Venetian plaster is a finish coat of plaster, applied with stainless steel trowels, by skilled artisans. The basic composition is simple. Natural materials, mainly slaked-lime, marble-dust and colored pigments. The result is a cool, smooth, stone-like finish.

The process of slaking the lime, is to keep it covered in pits for several years before it is used. Lime-based plasters, once exposed to air, carbonize and lose their causticity, binding and hardening nature. Part of the beauty of authentic venetian plaster is that, once applied, it literally turns back to stone on your wall.

To start, a base coat of untinted plaster is applied to the wall. This is followed by a succession of very thin layers of colored plaster. The final step is a process known as self-burnishing. This happens when the stainless steel trowel, reacting with the marble dust in the plaster, seals and shines the finish. This also brings the trowel movements, of the previous layers, to the surface. Beeswax can also be trowelled on, which enhances the luminosity of the lime plaster.

Venetian plaster is traditionally, but not exclusively, burnished to a very high sheen. A wide variety of effects can be achieved, classical or contemporary. Unique and sophisticated color combinations are our trademark. Colors are custom mixed in the studio and sample boards made to client specifications.