I think there are few products that can transcend design styles like Venetian Plaster – they can either be distressed, adobe-like or even smooth and sleek for contemporary styles. One of the best suppliers in the country for lime-based products is located in Seattle: Stucco Italiano. I thought I would take a moment to speak to owner Aaron Cohen and get his thoughts on this most versatile of materials.
Aaron: “About 25 years ago, before I moved to Seattle, I remember seeing this really shiny stuff a couple of guys were applying in the entry of a brownstone in Brooklyn. I was on a paint job and that was my first exposure to Venetian Plaster. I think these guys were getting something like $35 per square foot – they were flown in from Italy – and it was very exotic. Everyone was oohing and aahing.” He continues, “Jump forward 25 years. Now, you can buy a reasonable rendition of that shiny stuff at Home Depot. We, however, import lime plasters, shiny and otherwise, from a manufacturer in Italy. You should see the manufacturer’s face when he sees all the distressed finishes we do with his materials – he really can’t believe all the crazy stuff we Americans do with their materials. He’s somewhat horrified I think. It must have something to do with the fact there is so much old world look in their part of the world already. It doesn’t look fancy there, it just looks old and in disrepair.”
Q: What’s hot in plasters?
A: For us, Lime exteriors. Tadelakt showers. Low-sheen interior “Intonachino” lime finishes throughout homes and businesses as an alternative to gypsum and clay based materials. From a design perspective it seems that simpler contemporary finishes are becoming more in demand. I think the distressed look may have peaked a few years ago, though we still teach it and produce it when it’s desired.
Q: Intonachino? Is that a new product?
A: Intonachino is a uniformly rough lime plaster with slight variations in color. It is intended for either interior or exterior surfaces. It is highly breathable, naturally mildew resistant and has an excellent drying capacity.
Q: Why do you prefer lime plasters?
A: Lime plasters are naturally green. Their manufacture is carbon neutral and they contribute to a healthy interior environment. We’ve really been reaching out to the more traditional installers to show them the benefits of working with a lime-based material instead of acrylic or cementitious ones.
Here are some more pics, all courtesy of Stucco Italiano:
Mmmm, that tangerine plaster sample is definitely one of my faves. Aaron shared that they used to do installations but now focus solely on supply and training. Their core customers tend to be paint, plaster and stucco contractors, as well as decorative finishers. However, if you are a DIYer – they do have a one-day course called PIY: Plaster-It-Yourself. I regularly read their blog and follow their exploits on Twitter. One of my very favorite posts on their blog was Fact of Fiction: Five Things You’ve Probably Heard About Venetian Plaster. I hope you get a chance to peruse their informative and recently updated website, Stucco Italiano. Maybe you might even stumble onto their plastering videos. It’s a good site to get lost in. Below, you’ll find a wall in progress and a company pic. I hope you’ve enjoyed our latest Faux-cus on the Pros!
Full Link: www.stuccoitalianoinc.com
Thanks so much for this post. It was not only informative but totally inspiring. We use Venetian Plaster a lot at our studio and it was interesting hearing about Stucco Italiano’s product. Just might have to redo my bathroom. Does the product need to be waxed to hold up in high-humidity?
Nicely done! Very “polished” looking.
Aaron was the first person I looked to for training and building my portfolio. He’s a good instructor – plan on working hard and being exhausted at the end of the day. The rewards are grand because years later my customers still gravitate to those samples.
Pushing the “green” aspect of these products makes it a lot easier to tell the story and sell the technique.
Great post as usual. Regina you continue to be a rock star.
Hi, Ann…and thanks for the compliment! The beauty of lime plasters is that they absorb water/humidity and dissipate it naturally. So, you wouldn’t need to wax it for protection in a high-humidity area. The lime “breathes” so the water evaporates cleanly. With synthetics, you have the chance of humidity slowly inching underneath the plaster and then cracking over time when it wants to escape. Those are my thoughts…
Lucinda – mutual admiration society! iVenetian – you are too funny, Eli! Thank you for the comments — glad to shine another spotlight on Stucco Italiano.
what a fantastic interview, I agree with Aaron that distressed finishes are slowly turning towards the smooth side…
every post here is a gem.
Hi Ann,
Wax is good in bathroom not so much for humidity issues but for oils, dirt, hairspray, staining, etc. Most waxes for lime plasters are breathable so they protect and create moisture and dirt resistance but still allow air to transpire out after moisture gets in – breathable.
Regina – Eli may know better than me but I believe many synthetic plasters will also breathe, not exactly like lime does but they do not necessarily create a vapor barrier like paint does.
Hi Lucinda.
Good to know, thank you Aaron! I’m guessing it’s more the better made synthetics that can resist the humidity. It’s good to always think three steps ahead in planning the best products to use for a project. For us, we have to keep this in mind esp. in commercial projects where finishes need to survive years of consistent traffic.
[...] lovely and talented Regina Garay of Garay Artisans posted a nice feature on Stucco Italiano including an interview with Aaron. He discusses what first sparked his interest in Venetian plaster [...]
[...] was reminded of this when Fauxology’s Regina deemed this tangerine Carrara finish as one of her [...]
Nice and informative post!
I’ve been looking thoroughly on your pictures- great finishing!