The Beauty of Venetian Plaster

In Venice, Italy in the 1500s, builders began to use a very special material to finish the walls and ceilings of the dwellings in this magical city on the sea. They mixed plaster and colored tints with limestone and marble dust--and sometimes chips of marble--to create a finish that is quite dazzling. On my last trip to Venice, the finish was indeed everywhere, even in my Hotel Rialto, right next to the Ponte Rialto.

Mediterranean Living Room by Atlanta Paint & Wall Coverings ROMA | Eco-Sustainable Building Technologies

Venetian plaster is still done in this ancient method. In this time- and labor-intensive process, multiple layers of the plaster, infused with slaked limestone, are applied by hand. Once on, the layers are then burnished either to a satin or a very high gloss, glass-like texture and appearance. A more matte texture is also possible, but the hallmark of Venetian plaster is the gloss.

Eclectic Living Room by San Francisco Photographers XOJY

Once burnished, the plaster hardens and dries to stone...which makes sense since it is basically wet stone that is being troweled on to the surface. It is incredibly hard and durable. It can even stand up to water and is acceptable to use in bathrooms...and even in showers!

Walls look fantastic in Venetian plaster. Because of the multiple layers of plaster and limestone, the material has a startling and alluring depth. It can look like suede but the gloss brings out the depth even more.

Mediterranean Hall by Oakland Paint & Wall Coverings Level Five Design

But real luxury is a Venetian plastered ceiling. Below we see a bedroom with walls and ceiling in the same tone of Venetian plaster. Additionally, it appears that the walls are satin but the ceiling is high gloss.

Victorian Bedroom by Minneapolis Architects & Building Designers Murphy & Co. Design

Here are some more examples of Venetian plastered ceilings. The look is gorgeous--and is especially attractive on tray ceilings or barrel vaulted ceilings.

Traditional Kitchen by Sioux Falls Artists & Artisans Bella Faux Finishes

Contemporary Dining Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Andrew Flesher Interiors

Contemporary Staircase by New York Interior Designers & Decorators BNO design

And Venetian plaster can be very versatile in terms of style: it may have originated in Venice in the sixteenth century, but the look is very at home in a modern setting. The "stone" texture and sensibility bring a contemporary edge to any space.

Contemporary Family Room by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Mark English Architects, AIA

Eclectic Kitchen by San Francisco Artists & Artisans Fitzgerald Studio

Happy designing!