Good morning friends, how was your weekend? Per and I have been busy painting our bedroom. Don't get me wrong, the 'blushing peach' (above) was really cosy, but with the impending (whisper it) autumn and darker days on their way (shudder!), we were keen to give it a fresh, light feel. In the past few years I've been really into lime paint and the beautiful matt nuanced / textured affect it creates. I've painted quite a few walls in my home already with this, but it occurred to me to share a little more about the process this time round- just in case you're tempted to do something similar in your home!
There's a bunch of great lime-based powder form paints out there. My go-to is Icelandic brand Kalklitir - (I've used it before in the kitchen and they kindly gifted this batch - thank you Audur!). We chose the shade 'Palladio' which is fairly light and I noticed, the same one Jacqueline Mikuta used in her apartment which I featured recently. It has a wonderful, calming aesthetic.
How to apply it
Before you apply it, the trick is to think carefully about how nuanced / cloudy you would like your wall. Lighter colours will automatically show less affect.
We used 1.7 litres of water for 1 kg of powder (although this varies depending on which brand you use) and applied it evenly using fairly straight / curved strokes for a relatively 'clean', subtle look.
However, if you're looking for a more textured aesthetic, you can add more water and apply it fairly roughly, using a cross action (which we did on the final layer) - adding more in some areas than others. Or for a REALLY textured wall you can work the powder into a paste and apply it with a spatula.
Bear in mind that every wall is different and some have better absorption than others - so results will vary no matter what!
Is it easy to apply?
When I shared the picture above on instagram I got asked a lot of questions about whether or not this type of paint is easy to apply. Firstly, I always think that when you see renovations online they always look so effortless. It's as if they appear by magic!!! But with any decorating there's always a lot of work involved - checking samples, taping adjacent walls and windows, removing appliances, cleaning the wall etc.
However, once you get started applying chalk paint is really quick and easy with a brush - in fact I would say, it's way quicker than standard paint. But it can be very disconcerting the first time you use it as it feels like it's never going to cover whatever was underneath and looks SUPER patchy while it dries! Fear not though, it'll quickly settle and the coverage is great (we used three layers, but probably could have got away with two).
On the other hand, applying it with a spatula is way more labour intensive - but no doubt worth it if that's the look you're going for!
If you're using Kalklitir, there's more info about the application process here.
How many layers do you need?
This always depends on the wall in question. I was slightly concerned as one of the walls in our bedroom (behind the office) is really dark - but since it had a matt (or semi-matt) finish we were able to apply the paint straight over it without any prep work. We ended up using three layers in total, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly in between.
Ready to see the result? Ta-daaaa:
As you can see, the texture is really subtle, but you can still see shifts in the colour which helps to add depth and interest the space.
We're so happy with the result - I hope you like it as much as we do! If you have any questions about the paint please do give me a shout below and I'll do my best to help!
I'm so looking forward to sharing more pictures and info about our bedroom soon.
Have a great start to the week!
Niki
Final image taken by me and styled by Helen Sturesson.
10
