LET YOUR WALLS BREATHE
I like painting. Giving something a coat of paint is a dear method of change, and I love the immediate sense of renewal it provides. It can also help revitalize furniture that you might otherwise have rejected, and is considered to be both cheap and environmentally friendly source of renewal.
I do not like the smell of paint though, or the steamy feeling of poisoning the environment with toxic gases and chemicals. So when I discovered mineral paint for some years back, I was happy. This paint is environmentally friendly, odorless, and a little "reckless" painting technique only makes it looks better on the walls. It suited me perfectly. I like how the natural matte paint can add both a sense of calmness and depth to a room.
KALKLITIR
Lime paint has grown to a great trend and new suppliers constantly enters the market. I've tested several, but lately I have become more and more fond of the products from Kalklitir. It is a small Icelandic family business, providing environmentally friendly and mineral-based surface products. Kalklitir is Icelandic and simply means lime colors.
Firstly, I like that the products are pure and natural containing only lime and pigment from stone. The paint does not contain any kind of chemicals or additives, nor does it emit any fumes that may be harmful. Secondly, the products are sold in powder form. It provides major environmental benefits, both in terms of less CO2 emissions, as we add the water itself. AND the durability of the powder is long, as opposed to other paint which, after opening, has limited shelf life. This means that you can mix as much powder as you need and store the rest dry and cool until you may need it again.
Also the powder form makes it easy and fun to mix your own colors. It's simply a flexible and great way to give both the furniture and rooms in the house an environmentally friendly and quick makeover. You can paint most surfaces with the paint from Kalklitir except plastic, but you may have to ground them first. You can read more about how to get the best results on Kalklitir's websites. (Alternatively, you can break the rules and experiment on your own and at your own risk as I often do.)
In the Kalklitir product range, there is also a type of pigmented plaster called Kalei. I do not know if you have ever tried to do a wall with ordinary plaster? I have, and I must admit it was not easy getting a good result. Applying Kalei on the other hand is easy. You can simply brush it on, like paint. Kalei is much thicker than paint though and actually made for outdoor use. But it can also be used indoor to ad a rough feeling to the wall.
The third and most recent product in the series is called Kalkstuc and is a mineral-based clay puss (similar to concrete pillow which is more common). It can be laid on floors, kitchen sinks, bathing walls also outside. It comes in four different natural tones ranging from dark gray, almost black to full light, just white. I have used the products from Kalklitir on several projects and am very pleased.
