, which are available in shades dictated by what the earth has to offer. Browns, grays, and taupes are the norm.
Keep in mind that limewash becomes much lighter as it dries. It’s up to 10 times darker when it’s wet; so it’s important to test colors. Colors vary depending on the pigments used, the composition and porosity of the surface being painted, and the application of the paint.
A pretty eat-in kitchen with pink limewashed walls, shelves instead of cabinets, a relcaimed wood dining table and vintage chairs.
A refined dining room with grey limewashed walls, a rough wooden table, stylish chairs and grey curtains plus a white vase for decor.
A relaxed bathroom with grey limewashed walls and a floor, a wodoen vanity with stone sinks, an oval tub.
A relaxed bedrom with neutral limewashed walls, a floating bed, light-stained furniture and grey bedding.
A relaxed bedroom-with grey limewashed walls a bed with neutral bedding a mini gallery wall and a bulb hanging.
A Scandi living room with a mauve limewashed wall, white furniture, an IKEA Hol table and a black hearth in the corner.
Can I Make My Own Limewash?
Mixing your own limewash is the budget-friendly way to go. It’s a simple process that involves making a lime putty from hydrated lime (available at hardware stores) mixed with water, and then gradually diluting the concoction with water until it has the consistency of thick cream. Natural pigments are added for color.
A stylish contemporary bedroom with a grey limewashed wall and a ceiling, a grey upholstered bed with black and white bedding, copper nightstands and unique pendant lamps.
A stylish nook with a taupe limewashed wall, a black chair with a yellow footrest, a glass console table and a pendant lamp.
A vintage neutral bathroom with limewashed walls and a shower space, a vintage crystal chandelier, a mirror in an ornated frame and a shell sink.
A vintage-inspired bedroom with grey limewashed walls, a black forged bed with neutral bedding, a small gallery wall and a stained wooden bench.
How is Limewash Applied?
Limewash should be applied in several thin coats using a long-haired or masonry paintbrush that creates feathered strokes. Never use a roller.
How Do I Clean My Limewashed Walls?
Cleaning limewashed walls is not recommended, nor is it often required: Limewash’s mottled, shadowy effect shows much less dirt than standard painted surfaces do. But should walls need a touch-up, simply apply a diluted re-coat of limewash.
A wabi-sabi living room with neutral limewashed walls, a fireplace, a neutral sofa, a rough wood coffee table and chests.
An airy bedroom with tan limewashed wall, a white bed with neutral bedding, a catchy pendant lamp and a chair.
An airy contemporary space with neutral limewashed walls, a green sofa and a round coffee table plus a pendant lamp of a catchy shape.
An airy space with grey limewashed walls, a wooden ceiling, a leather and wood chair, branches in a vase.
An elegant living room with beige limewashed walls, a glass console and coffee table, a brown chair and neutral textiles.