For many householders, plastering is a matter of maintaining and repairing what has always been there. A lot of traditional homes have venetian or stucco plaster and the style will always look suitable there.
Indeed, in some towns and cities, whose areas are dominated by white plaster, inside and out. The Regency architecture of Brighton & Hove, inner west London, Cheltenham and Leamington fits perfectly with internal décor dominated by plaster.
However, times have long changed since such a style was in vogue. From the bare blonde and red sandstones of the Georgian era that followed through to Victorian red brick, some rather different styles followed and now, while bricks and mortar are still the go-to material in most of the UK for semis, steel and glass apartments have proliferated in recent years.
The question many will ask is this: can plaster fit well with the most modern building design styles – and if so, what are the best plaster options?
In the first instance, the answer is yes. Plaster has been in use for thousands of years and it isn’t going to stop now.
The key difference is not whether plaster suits a modern home, but how it may be applied in a new home compared to an older one.
In the case of older homes, the emphasis is on maintaining authentic styles and aesthetics, as well as durability. But in a newer property, the focus is on innovation with new elements in modern plaster, a smooth, neat finish and speed of application.
A significant difference is that a more modern home may have a more minimalist plaster level, one that is durable but could need retouching but plays a practical role without necessarily dominating the aesthetics. That can change, of course, if it is a blue plaster or has some other desirable feature that adds some old-time charm to a modern setting.
By contrast, an older building may offer less flexibility in the sense that more ornate plastering is the way to go in order to maintain the character of the building. Any attempt to create a more modern look may grate with the wider interior design of the building, not to mention the exterior.
A question anyone has to find the right answer to, whether their home is a modern one or old, is what kind of plaster is the right one. Sometimes the question can be answered in broad terms; for instance, in some low-humidity climates, gypsum is fine for plaster, whereas lime is better suited to temperate ones (the latter having been used in Britain for centuries).
Venetian plaster certainly falls into the latter category of being well-suited to humid climates. This makes it useful in any home, be it new or old, because it is not just a matter of the natural climate (summer, when you will let the most air in from outside, is much more humid in temperate climates like ours than in some countries), but also microclimates like kitchens.
Since homes of any age have kitchens and bathrooms, you will find that having plaster well-suited to dealing with moisture will be very suitable, no matter what the age of your property.
