Romabio Limewash Avorio White Review & Inspiration

Choosing to whitewash a brick home is a big decision; you’ll want to find the right shade of white to complement your home. If you’re looking for a warm off-white color, Avorio White Limewash is an off-white shade from the Romabio Classico Limewash collection that isn’t too beige or too yellow. It’s important to whitewash brick homes with real limewash, not paint, because it protects the surface and allows it to breathe. Authentic lime wash is a slaked lime coating that’s been used for millennia across Europe to whitewash stucco, brick and stone walls.

Just like Romabio’s Avorio White—coming from the Italian for “ivory—the white lime wash helps to deflect the hot Mediterranean sun, keeping interiors several degrees cooler. To reproduce the reflective quality of whitewashed brick in a modern, durable exterior finish, Romabio created its Classic Limewash.

Romabio Avorio White’s Undertones

Avorio White Limewash is a softer white shade that works beautifully beside both warm and cool colors. While it has slightly creamy undertones, once it’s painted on it takes on a neutral look. Avorio White will give brick or stone a clean white finish that’s not too bright. Since it’s not as crisp as Bianco White, it’s an excellent color choice for traditional architecture. You can rely on Avorio White for a rich, warm white with only the slightest hint of creamy, neutral beige undertones. Of course, the undertones of lime wash change subtly depending on what’s underneath; unlike paint, lime wash shows the brick or stone through distressing. Remove a lot of the lime wash to show more of the brick’s undertones, or use a solid coat for a mostly-white finish.

A solid application of Avorio White warms up a brick home

A solid application of Avorio White warms up a brick home

Which Homes Look Best In Avorio White Limewash?

Avorio White is a best-selling off-white that complements most traditional architectural styles. From a cozy cottage to a classic Tudor, an elegant French Country estate or a classic Colonial, Avorio White Limewash adds warmth and sophistication.

The perfect complement to olive-gray trim, Avorio White highlights this home’s vintage look:

Romabio Limewash in Avorio White

Romabio Limewash in Avorio White

Neutral enough to work with brown and black shades, Avorio White is a great choice for shingled roofs. With a sunny yellow door and painted trim to match, Avorio White Limewash helps to tie this ranch-style home to its quirky addition:

Avorio White Limewash ranch home

Avorio White Limewash ranch home

With its hint of soft beige, Avorio White can provide the perfect aged look for homes that have historic details. Neutral undertones complement black and gray accents beautifully, adding warmth without being too bright. This French country style home looks elegant and inviting with an Avorio White exterior:

Avorio White Limewash on French Country home

Avorio White Limewash on French Country home

Complement a historic look with painted trim in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove or Swiss Coffee, both neutral white shades that have a touch of warmth. Modern farmhouse details like black window frames also look very stylish against the rich warmth of Avorio White:

Modern window with brick in Avorio White

Modern window with brick in Avorio White

Romabio Avorio White vs. Cristallo White

Romabio’s most popular creamy off-white lime wash shades are Avorio White and Cristallo White. When choosing which color is right for your home it helps to compare their undertones. Avorio White has a neutral beige undertone, so it can be relied upon not to turn yellow when the project is done. It’s a complex off- white that blends well with both cool or warm exterior accents. In fact, its undertones are quite close to Benjamin Moore’s popular White Dove paint color.

Black shingles or trim will bring out the yellow undertones of Cristallo White more, so Avorio White is probably a better choice against black trim. Cristallo White has more distinctly yellow undertones, and on some homes it may appear more yellow than cream. If your home has brown roof shingles or accents, Cristallo White can provide a nice update while retaining the cream and brown color scheme. Avorio White on this brown-shingled home gives the brick walls an updated brighter cream color:

Avorio White with a brown-shingled roof

Avorio White with a brown-shingled roof

What’s The Difference Between Limewash And Whitewash?

Whitewash isn’t really a product; it’s the term for a thin coat of watered-down paint that’s popular for furniture and decor. While whitewash adds plenty of charm, it does nothing to protect exterior brick or stone. Brick needs to breathe and respond to changes in temperature, so you should never use any type of sealant or paint on it. Latex or acrylic-based paints can potentially damage brick by trapping moisture and causing mold.

Avorio White Limewash can be used both indoors and out on porous surfaces like brick, stone or concrete. Since lime wash is mineral-based, it creates a permeable coating that won’t damage the brick surface or seal moisture behind it. The high pH of lime also protects against the growth of mold and germs. Natural limestone in Romabio Limewash actually calcifies onto the brick or stone surface, creating a durable finish.

If you’d like a painted look for your brick, Romabio Masonry Paint offers the same mineral-based durability.

How To Use Avorio White Limewash On A Brick House

The first step in whitewashing a home with lime wash is to make sure the brick hasn’t been sealed. To do this, just spray it with water, making sure it soaks in and doesn’t bead up on the surface. Since Romabio Limewash is designed for porous surfaces it won’t work on painted or sealed brick. Make sure the brick is clean; pressure washing it first is a great idea.

Choosing a color is next – if you need help, Benjamin Moore has great tips. Order a few 1-liter samples of Limewash colors to test on your home; you can easily wash off the colors you won’t be using. Paint a large sample area on the brick before making a final decision. With a large swatch, you can see how the color looks against the roof and trim, and how it changes throughout the day. Romabio Limewash can also be custom tinted in any shade that works with a white base.

Once you’ve chosen your Classico Limewash color, you can hire a Romabio PRO, or tackle it yourself. Limewashing your home is an easy DIY project if you live in a one-story home. If you have two or more floors, we recommend getting professional help.

Whitewashing your home with Romabio Limewash is fairly simple. Mix the Limewash according to the directions, and apply a single heavy coat with a large masonry brush. Let it dry for a couple of hours. Then go back and use a sponge, rag or water hose to remove the product until you get the look you want. Romabio Limewash stays workable for 2-5 days, so you can always take more off or paint another coat.

Whitewash A Fireplace With Avorio White

Avorio White Limewash on brick fireplace

Avorio White Limewash on brick fireplace

Avorio White Limewash is the perfect whitewash for an outdated fireplace. It’s a natural product with no toxic fumes, so it promotes healthy indoor air quality.

Whitewashing a fireplace for a distressed, farmhouse look using paint is a bit tricky because once paint soaks into brick it won’t come off. That’s why professional painters use Romabio Limewash instead of paint. Limewash stays workable for up to five days so you can work with it until you love it. Paint the whole fireplace with a single coat, then use a sponge or rag to remove as much as you’d like. If you take off too much you can always add more.

Avorio White’s fresh creamy white shade lets you create a vintage farmhouse fireplace that’s not too white or too yellow.

For the full story on how to whitewash a brick fireplace with Romabio Limewash, read this blog post or watch our Youtube video! Just click here.

Buy Romabio Avorio White Paint And Samples

Are you ready to whitewash your brick or stone home, or update your fireplace for that modern farmhouse look? You can buy Classico Limewash in 7 pre-tinted colors right here at Rings End. Watch the Romabio How-To video to learn even more about whitewashing your brick home with real Limewash. Be sure to share your Limewash projects with us – we can’t wait to see what you do!

You May Also Like….

For a brighter, pure white, check out Bianco White. If our Avorio White color seems too light for your home, you’ll love the rich, warm tones of Riposo Beige. For a creamier color, try Cristallo White; if you’d like warmer gray undertones consider Nube Gray.