"Living with lime-plastered walls is like living inside a Rothko painting," says interior designer Leigh Herzig—and anyone who has used it will know she's talking about Venetian plaster. The material, which has been used to finish walls since ancient times, made its first comeback with the unfortunate "Tuscan" decorating movement of the ’90s that we're all still trying to forget. But don't write it off! More recently, Venetian plaster has been increasingly used in homes of style, thanks to the popularity of plaster-loving designers such as Axel Vervoordt and Vincent Van Duysen. AD caught up with Herzig—who so loves using Venetian plaster in her designs (almost all of them) that she's taken courses to learn how to apply it herself—to learn more about the trend and how to know if it's right for you.
Architectural Digest: Why the comeback?
Leigh Herzig: I think there’s been a resurgence in plaster in general, not just Venetian plaster. Recently, there have been technological advances in the composition of lime plaster that have made it much easier to use. So it’s becoming more prevalent and more and more people are getting exposed to it. It's going viral! But I also think there is an enduring and increasing appreciation for natural materials in design. There’s a growing focus on blurring the architectural line between indoors and out. And lime plaster is quite literally the earth on your walls.
AD: What colors are most popular?
LH: I like earthy tones: white, beige, gray, brown, and black. But my favorite is white.
AD: So what is Venetian plaster, exactly?
LH: Venetian plaster is really a general term that refers to putty made from fired limestone combined with water. It’s then mixed together to make lime plaster. (So Venetian plaster and lime plaster are the same thing.) And when that lime plaster is applied to walls and exposed to the carbon dioxide in the air, the mixture turns back into limestone. So it starts as limestone and ends as limestone—truly magical! And it's the same stuff our ancestors used in ancient Greece and Egypt. Incredibly, it has endured the test of time, both physically and aesthetically.
What differentiates Venetian plaster or lime plaster from other plasters is that there are no aggregates mixed in. Tadelakt and Marmorino, for example, include aggregates like marble, granite, or glass. They’re similar in appearance to Venetian, but those aggregates add a thickness and an underlying subtle texture to the overall appearance.
AD: How would you describe the look and feel [Venetian plaster] lends a space?
LH: The look is earthy and soft. The application in thin translucent layers creates an iridescent finish, giving the appearance of depth and movement.
AD: Why do you like using it?
LH: The interplay of natural light and lime plaster is exhilarating. It appears as if there's simultaneously a warm light emanating from within the plaster and a vibration of light hovering above it. The effect is a feeling of lightness and stillness in the space. It's these qualities that pair so nicely with a minimalist aesthetic. The plaster both warms up a pared-down space and enhances the focus on the essential.
I'm working with that aesthetic combination on my current project. We're applying a single color of off-white plaster to the entire house, including all the interior doors. It's a look mastered so beautifully by Vincent Van Duysen, where the interior doors blend into the walls seamlessly. To achieve that uniformity, you need to install your doors with kerf jambs instead of the traditional jambs that require moldings. The end result is a sort of visual silence.
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AD: What are some upsides and downsides a homeowner should know about before springing for Venetian plaster?
LH: The new products are very low-maintenance and very durable. You used to need to re-plaster a whole wall to cover one scuff or blemish, but those days are gone. Today there's an array of lime plasters that can be easily repaired in patches and then blended with the rest of the wall. And most minor scuffs can be removed with a damp cloth and mild detergent, or a light sanding of the surface with 1000-grit sandpaper or a fine steel wool. It’s a lot lower-maintenance than people think, pretty much as flexible as paint in terms of application and maintenance.
Plasters with aggregates, however, are a bit higher-maintenance. It's trickier to fix blemishes without leaving a mark, so it may be necessary to re-plaster the entire wall to hide the blemish perfectly. Also in applying them, it's necessary to complete a whole wall, corner to corner, in one go. So you lose some of that flexibility.
AD: And on the technical side?
LH: Lime plaster is nontoxic and emits zero VOC's. From a sanitary standpoint, it's also breathable, allowing moisture to escape from the substrate, and is naturally mold- and mildew-resistant. The biggest drawback is that it's more costly than paint. Depending on which product you choose, a plaster application will cost somewhere between $8 and $15 per square foot.
AD: Do you recommend any particular suppliers?
LH: I love Texstōn Architectural Surfaces. They're a highly innovative company with an array of lime plasters to choose from, and a knowledgeable staff to walk you through choosing the right product for your application. Plus, they’re available nationally and have a network of experienced installers. It's a one-stop shop!
The interview above has been lightly edited for clarity.
