Marmorino Venetian Plaster

If Authentic Plaster FX mentions  Venetian Plaster to a designer,architect or builder in Vancouver,  they all seem to  equate the term to old world wall finishes, I’m trying to change that. In fact I am trying to change the misnomer that venetian plaster is only used for interior wall finishes….simply not true!

What is true mind you, is that there is no better suited texture medium then Lime based Venetian Plaster for interior and exterior stucco finishing. Now I used the word “texture” but in the case I show you here, there is no texture….yet it is a Marmorino Venetian Plaster we used on this exterior.

limeplastervenetianplastermarmorinoexterior 150x150 Marmorino Venetian Plaster rainchain
Authentic Plaster FX used Venetian Plaster,in this example, a Marmorino Lime Putty,to create a mix of contemporary west coast with West Coast Salish and Japanese influenced architecture .

Most onlookers think that this exterior stucco is  polished and acid stained concrete,when I inform them that in fact it is a hand troweled  lime based Venetian Plaster…there eyes open wide! What further blows them away is the fact that this particular project is in fact an E.I.F.S  wall system….4 inches thick  to be exact,using  STO’S Gold Guard rainscreen technology.

Architects, Designers….think outside the box !

Carlos Scarpa did…..bringing back the technique, and re-popularizing the use  of Marmorino Lime Plaster in the 1950’s namely with the Olivetti showroom and the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona Italy.

Now what does the reference to Scarpa have to do with my little marmorino venetian plaster project here in Vancouver? Well not much really but it proves that  thinking  outside the box you can come up with some really impressive designs which I feel is what happened with this architect/home owner driven designed exterior.

They asked Authentic Plaster FX for a smooth hand troweled plaster finish,and I gave it to them …the walls have so much depth ,which as usual does not depict properly in these photos…you have to touch and feel it to appreciate its elegance.

marmorinolimebasedfinishplaster 150x150 Marmorino Venetian Plaster marmorinolimeplaster 150x150 Marmorino Venetian Plaster marmorinovenetianplaster 150x150 Marmorino Venetian Plaster

Authentic Intonachino Exterior Lime Plaster

Pools done and the landscaping is finished ! a private residence in Vancouver BC. was completed with Intonachino and Tadelakt lime based plaster columns, on the exterior of this Langley BC home. An Authentic lime plaster exterior with a heavy Spanish architectural influence, the Intonachino lime plaster glows…you should see this place in the golden hour…what a sight!! More shots to come as I have time.

smooth lime plasterintonachino lime plasterVancouver BC lime exteriorexterior intonachino plastering 150x150 Authentic Intonachino Exterior Lime Plaster

Originally posted 2009-07-25 17:00:16.

Interior Tadelakt of the Villas of L’Amandier

tadelakt finish room 150x150 Interior Tadelakt of the Villas of LAmandier Check out this web blog  about the  Villas at L’Amandier in Marrakech there are plenty of photos with Tadelakt lime plaster either being applied,or already finished in the background. Personally I find it interesting to see the Tadelakt being applied in its native setting,all of the interior walls are finished with Tadelakt lime,and then protected  using “savon noir” (black olive soap) Apparently there are more photos on the way, as some of the Villa’s have been completed ….if your looking for ideas for your interior, you like Moroccan architecture,or you want to buy a villa in Marrakech! …check out this blog!

Mikaela Fenton-Jones sent me this email of her personal account of Tadelakt lime plaster in Marrakech, and included updated shots of the interior of the Villa’s.

Thank’s Mikaela!

The lucky new buyers of these villa’s should give Maryam a shout from My Marrakech Lifestyle and interior design  Blog, for some inspiration in furnishing there newly acquired abode :P

“The Moroccan art of Tadelakt plaster is one of those building traditions that has thankfully survived the test of time and is not, as so many other traditional trades and skilled practices are, dying out with a reduction in the knowledge pool. It is alive and kicking in Morocco. Now, I am by no means an expert in tadelakt, but I love that fact that it is ubiquitous here in Marrakech; it’s historical ‘ birthplace’ . I also love the fact that it transcends the luxury décor/functional divide and is just as widely used in public hammams (steamy bath houses) as the most trendy of boutique hotels The beautiful rounded edges and curves achieved on showers and bathubs, allow for the most indulgent of designs and the natural pigments used produce a wide variety of colours. See for example a couple of the bathrooms at the fabulously bohemiem Riad El Fenn  in Marrakech”

riad el fenn bathroomRiad el Fenn Tadelakt bathroomtadelakt finish room2 150x150 Interior Tadelakt of the Villas of LAmandier

“We are in the process of building an exclusive villa community, L’Amandier,  in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains . Our British architect set out to blend a contemporary design with the traditional Moroccan materials and he chose Tadelakt for all the interior walls. He was absolutely right, because in my opinion, Tadelakt gives an overall impression of depth and warmth. It seems to both reflect and absorb the light and gives the feeling that the walls have somehow organically grown into the design of the house”

Assuming it is skillfully applied, Tadelakt is durable (although be careful of corners; rounded edges advised), waterproof, and stunningly beautiful…

tadelakt kitchen hatch Kitchen full hatch shot (med res)Tadelakt Lime Plaster Bathroom

Originally posted 2009-09-27 15:04:49.

Stucco Italiano Tadelakt Photo OP

charcoal Tadelakt

Aaron cohen from Stucco Italiano in Seattle stopped by one of my exterior Tadelakt lime plaster  projects in Vancouver BC  today …the big ham seized

The Big Ham

the opportunity for a photo op…couldn’t keep his hands off the walls either. We then shot off to the sushi restaurant for some sea urchin ..mmmmmm

Originally posted 2009-06-17 15:27:01.

Making lime plaster and mortar,a lost art

The World is our Oyster

Check out this video from the Colonial Williamsburg video library showing the building and history behind a lime rick .

As the rick burned, temperatures of at least 1800 F  were were obtained. This is essential if the conversion from calcium carbonate to calcium oxide is going to occur. Ricks were constructed with several tiers of logs supporting layers of smaller logs then covered with the oyster shells.

lime rick

There are worldwide examples of  historic Lime ricks, these were found  in close association to shell middens, which are strewn along the eastern seaboard of the USA, with some examples here in western Canada,with further examples worlwide.

The world-over you will see the use of the sir name “Lime-burner” or  points of interest called “Limeburner point” “Lime burner bay” or pubs called “The lime burner” or  “Limeburners Arms” these are all in reference of the old trade of burning limestone or in this case oyster shells to make lime plaster, mortars, tabby cement and concrete.

Shell or lime middens are a whole different topic to which I am no expert,but I find the subject interesting none the less.

Shikkui Plaster ( Shirokabe) the traditional  Japanese lime plaster, is manufactured in much the same way, from the millions of pounds of oyster shell produced from the  consumption of oysters  in Japan….albeit in a more modern type of lime kiln.

Shikkui Plaster is made of slaked lime , seaweed extracts and  natural plant fibers and other aggregates. Has been widely used throughout Japan for both internal and external wall and ceiling finishes  of houses, temples and castles, for over one thousand years.

The hydraulic lime used in the technique of Tadelakt plaster was/is manufactured in much the same way ,in ground pits or pit kilns, with palm fronds as fuel to burn the limestone local to Marrakesh.

The renewed interest in the use of Lime Plasters,Venetian plasters and  lime based mortars and paints is beginning a  revolution.

Lime Plaster, high in alkalinity and very breathable provides  healthy environments, excellent luminescent, reflective light, and simply a beautiful surface wall finish for any home.

Originally posted 2009-12-09 21:53:52.

Exterior Tadelakt

A sneak peak of an exterior Tadelakt plaster finish, before we are fully complete, had to leave the project for awhile due to the weather…close to finished here are  a few of photo’s….tough tough job …not for the faint of heart

Originally posted 2009-07-07 02:16:28.

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