Stylish painting outfit? Before I got covered in chaux!
Chaux Lime Wash
We’ve recently painted our upstairs with chaux/lime wash. We wanted to apply a wall covering that respected the age of the building. It’s important that old walls breathe in order to reduce trapped moisture. We quite liked the texture of the traditional lime wash (peinture à la chaux). Knowing the ingredients, but not the quantities, there was some trial and effort involved. After a brief search online we were left more confused. People add all kinds of things such as cream or milk in addition to the basic ingredients of lime, water, tint and setting agent. We asked the opinion of the local macon, and it seems that lime wash recipes are up there with truffle locations in terms of closely guarded French secrets.
Trial and Error
So, we were on our own. After attempting a couple recipes we found one that seemed to be the consistency of thick paint and went for it! The chaux dries a lot lighter; at first, I was a little anxious about the colour…
In the end, we only needed to apply one coat to the walls. With one 25 kg sack of chaux you could easily cover 250 square meters of wall. It basically cost us 5 euros to decorate the room. Not even 1/10 of the price if we would have paid if we used paint.
The lime wash gives the same effect as a plastered Mediterranean wall without the time and tedious mess of plastering walls! Chaux can be washed off your paintbrush merely with water and the mixture can even be used the next day.
Not only is it incredibly cheap, beautiful and allows the walls to breathe, it’s also a natural product.
Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
Our recipe for a room of 30 square metres
The end result is a creamy off-white colour. You can of course play around with all the different tints available. Most recipes we read recommended up to 5% of tint to lime. It can be used on plasterboard/drywall; if you’re doing so, it’s best to apply a single coat of paint beforehand.
Ingredients:
- Chaux Arrienne not Hydro (lime) 4kg
- Water 5 litres
- Tint (ochre jeune claire) 24 grams
- Sel d’alun (salt) 200 grams
Method (same as a cake batter!)
Weigh all your ingredients beforehand just in case you don’t have enough and you have to mix the exact same colour. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Slowly incorporate the water until you have the consistency of thick cooking cream. Leave the paint to stand for a few hours, and then apply with a criss-cross motion using a wide brush. If you’re doing a second layer, apply with an up and down motion.
Embrace the texture! It might be scary at first but the light during different times of day allows the subtle brushstrokes to add a lot of character to your room.
*Don’t want to do it yourself?
Since the time of writing this article, Robin has used chaux paint on many houses in the area. If you’d like to hire him for his project management services check out his Renovation Provence Facebook page or Instagram.
I had never heard of this treatment before….love the look it creates…thanks for the info.
This is just amazing. You guys are doing a wonderful job of keeping your home authentic with just the right amount of modern necessities.
Gorgeous and so is the paint technique!!
Love the affect…it looks beautiful with the stone walls!
I agree.
Love the chaux look….if that is the correct way to say it! I also think you are correct in respecting the “age idea!” Old is good….just like me! Haha! You get an A+ for your work!
haha thank you!
Bring some with you on your visit!! Love to do the hallway where wine cellar is. I can have my painter apply it.
Hello – I have acres of walls to oldify so am curious to know three things about your method:
1. Does the dried chaux come off on your hand if you rub it? Or is it ‘fixed’?
2. Have you ever used it onto new plasterboard? If so did it go straight on or did you apply a sizing coat of paint first?
3. Is it wipeable? Washable?
I think it is the abswer to my prayers but wanted to say a couple of extra hail mary’s just in case 🙂
Hi Sarah,
There is a new product called “fleur de chaux” which simplifies matters even more as you just need to add water. It’s a bright white so you may need to add a little tint.
Answers to your questions:
1. It is fixed
2. Yes, but you need to do an undercoat of white paint first. It can be diluted white paint.
3. Not really.
Tip* Be patient in applying it.
Good luck!!
Do you think its necessary to add see d’alun if we use fleur de chaux ?
Hi, You have done a wonderful job with you walls. I wanted to know that can you buy Chaux Arriennein USA. If not then what product is equivalent to it. Thanks
Hi Ashley
We met at your art show. I would,love to bring some back to USA as after two years we are going back. Where can Fleur de Chaux?
Thanks for everything…your star shines brightly
Best
Marguerite
Hi Marguerite!
Most hardware stores have it here. You’ll find a good range in Bricomarché. Look for the Bostik brand. Thank you for coming to the exhibition! Safe travels home!
Hi Ashley,
I am living in Provence for 5 years and I must have seen this texture but I was not avare that it has special name… Although I like modern look of smooth walls maybe I should experiment with this technique for rnovation of my house. Thank you for reminding about it with your article.
Cerise
PS.
Avec plaisir Cerise! I hope you do experiment with it, it’s a really nice finish though takes a little more effort.
Hi Ashley, I’m also a Canadian in Provence, looking into painting my bedroom with chaux. Just wondering with the amount of yellow pigment you mixed in, how did the colour turn out? Did it end up being an off white or was it a light yellow?
Thanks!
Hi Derby, The colour was an off-white. If you buy Fleur de Chaux from the shop you won’t need to add the sel d’alun as we did (we bought chaux aerienne) but it’s best to ask at the shop.
Hi, did you use this to coat lime render or just plaster? I think it would be great for freshening up our fireplace.
You could use this to freshen up your fireplace. I would heavily dilute this recipe then start in an inconspicuous place to test the colour. It dries lighter and thinner, but you can always add to it.
Hi Ashley, Just renovating a house in provence – grateful if you can help me with outside application – do I need an undercoat and do we need to add a resin (casein) to the mix? or is the Sel d’alun the same as casein?
Many thanks,
Hi Dara, Outside application is more tricky and depends on a number of factors (the surface you’re putting it on, if it’s breathable etc). If you read French this is a good reference: https://www.ecolodeve.fr/blog/106-solutions/459-le-badigeon-a-la-chaux.html
What product do we look for in the US? Where can we find it. This sounds a lot simpler and cheaper than many of the lime paint articles I’ve read
Hi Sonia, I’m not sure about the United States. You may be only able to find ready-made mixtures but the best thing to do is ask at your local builder’s merchant.
Thanks for writing and posting this, very inspiring and informative. Doing my first chaux wash today 🙂
You’re welcome! Have fun!