How to choose the Right Finish for Your Stone
Stone accents can be stunning architectural focal points, but when they’re dark, outdated, or an awful yellow color from the 1970s, they can become an eyesore. It may feel daunting or scary to change something that seems so permanent, but once you take the plunge, you’ll wish you had painted your stone sooner.
We have 4 products you can use to easily update interior or exterior stone: Classico Limewash, Masonry Flat, Lime Slurry, and Venetian Glaze. Romabio paints are mineral-based which means the sheen is flat, not shiny, and the finish will look more natural keeping the stone’s natural beauty.
Which one should you choose?
If you want some of the original stone to show through, start with Classico Limewash or Venetian Glaze. If you want a new, solid color, look at Masonry Flat. If you want full coverage with added texture, Lime Slurry may be the look you’re after.
The condition of your stone matters, too. Classico Limewash needs an unpainted, unsealed, absorbent surface. If your stone has already been painted or sealed, check the preparation requirements before choosing a product.
Let’s explore the options:
1. Classico Limewash: Let the stone show through
Our easy-to-use, one-coat authentic Italian slaked-lime paint Classico Limewash, is not only perfect for brick but also ideal for absorbent, unpainted stone. Just like with brick, your stone needs to be unsealed and not painted so it can absorb the Classico Limewash. Then you can distress it however much or little you want.
The artistic flexibility of Classico Limewash is why it’s a favorite among top designers like HGTV’s Egypt Sherrod and talented Romabio Preferred PROs like Carly Berger of Hunted Home Paint.
Check out this stunning Charleston, SC kitchen featured in Egypt and Mike’s winning Rock The Block home (watch Season 3 for more details). She used Classico Limewash in Avorio White to tone down the backsplash and add a sophisticated, authentic lime-washed look to a river rock stone veneer that was a darker color than she expected. Her design choice gave the kitchen both a modern and unique look that wowed millions of HGTV viewers.
Carly of Hunted Home Paint is another designer and PRO who knows her way around stone. Based in Missouri, she is the first female Romabio Preferred PRO, a true artist who helps her customers with key design choices and the perfect application. Carly loves turning a busy and outdated exterior or loud stone fireplace into an architectural focal point. Romabio Classico Limewash is her go-to product for interior stone because it gives design flexibility, is easy to distress, and allows the hue and texture of the original stone to show through.
Carly worked with the McDaniel family, winners of Romabio’s Exterior Makeover Giveaway, to select colors and finishes for their brick farmhouse. She used Classico Limewash in Avorio White to achieve a traditional, antique farmhouse aesthetic.
Besides PROs, there are designers, bloggers, and DIYers who have updated stone. California-based designer Becki Owens transformed her outdated stone and created an airy coastal vibe with Classico Limewash in Cristallo White. (She used Masonry Flat to refresh her stucco as well). See the gorgeous transformation with before and afters on her blog post.
Similarly, favorite DIY design blogger Hannah of @thistle.harvest may have one of the most viral stone fireplace updates on record! With the help of an opaque coat of Classico Limewash on her dark and dated stone fireplace, Hannah turned a dreary living room into a dreamy living space that is Pinterest-perfect. She chose Classico Limewash in Bianco White to create a light and bright organic aesthetic.
PRO Tip: Take the extra step to distress Classico Limewash after you paint it. For the interior, that means using a clean rag and a water spray bottle to rub off what you want to expose, and for the exterior, use a hose with a shower nozzle (not a power washer) to gently distress the stone. Then use a small brush to paint back over any mortar lines for a clean and cohesive look.
Some homeowners use Classico Limewash without distressing it to achieve a full coverage, opaque finish. If that is your goal, you’re much better off using Romabio Masonry Flat from the get-go.
Colors & Where to Buy:
Classico Limewash is only available in lighter colors. The most popular color is Avorio White as it is a neutral off-white that goes with cool and warm tones. You can buy Classico Limewash in seven different whites and neutrals on Lowes.com, Homedepot.com, and Amazon, or for custom colors, buy online at RingsEnd.com or find a retailer near you.
2. Masonry Flat: Give stone a new, solid color
The most popular of our mineral-based masonry paints is Masonry Flat, a two-coat process for full coverage that comes with a 20-year warranty when applied as directed. Like Classico Limewash, it is formulated for unsealed and unpainted stone with no use of an additional primer. However, since it is meant to have an opaque finish, it is also an option if you have sealed or painted stone that needs a modern update. You’ll need to use Romabio MicroGrip Primer first.
The advantage of Masonry Flat over the other Romabio products made for stone is that you can tint it to a darker color. That gives you more freedom to achieve the color you want, whether you’re updating a stone fireplace or changing the look of an exterior accent.
Colors & Where to Buy:
Masonry Flat is available in a wide range of colors. Explore Romabio’s curated colors or find a retailer near you to ask about a custom color.
3. Lime Slurry: Add texture to your stone
Another authentic Italian slaked-lime paint great for Stone is Romabio Lime Slurry, a textured product that is in between a paint and a plaster. As with our other products, it comes concentrated and is formulated for ease-of-use, full coverage, and has Romabio’s distinguished flat, European finish. Lime Slurry is beautiful and will create a soft and romantic look.
With Lime Slurry, you have almost unlimited ‘open time’ to work with the product. Unlike other brands, it’s formulated with high-quality slaked lime and requires a minimal amount of water to make the viscosity perfect for ease of use, over a long period of time. This gives you time to easily add up to three coats, stress-free, without worrying about how long you are taking to use the paint.
Here is a beautiful example of Romabio Lime Slurry used to update the curb appeal of exterior stone, complimented by Classico Limewash on the brick. Trisha Spears of Trisha Spears Design chose this combination to achieve a modern, European farmhouse aesthetic. She specifically applied Lime Slurry to the stone for its flat, natural appearance that also adds texture that distinguishes the entryway from the brick.
Colors & Where to Buy:
Lime Slurry is available in lighter colors. Explore the Lime Slurry product page for current colors and application details, or find a retailer near you.
4. Venetian Glaze: Shift the color while keeping the stone’s character
For color shifting or a slightly distressed finish, particularly for the exterior we recommend our lime glaze product that is in between paint and plaster, Venetian Glaze. It is an authentic Italian slaked-lime paint that allows you to achieve a semi-transparent or veiling effect on interior/exterior stone. It is stronger than Classico Limewash so when distressing you have limited time, but it will last longer and is more durable.
Venetian Glaze is also available in darker colors than Classico Limewash. If you love the look of your stone but not its current color, this may be the option for you.
This versatile product has two distinct uses. It can be applied with a trowel on the interior for a plaster-like finish. On stone, it can be diluted with water between 100% – 300% and applied with a masonry brush for a veiling effect. Because the color of the original stone will influence the result, test an area first and follow the current Venetian Glaze application instructions for dilution and timing.
WATCH: Transforming Stone with Venetian Glaze
Colors and where to buy
Venetian Glaze is available in whites and darker colors. When it is heavily diluted for an application on stone, the color will appear lighter. Explore Romabio’s colors and find a retailer near you. Call first to make sure they carry Venetian Glaze!
Can you limewash a stone fireplace?
Yes, if the stone is unpainted, unsealed, and absorbent. Classico Limewash lets you soften a dark or busy fireplace while revealing some of the original stone through distressing. If the fireplace has already been painted or sealed, check the surface and product requirements before starting. Masonry Flat with MicroGrip Primer may be a better route for an opaque update.
Looking for additional inspiration?
Check out 3 Simple Ways to Update Your Fireplace and search #romabiooverstone for more examples of painted and limewashed stone.
Q & A with Romabio
Q: Is there a way to soften deep mortar lines? Yes. You can pre-fill deep mortar lines between stones with Romabio Marmorino GF first. Create as flush a look as you’d like. Then choose your ideal Romabio masonry paint to go over the top of everything.
Q: Besides Romabio Lime Slurry, are there other textured paint options? Yes, we also offer Masonry Textured, a durable, mineral-based textured paint that dries to a beautiful flat finish and can be tinted to darker colors unlike Lime Slurry. Check out this blog post about our textured paint options.
Q: What colors are available in Romabio finishes? Classico Limewash and Lime Slurry are available in lighter colors due to their lime-based formulation. Masonry Flat and Venetian Glaze come in both light and dark colors. However, when diluting Venetian Glaze for a veiling effect, it will appear lighter. For a dark finish, we recommend Masonry Flat. Pre-tinted products are available on Amazon, Lowes.com, and HomeDepot.com. For custom tinting and color matching, visit a retailer or order online at RingsEnd.com.
Q: Where can I buy these Romabio finishes? Romabio paints and finishes are available at select independent retailers and online. Visit our Store Locator to find a retailer near you, or order online at Amazon, Rings End (custom tinting available), Lowe’s, and Home Depot.
Ciao for now,
Leslie
Photo Credit: Caldwell House, TN