Bold Patterns, Soft Textures: Handmade Tiles Meet Their Patina Match in Limewash Paint

One of the most defining characteristics of limewash paint is its tonal movement and subtle colour variation. In fact, trying to capture a single, “flat” version of a limewash colour for our website is quite challenging—and honestly, it’s missing the point. Limewash’s character lies in its subtle shifts, its softness, and the unique finish it creates on every wall. That’s exactly why we’re so drawn to the handcrafted cement tiles from Bert & May.

Much like limewash, these tiles embrace variation. Each one is made by hand in Spain using poured pigments, which creates organic shading and a soft, natural finish. They’re full of life before you even get to the brilliant graphic designs.

Stylist Sarah Harwood saw the synergy immediately, pairing Bauwerk Colour Limewash with Bert & May’s new Dulce Collection—a playful, joy-filled range designed by Italian designer Elisa Passino. With a background spanning Venice, Milan, and Lisbon, Elisa draws on a rich history of decorative arts, then infuses it with her own signature: clean lines, bold patterns and contemporary palettes.

On paper, the Dulce tiles are a bold statement. Their geometric patterns in patisserie-inspired colours—think rhubarb, apricot, almond and lavender—might seem like a lot. But what makes them sing is how they’re styled. In these rooms, colour isn't used to tame or tone down the tiles—it’s used to elevate them.

Take the rich lavender of Phlox, which wraps around apricot and rhubarb-toned tiles, creating a joyful tension that feels both surprising in a kitchen and yet completely right. Or the soft, dusky blue of Columbine, which brings calm to a bathroom filled with bold patterns. The combinations are unexpected, but they work—because both materials share a softness, a naturalness, and a depth of colour that connects them.