Mineral Paint and Lime Paint: Two Names Worth a Closer Look

This episode on the Flipping Furniture For Profit podcast is the second half of a two-episode look inside the paint can. In Episode 55, we talked about mineral paint—and why the word mineral doesn’t describe one universal formula. Here in Episode 56, we’re moving into lime paint: a beautiful specialty finish with plenty of movement, character, expense, and, yes, a learning curve.

If you landed here from my Mineral Paint + Lime Paint poster or reel, you’re in the right place. You can explore lime paint below, then visit What Exactly Is Mineral Paint? — Episode 55 to hear the other half of the conversation.

Lime Paint: When Beautiful Wins

Not every paint that creates a beautiful finish makes good business sense.

I learned that while using Pure & Original Fresco lime paint on an inexpensive serving cart I’d owned for years. The color, Soft Taupe, gave it movement and an old-world, almost stone-like appearance. Nine years later, it still sits beside my front door, and I still love looking at it.

Would I recommend lime paint to a beginning furniture flipper? Probably not. It’s expensive, has a learning curve and requires the right preparation and protection. It can also be difficult to spot-repair because the beauty comes from variations created across the entire surface.

For an experienced furniture artist selling high-end work, however, that one-of-a-kind finish could help a piece stand out—and attract a buyer willing to pay for the additional artistry.

Sometimes we also need to stop looking at every piece as inventory. Our own homes deserve some of our art too. Not every project has to produce a Marketplace payment to give us a return. Occasionally, the return is walking past something we created and thinking, “I’m so glad I kept that.”

Prefer to listen? Hit play below.

In Episode 56, Lime Paint — Tricky, Expensive & Absolutely Beautiful, I’m sharing what lime paint is, what I learned while using it on furniture and why one particular piece now requires supervision.

Listen here: