 Because of its versatility, tactile quality, and ease in application, Venetian plaster is one of decorative artist Barbara Skivington's favorite mediums. Combined with metallic highlights, a stenciled accent, and a thin layer of wax for the top coat, this finish lends a polished, rich look to Barbara's living and dining room walls. "You can actually stand there and see yourself in it," she says.
Gather Your Supplies
- AquaBond: Dark Brown
- Paint roller
- Venetian Gem: Brown Sapphire, Tiger Eye, and Topaz
- 400- and 600-grit sandpaper
- Stainless-steel trowel
- Royal Design Studio stencil: #928 Thistle and Grape Scroll
- Stencil spray adhesive
- Small plastic taping knife
- Liberon Black Bison paste wax: Neutral
- Cheesecloth
- Sunset mica powders: Aztec Gold and Sunset Gold
- Electric drill with drill brush (optional)
Start to Finish
1. Properly prepare the surface. Base-coat the walls with two coats of Dark Brown AquaBond. Let each coat dry, allowing the second coat to dry at least 48 hours.
2. Apply a thin, even layer of Tiger Eye Venetian Gem to the surface, covering 95–100 percent of the wall. Let dry.
3. Combine 3 parts Topaz Venetian Gem,
1 1/2 parts Tiger Eye Venetian Gem, and 1 part Brown Sapphire Venetian Gem to create a custom brown plaster mix.
4. Quickly sand the surface with 400-grit sandpaper; dust off. Double-butter the edge of the trowel with Tiger Eye Venetian Gem and the custom brown plaster mix; apply to the surface, covering approximately
95 percent of it. Let dry.
5. Position the stencil and hold it in place with stencil spray adhesive. Using a small plastic taping knife, skim a thin layer of Tiger Eye Venetian Gem over the stencil openings, allowing the taping knife to ride over the surface of the stencil. Remove the stencil, top left. Let dry.
6. Quickly sand the surface with 600-grit sandpaper; dust off. Apply a layer of the custom brown plaster mix and lightly skim-coat the surface, covering all of it, including the stenciled areas, middle left. Let dry.
7. Lightly burnish the surface with a
clean trowel, polishing the edges of the stenciled design.
8. Rub a light coat of Neutral wax over the entire surface using a piece of clean, dry cheesecloth. Let dry and buff lightly.
9. Combine 4 parts Neutral wax, 1/2 part Aztec Gold mica powder, and 1/2 part Sunset Gold mica powder to make a metallic wax mix.
10. Rub a light coat of the metallic wax mix over the entire surface using a clean piece of cheesecloth, bottom left; let dry. Buff the surface to a lustrous sheen. If working on a large surface, you may want to use an electric drill fitted with a drill brush to buff the wax.
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