while it may sound like an indulgent spa treatment, lime wash is actually a cool old-school architectural coating that is slathered onto walls with an extra-big brush. after reading about it, i had to try it, and ordered two quarts of sydney harbour’s highly recommended product from cox paint. (because you can’t get it in memphis…yet.) having a question about the proper primer to use, i phoned sydney harbour, and one of the owners, daniel watson, actually picked up the phone. after giving me all the details (and e-mailing spec sheets), he graciously sent a little sample of their special undercoat to try. okay, how nice is that? mr. watson, you are now officially mrs. jones’s total ultimate complete customer service hero!
the pictures can’t possibly do the finish justice, but here are samples in benjamin moore’s traditional yellow (tinted to #170) and ice (one of sydney harbour’s colors). this is one of those finishes that, being an organic-based product, kind of does its own thing…the color blooms and glows where it chooses, due the lime content, and it’s sort of chalky to the touch. it’s fabulous.