Limewash Bathrooms and Kitchens

James Alexander Specialty Paints |

Yes, you can limewash a bathroom or kitchen. Most of the walls in those rooms never get wet; they just see steam and need wiping now and then, and limewash handles that well with the right additive and sealer. The walls that take direct water, like a shower or the backsplash behind a sink, need tile instead.

Before you start

  • Coverage: about 300 sq ft per gallon over two coats (about 75 sq ft per quart); more on rough brick. Buy it all at once so every coat comes from the same batch.
  • Color: limewash looks much darker and more transparent wet and dries much lighter. Judge it dry, on a sample first. Color samples

The short version

  • Walls that stay dry (ceilings, walls away from sinks): limewash with Densifier in the final coat.
  • Walls that need wiping now and then (beside a vanity, a coffee bar): Densifier, then Matte Sealer. Sealer makes the wall wipeable, not waterproof, and it can still stain, especially from highly pigmented materials.
  • Walls that take direct water or need regular cleaning (shower, tub surround, behind the sink or stove): not limewash or Modern Lime Paint. Use tile.
  • Run the fan. Good ventilation helps every finish in a bathroom.

Room by room: what goes where

Dry

Ceilings, walls across the room from the sink or tub, above a wainscot

Limewash with Densifier in the final coat, or Modern Lime Paint

Needs wiping now and then

The wall beside a vanity, a powder room, a coffee bar

Limewash with Densifier, then Matte Sealer

Direct water or regular cleaning

Inside a shower, tub surround, backsplash behind a sink or stove

Tile or another waterproof surface. Not limewash or Modern Lime Paint

Why the shower is off-limits, even sealed

Our Matte Sealer is breathable by design. That's what keeps a limewashed wall looking like limewash, but it also means a sealed wall isn't waterproof or washable, and stains can still appear. Anywhere water runs down the wall or pools, or anywhere you'd scrub regularly, limewash and Modern Lime Paint aren't the right finish.

Steam is fine; plan for the walls that need wiping

Steam

Steam from a shower or a pot of pasta settles on every wall in the room. Limewash doesn't form a plastic film, so there's no skin to peel or blister. Run the exhaust fan or crack a window so the room dries out after a shower, as you would with any finish.

Walls that need wiping

Water, toothpaste and cooking grease land on specific walls, and unsealed limewash can mark. Those are the walls that get Densifier and then Matte Sealer.

How to limewash a bathroom or kitchen wall

1
Prep. Drywall and painted walls need one coat of Lime-Prep; new or patched drywall needs a sealing primer under it. See the prep guide.
2
First coat. Thin, with a block brush, in short crisscross strokes.
3
Second coat with Densifier. Once the first coat is dry (ideally after 24 hours), stir 1 part Densifier into 4 parts limewash and brush it on. Densifier gives the wall its durability right away instead of weeks later.
4
Seal the walls that need wiping. Wait at least 24 hours (minimum) after the densified final coat, then roll 2 coats of Matte Sealer, 2 hours apart, onto those walls. Sealer goes only over densified limewash. Apply it evenly and don't overbrush; overbrushing can damage the delicate limewash surface. Test it on a hidden patch first: sealer adds a touch of sheen and can shift deep colors.

Using Modern Lime Paint instead? The zones are the same. Modern Lime Paint doesn't need Densifier, and sealer is optional on walls that need wiping. Like limewash, it isn't for showers or anywhere water pools.

Cleaning

  • Densified, unsealed walls: dust only with a soft, dry cloth. No water.
  • Sealed walls: a damp (not wet) cloth and, if needed, a little pH-neutral mild soap. Avoid heavy water and never scrub.

Touch-ups

Small marks on densified walls touch up with a dab of limewash. On sealed walls, put a little Lime-Prep on the spot first, then limewash.

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