Before and After: An Entryway with an “Outdated Vibe” Gets a Modern Limewash Makeover
If you’re looking to take your guest’s breath away when they step into your home, check out these brilliant entryway transformations, and then add Famelly Del Orbe (@famdcor)’s latest entryway project to your mood board. Famelly, an interior designer, worked on the project for a client, Perla, and the duo embarked on a DIY limewash accent wall to liven up the overall “dark beige that made the space feel dull,” as Famelly puts it.
“Something I disliked from day one was the wall color,” Famelly says. “The existing space had an outdated vibe.” A limewash treatment adds a modern, industrial look that creates a more dramatic entrance — and furniture completes the job.
Goodbye, beige. Hello, DIY limewash.
The first thing Famelly and Perla decided to do was paint the entire entryway a crisp white (using Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X in Pure White). They ordered more modern furniture and lighting, and that made a difference on its own, Famelly recalls. But the real star of the space is the multi-toned gray accent wall.
Famelly and Perla used Portola’s Limeproof Undercoat primer and then a charcoal limewash paint (Portola’s Boulder) for their project. They primed the wall first, waited two hours for the primer to dry, and then applied the first coat of the Boulder hue with a 5-inch brush in a crisscross pattern. They waited another two hours, then applied the final coat. “We were worried that the dark limewash color might shrink the space, but it had the opposite effect,” Famelly says. “It added depth … to the entry.”
(And if you, too, love the limewash look, check out this dreamy green bedroom, this renter-friendly version, and this industrial-inspired kitchen for further envy — or, erm, inspiration.)
Sleek furnishings match the now-modern vibe.
Initially, Famelly and Perla planned to use a lighter-colored wash and lighter-toned furniture, but furniture delays caused the design to have to pivot a bit. “Some decor and furniture [pieces] were unexpectedly out of stock and delayed,” Famelly says, but she and Perla love the way the console table (a CB2 find that’s no longer available), arched mirror, black sconces, and white pendant light (also from CB2) look all together. And in total, the project cost about $4,000.
“The entry is now more functional,” Famelly says. “We added a larger console table, providing ample space for decor, a tray for keys, and extra storage.” She adds that for an even more dramatic look, they could have gone with all-over limewash, but she also likes the contrast of the limewash with the white paint.
“I love how beautiful the space looks now,” Famelly says. “Stepping into this space now feels pleasant, inviting, and elegant.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.