The Wall

Venetian Plaster

I did this wall for a friend of mine. This is three layers of plaster and surprisingly is as smooth as a babies behind. People think that this look requires a rough finish, but that is not true. As you apply each layer of plaster, it is smooth, one layer over the next, sanding {lightly} between each layer. You add paint to the plaster for each layer applied to the wall. You can add just paint or if you can get your hands on the pigment itself, you will have richer color. Menards actually sold me some pigment once. I haven't asked for any from them since, but I haven't done a wall since. I would like to establish an agreement with them somehow, in order to get pigment when I want it. Anywho.  After you have applied the third layer of plaster, you will probably be thinking,"what is this? I don't see anything so great about this!" The wall will look very dull and flat, with no apparent striations in color. However,,, this is where the magic happens!!! You are supposed to be able to use a flat trowel {same as used to apply the plaster} to burnish the wall. I found that it left gray marks in the plaster so I ended up using the bottom of a glass. I am trying to rig up something that will be motorized or something, to use instead of just a glass, because the first day that I burnished part of the wall, I could hardly curl my hands around the steering wheel of my car to drive home! Man, was I sore. great workout for your arms and chest, ladies! Well, what happens when you burnish the wall, is that you are compressing the plaster and all of the layers begin to show through each other. Plaster is actually translucent. It is awesome to watch happen. The wall becomes like glass. smooth, shiny and shows so much depth of color! Very beautiful. It has many benefits other than just beauty. It helps to keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. It also absorbs carbon dioxide in the air, and as it does, it hardens the plaster, making it more durable! Amazing!

This was about a 200 square ft. wall. It took me 3 days to put plaster on, you have to let each layer dry before the next. and it took me aprox. 3 days to burnish. Most likely because I was using a glass! whew! But to me it was worth it. My friends told me that a few people came over and asked to "see the wall" that they didn't even know!