Sometimes a house just needs a breath of new life — and that’s exactly what happened with this beautiful stone home in Darnestown, Maryland. Built in the early 1990s, it had solid craftsmanship and great structure, but the owners wanted to refresh the exterior and bring it up to date with a more modern, timeless aesthetic. They reached out through their decorator, who brought me in to handle the transformation. The vision was clear: to transform all the stonework into a pure, pristine white finish using an authentic lime wash — not paint. Lime wash allows stone to breathe naturally, creating a velvety matte patina that feels organic and alive.
Before applying any material, I power washed the entire house to remove years of surface dirt and residue. Once clean and dry, I carefully masked off the windows, trim, and siding to protect every detail during application. Lime wash is a living material — it needs to interact with the stone to create that soft, chalky depth. To ensure proper bonding, I hydrated the surface before and between each thin coat, allowing both chemical and mechanical adhesion to develop naturally. It’s a slow, layered process that produces subtle movement and richness, almost as if the finish grew right from the stone itself.
After researching and testing, I sourced a high-quality lime wash that would hold up beautifully while maintaining breathability. The project used about 65 gallons of material and took roughly a week to complete. Once the lime wash was finished, the rest of the home’s transformation came together. The siding was painted a warm, dark blue, creating a stunning contrast against the crisp white limewashed stone. All the window and house trim were finished in Tricorn Black, giving the architecture a bold, refined edge. To complete the look, the roof was replaced, tying everything together with a clean, modern silhouette that perfectly complements the new color palette.
The result is a home that feels both sophisticated and inviting — a complete reinvention that respects the original architecture while giving it fresh energy. The once 1990s-style stone home now looks timeless, classic, and perfectly at home in its wooded Darnestown setting.
