Limestone comes from the mineral calcite, which originates from the beds of vanished seas and lakes. It is a solid building material and particularly suitable for humid regions. When it comes to painting an area that has small or large portions of limestone, select a strategic range of colours to complement and contrast the hues of the stone.
Blue
The grey of limestone is inherently a cool colour and looks good when paired with other cool colours. Shades of blue give you nearly endless choices as limestone looks attractive with any shade of blue. For a more regal and dramatic look, select royal blue or azure to pair nicely with limestone. For a more subdued look, dusty blue, robin's egg blue, sky blue and pale blue complement the stone in a subtle manner.
- The grey of limestone is inherently a cool colour and looks good when paired with other cool colours.
- For a more subdued look, dusty blue, robin's egg blue, sky blue and pale blue complement the stone in a subtle manner.
Warm Colors
Warm colours, like shades of red, orange and gold, are the polar opposite of the grey in limestone and thus accentuate it by their strong amounts of contrast. For example, shades of cranberry red or burnt sienna present a truly striking appearance with limestone. Orange and gold are equally dramatic. Shades of all of these colours are so warming they balance out the coolness of the limestone, striking a harmonious colour balance.
- Warm colours, like shades of red, orange and gold, are the polar opposite of the grey in limestone and thus accentuate it by their strong amounts of contrast.
Green
Green is a cool colour but one that is not as similar to the hue inherent in limestone as blue. Thus green acts as a natural complement to limestone yet gives you a more distinguishing splash of colour. When painting with green, darker shades, such as evergreen and hunter green, provide a more drastic look, yet at the same time still appear very earthy. Lighter shades like mint green or sea foam green present a more understated appearance.
- Green is a cool colour but one that is not as similar to the hue inherent in limestone as blue.
- Lighter shades like mint green or sea foam green present a more understated appearance.