A brick fixer upper colonial house gets a limewashed brick exterior makeover using Romabio Classico Limewash in Bianco White.
A huge thank you to Romabio for supporting our home makeover project with Classico Limewash paint in Bianco White and helping make our limewashed brick dreams come true. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
Oh my gracious alive, y’all! We made it! The brick is limewashed, the trim is painted, the shutters have been replaced, the house is looking super fly, and it was worth every single day of this 2 month wait to share it.
Remember how the outside of our house looked back in October? Ever since we moved in earlier this year, I’ve always envisioned white brick with dark shutters. There was nothing “bad” about it to begin with, but it just didn’t quite feel like “us”.
I have nothing against natural brick. I think it’s beautiful. But I am a sucker for that European limewashed brick.
There is this one neighborhood near uptown Charlotte I love driving through because there are several limewashed brick colonials that I have been drawn to for so long. (Do you stalk old high-end neighborhoods in your city? Did I just admit I’m a little stalkerish when it comes to pretty houses?)
Robert and I just couldn’t get that style out of our heads. So now, it has a whole new look!
Gawgeous dahling! I just wanna pet that pretty brick and whisper sweet nothings to it. (And maybe I have…)
I can’t wait to take pictures of it again in the summer when the grass is lush and green and the trees are full of leaves again. Our landscaping still needs work, but I am so excited about how fresh and pretty our brick and trim looks now.
Back in the fall, I told you guys how we worked with Romabio to limewash our brick. For an entire month, Hans from Reflections of Italy came out to take on the job, since we knew this was something we definitely wanted to hire a professional for.
He’s an artisan, trained in Italy, and I learned so much just watching Hans work his magic.
Limewash isn’t a paint. It’s real aged slaked lime that is applied as one coat with a large masonry brush or sprayer, and can be instantly washed off to give you a weathered, exposed brick look you want. Different than acrylic paint or German smear technique that uses mortar, Classico Limewash paint calcifies to a rock solid finish so it won’t peel, chip, or flake off and lasts 15-25 years with little maintenance.
Hans and his crew powerwashed all of our brick first, as it must be dampened prior to application, and sprayed and brushed on the Classico Limewash paint, focusing on one section of our house at a time. Then, he weathered it using a power washer again to expose the brick underneath and touched up with more of the Classico Limewash paint to customize the look we wanted.
You can show a little brick or a lot of brick, depending on your style. And if you are not happy with the look at first, you can remove it within the first 5 days, which makes for a stress-free process to give you the look that you want.
Hans removed limewash from the brick where it would have naturally weathered from rain water around the shutters, window sills, and edges of the house. After watching him work his magic and how detailed he was, even up on the 2nd story of the house and the chimney, I was really glad Robert and I didn’t attempt this one ourselves.
He is an artist and really created the look we wanted, but there are a lot of ways to get this beautiful limewashed look. You can check out Romabio’s how-to video to see another applicator paint and wash it off easily.
For the colors, we chose Romabio Classico Limewash in Bianco White (you can see all of the Romabio colors here), Behr Cracked Pepper for the shutters, gutters, and spouts, and Behr Ultra Pure White for the trim since we wanted a modern take on a classic look.
One tip Hans told me: You want to make sure you apply the limewash on a warm, sunny day because the sun bakes it to be a bright white finish.
I still can’t believe this before and after…
And of course, Robert immediately put up our American flag when the job was officially finished. Love that patriotic man of mine.
Like I said, our landscaping still needs some love. We had leaves stuck to the wet ground by the time I was able to take photos of it all finished, but I’m sure we’ll perk up our yard in the spring/summer when the weather is more cooperative.
I’m so in love with how much texture and character our house has now, and I’m so glad we didn’t choose a solid paint so that some of the natural bricks could still peek through.
Eventually, I’ll be having more fun with the porch decor too.
One of these days, I would love to rip out the cracking concrete walkway from the front stoop and create a brick paver walkway from the door to the street and driveway instead. Then, maybe line it with flowers. I’m getting way ahead of myself here.
One thing’s for sure, we’ll never get rid of our magnolia tree in our front yard. Sign of a Southerner right there.
On the garage side of the house, we perked it up too by painting it with more of the Behr Cracked Pepper color to create some contrast.
Even though it’s just a basic garage door, it looks a little more fancy now. Maybe one day we’ll replace it or add some hardware to it, but just the paint change alone did so much.
The backyard is still my favorite spot though. Here’s what it looked like the week we closed on it.
And now!
I can’t wait to see it when our crepe myrtle trees burst with pink blooms in the summer.
Last summer, we decided to start a little bit on our back porch makeover and then we pumped the brakes on the idea until we could make the limewash happen.
This is what it looked like before we moved in.
We painted the ceiling with Benjamin Moore Paladian Blue and swapped out the ceiling fans.
But those Behr Cracked Pepper doors with the Romabio Classico Limewash make it pop. Ahh!
I still envision so much more for this space, and I can’t wait to get out here to add furniture, clean up that wood decking, and maybe add a faux fireplace where that TV and mini fridge are.
The outside now finally matches the inside and is so much more a reflection of our style.
I’m so thankful to Romabio for making this happen for us. This is only the beginning of a whole lot of outdoor projects that we’ll be ready to tackle when it’s no longer 40 degrees outside. (For us Carolinians, that might as well be -5. Bring on spring!)
You can check out Romabio’s Instagram feed for more limewash ideas and see their other paints (they have amazing masonry paints and healthy interior paints too) or see all kinds of beautiful weathering techniques on Reflections of Italy’s Instagram feed.
And if you have a fireplace that needs jazzing up right now, you can check out the tutorial I shared of our limewashed brick fireplace here.
If y’all need me, I’ll be outside freezing my tail off just staring at our house like a goober. 😉
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Danielle says
January 5, 2018 at 6:35 amIt looks beautiful!!! They did a great job! I especially like the garage door and French doors painted the dark color! Really makes a statement!!! ??
Bridget says
January 5, 2018 at 7:36 amWOW WOW WOW!!!!! It doesn’t even look like the same house. Absolutely stunning. Enjoy
Emily of ElevenGables says
January 5, 2018 at 8:16 amSuch a beautiful transformation!!!!
Crystal says
January 5, 2018 at 8:21 amYesssss girl it looks SO fine ?
Amy | Canary Street says
January 5, 2018 at 8:21 amGorgeous! It turned out even better than I was expecting.
Sonya~atHOMEwiththebarkers says
January 5, 2018 at 8:36 amLauren…this looks amazing!!! Every little detail.
Dianne Gingrich says
January 5, 2018 at 8:43 amWow, looks awesome. I love your home.
Carrie says
January 5, 2018 at 9:13 amLove love love it! I went to college in that certain Charlotte neighborhood you speak about. I spent 4 glorious years drooling over those homes. I still do. If I’m in Charlotte I make an excuse to drive through just to daydream of days of old and then maybe a few dreams of what may come!
Lachelle Bryant says
January 5, 2018 at 9:30 amLove! Love! Love! The brick is beautiful! Front entry looks so inviting with the door color and the columns and trim blending in better with the new brick look. Can I Ask..what type of plants you have potted at the front porch? Do you have a source you could link me to? Thanks! Keep up the beautiful work! I love following the progress!
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 11:20 amThanks, Lachelle! So… the plants are totally fake since I kill everything and plants don’t do well this time of year anyway. 😉 I got them at IKEA here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50363116/
Amber M says
January 7, 2018 at 12:18 pmThey unfortunately don’t sell them at Ikea anymore! Haven’t seen them in ages! If your Ikea has them, awesome!
Yami | The Latina Next Door says
January 5, 2018 at 10:02 amThis is absolutely gorgeous! We just bought a home with pink brick and I would love to do something like this to it!
Kristin G says
January 5, 2018 at 10:09 amAH-mazing!!!!!!! Love it!!!
Michele Branham says
January 5, 2018 at 10:12 amI love it! It looks absolutely gorgeous!!!
Vickie says
January 5, 2018 at 10:22 amThe limewash is really beautiful! Would love this on our home to bring it more up to date. Now go stare at it! I would.
Kristi says
January 5, 2018 at 10:23 amOh my gosh Lauren! What an ahhhhmazing transformation! That gorgeous distressed brick couldn’t be more perfect! LOVE it!
HeatherB says
January 5, 2018 at 10:25 amIt looks SOOO GOOD!!! <3
Jayme says
January 5, 2018 at 10:26 amI’ve liked everything you’ve done so far, but the exterior limewash is getting a thumbs down. Painting the brick taupe would have been a better choice with the white windows and trim and black shutters.
Laura says
January 12, 2018 at 5:39 pmI agree. More thsn anything I want to like it. Just. Too much removedsn something still missing
Lauren says
January 13, 2018 at 9:48 amEveryone has different tastes. 🙂 It does need something so we will be working on landscaping definitely in the spring!
Paula D. says
January 5, 2018 at 10:26 amIt is very pretty, but I feel as though your front entry needs more of something. The arch and columns now blend into the white home and no longer pop. Perhaps they too could be painted the dark rich gray?? Those details are just lovely and you don’t want to miss them.
Janet says
January 5, 2018 at 10:27 amBeautiful especially with the dark trim! I love it! That was a big job! Lol! Amazing curb appeal! ❤️??
Joan says
January 5, 2018 at 10:37 amAbsolutely beautiful!!!!!
Niki Kaminski says
January 5, 2018 at 10:38 amAbsolutely gorgeous!!! You’re definitely bringing the style from Charlotte into the ‘burbs!!
Lisa Nicholson says
January 5, 2018 at 10:39 amAbsolute perfection. Hiring him was well worth it. I cannot wait to see it in the spring. And I am with you on the paver walkways….love love love those…
Tara says
January 5, 2018 at 10:44 amThis is stunning!!!
Maureen Hansen says
January 5, 2018 at 10:47 amAbsolutely gorgeous!
Linda says
January 5, 2018 at 10:51 amI have to say, I dislike it very much. It just doesn’t look right. Love natural brick and the older the brick becomes, the more beautiful it is. Sad to say, if you ever move, the next owner would sandblast that all off to get to the natural brick again. It was a classic beauty that never goes out of style. The “after” just looks like a hot mess with it screaming out as a badly needed paint job. It looks nothing like the real aged limestone homes in Europe. All those splashes of red brick make me dizzy looking at it !!!! Sorry for the negative comment, but you ruined a beautiful exterior.
Carol says
January 5, 2018 at 1:52 pmYou obviously are not an artist…………..
NaokoS says
January 7, 2018 at 12:27 pmCool thing about art is that it can be interpreted and nothing is black and white!
As I can see what Lauren was trying to do, and it is much brighter and looks fresh, but I somewhat agree with OP, as it is somewhat lackluster and the ‘fading’ that’s throughout the whitewash looks a little too artificial. The original brick did suit the home, and it mostly just needed new/updated trim/accents.
I’m normally a person who dislikes brown and red brick homes, but the style/build of the home worked with it, and the neighbours seem to have the same thing! It’s all based on opinion and personal preference, and this home could have gone either way! 🙂
She did a good job, and if she loves it, then its awesome!
Jill says
January 7, 2018 at 8:09 pmI’m an artist and I agree with Linda.
Linda merullo says
January 8, 2018 at 6:56 pmThanks Jill. I just can’t see why others think this faux finish looks better than natural brick. Reminds me of that craze that everyone did on their walls in the 1980s with sea sponges. Blending the front steps the same as the house is a horrid faux pas. Now it truly looks like everything is unauthentic! I’m no artist, but I have a good sense of what works and what doesn’t. This is a don’t !! Thanks for the lone vote of confidence! Smile!! I would never do this to a brick house. Either one color if you must paint, but never this splotched effect. Please leave it be.
Anne Stevenson says
January 9, 2019 at 11:59 pmI’m bummed to agree as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your decorating, you have incredible vision and design talent. I visit your site for inspiration and just for the eye candy alone. It’s so so gorgeous all of it but I’m not sure about this. The traditional brick home was classic and true. She could have shone and been glorious with some fresh paint on the shutters, doors, portico, and your touch of pretty trimmings with the wreath, topiaries, and such. And I do believe money instead funneled toward landscaping and maybe the sidewalk would have given your home incredible wow while keeping her true.
The white and detailing is busy, looks out of place with the surrounding homes of similar brick. 🙁 Do your neighbors love it?
Love the garage door and your back porch is ever so dreamy.
Lauren says
January 10, 2019 at 9:28 pmI appreciate your honesty. I would like to share that we got a GREAT response from our neighbors. Our home incorporates the diverse exteriors of our community and neighborhood.
Carol says
January 5, 2018 at 10:52 amI’m speechless! This transformation is beyond awesome!
liz says
January 5, 2018 at 10:56 amWow – your home looks amazing with the limewash and black accents. I live in a white colonial with black shutters and a black front door, but all of the other exterior doors (5 sets of french doors, several single doors & 3 garage doors) are painted white. After seeing how gorgeous your black french doors & garage look painted black, I am going to do the same, & now have my spring project. I also love the look of the black gutters, so I just might add that to my project list also. Thank you so much for sharing – you have really inspired me to finally take the plunge and update my homes exterior.
Marty Oravetz says
January 5, 2018 at 10:57 amIt really did change the look. It is gorgeous.
Georgette Stephens says
January 5, 2018 at 10:59 ami do love the blue ceiling on the porch as well as the black windows. I am afraid I am one of those who does not like the lime washing. it just looks like your house needs painting.
Sorry
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 11:15 amThat’s okay! Different preferences for different people. Makes the world go round. 🙂
Jill says
January 7, 2018 at 8:10 pmAgreed.
Sherry says
January 5, 2018 at 11:01 amIt really DOES make a big difference….from ordinary to classic….and I DO love brick. Easy maintenance. Who likes to paint houses? Yes, your landscaping will pop. Love the porch for relaxing and entertaining. It seems you are “set” in life.
Frances Batson says
January 5, 2018 at 11:03 amLooking GOOD!
Barbara says
January 5, 2018 at 11:26 amI think it looks great! Now I think you need to change the color of the front door. It blends in too much and I think a front door should stand out. I do love your home inside and out!!
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 11:30 amThanks! I agree. We still have plans to do something different for the front door. It’s currently a black storm door with a solid black door behind it. I would love to eventually replace both of them with a wooden door that has a window to let natural light into our dark foyer.
Paula says
January 5, 2018 at 2:39 pmSpeaking of the front door, did y’all put the mirrored placards in the 6 places of an ordinary steel entry door to make it look so wonderful? Just curious if that was you or the previous owners.
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 5:41 pmNo, it just looks mirrored because there is a solid black door behind the storm door. 🙂
Paula says
January 6, 2018 at 1:01 pmShucks. I had hoped you had done it so that you could share the love!
Debra Judd says
January 6, 2018 at 3:00 pmDo you know the manufacturer of the front door with the glass? I absolutely LOVE it & have been searching for a new entry door for months!! Thanks, Debra ❤️
Lauren says
January 8, 2018 at 8:24 pmI wish I did! It came with the house when we bought it.
katie alberter says
January 5, 2018 at 11:27 amWOW, what a transformation! It’s absolutely gorgeous and of course I’m loving the dark gray against the white!
Dianne says
January 5, 2018 at 11:28 amYou’re so brave! It’s gorgeous and well worth the effort.
LAURA LEIGH STROUD says
January 5, 2018 at 11:31 amI am not going to say either way….whether I like it or not…But my curiosity lies in something else. I don’t know if people are afraid…or if they just think it is ‘none’ of their business to ask…But I am curious on how much something like that would cost. You have a BIG house and I could only imagine that is was NOT cheap. And me being up in Canada…I would have to probably double in not triple the cost. I understand to some; I have NO right asking….but usually…you would post links….to your purchases..sources etc…So I thought I would ‘throw’ it out there and ask. Sorry if I offended you for asking. Love what you have done with the house…you have wonderful taste!!! Happy New Year.
Lauren says
January 6, 2018 at 9:54 amFor our size home, the cost of the limewash with labor was $7000-$8000. That would vary based on the size of your house, your location, and what your contractor would charge though. Not offended at all. Thank you. Happy New Year to you!
LAURA LEIGH STROUD says
January 7, 2018 at 10:13 amWOW!!!! That is what I would have to pay in just labour here in Canada…never mind the cost of materials…. especially if the guy, as you said was an Artisan…from Italy….it would / could cost ‘double’….lol…. We pay so much more for everything over here. I read post about ‘how paint is such an easy upgrade’. You should see how much our top brands of gallons of paint are here; Behr or SW. and our Rust Oleum spray cans, the ROB..is $13 for one can. (plus 13% tax)… And another comparison…a good quality rug…8 x 10 will run you well over $700 plus that %13 tax. I guess in my eyes..for your ‘size’ home…you got a ‘steal of a deal’….so to speak….haha….
Lorene Dehl says
January 5, 2018 at 11:34 amThis looks awesome! Glad it turned out the way you wanted. Out of curiosity…how many gallons of the product did it take to do the whole house. We have a partial brick facade on the front of our house and I think this might be the facelift we need without spending a fortune.
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 11:56 amThanks, Lorene! Oh goodness. I believe they used a total of 15 gallons.
Arian Jennings says
January 5, 2018 at 11:37 amI’ve always been a sucker for traditional brick colonials (still am) but your lime washed reveal has made my heart change tunes!! I absolutely love the paladian blue you used on the ceilings. I had seen this color used with white trim on a home before and love your use of it in a surprising way! Great job, Lauren!
Karen Taylor says
January 5, 2018 at 11:42 amBeautiful, like everything you do!
Lorree Mitchell says
January 5, 2018 at 11:45 amI love it!
Donna says
January 5, 2018 at 11:52 amIt looks amazing! Did you get new gutters or did you paint them?
Bonnie says
January 5, 2018 at 12:05 pmIt’s beautiful!! Thank you for posting all of the pictures. They are eye candy!
Laura Laskey says
January 5, 2018 at 12:09 pmLOVE LOVE LOVE it! The black accents really pop. I am so jealous of your porch! And it was 8 degrees when I came to work – never mind the wind chill – so I will take 40 in a heartbeat!
Jayme Rudolph says
January 5, 2018 at 12:26 pmI love it! The color of the shutters, and garage door finish it out perfectly. Your projects always are inspiring.
florida1 says
January 5, 2018 at 12:57 pmWelllllll…Maybe I would like it more if you could add some Bright pops of color. The white to me just looks kind of like wah wah wah….The portico pillars-for example are Lovely–but now? Can’t see them as they just blend in with the white. I would paint them a Darkest black you can find; (I heard there is a New Black that is darker than Sin!)…I would paint the pillars, the shutters, garage doors and window trim. I do like that you painted your back porch window trims black — Huge difference! I would add (unless you have Pink trees, flowers or shrubs already planted in that shade) Red Geraniums and Lots of them in planters (black of course)…In other words-you could make this white house look a 100% better than it does now by adding strong pops of color…(My husband said you will not allow this{censure) was his words-as it is not 100% happy, joy, yes-sir to your post)….
Rebecca says
January 5, 2018 at 12:57 pmIt looks fabulous, and I think it will look even more natural once some of the brightness of the white wears off with some time and weathering. I’m a sucker for a super weathered limewash that looks like its been there for ages. I would love to see how this gets better and better with time!
Heather says
January 5, 2018 at 1:07 pmI have been waiting for this post:) I couldn’t wait to see the results, and it did not disappoint!! Everything you have done to this house is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!! I just love it, I think I could gush over this all day! Congratulations on a beautiful job:):):)
Carol says
January 5, 2018 at 1:55 pmLauren, your house looks absolutely gorgeous now! It was okay before, but now WOW!!!!! I absolutely LOVE it. What a fantastic job they did. I can’t wait to see it with the trees and flowers in bloom. It will look like a Postcard from the South!
Mona Combra says
January 5, 2018 at 2:07 pmLauren …you nailed it. Perfect color combos ! Absolutely stunning !
Sue says
January 5, 2018 at 3:15 pmLauren, I love this look on your house. The black trim is the icing on the cake.
Tracy Smith says
January 5, 2018 at 3:18 pmLove it!!!! I’m a huge fan of painted brick that has aged and worn off over the years so this is just perfect!! You’ll probably start a new trend in your neighborhood! Great job!
Lisa Marie says
January 5, 2018 at 3:31 pmThis turned out beautiful!! You inspired me with your post on your fireplace makeover. I went out and bought the lime wash to makeover our fireplace, I just haven’t had the time to do it yet. This summer we moved into a 1970’s house, which literally looks like a 70’s house! We are working on making it our style. I had a paint company come out and give us an estimate on painting the outside, and she actually suggested that we don’t paint it! She said once we paint any trim around the windows or the siding and brick, it will become a “maintenance” project, she said we would be better off just keeping it the color it is. Did you have any issues painting your outside window trim and gutters? I just don’t think I can live with our blue siding and cream window trim. Any advice would be great!
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 5:39 pmThanks, Lisa! Best of luck on the fireplace! Some of our trim and gutters were already painted actually. They were this yellowy cream color before, so even if we didn’t do anything to the brick, I definitely would have painted the trim. It will be a maintenance project in 10ish years, but I’m okay with that because I feel it adds so much more to the curb appeal. In the grand scheme of things, it’s no worse than yard maintenance you have to take on every other weekend. I’d rather have to paint something once every ten years than live with something I don’t love and am not happy to see every day.
Gwen says
January 5, 2018 at 4:00 pmI don’t know how I missed this reveal. Or possibly I’ve forgotten? That happens now. Yes it is fabulous!!! It reminds me of this really beautiful home on the stately old homes area of the city I’m in Now plus the town of my childhood. This is simply beautiful. I’m glad you had an artisan available to do this. It makes all the difference!!! Thank you for sharing all your creative ideas.
Carrie says
January 5, 2018 at 4:04 pmLauren this is so pretty and so gutsy to do all of this! I love the contrast colors, the garage door especially surprised me! I actually like that storm door but you never cease to amaze me how you pull it all together for impact and it just makes sense. So funny I really thought those were real plants on your porch lol. I would be touching it and gazing at it too lol I bet your neighbors were surprised with all of this. Enjoy your taste of Italy! 🙂
Deb says
January 5, 2018 at 4:41 pmOh my goodness gracious, Lauren~
It looks ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!! It doesn’t even look like the same house. It’s like she is wearing her most stunning dress and is getting ready to be presented at the Cotillion. Love it!!!
Deb 🙂
Lanita Anderson says
January 5, 2018 at 5:21 pmOh my goodness……it looks ANAZING!!!!!! I must admit, I loved the bricks and had my doubts, but they did such a great job and it is beautiful!!! So happy for you….
Jess says
January 5, 2018 at 5:22 pmHi Lauren. I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of your beautiful home. So excited for you guys.
Where did you get the sweet faux trees flanking the front porch? I saw on IG you said that you kill real ones. ?
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 5:33 pmHi Jess! Thanks! They’re from IKEA. Here’s the link to them 🙂 http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50363116/
Brenda Johnson says
January 5, 2018 at 6:13 pmI think it looks incredible! I have always loved a white house with black shutters and think a wood door with a window will look nice. My favorite color is red for a door, but I also love the muted colors.
I enjoy your blog, it is always fun to see what you are up to 🙂
Amanda Harrington says
January 5, 2018 at 6:18 pm“Do you stalk old high-end neighborhoods in your city?”
Yes. Quite a lot actually. And your house in now totally one of the houses that would make me almost get in a fender bender from staring at it! I love it all!!
Sally says
January 5, 2018 at 6:59 pmAbsolutely beautiful! Love how you painted all the trim black including the windows and the gutters. Wow!! ??
Karen says
January 5, 2018 at 7:54 pmTurned out great! It’ll be interesting to see if you’ve started a trend in your neighborhood! Such a big job packs a powerful visual punch. Very exciting to see the transformation!
Hannah says
January 5, 2018 at 8:53 pmI’ve loved almost everything you’ve done (we copied your entryway set up for our house), but I’m sorry to say not a fan of this exterior. Looks to me like it’s an incomplete paint job. Do love the Fixer Upper house exterior where it’s similar, but looks really different somehow…
Jill says
January 7, 2018 at 8:17 pmI agree, Hanna. Maybe it was the warm wood on the German Schmear house on Fixer Upper that made the difference.
Jeanne says
January 5, 2018 at 9:40 pmBeautiful transformation- love it! And that back porch… ooh la la!
Marsha Blount says
January 5, 2018 at 10:45 pmLauren,
LOVE LOVE LOVE the brick and all the accent colors you picked. I too am a HUGE fan of lime washed brick!
The only suggestion I would suggest you consider is painting your front columns the same as your window trim. I think they just fade into the white and they are a beautiful addition to the front of your house. I personally would make them stand out. Now that might not be the look you are going for. You can always take the picture and color the columns in with a marker and see if you like that look? You did an awesome job! Totally changes the whole vibe!!! Great job!
Elizabeth Fencl says
January 5, 2018 at 11:24 pmOhhhhh Myyyyyy Goodness!!! I am so in love with what you had done to your brick, I can’t begin to say how gorgeous it is!! This is Amazing! So So love it! I did the German smear method to the exterior of our home a year ago in fall and I have to say there is nothing better than updating old brick. Good for you having the vision that this is what you wanted to do to update the exterior of your home. Love it!
Here is the post I submitted to Hometalk on my German Smear on my home: https://www.hometalk.com/23890303/add-curb-appeal-with-german-mortar-smear-
Lauren says
January 6, 2018 at 9:23 amThat turned out so great!
Sue says
January 6, 2018 at 7:11 amHi Lauren, I love painted brick but I was told there was a lot of repainting with brick. Is liming a more lasting finish than brick paint? I want a solid color,not the weathered look.
Lauren says
January 6, 2018 at 9:20 amYes, limewashing lasts much longer than painting. And Romabio makes masonry paint as well that is mineral based, so it lasts longer than the acrylic type paints in hardware stores. There’s more about it here, if that helps: https://romabio.com/masonry/flat/made-for-masonry/ We almost went with their masonry paint but decided we’d like to try more texture with the limewash. 🙂
sheri says
January 6, 2018 at 8:19 amThis looks amazing. I have a colonial brick home of similar age in Ft. Mill, and want to do the same thing SO bad. It sounds like you were really pleased with your contractor. Were there any “Oh, no, what have i done moments?!?” before you saw the finished product? Just wondering if i will have a mini-freak out half-way though.
Lauren says
January 6, 2018 at 9:16 amHaha! I definitely had a mini-freak out for a second at first because before the limewash paint dried, it looked pink! I thought, “Oh my gosh. I’m going to have a pink house.” Thankfully, our contractor knew what he was doing. 🙂
LoveDesign says
January 6, 2018 at 8:38 amI think it looks lovely! That is such an interesting technique. I’ve heard of it but never knew how it was done, thank you for your blog! The only thing that is on my mind is that it seems like the front entry way and the columns really blend in to the background and aren’t popping to give the house some dimension. As a suggestion, you could try the Paladian Blue on the ceiling of the entry to add some color (and as a tie in to the rest of the home and back porch), paint the face piece of the top entry roof line trim plate in the cracked pepper and do something to the columns in a lighter color OR paint the trim molding pieces above and below the actual columns to make the white columns pop out? You made some very beautiful changes, really excited for you!!
Cindy in Oklahoma says
January 6, 2018 at 9:52 amI love it. I love it. I love it. The natural brick was so pretty, but this is so daring and fresh and as you said, more reflective of your style. I keep trying to talk my husband into flipping the switch on our stucco home by painting it a darker color. No one here has done that yet! Everything is either beige, light beige or lighter beige. Maybe someday….. Can’t wait to see how you landscape this summer. Something tells me this beautiful house is going to look even happier with flowers!
Ronda from Missouri says
January 6, 2018 at 12:55 pmStunning absolutely stunning,
I love the before but the after is so beautiful. I can’t wait for the spring and summer pictures. You made your treasure feel like home for your family. I could sit on your back porch ever morning with my coffee.
Enjoy
Christy Turner says
January 7, 2018 at 4:39 pmI am obsessed with your front door! We are building a modern farmhouse and it would be perfect!! Did you purchase it or was it already a part of the house? Love your blog, BTW. You are a huge inspiration to me!
Lauren says
January 7, 2018 at 10:20 pmIt came with the house and is actually a glass front door with a solid door behind it. Thank you!
Cindy Richter says
January 8, 2018 at 12:44 pmWowza! Seriously perfect for that house! Love it!
Vicki says
January 8, 2018 at 6:31 pmReally beautiful makeover! I love whitewashed brick!
Florence says
January 8, 2018 at 8:35 pmI guess I liked the before better, but since it’s not my house, my opinion doesn’t come into play. Not that I don’t like the look…my traditionalist self likes the other better. But if this suits your style, go for it 110%!
Amy says
January 9, 2018 at 10:04 amIt looks absolutely GORGEOUS!
Totally takes a beautiful home and makes it STUNNING!
Dell Barton says
January 9, 2018 at 2:41 pmI love painted brick too! If we weren’t moving soon, I’d do the same to our current house! And I’m about to become a Carolina girl once again. Yay!!
Linda Mele says
January 9, 2018 at 8:33 pmI have a smaller but similar brick colonial and I love yours with the limewash. i hope to find a professional here in PA that knows to do this technique. I also love the dark trim but sorta feel it needs a bright pop on the door. But that’s just me, it’s beautiful regardless.
Ande Burriola says
January 12, 2018 at 12:10 pmLauren!! Your house looks absolutely gorgeous!! I could NOT wait for the final reveal! I almost thought it wouldn’t happen until late spring/early summer – what a surprise this was to see it on your page just waiting to be ooh’d & aww’d at!! Love it!
Katy Beacher says
January 13, 2018 at 3:57 pmWhat a transformation! It is absolutely gorgeous. I especially like the garage door color.
Chad says
January 14, 2018 at 1:42 pmHi Lauren, great makeover. I noticed that small area next to a wooden gate where you have a patio set that looks like it has a louvers installed for privacy. Do you have any additional pictures of that somewhere on the site? I’ve been thinking of doing something like that for an outside area and I love the way that looks
Lorin says
January 14, 2018 at 9:09 pmAmazingly beautiful! If you ever replace the concrete walkway make sure you make it wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It’s worth extra cost because it looks good and guest will appreciate it.
Gina says
January 16, 2018 at 12:39 pmWow! Gorgeous! I have always loved this look and cannot wait to show my husband this. I’m in Greensboro and your home is very similar to ours. There are many high end and established neighborhoods that have limewashed homes that I stalk as well. My home is not totally brick…..2 sides brick, other 2 siding. Wonder if it would work? I also love your covered deck. Is the room in your home adjacent to it dark? Our den has a bunch of windows out to our backyard and I’d love to add a screened porch or covered area but my husband says the den will be even darker then. It’s north facing.
Lauren says
January 16, 2018 at 11:43 pmThanks, Gina! A partially bricked home could still totally work. I’ve seen it done and it’s beautiful. Our living room adjacent to the deck still gets plenty of sunlight. The back windows of our living room are south facing, but we have two windows in the same room that are east facing, so it still gets a lot of great light in the morning. If your porch were totally east facing or west facing, it would definitely get harsher light for half the day and be dark the other half (our last house was like that). North facing is a big advantage though since you’d still get a steady stream of soft light most of the day.
Cathy says
January 18, 2018 at 7:55 amI’m a new follower. I was confused until I realized you recently moved. I kept wondering why you put brick on your old home only to paint It back to the old color. It takes me awhile. ?
I’m assuming there was no neighborhood ordinance prohibiting the painting. Here in PA, many neighborhoods have rules on everything, even the height of one’s grass!
Lauren says
January 18, 2018 at 10:09 amHaha! Yeah, new house. 🙂 Well, new-to-us house. We live in an older neighborhood that pretty much lets you do whatever you want. Every house is different, some brick is natural, some is painted, some houses have cedar siding, vertical siding, stone, stucco, we’re all over the place. There are definitely people who would be limited to do this in other neighborhoods.
Jennifer Byrd - Ivy Staple Boutique says
January 21, 2018 at 10:50 pmThis is so beautifully done! If it were mine, I would just have to stop and enjoy the transformation of the house everyday before going in! Thank you for sharing!
~ Jennifer Byrd
Founder, Ivy Staple Boutique
ivystaple.com
Carrol Godin says
January 26, 2018 at 10:19 amLove what you have done. I do have a question. We scraped the popcorn ceilings and has plaster repair done. Plaster repair said to paint with flat white and we love it. Now into the Kitchen? What kind of paint do you recommend for the kitchen ceiling??
Leslie says
March 8, 2018 at 12:05 pmSo pretty! Quick question… If your contractor had not sprayed the lime wash afterwards to create the pretty aged effect, do you think it would it be completely opaque and just look like a flat paint?
Cynthia says
August 1, 2018 at 9:21 amLooks beautiful – love your blog !
Lorie Martin says
August 1, 2018 at 10:14 amWhat is the cost of a project like this?
Thanks!
Lauren says
August 1, 2018 at 2:16 pmHi Lorie! I only needed a quart of the limewash, which is $32.50 at Home Depot. The brush, spray bottle, and rags were household items I already had. It can definitely be done for under $50 even with all of the other supplies.
La says
September 30, 2018 at 7:19 amCame for the pretty house post. Left before I could finish bc who wants to read political ads in a post about a pretty house? Wondering if you are aware that your site is full of them… total turnoff.
Lauren says
September 30, 2018 at 9:09 pmPolitical ads?! I was not aware! Thank you for telling me. I will contact my ad network to have those turned OFF!
Kimberly says
January 27, 2019 at 12:37 pmDid they paint the soffits too?? I LOVE the transformation!
Lauren says
January 30, 2019 at 10:53 amThe soffits are not limewashed but painted with exterior paint. We hired a separate company to paint the needed areas.
SHari says
May 5, 2019 at 10:12 amI’m getting ready to limewash the brick face of my house. I will not powerwash it off after putting it on. Think it’s looks splotchy and makes me want to fix it! Natural aging will happen. I’m glad you like it, but I will spend less than $50 on all supplies needed and a little sweat.