Old wall finishes - decorating

[JohnArmer]

As part of the slow renovation and de-1970fying of our late nineteenth century farmhouse, we removed the artex covering the small vestibule area at the top of the cellar steps. It's one of the few bits that hasn't been skimmed with gypsum and underneath the artex we discovered lime plaster that has been covered with very many layers of slightly blue limewash or distemper; I'm not sure which. While the walls are sound, the layers of decoration are parting company in some places which very firmly attached in others.

What would your approach to decoration be? It's not in a very visible area being concealed by a door, though it will house my Hi-Fi at some point so will get access to change CDs etc and when we go down to the cellar. Should we try and remove the covering layers back to plaster (a very very difficult job I think and will be impossible not to damage the plaster); simply paint over (will be rough where some of the layers have come away), have it reskimmed (ontop of the limewash or not?) or lining paper it and paint?

We want a reasonable finish that's not going to cost the earth as the other 'small' jobs we are having doing are running into five figures so far!

 

[AMc]

I had a similar issue with an old wall, patched with filler and gypsm and some original finishes. I took the decision that I didn't care about a perfect finish but I wanted to protect the original plaster as much as possible and the bits of older finishes have some limited historic interest.
I patched the worst damage and replaced blown patches with alabastine filler then used non woven lining paper to provide a surface to paint.
It looks good, not new house flat but not crumbling or flaking

 

[JoceAndChris]

This describes pretty much every wall and ceiling here - it's never been comprehensively replastered. I think the limewash and fragments of wallpaper very interesting indeed, and agree with the advice to steam, wash or lightly sand off loose paint or paper and lining paper over the top of the old and accept lumpiness. Smooth new plaster lessens the character in my opinion.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Interior ceilings are much more likely to have been distempered or whitewashed than limewashed, and the pale blue you describe is very characteristic of the Victorian period. Distemper and whitewash, unlike limewash, are generally water soluable but can be quite hard work to remove. You could try washing down with warm water then recoating with more distemper. I make my own, which is not hard to do.