After seeing limewash paint trending everywhere on the internet I couldn’t help but want to try it myself. I had thought about using it in a different room but our entryway was definitely the space in need of a refresh. So if you’re wondering if a limewash wall will go well in your home, do it! But first, keep reading so you can look out for the things I learned along the way!
Attempting the Viral Limewash Paint Trend
It was bittersweet to take out the original accent wall in my entryway, it was the first project I did when we moved into this house. But with the storage cabinets in front of it I needed an accent wall that could be mostly covered and still make a statement. Most of all I needed it to set the tone and carry the style of the house. This project definitely took me through the emotions, nostalgia for my original accent wall, hatred of the first coat of paint, and all the way to the finished product, which I am loving.
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Materials + Tools
Materials
Decor
Tools
1. A Fresh Start & Demo
First I cleared out the cabinets and removed everything from in front of the wall.
Then it was time to disassemble the wall, I used a blade and a paint scraper to cut through the caulking and pull the trim off.
I did run into a bit of a snag during this step. As each piece came down, it took chunks of plaster with it. It made a huge mess and made the wall anything but smooth.
So it was back to the scraper to get all of the extra caulking off.
2. Prepping the Accent Wall
I realized that the whole wall needed to be patched. It was far past the point of spot treating.
So next I did a skim coat on the whole wall with joint compound.
After that it was time to sand. Every tutorial I watched to learn about limewash paint started with a semi smooth wall. If your wall is already smooth you probably don’t need to do this. But I wanted to set this wall up for success as best I could.
Because of the joint compound I felt the need to use a primer, and I used a limewash specific primer.
It’s important to use primer because the limewash paint needs something porous to stick to. I do wish I had primed the joint compound first because you could see the patches after the first coat.
3. Applying the Limewash Paint
I’m using a color called Brushed Slate which is like a darker gray.
The paint turned out to be much thicker than I expected so make sure you give it a good stir.
I used this 4 inch chunky block brush, it’s the recommended brush type for limewash paint.
Every video I watched said to make these sort of “cloud” formations with brush strokes until the brush hardly has paint on it anymore. Then connect the “clouds”.
I did one side of the wall with short brush strokes, and the other side with longer more organic brush strokes. I could see the difference as it started to dry and I decided that I needed to pick one technique and stick with it…
After the first coat of limewash paint, let the 1st coat dry for 12 hours. At this point in the process it won’t look great, but you have to trust that the next coat will look better.
I could only trust the process so much. I really wasn’t feeling the color on this first coat. So I took some of this other limewash paint I had from a different project and combined it with the original color. This gave it much more variation and it wasn’t as thick, which felt more promising.
4. A Few Tips You Don’t Want to Skip
Avoid straight brush strokes, they really stand out when it dries. You’ll want to use painters tape for your edges, this allows you to use those organic brush strokes all the way to the edges while still giving you a crisp line.
Use bigger brush strokes. The longer strokes gave a more velvety finish that looked so much better than the short choppy strokes I used in the first coat.
The second coat really was key here. The coverage was so much better than the first coat, plus I love the color variation I got from mixing the two colors.
5. Final Touches and The Reveal
Now it was time to add everything back into this space. I started with this new storage cabinet.
Then I used the geometric headboard that I made for our last apartment as an ode to that original wall that I loved so much.
Last but not never least, add plants. I also added a lamp, some books, a key tray and filled the cabinet to set the vibe.
I really love how this accent wall changed the entryway of our house. The space definitely flows better through to the kitchen, and I am so glad I trusted the process and did it. If you see this viral limewash paint trend going around the internet and you want to try it, I hope this convinces you to go for it too!
Save This for Later
I hope you enjoyed this little weekend project! If so, make sure to Pin It for later!
I think you did a great job! It looks great very upscale. I was actually researching accent walls for my bedroom to see if they were still in style. I think this limewash as the accent wall would look more interesting. 😊 I’m thinking terracotta with beige walls with decorative accents of lighter and darker terracotta, different shades of beige with Sage accent pieces.
What do you think?