Limewash Colors: the 34 Harmony Shades
OxiGen™ Limewash Color comes in the 34 shades of the Harmony palette, and Limewash White gives the pure lime white. Every shade is colored only with light-stable mineral pigments, held in a white lime binder. That is why limewash colors look soft rather than saturated, dry lighter than they look in the bucket and shift between morning and evening light. A sample on your own wall is the only reliable way to choose.
How limewash color works
Limewash always softens a color, because the binder itself is white. Lime cures into calcium carbonate, the mineral of limestone, so every pigment sits in a white, matte surface with no film to deepen it.
- Wet vs. dry. Lime lightens as it dries. Judge color only on a dry surface, 24 hours after the last coat.
- Cloud Effect vs. uniform finish. Over a base coat of Primer Plus, with a large brush and 0–5% water, the color builds into lighter and darker passages around the chip. Rolled or sprayed in thin, regular coats, it reads calmer and closer to the chip.
- The surface underneath. Uneven absorption shows as uneven color, so drywall, brick and patches take Primer White L44 first. Rough stucco and brick read a little deeper than smooth plaster.
- Batches. The final tone can vary slightly from the sample and between batches. Order enough for each wall at once and box the cans in one bucket.
The Harmony palette, by family
The 34 Harmony colors fall into seven families: whites, greys, sands and earths, reds, pinks, blues and greens. There is no black: lime keeps every shade soft. Screen colors are approximate; the Harmony color card is hand-painted with real lime.
Whites and off-whites
- Limewash White: the pure lime white, sold as OxiGen™ Limewash White. The white of Andalusian villages.
- Cotton (1070): a soft, nearly neutral white for ceilings and quiet rooms.
- Bone (2270): a white with a faint warm undertone, easy with oak floors.
- Ivory (1450): a creamy white for bedrooms and farmhouse interiors.
Greys
- Limestone Grey (1100): a pale, warm stone grey for living rooms and halls.
- Marble Grey (1140): a light, cool grey for contemporary kitchens and bathrooms.
- Ash (1050): a deeper neutral grey for feature walls and modern exteriors.
Sands and earths
The largest family: the colors of clay, stone and sunbaked plaster.
- Straw (1270): the palest warm yellow; it lifts a dim hallway.
- Sandy (1430): a light, neutral sand for open-plan living spaces.
- Light Sand (1350): more golden than Sandy, at home on stucco.
- Sahara (1620): a warm desert beige for Spanish Revival and Southwestern homes.
- Albero (1190): named after the ochre sand of Seville; sunny on façades and courtyards.
- Golden Hour (1280): a deeper ochre for accent walls.
- Linen (1210): a soft beige for calm, layered bedrooms.
- Dune (1360): a versatile greige for exteriors.
- Sierra (1560): a light earth with pinkish warmth, lovely with terracotta floors.
- Earth (1560): a warm greige-brown for exteriors and earthy interiors.
- Coffee (2501): the deepest earth, for libraries and powder rooms.
Sierra and Earth share the code 1560: order them by name.
Reds and terracottas
- Red Tile (1670): classic roof-tile terracotta for courtyards and kitchens.
- Oxide (1690): a browner, iron-oxide terracotta; rustic and Mediterranean.
- Cedar Red (2503): a deep, muted red-brown for dining rooms.
- Garnet (1760): the deepest red, enveloping in small rooms.
Pinks
- Blossom (2502): the softest warm pink, for bedrooms.
- Petal Red (2504): a warmer light pink, playful but mineral.
- Earth Rose (1710): a dusty rose that reads almost neutral; good with wood and brass.
Blues and violet
- Alaska (2010): a very pale, cool blue-grey for bathrooms.
- Mist Blue (1130): a pale blue-green, like sea mist; for porch ceilings.
- Nordic (2505): a light, cool grey with Scandinavian restraint.
- Soft Blue (2050): a light, clear blue for bedrooms.
- Pastel Blue (2070): a gentle, slightly green blue for kitchens.
- Blue Clay (2090): a greyed mineral blue, quiet on exteriors.
- Lavender Blue (2060): the deepest blue, leaning violet, for feature walls.
- Violet (1870): the card's one violet, muted by the lime.
Greens
- Sage (2320): the soft grey-green people mean by sage green limewash, for kitchens and mudrooms.
- Apple (2300): a fresh yellow-green for sunrooms.
All Harmony colors at a glance
| Color | Code | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton | 1070 | Whites |
| Bone | 2270 | Whites |
| Ivory | 1450 | Whites |
| Limestone Grey | 1100 | Greys |
| Marble Grey | 1140 | Greys |
| Ash | 1050 | Greys |
| Straw | 1270 | Earths |
| Sandy | 1430 | Earths |
| Light Sand | 1350 | Earths |
| Sahara | 1620 | Earths |
| Albero | 1190 | Earths |
| Golden Hour | 1280 | Earths |
| Linen | 1210 | Earths |
| Dune | 1360 | Earths |
| Sierra | 1560 | Earths |
| Earth | 1560 | Earths |
| Coffee | 2501 | Earths |
| Red Tile | 1670 | Reds |
| Oxide | 1690 | Reds |
| Cedar Red | 2503 | Reds |
| Garnet | 1760 | Reds |
| Blossom | 2502 | Pinks |
| Petal Red | 2504 | Pinks |
| Earth Rose | 1710 | Pinks |
| Alaska | 2010 | Blues |
| Mist Blue | 1130 | Blues |
| Nordic | 2505 | Blues |
| Soft Blue | 2050 | Blues |
| Pastel Blue | 2070 | Blues |
| Blue Clay | 2090 | Blues |
| Lavender Blue | 2060 | Blues |
| Violet | 1870 | Blues |
| Sage | 2320 | Greens |
| Apple | 2300 | Greens |
Choosing a limewash color for exteriors and brick
Outdoors, choose a shade deeper than you would indoors: full sun washes limewash out. Start from what won't change, such as the roof, stone and window frames.
- Red brick: whites and warm off-whites (Limewash White, Bone, Ivory) soften it. Two coats hide the brick's own red but keep its texture and mortar lines.
- Stucco: sands, earths and greys (Light Sand, Dune, Sahara, Earth, Limestone Grey) look settled.
- Spanish, Mediterranean and Southwestern homes: Albero, Sahara, Red Tile and Oxide.
- Coastal and farmhouse homes: Cotton, Bone, Mist Blue and Sage.
Apply three coats on exposed exterior walls and keep the work dry for 4 days. Brick takes a coat of Primer White L44 first. The full method is in our guide to limewash for brick, stucco and exterior walls.
Choosing a limewash color for interiors by light
A room's light changes a limewash color more than the chip suggests, because a matte mineral surface scatters light. Choose with orientation and bulbs in mind.
- North-facing rooms get cool, even light all day. Warm shades such as Straw, Sandy and Albero hold their warmth; cool blues can turn flat.
- South-facing rooms get strong, warm light. Muted, cooler shades such as Marble Grey, Mist Blue and Sage stay calm.
- East- and west-facing rooms change through the day. Check the sample morning and evening.
- Artificial light: warm bulbs (2700 K) push colors toward yellow; cooler bulbs (4000 K) toward grey.
How to test a limewash color
Test every limewash color on your own wall, dry and in your own light, before you order.
- Narrow it down with the card. The Harmony color card shows all 34 colors hand-painted with real lime.
- Order two or three samples. A color sample of OxiGen™ Limewash covers a 2 × 2 ft board with two coats. Include a shade lighter and a shade deeper.
- Paint it like the real wall. Same primer, tool and technique as the final job. Limewash is alkaline (pH 13) while wet: wear gloves and eye protection, and read the label and SDS.
- Let it dry for 24 hours. A wet sample misleads.
- Look at it upright, in the morning and late afternoon, and under your lamps, next to the floor and trim.
- Before the whole job, paint a 10 sq ft patch on the wall itself, as our application guide recommends.
Limewash colors: frequently asked questions
Why does my limewash look lighter than the sample?
Because lime lightens as it dries. Compare a dry wall with a dry sample in the same light, and wait 2–4 hours between coats. A different surface or technique also changes how a color reads.
Can you match another brand's limewash or paint color?
Not exactly. Pigments differ, and a color reads differently in lime than in latex. Send the reference to support@origenpaints.com and we'll suggest the closest Harmony shade to test with a sample.
Does limewash color fade?
The pigments don't bleach in sunlight: Harmony colors use only light-stable mineral pigments. On exposed exterior walls, the lime surface weathers slowly into a softer patina; a fresh coat renews it.
Can I mix two limewash colors?
We don't recommend it. OxiGen™ Limewash shouldn't be mixed with other products, including paint tints, and a mix made on site can't be repeated for touch-ups. Choose the nearest Harmony shade.
Is there a black or dark limewash?
Not in the Harmony palette. Lime keeps colors soft. The deepest shades are Garnet, Cedar Red and Coffee.
What are good limewash colors for exteriors?
Whites, sands and earths: Limewash White, Bone, Light Sand, Dune and Earth, or Albero and Red Tile for Mediterranean homes. Go a shade deeper than indoors.
Which white limewash should I choose?
Limewash White for pure lime white, Cotton for a soft neutral, Bone for a faint warmth and Ivory for a creamy white.
Order your limewash color
OxiGen™ Limewash Color comes in all 34 Harmony shades and OxiGen™ Limewash White in pure lime white, both Zero VOC, in 1 gal and 5 gal, for interior and exterior walls. One gallon covers 365–445 sq ft per coat. Start with samples and the color card, or browse all limewash paints. Unsure? Send photos to support@origenpaints.com.