Special Effects: Venetian Plaster

(Venetian plaster by Papillon Art Solutions)If you’re ready to graduate to the big league of décor and you want to add that special feature to your interiors, then it’s time to look at Venetian plaster, a special wall treatment technique.  Venetian plaster is one of the oldest wall treatments and has been around as far back as 9500 years.

True Venetian plaster is made of slaked lime mixed with marble dust.  Other “Venetian plasters” sold in the U.S. may be made of other materials that have no lime and may actually be made of acrylic resins.  The true beauty of Venetian plaster is that the plaster layers can be “burnished”, a technique which creates a high polished look, and gives it the sheen and depth that regular paint can’t achieve.  Burnishing requires polishing the final plaster layer with a trowel. 

Above is an example of a stairway in a golden Venetian plaster by Papillon Art Solutions. Below is an example in a rose Venetian plaster.  Notice that when viewed from different angles, light will reflect from the plaster layers. 

You can also use two or more different colors and layer it to achieve a very unique multi-colored depth, as shown above. This technique can mimic the more expensive marbles but at a fraction of the cost!

(Venetian plaster, courtesy of Titus Built)Venetian plaster can be juxtaposed with other painted surfaces for a wonderful contrast effect.  As shown above from Titus Built, the mouldings and dado are covered in white paint which provide a contrast to the sheen of the Venetian plaster above. 

If you want to learn more about Venetian plaster, follow this link for a do-it-yourself approach - you'll see how much goes into this beautiful finishing.

Interested in learning more about wall treatments? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.