Liming
Several methods of decorating wood exploit its natural grain pattern. Liming imitates the old custom of painting wooden furniture with diluted limewash left over from painting the walls in farmhouses. Now, instead of using limewash, liming wax (a mixture of beeswax and whiting) is worked into the wood and the surface is polished, leaving a residue of white wax in the grain, The effect is light and pretty, working best on wood that has a strong, fairly open and linear grain pattern such as oak.
Liming can revitalize heavy, dark old furniture, making it look fresh and contemporary; the same process can also be applied to light-colored wood for a different contrast, using wax mixed with colored pigments, emphasizing the grain with black or perhaps a deep earthy red.
Liming is a straightforward process, but for the best results good preparation is important. If liming is to be applied to old furniture, all traces of heavy sealed or polished finished must be completely removed, and even with new wood, the surface should be sanded until smooth and clean.
