A “Builder-Grade” Entryway Gets a Modern Limewash Makeover for $387
Oftentimes, a freshly built home features friendly neutral wall colors, such as Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, Sherwin-Williams’ Agreeable Gray, Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath, and other warm whites, beiges, greiges, grays, and tans. There’s nothing wrong with those neutrals, of course, but sometimes homeowners are looking for something a little more bespoke.
Homeowner Candice (@home_with_candy_sky) says her walls were “effectively a blank canvas” when she moved in to her new home. “The new-build walls felt plain and boring, and I felt that I needed to make the space warmer and more inviting,” she says. She started with a space that literally invites people in: the entryway.
A limewash paint elevated the entryway.
Candice had three goals for her one-wall entryway makeover: Cover up the sockets down below, cover up the doorbell chime box up above, and give the walls a bit more warmth. She liked the wall color (Farrow & Ball’s Ammonite) before, but she says it felt “quite cold given the north-facing direction of this space.”
“It felt quite plain with similar tones in the flooring, and it lacked interest,” Candice describes. “I had to choose a color with warmer undertones in order to create a cozy feel.”
She says limewash paint made the biggest difference in the north-facing, 60-square-foot hallway. “I have never used limewash paint before; I have previously only ever created a faux limewash effect using two shades of emulsion,” she says.
This time around, Candice used a ready-made limewash paint, Rustoleum’s Limewash Effect Wall Paint No. 046.
A large canvas adds even more texture.
Candice found a large box canvas for about $40 and decided that would be the perfect cover for the sockets and doorbell chime. “Creating the textured canvas was the most interesting and fun part of the process,” she says. “I used plaster to create the texture and then dry-brushed different neutral shades over the top.”
She adds that she loves the large scale of the canvas. “I saved a fortune painting this canvas compared to buying artwork,” she says.
She finished the hallway makeover with a few new accessories: a bench from H&M, a new sconce, a candlestick, and a vase. “The entryway is now warm and inviting,” she says. “If I could change anything, I would have a wider and larger hallway area, but I can’t change the space I have, so I just have to make the most of a small space.”
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