Everything You Need to Know About Using Limewash Paint in Your Home

Getting down to the nitty-gritty so you can make an informed decision.

You’ve seen it on Instagram, in your Pinterest boards or perhaps in a café in Bali… That’s right, limewash paint!

This eco-friendly textured paint has been trending in recent years; it brings a rather arresting old-world look to your home, especially if your theme hinges more on a rustic and raw look. But what is it exactly, and should you try it in your own renovation?

We spoke to Yuyu Tan, an interior designer from Insight.Out Studio, and Stephanie Lo, a senior designer at Ethereall, to find out more!

1. What is limewash paint?

“Limewash paint is a mixture of natural lime putty and water,” shares Stephanie. “The base of the lime putty is crushed limestone, and the natural colour that emerges is typically a dark grey with a tinge of brown.”

Yuyu adds that the lime putty’s base could include marble dust.

According to both, there are some other benefits thanks to the natural ingredients used for this paint:

• It doesn’t have a strong odour like regular paint (low in/free of VOCs)
• Its naturally high alkalinity deters insects

2. What’s so great about limewash paint?

From Yuyu’s perspective, limewash paint gives plain walls a lot of texture and adds depth to a home: “Of course, you have to make sure it matches the theme of your house, but the good thing is that you can mix and match different colours for a different look.”

Stephanies finds that “people are veering towards raw, organic textures for more wabi-sabi, or even brutalist vibes”. She adds that almost half of her firm’s recent clients approach them wanting limewash paint in their houses. “They’ll choose it over other effect paints which have a sheen and aren’t so matte or organic-looking.”

For fans of the increasingly popular ‘neutral tones and clean lines’ look, limewash paint is a clever way to add a unique yet subtle texture/focal point to your home. Plus, it’s a sustainable choice thanks to its natural makeup!

3. What areas in your home can you use limewash paint on?

“You can use limewash paint for practically any surface, from the walls and ceiling to even wet areas. You’d just have to take note of technicalities like whether these surfaces need preparation,” says Stephanie.

“Limewash paint attaches better to porous surfaces like plaster, stone and rocks: beam surfaces, for example, would be ideal for that. But if we build up a (dry) partition wall, we’d need to layer sealer and primer first, so that the limewash paint attaches to it and doesn’t flake easily.”

Another point that Stephanie highlights is that since limewash paint is a natural material, vibrations in the building (like when doors slam shut) could cause cracks over time.

Yuyu mentions that most choose to use limewash paint as a feature element in their homes, like a TV feature wall or a headboard accent wall. While it is possible to use it in wet areas for a consistent look throughout the home, she says it’s highly not recommended.

“It’s a space that is very humid and gets wet, so the paint tends to crack and there’ll eventually be fissures.”

Stephanie shares similar sentiments: “Since water and soap scum will affect the natural material, using limewash paint in wet areas is not advisable for homeowners who cannot accept the eventual cracks or damage.”

4. Does limewash paint come in a variety of colours?

If you were concerned about a limited palette, fret not. Stephanie and Yuyu share that natural coloured pigments can be mixed in to achieve any colour you like on a wide spectrum, from dark, moody ones to neutrals like beige and brighter and bolder ones like red and blue.

For a more European-inspired look, you might want to opt for bolder colours, instead of the popular cream-based tones.

5. Does limewash paint take longer to apply than regular paint?

“Usually, it takes about two days,” shares Yuyu. “On the first day, we paint the base coat. You have to wait for it to dry before we do the final coat the following day.”

Like Yuyu, Stephanie emphasises that the crux of applying limewash paint is refining the colours and brush strokes after the first layer has dried, which is “much more work than for regular paint”.

“If clients are not happy with the brushstrokes and the effect, we’d usually have to apply more coats on it and the back-and-forth can add a day or two. Weather conditions also affect how long it takes for the paint to dry: if it’s been raining and is very humid, it will take longer than usual.

Taking these into account, it could take up to five days for a room – but it’s usually about two to three if everything goes smoothly.”

6. Can you apply limewash paint on a wall that was previously painted?

Yes, but depending on the condition of the wall, you might need to prepare it before applying limewash paint. Yuyu outlines that this usually involves sanding it down after plastering the walls and painting a water-based sealer.

If the original wall colour is dark, “you might not be able to see its current conditions”, which could "affect the progress of achieving an evenly-coated limewash paint,” adds Stephanie.

7. Is limewash paint more expensive than regular paint?

Expect limewash paint application to cost more than regular paint as it is a more labour-intensive process. According to Yuyu, it can cost anywhere between $10 and $20 per square foot (including labour costs).

“For regular paint, you just have to choose from the catalogue and the painters will use a roller to mix and roll it on the wall. In comparison, the process of applying limewash paint is more labour-intensive.

First, you need to prepare the limewash mix in a particular powder-water ratio. Then, there’s a certain brushstroke technique to it: you have to use a sturdier brush and do it in a criss-cross pattern to achieve the effect.”

Here are two other factors that Stephanie and Yuyu mentioned that up the cost of applying limewash paint: whether you need to mix multiple colours/pigments, and whether you import the paint.

Unlike regular paint, for which you usually get a quote for the whole house under a package, Stephanie says that limewash paint is “specific to particular areas”. For a feature wall in the living room alone, it would cost minimally $1,000 whereas for regular painting works, it could be about $2,000 for the entire house.

For a five-room flat or an executive maisonette, using limewash paint across the house could cost up to $4,000, going by Yuyu’s estimates.

8. Can you DIY limewash paint?

“For sure,” says Stephanie. “We do have clients who want to DIY and we’re okay with that. They usually involve us in the process so that’s quite fun. But it’s definitely tedious – this is why the labour fee is high.”

Yuyu also has clients who prefer to get hands-on, for whom she prepares the wall before they get to the painting. “These are some who prefer the raw effect of the wall, so they’re fine even without plastering and sanding it down. They’ll do it with a group of friends or ask me to join them – like a bonding session (laughs).”

9. How long does limewash paint last?

“In terms of colouration, I would say about four to five years, which is comparable to regular paint that lasts about five to seven years,” says Yuyu. “Movements or impact on the wall (like when moving furniture) can affect it.”

She elaborates: “Sunlight can also cause discolouration, but I’ve worked on a shop front which is located in a place that gets a lot of sun. So far, there’s no feedback from the owners on any discolouration or peeling/cracking – but no promises, since it depends on the strength of the sunlight.”

Stephanie shares that excluding external weather conditions, limewash paint doesn’t discolour over time – much like any other natural material: “The bigger problem is accidental damage to the wall when coloured pigments get onto it, like if you accidentally spill red wine or your kid draws on it with crayons/markers.

It’d be pretty difficult to clean that up, so you’d probably have to reapply another coat of limewash paint to cover up the discoloured patches.”

10. Any tips for maintaining limewash-painted walls?

“It’s fairly easy to maintain it, since it’s a natural material like cement screed,” says Stephanie. “If you’re only going to have one or two limewash-painted walls, I’d recommend having it in low-traffic areas where no one will fiddle with it much.”

Regular wipe-downs with a microfiber duster will suffice, following Yuyu’s advice. She cautions against using any products with strong chemicals in them because the paint will start to drop.

11. Should you include limewash paint in your home renovation?

“Just do it. As long as it suits your theme, it’ll bring your walls to another level of beauty. If I have a house, I’d definitely do it as well,” shares Yuyu. “You can also paint over it anytime in the future if you don’t like the colour anymore.”

Of course, Stephanie underscores that you should be sure you really want such a natural material in your home so you don’t end up with regrets after jumping on the limewash paint bandwagon.

“While we’re not trying to discourage it, since it’s a natural material, you can’t control imperfections and how it reacts with things over time so you should be prepared to embrace the raw, rustic nature of limewash paint.

When you see it online, the surface seems quite smooth, which is different from how it looks in real life, so some clients back out after seeing how raw it really is.”

You won’t be able to simply roll over a stain/discolouration patch unlike with regular paint, since you’d have to achieve the same powder-water ratio like Yuyu mentioned earlier.

To get an idea of how limewash paint would look in your home, Stephanie advises requesting samples from suppliers “who can refine the colours for you and even bring them to your home to match the colours”.

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