Natasha - Lime Wash

Natasha's Question

Could you tell me how you would do a lime wash effect onto pine cupboard doors that I currently have. I have a unit in the kitchen that is lime washed effect and want to tie the cupboards in with the rest of the kitchen. Can you help?

ANSWER

My dad used to limewash our back yard walls when I was very young to keep them looking clean, tidy and very white. Limewash, then, was a mixture of slacked lime and water.

Limed oak was an effect created on real oak using the limewash, as mentioned, and when dry brushing off but leaving the white in the open pores of the wood. The lime, to some extent, bleaches the oak.

A similar effect can be gained by using a thick white emulsion paint or thinned down wood filler after first sealing the surface with a thin coat of varnish. The white paint, or whatever, is caught in the open pores of the oak enhancing the grain and giving an unusual effect. Pine does not have open pores so the effect will be different unless you cut the pores in yourself.

Mix up some very thin matt emulsion paint, colour of your choice and have some clean rags to hand. The pine must be unpainted, unvarnished or the effect will not happen. Sand down the bare timber with coarse glasspaper. The lighter grain, which is the summer growth of the tree, will be more absorbent so the emulsion colour will be seen in this part of the wood only. Experiment with different colour and mixes of water to emulsion on spare pieces of pine. You've got it right when the emulsion wipes clean, with the rag, from the darker grain and leaves the colour in the lighter part of the grain.