Chalky, cloudy, hand-brushed mineral walls, colour-matched to a brand palette and sealed so they survive a Friday night service. Applied across Toronto and the GTA.
Nobody briefs "limewash". They send a photo of a dining room on Ossington or a boutique in Yorkville and say they want the walls to feel like that: soft, chalky, cloudy, a little imperfect, warm under the lights. That is the limewash look. This page is about specifying it for a commercial space in Toronto, where the walls will be brushed past, leaned on and wiped down. For homes, see our limewash Toronto page.
Limewash is slaked lime, water and mineral pigment, brushed on in overlapping strokes. It sinks into the surface and cures as part of it, which is why it stays chalky and matte and why the tone drifts across the wall in soft clouds. Lime paints, mineral paints and thin brushed lime or clay plasters live in the same family with slightly different behaviour. We apply all of them and pick by what the wall has to endure, not by what the label says.
No sheen at all. Reads as hand-made under daylight, track lighting and candlelight.
From a faint watercolour drift to full two-tone clouding. The intensity is chosen on a sample board.
Warm whites, greige, sand, clay, terracotta, sage, olive, charcoal, or a tint pulled from your brand guide.
A breathable matte sealer makes the finish wipeable in dining rooms and reception areas without flattening the look.
| Limewash | Lime or mineral paint | Brushed lime or clay plaster | Flat latex paint | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface | Chalky, velvety matte | Matte, more even | Matte with texture and body | Flat and uniform |
| Movement | Cloudy, mottled, two-tone | Soft variation | Brush or trowel marks, tonal depth | None |
| Breathable | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Washable | With a matte sealer | With a matte sealer | Sealed or burnished | Yes |
| Touch-ups | Blend invisibly | Blend well | Patch and blend | Flash unless repainted |
| Best for | Dining rooms, retail, feature walls, ceilings | Whole rooms, corridors | High-contact walls, columns | Back of house |
Browse the portfolio. Deciding between house-mixed and branded limewash? Read our comparison.
The limewash look photographs like nothing else, which is why it keeps showing up in Toronto's most shared restaurant and studio interiors. The risk in a commercial space is durability, and that is a process question: the right primer for the substrate, colour approved on a large board in the actual room, coats set to the intensity you want, then a matte breathable sealer wherever hands, chairs and cloths will reach. We work to opening dates, we work nights in occupied spaces, and we keep a record of every tint so touch-ups and second locations match.
Opening in Ottawa as well? The limewash look for commercial spaces in Ottawa.
Yes, when it is specified for one. On its own limewash is soft and chalky. For dining rooms, retail and reception areas we apply a breathable matte sealer that makes the surface wipeable without adding sheen, and in the highest-contact zones we recommend a brushed lime plaster instead.
Yes. Matte mineral sealers keep the chalky, cloudy look. Gloss or film-forming sealers ruin it, and we do not use them.
Yes. Send a paint code, a swatch or a reference and we mix and sample it on site. Limewash dries lighter and shifts in tone, so approval happens on a dry sample board in your lighting.
Limewash is brushed and soaks in, giving the cloudiest, softest look. Lime and mineral paints are similar with a more even result. Clay and lime plasters are troweled, carry texture and body, and stand up better to contact. We can show all three side by side.
Yes. Primed drywall is most of our commercial work. It also goes on brick, block, cement board and existing plaster.
Dust or wipe with a damp cloth. Marks are touched up with the recorded tint and disappear into the natural variation of the finish.
We will bring sample boards and a clear scope. Serving Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Oakville, Richmond Hill and the GTA.