This lime wash project in Weston, MA was very rewarding! My client Nina has been gradually updating the rooms in her home, and recently focused her attention on the living room. The room is a nice, open space that gets plenty of sunlight. When we first met, the walls were a yellowish off-white which needed to be refreshed (and Nina never loved to begin with!)
Instead of re-painting with a flat color, Nina wanted something special that would highlight the warm, inviting feeling of the room and go with the look of the fabulous lights she had installed. After doing some research, Nina settled on lime wash – which creates an organic look, with subtle variation and movement that happens in the application of the paint. A lime wash is done with lime paint - which is one of the oldest paints used, dating back to ancient Egypt. It is lime-based and has a consistency somewhere between paint and plaster. The resulting finish has a completely flat sheen (no shine at all) and a very subtle texture.
Nina knew she wanted a light, neutral look – so we investigated different color options and combinations (some lime wash finishes use 2 different colors) that would give the bright look she wanted while still showing the beautiful modulation of lime wash she liked (the variation tends to be much more apparent in darker colors and can often be difficult to see in very light colors).
After working with the lime paint manufacturer and doing a sample board, we settled on a 2-color approach. Both colors are light neutrals, but you apply the darker of the colors first, and then apply the lighter wash over the top – which helps highlight the variation.
I love the end result —- but much more important, it was exactly what Nina had envisioned and works perfectly in her re-imagined living room!
Enjoy!!
Jason
