Venetian Plaster 101

Common Area at Aria

Our most recent project has been for a newly built luxury development called Aria. Located on 5 acres of prime beachfront property, this 64 million dollar project included 16 ultra high end condominiums (each over 4,000 sf) along with a wellness center, clubhouse and all the amenities. We were brought in to do the 2 main lobbies in Venetian Plaster. We thought we would walk you through this as a typical project -- Venetian Plaster 101. 

As we often get a chance to do, we worked with a highly respected designer from the area,  Lori Fountain. 
She provided us with a sample of what they wanted to duplicate color wise. Nowadays the better importers and suppliers of Italian plasters can match color, including swatches from color decks, which is very handy. However, it is good to keep in mind that plaster, unlike paint, will dry about 4 shades lighter when it dries so keep that in mind for color selection.

The sample board chosen for this project. The picture doesn't do justice to the gold wax overlay.

The usual process for new construction is to prime the walls twice, then apply a special primer for the plaster to grip.Next, we apply 3 coats of plaster. The last coat is burnished to create a shiny marble like look. At least that's the usual steps taken and what we did here. We will walk you through more of the project in future posts.

But to start with, if you are considering Venetian plaster for one of your projects, what are the practical things you should be thinking about? What kind of finishes are called Venetian plaster and why should you use it?

1. Venetian plaster is a natural  lime-based material which is a natural mold inhibitor
2. It is applied in thin multiple layers. The movement created by these layers when the material is applied is seen when you burnish the last layer (which means to apply pressure to the trowel and run it over the last layer when mostly dry). Burnishing compacts the crushed marble dust that is in the finish and   causes the material to shine.  The earlier layers provide high and low points, the high points will show up darker, and the low points lighter. This is what gives Venetian plaster its very unique look. I've had a few people who say they want a Venetian plaster but they want it smooth with no movement. This can be done, but you lose the unique look. If you want a flat smooth look, you can use a less expensive material or paint.
3. Grassello refers to the traditional, hard, high shine Venetian plaster finish. One should determine the amount of traffic and abuse an area would get before using this type of finish. While it is a hard surface it can be  chipped or scratched, and repairing Grassello (especially dark colors) can be hard to blend. Many people choose to add more protection and shine with an added way layer, which is a great look, but can make it even harder to repair without having it be noticeable. There are other plaster finishes that can be used -- for example, LusterStone, which have a similar look (reflecting light and highs and lows) while being very easy to patch/repair. So if you are concerned about the ability to patch or repair, ask for options.
4.  You have to determine how much shine you want. A little burnish will result in a matte finish and not darken the color. A lot of burnish will produce a high shine but also result in a darker color. The intensity of color, particularly if you choose a darker color, can be more than expected, so lean toward a shade or two lighter if there is a limited amount of light in the area.
5. Always best to get Venetian made up from a good outfit who can give you a color match with a job number, so that if at a later date you need more there is an exact formula. In the old days we tried to keep extra material in a sealed container, but usually 6 months to a year later if you went back it was dried out and unusable.

Starting work

I will have more on this project in future posts.