Limewash and plaster finishes in the West Village, Manhattan are careful, period-minded work for Chelsea Limewash Co., because the homes here are among the oldest in the city. We apply breathable slaked-lime limewash and troweled lime plaster to Federal and Greek Revival brick townhouses on the neighborhood's landmarked streets. Because limewash cures by carbonation into calcium carbonate and stays vapor-permeable, it suits old masonry that needs to breathe rather than be sealed. From a townhouse facade accent to interior plaster walls, our crews finish by hand.
The West Village is landmarked, with crooked, tree-lined streets and Federal and Greek Revival brick townhouses that are among the oldest housing in the city. That aged brick and original plaster is exactly the kind of breathable, mineral substrate limewash is meant for. The neighborhood's protected historic character makes a period-appropriate mineral finish a natural fit where a modern acrylic paint would look and perform wrong.
The Federal and Greek Revival townhouses of the West Village were built long before plastic paints existed, and their brick and lime plaster were meant to breathe. Limewash restores that logic, soaking into masonry and curing by carbonation into calcium carbonate so moisture can still pass through the wall. The soft, chalky matte it leaves reads true to the age of the house.
Behind the paint in these old townhouses is often original lime or gypsum plaster that takes a troweled finish beautifully. We assess and prep the surface, key it where needed, and trowel lime plaster or Roman clay to a smooth, marble-like depth. Because the finish is mineral and breathable, it works with the old wall rather than trapping damp behind a film.
Much of the West Village sits under landmark protection, and any change to a facade can require review. We keep interior lime and plaster work faithful to the period, and for any exterior masonry finish we help you understand what the historic district allows before we begin. The goal is a finish that looks like it has always belonged to the house.
We also finish walls in nearby Greenwich Village. Call Chelsea Limewash Co. at (646) 828-5798 for limewash & mineral paint finishes across Manhattan.