This Trendy Paint Hack Saves You Hours of Work (You Have to See It to Believe It!)

Limewash is one of those wall treatments that makes a space feel instantly more charming, lived-in, and historic. The imperfectness of the tone and texture brings so much life and character to a wall while providing the perfect backdrop for eclectic art, antiques, and cozy furniture. But limewashing can also be a daunting process because you need to invest in a specific paint, primer, and wash to get it done — that is, until now. 

TikTok user Tina Le Mac created a faux limewash effect on a wall in her home using standard paint, and the result looks just like the real thing (if not better). This process looks so easy — you can limewash an entire room using basic supplies you can grab at the hardware store, all in the same day! 

Tina, who partnered with Behr on this project (yes, we were influenced by an ad!), wanted to give a wall in her space a terracotta finish. She chose one lighter hue of terracotta-colored paint and another darker shade to create a limewash look.

“Pour half and half of each paint into one tray,” Tina instructed followers in her video. “I like to make a little tape wall so I can dip into each color as needed. Use a large deck brush and do big strokes in a criss-cross motion to really get that movement.”

She said that trusting the process is key with this painting technique. “If you need to blend it out even more, you can also use a big sponge … can you believe this is just paint?”

This method works because the light and dark paint mix together to create an uneven finish that gives the wall a 3D, textured effect. You can experiment with your criss-cross strokes to create different paint textures and find the one that you like best; you can also ditch the sponge if you prefer a less blended look. You might even want to play with your chosen paint colors to create a more dramatic effect.

Limewash results in a pretty standard finish, but this paint hack allows you to totally customize the look to get exactly what you’re after.

Introduce a bit of old-world charm to your space and give this faux limewash technique a try. Your room will have so much more character and life, and you’ll love how you only needed a couple of pints of paint to complete the project.