Lime-painted walls are the new trend on social media and for good reason. With its chalky texture, it softens standard colours and provides a much warmer and more natural finish. MFix By making your own whitewash using chalk paint and water, you can achieve the whitewash look in a highly effective and cost-effective way.
According to B&Q, lime paint is growing in popularity with more and more households looking for ways to add more character to their walls.
What are whitewashed walls?
“The traditional Roman whitewash effect is created by crushing limestone, firing it and mixing it with water to create a chalky textured paint,” says Susie Spence, Category Director, Surface and Décor at B&Q.
The crushed limestone was mixed with natural pigments to create the desired color. Today, an earthy pink lime paint is one of the most popular paint options, along with sage green – especially in bathrooms – and a warm putty. Real lime paint becomes much lighter when it dries – when wet, it is significantly darker and usually completely unrecognizable compared to the finished product. It is also naturally antibacterial, mold resistant and usually free of solvents, which can make some paints quite toxic.
Real lime paint becomes much lighter when it dries – when wet it is much darker and usually unrecognisable compared to the finished product. It is also naturally antibacterial, mould resistant and usually free of solvents, which can make some paints quite toxic.
Where you can use whitewash in your home:
Lime paint has many uses around the home. Unlike traditional paint, which sits on your walls like a veneer, lime paint soaks in and is therefore well suited to porous surfaces such as brick and plaster.
In terms of design, lime walls are good for rooms that need a lot of warmth, such as a bathroom or an overly sober kitchen, or for large rooms that risk looking quite bare. Lime is also a good choice for bedrooms, as the chalky texture softens the underlying colour and creates something quite cosy.
The disadvantage of real lime plaster, however, is that it can be quite expensive.
“If you buy ready-made tins it can be quite expensive at over £60 per tin,” says Susie. “This DIY method allows you to achieve the effect at home more cost-effectively. The effect can add a contemporary aspect to any room and is a great way to update neutral decor.”
Here’s how you can recreate lime walls cost-effectively:
1. Choose the right color
One of the great things about the limewash DIY wall trend is that it doesn’t cost the earth. On TikTok, @chrystalspalace has been using Matt Emulsion paint tester pots from B&Q in the shade Tijuana – which costs just £2. You can use just one colour or mix them together. Because water is added to the paint, you don’t need to shell out hundreds for high-end paints.
“The trend is to gently apply chalk paint to create a textured wall effect and is praised for its natural properties,” says B&Q.
2. Create the mix
Now it’s time to mix it. To do this, the paint is mixed with water to create a chalky effect. The ratio should be 70 percent water to 30 percent paint to create a watery consistency.
3. Attach to the walls
Lime paint requires a little more effort than applying paint from a can. First, apply the mixture to your wall using a lint-free cloth or an old rag in a circular motion. Continue until the desired wall is evenly coated and allow to dry.
There’s so much more you can do with your walls than just painting them standard white, so why not try this trendy effect?
Check out the video from @chrystalspalace below:
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