Is Venetian plaster out of style?
To understand this first we must realise that fashion and style are individual and personal to us, yes there will be trends, movements and phases but ultimately our perspective dictates what is and is not considered stylish.
Yes of course there is influence readily available at every turn, in magazines, papers, the internet, social media and so forth. Coupled along with our friends, family and significant others who all have input or influence with our decisions, not always, but often.
But do you really want to go and install a bold, garish and shiny wall in your bedroom just because an Instagram influencer told you it was cool?
What about if that Venetian plaster wall cost you several thousand pounds and involved having installers in your home for a week, disrupting your schedule?
This is where most people’s common sense will kick in, but not always!
Venetian plaster is a bit of an umbrella term being bandied about these days for a wide array of products, materials and finishes.
Often clients aren’t aware that this whole industry exists and that they can literally have pretty much endless combinations of colour, texture, bling and blends for their interior surfaces.
Decorating in its own right will go so far as to provide variety but is usually just limited to paint and paper finishes unless you have someone that is particularly creative. In which case, you may end up with some options for effects or colour blending.
Within the field of Venetian plaster, you can achieve very smooth and shiny finishes, which are done so with a very fine grain plaster and polished up, this is also referred to as polished plaster or marble plaster.
Medium grain-sized plaster tends to be more versatile and can be layered on to give a textured plaster finish, or can also be polished up to give a shinier appearance, just not to the same level of the finer grain.
Coarse grain Venetian plaster by its very nature tends to lend itself more to deeply textured and rustic finishes, which is that’s your thing then great it will suit your style.
These of course can be combined with other products to further broaden your range of style options, including but not limited to metallics, liquid metals, colour blending and a variety of texture ranges woven into the installation design.
Truly unique artwork designed and handcrafted just for you! Naturally if you’d like to discuss your design ideas in more detail, simply head here and reach out to us.
Each of these very different Venetian plaster examples can be used within your home or business to suit your tastes and style. At the time of writing this, October 2021, we have seen the industry growing steadily over the last few years, in part owing to the Instagram and Pinterest culture.
Social media platforms and the internet has shown people the possibilities available for personalisation of their homes so those style ideas, no matter how weird, wacky or woo-woo are accessible to all.
The world of Venetian plaster, where the only limitation is your imagination!
In business, especially food and service-based brick and mortar establishments, having a focal point or photogenic backdrop can lead to people wanting to visit more when they see others taking cool photos and uploading them to the gram and beyond.
Therefore, when designing and planning your installation it is worth taking these considerations on board, ask yourself if the piece is‘ gram worthy’ or ‘will people want to pin this?’
Distilled down, it essentially asks, ‘is this in style?’
Yes, it is important to bring your own taste preferences into the equation here, or those of an expert such as an interior designer or stylist that you may be working with. However, more often we’re seeing the end results and style influenced by modern and popular cultures.
Weighing up the investment costs vs other design choices will be a factor to consider with Venetian plaster and our range of decorative finishes being a more premium choice vs paint or papering.
Any designer or stylist worth their salt will be able to advise here, which is after all that you’re paying them for, isn’t it?! Letting you know if the ideas you have are more matched to your own personal tastes, which aren’t always the best route to go down, let’s be honest. An impartial viewpoint or onlooker, note- not your friends and family, is able to share their thoughts unhindered by the fear of upsetting you.
One example that springs to mind is the use of concrete Venetian plaster, typically the exposed concrete walls and floors were reserved for industrial to residential conversions, flats uptown or in areas that had seen regeneration projects undertaken.
Much like the exposed brickwork movement that was and still is popular.
However, this coarse, dramatic, mood-setting and industrial style of Venetian plaster (or micro cement) can be installed in any home to achieve visual impact. Creating an awe-inspiring focal point, without the disruption and mess of having to cast concrete or have large, heavy and impractical slabs of it delivered.
This architectural concrete movement has been partly brought about we believe as a bit of a follow on from the ‘age of grey’ which is what we refer to being the last 3-5 years of immense popularity for all things grey.
Not just limited to interior paints, we’re talking furniture, fixings, and even manufacturers of cars have adopted this and offer factory finish greys, hell there was even a book series and films to follow based around 50 shades of said colour!
Anyway, I digress, the style and trends of Venetian plaster in our opinion will continue to grow and evolve as people’s tastes do so,
The conclusion being Venetian plaster is not out of style, perhaps certain styles of Venetian plaster are less popular currently than they have been. But not the industry as a whole, in fact, quite the opposite, and it’s poised to grow further, with new products and application techniques continually emerging.
Whilst some of this isn’t technically Venetian plaster, we believe it will remain a firm favourite with interior design-savvy consumers. The people with their finger to the pulse and those who seek ultimate personalisation and style of their interior spaces.
As new products are innovated, techniques happened upon and further creativity oozes out from the applicators on the ground doing the work day in and day out the industry will continue to be defined.
If you’d like to discover a Venetian plaster finish that suits your style, adds wow factor to your walls and is somewhat of an art piece to reach out to us via email at hello@signature-walls.co.uk
