Seattle Architectural Finishing Studio Blog

New Class Dates Announced- Through Jan. 2009

Can’t make it to our next Venetian Plastering 1 & 2 classes (this Saturday August 16 through Wednesday, August 20)? We just announced a new round of class dates!

Venetian Plastering 1 - The Basics

• Oct. 4, 2008 (Sat)
• Dec. 6, 2008 (Sat)

Venetian Plastering 2 - Stucco Italiano Certification

• Oct. 6-8, 2008 (Mon-Wed)
• Dec. 8-10, 2008 (Mon-Wed)

Venetian Plastering 3 - Advanced Techniques

• Oct. 9-11, 2008 (Thurs-Sat)

Portfolio Builder and Product Update Workshop - For former SAFS students only!

Pay for supplies only.

• Sept. 12-13, 2008 (Fri-Sat)
• Nov. 14-15, 2008 (Fri-Sat)
• Jan. 23-24, 2009 (Fri-Sat)

Textures & Metallics 1 - Featuring Golden Proceed

• Nov. 19-21, 2008 (Wed-Fri)
• Jan. 12-14, 2009 (Mon-Wed)

Venetian Plastering in Vicenza, Italy with Giovanni Polistena

This class is filling up fast and the deadline to sign up is August 31 (less than 3 weeks away!)

• Oct. 26 - Nov. 4, 2008

See full class calendar here. All classes located at Seattle Architectural Finishing Studio (except the trip to Italy, of course!).

No Comments | Posted in » Classes, Golden Proceed, Intonachino, Italy, Marmorino, Stucco, Tadelakt, Techniques, Venetian Plaster

2009 Design Trend Prediction: Far East Aesthetic

Though it’s a bit early to predict the interior design trends for 2009, some are already saying that Asian culture will be a major influence.

Tamara and Alison were working on using Japanese character stencils in the last Textures & Metallics class, but unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures (though you can see plenty of shots of other great work from that class here).

Here’s one of Aaron’s samples that uses Marmorino Classic and an Asian influence:

Have you used an Eastern aesthetic in your Venetian plaster work? Send me your photos if you’d like to see them posted here.

No Comments | Posted in » Business Tips, Classes, Marmorino, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster

Natural Lime Plaster Exteriors - Steve Manby

Steve Manby, plaster installer extraordinaire up in Vancouver BC writes:

“Stucco Italiano Intonachino sells itself !

project is almost done approx ….9,000 feet
kind of glows on the wall…I’m chalking it up to the double refraction from the lime crystals…it literally glows.

as usual pictures do not do wall finishes justice …I would have to set up a studio there to get good shots.

link here to 9 shots I took the other day.”

Actually here’s a couple of photos from one of Steve’s projects below and a link to his photo galleries here

Like Steve says, hard to do the finish justice, but I was up there a couple of weeks ago, and trust me, it’s beautiful.  Nice house, too.

As those who have had the opportunity to work with true lime plasters know, The reflection of light on a lime plaster surface gives translucence which is vastly different to that from cement-based materials. -PD Marlow  That is the unique nature of the calcium carbonate - it’s ability to refract and absorb light in such a complex manner.

No Comments | Posted in » Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Techniques, Venetian Plaster

Venetian Plaster Techniques - Intonachino as skim coat

Rough walls?  Orange peel or knock down or worse?  Want a nice smooth polished plaster finish but no interest in skim coating and painting before proceeding?  Try this Venetian Plaster Technique to minimize your labor and still create a beautifully smooth finished result:

1 - Start with a first coat of Intonachino Medium or Coarse.  This should start to give you enough volume to bury the unsightly texture.  Intonachino can be applied over sealed drywall indoors, over conventional scratch and brown or modified Portland cements and of course over hydraulic lime scratch coats on exteriors.  Let dry overnight.

2- Follow with 2nd coat of Intonachino, same grade as the first coat.  Full layer.  When this goes to set(firm but not completely dry), push a 2nd layer of Intonachino into it.  Use steeper angle on your trowel to push the grain into the set layer.  Let that layer go to set and now you are ready to break out the Marmorino Carrara.  Push your carrara material into the firm layer.  Don’t go in too soon!  You’ll find you are able to start polishing with your Marmorino material and that your Intonachino has created a buffer against the original texture of the wall.

Variations - For a really smooth, high polish finish use another coat of Carrara.  For a distressed, smooth look leave some openings back into the Intonachino.  For a really high sheen finish you can also do this technique with the Carrara instead of Intonachino on the first coats and Classic on the final coats, as long as the original surface is not too rough.

This is a great finish and technique.  Fairly easy to do and great results! Check out one of our Venetian Plaster Classes in Seattle if you’d like a little more help.

No Comments | Posted in » Intonachino, Marmorino, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster

Happy 500th to the Western World’s Most Important Architect Ever

On this cool website commemorating Andrea Palladio’s 500th birthday, you can find itineraries for walking tours of Palladio’s villas in Vicenza, photos of his astounding architecture, a collection of quotes about Palladio, and more.

According to the site,

“Andrea Palladio is acknowledged today as the most important architect the western world has ever had. Over the last years, the decline of the modernist movement in architecture has aroused a renewed interest for the classical style and for Palladio’s works.
Spread all over the Vicenza and the Veneto area are dozens of magnificent villas and sumptuous buildings as the everlasting heritage of his architectural genius.”

E-mail us if you’d like to celebrate Andrea Palladio’s 500th birthday during our upcoming trip to Italy…

No Comments | Posted in » Business Tips, Classes, Italy, Venetian Plaster