faux Venetian plaster finish...

aged plaster faux Venetian plaster finish from BHG Paint Decor

This beautiful faux finish done with paint, not plaster, creates the timeworn look of aged Venetian plaster in minutes instead of centuries. You simply trowel on thin layers of semi-gloss paint (3-5 colors). For full directions and more photos visit Better Home & Gardens Paint Decor.

Note: All colors are Sherwin-Williams semigloss latex paint.

Deep Terra-Cotta

• Raynard SW6348
• Tassel SW6369
• Anjou Pear SW6381

Blue-Green

• Composed SW6472
• Shagreen SW6422
• Jersey Cream SW6379

Pale Cream

• Tassel SW6369
• Anjou Pear SW6381
• Jersey Cream SW6379

Tips

• Use at least three colors for this technique, but, after that, you can use as many as you like.
• Choose at least one pale hue, one medium hue, and one dark hue for this technique for richer results.
• You don't have to prime over a previously painted wall. Instead, just work over it. When you're finished, you'll see hints of the original color, which will create more interest. If you are unhappy with the amount of color that shows through, just apply more paint.
• Don't wipe excess paint off the trowel; the randomness of the application is what creates the illusion of depth.
• Apply a final, lightly tinted antiquing glaze over the entire wall to add depth and unite the colors.

all photos from Better Home & Gardens magazine Paint Decor

Venetian plastered paper towel holder...

Motorcycle-racing must be very lucrative...John Kocinski, a 34-year-old motorcycle-racing champion from Little Rock, Arkansas has a Venetian plastered paper towel holder in his Beverly Hills French villa...

from Archictectural Digest Photography by Mary E. Nichols

“You see what we mean by quality?” Kocinski asks rhetorically. “My garage is finished the same way as my living room. The door hinges on the electrical room outside are the same as the door hinges throughout the house. If you go into the laundry room, it’s all mosaic back-splashes, limestone countertops and Venetian plaster. If you open up the smallest cabinet to get a roll of paper towels, it’s Venetian-plastered.”

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