Discover why venetian plaster is still in fashion: advantages and application

Venetian plaster is timeless. Although this decorative technique was discovered in Venice during the Renaissance in the 15th century, it is still used today as a current trend.

Those layers full of contrasts between the colours and flashes that dressed the walls and ceilings of Venetian palaces, continue to cover the spaces that seek a plus of excellence with a style that is timeless and is still determined to delight us.

Venetian plaster: what it is and why it does not lose its class

It is a coating that arises from a mixture composed of powdered lime, slaked lime, very fine marble dust and natural colour pigments, capable of filling any room with Italian style.

It is a coating that evokes textures and finishes similar to polished marble, whose elegance has never been questioned, even though as a technique it has evolved, as is normal.

It is the mixing process that has changed. In the past, some ingredients were mixed with others, which resulted in the loss of nuances in the final finish. Nowadays, technology has been put at the disposal of aesthetics to create venetian plasters capable of covering any surface and filling any room with Renaissance essence.

Venetian plaster: the characteristics of a timeless material

Venetian plaster can be considered one of the most striking inventions of the Renaissance, if we refer to decorative techniques. We are talking about a period in which great advances were made in numerous fields and the decorative one was not going to be less. Thus, a coating was created with unique characteristics that we will see below.

Moisture has never been a problem

Thanks to its composition, which allows it to transpire naturally, it shows superior resistance to moisture, protecting walls and ceilings both indoors and outdoors.

Based on nature

Nature was a source of inspiration in any field and still is. Therefore, it is important to choose materials as environmentally friendly as possible, such as venetian plaster. It is composed of natural elements that give it unusual anti-mildew and anti-bacterial qualities compared to other coatings.

A cleaning facilitator

Another great advantage of venetian plaster is that it is extremely easy to clean. A damp cloth is more than enough to bring out its attractiveness.

High-end decorative levels

The upper classes of the time were already covering their walls with venetian plaster. This speaks to the sophistication it brought and still brings today when applied to walls and ceilings.

Endless durability

Venetian plaster is perfectly maintained for a long time. This characteristic durability allows the user to enjoy its beauty under normal conditions without requiring major care and maintenance.

Venetian plaster: the style still preferred by decorators

The brightness is a key factor demanded by users and professionals when decorating some rooms. The effect it generates in the environment is only within the reach of some coatings and, among them, is the venetian plaster.

With its appearance similar to polished marble, obtained from the ingredients that form it, it makes any room shine, providing flashes of luxury. This condition can be enhanced with the right choice of colour with which we want to mix it.

In addition, it has the power to highlight any element of furniture in the room. To achieve this, it is necessary to refine so that the chosen pigment combines perfectly and highlights chairs, furniture, tables or shelves to become objects with a marked ornamental character.

In fact, one of its most appreciated qualities is the number of colours in which it can be used. Thus, it allows to create walls of soft textures, with an unmistakable brightness that remind the most stylish houses of those days.

Looking for colorful marble finishes

Venetian plaster is a coating that combines with any type of colour to offer maximum customization possibilities to those who want to show off a century-old trend on their walls and ceilings.

Thus, the number of colours in which it can be used is infinite since it perfectly complements any tone. The rest depends on the client's preferences or the specific needs of the space.

We leave you a tip that will depend on the prominence you want to give it. So, if you want to highlight furniture or other decorative elements, the ideal is to mix it with light pigments. While if what you want is to give an absolute prominence to the wall and highlight its presence, regardless of the surface it covers, the ideal is to mix it with more intense colours.

Venetian plaster looks good anywhere

As they say: with elegance you can be anywhere. In the same way, venetian plaster, in addition to its aesthetic qualities, has technical characteristics that allow it to be used in interiors and exteriors without any problem.

Bathrooms, hallways and living rooms

Although these rooms do not have, a priori, nothing in common, they do have: they are the spaces in which it is most common to find venetian plaster on some of its walls.

Thus, the application practice that is usually followed in these cases is simply to cover only one wall to make it the protagonist of the room. In addition, to make its strength more noticeable, this single wall should be painted in a darker colour.

Bedrooms

Let's make the bedrooms authentic places to dream by covering the main wall with stucco. In this case, it is advisable to paint it with light tones such as white, beige or gray. Although you can also choose shades of reduced intensity, colours such as blue or red.

Ceilings

One of the main tasks of venetian plaster is to increase the status of the spaces it dresses. Thus, the ceiling becomes an exceptional ally, especially in rooms that have more height. In these, when applied, it creates cozy and eye-catching places.

Facades

Its mineral composition makes it a very breathable coating and, at the same time, with a high degree of impermeability that allows decorating the exteriors of buildings to make cities more elegant.

It is time to make venetian plaster

Well, now that all the theoretical considerations about this decorative coating are clear, let's explain how to make the mixture to be able to apply it later.

The procedure is very simple since it simply consists of mixing, it can be in a bucket, the stucco paste with the chosen pigment and stirring until we achieve the colour and texture with which we want to coat our surfaces.

How to apply the venetian plaster

Once we have prepared the mixture, we will share with you how to proceed to a successful application, from our expertise.

• The first thing is to make sure that the walls are in perfect condition. This means without any cracks and without dust or any other type of dirt. If there are any irregularities, the surface will have to be repaired.
• Next is the mixing of the stucco with the chosen pigment explained in the previous heading.
• It is time to apply the first coat of venetian plaster. To do this we will use a trowel and apply the material as uniformly as possible so that this layer is as smooth and homogeneous as possible.

Once the ceiling or wall is completely covered, let it dry for at least 6 hours. When this time has passed, we will help us with tools such as sandpaper or a spatula to smooth the surface and even it by removing the resulting protrusions.

• Now we apply the second coat of venetian plaster in exactly the same way as in the previous step. What does change with respect to the previous step is the drying time: in this case it is necessary to let it dry for 24 hours. At the end of this time, we will remove the dust using a cloth.
• We continue and apply the third coat of venetian plaster. At this point, we will proceed to do it in an irregular way. At the same time, we will skip filling some key points of the surfaces and once we have it, we will let it dry for half an hour.
• We conclude with the polishing. This point is definitive to achieve the desired marble effect. This is achieved by applying, with circular movements, a layer of wax that polishes the surface but also acts as a protector of the venetian plaster.

Microcement: the venetian plaster of the 21st Century

Times change and with them the trends and their protagonists. Thus, in the 21st century, a decorative coating has appeared with similar characteristics to venetian plaster but more evolved: microcement.

This coating has properties very similar to those of traditional stucco. In fact, it maintains the same resistance and durability on the walls as the first one, but ensures its waterproofing with the application of a sealant and, above all, the most remarkable thing is that it can also be applied on floors.

Renovate walls or ceilings with microcement is a luxury because it can be used on any type of materials such as tiles, ceramic, tiles, cement, plaster or plasterboard, allowing reform spaces without having to do works and, therefore, without generating debris.

These debris removal costs are not the only ones that make microcement a more economical option when compared to venetian plaster, as it can be applied on many surfaces at the same time, both for technical and decorative reasons. This is an anti-slip material that can be applied in and around swimming pools, bathtubs or showers, ensuring safety and excellence in every centimeter of application.