Venetian Plaster in Atlanta

Here is a dinning room done in a true grassello, aka: Venetian Plaster. The client picked out the color off of a Benjamin Moore paint chart. And I had the Italian company match the color perfectly. You cannot really see from the picture but it was matched to the border on the picture. We do not offer just 20 different colors as most companies do, but literally thousands. Custom matching is just an extra
Pservice we offer to our customers. Different colors evoke different emotions in people. The color red promotes eating, that is why you see red in many dinning rooms. The client not only loved the job we did but also the color. If the application was great but the color was off it would be considered a bad job by the client. We go to great lengths to ensure the color is just what the client wants. That is why we always do a sample before we do the job. And we do our samples on a 2X2 piece of Sheetrock so you can see the color and finish on the same surface we are applying on. Many people will do it on poster boards, but that will not look the same as on Sheetrock. And how you apply the plaster can change the color by a shade or 2. Attention to detail is what we are known for. We make sure when we tape off the trim and plaster that our lines are perfectly strait, as you can see on the trim in the picture above. 

If you are thinking about doing something decorative in a room in your home or a entire house, Venetian Plaster is the perfect solution in almost every situation. More durable than paint, last longer than paint. And the beauty of Venetian Plaster cannot even be compared to paint. 

Columns~Columns~Columns

Many people have wooden columns in there home. Usually these are always painted because that is what everyone else does. Columns are the focal point in the room and painted they just blend into the walls. Over the years we have done many columns. In both residential homes and commercial buildings. One of the applicators I trained got a job in Doyletown Pennsylvania at a Mercedes dealership.  Many of the columns were 28 feet tall. So Off I went and we did all 30 of them. The elegance this brought to the dealership was unbelievable. Having true Italian Plasters is not just for walls anymore.

Even though they were done in white they brought ambiance that no paint ever could.

This next picture is at the Candler building in downtown Atlanta. We did the word renowned Mantovano plaster. The column was breath taking as were the walls. Looked like it was a solid slab of marble.

The first two pictures were done in homes in Atlanta and Dallas Texas. The first Picture we used what is called in Italy Travertino Stuhhi. It has a mat finish because of the large grains of marble. The second one is a true grassello and has a very high shine. Both are equally stunning. So next time you are looking at your columns imagine how your room would feel with Italian Plasters on them. They will totally change the atmosphere of any room.  Transform your room into a romantic villa.

Finished Basement

Italian Decoration in basement in Atlanta

This was a fun job and very effective. The homeowner wanted a special place in the basement. Because one of her favorite places was Italy, she called us to do the plastering. You can see the mural as your walking down the stairs. Then taking a left you are no longer in Atlanta. The walls have a grassello on them. The look was achieved with multiple  coats of Italian plasters. Even though the walls looks like it is a ruff texture, it is perfectly smooth. As smooth as glass with the feel of marble. This is truly an authentic Tuscany look. Not just an interpretation of a Tuscany look. The door is just a regular cheap flat door she bought at Home Depot. With the aid of some paint and glazes I transformed this plain door into a 400 year old door of Italian decent. 

The home owner worked from home and loved her space so much she decided to move her office down in the basement. Away from the kids, her husband and all the distractions.  She said we had created her own personal paradise. She gave us total creative reign on this project. In return we gave her our very best creative work. 

Many times people want to do something different in their basement but have no idea what. Hopefully this may inspire someone else to do Italian Decoration in their basement.

New York Hospitality 

One of the nice things about doing Venetian Plasters is the places I have been and the people I have met.  I took this picture last year heading to work one morning in Manhattan New York.  People have always said how rude New Yorkers are but have never found that to be the case. I've been about a dozen times and each time was a wonderful experience. 

Below is a shot standing outside of the penthouse I was plastering. 

There is nothing like a NY deli. And the Pizza's were outstanding. Standing outside on the street watching the people walk by I was surprised how many people had dogs in Manhattan. I could of people watched all day long but would not have gotten much work done.

Here we are plastering the penthouse. It is nice to be able to leave something that will be enjoyed for many years. And maybe every time the homeowner has some guest come over and they touch the walls he tells them about this guy from Atlanta who came and did this. Every person I met wanted to take me to a new restaurant, their favorite. We always hear about southern hospitality and never New York hospitality. I can tell you I do not see much difference. Except maybe we talk a little slower in the south...

What is Marmorino?

                                                                                                                              

Marmorino Fuchsia & Chartreuse 

If someone told you they just had Marmorino installed in their living room and the colors were fuchsia and chartreuse, what would you say?

Marmorino is not a part of our everyday language here in the USA. It is an Italian word that means: "little marble". Marmorino is made just like a grassello (shiny Venetian Plaster) but with one small difference, the size of the marble. Grassello is also made up of limestone and marble, but the marble is the consistency of flour. You cannot feel or see the grains of marble therefore it has a very high sheen. Whereas Marmorino has mid size grains of marble. Because of this grain you will only have a satin sheen. Both if done correctly will be very cool to the touch and very smooth. They both breath and are 100% natural. What does it mean when plaster breathes? Have you ever gotten out of the shower and had to wipe off the mirror because of the steam? If you had Marmorino or a Grassello on your walls it would absorb the moisture and later would release it. You would not have to wipe the mirror off because the walls would do that for you. This is why the plaster will never mold or mildew. Winter Spring Summer or fall the Italian plasters will always feel cool to the touch. So why does it always feel like stone? Because it is stone. After you apply a plaster made of limestone and marble on the wall it goes thru a carbonization period. This usually takes about 28 days. The carbon monoxide around the wall forces it to return to stone. So your walls have a coating of stone on them. This is why you will see buildings in Italy over 1000 years old with the plasters on them. Italian Plasters is not only beautiful to look at but very, very durable. Be careful not to be fooled by the "faux plasters" or fake plasters. Even if it says Venetian Plaster on the can this does not mean you are getting "real" Venetian plaster. Most of what you will find at builder stores and paint stores are nothing more than a elastomeric paint with a little emulsifier mixed in to it gives you a little sheen. Most faux painters charge about the same amount for the faux plaster as the true Italian Plasters. If you have never seen the beauty of a real Marmorino you would not know the difference. The durability is why they have been using these since before the Egyptian times. But the look can not be duplicated by these so called faux plasters. The faux plasters are always waxed or have some sort of topcoat for the sheen and durability. In certain situations I will recommend a wax coating. The problem with that is 1. you do not give the plaster a chance to carbonate. 2. the plaster cannot breath. Like the Italians I prefer my plaster to breath. It also helps out the "sick house syndrome." In Japan the Italian Plasters are very popular because of this. The air inside your home will be naturally cleaner. 

The picture above was taken at a friends home in Verona, Italy.  I could not ever imagine these 2 colors looking good together, Fuchsia & Chartreuse. But seeing these colors together give a very modern look. Ideal for a loft or high-rise. Maybe even a beach home. Really the chances of someone coming up to you and saying: "I just had Marmorino installed in my living room and the colors are fuchsia and chartreuse" is very slim. But at least if they do now you will not tilt your head and say "excuse me... what are you doing?".

Happy Holidays 

The ceiling is Marmorino with Veneziano on the walls. The trim we put Stucco Travertino on in 3 foot sections. Then the same Marmorino on the walls in the design you see. Thinking outside the box does not have to be dramatic. This subtle expression of color is very elegant. Unique and one of a kind. Any idea you can come up with we can work with and make your dreams a reality. 

Closeup Corner

Heading into 2013 we look forward to doing a few interesting jobs that allow us to be creative in our plaster creations. The best way to start is looking at pictures. I have many books I bought both here in the USA and in Italy. I find sometimes a picture can spark some creative thoughts. Also if you need help we can offer some suggestions on what would look good in your rooms. One book that is very handy is called the Color Bible. All it does is group colors together for the walls, furniture, accent pieces  and such. Once you read all the reviews on this book you will want to get it.

I am always going to Barnes and Noble looking for interesting books. You never know what you may find or when you can use it. 

Happy Holidays to all and my we have a safe New Years.