H&G It Yourself: How to Use Limewash Paint in Any Room
Certain moods take the interiors world by storm from time to time–either calmly or with a surge of activity–and one such that came to the fore in recent years is limewash paint. This is not an easy bandwagon to hop on, however, as limewash is very different from normal paint and expertise and tact is required in its application. That's not to say that you cannot do it yourself, but it is to say that certain steps and preparative measures must be taken.
Bronwyn Reidel, Creative Director at Bauwerk, the go-to company for limewash paint, explains it thus: “As it is a natural material, made from limestone, the best way to understand its application is to imagine you are applying a thin layer of stone over your wall. This is different to conventional paints which are a plastic coating that masks all that is on your wall.” Which leads us to point one: priming is your best friend.
The reason that preparation is key is because “limewash has no capacity to mask what is on your wall,” according to Bronwyn. “It allows all the history and the materials of the wall to come through.” This can be lovely in historical buildings or those with limed materials, but if you're painting over a previously painted wall, limewash-specific primer is your best friend. Alice Palmer, who limewashed her kitchen, advises “you can do this with a roller, but make sure the priming is fairly even otherwise the lime wash will show patchy.”
How to Apply Limewash Paint
Application is key in every sense when it comes to working with limewash paint and Alice continues, “I would also invest in a proper limewash paintbrush. They are quite expensive, large brushes but it’s definitely worth it.” The reason for this is that, as limewash doesn't act like normal paint, the textural finish is very important. Therefore, the right brush will provide the texture you're aiming for. “Limewash needs to be applied thinly,” says Bronwyn “and stretched out as far as it naturally goes over the wall surface. If you do not spread it out enough, the limewash cannot take up enough carbon dioxide from the air to cure fully which can leave a powdery residue.” As for how many coats you'll need, this is where limewash wins over normal paint; Bronwyn and the Bauwerk team advise two to three coats, saying that two is usually enough, while Alice says she often just does the one to “make the effect especially cloud-like. This is perhaps more appropriate for a ceiling rather than a wall,” she continues, “as it doesn’t need to be as durable.”
How to Use Limewash in Bathrooms
When it comes to durability, limewash does better than you might think from its appearance. Even in bathrooms, it works, as Bronwyn explains: “Limewash is not film-forming and therefore not prone to blistering or peeling, even in high humidity environments”. Some people who have used it themselves have advised, however, that it is delicate if you're doing things like changing light switches or other fittings. Once you get a blemish, you cannot paint over it simply as you would with normal paint. To that end, make sure painting is the last thing you do and be very careful not to slide heavy furniture across walls or try various placements for a mirror or a painting once it has been applied. “I would also say be patient,” Alice continues, “as the limewash matures beautifully over time. You can use a matt sealant to seal the limewash when painting it in a heavier-traffic room such as a kitchen or bathroom; this may give it a slight sheen but it will also give a more wipeable surface.”
Alice concludes, “one mistake I made was to paint a built in bench seat in my garden in limewash, which then rubbed off on the cushions and the people sitting on it. I would warn against painting limewash on a surface that is regularly used or touched without a sealant. Or to be honest on an outdoor bench seat at all!”
In conclusion, limewash is much simpler to use than you may have thought, and lasts well as long as you treat it with respect. As Bronwyn sums up, “as there are no chemicals added to make our limewash paints, that is why it is important to apply it correctly and let nature do the work, rather than add more chemicals into our homes. But even if you get it wrong, another correctly applied coat will fix the problem.”