One of my goals this year for our home was to add in loads of Character. Even though our house was built in the 40s it really lacks a lot of the beautiful characteristics that typical old homes were built with. I’m not sure if they were removed or just never there but regardless we are on a mission to add them back. Project by Project we are slowly doing it.

One of the ways we added character to our walls in the living room, stairwell and our Kitchen was to add Limewash. Limewash may be gaining more attention lately but its actually been around for centuries.

The process of Limewashing actually originated from the Egyptians and has been used world wide ever since. Although the recipe varies and pigments have changed over time the finish and its benefits remain the same. It’s a fire retardant, has anti fungal properties, is odorless and also is a natural antiseptic. It also gives so much texture, movement and interest to a space.

We used JHWallPaints in color 177. Its a warm neutral but has just enough color to create the beautiful texture and movement we were hoping to add.

I love to paint so this process for my creative brain was so fun. First, you add the primer which is like a gritty sandpaper to make sure that the limewash has something to adhere to. Then the fun begins! You actually mix the limewash with water in a separate container. I mixed 1 part limewash with 4 parts water in our stairwell and 1:1 in the kitchen and living room. You apply the limewash with a large thick brush making small-large vertical sweeping motions. It takes some time getting used to the application process since it’s so different from latex paint but once you get the hang of it – its so fun! Its like creating art on your walls. You allow the first coat to dry overnight and then apply the second coat. We also limewashed the ceilings in the living room and stairwell for a cohesive look and it really makes a big impact.

If you haven’t tried Limewash and are looking for a unique and natural way to add loads of character to your home- I highly recommend it. If you want to see live progress of Limewash check out this reel HERE HERE HERE

Ali